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“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” III John 4NO GREATER JOYVol. 3 No. 10 The Church At Cane Creek, 1000 Pearl Rd., Pleasantville, TN 37147 September/October 97DChild Training Marathoneb and I were teaching severalseminars in a one-hundred-mileradius. One family requested that westay with them the entire week andcritique their child training. It was abusy, trying time for them, preparingmeals and hauling us around from townto town, with meetings every night andsometimes all day. On top of all that,they assured us of theirdesire that we be diligentto tell them any andevery thing we saw inthem or their childrenthat could be improved.If an occasion arose andwe didn’t speak out, theybrought it to our attentionand asked how andwhat should be done.This family meant business.When we arrived, we assumedthey must be having problems with theirteenagers, since parents usually don’tpanic until they have a teenager makingtheir lives miserable, but that was notthe case. By today’s Christian standards,they had a well ordered home.Their oldest child, a boy of about seventeen,was a real joy to his parents. Butas the children got younger, there was adefinite deterioration in their attitudeand self-control.I am not sure why this is sometimesthe case. Often parents seem totire of the rigors of teaching and disciplineand begin to slack off with theiryounger ones. Or perhaps when theolder children are turning out all right,parents ease up on their vigilance, takingtheir success for granted. And then,family values often change as economicsuccess interrupts family unity. And ofcourse, when a marriage slowly erodes,the younger children will not be rootedin the same loving, secure environment,as were the first ones.This family had applied theteaching of our first book, and saw greatimprovement. But their six-year-old boyoccasionally went into a rage whenthings didn’t go his way. He was a verygood psychologist. When angry, hewould express his hurt feelings in a waythat caused the parents to feel guilt,evoking just enough doubt and insecurityto keep them from being tough.Being cautious to deal with his “touchy”emotional state, they resorted to pleadingand reason, explaining how “theyreally did love him” and how “he wasnot a bad person.”I watched the boy commit anoffense, throw a fit when corrected, andthen end up lecturing his parents on howmistreated he was. “You don’t love melike the others. You think I am dumb.Why am I always the one to blame?” Itall settled down with the parents apologizingand the kid stomping off to brooduntil the parents expressed proper contrition.Amazing! Brilliant—in a wickedsort of way.Now I am well aware of themany things parents can do to causechildren insecurity and hurt.But I will save that for anotherday. We still have aselfish manipulative bratruling the house and pushinghis parents around by meansof a festering guilt trip.This little boy had found hisparents’ weakness and capitalizedon it. Mom and Dadoccasionally expressed justenough anger and resentmentto cause them self-doubt.Sensing their lack of confidence, the boyfound ways to further deepen their guilt.He knew just what to say to cause thempain. Did he have a legitimate basis foraccusing his parents of being unworthyto be his head? In some cases, as isprobably true with nearly all parents,yes. The parents sensed their moralinadequacy. Granted, if they had maintainedclear consciences, his manipulationswould have fallen flat. It was theirhumble sensitiveness to their own failuresthat caused them to relinquish themoral authority of the family to this sixyear-oldtyrant. It reminds us of how thecoming of the law increases sin (Rom.7).Now the obvious solution is to tell(Continued on page 2)No Greater Joy is a monthly newsletter published by The Church At Cane Creek, 1000 Pearl Road, Pleasantville, TN 37147Written by Michael & Debi Pearl, authors of To Train Up A Child. Subscription is free upon request.

