The Character Journal is a monthly e-zine designed to help parents teach Biblical character qualities to their children. Each month a different character quality is presented with suggestions for Bible lessons and projects. The length of time you spend teaching these principles to your children each day is not nearly as important as your sincerity and consistency. Begin each time with a relevant hymn or chorus. Then take a verse, theme or story from the suggestions below as the basis for your daily "Bible Time" with your family. Give relevant application of the lesson to your family; and don't forget to ask your children the questions: Who? What? Where? Why? When? and How? Get each member of the family involved by assigning different verses to be read. Finally, conclude your time with family prayer.

Related Hymns and Choruses

• Great Is Thy Faithfulness (Thomas O. Chisholm, 1923)
• God Will Take Care of You (Civilla D. Martin, 1904)
• I Need Thee Every Hour (Annie S. Hawks, 1872)
• Just As I Am (Charlotte Elliott, 1834)
• Standing on the Promises (R. Kelso Carter, 1886)
• Sweet Hour of Prayer (William Walford, 1845)
• There Is Power in the Blood (Lewis E. Jones, 1899)

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Bible Verses Related to Resourcefulness

Spend an evening (or several) looking at just one of these verses at a time. Discuss with your family what each verse or story teaches about the character quality; and give vital application of how this quality can be applied to your family. Choose several verses to memorise together as a family during the month. Since the English word "resourcefulness" does not appear in the Authorised Version, we have included a list of verses which relate to this important character quality. For a more complete study, we suggest you use the Online Bible which you can download free of charge from our web site at http://www.hlm.org/html/files.htm.

• Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
• Genesis 41:33-40 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.
  34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. {officers: or, overseers}
  35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
  36 And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine. {perish…: Heb. be not cut off}
  37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
  38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
  39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
  40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. {be ruled: Heb. be armed, or, kiss}
• Ruth 2:3 And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field [belonging] unto Boaz, who [was] of the kindred of Elimelech. {hap…: Heb. hap happened}
• Isaiah 40:29 He giveth power to the faint; and to [them that have] no might he increaseth strength.
• Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint. {renew: Heb. change}
• Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
• Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
  20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
  21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
• Matthew 14:20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
• John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
• John 15:5 I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. {without me: or, severed from me}
• 2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency [is] of God;
• 2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
• Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
• Ephesians 6:13-18 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. {having…: or, having overcome all}
  14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
  15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
  16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
  17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
  18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
• Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
• Colossians 1:11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
• Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

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Bible Stories

• Gideon in using the jars (clay pots) and trumpets (Judges 7) (Key Verse:16)
• Jesus feeding the 5000 (Matt.14:13-21) (Key Verses:17-18)
• Elisha and the Widow's Oil (II Kings 4: 1-7) (Key Verse: 2b-3)
• Samson using foxes, torches and the jawbone of a donkey (Judges 15:3-5;14-16)
• Ruth demonstrated resourcefulness in picking up the dropped corn after it had been harvested (Ruth 2)
• The Prodigal Son did not demonstrate resourcefulness, but wasted his inheritance (Luke 15:11-32)
• The Foolish Servant buried his talent and ended up loosing even that (Matt. 25:14-30)

-Ideas suggested from the Boulden Family & Naomi Murphy

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Character Definitions

• Seeing value in that which others overlook. Learning to make wise use of things which others would discard. Achieving a task with a minimum amount of outside resources. Knowing when not to use materials just because they are available. (IBLP - Character Clues Game)
• Making wise use of what others might overlook or discard. (Character First!)
• fertile in expedients; clever, ingenious; rich in resources.  (The CHAMBERS DICTIONARY on CD-ROM)

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How to Demonstrate Resourcefulness

at Home

• Family members cherishing every moment together, however small, in order to build their relationships.
• Wisely investing any extra income.
• Finding creative ways to fix leftovers and foods the family has in abundance.
• Using free time to enhance learning and creativity.
• Finishing all the food on the plate before getting dessert.
• Recycling aluminium, glass, and newspapers.
• Giving away or selling those things which we do not use.
• Shopping for bargains.
• Being willing to wear already used clothes.
• Training the family to be energy-givers rather than energy-takers.

at Work/School

• Looking for ways to save your employer time and money.
• Using minutes which would normally be wasted to do something of value i.e. use the time when we are waiting on someone to meditate on Scripture, or pray for someone in need.

at Church

• Getting wise counsel from others.
• Using accountability to others to enable us to gain victory over sin.
• Regularly attending prayer meeting.
• Being available to the church leadership to be used wherever there is a need.

