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| Amish Barn Raising |
'The promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.' Acts 2:32
Civilizations and nations that thrive understand that underpinning their strength is the attention and priority to strong family principles and values. But, these days, children like to be independent at very early ages. This streak of independence and self-help is not wrong in itself; what will be missed is the sense of community and togetherness of strong families when times become difficult.
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| Gotong Royong |
In Singapore and Malaysia there is a Malay term ‘gotong-royong.’ Gotong Royong exist in the Malay kampongs (enclaves) where families will chip in and help another family in need or the whole community in a spirit of co-operation. You see this same spirit in the Amish community as noted by barn raisings. Neighbors freely give of their time and their skills to help one another. When children leave home too early without first capturing the gotong-royong or family spirit something will remain missing in their lives.
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| The Lee Family |
Hear the Truth Continually.
'Hear O Israel, the Lord is Our God, the Lord is one.' Deuteronomy 6:4
Strong families lean hard on some unshakeable facts and this is a major one. The Lord is OUR God is not a statement to be uttered like some mantra but to be lived. The is not a personal matter but must be our family statement. Just as the Lord is One, the family is also one.
Love the Lord fervently.
'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.' Deuteronomy 6:5-6
Underline the word ALL. Our love for God must be complete. It is not possible to transfer to our children a principle and then to propagate through the succeeding generations if we as parents do not personally embrace a love for God that permeates all of our being. The family’s love for God must be a deep down dedication.
Teach the Young Diligently.
'Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.' Deuteronomy 6:7
The take-home message here is one of intensity, to teach every time and every where. To do this, teaching must be such that it is done in very natural setting making use of every opportunity that life presents to point the children to God and His love. The teaching has to be consistent and in many ways repetitious. It is not only to be communicated with verbal cues but with visual cues, body language - parents must live the teaching.
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| Extended Lee Family |
Fear the Lord Greatly.
'I gave you land you have not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build - the towns where you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them. So fear the lord and serve him wholehearted.... Serve the Lord alone.' Joshua 24:13-14
The things we own, our wealth, our other blessings comes directly from God. God is always looking out for us. There is a saying 'do not bite the hand that feed you.' How easy when blessed to adopt a presumptuous and arrogant spirit? We are surrounded by other gods of materialism, fame, riches, power, ambition, etc. We need a healthy dose of the ‘fear of God,' the reverence and a wholesome respect for His sovereignty and primacy in our lives and our families.
Strong families build strong houses. Strong families are also the underpinnings of strong churches. Welcome to the Family!
We're glad that you have come
To share your life with us
As we grow in love and
May we always be to you
What God would have us be
A family always there
To be strong and to lean on,
May we learn to love each other
More with each new day
May words of love be on our lips
In everything we say
May the Spirit melt our hearts
And teach us how to pray
That we might be a true family
My observations about the strength of the family comes from the strict yet unrelenting principles of faith established by my father in law, the late Rev Kao Jih Eng. He was indeed a Servant par excellence of the Master, a man who lived out the biblical principles he learnt. Although Rev Kao and I could hardly speak with each other because language problem, when I penned those thoughts for a house warming message, I told myself that I must surely have gotten those insights from him. Just by watching the nuances and understanding where he is coming, I can glean his principles for life.
ReplyDeleteThanks Uncle Lionel. I am with you in those thoughts. Ah Kong has made a huge impact on my life - despite the limited verbal exchanges we had because of my lack of Chinese speech - observing his faith, humility, and God's grace so evident in his face.
ReplyDeleteI just spent the last 3 days with a community of Christian meditators in Bonnevaux, France, that live and work by the Rule of St Benedict. A permanent community of ten lives there; with guest and retreatants that come and go every day. You can feel the love, care and kindness of everyone towards each other. You will experience a truly loving family there; coming from all parts of the earth, speaking different languages, and being very present! Everyone is embraced by the love of God and the practice of meditation.
ReplyDeleteThank you for remind us, Lionel, that families come in all shapes and forms. And love transcends all our differences.
ReplyDelete