Above all else

I worked with my boy on this social studies project on our family rules.  I don't know if these are the three most important, but they're what we came up with.  They were meant to be serious, and they are, but I just had to laugh at the examples when we were done... :) ================ My family has some interesting rules and practices.  They are mostly taken from what we learn from church or the Bible, or from lessons which my parents learned when they were young.  Here are the three rules which I find the most valuable, and which make my family special to me. Rule 1: Always tell the truth This rule is important because the truth always comes to light.  My parents are lawyers and they always remind me that telling lies is like a house of cards.  Each lie needs to be supported by another lie, until the whole thing collapses. Obeying this rule helps my family members to trust each other.  I am not allowed to cheat in any homewor...

There's a story about the guy who went to his pastor and said, "Pastor, please help me, I'm stuck in a web of sin.  I don't know what to do."  So the pastor prayed for him and sent him on his way.  A week later, the guy comes back again and says, "Pastor, pray for me, I'm all entangled in that web of sin again.  I can't help myself."  So the pastor prays for him again, and sends him on his way, with a stern admonition in his ears.  Another week later, to the pastor's annoyance, the guy turns up again and says, "Pastor, pray for me! I've fallen into a web of sin again.  Help me to get out!".  The pastor looks at him steadily and says, "Brother, it's not getting out of the web that's the problem... Kill... the... spider." The point of the story is that we need to stop talking about dealing with an issue, and get on with actually doing it.  In this regard, my Dad (the embodiment of never stop learning, bless...