The Journey: 2018

December 09, 2018

SPEAKING WITH THE CAPTAIN

September of this year (2018) marked the seventeenth anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy which brought down the Twin Towers in New York, and reports say, almost three thousand people lost their lives. A lot has changed since that dark day, but one thing that hasn’t changed, even since the time of Moses, is the fact that when things get bad, many people turn to God. Then when things don’t look so gloomy anymore, he gets put back on the shelf, and it’s back to the same old grind; “Life as usual.”

That’s what appears to have happened concerning the 9/11 tragedy. For quite a while afterward, it was widely reported that the attack had brought America together in a way not heard of before. There were reports of church attendance shy-rocketing in a similar way that the Y2K scare had prompted so many to seek God. But, eventually, as time went by and the threat lessened, many of those newcomers went back to their old lives and put God back in storage until they need him again.

God is always there for us when we need him, but he’s also there when things are going great. Oftentimes, longing for our companionship. In tragedy, in happiness, in poverty, or in prosperity, there’s never a time when we don’t need God. Even Jesus relied on God. He said, “I can do nothing by myself” (John 5:30).

How much less can we do without God? We must realize that we’re “only dust” (Genesis 18:27). It took God to make that dust become flesh, and it takes his power to maintain it. Sure, we can do it our way, and many do but look what God’s word says about that. “There is a way that seems right to men, but in the end, it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12). So what do we do? We must develop a close, personal relationship with God through Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5). How do we do that? The answer is prayer.

First, we “must be born again” (John 3:1, 7). Without that new birth, humans don’t want to serve God. We don’t want to submit to authority. We don’t want someone telling us what to do. We want to be in control. We want to do what we want to do so that attitude has to go and God is the only one who can purge it from us. Hearing the word of God, and seeing our great need for his forgiveness is the first step. The next step is asking God to save us, and he will (Romans 10:13, Acts 2:21).

There’s an old English proverb that says, “Many things are lost for lack of asking.” James said the same thing in James 4:2; “You do not have because you do not ask.” Jesus said, “Ask and you will receive” (John 16:24). Prayer is the key to success in every situation. From being saved to being healed; From being able to forgive someone, to finding a spouse, or a job. Prayer is the breath of the soul. Prayer is two-way communion with the Creator. It’s not reserved for just asking him for help.

We can come to him any time. He wants us to talk to him daily and he wants to talk to us. The more we communicate with him, the closer we’ll grow to him, and the closer we get to him, the better we’ll understand what he wants us to do, and how he wants us to act. The better we know him the more we love him, and the more we love him the more we want to obey. That’s how we grow as his followers.

The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 that we should “pray without ceasing.” He’s not saying we should constantly be on our knees with our eyes closed. He’s simply telling us to stay in constant communication with God in our minds. God can hear what we are thinking and he can talk to us in our minds. We just need to listen. He’s always speaking to us and he’s always listening, so ask him for what you need, and yes, ask him for what you want as well. “He will not hold back any good thing from those who live right” (Psalm 84:11).

Be sure to pray for others daily as well, and don’t forget to thank God for all you have, and for every answered prayer. “…in everything, make your requests known to God by asking him in prayer, with thanksgiving.” (Phil 4:6b).

The Christian life is not all fun and games, but it’s a lot more simple than many think it is. Again, the key to a good relationship with God is prayer. So be sure to communicate with him daily.

In the Bible, life is sometimes compared to a ship sailing on the sea. As the old Ship of Zion sails these troubled waters, we all must realize that we’re not merely passengers along for the ride. We’re part of the crew. We have to remain in constant contact with the Captain. We can’t do it right on our own. We need that close, personal relationship to remain faithful, especially in the storms.

Sometimes it seems easier to abandon ship, but in God’s word, we’re told that unless we remain in the ship we can’t be saved (Acts 27:31). So no matter how rough the waters ahead become, or how bad the storms are, remain faithful and don’t abandon the ship. In Matthew 24:13, Jesus says, “Those who endure until the end will be saved.”

