God's Parenting Manual
Related Categories: Parenting
Our first child entered the world on July 4, 1970. Sharon's doctor was out of town and after fourteen hours of hard labor, the substitute obstetrician decided to do a C-section. Sharon and I were twenty-two years old and had not attended one birthing class. My young wife had not learned any breathing exercises and neither had I! That night and into the early morning, I learned just how strong my wife is - the hand she squeezed through each contraction was never the same!
How sweet to hold our new born baby girl. In that moment, our lives were changed forever. Every decision we made was filtered through the grid of what was best for our daughter and then what was best for all four of our children.
We wanted our children to know, love and fear God but we felt ill-equipped to pass on that worldview. We attended numerous marriage and parenting conferences and prayed a lot. I learned that the most important thing I can do for my children is to love their mother the way that Christ loves the church. And together we concluded that parenting was not so much about rules and ten easy steps as it was about our hearts and our view of God. Did we know, love 
and fear God in the same way we wanted our children to experience? Then I discovered that children come with directions. The book of Proverbs is God's Parenting Manual and it is filled with practical tools that help inexperienced and seasoned grandparents alike focus on character building. Two generations ago, parents naturally passed on the truths of Proverbs to their children. We've lost that solid foundation. It's time to go back to what works.
I preached through Proverbs as a young father and a few years ago preached the same messages through the grid of being a grandfather. Listen now! And now those messages are in book form with a companion Study Guide. Order now!
Dig deep into these truths and your children will never be the same.
In His Grip,
Dr. Chuck Betters
MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.
to fear God after they reach the teen years. But statistics prove that the older we get the rate of conversion decreases.
the franchise player Brian Westbrook. A few years ago the media circus that was Terrell Owens captivated the headlines for weeks before the Eagles dumped him. In his own words T.O. (as he is called) needed more money so that he could feed his family. A gazillion dollars was not enough. He needed a bazillion dollars. Now we are at it again. Westbrook needs to feed his family and thus renegotiate his multi-million dollar contract.
When rock stars, movie stars, sports stars, and TV stars cut their toe nails it is front page news. Every time I go online I am invited to eavesdrop on some star's private life, to see them half naked, without make up, with makeup, in love, out of love, pregnant, post-pregnant, dancing, clubbing, getting in and out of a car, with a boyfriend, without a girl friend, in court fighting for custody, in jail, DUI, AWOL, and a plethora of other life situations.
Have you noticed how many TV programs are now actually taking us into the bathroom so that we can watch actors urinate? Give me a bucket!!