Mi Choza De Nipa

From FOCUS ON THE FAMILY, Today, 16-May-2008 edition   Of Birds And Nests By Dr James Dobson   One of the most difficult passages in life occurs when a child grows up and leaves home. As parents, we should look for opportunities to prepare our kids and ourselves for this important transition.   I remember an occasion when our children were young. A little bird had built its nest in a rose bush in our backyard and our kids were fascinated by the baby birds. I warned them to keep their distance.   But one day, Danae got a little too close and frightened the birds, causing them to jump out of the nest. We tried putting them back, but just as soon as we did, they would jump out and run again.   I used the experience to teach Danae a very valuable lesson. I told her: “You see, Danae, once you’ve jumped out of our nest and seen the adult world, you will never again feel the same way about living her...

From FOCUS ON THE FAMILY, Today, 15-May-2008 edition   A Father’s Influence By Dr James Dobson   Some years ago, a greeting card company decided to do something special for Mother’s Day. They set up a table in a federal prison, inviting any inmate who so desired to send a free card to his mother.   The lines were so long that they had to make another trip to the factory for more cards. Due to the success of the event, they decided to do the same thing on Father’s Day. Only this time, not one prisoner felt the need to send a card to Dad and many had no idea even who their fathers were.   Contrast that story with a conversation I once had with a man named Bill Haughton, who was president of a large construction firm.   I asked him: “When you are thinking of hiring an employee – especially a man – what do you look for?”   He said, “I look primarily at the ...

From FOCUS ON THE FAMILY, Today, 14-May-2008 edition   Strength Through Adversity By Dr James Dobson   Someone once said that if you were to remove the rocks from a brook, it would lose its song. Well, that holds true for you and me as well.   Author Scott Walker tells of the time he was asked to help some friends dig through the ashes of their house after a fire. When they arrived, all that was left standing was a portion of the outer brick wall. Nothing had survived the blaze.   But while sifting through the debris, Walker came across a tiny, china bluebird. A few hairline cracks had formed in the glaze but beyond that, it remained intact.   A story of the heat of the night, of terror and of survival against great odds. And then, the crucial question hit me. Why did this china bluebird survive?   It had survived the fire because it had been tested by fire.   And so it is with human bei...

From FOCUS ON THE FAMILY, Today, 13-May-2008 edition   Take Another Run At Life By Dr James Dobson   The year was 1913: Douglas Mawson and his two companions found themselves about 500m from camp in a blinding blizzard.   While making their way back, one fell to his death in a crevice, taking with him most of the food, provisions for their dogs and their only tent. Soon, the other companion died of hypothermia.   Alone and suffering from stomach cramps, delusions and severe fatigue, Mawson also stumbled into a crevice.   For the first time in his life, he contemplated giving up. “How easy to simply let go and end all the pain and toil,” he thought.   Instead, with all the strength he could muster, he pulled himself out of the crevice and continued to make his way back to camp.   Mawson survived the ordeal and returned to Australia , where he was knighted and hailed a hero. He ...

From FOCUS ON THE FAMILY, Today, 12-May-2008 edition   Act Early for Learning Disability By Dr James Dobson   Some experiments have been done where the walleye pike is placed in a big tank of water, followed by minnows which the walleye very quickly consumes.   A large piece of glass is then slid down the centre of the tank, with the walleye pike on one side and the minnows on the other. The pike swims after the minnows and inevitably hits the glass. It tries again but crashes into the divider again. Very quickly, it will get discouraged and even quit trying to get the minnows.   At that point, the researchers slide the glass out of the tank and let the minnows swim in and around the pike.   Believe it or not, a walleye pike will starve to death in a tank filled with the kind of food that he loves best, simply because he’s become discouraged.   So it is with children who fail in their early sch...

From FOCUS ON THE FAMILY, Today, 09-May-2008 edition   Use TV Time Wisely By Dr Bill Maier   We’ve all heard the statistics about kids spending more time in front of the television than interacting with their friends or family. We also know how much bad stuff there is on TV.   But is there a way to teach kids good viewing habits without throwing the television out of the window?   Why not use the television as a tool for positive training? You can use the chance to talk about the troubling issues that may arise with the characters.   Point out positive behaviour, as well as unacceptable ones. Even family shows depict poor values at times and when they do, say something like “We don’t agree with that in our family, do we kids?”   Then encourage them to tell you why. This is a great way to teach discernment to your children.   Obviously, TV viewing should be limited, bu...