Taking “Training Up a Child” to a Whole New Level

During this unexpected schooling-at-home, I have received so much entertainment from many of my friends. I’ve watched some hilarious antics, as well as creative YouTube videos of moms becoming “at-home-school” principals. One meme said: “Homeschool Day 1: Wondering how I can get this kid transferred out of my class”. Another one said: “It’s Day 1 of Homeschool: Out of the four of us, only three of us cried.” And, this one: “Home Schooling Update: My child just said I hope I don’t have the same teacher next year.”

I was able to fly the coop to my Austin family. I'm enjoying my two youngest grands with their homeschooling. Bryson, age 13, is good at it since he's been homeschooled for years. Brennan, age 15, has adapted well. I witnessed him creating and giving a presentation via video in several locations around their property with creativity and ingenuity. Amazing!

Homeschooling wasn't a consideration back in my day. But, church-schooling was. In those years, we learned every Bible story and memorized a lot of scriptures. Even in those early years, we learned to call upon the God of those Bible stories and scriptures to be our "help". The older we became, the more we realized that all of those years of child training established us in life. We carried those same principles on, and into our children, who are leading their own children by that example.

I’ve loved seeing the moms and dads who are integrating Bible stories and scriptures into their homeschooling during this quarantine. The scripture “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he’ll not depart from it” is an ANCHOR scripture from Proverbs 22:6. What if God allowed these times to be the foundation for their present and future – even to the extent of their future children someday?

Children are so impressionable in their environments. Where there is abusive language and actions or where there is calm and patience – they will potentially take on as their normal. They learn by example. I realize our faith was built upon the example of our parents and what they taught us from the way they loved each other and spoke to or about each other. They instilled in us the fortitude, tenacity, unwavering faith and strength to draw from, and to know that God loves us unceasingly. They taught us that when the going gets tough and pressures seem insurmountable, we have a confidence in knowing God is able and willing to meet our every need. We know our hope and trust was, and always will be, in the One whose steadfast love never ceases and His faithfulness will always carry us through.

Seriously, dear moms and dads – my heart goes out to you and what you have been forced to take on during this time of quarantine. Hopefully, you’ll never be in these circumstances again after this quarantine ends. But, more than that, I pray these words impress you enough to never stop training your children and grandchildren in the ways they should go. I promise you...it is worth the effort!

Who is YOUR Someone?

President Ronald Reagan coined the phrase: “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” That quote speaks volumes to me when I think about the "someones" that might have passed my way, literally....passed, without me giving them a second thought. I might have been so caught up in my own little world, I didn't even notice the "neon sign" that God was flashing or maybe it wasn't flashing -- it was the face of a lonely or hurting "someone", and I missed them.

God sends "someones" to us as the answer to their prayers and because we have prayed to be the answer to someone's prayer. We pray or sing: "Make me more like You, Jesus, make me more like You. Give me a heart that's filled with love and make me more like You." And, though we mean well as we pray and sing those words....we are so distracted by this and that, that we miss the opportunities to be His hands extended. Shouldn't we slow down and be intentional and focused to be that difference maker to a "someone"?

We can't be an encourager to everyone but we can be an encourager to someone. We can create our own version of that sentence, too: "I can’t be a ___________ to everyone but I can be a ___________ to someone. What would you write there—friend, leader, mentor, counselor, teacher?

Whatever and whoever it is, I’m convinced it matters. So, let's ask: “Who is my someone?” In other words, who do I know that God has asked me to serve today? It’s another version of the parable Jesus told of the shepherd who left the ninety-nine to go look for the one. I don’t think this literally means we’re only to serve one person. I think it’s more about understanding that we’re not called to anonymous crowds. We are called to relationships and connecting with each other in meaningful ways that heal and restore.

Jesus didn't heal everyone in Israel while He was here. Instead He lived with focus and intention, only doing what His Father asked Him to do. Aw! FOCUS and INTENTION! Following His example means we don't have to be that "someone" that EVERYONE needs. We can let go of that guilt that we are not doing more. But, we sure can love well the people right in front of us with focus and intention, and trust God is the One taking care of the whole big, wide world. We can’t be all things to everyone but we can be something to someone today.

