I'm always trying to come up with new and creative ways to encourage my children to behave in a manner which glorifies God.  Okay, that's the spiritual way to say it.  But often I simply want them to make "me" not look bad, especially in public. 

I have really good children for the most part. But there are times that things can get "out of sorts" around our house when it seems the children are fighting a little more than my comfort level would allow. Or they just don't seem to be as nice to each other.

Preaching at my children is something I have learned that I can do quite well.  I can lecture my children on the scale with any of the big time lecturers.  However, what I've found is that the children, will sometimes nod off as I'm lecturing to them. No, they don't close their eyes, but inside their heads, they are sound asleep. They merely look like they are paying attention.

I know this to be true because moments later, they are back at the same annoying problem which prompted the lecture in the first place. Plus, deep inside me I know that when I would receive a lecture from my parents, it made me feel very small inside. 

I don't like making my children feel small or insignificant. I also don't always want to be pointing out every little fault they have. I often would wish that God had assigned someone else to be the "watchful" eye of my children rather than me.  

One night I realized that He actually has. All eight of my children have now professed faith in Jesus Christ. And with that God is working from the inside of their hearts in the form of the Holy Spirit. Now that frees me up a bit because I know that He can speak to their hearts. I've seen it repeatedly in my children.