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October 13, 2018

BETRAYED BY A FRIEND

During my ten years in Elementary School, I had several best friends. Obviously, I failed two grades, but I also attended four different schools. I lost friends because I changed schools, and I lost friends because they changed schools. I also lost friends both times I failed a grade and they moved up. We were no longer in the same room, and in a few cases, we went to lunch and recess at different times, and just grew apart.

When I was in the first grade at a school called Gift, my best friend was named Vivian. She was a tomboy and wasn’t afraid of a little dirt, or water. When I had to repeat the first grade, she move on to the second and we didn’t get to hang out together as much, and we both made new friends. Then the school closed down and she went to Kossuth and I went to Union Center.

My best friend there was Samuel. We were in the same class, and we hung out together at recess and ate lunch together every day. We were both right-handed, but I never really thought much about it at all. I knew there were left-handed people and right-handed people. That’s just the way it was. Then one day, we were sitting at the table in the lunchroom, and just out of the blue, he suggested that we both start using our left hands to eat, as he picked up some spaghetti with his fork using his left hand. I tried it and found it to be a bit difficult, but I figured I could adapt with a little practice. Then he suggested we start doing everything left-handed. I said "okay," and that’s what we did for the rest of the year.

Soon, Summer break came, which lasted about four months in those days. We didn’t see each other all that time, and when school started back, he moved on to the sixth grade and I had to repeat the fifth. Later that year, his family moved to California. They moved back a few years later and he went to Kossuth.

When I graduated from elementary school, I went to the high school at Kossuth, and there was Samuel. I didn’t get to see him much, because we were in different grades and the school was so big, and I was only there for a few months, but to my surprise, he was still using his left hand to eat. I had given that up years ago and hadn’t really thought much about it. It was a bit difficult, and without him there to encourage me, I just went back to what was comfortable.

When I failed the fifth grade, and Samuel moved on, he wasn’t the only one. All my classmates moved up to the sixth grade. The new school year began with a whole room full of new people coming from the fourth grade. That’s when I met Randy and we became best friends. A few years later, when we were in the seventh grade, he suggested that we both come to school the next day with our hair parted in the middle. I was reluctant, but I finally agreed to do it.

When I got home, I went into the bathroom and started messing with my hair to see what it would look like parted in the middle. I’ve never liked change as far back as I can remember, and when it came to my hair, that was especially true. I always kept my hair neat, and I didn’t want anyone to touch it. I even wore hairspray from my mid-teens into my thirties. Many people thought I was vain, and probably thought I was stuck up, or full of myself, but it was just the opposite. I’ve never, in my life, thought that I was handsome or good-looking. Never. I didn’t think I was ugly, but I knew I was not good-looking, so I tried my best to look as nice as I possibly could, with my clothes and hair, because I knew that’s all I had.

Anyway, I didn’t quite like the way my new hairstyle made me look that day after school, but I had told Randy I would do it, so the next morning when I got ready for school, I parted my hair in the middle. I kept messing with it and looking at it, but I just couldn’t leave it like that. I was already shy and self-conscious enough about my looks, and I couldn’t take a chance on making myself look worse, so I chickened out. So, just before the bus came, I quickly fixed my hair back the way I had been wearing it for the last few years; the way I was comfortable wearing it. Then, I got on the bus.

When the bus stopped at Randy’s house, he got on and sat down beside me with his new hairstyle. It actually looked good on him. He didn’t pressure me too much about not changing mine and never mentioned it again after that week, as far as I can remember. He just went right on wearing his fly-back hairdo.

Looking back, I feel bad about agreeing with my friends to do something and not following through with it. Those things may seem trivial but I went back on my word. I’m thankful they forgave me and didn’t hate me for it. I’m sorry I let you guys down. Thank you both for your continued friendship.

