Homeschool Conference recap -- part 1

Matthew and I attended an awesome Christian homeschool / parenting conference over the weekend.  We attended last year for the first time and this year was just as great.  I love it because it's a little flashback to college (making it to class on time, meeting back up for lunch, etc.) and a lot of encouragement for where we are now (hundreds of like-minded people, kids and babies EVERYWHERE with our family of soon-to-be 4 kids on the small to average size, and a little dose of romance as Matthew and I share a kiss in the hall before heading to different seminars).

Anyway, here's a recap of the seminars I attended (hopefully covering all over the next several days).  It helps me to remember what I heard by typing out my notes and you get to benefit of reading if you want to also!

** Teach Them Diligently, Part 1 -- Lou Priolo  (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)
-Family Devotion Time: start with questions, "What's going on in your life?", find Scriptures to solve problems.
I. Scripture is profitable for TEACHING your children
- Benefits of teaching in the milieu (daily life)
1. Children learn better, faster and more eagerly
2. Children put into practice what they learn because they are learning for the purpose of doing (not academic - not fact to be learned but truth to be lived), i.e. Great Commission; Col. 1:9, Ps. 119:96
- my job is to teach clearly
-children need to learn that the Bible has to do with life
    -"bind them as a sign on hand" -- actions
    -"frontals on your forehead" -- thoughts / motives
    -"write them on your doorposts and gates" -- in and out of the house
II. Scripture is profitable for CONVICTING your children
-Rev. 3:14: children do not know to the extent they are sinning, we must convict them of the crime they have committed.
-child cannot confess of sin they have not recognized.
**Two essentials of Conviction
1.Know the appropriate Scripture portions; 1 Peter 4:2, Phil. 4:13 for encouragement
2. Be able to thoroughly explain them. Don't just dispense Scripture like Pez but to minister it to my children's hearts.
**Guidelines for convicting with scriptures
1. Examine motives - restoring relationships; if only used for conviction children hate the Bible; must follow up with showing and leading toward righteousness.
2. Use Biblical terminology (prideful/rudeness - not shy; fearful - not paranoid; foolish - not idiot)
3. Argue case that sins are committed against God. Prov. 12; James 4; do not compare child's behavior to another child unless other is acting like Jesus.
4. Choose the right time.
5. Choose the right words.
6. Reprove with a gentle spirit (do not be angry, even righteously angry, over their sin), Prov. 28:23
-when kids are fighting, administer discipline justly.
-to calm the situation, remember it's not me versus them; 2 Tim. 2:4; 2 Tim. 4:2 -- Patience!!
- REMEMBER, good parenting doesn't send kids to heaven, bad parenting doesn't send kids to hell. Children must be directed to the gospel of Christ whenever it's not operating in their lives.