Why Do You Exist?

Why were you born?

Are you a child born out of wedlock?

Or a child clearly not planned for by your parents?

Your presence on this planet may well be the result of your parents petitioning God for a gift. Then all I have to say to you here is this: Get on with fulfilling the vision of your parents and the purposes of God!

On the other hand, my dear reader, your presence here may not have been requested by your parents. For all that I know, you may be a so-called “illegitimate child…” Take heart! Not only are you just as legitimate a child as anyone else, you are on this planet by special divine appointment. God chose to put you here! Get on with fulfilling His vision and purposes!

A Child for the Lord

Be faithful to your mission here on planet Earth! Read it all

Only Spank Kids on Their Behinds

So say Manitoba social workers (who actually don't support spanking, just so you know).

Manitoba social workers want parents of an orthodox Mennonite community to promise they will only spank kids on their behinds and not use objects, such as belts, as punishment.

Makes sense to me. (“But I suppose that comma after objects shouldn’t be there,” said the Grammar Guardian.)

The parenting rules and discipline guidelines are spelled out in a recent letter from the government’s Child and Family Services Department to members of the tiny community, where Mounties made arrests over several weeks this summer.

The Canadian version of CSD actually allows spanking?! 😯 Read it all

How to Ensure a Father’s Success

My number one tip for being a successful father

This is my Happy Father’s Day! tip to all of us fathers:

Walk humbly with your heavenly Father.

This morning, that’s my number one tip for being a successful father. If we don’t walk humbly with the Father, He will resist us instead of helping us.

“But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble'” (James 4:6, NKJV).

And now for links and/or excerpts from five fatherhood posts from the archives… Read it all

More Than Character Can Handle

Overindulgence is giving your children more than their character can handle, exceeding their ability to manage the blessings with gratefulness.

I have started reading through Dorcas Smucker’s new book, Tea and Trouble Brewing. I get to write a review of it as part of a virtual book tour!

This isn’t that review, but I wanted to call attention to an outstanding excerpt Dorcas uses from another book, Parenting is Heart Work: Read it all

Lisa Miller in Nicaragua

My wife and I took special interest in a lady and her daughter that were attending the mission at that time, considering becoming members of the Nicaraguan Christian Brotherhood.

I asked the lady if my family could take them out to eat.

We listened as the lady shared her personal testimony.

Read it all

Kenneth Miller Trial: Day 1

After this paragraph, the rest of this post was written by Loyal Martin, one of the observers present at Kenneth Miller’s trial. Loyal did not write this for use here at Ain’t Complicated, but he did give me permission to republish his report here. Thank you, Loyal! (I made some minor proofreading changes.) Now, his report of the proceedings on Wednesday, August 8, 2012.

We arrived at court about 9:00 this morning in time to hear the opening statements from the prosecution and the defense. Throughout the day the prosecution brought 5 witnesses which gave testimony. Read it all

Passive Parenting, Benign Neglect

Benign — “good, kindly, benignant, benevolent, tender, humane, gentle, compassionate.”

Someone tell me how neglecting the child(ren) in my care can be described accurately as benign. 😯

I know, I know — we can refer to it as benign in the sense that it is “not malignant.” But still, how is it not a malignant thing to neglect my children? Read it all

Private
Above all, love God!