College Tour

Trevor, my 17 year old Junior at MacArthur High School, isn't sure where he wants to go to college next year. So, later on today we are leaving to visit 8 schools in four days. We are going to Harding University, John Brown University, Oklahoma Christian University, Oklahoma Baptist University, Abilene Christian University, Hardin-Simmons University, Baylor University, and Texas Christian University. Did I miss any? What college would you recommend? We are looking for a smaller college of Christian persausion. He needs a good strong church nearby that he can be on the worship team (he plays cello) and a place that is academically strong. Know of one?

Brrrrrrrrr!!!!!!! Big dose of global warming.

Friday it was 78 degrees. Saturday it was 74 degrees. Today the high was 20 degrees. It has rained, sleeted and snowed today so no school and no work. So we have had a family day... inside, warm and cozy. It is supposed to be 7 degrees tonight. 7. North Texas is not supposed to be this cold. It's supposed to be above freezing on Friday...can't wait.

Potager Cafe

I started my first internship for culinary school by working at Potager Cafe in Arlington. What a cool place. They genuinely care about the people they serve and the food they make. They buy food directly from local farmers and ranchers. They take that food and prepare it such a way that it brings out the flavor without killing the nutrition.

Come by and eat. You'll be glad you did.

I Saw An Angel

First of all, let me tell you I am a sane person. I do not have nor have I ever had a mental disorder that would cause me to make up stuff or see stuff that isn't really there. Just thought you would want to know. Now here is my story:

When I was 16 years old, my family went to Tennessee to visit extended family during the Christmas Break. On one occasion we went and picked up pecans but many had not yet fallen. So being the adventurous sort, I climbed up into the tree and was shaking limbs by stomping them, causing the pecans to fall. I was about 40 feet up when one limb I stomped on broke...now here is where it gets interesting.

I started falling and saw white feathers. I landed straddling a branch about 20 feet below and a 1/4 turn around the tree without a scratch and not singing soprano the rest of my life. I remember looking up and seeing the limb I was standing on dangling and wondering what just happened. I climbed down out of the tree and knew something significant happened but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

I never really talked about the experience until about 15 years ago because I thought people would think I was "kookoo for cocoa puffs" if I talked about it. But it was the first time I knew God loved me and cared about me in a tangible way. It made me feel special, that God cared about me enough to not let me die or be horribly injured. I can't explain why I was spared while others were allowed to have gravity take over and splat on the ground. I just know that God saved me that day and I am grateful.

What Every Kitchen Should Have

After cooking at a professional kitchen at school and my own (very well equipped) kitchen at home, I decided to write a list of what gadgets, utensils and equipment kitchens should have in order to cook meals regularly. I cooked in several ill equipped kitchens last year of relatives and if they would just get the basics, cooking would be so much easier and enjoyable. Compare your list to mine and see how you come out.

The MUST HAVES (the minimum):

Four burner cook top (gas preferred) All four should work properly.
Single oven (electric preferred) Double Oven preferred
Stand Mixer (Kitchen Aid is awfully nice)
Microwave oven
Refrigerator/Freezer
Canisters to hold flour and sugar (at least 1/2 gallon)
Automatic dishwasher
Blender
Can Opener
2 compartment sink
Two 12 inch saute' pan (Non Stick)
Two Stainless Steel Skillets ( 9" and 12")
2 quart saucepan
1 1/2 quart saucepan
1 quart saucepan
Dutch Oven (1 gallon)
Stock Pot (2 gallon)
2 cookie sheets
2 muffin pans
2 Pyrex glass 2-quart Baking dishes
2 9" X 13" Pyrex glass baking dish
1 9" X 13" Baking pan
2 pie plates (12")
2 12" cooking racks
Strainer
1 set of measuring cups
1 set of measuring spoons
1 Pyrex measuring cup (1 cup)
1 Pyrex measuring bowl (4 cup)
1 Pyrex measuring bowl (2 quart)
2 mixing bowls
3 2-quart Serving bowls
Roasting pan
Vegetable Peeler
Chef's knife (French knife)
Paring knife
Bread knife
Utility knife (8")
Santoku knife (7")
Butcher knife
Melon Baller
Cook's Fork
4 Spatulas (Use plastic Spatula on nonstick cookware)
2 Rubber Spatulas
2 slotted spoons
2 solid spoons
Tongs
2 Wire Whips
Cheese Grater
Colander
Wire Mesh Skimmer
Bench Scrapper
Pie Server
2 Ladles
Meat Thermometer
Digital scale
Electric Mixer
Toaster
Steamer
12 piece table setting (plates, bowls, drinking glasses, forks, knives, steak knives, spoons, saucers)

