Living Like No Other-the Parenting Life

Flashback to August 2003...Channing and I were planning to travel down to Trussville from Atlanta for our first big marketing event. I had been feeling unlike myself for a couple of weeks and decided it was time to take another test...a pregnancy test, that is. That test permanently changed our lives. I mean, I didn't know a line could be SO BLUE! We both had so many feelings; feelings of excitement, nervousness, and utter awe. I remember being so nervous about the financial end of having this "surprise bundle of joy." It never even crossed my mind that there was so much more to raising a child than just paying for it. This brings me to the current theme of my blog: "Living Like No Other".
While I was pregnant, I read every pregnancy and parenting book I could get my hands on. I used the internet to research countless authors and their respective parenting ideas. By the time Tristan got here, I thought I had everything figured out. Boy was I in for a surprise! Nothing could have prepared me for what I faced as a parent. I no longer had just myself, my husband, and our little world to manage. I instantly became responsible for a child of God. I became responsible for a child that God literally "knitted together in my womb." He was and is a precious gift that God entrusted to Channing and me to "train in the way he should go so that when he is old, he will not turn from it." Wow! God trusted me with this HUGE task!
Channing and I quickly fell into the "child-centered parenting" trap; thinking we were doing what was best for Tristan. We let him choose just about everything, including but not limited to when we would eat, sleep, and spend time together. We refused to chastise because we didn't want to "teach him to hit". Then, by the utter Grace of God, Channing and I were able to take a phenomenal parenting course: "Let the Children Come Along the Virtuous Way" aka "Growing Kids God's Way." Because parenting is such a huge responsibility, I researched it, as I had researched many other curriculums prior. On the internet, I found many disturbing "opinions" and was really hesitant to take the group. In the end, I decided to give it a shot because of the great respect I had for our pastor and his wife, who happened to be teaching it.
After the first lesson, I knew we had been led to the most amazing bit of parenting information I had ever heard. The whole idea of the program was not to train a child's behavior but to train the child's heart. Teach a child the whys of life, not just the nos. What an awesome idea! However, as in other areas of life, this way of training a child requires us to "live like no other." This way of thinking is so different than the ways of the world. I have learned that with a two year old, we have to control his decisions, his meals, what he watches, and who is around. We have learned to set goals for Tristan that are far beyond what so many people even imagine because he is the child of the Most High God. There are areas in which this comes easily, then there are areas where this is really difficult. Chastisement-hard, explaining why a "no is a no" - not so hard; allowing him to make his own mistakes and learn from getting hurt-hard; showing unconditional love-not hard. Although parenting is difficult, I believe that as long as we put God's needs and wants for our children in front of our own, He will work everything out for His Own Glory; we just have to make sure we are seeking Him and His infinite wisdom FIRST. If we do this, the fruits of our parenting will be out of this world!!!

I want to live like no other!!!

My husband, Channing, and I just finished an amazing small group...Financial Peace University. It's a Dave Ramsey course which teaches you how to become debt free...including your home. This is where I got the idea for the title of my blog. Dave teaches that if you will "live like no other now," one day, you can "live like no other." His point is this...if you live modestly now and only buy the things you have to have, and if you use your extra money to pay off ALL your debt (yes ALL of it--including your home AND car), one day you will be able to live like no other. You will have money to use for vacations, for things you enjoy, and money to pass on to your children and grandchildren. I think about that, and it really excites me! Before taking this small group, I just kind of thought (like many Americans) that Channing and I would always have a car payment and always have a house payment. I mean, doesn't everyone??? Now I think...wow! When we pay off our final two credit cards...we'll have XXX more money each month. Then, when we pay off my student loan, we'll have XXX extra money each month. Wow! Can you imagine how much extra money we'll have when we pay off Channing's chiropractic school loans and our home?! Wow! We'll be rich!!!
Dave also teaches the importance of having an emergency fund. This keeps you from using credit cards for emergencies. I mean...it sounds so simple. So why didn't Channing and I think of this before???
The part of this that is so hard is denying ourselves the pleasures we had become accustomed to. Before, when we wanted to buy a new shirt, we would buy a new shirt. If we wanted to go on a cruise...who cares if we have a $1,500 credit card...let's use $3,000 and go on a cruise. We have learned so much. As the Bible teaches, "He who gathers money little by little makes it grow." That's our plan. If God said it...it's got to be the BEST plan. I mean, He made me and our money. Actually, let me correct myself...He made His money. All that we have belongs to Him. I just thank God that He led Channing and me to our church and to this group. Our lives have been drastically changed; and not only have our lives been changed, but so have the lives of our children and grandchildren. PRAISE JESUS!!!