"The ABC's of Christian Parenting" by Robert and Debra Bruce

The ABC's:

A: AFFIRM your child every day as a gift from God, no matter what yesterday's problems were. (Matt. 7:11)

B: BUILD upon your child's talents, seeking to discover God's plan for him (or her!). (Matt. 25:15)

C: COMMUNICATE with your child in a way that glorifies Christ, always asking before speaking, "Would I say this to a friend?" (Luke 2:14)

D: DEDICATE yourself to the body of Christ through commitment to a congregation, regular worship attendance, Bible study, prayer and service. (I Chron. 29:20)

E: EXERCISE self control when you're angry, committing your feelings to the Lord rather than using them against your child. (Eph. 4:26)

F: FORGIVE your child's wrongdoings as the Lord forgives you, and start over together with God's grace and love. (Matt. 6:12)

G: GIVE your child everything she needs instead of everything she wants, even if you have to say "no" sometimes. (Matt. 6:8)

H: HUG your child 10 times every day, especially when he is unloveable. A warm touch can erase even the largest strain in a relationship. (Mark 10:16)

I: INCLUDE Bible study and prayer time in your daily family routine, and challenge your child to do the same. (Matt. 18:20)

J: JOIN in agreement with your spouse, and stand firm together on rules, expectations, and discipline. (Eph. 6:1)

K: KEEP commitments you make outside your home, so your child can observe as you model responsibility. (James 5:12)

L: LIVE each day to the fullest, appreciating the beauty of God's world and the hope of your faith, instead of hurrying through the day. (Phil. 4:8)

M: MANAGE aspects of your child's life that could lead to stress, such as too much activity or television or inappropriate freedoms. (I Cor. 13:11)

N: NURTURE your child lovingly so he can experience God through your example. (Psalm 133:10)

O: OPEN up doors of opportunity for your child as you encourage the development of his skills through education. (1 Tim. 4:14)

P: PATIENTLY wait upon the Lord as He answers prayers for you and your child. (Isaiah 30:18)

Q: QUESTION the reasons for your child's unacceptable behavior as you look beyond the act to its root causes. (Prov. 4:7)

R: RESPECT your child as an individual rather than as an extension of you or your spouse. (Isaiah 11:6)

S:STRIVE to create quality time with your child every day that enables you to listen to her joys, hopes, concerns and fears. (Psalm 90:12)

T:TRUST God to guide you as you prayerfully make daily parenting decisions. (Matt. 21:22)

U: ULTIMATELY, trust your child when he leaves home, knowing you have fulfilled your commitment to God as a Christian parent. (James 1:12)

V: VERBALIZE your thoughts and feelings when you're happy or sad, letting your child know you are still approachable. (Titus 2:7-8)

W: WAIT patiently for your child to pass through stages, realizing that some behaviors, while unpleasant, are quite normal. (Heb. 12:1)

X: EXPECT the best from your child at home, at school, and at play, while also extending grace for human frailty. (I Cor. 13:9-10)

Y: YIELD yourselves to the Lord's way as you seek His guidance each day. (Eph. 5:9)

Z: ZEALOUSLY start each day in prayer and praise, marveling at God's work in the life of your family. (Col. 3:23)

Planning for Graduation

For those with upcoming seniors, a high school graduation ceremony needs to get going in the planning stages as soon as the senior year begins. There are only a few locations large enough in Gainesville that are also affordable. A reservation should be made as soon as possible. The end of May and beginning of June are hectic months for everyone. The locations in this town get reserved quickly for various parties, weddings, graduations, etc.

As homeschoolers, one of the hardest parts about schooling at home is realizing that we are also responsible for all extracurricular activities and planning; but this responsibility can also be one of the most exciting aspects. We get to decide the "when and where" as well as the "what color", among everything else one must decide.That said, from experience there are a couple of easy ways to get hands on graduation supplies.

NCTC, whose graduation gown color is a royal blue, will sell gowns to RRCHS and also offers a few extras that can be purchased through their supplier. While not all inclusive as to supplies, the price for the gown is completely affordable. The other option is to go outside town for a graduation supply company. One that has been used several times by Red River Christian Home School is a company that was started by a home school mom out of frustration at the lack of quality graduation caps, gowns, and supplies from one supplier. The contact information for this company is: http://www.homeschooldiploma.com/ or 1-877-466-2563

Their list of supplies includes: diplomas & covers, apparel, announcements, "honors" items, accessories, and group packages. This company is very competitive and a joy to work with.

Additionally, they offer discounts for early bird and group packages. The first deadline for getting a discount is December 1. Now you can see why you would want to have quite a bit of planning behind you in the fall.