Page 2No Greater JoyRebekah Pearl andher brother Nathanwill be back in Papua New Guinea bythe time you receive this newsletter.They were hoping to have the Noelfamily travel with them, but their visahas just not come in. You can pray thatGod will move in the hearts of PNGofficials to grant a visa to DewayneNoel.Rebekah is taking back severalhundred pounds of literature and teachingaids.We have received over $5,000.00for the printing and shipping of PidginBibles for PNG. We will be needing anadditional $15,000.00. It is a recentlytranslated text based on the King Jamesfamily of manuscripts.Marathon(Continued from page 1)parents to instantly become wise anddiscerning. If all parents were idealChristians, no shortcomings, no hangups,nothing to cause guilt, then theywould always have the moral strength towithstand manipulation. Christian maturityis normal, but the fact is that inmost cases it doesn’t come until thechildren are grown. Should parents waituntil they are sufficiently mature andworthy before assuming command. If so,it may then be too late for the child.“So, if I am not the perfectparent, am I going to abdicate the throneto my imperfect child?” If your child issmart enough to touch your weak spotsand make you feel guilt, is he therebymore righteous, more wise? Remember,he is using his parent’s weaknesses tosilence them and eliminate their interferenceso he can act in selfish and unrulyways. I will remind you that parenthoodis not an appointed office; it is not by theconsent of the child. Parents hold anoffice (parenthood) that carries with itcertain obligations and authority, apartfrom their worthiness. For the sake ofyour children, you must act now. Youmust rise above feelings of inferiority orunworthiness. By “rise above,” I meanyou must act for the child’s benefit,whether you feel up to the task or not.In our observation of this family,we detected that the mother was avery “sensitive” person. She was the firstto feel the child’s “emotional pain.” Sheshied away from confrontation untilsuppressed frustration provoked her toact. She never spoke with authority orconviction—frustration, yes, but notwith dignity and authority. She ASKEDthe children to comply. She “patiently”coaxed and compassionately pleadedwith them. When they ignored her suggestions,she would then become exasperatedand reach an impasse, where shefelt overwhelmed, defeated.As is often the case in similarsituations, this mother was abused whena child. She was always fearful of notbeing sensitive and patient enough. Shedidn’t trust herself. She didn’t trust herhusband—though she would say she did.She was fearful of failure. Her six-yearoldboy was none of this. He was notbroken in spirit, as he often portrayed.He just knew how to hurt his mother andshort-circuit her interference with hisindulgence. He was emotionally strongerthan she was.What of the father? As is thenormal industrialized curse, he wasaway from home most of every day.Feeling out of touch, in most cases henaturally deferred to his wife’s judgment.He did have more control over thechildren, but the pattern was set andhabits formed during the two-thirds ofthe day when the kids were under hertutelage. He too stood back with insecuritywhen he saw the “deep hurt” of hisson. He felt guilty for not being theremore of the time, for dumping the loadon his wife. The parents had good hearts.They were just blinded by their own fearand sense of helplessness.One day we were sitting in theliving room discussing an event that hadjust occurred, when their oversized dogattempted to interrupt. The father, hardlylooking at the dog, commanded him togo down stairs. He didn’t raise his voice,and there was no anger. He spoke withauthority, expecting the dog to obeywithout further word or attention. Thedog took off downstairs like he justheard a call to chow. I realized that in(Continued on page 3)

No Greater Joy Page 3I n the beginning when there was a Theos but no theologian.When the Logos had not yet spoken that which came to be written.Before the papari were brought forth or the ancient scrolls unrolled.God yet existed in a state that for deity was befitten.Without the help of a Scholar or a man of clerical collar,He spoke and it was done, He commanded and it stood fast.He called no committee nor asked any advice,Yet His word alone was able to suffice.by Michael PearlMarathon(Continued from page 2)this quiet-spoken home, I had neverheard either parent speak with confidentauthority.What solution did we offer thiscouple? We told the mother particularly,“Get tough; you are thinking more ofyour own feelings than you are the needsof your children. Don’t let your pasthurts come into the present to continuehurting your children. You are allowingyour abusing father to abuse your childrenthrough your continuing reaction.”Right in the middle of confrontations,we guided the parents throughresponses to their children. “Quit asking,”we would say, “Tell him what todo, and put a little toughness in youvoice.” Then we would tell her, “Don’ttell him again; respect your own word;get your switch and apply it right wherehe stubbornly sits; ignore his self-pity.Don’t assure him of your love; assurehim of your authority. You are in theright; put your shoulders back and actlike a commanding officer whose word isfinal. Do not negotiate or explain.Mother, take the whine out of your voice,and put some steel in your posture. Staycalm, but unmoving.”The kid was amazed to discoverthat no one cared for his manipulatingpity shows. One word from a parent wasthe last word—no repeat, no appeal, andno regret. It took three days, but whenthe child realized he had no recourse, heobeyed the first time and kept his mouthshut. By the end of the week, he wasexpressing more love and appreciationfor his mother than he had ever shown.He began to admire her rather than seeher as a weakling whom he could control.It was a joy to see and share in theirvictory.Their youngest boy, age two orthree, had a tough hide that at timesabsolutely resisted all control. He wouldwhine, and whine, and cry, and plead,and demand. He was a tough nut tobreak, but