KHATS 9 / One Joy filled Mama!

Every Thursday night at our church the children quote Bible Verses.  I had previously decided I would start teaching Aaliyah Bible Verses at home when I started her "preschool" just after she turned three (we begin next week).  Sometimes the verses we learn on Thursday are rather lengthy and I didn't expect her to be able to remember them; but last week she surprised us all.  When Pastor asked if anyone wanted to quote the verse she raised her hand.  As usual Dad acknowledged her...we all expected to hear gibborish; but she said in a loud and proud voice, "Third John 1:4. (pause) Third John 1:4.  I have no greater joy (pause)  than to hear (pause) that my children (pause) walk in truth."

She got it and she earned a piece of candy!  I was so proud!  Maybe I am underestimating her abilities again.  I'll have to remember that in the future.  Lesson learned - Your little ones are listening to EVERYTHING that goes on around them and are learning.  Be sure to put Truth in their paths.

Until next time,

KHATS 8 - Guard Your Relationships!

Recently we returned from a trip to visit our family in California and Oklahoma.  While in California we were privileged to visit a friend of mine from college and her family.  We had a blast!; but one picture I took startled me for just a second....

 My heart leaped out of my chest when I saw Aaliyah "holding hands" with a boy!  He was guiding Aaliyah and his sister Selah back to us; but it still took me by surprise...I think mainly because I realized in that instant that it is only a matter of time before both my girls will be grown and establishing families of their own.  For Aaliyah it could be as soon as 16 years.  That may sound like a long time to you; but it doesn't to me. 

Here is my little bit of advice for you today....Guard your relationships.  Who you bring around your children will have a part in who they (your children) become.  Some people you have to be around, others you chose.  Choose wisely!


1 Corinthians 15:33
Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Until Next time,

Please Pray for Newport...

Deaf man named Kenneth that has been attending our servies.

We just returned home from a wonderful vacation to some good news and some bad.  The good news...our people were faithful even though we were not there!  It is good to know that there are people in  Lighthouse Baptist Church that are in it for Jesus and not for us. Even the deaf man that has been attending our services for the past two months came and sat in the services with no interpreter.   Our fish are still alive...and mysteriously we have four new {baby} fish; and our garden survived {for the most part...we lost our pumpkin plants to vine beetles}.  The bad news....four young people died here in Newport.  Three of them were babies.  One baby died of SIDS, two died in hot vehicles (one accidentally...I'll explain later and one accidentally on purpose - the parents left the child in the car to punish himwhile they went shopping in Wal-mart.).  The accidental death happened when a man went to work, locked up his vehicle and came home at the end of his eight hour work day at the hospital only to find out that his eighteen month old was in the back seat of his car asleep in the carseat.   The other person that died was a friend of one of our members and an aunt to another.  The young lady (age 27) was Saved and Baptised {at a different church} on Sunday and never woke up on Monday.  That is the Grace of God!  She had seven children (one of whom was lying on her breast when she died of an apparent heart attack in her sleep).  More bad news...a preacher in a neighboring town got up in his pulpit on Sunday, said, "I quit!" and left.  One of the families that recently joined our church came from his church.  How sad.   Please pray that the Lord will use all of these events to bring people to Him.

Birthdays!/KHATS 7

I feel like I am behind a time curve.  A couple of weeks ago I had jury duty, then  {among other things}I had a major project to complete for the church.  Now I am preparing for a major trip to California in celebration of my in-laws 40th wedding anniversary.  The trip is still a ways away; but it never hurts to be over-prepared!  So...all that being said...what has been going on with us? Aaliyah and Cassidy had a birthday party to celebrate Aaliyah turning 3 and Cassidy turning 1.  I can't believe how the time has flown.  It was a lot of work preparing for the party; but it was also a lot of fun.  Part of the work was staying within my budget.  My goal was to spend no more than $25.00.  I felt guilty about spending $50 until I remembered that I was planning a party for two people!  25+25=50!  (That salved my conscience anyway.)  Click on the link to view pics from the party.