Friendship is something special. There are many good quotes and expressions out there about friendship, and there are several variations to many of them. The first one that comes to my mind is "To have a friend, you must be a friend." I’ve heard that one for as long as I can remember, and you probably have, too. Did you know it comes from the Bible? Proverbs 18:24 says, "A man that has friends must be friendly, and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother."

Friendship is important for many reasons. We need friends to encourage us, comfort us, and hold us accountable in certain aspects of life. Studies have even shown that friendship has positive effects on both emotional and physical health. To make friends, we have to be friendly. To keep friends, we have to be a friend. We have to be honest and reliable. That means keeping our word when at all possible. If for some reason, we can’t do something we have agreed to do, then we need to let our friends know. That’s just common courtesy and should be extended to everyone, not just friends.

We also need to be willing to forgive our friends (and others) when they hurt us, just as we would want them to forgive us if we hurt them. In Matthew 7:12, Jesus gave us what many call the "Golden Rule." He basically said, "Treat others like you want them to treat you." If every person in the world would do that, the world would be a better place to live. If you agree, then put it into practice. As we treat others with kindness and respect, they’ll do the same for us, and for others, and it will spread. It has to start somewhere.

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September 10, 2018

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED

Several years ago, I was working at a place called Parker, in Booneville, Mississippi. I worked there for ten years and drove to work down highway 45. I saw lots of things on that road in those ten years, and several not-so-good things happened to me on that road, but one of the strangest, most unsettling things happened one day while I was driving home after work.

As I came into the little town of Biggersville and went down the hill, there was a long flat stretch of highway. The road had four lanes; two northbound lanes, and two southbound ones separated by a grassy median. I was in the right northbound lane and there was, at least, one vehicle beside me in the left northbound lane. I like to be aware of what’s going on around me when I’m on the road, so I’m always checking my mirrors. The next I looked, I saw a car coming up behind me. It was moving pretty fast. I could tell he was speeding. I was sure he would slow down to the speed limit before he got to me, but as he came closer, I saw that he was not going to slow down. I was shocked at what he did next.

He couldn’t pass me in the left lane because someone else was there right beside me, so he passed me on my right side. He left the highway, and almost lost control as he went into the gravel. The car slid to the right, then back to the left. Rocks flew all over my car as the guy struggled to stay in control. To make matters worse, there was a bridge right there in front of us. Fortunately, just as we reached the guard rails he got the car back on the road just in time to cross the bridge without hitting it. Thank God for that. It could have ended badly. Wow! What an insane experience!

Another time, I was headed to work on the same road early in the morning, and it was snowing. I guess it had been snowing longer toward Booneville because the closer I got to work, the worse it was. I was going up that same hill in Biggersville when the tires on my van started spinning. Soon, I came to a complete stop. Thank God there wasn’t much traffic out. Since I couldn’t go forward, I started backing down the hill to get a fresh start and a little more speed. As I was backing down, I saw an eighteen-wheeler coming toward me. I was concerned, of course, but my heart almost jumped out of my chest when the truck started up the hill and started sliding. Fortunately, I had gotten over on the left side of the road and had the left wheels where the gravel was. After a few long minutes of holding my breath, the truck finally made it past me safely. Then I continued backing back down to the flat part of the highway as quickly as I possibly could in those conditions. Thankfully, I made it down before any other vehicles came. Then, I started back up the hill with a little more speed than I had before, and soon, I was over the hill and back on my way to work. Another situation where I'm thankful God was with me.

On the roads we go down every day, there are many things to cause us stress and aggravation. There are things that cause us to slow down, and sometimes even stop. Many times, there are things that make us take detours, but if we are headed to a certain place, we usually don’t allow any of those things to stop us from reaching our destination.

