ENVY OR LOVE
I wonder if the red bird
Thinks he’s prettier than the sparrow.
I wonder if the bullet
Thinks it’s truer than the arrow.
...

Do little fluffy kittens think
They are prettier by far…
Than the little darling puppies
Lying warming by the fire?
How about the precious infant
Gazing up in mother’s eyes.
Is he thinking envious thoughts
As he binds those apron ties?
No… we only learn to envy
As we also learn to hate.
Evil desire comes visiting
And shares our woesome fate.
But there’s a wond’rous remedy
To getting rid of hate;
Jesus lived it and He spoke it…
In Matthew Five and Eight!

-Edna L. Ingram, 2/08

“…Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8

A PORTION OF: TO MY CHILD, REVISED

 I read this from somewhere..and it was so very depressing to me, so I decided to revise just a portion of it. My revision is in parenthesis:


I gave you life but I cannot live it for you. 
(We are going to do our best as examples so that you will have a good life.)

I can teach you things but I cannot make you learn
(We are going to make learning fun and worthwhile...so that you will excel.)

I can give you directions but I cannot always be there to lead you.
(We are going to teach you God's directions for youth, so that your values in spiritual matters can lead you right.) 

I can allow you freedom but I cannot account for it.
(When you are grown, you will be responsible for your wrongs...but if I don't train you in the way you should go, with freedom in Christ, It will be my fault for not doing my job, and I will give account for that part of it.) Prov 22:6 and Ephesians 6:4

I can teach you right from wrong but I can't always decide for you.
(We are going to teach you God's way and teach you to make your decisions with God as your Director). 

I can give you love but I cannot force it upon you.
 (I'm going to love you so dearly that you will always treasure it.)

I can teach you to share but I cannot make you unselfish.
(I will 'TRAIN' you to share and God's Word will make you unselfish.)

I can let you babysit but I can't be responsible for your actions. 
(Are you kidding me???) Parents are the ones responsible for their children's actions! )

I can warn you about sins but I cannot make your morals. 
(If we live our lives according to God's will, as your parents, only then if your values and morals echo ours, will you be ok, as we all follow Him.)  ***

Revised by Edna Ingram...I don't know where these originated or who the author  was, but it has been going around for quite a while... but all of these original statements sound like cop-outs to me. 

b
Note: I have no idea where this originated, but the original sounds like a cop-out to me!

 I would hate for people to use our family and how our children turned out...to malign God's Word!   Proverbs 22:6 means just what it says even if our children turn out bad. God's Word does not rely on us to prove how valid (or invalid) the Scripture is. If I didn't believe that Proverbs 22:6 meant just what it says, then how could I believe Acts 2:38 and Mark 16:16?

DADS

DADS

A SON'S FIRST HERO

A DAUGHTER'S FIRST LOVE

Children...and trees.

Some things just don't grow up straight including trees. When they don't grow up normal, they get twisted and turned. This tree grew up from the ground...not knowing which way to grow. So it grew up in three or four different directions.

Some children have and are...growing up this way too. They are not being trained in the right way and when they grow up...some spend many heart-breaking years trying to 'find themselves'.

This tree has a good reason to be this way...it is a Mesquite tree. They are all like that.
But the children...they don't have to grow up that way...not knowing which way to grow. They can be trained.

OUR PRIORITIES

OUR PRIORITIES MUST BE IN ORDER...IF WE ARE GOING TO
BE SUCCESSFUL IN RAISING OUR FAMILIES.

#1. God, the One Who gives life.

#2. Our mate, the one with whom we share life.

#3. Our children, the ones to whom we "give" life.

#4. Our job, the way we support our lives.

#5. Church work,   (i.e. others).

If any of these priorities are out of order in our lives,  our families will not be what they need to be. Sometimes we may get number 1 and number 5 confused. There is a fine line between them, and this confusion may make a difference in the faithfulness of your children later...but a diligent study of God's Word will take care of the confusion. The attendance of the assemblies of the church would come under # 1, not under # 5. 

Highlighting Christ or Obliterating Him?

There is a convenient Bible highlight marking system that is really great for helping you find topics in your Bible. It is taught in a class format and the name of it is Sharpening The Sword.

The system uses different color highlights for different topics, such as blue for salvation, green for judgment, red for sin, etc. I haven't looked at our daughter's (1958-1990) Bible recently but she was in a class in Texas where she worshiped and she had her Bible marked. It is really quite convenient.

But I started thinking about it this morning and just wondered if sometimes we don't get our highlighters mixed up with just plain old markers.

If our example is not pure we are not highlighting Christ. Instead, we are obliterating Him.

There are many ways to spiritually "pick up the wrong pen" and mark Him out instead of showing Him in our lives...forsaking the assembly when the saints meet, not reading and studying the Bible in private times (we may be the only one who knows this)  not fellow-shipping with the church at every opportunity, not being a pure example in word and action. 

Yes, there's a big difference in high-lighting pens and plain old markers...hopefully they are not 'permanent markers'  though, and we will come back to Him for forgiveness.    