Food to always have on hand:

All Purpose Flour
White Sugar
Brown Sugar
Bread Crumbs
Eggs
Milk
All the spices (get small containers of less used spices)
Salt
Pepper
Vanilla
Cocoa Powder
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Yeast
Tea
Coffee
Cooking Spray
Olive Oil
Vegetable Oil
Potatoes
Onions
Celery
Carrots
Fresh Vegetables
Fresh Fruits
Butter
Bacon
Cream Cheese
Meats
Beans
Rice
Honey
Red and White Wine (for Cooking)
Cream
Canned Tomatoes
Chicken Broth
Beef Broth
Salsa
Dijon Mustard
Worcestershire Sauce
Hot sauce (Franks or Tabasco)
Parmesan Cheese
Cheddar Cheese
Monterrey Jack Cheese
Cream of Chicken soup
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Spaghetti Sauce
Dried Pasta (Spaghetti, Penne, Farfalle)

Can you think of anything I left out? Anything you can't live without in the kitchen that I left out? Compare what you have in your kitchen to this basic list. How did you come out?

Cream Cheese Pie with Sour Cream Topping

Yesterday, the bake shop gave the basic cooking class two pies in exchange for our Cream of Broccoli Soup and Cream of Mushroom Soup. We got the better end of the trade, by far. The pie is awesome, easy and, if you use low fat cream cheese and low fat sour cream, only 75 calories per slice. WHAT!!???!! Yes, I said 75 calories per slice. That's like eating broccoli its so healthy. WHAT UP!

It was so good, I asked the teacher for the recipe and it is so easy even a trained monkey could make it. You probably have the ingredients in the fridge right now. Take this pie to a pot luck (keep the other for yourself) and it will disappear faster than your kids disappear when it is chore time.

Cream Cheese Pie with Sour Cream Topping (makes two pies)

Pre-made Graham Cracker Crust
24 oz Cream Cheese
8 oz Sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla

Mix the cream cheese with the sugar until smooth.
Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.
Pour into the graham cracker crust.
Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes.
Top pie with Sour Cream topping and bake an additional 5-10 minutes to set the topping.
Show some self discipline and let it cool or refrigerate until cold before digging in. If your monkey made this pie, give him a piece of pie to reward him for his hard work.

Enjoy.

Crumb Pie Recipe

The bake shop at ElCentro College has a bake sale every Friday. I bought a crumb pie for two dollars because nothing else really appealed to me. I brought it home and my family devoured it. It was one of the best tasting "pies" I have eaten. So I asked the baking teacher if I could get the recipe from her and she happily made a copy for me. So here it is:

CRUMB PIE

Crumb Topping:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbl (3/4 of a stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

FILLING
2/3 boiling water
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs

1 frozen pie shell, thawed at least 20 minutes

Preheat the oven to 450 F.
To make the topping, in a large bowl stir together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, using a whisk or fork. Cut the butter into several pieces and drop them into the bowl. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, blend the butter into the flour until their are no visible pieces of butter and the mixture resembles coarse, dry crumbs. Set aside.

To make the filling, in a medium bowl, whisk together the boiling water and brown sugar. Add the baking soda and whisk until well incorporated. Add the eggs and whisk well. The mixture will be quite thin. Pour into the pie shell and sprinkle evenly with the topping.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 F and bake for 25 to 30 minutes longer. As the pie bakes, it will puff dramatically and the crumb surface will crack. It is done when you insert a knife into one of the cracks and it comes out clean. Cool for one hour before serving. There won't be much left after people taste this pie so get a big piece first.

Enjoy

Chip

Please watch this video about a man who attends The Branch, the church I attend. It is a powerful testament to the power of God and to the fact that God still works miracles. It's awesome!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0lgQEO6qp4

This video is a response to people who think God wound the Earth then stands back without interference. I don't know why God chose Chip, but I am glad he did.