We Met Professor Wisdom in the School of Hard Knocks!

I head to the shopping mall just around the corner and this 1964 Chevrolet Impala passes by me and parks close to my car. Though it sure needed a paint job, a flood of memories overtakes me. I tell the young couple a short-version of our story. I ask “Is this one a stick shift?” He replies “Yes, it is – a 3-speed!” More memories came then. BTW – there were no seat belts like these back then.

My boyfriend then, later my husband, saved up his money from working two jobs to buy his dream-come-true car. Well, it wasn’t exactly the one he wanted which would have been the Super Sport 2-door model, but the one he could afford was the 4-door, black interior, 3-speed stick shift like the one pictured here. I told the couple that I had learned to drive a stick shift while sitting in his lap. Actually, I have memories of almost sending us through the windshield from trying to shift from neutral to first to second to third and almost stripping the gears. Eventually, I got it down. And, notice the seats – they weren’t bucket seats. They were full across from door-to-door seats…..where I could snuggle in as close as possible to him. That is the way we were!

I’m smiling big as I type this. Oh, if that car could have talked about those two youngsters who spent way too much time in that car…..at Love Field Airport, watching the planes fly in late at night and watching the stars shine brightly from Kiest Park in South Dallas. Sure, that’s what we were doing…just spending time watching what was going on outside that car! I pause here to remember that young love we shared. Suddenly, I’m singing “Memories…..light the corners of my mind; misty water, colored memories; for the way we were

I'll never forget how smart my husband and I thought we were starting out in life -- so very young and inexperienced. His dad tried to counsel us and offer his sound advice and wisdom to us. But, no, we had to do things "our way" -- which we thought was the much "better way". Oh, how much time, effort, and money we could have saved ourselves had we heeded his wisdom. Oh, no! We just had to go to the School of Hard Knocks. Two years before we married in 1966, against his dad's recommendations for an automatic, Ron was determined to get that standard shift car -- and it just HAD to be a 1964 Chevy Impala. If only we had listened to Dad and his wisdom. And, we learned the "hard knocks" way in so many other ventures.

Many of us are still in the School of Hard Knocks, and we're still diligently pursuing that place of success and prosperity. I assure you -- we'll get to graduate, sooner rather than later, if we'll listen to, and apply, Professor Wisdom's words that are found in the Book of Proverbs. We'll find in her "Wisdom Class" that wisdom doesn’t come automatically. Rather, it’s tested and proven in day-to-day life.

Professor Wisdom or “Lady Wisdom” is a teacher who is more concerned about teaching us valuable lessons, and less concerned about being our friend. She teaches us that the way of wisdom is not always an easy road, but she does promise that if we hang in there, and keep heeding her advice, we'll get to a blessed life. Proverbs 4:5-7 “Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of HER mouth. Forsake HER not, and SHE shall preserve you: LOVE HER, and SHE shall keep you. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all your getting -- get understanding.” Let's heed Professor Wisdom's advice, as well as to those brilliant and successful sages that have paved the way for us -- it is sure worth the investment!

Love is Being an Encourager

"Good Afternoon! Welcome to Moe's!" Like me, I’m sure you’ve taken notice of the fast food chains and stores whose employees shout out welcoming words when we walk in their doors! It may be scripted, but to me, it's encouraging! I was noticed! I also recognize it when a salesperson has been taught to be friendly and to look for something they can compliment their customers about: "I love your hair!" "Nice sweater!" In spite of their words sounding a little trite, it still gives us a feel-good feeling, doesn’t it?

