Learning Contentment

by Jennie Smith
Secondary Assistant Principal

Are your kids like mine?  Do you constantly fight the "Mom, can I have..." battle?  I have been pondering the value of contentment lately.  We live in a fiercely discontent world; everyone is looking for bigger, better, and newer.   Our children are caught in the midst of this battle and so many times they are swept away in the whirlwind of covetousness.

I've been taken aback by the Scriptures' warning on such issues.  Take for example I Timothy 6:6-10:

"But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.  But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.  It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs" (ESV). 

Which of us wants our children to fall into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires, into ruin and destruction, to wander away from the faith or to pierce themselves with many pangs?  So my big question recently has been:  How do I assist my children in fighting this discontent?

I Timothy 6:11 continues: "But as for you, O man of God, flee these things.  Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness."  Instead of pursuing material things, we are to run after the things God.  I've been looking for opportunities for my children to pursue the things of God - to change their focus from the material goods they long to have.  So what are some tangible ways of going about that?  Here are some ideas I have discovered:

Work as a Team
Sometimes our children pick up discontent from us, as their parents.  What are we discussing in front of them?  Are we longing for things we can't have?  What our children see displayed in us will be echoed in their own hearts and lives.  I find that I make so much more headway with my boys when I go to them, admit my error, and commit to doing things God's way.  Is this an area that the whole family can work on together?

Put Up Some Help
Type out and frame some of the great verses that deal with this issue.  Put them on display for the whole family to see.  One of my more recent favorites is Hebrews 13:5. "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have because God has said 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you'" (NIV).   I remember verses that were hanging in my childhood home; it's a great, quiet way to allow your children to store God's word in their heart.  Maybe some of your older children can help with this project. 

Shop Differently
My children love to wander through the toy section of any store.  Of course, this naturally leads to the "I want.." and "Can I have..." moments.  Instead, I ask them who else would like to have that?  I also ask, "If you could pick out one toy for _____ what would it be and why?"  They get to look at the toys, but the focus changes from themselves to others. 

Earn It
Sometimes the value of the dollar is lost on children.  So when my older two began to ask for big ticket items, I encouraged them to begin to save their money.  Then I looked for ways to let them earn some.  I offer paid chores every weekend.  It may take them awhile to earn enough, but when they do so, they value that toy so much more.

Be Grateful
Living a life with gratitude has helped my attitude, and I think it would help my children as well.  I have bought them each a blank hard back book and am going to ask them to make a "Thankfulness Book."  You could use scrapbooking supplies to accomplish this.  Since they created it themselves, it may take a more prominent place in their room and remind them of all the ways God has already blessed them.

Paul says in Philippians that he has learned the secret of being content.  It is something that is learned - not something we naturally have or crave.   I certainly haven't learned enough.  If you have more ideas for assisting in godly contentment with children, please share in the comments below.  You know what Paul's secret is?  "I can do all things through him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:11-13, ESV).  We can do it, but we certainly need the Lord to be at work in the hearts and lives of the children he has entrusted to us.

Kids Say the Funniest Things

A member of our elementary staff at the school recently got married. As a wedding gift, I decided to create a book about “What students think about marriage”. I asked all of our elementary students to answer 3 questions about marriage, knowing that their answers would mostly likely prove entertaining. The students did not disappoint.  Some of their answers were priceless and will hopefully provide the teacher and her husband with some giggles and laughs for years to come.

Those of us with kids know that they can say the funniest things at times (and yes, sometimes the WRONG times). The pages of Facebook are filled with moms who just have to share the latest quote.  As an educator and mom, I am surrounded by children daily, and I know I can always count on a funny remark or question just when I need it the most. Am I the only one who vows to start writing them down and can never find the time? Thankfully, some people HAVE written them down for us to enjoy.  

Join me in a good laugh and read some of the stories I came across today on http://www.parentsconnect.com/parents/humor/kids-say-darndest-things.html

 

• I am pregnant with baby number three right now, and my 3-year-old asked if I ate the baby that is growing in my belly.

