Cousins' Bonding, Marrying Cousins

Getting to know your cousins/close relatives up to the second and third degree is very crucial.

My childhood is one happy memory that is indelible. You become closer to the maternal or paternal cousins depending on the bonding. I love my maternal cousins, but I became closer with my paternal cousins because I  spent my early education and playing time with them. 

Once you reach high school, you tend to be serious in studies and less of the playtime. This was before the advent of the Internet.

The Internet has its advantages like constant communication regardless of distance, but we seem to be content with emailing or texting and less face-to-face interacting.Communication becomes less personal.

Travel before was arduous because of the bumpy roads, less infrastructures. Where before it took us more that two hours to get to our destination, now it is more accessible in less time.

That is why every time we cousins met, it was joyous. This demonstrates "absence makes the heart grow fonder."

We see each other during funerals, birthdays, or reunions.

I know of a family who did not know their first cousins/close relatives for one reason or another. The son sought his father's help to meet his girlfriend's family and ask for her hand in marriage. When near the girl's house, the father said that he knew the place. Lo and behold, the house is his sister's!  You can already conclude the result of the visit. No marriage took place!

Bible verses on marrying close relatives

Leviticus 18:6-16  “None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father, which is the nakedness of your mother; she is your mother, you shall not uncover her nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife; it is your father's nakedness. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether brought up in the family or in another home. You shall not uncover the nakedness of your son's daughter or of your daughter's daughter, for their nakedness is your own nakedness. ...

Saying Goodbye

Children by  age one, already know that their parents are leaving them for the day, For whatever reason and despite reassurance that  the parents would be back. the tears don't seem to stop.

The look of Alec by the window reminds me of goodbye scenes every time I left for work
My heart felt heavy with all those crying and leaving them to the care of the nannies.

When we got home, my youngest son was by the window at 6:00 pm waiting for our arrival, while the two older brothers , aged three and five  were out playing with the neighbor's kids.

Because of these scenes plus the children's accidents, I decided to quit my job. I never regretted it.

Saying goodbye to children cause  trauma which affects their growing up years. If it's "hasta la vista" or "Addio, rivederti," or " "Adieu , vous revoir" or goodbye, see you again, the child is reassured that it is not the end of the line yet.

Goodbye is permanent distancing, like going to the afterlife. But if it's for the best for all, so be it Thy will be done Lord!

Bible verses on Death

John 11:25 - Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 1 Thessalonians 4:13 - But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose. Revelation 21:3 - And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God. John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Psalms 116:15 - Precious in the sight of the LORD [is] the death of his saints.(the righteous ones) Revelation 20:4 - And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. Philippians 1:21 - For to me to live [is] Christ, and to die [is] gain. John 10:10 - The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly. Hebrews 9:27 - And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: Matthew 10:28 - And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Ezekiel 18:4 - Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Jeremiah 30:9 - But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them. 1 John 3:2 - Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. Hebrews 2:15 - And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 - For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Colossians 1:13 - Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son: 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 - Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, Acts 4:12 - Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. John 5:28 - Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, Daniel 12:13 - But go thou thy way till the end [be]: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days. source of Bible verses: King James Bible online

  Bible verses to comfort the grieving for a loved one

2 Corinthians 1:3-4  “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
Isaiah 41:10  “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 43:2  “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
Psalm 18:28  “You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.”
Psalm 46:1-2  “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.”
Psalm 119:50  “My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.”
Romans 8:18  “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
2 Corinthians 7:10  “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”
Psalm 18:2  “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18  “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.  According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.  Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
1 Peter 5:6-7  “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
Psalm 23:4  “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
Psalm 22:24  “For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.”
Psalm 27:4-5  “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.  For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.”
Psalm 30:5  “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
Psalm 34:18  “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Matthew 11:28  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Lamentations 3:31-33  “For no one is cast off by the Lord forever.  Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.  For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.”

http://lynndove.com/2013/12/06/25-encouraging-scripture-verses-for-those-who-are-grieving/

Christmas and Family Reunion 2014

Seven Christmases have gone by for Leila, and  four for Matthew, my sweet grandchildren. It's wonderful to be kids because they are still carefree, none cf the adults problems in the aspect of financial, relationship, career, building a family.

Then there is the family reunion/Christmas  party that everybody looks forward too. We are twelve  siblings and everybody  has married except for one. Each sibling has an average of three children. My generation has seen our descendants up to  the third  generation. You can just imagine the food on the table (potluck) complete with lechon (roasted pig) contributed by siblings from abroad and gift giving after dinner and games.