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Potpourri

The "I Wills" of Resourcefulness

• I will see value in objects, ideas, and people
• I will repair, reuse, and recycle
• I will make wise use of my time, talents, energy, and mind
• I will give away or sell the things I do not use
• I will not litter

-Character First! Education Series 2

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Value even in Garbage

That's precisely the work that God is involved in. He begins with the raw material. He takes a life that's worthless and by His grace and mercy He cleanses it and transforms it into something of value that bears the image of Jesus Christ.

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God's Resourcefulness Overrides Man's Inadequacies

A little bread and a bottle of water #Ge 21:14
A handful of meal and a cruse of oil #1Ki 17:12
A pot of oil #2Ki 4:2
Five barley loaves and two small fishes #Mt 15:33,34
An empty larder #Lu 11:6

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God Condescends to Meet The Limited Resources and Conditions of Men

Small offerings accepted from the poor #Le 14:21,22
Two mites from the widow #Mr 12:42-44
A cup of cold water, not despised #Mt 10:42
Faith, even as a grain of mustard seed, mighty #Mt 17:20
Two or three assembled in Christ’s name have the promise of the divine presence #Mt 18:20

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THE HIDDEN MESSAGE OF THE LOST PEARL

"When I was eleven years old, my family took a vacation in Florida. One morning my brother and I went swimming. The shallow water revealed an oyster bed. We began digging up oysters. It was great fun. During the morning we accumulated quite a collection.

"Our greatest finds were not the live oysters, but dead oysters which still had both halves of the shell joined together. Many were closed shut, and we didn't know until we had pried them open whether they were alive or not.

"The live ones we threw back. The empty ones usually did not reclose, but remained partly open. These we set aside as our most prized treasures.

"Toward the end of the morning, I dug up a very nice, complete oyster shell which was in perfect condition. It was obviously dead because it was already open about an eighth of an inch and seemed empty. It was definitely one that I wanted to keep, except for one flaw-it had some kind of object trapped inside that rattled. I thought it detracted from the quality of my shell.

"The halves of the shell were still very tight and were hard to budge with just my fingers. It took all of five minutes to remove this rather large, round, perfectly smooth object. Having successfully removed it, and being pleased with my now empty and unblemished shell, I threw the object toward the end of the pier.

"At about the midpoint of its flight, a horrifying light dawned in my mind. I was old enough to have known, but young enough to have overlooked the value of what I had just thrown away. I had treasured what was secondary and had lost what was real. My focus had been wrong.

"I visually marked the location of the splash. With great care I slowly approached the spot, trying not to disturb the bottom. For the next half hour I searched diligently.

"Finally, when it was time to leave, I told my parents what I had done. Then we all looked for it. Our efforts were useless and our time was up. Our schedule demanded that we leave.

"When I was twenty-five years old, I got married. For some undefined reason, I rejected for seven years the suggestion that we have children. I thought I had valid reasons, but no one had ever talked to me about it. I had received no counsel or teaching from either family, friends, or church. No one seemed to consider it to be a critical issue. In addition, the world had all kinds of new medical methods for preventing pregnancy.

"As I look back, I don't remember hearing one dissenting voice. Down deep I always knew that I wanted children someday. I didn't really want to be childless all of my life. Eventually, I decided that I wanted five children. So, after seven years of some very difficult decision-making, we had our first child-a girl.

"To my great amazement, I found that I actually liked having children. In fact, having a child is one of the greatest things that has happened in our lives.

"The fears which had prevented conception for so long proved to be mostly imaginary. This new member of our family changed our lives. We discovered a multitude of rewards that we had not known we were missing.

"My wife and I have just been told that it now looks medically impossible for us to have any more children! Suddenly, all of our newly established family dreams have been erased. All of the excitement and anticipation of a newly discovered future have vanished. It seems as though there is a void in our lives-like four of our five children have just been killed.

"What makes the burden so heavy is that we had the treasure within our grasp and we threw it away. We saw the outer shell and mistakenly overlooked the treasure within. With our hands we plucked it out and cast it away. We tried to take God's timing into our own hands."

Taken from The True Significance of the Wedding Covenant, Copyright IBLP - used by permission

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Four Probing Questions

• Are you careless with your possessions if they are easily replaceable?
• Do you gather materials for a project you have in mind, or do you just collect things for possible future use?
• Do you know the skills, abilities, and interests of the people around you?
• Do you look for reasons why you can accomplish a task rather than accept reasons why you cannot?