•  ·         When I was preparing my 4-year-old nephew’s bath once, he said “So you bought this bubble bath for me?” I replied, “Yes, just for you!” and he said, “Thank you! I'm gonna have to buy you some bubble shower!”

• “Jesus, please let me have some more ice cream. Amen."

• My daughter said she was done with school and that she knew everything she needed to know. So I asked her what the capital of Kentucky was. She thought for a minute and then she said the capital of Kentucky is a K.

•  I was opening up a new trash bag when I saw my 4-year-old daughter trying to pick a fight with her brother. I walked over to them (with the garbage bag still in my hand) and my daughter gasped and said, "You're going to throw me away?!?"

• While talking to my husband, my 3-year-old interrupted and starting talking, too. I asked her to wait since I could only listen to one person at a time. She said, "but mommy, you have 2 ears!

• My son was sitting on my lap and pointed to my chin and said: "1, 2, 3, 4." I said: "What are you doing?" He said: "Oh, just counting your chins. You have four."

• My 3-year-old told the doctor, “Will you please stop talking? I can't hear my game.”

• My daughter opened up a pair of shoes that were given to her for her birthday, sniffed them, and said: "They smell like they came from Payless."

• My 7-year-old excitedly shared a plan to come up with money for a trip to Disney: "You and Dad can work harder and get more money!"

What a blessing children are in our lives! I am so grateful to God for the simple joy these stories bring.  If you have some of your own funny stories to share, feel free to comment here!

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Psalm 127:3-5 NIV
Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

Psalm 8:2 NIV
From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

Fix Our Eyes on Jesus

by Dick Buckingham
Administrator

We recently had our Spring Fine Arts program at the school and all of our bands had the opportunity to show what they had been working on this year and the progress they have made.  What an enjoyable evening it was!

I don’t know about you, but I have always been a little partial to the incredible music that can be made by a group of people in concert with one another.  The incredible melding of sounds and blends and movements of each person doing their part to produce a sound that expresses emotion and beauty is something that moves me deeply. 

None of that could happen without the presence of the conductor.  When you think about it, it may not seem like the conductor plays a very important role.  They don’t even play an instrument in the band that contributes to the sound.  They stand in front, waving their arms in the air, which upon examination, seems a bit futile to produce any productive sound.  Yet a conductor is critically necessary to a band.  While performing without a conductor may work for a small ensemble,  even a moderate size band would not be able to have the precision necessary to stay together through the various movements of a piece of music without a leader.

The conductor does more than just start, keep, and end the band together.  With each sway of the wand the conductor is able to draw out of the individual players, and the band as a whole,  the finer nuances that make instrumental music so dramatic.  Even one musician not in tempo with the rest can spoil a beautiful piece.   The conductor knows the piece and how it should sound.  It is his purpose to bring even the weakest of the musicians to their highest potential to achieve glorious sound.

As a youngster, I took up percussion and played in the band until I graduated high school.  I have been part of some pretty incredible bands with more than able conductors.  The one thing that was impressed upon me from the beginning is that I must keep my eye upon the conductor.  Yes, it was necessary to view the music, but my body was turned, my stand was set so that with everything else going on around me, I could still see the conductor.  I, along with the rest of the band, was to “fix my eyes.”

I know the imagery of Hebrews 12 is not that of a conductor of a band, yet I think the principle in mind is the same.   Jesus is the conductor of the band in which each believer plays an important instrument.  Not all instruments are the same.  Not all carry the melody all the time.  Some, like the percussionists, rarely do.  Yet each part is critical to the piece.  The only way we are going to pull it all together and produce the beauty entrusted to us is if we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the conductor, and follow His direction.   With every wave of His baton, we seek to anticipate His desire.  His will becomes our will.  Ultimately, when the score is complete, it is our ultimate goal that He may turn to His audience, His Father, and take a deep, well-deserved bow.  For He is our Conductor and is worthy of all the praise.