Don’t associate with evil men; don’t long for their favors and gifts. Their kindness is a trick; they want to use you as their pawn. The delicious food they serve will turn sour in your stomach and you will vomit it, and have to take back your words of appreciation for their “kindness”.

Wow! Any thoughts? I know that I try not to get myself trapped by the kindness of people that are not good for me and my relationship with God. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that anyone can change and come to Christ, so if I come across people that are friendly and want to listen to what I know about God’s word, I will surely accept them with open arms. But they do have to realize their wrong doing; and know that I can’t be associated with them if the don’t change. I am a firm believer in avoiding the appearance of evil. You know what I mean? Just for instance; say a man that I work with; hypothetically; wanted to have coffee with me just to talk about, I don’t know, things he’s worried about or problems he’s having at home. Whatever, you know? Something innocent. Well the fact of the matter is, if someone else saw us out having coffee and chit chatting, they might think I was cheating, or that he is or whatever. That is the appearance of evil. It might be a simple innocent talk, but it looks bad. I wouldn’t meet with another man, for any reason, unless I had my husband with me. You see what I’m saying? So in any other kind of situation you can think of where other people can take it wrong, you don’t want to be associated with that. I have a full understanding of what this scripture is talking about. Do you?

Here lately, these days it’s “wrong” for you to punish your children. It’s frowned upon to spank them. “If you hit your child, what are you teaching them?”, is the comment I’ve heard from people I’ve known, on t.v., and elsewhere. Right? Well, I want to bring this to your attention. Anyone who is a believer, God fearing person, or Christian needs to remember this part of the scripture.
Proverbs 23:13,14 – 13:Don’t fail o correct your children; discipline won’t hurt them! 14:They won’t die if you use a stick on them! Punishment will keep them out of hell!
I don’t want to be responsible for sending my children to hell. Where does that leave me to go? I want to keep teaching them what is right and what is wrong. I want them to have respect for me, their dad, their grandma’s, and anyone else in authority or their elders. That’s what’s wrong with society today. Most of the kids today don’t have any respect for themselves or anyone else! They are taught that they just need to do what makes them happy and don’t pay any attention to what other people think. That’s wrong! What we should be teaching our children is the way of our Lord God. Pay attention people, don’t send your children to hell so they don’t have to “experience the things you had to as a child”. That’s bull, I say, Why don’t you look at the discipline your parents did give you or what they taught you. Aren’t you successful now, and know how to make it in this world? So you really think that if you give your children everything they want through out their lives without making them earn anything on their own, that they are really going to be able to make it in this world?!?!? I don’t. All they learn with that kind of parenting is that the world should just hand them what ever they want, when they want it, or they’ll throw a fit. That they don’t really have to work for anything or have any respect for authority when authority expects them to work for their own. Not to discount all the children that are wonderfully smart and talented and seem to have their own drive to go further and do more for others before themselves. In those cases I commend the parents, because clearly you’ve taught your children something right. So, if you’re someone reading this and you’re offended; tell me about it. Let’s talk about it. I personally think that spanking your children is good for them. There’s only so much talking you can do with a child, before they are just lost in their own thoughts and no longer listening to you. They’re children; their attention span is short. You need to get their attention quickly teach them what they need to know, give’m their vitamins and be done. They learn really quick that way; what the boundaries are, and what is right and what is wrong. Period. No, I’m not saying that you literally have to take a stick to them. I don’t believe in abuse. There’s always an extreme with everything. So I will say, I talk to my kids over and over and put them in time out and everything I can do before spanking them. It’s not in a rage, with a weapon of some kind, and I’m not dragging them around by their arm while swinging on them. No, it’s a talk and a swat or two. They know that they needed it. They know when they have crossed the line. It’s normal for kids to push the edge of the envelope time and time again. But in the same right, it’s your job as a parent to teach them what is right and where the boundaries are.
So, I want to know what you think…..