I’d tell him to steer clear of any part where it says to kill your children. Modern methods have shown there is a better way.

Parenting is such a difficult topic. I currently have three teenagers and an eleven year old. Guilt of what I have done or am not doing covers me like a smelly old blanket. One man told me, “Guilt is the gift that keeps on giving.” However, as I analyze guilt, especially in regards to being a father, I recognize that it is not a blanket, but heavy cast-iron chains that consistently weigh me down and renders me inactive.

Then, I take this key God has given me called grace. It unlocks the burden, grants me forgiveness, and it sets me free — allowing me to look into the eyes of my children. And do you know what I see, Tony? Love. Undeserving love. And it keeps me going to continue to try, with God’s help, to be the father, leader, guide and loving husband to their mother. Everything else, I must turn over to the Lord– for my children are his children that he has allowed me to be an earthly father.

Thanks for reminding me of this.

Of course we fail at times - so do our children (at all ages). Our goal should not to be loved or remembered by our children. Our goal should be to love God and enjoy him. If we are in the least bit successful at this we will have been obedient as parents. The results are wisely left in God’s hands. In fact, as we note what God is doing in our childrens’ lives (as well as the lives of others-we don’t have to be parents) we can enjoy him even more. That’s why your comment about community is so important.

I couldn’t help but think of the Mark 9:24 passage as I thought about this issue. Though the circumstances are always unique in relationships our belief always needs fortifying. Only God can do that through Christ and his Spirit which he has left us. Otherwise it can be just a lot of whistling in the dark or waiting for the sky to fall.

He made innumerable mistakes. Every father does. The kids turn out any way (and the best parents sometimes turn out bad ones and the worst sometimes turn out good ones - or a couple of each).

Your kids will turn out as they do as much in spite of what you do as because of it. Relax, be human, don’t pretend to be perfect. Don’t be afraid to admit a mistake when you kinow you’ve made one.

They will likely respect you and admire you as I did my dad - a guy who tried his best and did a much better job than anyone expected.

I remember my own father admitting to me that he had made mistakes. I passed that on to my siblings as he had never said it to any of them. Our children benefit by seeing our own failings. They will have failings too and they need to know they, like us, can run to a Heavenly Father.