ChosenRebel's Blog

Friday is for Heart Songs

My failures as a parent are too many and too embarrassing to recount. But there are a couple of things I did right. One was marrying Stephnie. A better wife and mother a man could not ask for, … well he could, but he’d be stupid! I’m not stupid.

Another thing that I did right was pay, yes I said pay, my kids to memorize the slogans below in groups of five at a time. They encapsulated many of the values that Stephnie and I wanted to pass along to our children. I hope they inspire you to do something similar with your family. Both the children that God gives you to raise physically and the ones, that by his grace, he gives you as you tell the gospel in your ministry.

Dedicated to all of my children, near and far including our son and daughter-in-law. I love you all.

The Slogans We Live By¹
(The Schoenleber Family Slogans)

Have I not written for you thirty sayings of counsel and knowledge,
to make you know what is right and true,
that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?
Proverbs 22:20 (ESV)

1. Live for an audience of ONE.
2. The WORD works
3. Prayer empowers.
4. It is always right to do the right thing.
5. You will never regret time spent on your knees
6. God is not in a hurry.
7. Give your word rarely.  Keep your word always.
8. The best thing your father will ever do for you is love your mother.
9. Be filled with the Spirit and have fun.
10. Hate sin.  Love people.
11. Your father and mother think you are a wonderful gift from God.
12. There is never enough time to do something right but there is always enough time to do it over.
13. Find out what God wants you to do and do it with all your might.
14. You never had a better idea than God.  And you never will.
15. Success in anything is doing it in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.
16. God will never leave you nor forsake you.  (cf. Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5)
17. Be strong and courageous for the Lord your God is with you.  (Joshua 1:9)
18. A soft answer turns away wrath; but a harsh word stirs up strife . . . and a man of wisdom makes knowledge acceptable.  (Proverbs 15:1-2)
19. Listen to your father’s instruction and don’t forget your mother’s teaching. (Proverbs 1:8)
20. Your Bible will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from your Bible.
21. Always give your best, even when your best isn’t enough.  (cf. Colossians 3:17)
22. Remember to remember the greatness of God.
23. It always too soon to give up on God.
24. Only date someone God says you can mate.
25. To obey is better than sacrifice. (1 Samuel 15:22)
26. The day will never come when you have more experience in life than your father and mother.
27. Never do anything you would be ashamed to have your mother or father know about.
28. When swimming with sharks, don’t look like bait.
29. Some days you eat the bear, some days the bear eats you, and some days the bear just swallows you whole! But that’s OK.  God is still God and you are still His. (My son has a video up on Youtube.com on this one here that also refers to #2 and 3 above.)
30. Never go to bed without your father’s blessing.

¹ The Slogans We Live By is a collection of sayings and proverbs that the Schoenleber family tries to pattern their lives after.  The collection is culled from a perspective informed by the Bible and the heritage of our family.  It was begun on March 3, 1996, inspired by a radio broadcast the day before.

P.S. The offer still stands, anytime any of my kids wants an extra $5, just recite five of these to me and the money is theirs!