-Character Clues Game, IBLP

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Resourceful Household Tips

• To keep drains free flowing and odours down, pour one cup baking soda and one cup vinegar down drains once or twice a month.
• Use old newspapers for cleaning glass and windows, they don't streak or leave lint like paper towels do.
• Make your own glass cleaner with water and ammonia.
• Keep receipts, proof of purchase and UPCs off items that might have rebates in the future. The rebates and special offers can be found in newspapers, on the product, at store counters and various other sources.
• Spend to save. Buy items like glue guns, shoe glue, car fix-it manuals and other items that will save money by fixing things you've already got.
• Why not cut your spouse's and children's hair.
• To make your own brown sugar at about half the cost per pound of store-bought, add 1 - 2T of dark molasses to 1 cup of white sugar and mix thoroughly. (Use blackstrap molasses, and 1T per cup makes a nice dark brown sugar.)
• Make your own popsicles. You don't need to buy the expensive store brand, when they are so easy to make at home. Use moulds and fill them up with fruit juices, jello, yoghurt, jelly, leftover juice from jars of fruit and even some of the fruit chopped up in it. Try making them fun with food colouring, coconut, sprinkles. Make them multi-coloured by filling them half full, freezing for a little bit, them add another colour.
• Keep a small list of what you pay for items that you buy a lot. Then, when you're at another grocery store, you'll know if their special is really a special.
• While waiting for hot water from your sink to get hot, place a milk jug under the faucet to collect water. Use this water to water plants, pets, etc. You'll be surprised with how much water you've collected.
• Almost all detergents (shampoo, dish soap, dishwashing detergent, etc.) recommend to use to much - use half what is recommended and increase a little till you get it right.
• To shine silver do not buy the expensive cleaners. Simply line a large cake pan with aluminium foil. (Make sure that the foil completely covers all areas. add warm water to cover the item and several tablespoons of baking soda. Add the pieces of silver and wait 5-10 minutes. The grime will be gone and at a fraction of the cost of commercial cleaners. Not to mention no elbow grease!!!
• One easy way to cut on cooking costs and time is to take one week and triple the amount of food needed for each meal. You then eat one of the meals and freeze the remainder for meals that are quick and easy to prepare in the weeks to come.
• Reduce the amount of interest you pay on your mortgage payments by simply adding additional principle $$$$'s to the payments you make each month. It doesn't have to be every month, it could be once a year if you receive year end bonuses. No tricks, no complicated formula. All you need to do is check your mortgage document to see if there is a pre-payment penalty clause,(usually paragraph 17), and if not, you are allowed to make additional payments in any amounts at any time over the term of the mortgage. For example; a $100,000.00 @ 8.5% for 30 years would give a borrower a monthly principle and interest payment of $763.51. If that borrower repaid the note over 30 years, never missing a payment he would have paid back over $274,800's! However, by adding $63.63 dollars a month to the payment and telling the bank to reduce the principle by that amount every month, the borrower would pay back the loan in 22.5 years, costing them just over $223,300 over the term of the loan! That's a whopping savings of over $51,500.00!

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Increasing Your Paycheque

A resourceful person achieves more with less. By searching out sale items, closeouts, and resale shops, people can easily save 20% on the items and services they buy. This is equivalent to getting a 20% salary increase.

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Prayer Targets - A Little Known Resource for Victory over Temptation

Begin to take the offensive whenever you are tempted. When Satan tempts you in a certain area, take the initiative by praying offensively for a predetermined prayer target. The next time you are tempted by a particular sin, that will be your queue to start praying for these individuals using prayer as an offensive weapon against the kingdom of darkness. Now whenever you make this a consistent regular practice, two things will happen: 1. You will see answers to your prayers 2. You will experience less trouble with temptation in that particular area because Satan is not going to tempt you in that area if he knows that the temptation will be met with an immediate offensive attack upon his kingdom of darkness.

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The Resource of Prayer

1 Corinthians 16:2 - "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him."

 

But suppose God has not prospered you; then he does not expect anything from you. But what if God has prospered one, and the man will not give? To that I say, we are not empowered to force or cajole a man into giving — better leave him with God. And yet I would not have us forget that there is always a resource left the church. It is indeed, a resource and power. It covers the illiberal man’s case, and all cases. I have rarely known it to fail. It was tested several years ago in a large city by a faithful layman. There was a pressing burdensome debt of some $16,000. It had rested as an incubus upon the congregation for years. One afternoon this gentleman requested nine or ten other male members of his church to meet him in a certain office. Here they spent a number of hours in humble, earnest prayer to God. As the prayer ascended, of course God descended; and there steadily grew within them a profound sense of their obligation to God. He was their Maker, Preserver, Benefactor; he had given ten thousand mercies, his Son had died for them, he had forgiven them, and this moment had heaven and endless life and blessedness awaiting them. And now what was it that they could do for him? What act or gift or sacrifice could ever repay, in the least degree, even a part of his love? "Lord, what wilt thou have us to do?" Who wonders at what followed? — that on their melted, graceful hearts God poured the spirit of his love, the tender, beauty. They arose from their knees and in ten minutes wiped out the debt of $16,000.

