I was raised by a mother who never trusted me.  She never trusted that I was telling her the truth, she never trusted that I was doing the right things...she just never trusted me.  That attitude leaves some awful problems for an adult.  So, I determined I would always, always ALWAYS trust my children and that I would constantly tell them so.

That paragraph will leave raised eyebrows. Let me explain how I protected them while explicitly trusting them.

I always assured my children of my complete trust and confidence in their character.  I always assured them that I KNEW they would NEVER CHOOSE to do anything wrong...assuring them that I Knew that they knew better and loved the Lord too much to sin.  AND THEN  I lovingly told them that the person I did NOT trust was Satan who wanted nothing more than to ruin their testimonies and future for God’s perfect will to be carried out in their lives. I always quoted I Peter 5:8,  "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil; as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour;"

I believe this kept my children from rebelling at some very strict rules set forth in our home...especially some very strict dating rules.  They always had the assurance that their parents loved and trusted them and that kept our relationship sweet and honoring...and very loving.

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