There’s a road that’s less traveled. It’s referred to by many names, but many call it “the road to heaven.” On the road to heaven, we should be even more determined to reach our destination. There are many things that get in our way, and slow us down. We can get distracted and even stop at times, but we have to keep going. There’s too much at stake to turn back now. Love for Jesus and the promise of eternal life with him are great motivators, but sometimes the cares of this life, and the things of this world make us lose sight of our destination.

Jesus said the road that leads to life is narrow, and not everyone will find it (Matthew 7:14). So, if you’ve found that road, stay on it, and don’t let anything make you stop and turn back. If you haven’t found the road to heaven, then let me point you to the map that will show you the way. God’s Word, the Holy Bible, is that map. If you follow this map, it will lead you home, and Jesus, his Father, and the Holy Spirit will all be right there with you every step of the way. Have a happy journey. I’ll see you on the other side.

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August 27, 2018

MR. JOBE AND THE TENNIS RACKET

When I was in elementary school, one of my teachers was Mr. Jobe. He was a very nice, friendly man, and a great teacher. He was also the school Principle.

One day in his math class, we were taking a test. Everyone was quietly working, and as each student finished, they took their paper to the teacher’s desk and returned to their seat. I think Mr. Jobe may have been grading the papers as they were turned in. At least, he was sitting at his desk looking down at whatever he was doing.

When I completed my test, I folded it and put my name on it. Then, I walked to his desk and laid it with the other student’s papers. As I turned to head back to my desk, I noticed a set of tennis rackets laying on the shelf which was on the wall to the right of the teacher. His desk was several feet from the wall behind him to allow room to access the blackboard, so the shelf was behind him.

Of course, me being the clown that I was, I picked up one of those rackets and got my friend Randy’s attention. I pretended the tennis ball was coming at me as I swung the racket to right. Then, I stepped to the side and swung to the left. Then, I raised the racket over my right shoulder and swung it straight up over my head. When I did, the round, three-ringed, metal light fixture came crashing to the floor. That got everybody’s attention, including Mr. Jobe.

I looked at the mess on the floor, then I look at him. He was looking at me and getting up out of his chair. I knew I was in trouble. He grabbed the paddle, then he grabbed me by the arm and said, “Out in the hall. The very idea; Playing in the room.” I had always been angry with the teachers after they paddled me before, but not this time. Of all the paddlings I had gotten in school over the years, I knew I deserved that one, so I braced myself for it and took it like a man. Soon, it was over and I went back in and reassembled the light fixture, and took the walk of shame back to my desk. I always liked, and respected Mr. Jobe and the paddling didn’t change that.

After we graduated, I didn’t see him again for more than fifteen years. Then, one day my wife asked me if I knew a Charles Jobe. I said I did and asked her why. She said he was a patient at the assisted living facility where she worked. My children would go over and sing to the people there sometimes to cheer them up. Mr. Jobe saw my youngest son and thought he looked like me. He asked him his name and found out I was his dad so he told my wife to ask me to come and see him.

When I walked into his room, his eyes lit up, and even though he was not feeling well, that encouraging smile he always had for his students covered his whole face. We talked for quite a while about the old days, about my sisters, and about some of the other students and teachers at our old school.

Then he told me something very interesting. He said he had a dream. I think he said he had it more than once. In the dream, God’s angels were singing a song. He said when he woke up from the dream, he wrote the song down, words and music, and had it published. He even received some royalty money from it. I thought that was amazing.

Before we left that day, my kids sang for him and we prayed with him. That’s the last time I saw him. He was soon moved to a nursing home in another state, and later we heard that he had passed away. I’m glad I got to see him that one last time. I’m glad God put him in my life for those few years in elementary school. He made a difference in my life and the lives of so many others. I hope someone can say that about me after I’m gone.

