Crystal Redhead-Gould: God | Family | Business | Life
A Look In The Life Of A Mother, Wife & Small Business Owner
I have been going through Omarion’s pics today to print off and send for a school project. I needed to send one or two with his school uniform and of the 5o plus pics I have all of them say, Why are you bothering me?
It seems that whenever I try to take pics of him its disturbing for him 
Each day I am confronted with the challenges of training my son. All of the books written on parenting could not have prepared me for this. There are times when I look at my almost angelic child and think that being his mom is the best thing that ever happened to me. And it is.
But then, he awakes from sleep. I am then confronted with his stubborn streak that he must have inherited from me and I wonder where did I go wrong? At these times it is sometimes easier for as a parent to say, that I’ll just let him be because I am just tired of repeating myself. It may seem easier to give into the tantrums because then I won’t have to deal with the screaming.
It is at these times, god reminds me that I am responsible for training him in the way that he must go. In this popular verse, God did not offer a suggestion to parents. He commands us to train our children and by doing so we shape their future.
So how does God want us to train our children? What exactly is child training? And what single principle can parents teach their children that they will carry throughout their lifetime?
I believe that God wants us as adults to accept the bible as the ultimate authority for our lives. By demonstrating the authority of the Bible in our lives we teach our children to accept God’s authority over their lives. This is a guiding principle that no one can depart from.
I believe that our relationship with our children should be a reflection of God’s relationship with us. Just as God is patient, loving, forgiving, faithful, kindhearted and trustworthy with us we ought to be the same with our children. By doing this we are revealing God’s true character to them.
As I write this post, I am reminded that God wants me to train up my son in the way that he ought to go. I am reminded that yelling, nagging, rules, time out, television, toys do not fall under the category of child training.
Today I resolve to make a consistent effort to train my son to know the Lord. I trust that God will bless my efforts and one day my son will grow into an adult that I can be proud of. Lord help us to raise children in whom you can be well pleased!
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
Sometimes we are fortunate to have friends who will stick with you in spite of everything. I am thankful to have found such a friend in my husband, he has been there for me when others have let me down, he has loved me even when I messed up.
I can share my deepest feelings with him without fear and he always seems to find the right words to say in response to my thoughts. He cheers me when I am down and comforts me when I am sad, he laughs with me when I am happy and shares my concerns about our son Zach.
How does Jesus feel about friendships? I believe that he places great value on them. For instance he had eleven faithful friends right up until the end. He had other friends of course, the bible recounts that upon the death of Lazarus, Jesus wept. He cried for his dear friend Lazarus.
Jesus admonishes us to love each other as he has loved us. John 14: 34. Love each other, sometimes it is not always easy but I know that he gives us the power to do all that he asks us to do.
So today as I pay homage to my friendship with my husband, I cannot help but think of the greatest friend ever. Jesus Christ. He died for me, he forgives my sin, he loves me in spite of myself and he wants to share eternity with me. I pray daily that he gives me the ability to love him as much as he has loved me. I am sticking with him because he is the forever kind of friend.
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.