WE HAD A GREAT BLAST AT MY HOUSE!

Yesterday was one of those days with very dreary weather that could get anyone despairing. I came back home tired from visiting some family friends and really felt like relaxing a little. But as soon as I saw my kids I could see the boredom written all over them and that they just wanted someone to play with them. But I was tired and needed some time out myself.

Yeah, I was so soo tired. Besides, I was busy juggling some financial figures and some other things in my head which seem to be working overtime. Now was not the best time for any tomfoolery or silly kiddy plays. Was it not about their welfare that I was scheming about somehow even on the Lord’s Day of rest? I just felt I could not be bothered now. I got myself a soft drink and tried listening to some refreshing jazz tracks on my laptop. But I couldn’t chase the gnawing thoughts at the back of my mind…...

But for how long could I keep denying these kids their time with their ‘great’ Dad? I remembered my wife had been complaining I was too busy to take time out with our kids and the family. And I knew I was guilty as charged, very guilty.

But I just thought “what time will ever be the right time for these kids and my family? I was always pushing it off and never getting back to it. I owed them time and more time as the days went by. And it always left me feeling helpless and guilty. I felt these kids were growing so fast and I was denying them so much waiting for the perfect day when everything will be alright and I can take time out with the kids……Things were getting critical…

I just got up on the spur of the moment and said ” kids, let play!”

 And we sang and pranced and danced and hollered and had a lot of fun. It was great watching all the creative dance steps and experiencing all sheer expressions of joy. And when we got tired of having a ‘party’, we went full swing into the FIFA under 21 tournaments and had many exciting moments cheering our boys on.

Friends, talk about creating a memorable family moment. I didn’t know where I got all the zest and innovative moves from, but it was so enjoyable and fulfilling. I realized more money is not really what we need to make our families happier but being more creative with whatever resources we have. I also saw we can only receive joy as we give it to others and not the other way round. I believed we wouldn’t have had more wholesome fun even if we had tried eating out.

Believe you me; I had not enjoyed any evening like this for a very long time. What a great joy it is to have a loving, joyful family around you right in the midst of a recession! As a man I am learning not to take myself so seriously all the time. 

Tell you what, we had a great blast!

TEACHING YOUR KIDS TO LOVE THE BIBLE.

It’s a shame that a lot of believers cannot really boast of having children who follow their faith and love the Lord Jesus. 

It’s often a battle to make our children pray, read the Bible or behave well as Christian kids. Most of our kids can quote all the lines of Harry Porter and Tom and Jerry by heart but are hardly motivated to know their scripture memory verses. Sunday school is more like a torture session.

Most Christians hardly invest in any time and effort in godly instructions for their children or getting Christian entertainments for them. Many parents don’t really care what their children do so far as they are out of their way. Even the generality of the Church hardly has a good Christian education program and curriculum in place for our children, most think they disturb the adult service so they are best kept locked away in one corner with enough snacks till the service is over. 

Yet we fail to realize we have a limited time frame (between ages 1-7 according to psychologists) to positively impact their young and impressionable minds with the truths of the Scripture, before a worldly mindset is molded in them. By the time children know their left from their right we may have to do a lot of fasting and fighting to get them to tow the Bible line. 

Recently a friend told me about his seven year old son’s love for the Holy Scriptures. For a long time he had been asking for a Bible but the parents thought he could not handle it, not knowing that the seeds of righteousness they had been sowing was now germinating.

 - They had always prayed intentionally that their kids would love the Lord right from birth. The kids saw their parents pray and study the Word regularly.

 - And they kept these up through regular times of family devotions that were kept short and informative to keep the children awake and interested. Kids need to be taught the Word, encouraged when they do right, and corrected and disciplined when they do wrong.

 - They lived a consistent Christian life before their kids. It’s a bad sign for you to wait until the kids start ‘preaching  correctionally’ before  you correct  your wrongs. And please don’t harass these little cherubs when they tell you the truth!.

- They invested well in godly comics, music and other entertainment that created a deep hunger that only the Word of God could fill. Kids learn best in an atmosphere of joy and fun as fish take to water. And then they used these occasions to impart lessons of eternal value to their young minds.

-Disinfect your children from all negative influences they may try to bring in from school or your friends. Believe you me, Harry Porter and his ilk with all their scary images will only stretch our children’s imagination where we ourselves do not want to go and make our discipleship work doubly difficult.

 For them it was a dreams come true for their child to personally request for the gift of a Bible. 

And what a blessing it was as they guided the child in reading and making practical sense of what the Bible was saying to his young mind and seeing the godly attributes blossoming in his life like wildflowers in the rain!.

Goodbye Masturbation!

Goodbye Masturbation!

Friends, I think it’s high time someone speak out about this masturbation of a thing. I’m shocked when you catch adults unawares doing it in public. A parent was shocked when he caught his twelve year old boy and his friends ‘doing’ it.

Well, for some of you who don’t know, masturbation is what you do when you gently stroke your genitals to give yourself or somebody else sexual pleasure, usually to the point of achieving orgasm.

Okay, okay I finally said it- masturbation. And I’m airing all its dirty secrets too.

 I no longer want us to follow what Thomas Szasz said about masturbation because it’s not true. “Masturbation: the primary sexual activity of mankind. In the nineteenth century it was a disease; in the twentieth, it's a cure”.

-          It never was and will never be the primary sexual activity of human beings because God meant sexual intercourse to be enjoyed within the context of marriage. For most young folk, its masturbating overtime that eventually leads them to ‘try it out’ with their friends for the first time.

-          It has ever been a disease, an act of shame. That is why whenever you want to masturbate you run to hide in the toilet from your spouse and your friends and when you are through you feel dirty and soiled like you were stealing something not belonging to you. And you hate yourself each time you find yourself doing it again, like you were less human.

-          It is never a cure for the rejection, pain or lack of sexual fulfillment you are going through. Most people who masturbate cannot enjoy normal sexual activity with their spouse because they are so used to finding pleasure all by themselves. It’s like opium, the more you take; the more you are hooked and not satisfied.

-          Even if you argue that it protects from unwanted pregnancies yet gives the much needed momentary pleasures, you are not dealing with the real enemy here which is lack of self-control. And if you continue this habit into marriage, it will hinder you from having real intimacy with your spouse and everyone else.

From our junior schools, offices, and homes to our Church workers we find this masturbation beast creeping everywhere like a germ, bringing folks down unawares; both young and old are crying out for deliverance from its menace. What can we do to get out of its vicious grip?

-      Acknowledge you are involved in wrongdoing and desire a positive change. Even though the devil is offering us Prada, his gifts should be avoided like nuclear fallout. Films and music with lewd contents should become anathema.

 -     Ask for help. There is nothing God cannot do. Pray that the Omnipotent power of God will help you break this evil habit that is gradually taking your life apart. Ask God for the grace of self-control before you disgrace yourself.

-      Make yourself accountable to good friends who can help you keep to the right paths from time to time. And parents please watch out for and stop these bacteria in your kids before it sticks.

-      Avoid everything that can stir up unnecessary sexual fantasies. Don’t view unwholesome images nor be involved in flirty chats. Spend your time and emotions on the right things.

-       Act fast when you are tempted. Off the mistaken fire fast before it spreads. And if the fire gets out of hand, run to a cooler place like the Church and stay there! Go do something wholesome like visiting the gym or cleaning your street.

-          Pray that God will give you the bone of bone and flesh of your flesh, you know someone with whom you will ‘do it’ together forever. And get ready in good time they are coming!