Self-discipline is not one of my best traits. I am disciplined about some things, but not others. Unfortunately, I am not as disciplined as I need to be about quiet times and exercise. There is always tomorrow, right?

My little Eli is developing self-discipline in an unique way. As we were at the baseball park this weekend, he was throwing rocks. After two warnings that he did not head, we took a trip the the bathroom. This was the conversation we had:

Me: Did you throw another rock?

Eli: yes

Me: Did Momma say not to throw rocks?

Eli: yes

Me: What did I say would happen if you threw rocks?

Eli: Spank my booty. I do it. Bad boy!

Then he proceeded to paddle his bum twice with his hand and then yell "Ouch!"

If that isn't self-discipline, I don't know what is. I think he may have a thing or two to teach me.

So I had the opportunity to see Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian last night along with my wife, Chris, Judy and tons of other pastors in the Middle Tennessee area. And first, let me say.....WOW!! What an amazing movie!! But as I watched the film and also reflected on the movie, I thought of application from the movie. So often as adult, we miss really good opportunities to invest in to our kids or teenagers. We will see an amazing movie, like this one, and come out saying...."What awesome special effects!" When we have missed a HUGE opportunity to talk to our kids about God and spiritual issues.

Therefore, I have some "follow-up" questions to help you transition from having kids say, "Wow! The special effects were great!" to helping kids think through some spiritual issues from the film. Print these out and take them to the movie with you.

• How are Christians like Reepicheep?
• How do some Christians act like Miraz's army?
• What character qualities do you think enabled Lucy to see Aslan? How does that translate into your ability to see what God is doing around you?
• Put yourself in Peter's place - unable to see Aslan, but not willing to distrust Lucy. How do YOU respond when others seem to be more aware of God's involvement than you are?
• What determines a godly leader, and what price do they have to pay?
• In the film, each character contributed - wholeheartedly - exactly what was needed in the final battle. What do you think God has given YOU to contribute?
• What message for YOU is there in the fact that Aslan says, "Things never happen the same way twice" two times in the movie? What have you expected God to do that He got done in a different way than you anticipated?
• How can you step in to a situation where someone close to you is being tempted to do something obviously wrong? Like Miraz's generals, your friends might sometimes tell you what they want you to hear, instead of what they really think. How can you encourage honesty between you and the people you trust?
• When have you experienced the kind of joy that Aslan and Lucy had as they played together? Now remember, a war was almost being lost while that was happening! When you're in middle of difficult times, what can you do to remind yourself that God really loves you?

I hope this helps you open up in discussion when you go to see the movie tonight. Press on in actively pursuing your kids and their spiritual life. Know that as staff, we are praying for you along the way. If there is anything that we can help you do, please let us know.

In his Grip,
Shelby Craig

Lesley shared this blog story with me a few days ago. I thought it was worthy of sharing with you. It tells of the ultimate sacrifice given to a daughter by her daddy. So, check it out here and grab the box of tissue.

Warning: Absolutely no spiritual content ahead!

But you know what? Us moms of preschoolers need advice for day to day things just as much as spiritual advice sometimes.

We're leaving for Florida the end of this week. I got so tired of hearing "Is it time to go to Florida now? When are we going to Florida? Is it time now? Is it next week yet? Can we go to Florida today?". Preschoolers have no concept of time. Last night, last week, last year...all the same to a four year old.

To save my sanity, we made a paper chain. We tear off one link everyday and when there are no more links....get in the van!

I'm sure it would work great for birthday countdowns, Christmas, visits to grandparents, etc.

Carrie

I have always been an avid reader. Now that I'm a parent I read less but I still long for more information. More than I would have ever imagined. You see if I don't understand something (like my children) I have a tendancy to research things and want to read, read, read everything about what I'm experiencing.

Recently, I've been reading The New Strong-Willed Child written by Dr. James Dobson. (Don't ask why...that's another blog post!) Like most books Dobson has written, this one is packed with some good stuff. It has a lot on how to deal with discipline issues. I encourage you to read it. I just finished it though and he ended with some great encouragement for parents of kids of all ages and I wanted to share a snipit with you. So here goes:

"...I urge you to hold your children before the Lord in fervent prayer day by day by day. Begin every morning with a prayer for wisdom and guidance. I am convinced that there is no other true source of confidence in parenting. There is not enough knowledge in the books, mine or anyone else's, to counteract the evil that surrounds our kids today. We must bathe them in fervent prayer when we are in our prayer closet, saying words similar to these:

'Lord, You know my inadequacies. You know my weaknesses, not only in parenting but in every area of my life. I'm doing the best I can to raise my kids properly, but it may not be good enough. As You provided the fish and the loaves to feed the five thousand hungry people, now take my meager effort and use it to bless my family. Make up for the things I do wrong. Satisfy the needs that I have not met. Compensate for my blunders and mistakes. Wrap Your great arms around my children, and hold them close to You. And be there when they stand at the great crossroads between right and wrong. All I can give them is my best, and I will continue to do that. I submit to You now and rededicate myself to the task You have placed before me. The outcome rests securely in Your hands.'

I've found that God is faithful, as a loving Father, to hear and answer that cry of the heart. Turn to Him for solace when you've reached the end of your rope. He will be there to comfort you and work within the soul of your beloved child. ..." excerpt taken from The New Strong-Willed Child by Dr. James Dobson, copyright 1978, 2004.

My prayer is that we, as parents, would all adopt the practice of going to the Lord each and every morning with a prayer similar to the one Dobson wrote. There is power in prayer. Whether your child is 2 months old or 15 years old, we need to bathe them in prayer and ask God to protect them. They are precious blessings in our lives. And, if you are struggling with something, read, read, read more about it. Knowledge is power.

Ever wonder what tweens are watching?

The pregnant Jamie Lynn Spears' show "Zoey 101" drew huge numbers last Friday night for its serier final, beating everything else on cable last week, including NBA playoff coverage.

Media Life Magazine reports:

“Zoey” drew an average 5.1 million total viewers for the hour-long finale last Friday, May 2, at 8 p.m. Another half-hour rerun that followed averaged 5.05 million, making them the two most-watched shows on cable last week, well ahead of NBA playoff coverage and the first new episode of “Hannah Montana” since Miley Cyrus’ controversial Vanity Fair pictures were released...

And if you think controversy doesn't attract attention...

The finale was nowhere near the 7.3 million total viewers who watched “Zoey’s” third-season finale in January, shortly after the 16-year-old announced she was pregnant. The show has regularly finished No. 1 among tweens this season.

Well...now you know!