The Value of Time

How do you see time? I think as we age, we tend to value time more. We see time in years or in decades, we look back at how we are then and what we have become now. We realized that time is short and indeed the days, months, and years pass us by so quickly. I hate to be melancholic but I can’t help it. Probably it’s common for people who are nearing mid-life (wipes tears). Hahaha! But I hope my faith in God will keep me sane as I go through that phase. Nevertheless, I am certain, that He who holds the future holds me and my family, our hopes and dreams, our plans and decisions, in the palm of His hands.

To realize the value of one year, ask a student who has failed a final exam
To realize the value of one month, ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby
To realize the value of one week, ask an editor of a weekly newspaper
To realize the value of one hour, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet
To realize the value of one minute, ask the person who has missed the plane, the bus or train
To realize the value of one second, ask a person who has survived an accident
To realize the value of one millisecond, ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics

Time waits for no one, let us treasure every moment that God gives knowing that you and I are living on borrowed time.*

*A transcript from 702 DZAS Sunday Selection Podcast.

Turkey

Ashrie’s love language for now, without a doubt, is Quality Time. She adores whoever spends playtime with her, especially if it is done in consecutive days. That’s why she’s specifically ecstatic during weekends, more so during our holidays. And it is no wonder why she loves Mom more than Dad, because Jane stays with her 24/7 while I work 6.5/7 (Mondays to Fridays and Saturdays until 1pm.)

Last night, they read the book entitled, The Eagle Who Thought He Was a Turkey, while I was doing some graphic designs for Jane’s blog. It’s about an eagle, which after years of doing “turkey things” finally discovered that he can soar in the sky… that he was meant for greatness.

Afterwards, I heard Ashrie saying, “Guess how much I love you.” Her mommy said, “How much?” Her reply was, “As high as the rainbow!”

Later in the night when I joined them in bed, Ashrie asked me the same question, “Daddy, guess how much I love you?” Excited, I said, “How much?” She replied, “As high as the birds flying in the sky!” I asked which bird, the eagle? She answered, “No, turkey!

Chef Ashrie

Last weekend, we surprised Ashrie with additional play kitchen tools. It was actually real kitchen utensils but reduced in scale- real porcelain plates, stainless steel pots and pans, baking pans and cookie cutters. We bought it online and glad that it came in good condition.

She used it as soon as we opened the package and even join us as we make cinnamon rolls that same morning. We also tried baking on it in the oven together with our rolls (of course her rolls cooked faster because of the petite size) and it came out unscathed.

And here is a “before and after baking” shot of her mini-cinamon rolls.

Until next time, thanks for tuning in!

Benefits of Discipline

I couldn’t stress enough the value of discipline in parenting. It is impossible to love your child without discipline. It comes hand in hand. You would not allow your child do whatever he wishes because it will bring problems later in life (for both of you) if he gets all what he wants and do whatever he feels like doing while he is still young. All the more if what he likes will not benefit him, today or in future.

I know a certain couple who buys one toy for their toddler for every toy store visit. They say if they will not do it, their daughter would make a scene in the toy store by crying her lungs out while lying on the floor. They also would not give discipline for unacceptable behavior simply because they are guilty not being able to take care of her because they both needed to work. And that she is still very young.

Discipline is not merely punishment. It is a training process for the child. It is both difficult for both the parents and the child but discipline when done in the virtue of love, in the proper time and procedure, and with the intention of bringing-out righteousness will reap great rewards for both the child and the parents.

I have listened to one of Dr. Harold Sala’s audio podcast from www.guidelines.org last month about discipline and I have to agree with every word. It is important, it is crucial to discipline our children. Below is the transcript of his five-minute commentary.

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

Ethel Barrett tells of the time she was waiting her turn in a beauty shop when a little boy, about 4 years of age, started yelling and screaming at the top of his lungs. Most folks tried to ignore the unruly child, but then a gray-haired lady gruffly barked, "Sit down!" and the 4 year old, ready to do battle with her, threw a magazine at her.

