I have a couple of things I want to share this morning. The first is something I was thinking about the other night. I was rehearsing and bemoaning all the things that I have had to deal with all my life, such as allergies, insomnia, etc. Boohoo! Poor me!!!  Then the thought occured to me that probably everyone has at least something that they have had to put up with all their lives! Some more than others! If it is not a health issue then it is probably something else. That put a quick stop to my little pitty party!

The other thing I wanted to share is what I was learning during my quiet time this morning. This morning I switched back to using "The Heart of Anger ~ Practical Help for the Prevention and Cure of Anger in Children" by Lou Priolo. I also use the workbook that goes with it, by Lou Priolo and Amy Baker.  One of the things that keeps hitting me as I do this study is that one of the major contributors to anger in children is their parents lack of control!! OUCH!

This morning I was reading the section titled: "Scolding". Priolo quotes Ephesians 4:29 "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such (a word) as is good for edification according to the need (of the moment), that it may give grace to those who hear." and also, Mark 14:3-5, which I will not type out here. You can look it up.

Priolo give us the Greek background for the term scolding. It means "to snort with anger". They used it to describe the snorting of horses!

Then he cites H. Clay Trumbull, whom many call the founder of Sunday School, from his book "Hints on Child Training". Here is the part that really spoke to me, "Scolding is always an expression of a bad spirit and of a loss of temper...the essence of the scolding is in the multiplication of hot words in expression of strong feelings that, while eminently natural, ought to be held in better control.

If a child has done wrong, a child needs talking to; but no parent ought to talk to a child while that parent is unable to talk in a natural tone of voice, and with carefully measured words. If the parent is tempted to speak rapidly, or to multiply words without stopping to weigh them, or to show an excited state of feeling, the parent's first duty is to gain entire self-control. Until that control is secured, there is no use of the parent's trying to attempt any measure of child training.The loss of self-control is for the time being an utter loss of power for the control of others.

In giving commands or in giving censure to a child, the fewer and the more calmly spoken words the better." (imphasis mine)

Talk about a 2 X 2 to my head!!! Ouch! Rubbing the lump on my head!It sometimes seems that "loss of self-control" has become my natural tone.

Lord, help me!!! I have got to break out of that habit of scolding my children! Holy Spirit, please show me when I am doing this and give me supernatural strength to stop it in its tracks! Please prepare my heart for tomorrow's lesson which deals with "Being Inconsistent with Discipline"! I know this is another biggie for me! Lord, I want to raise these children Your way! Please help me to get over myself so I can do that. In Jesus' name, Amen!