Self Control with a side of Turkey, anyone?

Thanksgiving time is a good time not just for turkey, but also for observing human behavioral tendancies. As I was surrounded by my extended family tree ( at least the branches in New England), I couldn't help but notice how similar all the boys are at a certain age, in train of thought as well as of course, the behavior that stems from the thought life.
I'm sure the girls have similar tendancies, but I was watching just the boys. It seems as though, as they grow towards adolescence, rebellion is incited somewhere in their hearts and disrespectful thoughts as well as attitude and behavior flow forth with vigor. You may be thinking, No Kidding! ...

Well, our pastor and future youth ministry leader ( shout out for C.B. and Ben) have faithfully taught us parents of teens and emerging teens ( tweens?) that Rebellion Is Not A Given For Adolescence! Nor, should it be expected. I am inspired afresh to whip out all the great materials I recieved and notes on the instruction we were given at the Crossfire youth group meetings thus far! I will also be sharing these materials with my family .

I have been seeing and laying before the Lord the sins of selfishness, self-sufficiency and lack of self-control that can crop up in many areas ( from food to worry to thoughts to words, it's crazy!) in my own heart, so it has been a natural offshoot to talk to my older child about these things too, and I am so glad that I have been for these talks really set the stage for one really good talk last night. The Lord always has a plan!!!

We were able to have a very insightful and heart probing talk about self control and bringing glory to God by being self controlled in our lives.

If you know me and my family ( or just me! )you know that we are a passionate bunch on my side, and if you want to get a word out at the table your going to have to talk over everyone else as we are all talking at the same time ha ha !

Since self control is one of the fruits of the spirit we are to be growing in as Christians, and one I am so prone to lacking in, I am especially compelled to be ever vigalent applying scripture to my heart and asking the Lord to search my heart and expose to me the sin in me in this area especially.

As talk flowed about how maybe all boys go through this phase, and each one of us sided into our individual camps of thoughts about the issue, the Lord brought to my mind that self control is a fruit of the spirit, and love is all about self-control. And the greatest of these ( commandments) is to love...


It was love for us that compelled God to send his only son to die; self control and obedience also that compelled Jesus to submit to dying a tortorous death on a criminals cross for us.


I will never be asked to show such self-control and love.


But, as a parent who has dedicated my child to the Lord I must treat my son's heart with the word of the Lord, and be constantly helping him pull out the weeds of sin as they crop up. Only then is the beautiful garden of my son's heart tender for the Lord to do his work in it. This is love. This is self-control. Wouldn't it be easier to shake my head and say Well, all boys go through this and let that be it ? Instead, the exhortation is to teach our adolescents and tweens God's word ever more diligently as our sons get older, and glorify Him in doing so. I am so grateful for our church family !!!!


Because I have been so richly taught, and my son as well, we were both able to look into each other's lives last night and see the wisdom of God's exhortation to be ever growing in being self-controlled. .. wasn't it better when I did this instead of that, Ty? I remembered what The Lord said about being sober minded and self controlled at all times, remember when I did this Mom, I remembered what I learned about honoring God by being self-controlled....


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~More and more praise due to God!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~