Family Philosophy

How much thought have you given in raising your children?  Sure you want them to grow up believing the way you do.  Sure you want them to be good and decent people.  But what exactly does that mean?  Are you raising your children "on purpose"?  You may even home school your children, but why?  Just to get a decent education and get ahead in life?  How about your beliefs?  Do they actually transfer into a lifestyle of doing?  Or are you just going through the actions?  What happens to your beliefs when things get tough or start to go downhill?  As I write these thoughts that are going through my head I am mostly speaking to myself and working through these thoughts as to what Laurie and I have done and taught over the years to our children.  Lifestyle is so important in our desire for our family.  How about your faith?  How much time does one devote to prayer, and Scripture reading.  Are you relying upon the teachings of others to get you through the week or do you actually approach the Scriptures with a desire to learn and allow the Scriptures to speak for themselves without the doctrinal biases within each separate denomination?  As I put aside the doctrinal biases I grew up with and started allowing the Scriptures to speak for themselves it is amazing how much Yahweh Elohim started to show me from His Word.


As I evaluate and contemplate our family philosophy and how we have raised our children "on purpose" I realize how important the Scriptures have been in developing that philosophy.  The Scriptures are not something we are to use separately from our daily lifestyles. 

Deu 6:5 "And you shall love יהוה your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being, and with all your might.

Deu 6:6 "And these Words which I am commanding you today shall be in your heart,

Deu 6:7 and you shall impress them upon your children, and shall speak of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up,

Deu 6:8 and shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

Deu 6:9 "And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Also we allow the Scriptures to penetrate our lives and guide us in the way we should go.

To be envied with desire is the man who does not go after the plans or counsels of the wicked nor remains in attendance with those who sin habitually, nor remains assembled with those who mock Elohim. But he takes joy in the Torah of Yahweh and nourishes his mind upon it day and night Ps. 1:1,2. M Race translation

One of the main beliefs we have held as we have raised our children is children learn through imitation.  They will watch to see the actions of the parents.  If the parents attitude is that of "do as I say and not as I do" they will see the parents as being hypocritical to the beliefs they are trying to teach which then imparts a spirit of rebellion.  Since becoming Torah Observant the book of Proverbs has become a mainstay in our home.  As the children see something in our lives that does not line up, we start to work on changing that behavior in our lives.  I often hear our 5 year old singing a song from the verses of chapter 6:16-19.  Having scripture songs play during the day is a great way to help in memorizing.  The problem then comes in applying those scriptures to our daily lives.  I am often reminded of

Pro 26:18 Like a madman who throws sparks, arrows, and death,

Pro 26:19 So is a man who deceived his neighbour, And says, "I was only joking!" 

I am finally starting to get the point that when I purposely use deceit to tease, I am doing something that Yahweh detests.  His word says specifically He hates deceitfulness.  Any kind, even in jest.  With the help of my daughters, I am getting that. Also my teasing in that way violates another Scripture

Eph 6:4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children, but bring them up in the instruction and admonition of the Master.
If I am doing things in a way that is contrary to Scripture, that brings provocation.  As parents our children watch us very closely.  Are you open to your children bringing the Scripture's to you and listening to them?  This is something I am learning to do.  I don't want my actions to be contrary to the Word of Elohim.  So, I am learning to change my behavior to match that of the Scriptures. 
It is what I teach my children, it has been a hard lesson to learn but I am bringing all my actions and thoughts into subjection.


Another area that has been highlighted in our household is "brothers and sisters ought to be best friends".  How do you treat your brothers and sisters?  Do you treat them the same as you do your friends or better or worse?  Is this important in life?  I believe so.  Family is what you have for the rest of your life.  Friends may come and go.  It is a shame that some families have siblings who haven't spoken to each other in years.  (get right now, before it is too late.  You never know when one will be taken, {speaking from experience}. It is a shame when parents and children don't communicate too.
How do I see the importance of this working out in life?  For one thing we are down in Missouri to see our first grandchild.  Another area for family to help family.  My daughters are dividing their time to help out their older sister with her new baby so she and her husband can have the time they need to recover from the birth.  We would have liked to have been here sooner but that didn't happen.  But we are here now being a blessing to this new family.  My son-in-law is concerned that we are making our older daughters do this.  Nothing could be further from the truth as we have instilled in our children that brothers and sisters are best friends and family is there to help family.  I see this working out through the generations as not only brothers and sisters help each other but also cousins helping cousins as they are enabled by Elohim.  Family is important and exists to help family no matter how distant.  It would be extremely difficult to carry this out if we did not home school or if my wife was employed outside the home.  How many times have we been frustrated about needing help and could have had it had not both parents been employed.  The same with those in churchianity, no one is there to help the "church family" in their need as everyone is working outside the home (also speaking from experience as a pastor).


Home Schooling is so important as we teach our children to honor and esteem Yahweh Elohim.  They are not under the influence of scoffers or the wicked or those who say there is no Elohim.  Their belief system is woven throughout their whole life.  Subjects and life is not compartmentalized but Yahweh Elohim is throughout the whole as in the Hebraic mindset of living life.

So, this leads us to the next post of a family surprise baby shower with pictures.