2.  Don’t use the Bible when you correct your children. If you do this, it will make them hate churchy things.  Plus, Dr. James Dobson says that the Bible is sometimes boring, and kids don’t really find it relevant to what’s going on in their lives.

3.  Don’t let your children develop worldly habits such as talking on the phone all the time, texting, emailing, etc. Keep them engaged with your own family, in the real world rather than the virtual world.  This helps foster biblical relationships instead of false ones based on flash or style.

4.  Buy your kids an iPhone. They’ll love you for it, and it’s handy for keeping in touch with their friends, texting, emailing, and making videos of themselves to post on their MySpace page.

5.  Don’t let your children have a personal MySpace or Facebook page. For that matter, you should monitor all of their time spent on the internet, and keep the computer in a visible place in the home, such as the living room.  The internet is an extremely dangerous place for children.

6.  Make sure your children have a computer in their room, with internet access. Kids need their privacy, and they’ll make lots of friends through social media websites, all the while exhibiting their creativity and expressing themselves.

7.  Don’t introduce your children to romance until they are old enough to understand the Biblical standard for it. God teaches us through His holy word that children shouldn’t be exposed to certain things before they are old enough to deal with it.  Recreational dating is a wicked phenomenon that has developed in western civilization, and the fruit of it is an ever-increasing divorce rate and the erosion of marriage as we know it.

8.  Make sure your child has a boyfriend or girlfriend, because if they don’t, they won’t be popular in school.

9.   Teach your children the importance of a Biblical marriage. You live this example in front of them every day, but tell them why you do it.  Explain to them why husbands must love their wives as Christ loved the church, and why wives must be chaste keepers at home.  Explain to them why God ordained the institution of marriage to be between one man and one woman for life.

10.  Don’t be alarmed or freaked out if your child is confused about their gender. You should encourage whatever gender they feel like they are, so they won’t feel uncomfortable around you.  Also, make sure they understand that if two entities love each other, they have a right to be married.  Even if one of them is a tree or a rock.

11.  Teach your children the Biblical standard for voting. Christians must never vote for a political candidate who is not a Christian.  If they’re not a Christian, Scripture teaches us that they are not qualified to lead, and therefore it is a sin for Christians to vote for them.

12.  Teach your kids to vote a straight Republican or Democrat ticket, just like you do.

13.  Have lots of children. The Bible commands us to be fruitful and multiply.  Likewise, in the parable of the wheat and the tares, Christ teaches us the concept of wheat overwhelming the tares by numbers.  If Christians obey God’s command to be fruitful, and if they raise their children up faithfully, according to His word, righteousness will eventually fill the earth.  Plus, it gives your children the experience of having an actual family.  They will learn to love and serve one another in your household, and the importance of working toward the family oikonomia, if you have a lot of children.

14.  Don’t have more than one child. Get yourself sterilized after having one child.  It’s selfish to have too many kids, because, like, think of all the natural resources you’ll be devouring if you have too big of a family, not to mention your expanded carbon footprint.  You want to save the planet, don’t you?

15.  Educate your children at home. The Bible is very clear that the children of believers are holy, and part of our stewardship of the children God has blessed us with, is to train them up according to the way they should go.  This also teaches them God’s standard for the family, economics, and all of life.  The Bible should be your central textbook for every subject.  God does not have “a different plan” for some families.  Christians are to provide for the education of their own children, rather than stealing from the pocketbook of their neighbors to teach them through a public school system.

16.  Make sure your kids are in a good school. Karl Marx points out in chapter 2 of the Communist Manifesto that the whole purpose of a public school system is to do away with the musty old concept of a “family”.  And in the process, the children will be trained up to be faithful servants of a bureaucratic leviathan state which seeks to replace God’s kingdom with the kingdom of man.

17.  Teach your children to be entrepreneurial. The Biblical standard for men is that they should work to provide for their families.  Women are to manage the household economy while the husbands are laboring without in the field.  Gear the training of your children towards this worldview, and give them a vision to build up businesses of their own.  For example, buy your sons a lawnmower and put them to work serving their neighbors through a lawn-mowing business.  Another note:  If your children work in the family business, pay them for their labor.

