Integrity, it is one of the traits that I learned from my parents, by their actions.  My mom and dad were people who “practiced what they preached” and that in layman’s terms is what I believe integrity is, though more specifically it is “the state of being complete, unified.”

I believe that when I have integrity, my words and my deeds match up.  People with integrity have nothing to hide and nothing to fear.  As a youth leader I have told youth dozens of times, garbage in, garbage out.  Your thoughts will come out in your actions.

The Bible says that “Where your treasure is your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21 (NIV) A person of integrity has their heart in the right place.  Their priorities are in the right order and they practice what they preach.  They maintain their promises and they live their beliefs.

So, my question for you is, “Are you a mom of integrity?” Be a mom of integrity, a mom who follows through with her warnings for discipline, they’ll thank you for it later.  Be a mom, who does not participate in the things that she warns her children again.  Be a mom who models by example the principles she hopes her children will embrace.

Only by being a person of integrity will others follow after you, and will you be a positive influence on those around you, especially your children.  Of anyone in our lives, it is our children that we hope to influence the most.

I have heard it said many times, “Values are better caught than taught”.  Are there values or morals that you are hoping to teach your children? Do you attempt to “teach” these values or do you live them?  Are they a part of who you are and with your daily life do you show that you have that value or moral belief?

I believe that our morals and values or beliefs are shown in our actions.  If you are truly showing what you believe in then you will be “living” what you believe.  As a result your children will witness those beliefs and will begin to take them as their own, thus “catching” them.  That is why you must LIVE it.  If you don’t believe in becoming drunk with wine and are trying to teach your children to abstain from drinking alcohol then you must not do it yourself.  If you are attempting to teach your children to honor God and not devalue him by taking his name in vain then do not do it yourself.  It is that simple.

The same can be true for things that you want your children to put in high regard.  If you want them to read their Bible daily then model that action for them.  Children can learn both negative and positive actions from their parents.  Don’t you want what you are teaching them by example to be only what is “good”?

So, think about what your children are catching and if it is what you are wanting them to get or not.  Maybe you need to change your own actions or attitudes to make sure they are “worth catching”.

During my teen years I vividly remember the times I desperately wanted a new shirt, a new jacket, a new anything for that matter and my dad having to tell me no. I know now after becoming a parent that it was difficult for him to do so and I also know after becoming an adult that it was not something that he could help.

No matter if he could provide everything I wanted, he always provided everything I needed and though at the time I may not have seemed grateful. Now, looking back on those days I truly am. How do you teach your daughter to be grateful, in a world where she feels pressure to keep up with the latest trends, fashions and not stand out too much from her peers?

First, it is important that she understand that it is okay not to fit in, and it is more than okay to stand out, but in a good way. Standing out and standing up for her values and beliefs is something that is far better than staying “in style”.

Once you help your daughter to establish her own identity by discussing the fact that it is okay to be different then she will soon begin to take on her own values and beliefs not just because you told her to believe that way or she has grown up around people who share specific values and beliefs, but because she believes and values those things as well. They have become a part of who she is. Take it from someone who now understands as an adult why I have certain values and beliefs and who cherishes those who taught me those things.

So, maybe my daddy couldn’t give me every new fashion trend that hit the market, but he did give me something bigger, something better and far more valuable. He gave me a strong set of morals, values and beliefs that have carried me much farther than any fad every could.