50th Year School Reunion (2006)

A GREAT PRODUCT...IN A NOT SO GOOD CONTAINER!

A GREAT PRODUCT...IN A NOT SO GOOD CONTAINER!

I have never purchased a can of _________ and been able to use the whole can before the spray quits. Most of the time it is still half full and I have to toss it. I don't know if all the cans are that way or if I am just the lucky one every time.      ________ is a great product...you know when you have that dreadful, embarrassing clinging in your clothes and you can just spray them with _________, even while you are wearing them.

This time I decided to let them know about the can and they were very prompt in making up for it. I received in the mail this morning, a nice letter and also 2 coupons for 2 free cans of ________. More than makes up for the last can I bought...and they are working on a more efficient container.

Wow! That is all I was going to write...(I promise you that I didn't think about this until I was almost finished with the post  LOL)  but while typing the post, I thought that this lends itself to more than just an earthly product. What a great product God gave to this sinful world! The precious blood of His Son and His gospel, (Good News)!

Jesus preached about His church in future tense, while He was here on earth, but on the first Pentecost after His resurrection, in Acts 2,  the first gospel sermon was preached and His church started...and it was given to those apostles and first Christians to spread the gospel and today it is the responsibility of all who call themselves Christians.

Yes, He left this Treasure in 'earthen vessels' (Christians...2 Corinthians 4:7)   to distribute to the world, His saving grace. And what a sorry lot we are. But God's grace more than makes up for our weakness...and He is working on making us more efficient containers...vessels. Some are better at it than others but I think more of us would be efficient at it, if there were more who were interested in hearing it. How's your container or vessel? Do you spew the contents out all at once without thinking of the feelings of others? Or do you spray just what is needed in that particular situation and time?

II CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 4:1-9

Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. ¶ We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed...

OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR SELF WORTH

Our Children And Their Self-Worth

Our nest has been empty now for many years and we now have two little pets. A sweet little "stray no more dog" that we named Gabby and a sweet little socialite cockatiel that we named "Baby Bird." Our dog is an outside dog (we don't like cats or dogs in the house) but she is spoiled, nevertheless. Our bird is hopelessly spoiled, but when we have pets we believe we should love and care for them. When we come into their vicinity we acknowledge them. When our mind is on something else at the moment and we fail to acknowledge them, they (especially Baby Bird) will let us know about it. He will chirp in a 'questioning way' and then we answer him.  This article is not about pets though. It is about our children. Have you seen children come into a room where their parents are...and they are simply ignored? Many little children do not get much acknowledgement from their parents. I have seen some ignored even when they have resorted to being obnoxious to get their parent's attention. This is sad. Children need attention. They crave attention. Actually that is really all they are wanting. The really sad thing is...when they grow up, they will still show signs of not getting enough attention when they were of a tender age. Every time a child comes into the presence of their parent/parents, they need to be acknowledged. They should not have to speak or do anything before their presence is acknowledged. This will make them feel the importance they need to feel. What a great family and a great family life you will have, if you will acknowledge your children and give them the attention they crave. May God bless you as you strive to bring them up.

STRANGE CUSTOMS

STRANGE CUSTOMS

*They bind their little hands and feet
They say to make them small.
Their customs are very strange to us.
We understand them . . . not at all.


But here we bind their little hearts . . .
By all our customs too.
Day care centers . . . baby sitters . . .

Mothers gone . . . and more.
Mothers like detachment . . .

There's no bonding anymore.


Our loss is now affection
And love is out the door
When love goes . . . so does conscience
And troubles all the more!


Our only hope? Renewal
And families must see . . .
That children are most precious!
And their re-spon-si-bil-ity! 

©1982, Edna L. Ingram

*Note: Until 1949 the ideal length for women's feet, in these countries, was 4 inches. Countries that used to do this proceedure on their little girls, for the most part, have quit this painful custom...unfortunately we have not quit our custom, and our nation is showing it!

FAMILY DOTINGS START WITH A MARRIAGE

Married On November 27, 1955

As I look out my kitchen window,

Thinking of the years gone past,

'Cause I'm thinking of the things,

That will truly, truly last.

The okra stalks are fading...

Pea vines ruining in the soil,

But the garden with its bounty

Was worth all the sweat and toil.

And the family you are raising

Amid all the sweat and grime

Will be worth it in the future

If you now redeem the time!

©Edna L. Ingram,September 2010

Prayer for our cup...that runneth over.

 Dear Father

The children that you loaned to us
And helped us raise so true
The ones we love and treasure so...
Are faithful still to You.

The one You took away from us
At young age thirty-two;
We have her in our hearts today
Though she is now with You.

The one you've let us keep till now
You've blessed with many days;
He has three precious ones to love
And has trained them in Your ways.

Thank you, Dear God, whether it be short
Or long on earth we'll be;
We'll try to do Your will always
And live our lives for Thee.

©Edna L. Ingram, 2010