As part of this series regarding parents and children, I like to provide relevant research and practical advice.

As I've mentioned in previous blogs about investing in your children: brain research shows how important parental involvement is in a child's development. The quality and depth of parental input matters greatly.

Affirmative feedback and the amount of time spent in conversation with children has been shown to have a major impact on brain development.

In research by University of Chicago Psychologist Janellen Huttenlocher, comparisons between professional, working class, and welfare families, reveal their children heard 2100, 1200, and 600 words and hour respectively. Furthermore, positive feedback came an average of thirty times and hour for professionals, fifteen for working class families, and just six time and hour in welfare families.

The quality and quantity of this input in directly correlated with brain development and vocabulary in later years. Some children naturally catch up while others do not.

Investing in our families have an overall impact on everyone. When we tell our spouse encouraging words, the marriage grows strong and remains strong. When we interact with our children and remain involved in their lives regardless of age, they grow and develop in ways that contribute to better lives.

This has been understood for thousands of years. Only now is science catching up with the Bible.

Proverbs 22:6: Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

God has given us His word in the Bible. Everyday science continues to prove the Bible TRUE.

As I watched the broadcast Sunday, I can relate to the subject. It referred to speaking encouraging words to your spouse and children. I can relate. In my relationship that lasted three years there was very little encouraging words. It was more of a tug or war than a loving relationship. it had reached a point where I said enough and told her to leave.

Words convey so much and have a lasting impact. Fathers give identity to their children. If you look at fatherless children and adults, you can see how their lives are less than ideal. When it comes to raising children remember you reap what you sow. Children are going to run the world while you are still here. What you instill in them today you will reap the results later in life. Invest before it's too late.

Invest in your marriage, your children, your friends, and those you have authority over. Someday we all have to give an account of our lives to God.

On the radio today there was talk about two brothers who were being persecuted for being Christians in America. It was about their decision to stand with marriage and not accept defamation of marriage. Today Americans are waging war against marriage. Many want to destroy marriage by expanding the meaning of marriage. Many Christians are beginning to stand up against people who are trying to destroy marriage. However there are those who are claiming to be Christians and are supporting the destruction of marriage.

One caller said his church is accepting homosexual 'marriage'. The station made it clear that God is never wavering and His word stands strong. The caller kept trying to push his anti-marriage view.

2 Timothy 4-3-5 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Jesus stated in Luke 11:23 "Whoever is not with me is against me." John 14:15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."

This statement makes it clear. Those who are not with God are against God. Those who try to change God's word including the meaning of God's word is against God. Those who want to change marriage to something other than One Man and One Woman are against God. This includes those who claim to be Christians.

God is not fooled. He will judge each and everyone of us.

I sin; however, I do not try to justify my sin. I do not try to force others to participate in my sin. I ask God for forgiveness, and work on resisting temptation.

I do not accept the destruction of marriage. I know marriage is between one man and one woman for the bringing about the next generation, the rearing of children, and the establishment of social order.

We must stand for God and fight the good fight. We are either on God's side or against God. Even those who claim to be neutral are still against God. Those who say evil is good are against God. We can not stay in our houses and expect everything to be well in the world. If we stay inside we become weak. If we go outside we can get hurt, but we become strong. It is like my trees.

During the winter I keep the potted trees in the house. They continue to grow. They look good, healthy, and strong. But when I put them outside at the beginning of summer; many of their leafs shrivel and the plant begins to lean over. It looks bad, however, as the weeks go by, the plants grow new leafs and stand tall; even in the strong wind. Being protected inside makes them weak, and being outside makes them strong. Not even the strong wind can move them.

We need to get out of our comfort, and into the world where we do the work of an evangelist. Stand tall in the world for all to see in the good work of God.