The Blessing

I am speaking to a class Sunday morning on the topic "Rituals and Traditions which Enrich Family Life".

One of the things I want to talk about is blessing your children. One of the watershed books in my life has been The Blessing by Gary Smalley and John Trent. It was bombshell when I read it, and I loved teaching the book many times in various venues.

At any rate, Blessing Your Children is one of the rituals every family needs to practice. Keith Brenton wrote about such an occasion in the New Wineskins Blog
when all the folks in his small group spent a Sunday evening blessing their children.
www.wineskins.blogspot.com.

Smalley and Trent list several requirements of the blessing: meaningful touch, a spoken message, attaching high value to the one being blessed, picturing a special future of the one being blessed, and an active commitment to fulfill the blessing.

This morning I heard Tim Russert say that the first time his father hugged him and said he loved him was after he read Tim's book about their relationship--I think it is called Big Russ and Son. What a waste of a lifetime! But there are many people of my acquaintance who say the same thing--my mom/dad never hugged me, kissed me, or affirmed me.

Smalley and Trent spend the second half of the book discussing the side effects of not getting a blessing. I am sure you can find the book at any religious book store--very valuable reading.

My talk will be mostly "Do as I say and not as I did" kinds of things; however, Sam and I were pretty faithful about affirming Brandon as he was growing up. And I see him doing the same thing to Maddie and Ella.

Thank you, God for affirming me in the highest way by giving me Jesus and hope.