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July 21, 2018

DEVDAS AND THE GREAT SPIRIT

Many years ago in native America, there was a great Indian chief named Kanuna. He was the husband of a beautiful young woman named Salani. One day the Great Spirit blessed them with a wonderful baby boy. On the seventh day after his birth, Kanuna dedicated the baby to the Great Spirit and called his name Atsadi. His parents were so proud of him. The boy grew up and became a great man that the whole tribe loved, and respected. In adulthood, he became known as Devdas. When chief Kanuna died suddenly, everyone expected Devdas to become chief, but he refused. He chose another great man named Ashwin to take his place as chief. This was not the way of the tribe, but Devdas had known for some time that the Great Spirit had other plans for his life.

Many moons before his father, chief Kanuna died, Atsadi had a dream. In the dream, he saw a man in a white robe walk into his village. The man walked up to him and handed him a small black book and told him that the Great Spirit sent him and wanted Atsadi to share the book with all his people. The very next day, a group of Christians came to the village. They told the tribe about a God who loves everyone and became a man and lived on earth, and sacrificed himself to save the world. When they showed them the Bible, Atsadi knew the Great Spirit had sent the men, and he knew what he had to do. So, instead of preparing to become chief, he chose to follow Jesus and teach his people about him.

Atsadi was baptized in Fox River and became a Christian. He began translating the Bible into his native tongue and teaching his tribe about Jesus. He established a church there and started traveling to neighboring clans preaching and teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. In a few short years, he had planted eight churches and introduced thousands to Jesus, including his friend Ashwin, and chief Kanuna.

It’s amazing how God works to spread the gospel across the world and there are many other stories like this one. I heard one story about an evangelist who went to a large city and preached to large crowds of people night after night for a week. At the end of the week, only one young man accepted Jesus and was baptized. The preacher felt like a failure. In the eyes of many, he was a failure on that trip. But God doesn’t measure success or failure by numbers. That young man went on to become an evangelist himself, and over his lifetime, he led thousands to Jesus. We don’t know exactly what God has planned for our lives, but we do know that he has a plan. All we need to do is follow him, and allow him to use us in his plan.

Many times it may mean changing plans we have laid out for ourselves, or even giving up our dreams. We may have to abandon a long line of tradition like Atsadi did. In Bible times, many people even changed their names when they met God like Atsadi did. By the way, Atsadi means fish. Devdas, the name he embraced as an adult, means Servant of God.

Today, when we commit our lives to following God, we get a new name. We become “Christians” which means “Christ-Like”, or “Like Christ.” The name, in and of itself, doesn’t make us anything. Our commitment to God and the new nature he gives us are what count. As born-again believers, we have our names in the Book of Life, and if we endure until the end, we will live forever with him (Matthew 24:13). That will more than makeup for anything we may have to give up or change.

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July 10, 2018

THE GHOST IN THE CLOSET

I attended a small country school when I was young. There were eight grades in the two-story, brick building but the basement held the restrooms and the lunchroom and kitchen, supplies, and other miscellaneous things. The second and third grades met in the same room and had the same teacher while the first grade met in a small mobile home that had been converted into a classroom. I was in the first grade at the time.

One day at recess, I saw a couple of kids run from the room screaming. They told me there was a ghost in the closet in the second and third-grade classroom. I didn’t believe them, though. I don’t think I even believed in ghosts then because I had never seen one. They talked me into going into the closet and looking to see for myself. The ceiling of the closet was very high. When the door closed, I looked up like they had told me to. That’s when I saw it. Something large and white was coming down toward me. Naturally, I started screaming and trying to find the doorknob. When I finally got out of there, I ran back downstairs and out of the building, and into my own classroom without ever looking back. I was scared to death.

As I grew older, I heard lots of ghost stories and saw scary movies and TV shows. I had a few more personal experiences of my own and pretty soon, I became very afraid of ghosts.

I remember seeing a strange-looking bug with wings resting on the screen door one night at my aunt’s house. The next day, I happened to notice it again, but this time it was white and wasn’t moving. It was a ghost. That’s what I thought, but after a few more years of experience, I realize that what I thought was the ghost of that bug was only a skin that it had shed.

