the shaping of a christian family

I just finished this book and wanted to document some of the most meaningful portions to me:

Bring them up means much more than merely "allow them to grow."
Bringing up children is a task. It is a positive action... the father is
the priest in the home. This means standing in the presence of God for
others. It means making sacrifices on their behalf. In a deep
spiritual sense he stands in the place of God in the home--His represenative,
the visible sign of His presence, His love, His care. A little child wants
"somebody with skin on" ; he wants the father to be there in the dark, his
weight felt sitting on his bed, his hand on the child's hand, his voice
audible. His own father's arms are all he yet knows of the Everlasting
Arms. (137)

They did not think it a good thing to explain all of their reasons and actions to us when we were small. It is an unnecessary waste of time, for one thing, for the reasoning rarely satisfies the child anyway, but more importantly, it makes it difficult later on for the child to accept what God ways without explanation. He must learn to trust the person, to believe the word, and to let the matter rest there, even when reasons are hidden, a hard but vital lesson for the rest of his life. (142)

Are we ever tempted to think that because of fluctuating feelings and harassing doubts, we are no longer aceptable to God? Let us remember that it is never because of anything in us that we are accepted at all. The measure of our acceptance is what Christ is to God; and that remains ever the same. - Evan Hopkins (212)