I’ve had many encouragers in my life. At age 12, I remember my first babysitting job (50 cents an hour) taking care of a doctor’s two little ones – ages 3 months and 3. Their home was right across the street from ours, so the children's mom was assured I had help on stand-by if I needed it. I’ll never forget overhearing that mom telling my Mom: “Donna is so responsible for her age!” That made me want to be even more responsible. I’ll never forget, as a 13-year old, the choir director pointing out “You harmonize so beautifully." That gave me the confidence to belt out my harmonies even more. A friend said, " Donna, you have the most beautiful clothes.” That’s because my sweet mama, on a limited income, made sure that I wore trendy, beautiful clothes and she could do that because she was a great “deal” finder. I think that’s why, to this day, I head to the sales racks before I look at the full-priced items.

Today, I am an outgoing, avid writer, blogger, teacher and speaker because my husband encouraged me to speak publicly. He encouraged me to get my pilot’s license, real estate broker’s license and more. I had a boss who encouraged me to apply for a job that I didn’t have the required Master’s Degree for, but he knew I could do the job. I did and he was right. My Sweetheart passed way and I was surrounded by encouragers who literally lifted me up above the fray with their love and support.

And, now, the encouragement I receive from so many of you, my FB and blog friends and family that cheer me on in doing what I’m doing right now -- encouraging me to keep encouraging.
I was encouraged by others and I, too, became an encourager. That’s my point today, to say it’s time for us all to put on our Encourager Hats. It’s obvious how much our world needs cheerleaders and encouragers. I know, as I type this post, you get what I’m saying because you sense God’s gift within you. You’ve been through your share of heartaches and someone was there to encourage you, so you know like 2 Corinthians 1:4 says “So that you might comfort others with the same comfort that you’ve been comforted with”, you must encourage others. Now you are passionately aware that you’ve been called to speak up, reach out and lift up others. It’s not always easy because you don’t want to intrude or be a “know it all”, but that’s not what matters. What matters is you have something to give..

God uses people to encourage people. He's looking for available hearts to love and encourage the world around them. My hand is raised. How about yours?

1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing"! Rise and shine, Encouragers! Let’s go encourage!

Mothering Isn't Reserved Only For Mothers

This meal was absolutely delicious -- prepared by Alexia Wallace -- with the guidance of Denise Gerrich (aka Neicey), Payton & Alexia's au pair, mentor, "foods/cooking" teacher, and God's special angel to the Wallace Family.

What a blessing she has been to them. Denise realizes she is planting great seeds into the lives of others. And, now, especially for this special dinner -- seeing that blessing passed on to Lexi.

Yes, it takes patience to guide and direct someone who doesn't have the experience -- especially when it would be so much easier for us "to just do it ourselves".

I'm so thankful that "mothering" isn't reserved only for mothers -- but it's those who have the capacity to give, nurture and love others. And, how wonderful children have access to several adults who love them -- grandparents, child care workers, teachers, coaches, neighbors, aunts and uncles, pastors.....and nannies, au pairs and loving adults who don't see kids as just "little people" -- they see them as "a promise, a possibility -- a great big bundle of potentiality -- diamonds in the rough" -- who with a little patience, tenderness, persistence and vision -- are willing to give time to them -- planting seeds of hope, self confidence, courage and purpose into them. Those of you who are all that, and more, you are God's special angels!

Thank you, Neicey, for being one of God's special angels! The circle of life continues.....and one day, we'll see Payton & Lexi's kids being taught the golden nuggets that they learned from those who cared about the marks they will make in their future!

Experience is the Best Teacher

I saw this photo and it brought back memories of 40+ years ago when my husband and I rented a paddle boat so as to enjoy a relaxing little excursion around the lake. It wasn't long before we realized this was far more work than we anticipated. Our thighs burned from pushing the paddles. And, then, most unexpectedly, the paddle wheel fell off into the bottom of the lake. Here we were.... no wheel, no motor and no oars. What's left to do? My Honey jumped into the water, swam and kicked his sore thighs and legs, pushing our boat, with me in it, back to shore. That was the last paddle boat excursion we took, but, oh, the priceless memories we carried with us! I'm convinced "Experience is the best teacher.....and boats with motors are so much easier on the legs!"