When I became a Christian and spent more time reading and praying, God revealed many things to me. Many of the “encounters” I had experienced over the years were made clear. Fear can make us imagine all sorts of crazy things. Sometimes what we see is not imaginary but we misinterpret what it is, based on preconceived ideas. Many times, misunderstanding can lead to fear. Remember when the disciples of Jesus were out on the lake in a boat one night and saw Jesus walking on the water? They didn’t know it was him, and they were scared because they thought he was a spirit. That is, an evil spirit.

The Bible teaches that there is no such thing as a ghost. At least, not what we think of as ghosts, like the spirits of dead people. The Bible teaches that when a person dies, they are asleep (John 11:11-14), and they do not know anything (Eccl. 9:5-6; Job 14:12,21). People stop thinking when they die (Ps. 146:4), they will never return to their house again (Job 7:9-10), and they don’t have anything to do with the goings on here on this earth (Eccl. 9:5-6).

If we encounter a “ghost,” it’s not someone who has died. Even if it looks like someone we know who has died, it’s not them. It’s an evil spirit; An evil angel; A demon. All three of these are the same thing, not something different as some people believe. The Bible is full of stories where demons possessed people. They do it today as well. We have to be careful not to entertain demons. In Hebrews 13:2, we are told that many have entertained angels and did not know they were angels. The same is true for the evil angels. The best defense against these demons is to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God. Stay in constant communication with Jesus and read and study his word, the Bible every day. We also need to avoid things that are not pure, such as certain movies, video games, and music. We don’t need to allow things into our minds that make us venerable to demons.

I have had several experiences with demons over the years including one with a Ouija board when I was in my teens. I know demons are real and they do not have our best interest in mind. They want to make us fearful and ultimately destroy us, and they will if we don’t rest in the protective arms of Jesus. So, if you’re not there, beware, and fill your mind with holy things. Remember what God’s word says in 2 Timothy 1:7 and 1 John 4:18. God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear, and God’s perfect love will expel all fear.

Watch these 2 videos about Ghosts and Dead People

Ghosts And Spooky Spirits

Are The Dead Really Dead?

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June 24, 2018

LIKE PULLING TEETH

Have you ever had a loose tooth? I think it’s safe to say that everybody has. It’s usually not long until they come out all by themselves. I lost several teeth this way when I was young. I remember being told that if I put them under my pillow the tooth fairy would take them and leave me some money. I did that several times until I finally realized the adults in my family were the tooth fairies.

One day I was at my mom and dad’s and I had a loose tooth. Well, my dad told me I didn’t need to wait for it to come out by itself because I might swallow it. Then I wouldn’t get any money from the tooth fairy. He suggested we tie one end of a string around my tooth and the other end around a doorknob. I was reluctant because I was afraid it would hurt, but I went along with his plan. When we got everything set up and I was just the right distance from the open door, my dad quickly slammed it. As it closed with a thud, my head jerked forward and the string fell to the floor. It didn’t hurt as bad as I thought it was going to. Maybe it didn’t work. Well, that’s what I thought. My dad pulled the string up from the floor and hanging there on the end was my bloody tooth. It did work.

That one was easy, but when I grew up, I had to have a tooth pulled because it was causing me pain. It wasn’t loose, so the dentist had to cut it out. One of my wisdom teeth had grown in wrong and caused the tooth in front of it to develop a cavity, so he had to remove two teeth to get the bad one out. It took him two hours to remove those two teeth. Now, I truly understand the expression, “Like Pulling Teeth.”

Just like my loose tooth that needed to come out, we sometimes have things in our lives that we need to do, but we put them off because we are afraid. We make things hard, “Like Pulling Teeth” that aren’t loose. Many times, we need to just do it and get it over with. Here’s where we fail, and this is what leads to fear. We should always ask God what we need to do first. He needs to be a part of every decision we make, and he will be if we always put him first and always seek to please him.