Because of the critical times, the prophesied God's judgment,I suggested to change the format- less games and allow time for praise , worship and supplication to God to spare us of the  coming calamities.

The response  to me was "the is a joyful occasion, let's not dampen the spirit with the end time prophecies. You will only stress.
yourself."  This response is sad. Just like most people I have talked with, they only want to see the brighter side , "only positive" they don't want to listen or read articles about the prophets' warnings. You are an escapist if you are one of them. They are saying that God is merciful and He cannot bring the destruction that is mentioned in the prophecies. Yes, God is merciful that is why it is more than forty years already since He started warning us through  Mama Mary, the mother of God. He also sends prophets,children and old men have dreams of what is coming.

Acts  2:17 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

 Because of God's mercy, it took Noah 100 years to warn the people to repent of their sinful ways. They were  invited to come into the ark to be saved. But they laughed and ridiculed him  as the crazy old man. Then it rained for forty days and the ark constructed on top of the mountain floated.

Same is true with Sodom and Gomorrha, before the destruction, warning after warning was given by Lot. He was not believed . Only Lot and his daughter were saved at Mount Zoar.

Judgment has started. Places which were not  visited before got flooded, structures were toppled down by earthquake, storm surges as high as three-storey building came rushing to in lands, volcanoes erupting in different places.

Why is God planning these calamities, and yet people are warned beforehand. God saw that people, His creations, have turned away from Him and rather go to their path of destruction by way of Satan's promptings: for pleasure, greed, power, fame, achievements recognized by man. 

If the chastisement will not happen, and there's a big one coming, nobody will be saved from the second death which is the death of the soul in eternal damnation.

Isn't His first coming not enough, He suffered a horrible death on the cross to retrieve us from the sin of disobedience implanted by Satan through Adam and Eve. Most people do not appreciate this because they continue sinning thinking "once save is already saved,"NO! Yes, if we abide with His Word, His commandments, doctrines - undiluted and not twisted.The later version of the Bible was Satan's handiwork.

WAKE UP, IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO REPENT. THERE CAN BE NO REPENTANCE AFTER DEATH!
Do not be complacent. As in the days of Noah, people went on with their lives as if nothing was going to happen.
Pray for the Holy Spirit's guide for the truth.  

To summarize the ten commandments of God: 

• Love God above all else.
• Love you neighbor as yourself. 
• Love your enemies, pray for them that despite-fully use you. Pray for their enlightenment.

Praise and worship God at the beginning of the day, then ask for His blessing and protection for you and your family.

GOD BLESS YOU!

Bible Verses on the End of Times

Mark 13:32 - But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

Matthew 24:7 - For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

Luke 21:11 - And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

Daniel 12:4 - But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, [even] to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

1 Timothy 4:1 - Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Luke 21:36 - Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Matthew 24:36 - But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Matthew 24:6 - And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Matthew 24:21-22 - For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.   

Revelation 13:16-17 - And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:  17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

2 Peter 3:3-4 - Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

2 Timothy 3:1-17 -1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. 10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Luke 21:25 - And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

(blood moon, tsunamis)

Matthew 24:14 - And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Matthew 16:2-3 - He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, [It will be] fair weather: for the sky is red.  3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?  A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed. 

Joel 2:28-32 - And it shall come to pass afterward, [that] I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

Revelation 7:14 - And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Revelation 3:3 - Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

Revelation 1:3 - Blessed [is] he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time [is] at hand.

1 John 2:18 - Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

Philippians 2:9-11 - Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:   10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,  10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 

Romans 13:11 - And that, knowing the time, that now [it is] high time to awake out of sleep: for now [is] our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Matthew 24:42-44 - Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.   43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Matthew 24:8 - All these [are] the beginning of sorrows.

Mtthew 24:3 - And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

Revelation 1:7 - Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Matthew 24:13 - But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 - Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;  4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Matthew 24:22 - And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

Source of  Bible verses:  King James Bible online

Christmas for Children

Children are happy when they receive gifts, loved by their parents, when they receive the approval of relatives and friends.

Birthdays and Christmas are the most anticipated occasions. They believe in Santa Claus, especially the shower of gifts from Santa.

My children, when they were kids at age five, six and eight were no different. One Christmas eve, each had his own  sock hanged for "Santa's" visit. But the morning of Christmas, they found it all empty. They were heartbroken. I just told them Santa forgot to pass by.

