{"id":306,"date":"2016-09-10T10:42:02","date_gmt":"2016-09-10T17:42:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.smallchelle.com\/?p=306"},"modified":"2016-09-10T10:42:02","modified_gmt":"2016-09-10T17:42:02","slug":"barking-spiders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smallchelle.com\/?p=306","title":{"rendered":"Barking Spiders"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever had anyone tell you, \u201cyou sound just like your mother\/father!\u201d It\u2019s not usually meant as a compliment. As we grow up we pick up a lot of the language and attitudes of those we spend the most time with. Then we have kids of our own and find ourselves saying the same things that we constantly heard growing up. <\/span><\/p>\n

Some are silly, like at our house my dad used to claim his noisy farts were caused by \u201cbarking spiders.\u201d Or how bout good old \u201cpull my finger.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some are multi-generational. \u201cYour grandma used to say\u2026 \u2018If it was a piece of candy you would have found it!\u2019 or \u2018If it was a snake it woulda bit ya!\u2019,\u201d are things my mom would say when she easily found something I had been searching for. Or one my dad picked up from my grandpa and often said when my brother and I were being rambunctious\u2026 \u201cI\u2019m gonna whomp you with a knotted plow line!\u201d I don\u2019t even know what that is, but I\u2019m certain it\u2019s something they had back on the farm\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cKnow this, my beloved brothers: let every person <\/span>be quick to hear,<\/span>slow to speak, <\/span>slow to anger;\u201d James 1:19<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Sometimes we shock ourselves, like the first time I yelled at my kid, \u201cGo to your room!\u201d Oh man, I hated being sent to my room as a kid and promised myself I\u2019d never do that to my kids\u2026 but\u2026 when tantrums and tempers flare\u2026 dang, I\u2019m just like my mom.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.\u201d Colossians 3:21<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I had some tough times growing up. No parents ever do everything right, but I think they do the best they know how. We have to look at our past with a lot of grace, especially because as we raise our own kids we\u2019re going to need that grace from them.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026be filled with the Spirit, <\/span>addressing one another in <\/span>psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, <\/span>giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father <\/span>in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,\u201d Ephesians 5:18b-20<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We pick up on the good things from our parents too. Like hundreds of bedtime stories and a million \u201cI love you\u201ds. Like thousands of family dinners around the table talking about \u201chow was your day?\u201d and \u201cWhat did you learn at school?\u201d and \u201cHow\u2019s the new guy at work?\u201d On Fridays we would spread out a bed sheet on the living room floor for a \u201cpicnic dinner\u201d and watch a VHS movie from Video Library. There were beach days and backyard BBQ\u2019s, family vacations and our annual trip to Del Mar Fair for shopping, food and carnival rides. And big family gatherings at 4th of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas, where the adults sat around talking politics while playing cards and the cousins all ran wild\u2026 but not too wild. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLove one another with brotherly affection. <\/span>Outdo one another in showing honor.\u201d Romans 12:10<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Of course this was my suburban youth, and the things I remember. This was the culture I grew up in. I\u2019ve been watching the new Netflix show \u201cStranger Things\u201d and the 80\u2019s nostalgia is so thick. Maybe that\u2019s where all this is coming from. We just had our annual family reunion too. Making new memories while reminiscing about the \u201cgood ol\u2019 days.\u201d It\u2019s good to look back and remember\u2026 especially all the fun times.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThe mouth of the righteous is <\/span>a fountain of life,\u201d\u00a0<\/span>Proverbs 10:11a<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

When my kids are grown\u00a0I wonder what they will remember from growing up in our home. What phrases will they say to my eventual grandkids? What traditions and values will they continue? Will they remember the \u201cbarking spiders?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks for tripping down memory lane with me. I\u2019d love to hear a fun memory or funny saying your parents always used. Feel free to share in the comments below.<\/p>\n

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