What Can You Do With Half A Brain?

Children are a blessing from the Lord.  Everyday challenges in raising children, keeping them healthy and whole, but what if the Lord allows you a special needs child?

This video was part of the article The Boy With Half A Brain.  For all those parents who may be challenged with a special needs child.

Motherhood

I'm in Chapter 5 of Lies Women Believe - and wanted to take a moment and share a few gems.

Nancy Leigh DeMoss quotes Dr. Dorothy Patterson on the subject of feminism and the 'liberation' of women.

"Women have been liberated right out of the genuine freedom they enjoyed for centuries to oversee the home, rear the children, and pursue personal creativity; they have been brainwashed to believe that the absence of a titled, payroll occupation enslaves a woman to failure, boredom, and imprisonment within the confines of home."

and

"It is true that many 'perfect jobs' may come and go during the child rearing years, but only one will absolutely never come along again--the job of rearing your own children and allowing them the increasingly rare opportunity to grow up at home."

For all the moms who are in the 'trenches,' take a moment and snap your fingers.

Really I mean it...take a moment and S-N-A-P.

That's how quickly the time goes when you're raising children - I know, we all hear it when the first baby comes - all those grandma's in the store, "Honey, take time to really enjoy that baby, because before you know it, they'll be grown and gone."  They are 100% right.

It's really hard some days to think that one day the house will be quiet, there won't be anyone arguing, fighting, jostling for position, no more dirty diapers, spit up, throw up, potty training, learning to crawl, walk, run - wait STOP!

Teaching them to talk - will you please sit down and be Q-U-I-E-T! - laughter, snuggles, giggles, story time, tears, fears, dreams and aspirations for the future.  What if... How did... Why does... Who did... When will... Where can...?

Ask the Lord to help you when you are in the thick of it and want to pull out your hair, or theirs, or both! This season is really, really short...if you'll live to be 90, and you are 20-30 years old now, 20 to 30 years of child rearing goes by in a flash.  Savor those moments - remember when you want to 'blast' them with your tongue - bite it instead.

*For all those times you are or have served your husband and/or family with every:

• meal prepared;
• load of dirty clothes washed (those things multiply quicker 'n rabbits!);
• trip made to the grocery store, school, dentist, music lessons, sports practice, store;
• scraped knee, boo-boo or band-aid applied;
• encouraging word spoken;
• night hour spent rocking a sick or scared child;
• dispute arbitrated;
• moment spent building with Legos (my personal favorite), coloring, helping with school work, reading a Bible story, listening to a husband/child describe their day;
• moment spent interceding for the spiritual growth and protection of the family (as a whole and as individuals).

(* list taken from Lies Women Believe, Chapter 5.)

...love their husbands, to love their children...

The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keeepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. (Titus 2:3-5)

Conversation and someone said love your husband, I said it's respect, no love as in love your husband, love your children.  Okay, so I got 'schooled' in a good way. :-D

Which is really sad, since that's the sub on this blog.  I want to 'tear' the whole thing apart, but will content myself with:


Tit 2:4  That G2443 they may teach the young women to be sober, G4994 G3588 G3501 to (G1511) love their husbands, G5362 to love their children, G5388 

I was going to skip over that - I mean that seems pretty routine and understandable, right?

that - G2443 - Probably from the same as the former part of G1438 (through the demonstrative idea; compare G3588); in order that (denoting the purpose or the result).

• G1438 - (Including all the other cases); from a reflexive pronoun otherwise obsolete and the genitive (dative or accusative) of G846; him (her, it, them, also [in conjunction with the personal pronoun of the other persons] my, thy, our, your) -self (-selves), etc.
• G3588 - The masculine, feminine (second) and neuter (third) forms, in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom).

Denoting purpose or result?  That's almost like a therefore, aye? Context is K-I-N-G.  Always.  Without question.  Never, ever take a verse out of context.  Always (really) read the verses before and after, and if necessary the chapters before and after.  God is a God of order, reading one verse and trying to 'read' into it is the cause of many questionable practices and 'doctrines.'

they (who? the aged women) may teach the young women to be sober - with not one or two Greek words indicated, but three.

G4994 - From G4998; to make of sound mind, that is, (figuratively) to discipline or correct. (Used on 1x)

• G4998 - From the base of G4982 and that of G5424; safe (sound) in mind, that is, self controlled (moderate as to opinion or passion).
• G4982 - From a primary word σῶς sōs̄ (contraction for the obsolete σάος saos, “safe”); to save, that is, deliver or protect (literally or figuratively).
• G5424 - Probably from an obsolete φράω phraō (to rein in or curb; compare G5420); the midrif (as a partition of the body), that is, (figuratively and by implication of sympathy) the feelings (or sensitive nature; by extension [also in the plural] the mind or cognitive faculties).

G3588 - wait that one is referenced ^! (Ha!  Used 8497x in 4721 verses)

G3501 - A primary word, including the comparative (second form); “new”, that is, (of persons) youthful, or (of things) fresh; figuratively regenerate. (Used 24x in 20 verses)

to - G1511 - Present infinitive from G1510; to exist.

• G1510 - First person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist (used only when emphatic).

love their husbands - G5362 - From G5384 and G435; fond of man, that is, affectionate as a wife. (Used 1x)

• G5384 - Properly dear, that is, a friend; actively fond, that is, friendly (still as a noun, an associate, neighbor, etc.). (Used 29x in 27 verses - I'll come back to this one.)
• G435 - A primary word (compare G444); a man (properly as an individual male).

to love their children - G5388 - From G5384 and G5043; fond of one’s children, that is, maternal.

• G5384 - wait that one is referenced ^!
• G5043 - From the base of G5098; a child (as produced).
• G5098 - From G5097; vindication, that is, (by implication) a penalty. (Say what?)
• G5097 - From a compound of G5092 and οὖρος ouros (a guard); properly to protect one’s honor, that is, to avenge (inflict a penalty.

I was boggled by G5384 - friend, but the root of child stepped up the feeling.  I'll focus on the friend topic.

Here are a few of the verses which had the same word translated from G5384:

Joh 15:14  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 

Joh 15:15  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. 

Jas 2:23  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 

So ladies...what an admonishment and exhortation!  I thought for sure the 'love' would be agape or phileo and it didn't even come close!  Though I suppose it could be a phileo type of love.  It gives a deeper and richer sense to 'loving' though - a friend, being a friend, acting like a friend, what a beautiful foundation for a relationship.  A steady base to weather the storms of life as a couple grows and matures together.  Especially if their friendship is build upon the Rock.

I enjoyed Gill's commentary:

Titus 2:4  That they may teach the young women to be sober,.... Or to be chaste, modest, and temperate; or to be wise and prudent in their conduct to their husbands, and in the management of family affairs, who have had a large experience of these things before them. 

To love their husbands; to help and assist them all they can; to seek their honour and interest; to endeavour to please them in all things; to secure peace, harmony, and union; to carry it affectionately to them, and sympathize with them in all afflictions and distresses; for this is not so much said in opposition to placing their affections on other men, and to the defilement of the marriage bed, as to moroseness and ill nature. 


To love their children; not with a fond, foolish, loose, and ungoverned affection; but so as to seek their real good, and not only their temporal, but spiritual and eternal welfare; to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; and to use and keep proper discipline and government over them; for otherwise, amidst all the fondness of natural affection, a parent may be said to hate a child, Pro_13:24.