A few days after, during our family Christmas/reunion party, several Santas arrived: Santa Flavie and Eddie, Susan and Romy, Freddie and Vilma, Luchie. My three sons got a sackful of gifts instead of sockful one. Santa Elvie and Geoff,  and Ester and Alex sent theirs too from Canada and England.

At an early age, children should be taught  the truth, no fairy tales, no Santa Claus, This is strategy of Satan, an illusion  to remove God from lives, but the belief in our Lord Jesus should be ingrained. 

Bible verses to help your child to believe in God

PROVERBS 22:6 Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Proverbs 13:24 Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

Matthew 19:13-15 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away.

Proverbs 23:13-14 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol.

.

Colossians 3:21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

.Isaiah 54:13 All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.

source of Bible verses: Open Bible Info

What Lies Ahead for a Child?

What lies ahead with Leila, Matthew, Tre, and Alec?

As a grandparent having reached retirement age and have time for grandchildren, is  the happier time of my life.

As a a working mother, I was busy with my career. Although I devoted a portion of my time to my three children, looking back, there are so many things that I should have done better, in terms of their spiritual nurturing. There were weekends I had to bring home some work, to catch deadlines.There are so many ifs.

When I had problems with house helper and nursemaid, I decided to quit my employment. I was so happy that I could attend to my children full time., who at the time were aged four, five and seven. However, the joy was short lived as I had to make money to augment the family income. I opted to go into real estate, multi-level marketing and finally having a business of my own, thinking that outside of an 8 to 5 job, I would have more time. However, I was driven to work harder, so I ended up with lesser time with my children. I was not not successful in my  chosen activities, not cut out for introverted me!

After my retirement, I read the Bible from cover to cover, but it did not touch me. Now, that I am hungry with the Words of God, I realized that our almighty God should be introduced to families and in schools starting from the primary level to really know Him by heart, having a personal relationship with the Father God. 

It is not enough going to Church on Sundays, fulfilling what we were taught to be good Christians. But God said this:

 Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

A prosperous and peaceful nation  could be achieved if we have a God loving/fearing family, the first unit of society.

It follows that with this solid Godly family, it will have an unselfish, caring  citizen and authorities who follow the will of God.

Women are not equal with men as she was taken from the ribs of man to be companion to him. But Satan came into the picture deceiving man by coming out with articles on feminism so women compete with man demanding equal rights.

Women are destined to be homemakers and nurturers of their children . Man, on the other hand, should be the provider and the source of the family's strength received from God. He should be  the head of the family and the wife to be submissive to him.

God's Words about the Husband and Wife

Hebrews 13:4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

1 Corinthians 11:9 Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.

Ephesians 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.

Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

Ephesians 5:28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

Ephesians 5:22-33 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

Proverbs 31:10-31 An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar.

Ephesians 5:21 Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

1 Timothy 3:1-7  The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?

1 Timothy 2:12  I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.

1 Timothy 5:8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Proverbs 14:1 The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.

Ecclesiastes 9:9 Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun.

1 Peter 3:1-6 Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands,

source of Bible verses on husbands and wives 

If the child has a God-loving/fearing family, and is taught well the commandment/doctrines of God, he would not be led astray. 
When he grows up and has to choose a career, it will not be in entertainment, not in boxing, not in rock music, nor career that would make him covetous, lustful, prideful.

Bible Verses to guide parents in bringing up a God-loving/fearing child

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Proverbs 13:24 Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

Matthew 19:13-15 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away.

Proverbs 23:13-14 Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die. If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol.

Deuteronomy 6:7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Proverbs 19:18 Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death.

Colossians 3:21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

Hebrews 12:5-11 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?

Isaiah 28:9-10 “To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast? For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.”

Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous.

Titus 2:4-5 And so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

Isaiah 54:13 All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.

Psalm 78:1-7  Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth! I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children,

Matthew 18:14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Galatians 5:23 Gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Proverbs 22:15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

Father in Heaven help the parents to bring up their children Your way, and that they would not be lost. Cover them with your blood to ward off the temptations of the evil ones. in Jesus name. Amen

Source of Bible verses on teaching children: 

Haircut/Godliness for Toddlers

Alec with brother Tre, and cousins Kayelle and Matt

AND HIS LATEST HAIRCUT!

It has been said (passed down by ancestors, I just don't know  if this has a scientific basis) that if a newborn has a sparse hair, when the child reaches one year of age, he/she should be made bald to grow thicker hair. We did this to our two older sons, with the exception of the  third one because he has a naturally thick hair. 

