Fathers Role

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Craig’s notes that he spoke from at workshops/conferences

Fathe rs Role

Notes By Craig Smith

Develop Vision

Hopper on Leadership and Ideas (from “A Bugs Life” Craig would use Hopper to develop a point about leadership and Ideas)

  • “Ideas are dangerous things”
  • No rights – only responsibilites
  • “Can resist invading armies, but not invading ideas.” Therefore go with them. Lead out. Take charge.
  • Men generally strong in ideas department — the Big Picture. Need to be convinced before committed
  • Women generally strong on endurance and details. Committ a lot earlier
  • Embrace this responsibility
  • Lift responsibilities and loads off your wife: bureaucrats, salesmen, surveys, catch the flak and criticism – have wife refer all to you

Read Books

Train sons, protect daughters. Think it through: how do you prepare and protect at the same time?

Difficult times demand drastic Action

VISION

  • Marriage – become one united family
  1. love wife
  2. lead
  3. discipline
  4. set standards
  5. enforce
  • 3 kinds of people: 1. those who make things happen; 2. those who watch things happen and 3. those who said “What happened”
  • Pursue a Vision, the Big Picture
  • Home education is a political statement. Leads to how politicised is the school system
  • Take government away from the State
  • Schooling verses education
  • Tutoring/mentoring
  • Character training
  • Learning and teaching styles
  • Beware of unrealistic expectations:  house; tidyness, grooming; energy levels; availability; Support Group and social commitments; Church commitments
  • I recently read: “Home educating Mum cannot fulfill her ministry to her family, the Church or the Community.” (School teacher)
  • Exemption is a blank cheque!
  • What this will do for you, family, community, country
  • No back door – Herman Cortez, early 1519 with 600 men scuttled and sank their boat – could only go forward in battle – there was no going back.

Most have simple vision: happy; healthy; good job; comfortable. Short-sighted and narrow minded Matthew 6:33
Preparing for eternity (personal timeline)
Vision fogged by SIN, worldly ideas. God’s Word flushes.

Our assignment: Deut 6:5-6

  • enables us to: Deut 6:7
  • Best education out: II Timothy 3:16-17
  • Best results: Psalm 111:10 and Psalm 112:1-2
  • Methods: I Thes 2:10-12

Priorities

  1. Saving, Regeneration, Sanctifying, Personal commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ
  2. Ever improving interpersonal relationships with your wife and children
  3. Character development
  4. Academics, work ethic and service

Balance Academics, work ethic and service

Academics – Genesis 1:28, Matthew 28:18-20 and II Corinthians 5:17-20

Work ethic– I Timothy 5:8, II Thessalonians 3:10 and Genesis 2:15

Service – Galatians 5:22-23 (Then Craig would finish with his sheep in the paddock illustration)

Living life above this “sin” line means striving for Biblical holiness, righteousness and purity.

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Living below this “sin” line is characterised by worldliness: unholiness, unrighteousness and impurity.

In the diagram above, we have an illustration of two paddocks here on earth, two spheres of existence, the one above inhabited by the sheep redeemed by their Lord, and the lower one inhabited by the goats. The problem with us today is that we are continually crowding the fenceline, trying to see how close we can get without going over instead of exploring the uncharted, virgin territory above characterised by the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:23 says there is no law against these, no fenceline on the other side! Yet some of us actually stand on the fenceline below in such a way, we can’t see the line anymore between right and wrong, good and bad, wise and unwise. Our children need us leading them away from this fenceline of worldliness and  into the light and freedom of righteous obedient living above.

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From the Smiths:

https://hef.org.nz/2011/craig-smith-26-january-1951-to-30-september-2011/

New 14/11/11: Craig Smith’s Health page 6 click here

 

Needing help for your home schooling journey:

https://hef.org.nz/2011/needing-help-for-your-home-schooling-journey-2/

And

Here are a couple of links to get you started home schooling:

https://hef.org.nz/getting-started-2/
and
https://hef.org.nz/exemptions/