Too many of us want to be in control of our own lives and do what we want, but then we run to God to fix whatever mess we get into by doing what we want. We make things “like pulling teeth.” Stop, Look, and Listen! God is all-knowing. He has wisdom that we could never have and he does know what’s best for each of us in any given situation. We need to realize that and accept it.

God doesn’t want to be our boss. He wants to be our guide. He wants us to be happy, healthy, and wise. He wants us to prosper. He has plans for each of us. If we follow him, we will not go wrong. Following God is more than just walking the same path behind him, though. The Greek word for FOLLOW means “to be in the same way with,” or “to accompany.” He is right there WITH us on our journey to protect us and guide us.

Talk to God. Communicate with him at all times, not just when you need something. Build your life around him and his word, The Bible. Ask him what you should do, daily, and do what he says and you’ll soon find yourself happy. No, everything won’t be perfect but you’ll make fewer mistakes and bad decisions. Don’t make life hard “like pulling teeth.” Give it all to God and follow him. Life will be better here, and you’ll be able to live with God forever when this life is over. Give it a try. I dare you.

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June 02, 2018

MY OTHER LITTLE SISTER

I was about six years old and my sister was sixteen months younger than me. One day we went to the little country store that had recently opened up in front of our house. The owner’s name was Amos. My grandmother had known him since he was a little boy. Around mid-day, there were always several men sitting around inside eating lunch.

I don’t remember exactly what it was, but my sister, Loretta, wanted to get something and my grandmother told her no. So she fell down on the floor and threw a tantrum. She was crying, and kicking, and screaming. All of a sudden, from out of nowhere, our grandmother grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to her feet, and gave her a good spanking right there in front of the store owner and all those men. Let me tell you, she never ever acted like that again.

Another time, though, we had gone to that same store and returned home. That’s when our grandmother noticed that Loretta had a candy bar. She asked her, “Where did you get that candy bar?” She said, “From the store.” Our grandmother told her she had to take it back and tell Amos that she had stolen it. She didn’t want to do that so our grandmother went outside and got a small branch from a tree and stripped the leaves off. We called that a switch back then.

She gave her a switching and we all headed back to the store. We went inside and walked up to the counter. Loretta laid the candy bar on the counter and said, “I stole this.” Amos said, “Oh, it’s alright. You can have it.” My grandmother quickly spoke up and said, “No it’s not alright. I ain’t gonna have them stealing.” We left and went back home. I never knew of her ever stealing anything again.

I believe that one of the reasons there are so many disrespectful, lying, thieving people out there today is because they were not disciplined as children. There’s nothing wrong with disciplining your child in a loving manner. I don’t think you should ever discipline them while you’re angry, though. You should pray and ask for God’s help and guidance before doing anything. I wish I had done that when I was raising my three.

If we would get back to raising our children God’s way, our world would be a better place. We need to make God number one in our lives and follow his word. Here are a few versed from the Holy Bible about disciplining children.

Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 29:17 – Correct your son, and he will give you rest. Yes, he will give delight to your soul.

Proverbs 29:15 – The rod and correction give wisdom: but a child left to himself brings his mother to shame.

Proverbs 22:15 – Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction will drive it far from him.

Proverbs 23:13-14 – Do not withhold correction from the child because if you hit him with the rod, he will not die. You will hit him with the rod and will deliver his soul from hell.

Proverbs 13:24 – He that spares the rod hates his son, but he that loves him disciplines him early.

Hebrews 12:11 – No discipline seems to be delightful at the time, but sorrowful, but afterward it brings the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.

God tells us to discipline our children and train them to do right. They need to understand there are consequences for all wrongdoing. That will help them learn to obey God and avoid the flames of hell fire which is the ultimate consequence of doing wrong. Consistent, loving, discipline works, and when they’re grown, your children will understand, and they'll be grateful that you cared enough to correct them, just like my sister is thankful for our grandmother’s discipline today.