What I Am, Is What I Am

If you're a quitter, you breed quitting or shame. 

If you are a hypocrite, you breed hypocrisy. 

If you are a perfectionist, you breed (oft times), intolerance and displeasure. 

We complain or we ignore. That is to breed complexity, and ignorance. 

We try to be the best friend or the tyrant. That is to breed failure and cowardice. 

Things become difficult and we allow life to do what it will of us, rather than doing with life what we will. The strong parent gets up, knocks the dust off and teaches perseverance. 

"Smoking is bad for you, I don't smoke." "Going to church is important." 

"Don't you dare use that kind of language with me!" 

"You need to take your time!"

How many parents have you heard use these phrases, or better yet have you said these words?

You don't take a promotion because you're afraid of responsibility. The boss makes you mad. Your spouse makes you mad. What do you do? You resign, or remove yourself from your duties. It's a cop out. A cop out that is instilled, bestowed, thrust upon even the youngest of your children. Why? Because they are products of their environment. 

You don't go to church with your family, but harp at how God should be first in everyone's life. You tell everyone drinking is a sin, but you drink like a fish. Yes, I am preaching at self. 

I personally can't stand cigars or cigarettes, and I seldom ever drink and when I do it's not Dos Equis. I'm not the most interesting man in the world or the perfect parent, I am the imperfect Christian that your mother warned you about. 

I am the hypocrite that needed prayer and still does. I'm the parent that tried to learn from other parents and not just my own. I am the parent that tries to learn from the good and the bad in order to make good for all of my children on all occasions. I am the parent that is trying to lead as I am rather than the opposed and lead as I am not but say that I am. Pray for me reader as I pray for you, "Lord let me be more like you!" Amen. 

They Didn't Stand A Chance IV

Blogwizer (BW) speaks with the families in this blog. Married couples (MC), as well as single mothers (SM), single fathers (SF), even the children (CH), and here's what the married couple has to say: 

BW: What is the most difficult part of being a spouse with children?

MC: Our children are such a blessing and have added so much to our life that I guess honestly the hardest part of being a spouse with children is letting them grow up, giving them the space that they need to grow and become the people that they are meant to be. Being a mother is the greatest reward that I have ever received in my life.

BW: That's awesome! Can you expound on what rewards you are referring to?

MC: The rewards of seeing something that is part of me, go out into the world and make their parents proud. The small things they do everyday, like my son running by the store because he knew that we needed milk or eggs without our having to even ask him, or like my little girl going out and finding what some would consider a plain rock, but she gets it to be mommy's good luck pet rock, or the pictures that she draws for our fridge. The pride of knowing that they are the best things that I have ever made in this lifetime.

BW: Procreation is a wonderful gift! But the gift of those procreated can be costly. Food, shelter, college... do you see a dramatic change from when you were growing up, to now. What do you expect from your children, and what do you want for your children?

MC: The expenses as far as money goes is very hard. Clothes, shoes, food and a good education (are all expensive). The choice to home school (as well) is a steep cost, but then when you calculate the pros to the cons and know that you are creating a bond that is so deep, and that you can also teach your children about God without someone telling you that you cannot, and that you cannot pray with them, when you average out these costs that's when you know that the rewards are a lot bigger than the cost. I want my children to reach for the stars, I want them to stretch forward and use every gift that God has blessed them with. I want them to know that they are loved and supported without worry, and that they can dance like nobodies watching.

BW: Good stuff. When you are qualified to have home school, that is a blessing. If you were not qualified to teach them at home (and I know you are, you have a son in college), what would you do, or recommend?

MC: If I were not qualified to teach them myself, then I would work harder to place them into one of the fine Christian Schools that are close by. We have some fine facilities close by, and one in particular that I would strongly recommend. My belief, (in) God and the ability to share Him with my children would be at the top of my (priorities) list. And I'm not knocking the public school systems, I would just like to instill values into my children that are prevented in the public school system. And again, not saying that my kids are or will be any better than anyone else, but that I enjoy the closeness the bonding and the openness between parent-teacher and student.

I would recommend them (the local Christian schools) if someone were to ask my opinion. And I am more than happy to always help ya out!

BW: Alright... Again thank you fir letting me harass you for a few. I will stop harassing you now, and bid you farewell.Thanks for your time. 

MC: No harassing here, (I)was very glad to help out. God bless you and may angels stand watch over you!

BW: Thanks, you as well ma'am.

A special thanks to a very special group of friends... The final blog will come from the mouths of babes. Kids, do they say the darnedest things? We shall see...

They Didn't Stand A Chance III

Blogwizer (BW) speaks with the families in this blog. Married couples (MC), as well as single mothers (SM), single fathers (SF), even the children (CH), and here's what they all have to say:

BW: After reading the ladies post (because Blogwizer is a ladies first network), what say you as a single father, about the most difficult things in single parenting. 

SF: First of all, kudos to the single mom for not downing all men or the man that is not their for her children. She may have left him, or he could be a dead beat, but she didn't down him you know? 

Financially it is tough, but I have a great family. My children had their grandparents, and aunts and uncles. So Childcare wasn't a big issue for me, and I have great friends. I was fortunate. It's not as difficult for a man with boys, I could play ball, and help them with homework and hygiene, but I can't imagine having to put ribbons in hair, or talk to a teenage daughter about boys, or hygiene, or caterpillar to butterfly stages. Girls would be hard. 

BW: So what would you do if you had a little girl? I have one, but her mother would NEVER go a day without checking on her. They are close. So what would you do if you had a girl?

SF: What would you do if her mother wasn't close?!

BW: I asked you first, lol!

SF: What any smart man would do... Call my mother! If she wasn't here, I'd call my sister, if she wasn't here, I'd go to my go to girl. You know, my Google woman, my Ask Jeeves woman. 

BW: Nice, hahaha! Ok so what's most rewarding about having your children full time. 

SF: This sounds shallow, but I do things my way. If I want to read to them at night, I can. If I want to have Cheetos in bed with them, I eat Cheetos in bed. I don't have anyone telling me I can't. If I feed them junk food before meals sometimes, then I can get away with that. We watch lots of sports, and we play hard, but school comes first. They are respectful, good boys, and we have a great, and selfless bond. I love my boys. 

BW: That's what's up! Thanks meign. 

SW: You know it, thank you, hope school is good. I know who my counselor will be when he gets his degree.

BW: You sir are too kind!