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Quotes on Resourcefulness

Everything in the world is good for something.—Dryden

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A Word to the Dads

How to Pray for Your Children - Part 6

Over the last number of issues, we've been looking at how to effectively pray for your children. Because if you as parents aren't praying for your children then it's most likely that no one else is either

Finally, we need to pray that they will forgive those that have hurt and offended them. Hebrews 12:15 says, "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble [you], and thereby many be defiled. "

Bitterness is like a cancer, and unless it's checked it will quickly spread and produce devastating consequences. Unless our children are willing to let go of their hurts and forgive those that have offended them, they will give Satan major "ground" in their lives through which he can torment them with destructive emotions.

As I counsel with people and as we work through the area of bitterness, the two people usually on the top of their list is Mum and Dad! Parents, make sure you maintain a clear conscience with your children. Do not allow Satan to use your failure or your refusal to ask forgiveness as a means of gaining "ground' in your children’s lives!

If you are aware of any way in which you have hurt or offended your child then you need to ask that son or that daughter's forgiveness. Even if you're not aware of any incidents, get alone with your child and ask them if there has ever been a time when you have hurt or offended them and never asked them for forgiveness. Get ready to write because they remember even the smallest offence. Don't underestimate the seriousness of what they share, but be prepared to humble yourself and say, "I was wrong! Will you forgive me?"

Those are often the seven most difficult words for a parent to say. But by humbling yourself and clearing your conscience, you then give them the opportunity to deal with any bitterness they may be harbouring and to ask God to reclaim the "ground" that they have given to Satan.

It is absolutely essential that you pray for your children. Because if you aren't praying for your children, then who is?

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Character Building Resources

We Use CharacterLink™ - The Protected Internet Access Service

The cost of bringing the Internet into your home may be much more than just the monthly on-line charges. CharacterLink™ - the protected Internet access service developed by the Institute in Basic Life Principles is available throughout the USA and Canada through local dial-in connection. If you live outside of North America, you can still benefit from CharacterLink's™ protection through a Protection-Only account. The Protection Only plan was created specifically for those outside of local calling areas. You choose your local Internet Service Provider (ISP), and CharacterLink™ will protect your access. CharacterLink™ will provide software that will "hard-code" CharacterLink™ Protection into your browser, enabling you to benefit from CharacterLink™ Protection. The Protection Only plan costs $10.00 (US) per month. CharacterLink™ allows you and your family to safely browse the WWW automatically blocking pornography and other harmful material. For more information see the CharacterLink™ web site at http://www.characterlink.net. For subscription in the UK, e-mail us your address and we'll put a brochure in the post to you. For countries outside of the UK, contact CharacterLink™ direct by e-mailing them at service@characterlink.net.

 

IBLP Resources

We are also privileged to be able to distribute a range of character building materials produced by the Institute in Basic Life Principles including Character Sketches Volumes 1-3, Character First! Education Curriculum and more. E-mail us to request a list of resources available. If you live in the USA, you may request a catalogue and order directly by calling 630-323-9800, or writing IBLP, Box One, Oak Brook, IL 60522-3001.

 

Video & Audio Tape Messages by Dr. S.M. Davis on Courtship, Marriage and Parenting

Dr. S.M. Davis is a much sought after conference speaker addressing issues on the Christian home. He is particularly well known for his presentations on alternatives to Christian dating.

For a list of audio and video tapes available visit our web site at http://www.hlm.org/HTML/OLCTapesSMDavis.htm. NOTE: If you live in the USA, you may order Dr. Davis' video and audio tapes by calling 800-500-8853.

Sources used for compiling this mailing:

• The Online Bible
• Character First! Education Series 2, Oak Brook, IL
• Character Clues Game (IBLP)
• Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations
• Achieving True Success: How to Build Character as a Family, International Association of Character Cities, Oklahoma City
• The True Significance of The Wedding Covenant, IBLP, Oak Brook, IL