Stealing and Cheating

Two situations have occurred in my household this past week. I was actually a little shocked on both accounts. For me I wanted to address both issues very carefully, biblically and practically.
The first issue was cheating. I was very disappointed at this situation. First off let me explain that my little one has some trouble solving word searches and crossword puzzles. It truly does take him some time. So I really despise when this is given first thing in the morning to do as busy work. However, at no point do I agree with cheating. If the assignment allowed for them to work in pairs then fine, but this was to be done by yourself. The teacher explained to me that my child and one other were copying off another child's completed work. I was very upset with my child for his poor decision making. Now to me cheating is cheating...

I think in this case the one he is cheating most is himself. My punishment may have been severe in this matter as I felt for at least one week there should be no t.v., computer, video games. Somehow the degree of punishment was not felt agreeable to my husband so one night was all that took place. My husband felt for the most part that it was busy work and yes he had cheated by copying but that in some ways it just wasn't that bad. He thought when I said he cheated it was on a test or something. To him that deserved punishment.
From the bible I found
1 Corinthians 6:8
Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers.
Most cheating references dealt with cheating in the sense of objects so it was rather hard to come up with verses that truly supported my deep feelings on this issue.
I do hope that he chooses the correct path in the future.

Now the second issue I must admit blew me out of the water. We were at Walmart last night shopping and saw fabric was being closed out and on sale at 50%. I begged for a few yards and was able to get two "themes" in enough fabric to make one quilt each from. It was so hard to not BEG for more because the price was $2.22 a yard. You just can't beat that.
Now to the issue....the fabric there was bound with rubber bands. The kids were astonished by the pile on the cutting table. We paid for our items, returned home and I was in the middle of making dinner for that night and preparing for today when I looked at a table in the den and saw 20+ rubber bands.
I must admit I blew. When I questioned where they came from and who had them- knowing we only had the younger two with us... I could not get a straight answer. So I sent them each to their own rooms. I tried to get Paul to go to our room to discuss it, but he did not want to, so I simply quietly told him I felt it was stealing and they WOULD be getting punished for such. In a way I think he felt that again I was over reacting. I then decided to lean on what had just happened earlier in the week with the cheating. That punishment was not made and they need to know they WILL BE punished when they do wrong. Granted this really was more of just a poor choice but STEALING IS STEALING... it did not belong to them.

I decided to do some research on the subject since honestly we have never had a situation like this one. On a side note, children are children and will make mistakes, us adults sure make some big ones of our own don't we. On that note I want to make sure as a parent I nurture them in the way that they should go and try to help direct their path to be a Godly one. Where they will make the best decision they can in each situation and learn from their mistakes...I also want to make sure that even though they realize that Stealing is a sin, that they realize they are also forgiven for that as well. So punishment wise my decision was to work off what they stole- I am having each be considered one bag of rubber bands. This is done by two chores picked by me. In addition, they are to come home after school and do homework, no tv, no computer no games. They can read quietly in their room or turn in early for the remainder of this week. They will also need to read through the verses that I have found so they understand why I feel this is so serious.

Here are some verses on Stealing.
28.Ephesians 4:28
He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

Exodus 20:15
"You shall not steal.

5.Leviticus 19:11
" 'Do not steal. " 'Do not lie. " 'Do not deceive one another.
Deuteronomy 5:19
"You shall not steal.

21.Matthew 19:19
Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.' "

23.Mark 10:19
You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.' "

24.Luke 18:20
You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.' "

27.Romans 13:9
The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

For the record, I do have wonderful children....so I do feel very blessed that even though I do not like these tough situations, that occassionally they do arise so that we can reinforce the basics.

Thankful Thursday and Love

This week we have been exploring the idea of love. How to love, why to love, what is love... you get the idea. With Valentines Day approaching I feel many of us miss the idea of what God intended love to be. It isn't flowers, jewelery, gifts, chocolate... those things are nice but they are not love. That doesn't mean we don't like them though right?
Seriously though when we think of being thankful what better example of Love then God giving us Christ, his only son, to die for us, to save us, to give us eternal life, to forgive us of all wrong doing, to forgive us of all sin. We are made white as snow, we are given a clean slate. I can't imagine a better example of Love then that can you?
Today I am ever so thankful for that display of Love, that through God's grace we are saved to have eternal life with him. A Life where we will not have to worry about money to pay bills, not have to plan menus and clean a house that seems to always be dirty, not have to worry about pain because our health is failing, not have to care for a loved one that is sick..the list goes on doesn't it. All those trials and tribulations that God allows into our lives so that he can mold us and shape us into that person he desires us to be will not be needed anymore.
I just can't even imagine. What a wonderful time that will be to know no pain, no sorrow, no fear.

I am ever so thankful in my own life, we continue to heal from this cold in our home that never seems to go away. I have completed two of my three quilt orders this week-which on Monday seemed impossible. I have a son that turned 13 today- and wow is he a GEM. My daughter is being baptized this Saturday, what an honor it will be to be there and watch her continue to grow in our Heavenly Father. Most of all I have a husband whom I love so much, who is there to support me, who claims to love me even more than I love him, who took Monday off and worked in our garden to get the water routed to it- in hopes that we will have more success so we might can food this year. I have so much to be thankful for in the midst of all the uncertainty around me, even within our own home. I leave you with one final thought today.
The bible says, "If you only love those who love you, what credit is that to you?"
Luke 6:32