Small children love to say ‘no.’ They are quick to discover agency and autonomy. They don’t know the big words, of course, but they understand the ideas: I don’t have to do what Mommy says. I can choose to do what I want. Even toddlers will assert themselves by saying No to everything. My cousinContinue reading “Do You Live in the Kingdom of NO? Nahum 3:8-10.”
Category Archives: Rebellion
The Oak Tree in the House. 1 Kings 1:6.
When my father, Ernest, was about five, some older cousins came to visit. They were unruly, wildly undisciplined. One day the boys ran out of the house, little Ernest bringing up the rear. Just as he leapt from the porch, an older cousin pushed a wheelbarrow in front of him, knowing he would be unableContinue reading “The Oak Tree in the House. 1 Kings 1:6.”
Respect the Parents That God Chose for You. Malachi 4:6.
Malachi is a book best known for its words on tithing. But I like the words on families: “I will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and I will turn the hearts of children to their fathers.” Malachi 4:6. A father is an irreplaceable resource. No one else can fill that role. Yet someContinue reading “Respect the Parents That God Chose for You. Malachi 4:6.”
The Opposition Party.
Yesterday I read about a writer who said he was “the opposition party” in his family. Whatever Dad was for, this kid was against. I can relate to that. Sometimes I am against things just because they are popular, like Buc-ees. But growing up means using God’s wisdom to temper those attitudes—and I have learnedContinue reading “The Opposition Party.”
Household Words: 