We repeatedly shaved the hair of Russel, the father of Alec. At two,with shaved hair, he was teased and called "kalbo" (bald) and he surely got  mad as a bull.

In Alec's case all he could do was bawled helplessly. Poor boy, you could feel the pain by just looking at his eyes. So, Russ why subject the same feeling with your son, Alec?

The hair is considered the crowning glory for girls.It also serves to protect the head, to cushion it from bumps.

What is the purpose of hair?

      1 Corinthians 11:15

but if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her? For her hair is given to her for a covering.( http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Hairs#sthash.UwxBzQYp.dpuf)

1 Timothy 2:9Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments,

Boys should be of clean cut, not long nor bald,  but a few centimeters from the scalp. 

Let the Children's Children be Directed by the Word

 Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous.

Psalm 128:6 '
May you see your children's children! Peace be upon Israel!

Deuteronomy 4:9 

“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children—

Isaiah 59:21 
“And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children's offspring,” says the Lord, “from this time forth and forevermore.”

1 Timothy 5:3-4 

Honor widows who are truly widows. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.

Exodus 20:5 
You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,

The Joy and Horrors of Rearing Children

Alec

To mothers, simply looking at angelic face of their child is a joy in itself: smiling in their sleep or waking time,.

We follow through their growing up years, from birth to the time when they want to be independent no longer under the scrutiny of their mother.

We have a logbook of their first smile, their first crawl, their first word, all their first's.

They would even hold on tightly to their mother's skirts, not letting them out of their sight.A strong bond is developed at this time, before their schooling for lack of other children outside of siblings.

One would notice the habit or mannerism of the child if it's from the father of mother.

Above  are all joys,  especially when you get a loving response from the child, but sorrow comes when mishaps happen.like:

• slamming of the car door with a child's fingers still on it - it gets blue and black;
• a child running after the parent's car with a bottle of coke in his hands then tripping, - he had to have stitches to stop  the blood from flowing;
• a child losing his grip on his mother (hugging her legs) and dropping to the floor with the backside of his head - he had temporary loss of his eyesight the following. day;
• A grade one child going out of the classroom then bumping into an older schoolmate while latter was running from his right side's direction - he had to be stitched above his eyebrow.
• Russ, the father of Alec, seemed to be flatfooted, with forever bumps:
• Russ at age four held on to a trike while it was letting its passenger alight. So when the trike sped off, Russ was still holding to the backside. He was surfing on dry land, so when his rubber slipper got unbearably hot, he let go of his hold. He dropped  face down  giving a large bump on his forehead;
• The heart-wrenching part is when you hear their inconsolable cry;
• Lastly, it reminded me of this incident when I saw the toy of Alec. With his toy car, Russ, at the age of two,  went around from our inner road to the main road of the village,. Thank God he was not run over by  speeding cars. He was picked up the village' security guard and brought to our neighbor thinking that he was their son with this admonition: "Bakit ninyo pinababayaan ang anak ninyo?" (Why do you neglect your child?) Because of this last two incidents, the nanny resigned.

My spouse and I were employed at that time. Because of these incidents, I quit my job.

I was so busy in my job I had no prayer time. So now, I make up by praying for the families of my children that they be guided by God and that they be protected from any harm, especially spiritual.

Parent's Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for this treasured child of mine. Although you have entrusted him/her to me, I know he belongs to you. Like Hannah offered Samuel, I dedicate my child to you, Lord. I recognize that he is always in your care.

Help me as a parent, Lord, with my weaknesses and imperfections. Give me strength and godly wisdom to raise this child after your Holy Word. Please supply what I lack. Keep my child walking on the path that leads to eternal life. Help him to overcome the temptations in this world and the sin that would so easily entangle him.

Dear God, send your Holy Spirit daily to lead and guide him. Ever assist him to grow in wisdom and stature, in grace and knowledge, in kindness, compassion and love. May he serve you faithfully with his whole heart devoted to you. May he discover the joy of your presence through daily relationship with your Son, Jesus.

Help me never to hold on too tightly to this child, nor neglect my responsiblities before you as a parent. Lord, let my committment to raise this child for the glory of your name cause his life to forever testify of your faithfulness.

In Jesus' name I pray.

A Child's Prayer

God Hear My Prayer

God in heaven hear my prayer,

keep me in thy loving care.

Be my guide in all I do,

Bless all those who love me too.

Amen.

Source of prayer: christianity.about.com