Momentum AND Child-rearing

It's been about six months since our move, and I am starting to feel like my life is taking shape. I have tasked myself to make sure that my mind stays occupied and I don't fall into a depression. It wouldn't be hard. As my blogs have shown, I've taken up a lot of new activities that were completely foreign to me before! And admittedly they have been a lot of fun. I'm already scheming ways to introduce some of the young people to these new skills when we move back. It was only just today that I felt a little smile come to my lips as I reflected on the many activities I've planned into my life to keep myself busy. It hasn't just been training myself in canning or taking up guitar; I've taken it upon myself to invite young couples in the church over so as to get to know them better. There should never be an excuse why a Rock Church girl shuns her responsibility to be hospitable. It's taken me some time to come out of my shell and I'm not even all the way out yet, but today I felt a little give from the casing wrapped tightly around me and my emotions. This whole adventure is for sure a learning process. It is forcing me to use and exercise long since lethargic parts of myself. Boy, they are rusty and screaming with the effort, but they should be in good working condition soon. Speaking of 'learning process' I am in the midst of reading a book given to me by my mother. It's called, "To Train Up A Child" by Michael and Debi Pearl. In it I have found priceless nuggets to help me raise Cylas and soon Romalise. David is next in line to read it and we have both found that we agree with many of the principles written about and surprisingly enough already practice quite a few! I could feel myself breathing a sigh of relief knowing that I'm on the right track with many of the disciplining techniques we practice. From the very moment I first found I was pregnant with Cylas, I began to fret about discipline. My main concern has always been that my child should grow to respect me and love me. While reading this book I found an example labeled "Paper Hearts" where they talk about a young boy who starting shutting out his father by wanting to do certain activities on his own instead of including his dad. The father was heart broken realizing that a 'string' had come loose between him and his progeny and quickly devised a plan to make that connection once again. In the end, the father took his son out to the wood shop where they, as a team, made wooden hearts and reestablished their connection as father and son. The underlying lesson here was that it is extremely important "that sons and daughters can trust their parents with personal and intimate knowledge". I have always felt this way. They go on further to point out that "the feelings of a child are just as important and sacred as those of an adult...always treat your children with respect. Never ridicule, mock or laugh at your child's ideas, creations or ambitions". With these words of advice, it only makes sense that "the trust you desire to have when they are older must be established and maintained when they are young". Gracious, reading these words almost brought tears to my eyes because this is exactly what my heart has been burdened with as a young mother. Training your children while they are young in all facets of life is so important and can bring such joy in the end.