Walking Therein

Bumps in the Child Training Road... for our Firstborn...daughter and son...

I am editing this post with this information: From what I have learned - and I don't know if I made it clear in this post - the firstborn is firstborn, boy or girl. That is of paramount importance when considering firstborn. Biblically, after that information, a Firstborn Boy is always firstborn, but a girl is not. If dd falls in 2nd or later born, they are not a firstborn. A boy, though, in the same position, being the firstborn boy, is Firstborn, whether he has 10 sisters ahead of him or 1.

   If you have a firstborn child who is struggling with rebellion ~~ or, if you have guilt about your (maybe, lack of) child training.......
   Hang in there.  
   God has created him/her as the firstborn in your family, and satan wants him before God's plan sets into his heart fully.
   If satan can steal your firstborn, he has God's firstfruits. Your Child's heart is of vital importance to guard. Satan will use all the world's devices to let him hear and see things to steal his innocence and godly understanding, his biblical view. 
   We, as parents, try to shield our children from the evil of the world... then, we turn on our television sets, and bring it right into (the 'safety' of) our own homes!  Or, we get them playthings to amuse themselves, and foster a familiarity with other friends or just wanting to do things 'by themselves'.
   One thing I have learned is that I had to get back into my daughter's heart before I had a chance to teach her anything else. She was very rebellious. Her rebellion was almost a hidden thing. She is growing up and setting her heart away from these former sins, but, like sin, it sometimes shows its ugly head. . Her lack of submission was such a big issue we have had to deal with. It is now a rare occurence, but it has been daily - and sometimes hourly, in the past.
   I did not see it so much when she was 10.   Now I look back and see things I let her go with or things I wish I had seen then. It was probably considered just normal rebellion (by my church friends, too). However, in God's book, all rebellion is abnormal, compared to God's normal.
   We cannot let satan use guilt to hinder us from using the time we have now. God is still God, even though we may have missed opportunities to train our children in His way. He is loving, forgiving and timely. We are responsible, though, to apply what we do find out we missed - when we find it out. And, even though it may not feel like it at the time - they will not hate us in the long run!!
   There are things our firstborn has done in the past year, and I am just shocked.  After all, she knew better! Well, I am finally understanding that she is our firstborn (though not our firstborn male - sheesh! we have 2 firstborns!).  I now understand how important it is to satan to get her to be lukewarm - and also to hide our eyes to the severity of it, as her parents. Well, I now have my EYES WIDE OPEN!!
   I can no longer feel bad about things I have not trained my daughters in. I have, over the past year, added things into our household and home keeping (sewing, baking, preferring their Dad and his ideas) that they can experience and learn to love. Through this, they are also being taught that life is about happiness in obedience to Scripture, not happiness in the experience itself. We openly talk about their submission to their future husbands... about their future children and what a blessing they will be. I have had to search Scripture, be creative in application, and rely on others who have already forged through in their experiences(via CDs and websites).
   The girls will all of a sudden decide they need to bake bread now.  -Or, I will find them doing all their schoolwork in their rooms, on their own. They sew things, help out around the home, teach their younger siblings, and even do work for me on the pc!  I thank God for His leading.  He is truly Creator and re-Creator of our lives!
   Matt found out that there was a different purpose in training Eric at a young age.  I mean things of a nature of manhood, not childish things. We used to be all wrapped up in what a great football player Eric would be. -How he could make millions, given the right opprtunity. -And, believe me, he could throw a football across a parking lot at age 4!
   Now, we see Eric as a man-in-training. Training to be a godly husband and father, a provider and Biblical teacher of his future family. We share the same future vision with him and his future wife and children, as we do with the girls. Games and sports and such have taken a backseat to the real needs in Eric's life. We desire godly obedience, because God will desire that of Eric as a man. We desire the same for Isaac, even now.
   Obviously, they are children and will be childish - we need no reminders of that, do we? But, those are just times we can use to impart a godly nature and His WORD into that situation for their lives.
   I hope this gives you some encouragement. If we cannot lift each other up and help each other through our experiences as Women of the LORD, how will the Body be healthy?
  I am also thankful God has helped me through things and I know He has plans of victory for your family, too!

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10:22 PM, Thursday, July 20, 2006 .. Posted by spunkyhomeschool

I received an email recently about a new blog for encouragement to those with children who have strayed from the path. I'll dig it out and do a post on it. I'm sure that your situation is not unique and one that many homeschoolers experience but isn't often talked about.

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11:38 AM, Friday, July 21, 2006 .. Posted by ApplesofGold

Wow-what an excellent post. Thank you for sharing this! Holly

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4:22 PM, Friday, July 21, 2006 .. Posted by Rebeca

Thanks for posting this. It is encouraging, and my firstborn is not yet four! But I'm realizing more and more that I need to be training him now to be what we want hom to be at 16 or 40- a wise and godly man.
And thanks for your comment on my post about natural food. Feel free to link to it if you like. As far as not being able to afford organic, I think we all just need to educate ourselves and then do what we can. Most of us can't afford to buy everything organic, but we can learn about which things have the most pesticide residue, etc. and try to either buy those things organic or avoid them. And above all, we need to trust God. I've realized that it could be really easy to trust that doing all the "right" things for our bodies will give us good health, but really it comes from God. Of course it's wise to learn about His creation and how He intended for us to eat, but not to put our faith in it.
Even though we're a small family, so far, I buy beans, rice, oats, etc. in 25 or 50 pound bags. This brings the cost down to where it's comparable to buying non-organic.
Blessings!
Rebeca

Thanks... I need some encouragement

7:36 PM, Sunday, July 23, 2006 .. Posted by blessedmom3

We are going through a lot with our 13 yr old dd right now. I frequently wonder will this get better. I know I need to be a prayer warrior for her.
Thank you for this post--
Blessings, Cheryl

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11:51 PM, Sunday, July 23, 2006 .. Posted by Boltbabe

This is an excellent post! Thank you for sharing so much. We too are experiencing the battle of the firstborn. Our firstborn is also a son, and we just keep on plugging.

Whatever is born of God will overcome the world.
1 John 5 (I think)

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7:50 PM, Monday, July 24, 2006 .. Posted by HeartnSoul

I love it when others write what I've been inwardly groaning about :) I have 3 men-in-training but it seems I'm the only one who can see this so far :( that is quite frustrating. DD is the only girl so first-born but 3rd in line as well and I do seem to have a bigger issue with her defiance. I wonder if that is because we are both female, but dh does nothing about anything so it is probably escalating right before my eyes. God is the only hope, she has been under conviction to be baptised but is not wanting attention to herself in a new church group.... arrgh, parenting is tough lol.

Back from AZ, had a lovely time seeing the sights, swimming and playing put-put golf. The van ran out of gas on the interstate (a funny story really lol) but God was under control and we were blessed.

I missed some contests while we were gone! boohoo

Denise T