The Five Non-negotiables

Tim and I have been attending a Revolutionary Parenting class at church on Sunday mornings. For this past Sunday, our homework was to identify the 5-6 non-negotiable items that Tim and I wish for Dustin to leave home with and the steps that we can take in order to facilitate the process. This past Saturday, Tim and I had a date night where we talked about the 5-6 non-negotiables.

Below are the 5 qualities that Tim and I wish for Dustin to leave home with and the steps that we can take to help this to happen:

1. Integrity -- Character counts. Doing the right thing even when no one is looking. Tim and I must show Dustin how important it is to be honest in all that we do. The little things count. Are we giving the right amount of time to our employers? Do we ask others to tell callers we are not home when we do not wish to speak with the caller?

2. Faith/Love of Christ -- We wish to show our little guy that Christ is the foundation. Tim and I each need to have a consistent quiet time and prayer so that our lives reflect the priority that we wish to teach our son.

3. Contentment/Peace -- To reflect joy in all circumstances. As parents, we will focus on the positive and attempt to reduce complaints. We will also work to cast all of our fears and worries aside.

4. Wisdom/Knowledge -- To seek truth. Learning is important. We intend to read to our son frequently, to demonstrate that education is important. We can reduce the time spent watching television and increase the amount of focus on reading.

5. Love -- Dustin will leave our home knowing that he is cherished, that he is the apple of our eye. We will encourage and support him. He will be affirmed and secure.

The leader of the parenting class provided a quote that I thougt was very good, "I cannot control the wind, but I can control my sails, and I have to adjust my sails every day." This is a good quote for me to keep in mind as a mother who is routinely facing changing circumstances. In those ever changing moments, I must adjust my direction and my focus in order to face the new challenges on the course.

Dustin's surgery is in a week and a half. We have been trying to keep him healthy (to the extent we have any control over this--which we don't) until the surgery. Today, I had to pick him up early at the daycare--he had a fever of 104 degrees! We are saying prayers that he gets healthy VERY quickly and that his surgery will not need be postponed again.