Texas Ranger Baseball

I have two team in Major League Baseball that I love to watch. The TEXAS RANGERS and any team playing the New York Yankees.

But if you watch baseball, have you noticed the Rangers are playing really well? I don't get to write this very often so I am going to write quickly while they are winning.

Go Rangers!!!!!

Culinary School

I am in my third week of culinary school and can scarcely wipe the smile off my face. It's awesome. I am taking three classes: Intro to Hospitality (how to run a restaurant), Sanitation and Safety (how to not make someone sick or kill them with your food) and Intro to Cooking (how do use a knife, convert recipes and cook).

I wish I would have done this years ago. I am a duck to water.

Top ten things I have learned in culinary school:

1. How to hold and handle a knife.

2. Cover the pan when you are boiling water and it traps the heat energy in the pan and boils the water faster.

3. Beef stock is made by boiling beefs bones for 8 hours with mirepoix.

4. Mirepoix is celery, carrots and onions cut in a large dice and added to most soup and stew recipes.

5. There are about 35 food borne diseases that can kill you or make you really sick. Use Clorox Clean-up to wipe down your kitchen. Seriously. Go wipe down your kitchen right now to kill all those germs. Throw away your kitchen sponge.

6. The internal food temp of 165 (for about 15 seconds) kills bacteria in your food. Especially eggs.

7. If a cow uses the muscle to walk or move, it will be tough and you have to cook it on low heat (225 degrees) for a long time with a little water and covered to make it edible. You only grill steaks that have enough fat in them to keep the meat juicy and tender.

8. If you get sick at a restaurant, it usually is because a restaurant worker DID NOT wash their hands after going to the restroom and got feces in your food. Ugh!

9. Eating raw oysters is a bad idea. The diseases you get from doing that are really bad and can cause you to forget your name (seriously) and go into a coma.

10. Chef's aren't necessarily good cooks (although it really helps if they are)...they run a team of people that are good cooks and have a kitchen staff that work their butts off to make great food and they depend on incredible waiters to make the customers feel great. But the back bone of the entire restaurant rests on the shoulders of the pot washer and the ones that do the dishes. Without them, nothing could get done.

11. Most likely, you can't go to the store and buy the steaks they serve at Three Forks, Ruth's Chris, or Bob's Steak and Chophouse. Those are Prime and cost a lot of money. Buy Top Choice (if you can find it) and only cook your steak to medium (never well done). Salt meat at the end of cooking or it will draw out all the moisture in the meat and make it dry.

Bon Appetite! More tips later.

Missionary's Kid

I grew up an MK. Actually the moniker would be VDMK (Vocational Domestic Missionary's Kid). When I was six, my parents lived in Northwest Tennessee, a hotbed of conservative religion, when they heard about a place in Western Colorado that had no church of Christ in the entire county. Actually, there had been one there in the 40's and 50's but had closed its door for about 10 years. So, within two months of finding that out, we moved to Delta County.

My mom and dad made a five year commitment to the Paonia church. They worked hard in the tiny town and brought many people to Christ by meeting people's needs for friendship, partnership, and compassion. My dad ran orchards, raised cows, worked in the coal mine, farmed and bartered to be able to stay there (they are still there). It took at least 20 years for my parents to accepted in the community, to stop being outsiders.

But what happens when you stop being a missionary but you are still where God sent you? How long does one have to be someplace before you can be called a towny, where you actually become part of the community?

PKs and MKs and EKs don't have it easy. They grow with their parents given to loving God first and doing his will first. I wasn't neglected as a kid, I just knew I was second behind God. I knew that being involved in God's work was a higher calling, a more important calling. I was not the center of my parent's world, my family were more like planets revolving around God's will. We all did it together.

Are you a MK, PK or EK? What was your experience?

Going Back to School

Today, I enrolled in culinary school at El Centro College in Downtown Dallas. I am taking Basics of Cooking, Sanitation and Safety, and Introduction to Hospitality Services. I am really excited about taking this step although I am not looking forward to driving to Downtown Dallas for two years. Although with tuition comes a DART rail pass so I won't have to look for a parking space in the center of downtown.

