The teachers worked really hard to cook satays, chicken wings, sausages, otak-otak. We also had beehoon, fried rice and a great assortment of salads, snacks, desserts, drinks courtesy of different families. We had a good time interacting with fellow parents and teachers.
Pastor John Wong gave us a short talk on parenting. It was a good reminder that good and godly parenting does not happen by accident. It has to be intentional and deliberate. Some of the points he covered:
- The world is an increasingly hostile environment for bringing up children, the challenges are great.
- God gives us children as a heritage and a reward from Him (Psalm 127:3);
- Children are created in the image of God, with the capacity to know, relate with and love God;
- The goal of Christian parenting is to raise children through guidance and discipline to faith in Christ so as to glorify Him in every area of life and eventually to pass the faith on to their children;
- Not to neglect our children but to begin training them from young the way of the Lord so they may not depart from it later (Proverbs 22:6);
- To constantly instruct children God's word - speak, explain and relate it to every area of our lives (Deuteronomy 6:4-9);
- To model Christian living for our children - not perfection, but what a relationship with God looks like;
- Not to be overly harsh and strict, frustrating children and provoking them to anger and bitterness (Ephesians 6:4);
- To treat our children with the same measure of grace, tender loving kindness that God extends to us.
I have to admit that none of the points above are new to me but consistently practicing them is the challenge. Too many things competing for attention and often parenting becomes reduced to nagging children about very functional things like homework, getting off the computer, bedtime etc.
I loved the early years of my children's life when we cycled, swam, spent lots of time at the park... The days before homework, CCAs, tuition, lessons and competing schedules. The days before they became conversant with MSN, facebook, e-mails etc. I was able to do devotions with each one everynight, read aloud...
Perhaps I've become lazy and these "obstacles" are just excuses... I have to pray and make a new start...Proverbs 14:26
He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge. (NIV)
In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge. (ESV)
If you respect the LORD, you and your children have a strong fortress. (CEV)
Those who fear the Lord are secure; He will be a refuge for their children. (NLT)
The Fear-of-God builds up confidence, and makes a world safe for your children. (The Message)