Like a drill sergeant, she gave the order again, "Sit down!" and this time she picked him up and sat him in a chair. The little boy let out a blood curdling scream which could be heard miles away. Picking up the magazine which had been thrown at her, she began to turn the pages asking, "What's that?" pointing to the pictures. The little boy still paid no attention and yelled at the top of his lungs. The gray-haired grandmother kept turning the pages until the little boy had begun responding, naming the things in the pictures.

Finally, the grandmother wiped away his tears and he was quite happy when it was her turn to have her hair done. As she prepared to get up she said, "Now you sit here and look at this magazine."

As Ethel Barrett passed by she said, "My, you have an intelligent child with you!" "My child?" said the gray-haired grandmother, "I never saw that kid before. I saw he needed discipline and decided to give it to him!"

For a generation or so, the experts told parents that discipline would inhibit a child's development, and as the result of that advice a generation of kids grew up without much guidance, and we've reaped a whirlwind effect today. But much of this has changed. Discipline has come back into style, at least in a measure.

What does discipline accomplish in the life of a youngster?

Five things which may well be an encouragement to you, whether you are a parent, a grandparent, or a friend.

Benefit #1: Discipline produces happy, well-adjusted children. The story which I related, a true one as well, illustrates that point. Hebrews 12:11 from the New Testament says, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

Benefit #2: Discipline produces security to any child by knowing the boundaries of acceptable behavior. Go to the largest sheep ranch in Australia and you will find an ewe with her head stuck through the barbed wire trying to nibble the grass just beyond her reach. That's the way we are, too. No matter where you set limits, kids will push for just a bit more; however, when children know how far they can go, and understand that, there comes a security which they can never have when parents won’t say, "This is the limit!"

Benefit #3: Discipline teaches obedience to parental authority, something which has been noticeably missing in recent days. Our English word discipline comes from a Latin word, discere which means "to know," and discipline gives the knowledge of right and wrong with the motivation to do right. Discipline--which is much different from punishment--enforces the teaching learning process.

Benefit #4: Discipline helps a child learn to assume responsibility. Show me a man who is successful, and I'll show you a person who learned personal discipline, somewhere, whether it was at home, in school, or in the military. One of the traits of successful people is the ability to discipline themselves and subsequently apply themselves to a given task which produces accomplishment.

Benefit #5: Discipline provides guidance and safety until a child is old enough to make reasoned value-decisions on his own. Discipline means everybody wins parents and kids alike.

Resource reading: Ephesians 6:1-9.

Diaper Baby No More

Jane started the Potty Training Book 2 (Say No to Bedwetting) with Ashrie earlier last month and it has been good so far. (I made that title up, I don’t know whether such a book really exists.) So now there’ll be less and less diapers to buy because she will no longer wear a diaper for the night. Thank God for that!

But that would mean extra effort on Jane’s part because she’ll be more mindful of Ashrie’s liquid intake especially at night and to be ready to wash the entire bed sheets and covers from unavoidable mishaps. This will happen when Jane (Ashrie’s bedwetting alarm clock) fails to wake her up in wee hours of the morning to wee wee! Just now she is blaming Mommy for failing to wake her up when accidents happen. But she’ll get used to it. (Ashrie not Jane.)

Training is indeed difficult but it all pays off and we are reaping the rewards of training her while she is still young. And lastly, what a blessing it is, what feeling of success to wake up in the morning with Ashrie’s dry jammies and “wee wee-free” bed sheets!

I Love You, Little Monster

It's been a while since got our hands on a good book and this one fills the gap. I Love You, Little Monster by Giles Andreae and Jess Mikhail. It's a story about the parental love and the innocence of childhood presented in sweet, poetic lines of "Big" to a pretending-to-be-asleep "Small". Definitely a must-read for parents and your little monsters.