I forgot about the joys of standing in line, and sitting around waiting for academic advisers to put me in classes...but it was very easy. I was the oldest person in the room, even the registrar and all the advisers were younger than me. Oh well. I look forward to being able to learn more about being a chef and operating a restaurant or food establishment. Along with books, I have to get a chef's hat and coat and all the knives and utensils for the kitchen.

So...is there anything you have been putting off than you need to get on with? You ever wish you could be or do something but never got around to it? Carpe diem! Take the first step. Stop wishing and dreaming about it and take your first step. If I can do it, so can you.

Peace.

Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease

Have you noticed that authority reacts to whining?

As a parent of three boys, I tend to let them have freedom until they start a ruckus then I intervene. When they start arguing or hitting each other past a certain point, I step in and try to de-escalate the situation. Most of the time, I have to initially get louder and stronger in order for there to be some peace.

Churches do the same thing. Churches chug along at a complacent clip until people start grumbling or arguing. Then the authorities of the church step in to mediate and moderate the problem until there is peace or someone leaves.

Governments do the same thing. Citizens go along with status quo until someone gets their panties in a wad and then government steps in, makes a law that gets everyone back into the status quo. The biggest complainers cause the most laws to be passed, which in turn, causes a new norm to be established that everyone has to live by.

Equilibrium is the balance we have in any social system that are seen as normal. It is not always good (like when injustice or discrimination are the norm) nor is it always bad (driving on the correct side of the road is an agreed upon norm). Every social system from families to the global community has equilibrium. Some society's equilibrium is constant war, injustice and oppression (like most Muslim countries) while others are based on individual freedom and justice (like what our constitution espouses).

So why do whiners and complainers always get their way while the rest of us suffer? Until we take matters into our own hands (learn how to solve problems ourselves) we will have to turn to whatever authority is out there to solve problems for us.

Midstream Career Change

I am thinking seriously about going to culinary school in Dallas. I love to cook...actually, I have a passion for cooking. Cooking a meal taps into my creative side (sometimes a little too creative) and, most of the time, people really like what I cook.

My Grandmother Helen started a home cookin' (no "g"..."g's were too refined) restaurant after she retired in Palmersville, Tennessee. She used every country fried, gravy covered, sugar glazed recipe in her arsenal and she could pack the place at night. I think I got her cookin' DNA.

But what I want to know is God is calling me to be a chef? Can I serve Him well cooking food and serving others? I am praying about it.

Life Like Gardening

I like well tended gardens. I like gardens where there are no weeds and all the flowers bloom. I like gardens that have flowers blooming, birds singing, and neat rows of flowers and plants. I love gardens like that....but mine is nothing like that.

My garden looks like a Mega-Gardening Center threw up. I have plants everywhere and thanks to a "plant-buying" addiction, I have plants in pots that need to be planted. I have difficulty curbing this addiction. For example, I went to Lowes and they had Wax Myrtles on sale for 4 dollars....4 dollars! So I bought one. It now sits with two upright yews and a couple of fringe flowers waiting to be planted. Keep me away from Nicholson and Hardie, Calloways and Jacksons (three places I score my addiction) until I plant what I have.

Plants need to come with warning labels. My root beer plant that I bought two years ago has now taken over half my back yard and is now trying to take over two other flower beds. The warning label should have read, "Plant in a pot only. This plant will utterly take over your back yard." Same should go for Monkey grass (which should be renamed "ground cover from hell") and Asiatic Jasmine (I hope the person who planted this at my house years ago suffers from a really bad case of hemorrhoids). Why can't petunias or Japanese maples take over? That, I would enjoy.

Weeding is a whole 'nother issue? I have a bind weed problem. My vegetable garden (which has only produced 7 tomatoes in the past ten years) seems to attract bind weeds. If I don't pull weeds at least every other day, I would not be able to find my tomato plants. I wonder what would happen if there was a smack down between bind weed and root beer plant. Now that would be a pay-per-view event.

But life is like gardening. We all have weeds. We all have something in our lives that "goes rogue" and tries to take over. And we all have beautiful spots in our lives that bloom and bring joy despite the best attempts of the weeds to ruin it. God gives us all a gift that, when planted, watered and cultivated brings joy to his heart and ministers to those around us. Yeah, we have weeds but the beauty of what God has planted surpasses the chaos in our lives. Have a great weekend.

