Who wrote the book on parenting? It wasn’t me! I have one left in the nest out of three, and I still don’t know all the right moves. I like what Bill Cosby said, “if you only have one child, then you don’t count as a parent.” I know that is not true, but it sure is funny, and it stretches our parenting talents further than if we only had one child in the nest. I have learned a few things that I truly know is helpful. Firstly, spend time with them! The investment of our time is the most important thing we can do for them, because what they really want is us, our time and attention. Secondly, hold them responsible for their behavior! The worst thing we can do to our children is give them a false perception of life. Out in the world they will not be able to get away with inappropriate behavior. Therefore, if we allow them to get away with inappropriate behavior, that’s what they will think about everybody else. Also, I can’t stand to hear people say that they don’t discipline because they don’t want little Johnny mad at them, and that they love little Johnny and they want Little Johnny to love them back. The Bible clearly tells us that if we don’t discipline our children that we don’t love them. That is a mouth full, but it is true. Holding them responsible for there behavior is a must for the foundation of their life and the legacy of our families. There are many others points that I could share, but only three today. This last one, in my opinion is the most important. We need to apologize to them when our behavior has crossed the line. If we give our kids a false potriat of ourselves that reflects we’re perfect, then two things will happen. They will try to be perfect early on and fail, which will cuase them to live in bondage to a lie that says they are bad because they keep doing things wrongs. Then, down the line as they come into their teen years, they will figure out that you are a phony and resent you for imposing something upon them that they could never live up to. If we can just do these three thing, we can lay a foundton that other healthy principles can spring forth from in our relationship with them as parent.

Rhon Johnson

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Power Quotes:

– Discipline and love are not antithetical; one is a function of the other. –

– Children want their parents more than they want the junk we buy them. –

James C. Dobson  ( 1936 –        )

It is a new week and now we all have a great opportunity to accomplish something with our lives. Let us not take on the attitude that so many do about Monday. From now on lets refer to Monday as “Bright Monday”, because it represents how bright our futures are, if we take the right attitude. I told my wife this morning that it is going to be a great week for us. I said that because it is far better to have  excitement than dejection when nothing has happened yet. This is important because we usually draw things to us based on our overall attitude, bright or blue. So we should have an attitude that is bright about the start of the week, and we will find that things are just better when we do .

Rhon Johnson

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Power Quote:

We are all magnets and the things that are moving in our direction are relative to our out look on life.

Rhon Johnson ( 1966 –       )

Just want to say Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom out there, and be sure to acknowledge your mother. I understand that for some of us that things may not be good between the two of you, but make a good gesture anyway. Like I have said many times before, it’s not at all about us. This not to say that any of you should subject yourself to anything unhealthy, just saying to make a good gesture.

Rhon Johnson

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Power Quote:

One gesture, once a year, for one mom.

Rhon Johnson  ( 1966 –       )

We must not allow things between us and others to go unchecked. We have to be willing to approach people and talk things out, even if we know that the situation will make us a little uncomfortable. People allow so much of their lives to past by with things between them and another. The issue here is that we can not see the benefit to both parties if things where straightened out.  Deep meaningful relationships are aborted because some of us are unwilling to address the issue. Yes, there are those that it would be an absolute waste of time to try and talk to. But when we do so anyway, then we know deep inside that the problem persist because of the other party.

Rhon Johnson

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Scripture Reference:

Proverbs 15:1(a)

A soft answer turns away wrath: 

We have the time to do whatever we want to do. The problem is that sometimes what we need to do does not line up with what we want to do. My wife and I use to discuss how I, in our early years of marriage , didn’t seem to be able to find enough time for her. She would always tell me that I find time for whatever I really want to do. Those words would hit home every time, but I would fire back saying that I just have a lot of things to do. It has taken me some years to grow up in this area, and I can say that I have learned to make time for those things that are truly important.

Rhon Johnson

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Power Quote:

Lost time is never found again.

Benjamin Franklin (1706 – 1790 )

Broken focus a is master weapon of our enemy. He konows that if he can break your focus, he can break your lives. When we allow our focus to be broken, we loose momentum, time., and energy. If we can’t hit our target then we are wasting our time. One way our enemy  keeps us from hitting the mark is to get us running on things that really don’t matter and really don’t add up to a hill of beans. Our lives are literally being spent on things that have no value. Let’s no go out like that my friends.

Rhon Johnson

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Power Quote:

It’s not enough to be busy…the question is: What are we busy about?

Henry David Thoreau  ( 1817 – 1862 )

Problems are opportunities. The formula to solving big problems is simple. THINK, and THINK HARD. Our mind is the most powerful  piece of equipmennt known to man when it comes to solving problems. No secret formula here. Use your mind and it will lead you to the solution.

Rhon Johnson

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Power Quote:

Our mind is like a drill with endless capability. It will dig as deep as we will allow it.

Rhon Johnson  (1966 –        )

We don’t see much of this in people anymore. Many of our children are suffering from a lack of it as well. The old saying goes, “you need to have an attitude of gratitude.” Being thankful does not mean that we have to settle for less. It really lays the foundation for us to be able to receive more. You see when we are thankful for what we have we take better care of it, and that my friends is one of the powerful laws of increase. Therefore, let us be thankful for what we have, and when we receive something, regardless of how small, lets allow our gratitude to be known.

Rhon Johnson

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Ingratitude is always a form of weakness. I have never known a man of real ability to be ungrateful.

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe ( 1749 – 1832 ) 

This is a tough topic to deal with. But thank God for the ministry of Holy Spirit. My youngest son and I were having a discussion. He was disturbed that God had not answered some of his prayers. I got his permission to tell this story if anyone was wondering. Anyway, he told me that he felt like God doesn’t do much based on the fact that some very key prayers in his opinion had gone unanswered. I asked him what prayers he was referring to. He went on to tell me that he wanted to be very popular at his school. I responded by saying to him. “I thought you were popular. You are a stand out athlete, and you are the lead singer in a band that you put together at your school. Everyone knows who you are.” He told me that he was not as popular as some of the other guys, and he gave me their names. Then, it dawned on me that he was talking about be “cool.” I went on to explain to him that its not cool to play your way through school. It may be flashy and get you laughs and in to the clicks, but it’s not going to get you very far. I told him that God had answered his prayers and that the influence that he will have when he is twenty one years of age will be huge, and that God would never give him something that he is not ready to handle. I told him that he has the options to play now and pay for it the rest of his life , or pay now and play for the rest of his life. I assured him that God does hear and answer pray according to what is best for us. Thank God he got it, as evidence by him saying that when he is twenty one and livivg out his dreams, all the so called cool people will now be envious of him because he has and they don’t. That was exactly the point. Prayer is a process. God knows how to give us what we ask for and not to give us what we ask for based on what is best for us.

Rhon Johnson

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Power Quote:

Prayer takes time, and often, it takes time for us to realize that some prayers are not good for us right now and maybe even not at all. 

Rhon Johnson  ( 1966 –     )

We are happy to announce our book, Bound By Nothing, is going to be displayed at the 2012 Bookexpo America Exhibit held at the Jacob k. Javits Convention Center located in New York City June 4-7th.  This is the largest annual book fair held in North America.   BEA is recognized for the media attention it brings to upcoming books as well as for the notable authors it attracts to the convention itself.  We have had great feedback on our book here in Arkansas. This will be our first opportunity to see how our work is received at the national and international level. There will be literary representatives in attendance from all over the globe. For more information about the BEA and the Javits Center, go to www.bookexpoamerica.com or visit BEA on facebook.