18.  Make sure you don’t give your kids chores. They’ve had a hard day at school, and they need time to relax so they can play games or surf the internet.

19.  Make sure your kids understand the concept of Biblical authority in your household. God has appointed fathers as the head of the household, and mothers as the help meet.  Without this training, they won’t be able to understand their role in their own household one day.

20.  Make sure your kids believe men and women’s roles are equal. Actually, make sure they understand that women are actually the decision-makers in the house, and that mom’s career is important, because without it, mommy and daddy can’t afford the mortgage.  “Mommy has to work!  You want your own room, don’t you, Johnny?”

“And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)

The spiritual implications of this verse is that those who follow Christ must do so with their eyes permanently fixed on the Author and Finisher of our faith. We must never look back to our worldly lives, as Lot’s wife did. As a result, she suffered a terrible judgment.  God turned her into a pillar of salt. Christians must endure to the end and never look back to our lives before Christ.

The productivity implication of this verse is that you must not quit.  Barring clear instructions from the Lord to abandon your work, based on  your DILIGENT study of His Holy Word, you must keep going.   Christians aren’t quitters.  This is a terrible witness to our families, our communities, the marketplace, and the world.

We must be justified before both God and men.  The world should look at our actions and see high standards and ethics, even though they will hate us for it.  We must not be hypocrites or otherwise spoil the reputation of the Christian community.

Are you a weary Christian?  If you’re losing hope in the work that God has called you to, I want to encourage you to keep going.  Don’t quit.  Seek the Comforter for grace and strength to keep going.  He has promised to never leave you nor forsake you (Matthew 28: 20).

Even professionals within the statist education system are beginning to see the writing on the wall.  Mark C. Taylor at the New York Times blog admits that there’s an education bubble that’s about to pop:

“What people outside the education bubble don’t realize and people inside won’t admit is that many colleges and universities are in the same position that major banks and financial institutions are: their assets (endowments down 30-40 percent this year) are plummeting, their liabilities (debts) are growing, most of their costs are fixed and rising, and their income (return on investments, support from government and private donations, etc.) is falling.”

Ask yourself the question:  If 80 percent of college grads are unable to secure a job at graduation, what good is a college degree? Furthermore, if they’ve racked up tens of thousands of dollars in debt, and are unable to secure a job, was college really a “wise” investment? We’re told by our idolatrous society that there’s “no better investment than an education.” It appears that the writing is finally on the wall concerning what a lie that is (and always was).

For people who read this and are thinking about college and a loan for their children, consider the model that many of us in the Christian community are already incorporating. Our children stay at home and work in the family business. When they’re old enough (like 9 or 10) they start businesses of their own to manage. Their responsibilities and education get increasingly more challenging as they get older, and by mid-teens, they have a trade of their own. They then stay at home and work in the family business and their own business (or businesses) until they are old enough to marry and support their own family (early 20s). By that time, they’ve already learned how to be entrepreneurial and to provide for our future grandchildren (and hopefully us, when we’re a couple of grey-heads). And all the while, they learn skills that are actually useful, and take out zero debt in the process.

“Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth.” 1 Chronicles 16:12

So, let’s get to studying and while there are many places we could start, here’s one introduction:

“John Calvinné Jean Cauvin (10 July 1509 – 27 May 1564) was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he suddenly broke from the Roman Catholic Church in the 1520s. After religious tensions provoked a violent uprising against Protestants in France, Calvin fled to Basel, Switzerland, where in 1536 he published the first edition of his seminal work Institutes of the Christian Religion.”  from Wikipedia

If you’re too busy to read, here’s a sermon on John Calvin (yes, some pastors do still teach church history). Click here.

So now you’ll at least begin to know who he is.  Soon we’ll discuss why some Christians call themselves Calvinists.

Why do you need to know about this?

Christians must not tithe to churches that are subject to governments that regulate what pastors can or can’t preach.  Christ is not the head of those churches.  Those churches are in submission to another master:

“No man can serve two masters for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24)

“For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.” (Ephesians 5:23)

Therefore, your tithes are building up a church that has subjected itself to another master, not Christ.  You have to seriously study this issue and seek the Lord’s guidance and courage on how to deal with this situation if you find yourself in such a church.

