Commandment VIII
Thou Shalt Provide Stability and Security For Thy Children
Providing stability and security in the home is foundational to producing children that are able to navigate and sail the sometimes turbulent seas of our culture.

When biblical wisdom is applied to difficult circumstances in a kid’s life we offer them “teachable moments” and a pathway to stability and security. When parents see their child in crisis and offer support and honesty instead of criticism and blame, they provide stability and security. Parents that give understanding and help to a child when they are walking through difficulties have given them the gift of stability and security.

When can we find “teachable moments”?  I believe that they are available to us on a daily basis if we are looking for the opportunity to “teach” our children. They are in moments when our child does not make cheerleader or gets cut from the team. They also come when they have superior report cards or failing grades. These moments come when she doesn’t have a date to the prom or has not been invited to the party of the year. During these times of emotional change, ask God to help you find the best way to help your child find security and reassurance of His care. Parents can also look for great teaching times when their children are morally wrong. When you find out that your child has lied or come home from the store with something that you did not buy…these are times to pray for God’s conviction and an opportunity to apply wisdom. When a child is broken over their own sin they are much more likely to “learn” their lesson and not repeat the behavior. To over-react with harshness or anger will likely cause the child to become more deceptive and fearful of telling the truth.

Always try to correct and discipline with a spirit of genuine love and concern for their development as the young man or young woman that God has purposed them to be. When parents model a strong desire to live as Jesus would, they will build a positive family of stability and security in our tricky culture.

Dear KCF,

Thanks for donating for The Cat Springs Retreat Kid’s Camp so that I could go. I really enjoyed it and I look forward to coming next year. Maybe when I get older I can become a counselor like Van or Paul. My counselor, Van is very cool. My favorite day was Messy Day! The Blob was super fun, once I got catapulted and I flew like 20 feet in the air. The James Bond game was the best part of camp. My friend and I both worked together to get the straws in the bucket. Once again, thank you.

*This is a thank you letter that I received from a camper who received a partial scholarship making it possible for him to attend his very first church camp!

Jamie, Tara and I ate dinner and went to service with the kids Wednesday night at Cat Spring. I was overwhelmed by what I witnessed as the kids were led out by the lake to participate in an outside service. As I watched all of them listening to the speaker I felt like I was in a scene by the Sea of Galilee with Jesus teaching the people. The worship was awesome and the teaching was outstanding. It was so peaceful and inviting. I watched our kids connect with God and respond to Him and His great love during prayer time and I was extremely blessed.

I have been involved with youth/kids camps since I was eight years old as a camper, counselor, teacher and director (only missing 2 when Tara and Trey were babies) and it was a difficult decision to “allow” another camp to teach and lead our children. I prayed hard and really struggled to decide what would be best for the kids. As a mom and children’s director I wanted to do what I thought would be the best for them. I had an absolute peace from the Lord as I attended the service this year. This is a quality camp that teaches God’s Word and really focuses on connecting kids to Jesus as Savior.

Thank you so much for giving to help serve the Body of Christ in our kid’s camps. Your gifts have truly made huge differences in the lives of our kids! You are greatly appreciated!

Loving the Kids,
Polly