Birthday party pictures


KHAT Challenge:

Don't spend money and a lot of effort on things your kids won't remember anyway.  We could have gone to Chuckie Cheeses, or I could have rented a bounce house; but I chose not to.  One thing I had to remind myself of over and over again is that the party wasn't about me...it was about making the day special for our girls.  The goal was not to impress all in attendance with my creative juices and mothering skills; (but again) it was about making it special for our girls.
Until next time,

KHATS (6)

Just say no!....to bad advice. Say yes!... to good advice...in fact ask lots of question from those who you see are doing things right. I recently gave a discipline/training demonstration to a single mother in our church. I praise the Lord that she was open to a little advice and I look forward to seeing the fruit of that in her life and the lives of her children. Two things I shared with her are:

• Remember the Bible says to "train up" a child, not discipline up, reason with then to bring them up, or build their self-esteem up. Training is different from each of these other things. While I am a fan of disciplined children and children who have a healthy opinion of themselves, training is so important. Show them what you expect of them...then expect it. Don't settle for less than their best behavior.

• Exercise self-control. It is very important that you be in control (of yourself) at all times. Don't yell at your children. It goes without saying that you should never curse at your children.  Never discipline them when you are angry (post-pone until you are in control of yourself). It helps when you have spent time with the Lord, after all self control is a fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-26
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another."
Proverbs 22:6
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

Psalm 1
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.  The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.  Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.  For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.


Until next time,

KHATS (4)

Be overprotective!!!   I am not saying protect your children from life...I am saying protect your children from unnecessary harm.  One young lady told me that she allowed her young children to stay at a friends house for almost a week because she needed a break from them.  Red flags went up in my mind and I got a very uncomfortable feeling in my chest!  I ask her if she would trust this same friend with her gold rings or money and she said, "NO!".  Then why on earth would you trust them with your children! You don't know your friends as well as you think you do.  You especially don't know who is coming in and out of their homes.  There are too many evil people in the world that will take any opportunity to harm your child.  We don't allow our children to spend the night at anyones house ( with one exception).  We don't allow teenagers, especially boys, to babysit our children.  My "me" time is nap time.  If you work during the day; make your children go to bed early so that the evenings will be your "me" time.  Children of single parents become easy targets for child preditors.  Let me repeat that...Children of single parents become easy targets for child preditors.  Be on guard.  Better to be called overprotective and your children be safe and nurtured, than to have wounded children and regrets. 

Two quotes that I love are:

1. "Do not sacrifice your childrens' safety on the alter of social politenesses." - Mike Pearl
2. "Separate what you feel from what is best for the child and do the latter."  - Kermitta Overland

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.   Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.- Provervs 31:27,18

It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.  - Luke 17:2
Some interesting reading on this subject
here (...More than 90% of juvenile sexual abuse victims know their perpetrator in some way...),
here (...80% of all child molestation cases involve someone the child knows...), and
here (...The FBI receives more than 2,000 missing child reports every day. That means 2,000 yesterday, 2,000 today and 2,000 tomorrow...)

Until Next time,

May-June Prayer letter

Dear Pastor and praying friends,

“And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.” Ezekial 34:26

Normally this time of year people start disappearing, the church’s giving dies down, and we seem to have to work hard to keep everyone’s morale up; but these past two months have definitely been a season of blessing for us. Two adults have been saved, three families have started attending regularly, and three children were saved during one of our Thursday evening Bible studies. The Thursday that those children and one gentleman were saved we had a college singing group with us and they were a tremendous blessing. We don’t know that this is our “due season”, but we do praise the Lord for His blessings thus far.

Another blessing we have noticed is that the people here in Newport have changed drastically in their demeanor toward us. Previously they were cordial, but kept their distance. Recently people in the community have asked us whether or not we lived in Newport and how long we have been here. One lady in the care home expressed how sad she was to hear that we were leaving. The talk around town is that a lot of new churches start here; but they don’t stay long; and the pastors of these new churches never live here in Newport. It is blessings to have the people of Newport realize that we are here to stay and that we are here for them. Please keep our ministry in your thoughts and prayers as we endeavor to be a church where people will be introduced to Christ and taught Biblical truth that will break the cycles of sin in their lives. What a blessing it would be if the three visiting families would become active members and if two other families that we have been in close contact with would come to church. We know that the Lord can do a mighty work in their lives; but the Devil knows that as well and he is working overtime to keep them away.

On a personal note…

Our family is doing great! Just this week we celebrated Fathers’ Day, Cassidy’s first birthday (June 17) and Aaliyah’s birthday (June 18). God is so good! Thank you for your prayers and financial support.

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9

Sincerely,

Pastor Raymond Beckles

Lighthouse Baptist Church

Newport, Arkansas