Some pastors (mainly of small churches) simply don’t know the legalese and may mistakenly think that they need to file for tax exempt status.  Studying the matter and lovingly approaching your pastor may cause a needed and biblical change in your church.

On the other hand, many pastors are quite aware of this issue and its implications.  You won’t get them to change their minds though.  They love those weekly checks in the offering plates and they’re not about to take away the one incentive that gets “professing Christians” to give in the first place: tax deductions.
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It makes me wonder about the size of families, and whether that doesn’t have something to do with the divorce rate in America.  In a large family like that, each member obviously would learn to overcome the struggles of selfishness, and realize the importance of being part of a family as an organized unit.  Christians have taken after their lost neighbors in America and begun sterilizing themselves rather than obeying God’s command to be fruitful and multiply.  It struck me when our third child was born this year that we are now an “abnormal” American family, because we’ve had more than the average 1.7 children.  Too many Christians are buying into the lie that “it’s too expensive to have a bunch of kids”, and participating in a cultural eugenics program.

These elderly couples all lived through the Great Depression, so anyone who tells you that it can’t be done simply has no light in them.  The Boersmas no doubt had a great example from their parents, but they are also obviously a family that prays and worships God together.  The parents of this group had a quiver full, and their cup runneth over with God’s blessing and love.  I hope it gives you pause to reflect on this story.  Don’t deny your children the blessing of a family, just because someone tells you it’s too expensive.

These numbers aren’t going away.  Now more than ever, it’s important to follow the example of the excellent wife which is laid out very plainly and beautifully in Proverbs 31.  She is industrious and enterprising.  She adds to the household economy.  Her husband is not reliant on her income for the basic needs of the household (this is implied because of the other passages that command fathers to provide for those needs).  Yet, she builds the family’s wealth because she sells linens to merchants and invests in vineyards.

There is a time for everything as we learn in Ecclessiates: “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted” (Ecclesiastes 3: 1-2)

Moms, I know that we work hard.  We take care of our husbands, teach and train our children, keep the house, minister to the poor and needy, give our time to the church, nurse babies, disciple younger ladies, care for aging parents, and so much more. Yet, this is the time to plant, and fast. We are in hard times. If you already operate at least one home business, then great.  Seek the Lord’s wisdom  on starting a second, third, or fourth one. If you haven’t started one yet mom, it’s time to start one. For help, read this post, or contact us for free biblical counseling.

Beware of work at home scams on the internet. Keep reading our blog to learn about ethcial and legitimate home business opportunities in the future.
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I was the first person in my family to go to college. I couldn’t stop there though. At the time I had to prove to the world that this black girl from a poor inner city neighborhood, who lived four houses down from a brothel ( a polite description of it), could be anything she wanted to be. So, I went to an ivy league university and after graduation I went to law school. So what was the price tag for all of that? To be honest, I don’t even know. All I knew was that I had scholarships, worked three jobs, and of course, grabbed easy to get student loans. Now that I’m a Christian, and God has renewed my mind by His Word, I had the opportunity to counsel my brother on whether he should take out student loans.   And what did I say when he asked? No!

I already hear the gasps. How could you do that, look at the opportunities you had?  How else will he go to school?  Are you against going to college?  Each of these questions deserves  separate posts.   And perhaps I’ll write some in the future.   Here’s why I told him no.  I told my brother no because the Bible says so.   I could testify to the truth of Scripture with ample evidence from my life and my peers’ that student loans will enslave you for many, many years after you graduate.

The assumption that counselors make when advising students to take out loans  is that students will make enough money after they graduate to pay back the loans over time.  Or, as I posted earlier, your loans can be forgiven after 10 or 25 years if you qualify.  I found out personally how biblically wrong it is to presume the first, and how unethical it is to rely on the second.  We’re warned in James,

“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.  But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.  Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 4:14-17)

Having student loans did not help me in anyway. In fact, it greatly hindered me.  Without student loans, I would have achieved more success in my businesses at a much faster rate.  Having student loans was literally like having an anchor attached to my ankle, being thrust in the ocean, and trying to swim upward, all the while hopeful that I will make it to the top ALIVE if I just swam over time.

