Three year old Davey shows me his tractor as I watched the kids for a few hours yesterday... His brother and sister were soon to come home from school, so we went out to wait for the bus by their huge cottonwood tree that stands at the end of their driveway...
Chasing the tails of a kite caught in the branches is in the wind! As we are waiting the kids dad, Paul comes home between appointments. He has changed jobs over the summer from being a high school ag teacher and FFA advisor to now working with farmers and their ongoing education. 
Davey loves playing with and having his dad there for him... although Paul was a wonderful teacher and touched many kids lives with his devotion to Agriculture... now he has the time to be there with his own kids and that is much more important in the scheme of life! It was a beautiful thing to see first hand as we waited on a hot windy day in the shade of the huge cottonwood tree!
Last night Pat and I went to the opening of Faith Formation for this year as we are going to attempt to be 9th grade teachers again. We were reminded of the fact... that we believe with a fervor... "Parents are the most important teachers of their children!" We could have stood up and applauded at that comment!
The kids are all excited to share with dad about their day and are touched to see him there as they come off the bus... it is a wonderful family moment!
Paul can now focus his energy and gift for teaching with his kids! Thank you Lord for giving my daughters such wonderful husbands, and my grandkids such caring and nurturing and loving and teaching dads! They are being blessed with a wonderful start at being lights for the world. This is what we are called to do as parents by Christ - raise lights for the world! That is how we can and should be open to family and rejoice with each child that we are gifted with!
Thank you, Lord, for family and for the parents that are there to teach and guide their children onto the path leading to true Happiness with You! The way may be hard at times, but they do not give up... they get God! It was so beautiful to hear Ruth praying with her kids the other night... standing in the hallway between their two bedrooms they said the formula prayers together and then their intentions they wanted to pray for... it is fine that little Dave prayed for grandpa and his tractors, and Simon prayed for the farm, and Mary prayed for her family...they shared the language of LOVE - prayer together lifted to you and your Mother... yes, a Hail Mary was shared too! It was a delight and a very special time for them to share their growing and developing love for YOU with their parents at this time each night... drifting off to sleep in this safe and peaceful and joyful place - knowing that they have placed it all in your hands and they need not have any fears or worries. That is a beautiful gift to give to your children! Jesus, we trust in you! Amen and Halleluia
Parents For Eternal Life
by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.
"What do we mean when we say that parents are the primary educators of their children? We mean everything.
We mean that parents begin to teach their children from the moment their children are conceived and born.
We mean that parents teach their children during the children’s infancy and childhood.
We mean that parents are the first, and most important and indispensable teachers of their children.
We mean that unless the children are taught by the parents, the children will be getting only a substitute education.
All of this we mean when we say that parents are the primary educators. But we mean much more. After all, there is a primacy in what the children are taught. They can be taught how to walk and to talk. They can be taught how to read and write. They can be taught how to eat and drink and take care of their things. They can be taught arithmetic and spelling, and history and geography. All of those things they can be taught and should be taught. But what they mainly need is to know why God made them; why they are on earth at all; why they are in this world; that they are here in this life in order to prepare and train themselves for the world to come.
In a word, children are to be taught that their short stay here in time is only a preparation for the world that will never end. They are to be trained for heaven. That is why the subtitle of my article to you is: “Parents for Eternal Life”.
Having said this, we are now in a position to get into the principal message I wish to share with you. It can be stated in a single all important statement: “Under God, parents are the first in time, first in authority, first in responsibility, first in ability, and first in dignity to educate their children for eternal life.”
http://www.therealpresence.org/archives/Family/Family_028.htm .. this looks like a good site!
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