Who is Spiritual Among You?

Here are my observations about the characteristics of the most spiritual people I know:

Spiritual people many times look like their lives are a train wreck. People who have disasters, tragedy, and/or hardship in their lives and turn to the presence of God for life and sanity have a different understanding of God than others who have a great life. Some spiritual people have dealt with depression or anxiety while others are transformed through incarceration or addiction. But they all know Jesus is real and that the power of God is good.

Spiritual people don't argue religious dogma nor do they cling to a traditional view of God.

Spiritual people have a constant eye out for other spiritual souls and are attracted to those who gently and humbly carry the transforming message of hope in Jesus Christ that they daily live in.

Spiritual people don't always talk about everything they know or have experienced without being asked.

Spiritual people usually don't ask the question of "why me?" but have just accepted that sometimes good people hurt and the reason may be God's alone. They are thankful for today and today alone.

Spiritual people hunger for the word of God in Scripture and in the "still quiet voice."

Spiritual people show up to pray for and encourage others who are going through difficulty and have the faith to really pray for healing and deliverance.

Spiritual people find true praise and worship as pleasing as spending time with their closest friend because it is.

Spiritual people aren't all up tight about everyone believing as they do.

Spiritual people find beauty in the quiet moments with God.

Spiritual people belong to a fellowship of believers.

Spiritual people love Jesus with all their heart and aren't afraid of raising their hands or being demonstrative during praise and worship.

Spiritual people give freely to those in need and shows hospitality.

Spiritual people are spiritual because of their daily walk. They are not born into it but rather are borne into it in the arms of Jesus.


When you think of spiritual people, what characteristics do you think of?

Pray for You

YouTube - Pray for You - Jaron and The Long Road to Love :: Official Video

Give this song a listen. When I first heard this song, I laughed out loud...it still brings a smile to my face.

God does say we're supposed to pray for others. Can you think of someone in your life you could pray for? Heh heh

One Big Happy

I just got through eating at Potz Cafe in Irving. Interesting place. It's more like walking into the kitchen at my mom's house and asking "What's for lunch?" than it is like 'going out' to eat. They treat you like family.

I watched "THE BLIND SIDE" last week....yes...almost a year after it came out but wow, what a movie. I guess the question the movie answers is "Who's your family?" For a very large homeless black boy it was a family who extended grace and mercy to him and invited him in.

I grew up in a Paonia, Colorado, attended a small church and school. Everything was small but the feeling of family there. What struck me was the feeling of togetherness, community, belonging, acceptance and love. At church, there was Grandma Connie and Grandma Della, neither of whom gave birth to either of my parents but they LOVED me and cared for me. They hugged me and kissed me like any grandma should do...I belonged to them. I feel a fondness for them even now they both have passed away.

So here is my list of the top ten ways you know you belong to a family:

1. There is hospitality. You are welcome in their home and are treated like a biological member of the family (or better in most cases). You rarely go away hungry for food or affection. They give freely of the resources they have.

2. There is affection. Hugs and kisses and physical touch send the message, "I like you." Affection is the glue that holds a family together. Without it we are a bunch of strangers wandering around together but never really connecting. Affection forms life long bonds with others that can never be diminished over time.

3. There is a need to know you. Questions are constantly in the air about how the other is doing and what is happening. They want to know about your health, relationships, family, and any minute detail they can pull from you. That sharing helps them understand who you are and what you are about. It comes from the theory that the more we know about each other, the more we have in common. Familiarity breeds love.

4. There is safety. The healthy family is a calm harbor in which to rest and relax before going back out into the waves and wind. I can talk freely about myself because the information won't be held against me because family knows that growth is a process. The world beats us up but family is there to build you up.

5. There is acceptance. Family knows your weaknesses and they still like you. They know each member is not perfect but each member is important. There is forgiveness and grace to handle the realities of real life.

6. They tell you "you can do it." Family is your biggest fans. Whatever goals and dreams you have, family standing on the sidelines cheering for you to reach your potential. They tell you that you are smart enough, clever enough, nice enough, good enough and strong enough.