Even if my brother decided to get a corporate job or work for someone, having loans would be an awful way to start a family.  Knowingly and willingly bringing debt into a marriage after you’ve been counseled rightly according to the Scriptures is hateful.  That’s not loving to  his future wife and kids.  He may not be there yet, but we “older” Christians have and should be counseling the youth both wisely and truthfully to stay away from student loans.

So, you’re accountable now that you’ve read this and related posts. What will you say when your brother, or anyone asks you advice about taking out student loans?
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I’ve already shared my chore system with you, and so I wanted to follow up by sharing some of the chores that my kids do around our home.  Review my chore system so that the following list makes sense.

My daughter’s chores (appropriate for ages 7 to 12):

Declutter Chores (She places a check beside the chore each time she does it. She earns $.02 to $.25 for each check depending on the chore.)

Put away school supplies, books, and projects  (5 minutes)

Declutter bedroom side table (5 minutes)

Declutter and tidy bed (5 minutes)

Declutter and tidy brothers’ bed (toddler and baby) (10 minutes)

Daily Chores (She places a check beside the chore each time she does it. She earns $.02 to $.25 for each check depending on the chore.)

Unload dishwasher

Load dishwasher

Wash diapers

Dry, fold, and put away diapers

Sweep kitchen floor

Clean bathtub

Dust heater

Dust computer monitors

Miscelleneous chores (initiated by daughter, or assigned by me)

Bonus Chores (She completes once a week, and can earn $.25 to $1.00 depending on the circumstances.)

Clean toilet

Learn 1 hymn

My toddler’s chores (appropriate for ages 18 months to 3):

(I help him place a check beside the chore each time he does it. He earns $.02 to $.05 for each check depending on the chore)

Put away toys and books (5 minutes: 3 1/2 of which ends is taken up by praying with him and teaching him to honor his mother and do chores!)

Unload utensils from dishwasher and put them away ( 2 minutes when he feels like doing it, and 15 minutes on days when I have to get him to focus on the task rather than wrestling with the cat, sticking legos in the couch and more.   10 minutes is therefore spent on praying with him and teaching him to be diligent.  My daughter removes knives and sharp objects before she hands him the utensils to unpack.)

Put away clothes, training pants, and baby brother’s diapers. (same as above).

Many of you already know that I was never trained to keep house.  It’s foreign to me.  Therefore, whenever I’m learning a new homemaking skill, I go online to find a video.   I usually watch them with my daughter (after I’ve previewed them) and have her practice what we watch.

If you get stuck on how to train your children on how to do chores and could use a visual, try searching for videos on ehow.com, about.com or youtube.com.  Preview the videos first before you accidentally put something that’s impure before your little (or older) ones.

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I’m a lifelong learner.  I love useful and quality information that I can apply to help me and/or my family in the many works that the Lord would have us do.  I hate fluff and I hate information that I can’t apply.  Parker takes great care to engage you with the very useful information she provides. It’s written as an easy to read business book, and she includes great worksheets that turn it somewhat into a workbook.

Bob and I made two copies of the 32 worksheets in the book to work on them together.  You should work through them with your family or spouse.  When you’re done with the worksheets (which are very straightforward and manageable), you’ll have an operational business plan for your business. This is not the type of business plan you need to go out and get a loan, which we absolutely don’t recommend.  It’s a guide to help you plan, start, and run your business.

For writers, she has a “Sixty Key Assignments For Home-Based Writers” which is absolutely invaluable.  This is a list of business writing services you can provide. Each assignment has a description and a mini evaluation on whether you  like to do this type of job, could do the job, or could learn to do the job.   If you are partnering with a spouse, it’s a great way to compare your interests so that you can decide what writing services you’ll provide.

Finally, if you enjoy reading how others have succeeded in a business from home, you can read the many profiles included in the book.  Reading profiles helps me to piece together the ways that I can plan or run my businesses.   It’s also inspiring to see that running a home based writing business, or any home based business, is absolutely doable.

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