7. They give you what you need. Family provides the basics so you are free to succeed. So many people in this world strive their entire lives just to get their basic needs met (food, shelter, love,). There is no freedom to move beyond the striving because they feel as though something is missing. Family is a constant source of provision so each member can move beyond to achieve greater things.

8. There is belonging. You are a vital part of the machine and your identity is woven in that belonging. They miss you when you are not there and seek to connect with you wherever you are. They call and chat because they belong to you and you to them.

9. There is freedom to leave. Even though you are a part and belong, they also know you must leave the nest in order to succeed. They tearfully let you go and think about you often. They pray for your safety and success often. Like the cable that allows an astronaut to work securely on the space station, prayer is the tether that holds us together when someone is outside the fold. I know many people who pray for me daily and that bond is felt and returned.

10. There is love. All these things together is the proof of love. Whether the family is biological, social, or spiritual, the things listed here are the proof that we are a part of something greater and sweeter. It's tender and warm. Whoever does these things for us, whoever invites us in to share life together, they are "family."

Did I miss anything? What does family mean to you?

The Word of your Testimony

My father-in-law turns 80 years old this month. He is a gentle, warm, caring man of God. He is usually quiet but tonight he blew me away. We were celebrating his birthday today and tonight he pulled out the testimony of his faith.

He started with creation and went all the way through his beliefs about God and started getting emotional as he talked about Jesus. It was beautiful. He touched my heart (and my kids hearts) with his sincere and meaningful recounting of his faith.

It was a reminder of how important it is to talk about Jesus, even to those who believe. It helps people solidify their own faith as they hear others tell the story. God moves in our story and touch those who listen to it. I encourage you to tell your story today and see what God can do.

What Parents Shouldn't Do

Here's a list of 10 things parents should avoid:

1. Screaming/Yelling at the kids. Yelling is out of bounds unless the child is in mortal danger, i.e., about to run out in the street. Talking is the best way to get your child to listen. Usually, if your children are not listening, it is not a volume problem with you.

2. Making fun of your kid's weaknesses or flaws. If you need me to explain this one, you probably shouldn't have had kids in the first place.

3. Threatening your kids with punishment. If you aren't going to carry through, don't make a threat. They will begin to disregard everything you say as an empty threat. If you want your kids to respect you and what you expect from them, follow through.

4. Model bad eating habits. Yup, they will pick up every habit you think you are hiding. Provide children with healthy food (fruits and vegetables) for every meal (french fries are not a vegetable). What they grow up eating will be with them the rest of their lives.

5. Talking about your child to others in front of your child while acting as if your child wasn't standing right there listening. This happened with me the other day. A mom started talking about her daughter in a very negative light in front of her (and 15 strangers standing around). Get a room...really...no one else wants to witness a parent ripping into their child.

6. Smile when they say inappropriate things. Yup, they will repeat it at the most inopportune time...like at church or to you. Then it ceases to be funny.

7. Tolerate porn. I heard a father the other day laughing that he caught his son looking at porn. WHAT!!???!!! And he didn't do anything about it or talk to him???? He dismissed it as 'boys will be boys.' Will he be laughing when his son disrespects girls and becomes sexually aggressive? Will he be laughing when his son becomes a registered sex offender because dad didn't set boundaries when he was 13 years old? Porn isn't very funny when it wrecks a man's life.

8. Hit your kids as your only way of punishing them. Spanking ceases to be effective by age 12. Learn the fine art of grounding them from privileges, taking away items that are loaned to them (like the Wii, a car, iPod, computer time, cell phone, etc.) Usually removing an item one or two days is enough to punish unless your child's behavior is really out there.

9. Ignore your kid. The most damaged adults I have ever known are those whose parents ignored them and didn't give them the love and affection (and availability) they need to form healthy human connections. A child needs AT LEAST an hour a day of one on one time with a parent (or both parents). Homework help, just talking about their day, playing a game, reading with them, or sitting on the edge of their bed and engaging with them are just a few ways to get this done.

10. Expect church to spiritually train them. I know so many parents who let the youth pastor give their kids the only dose of God they get. Bad idea. Parents need to encourage prayer, scripture reading and worship. Talking to your child about and modeling it is the best way for the child to see its importance in their life.

What else should parents avoid doing to their children?