it was a simple procedure thatdidn’t hurt anyone but the parents.Again, it was the lack of resoluteauthority that cultivated whining inthis two-year-old. Since the parents wereseldom decisive, the child had learnedthat begging and pleading often causedthem to capitulate to his will. When theysaid, “No,” it was just the starting pointin negotiations. After reading our book,on several occasions the parents hadattempted to exert their authority andhold out against his demands, but thistough little campaigner had alwaysendured.Late one night we were ridingback from a seminar when the littlefellow noticed that he was on the otherend of the seat from his mother. He wasriding in a restraining seat, and sowhined to sit in his mother’s lap. Thefather SUGGESTED that it would bebest if he stayed strapped into his restrainingseat. The mother began tosympathetically explain why she couldn’thold him. Based on past experiences, heknew that this was just the opening round.Their rejection of his proposal was onlytentative. They were just testing the watersto see if he would yield. If by continualinsistence he should demonstrate howvery important this issue was to him, theywould eventually come around to seeing ithis way. As he pleaded further, asking forwater, I could see that the mother wasfeeling guilty for not being close to HERBABY. Didn’t his tears demonstrate howimportant this was to his emotional wellbeing?After six or eight rounds, it finallyreached the brokenhearted crying stage.Mother was reaching for her babywhen the father turned to me and asked,“What should I do?” Again I explained theprinciple—By allowing the child to dictateterms through his whining and crying, youare confirming his habit of whining andconsenting to his technique of control. SoI told the daddy to tell the boy that hewould not be allowed to sit in his mother’slap, and that he was to stop crying. Ofcourse, according to former protocol, heintensified his crying to express the sincerityof his desires. The mother was ready tocome up with a compromise. “He washungry. He was sleepy. He was cold.”Actually, he was a brat, molded and confirmedby parental responses. I told theFather to stop the car and without recoursegive him three to five licks with a switch.After doing so the child only screamed alouder protest. This is not the time to givein to demand. After two or three minutes,driving down the road listening to hisbackground wails, I told the father toCOMMAND the child to stop crying. Heonly cried more loudly. At my instruction,without further rebuke, the father againstopped the car and spanked the child. Stillscreaming, we continued for two minutesuntil the father again commanded the childto be quiet. Again, no response, so the carwas again stopped and the child spanked.This was repeated for about twenty milesdown a lonesome highway at 11:00 on awinter night.When the situation began to looklike a stalemate, the mother suggested thatthe little fellow didn’t understand. I told(Continued on page 6)

Page 4No Greater JoyATHE DOER OF THE WORDlthough the man was old andstooped, he walked with the urgencyof driven youth. I wonder, is italtogether a tiring body that makes anold person amble along, or is it that theman of age has reached a point of knowingthat the demanding things of youthare not important after all, certainly notso important so as to hurry? But this oldman had either not come to such a wisestate, or he had discoveredsomething that still mattered.As he walked up that roughpath strewn with rock themorning sun was beginning tobreak over the mountainsrevealing the tiny hut the oldman had just left. The freshnessof the morning sunstreamed through his white,downy hair, giving him a haloeffect. His skin, althoughburned bronzed, was not thatof a Mexican or Indian. Exceptfor the few things he carried ina small native, handmade netbag he had strung over hisshoulder, he had nothing withhim. The path into the mountainswhere he walked led onlyto remote villages, the closest,still a day’s walk. This villageis what is referred to as a“nothing village”—no store,no fresh water, and only thepoorest of people scratchingthe barren rock for substance. Why agringo would be going that way withoutany provisions was a mystery to thosewatching him disappear up the steeptrail.“Ha! They wonder about me yet.How many years, Lord, have webeen walking these trails? Wefirst walked this very trail over 35years ago. Those people living inthe mountains are nothing peopleto the villages below, but I know,and You know Lord, they belong toYou. How I thank you for giving tome the opportunity to be the firstto tell them the sweet, sweetstory. Oh, yes, I remember thatday as if it were yesterday, thelooks of joy on their faces as theyheard the good news of salvation.Yes Lord, thank you for that wonderfulharvest. Oh, it has beengood to watch them grow andspread the gospel to their ownpeople all over these mountains.Let’s see, I guess thereare over two hundred churchesestablished in these mountainsnow. What a harvest; how I praiseyou! Oh, the riches of your mercyare past finding out. Lord, I’mgetting old, I don’t guess I’ll everget to visit the last twenty-fivechurches; they are so far in themountains. I do wish there was aplace for a small airstrip. Oh, wellthey really don’t need me, it’s justthat I would like to see with myown eyes what you’ve done.I tell you Lord, every timeI think of cutting a new airstrip Ithink of that time I dropped mylittle boy off in the middle of themountains down south. I have tosay Lord, I smile everytime I remember that,but I sure wasn’t smilingthen. I was scared todeath of having to tell hismother, ‘I lost our 10year-old-son in the mountainssomewhere.” ‘How,’she would say, ‘could youlose a 10 year-old-boy outof an airplane?’ She hasbeen a good woman, Lord,mighty good woman. Mannever had a helpmate thathelped as much as minehas, and her with polio allthese years. Having allthose kids, schoolingthem, living in some of theroughest conditions, havingpeople in her home dayin and day out, she has been a goodone. Bless her Lord, give herstrength to finish her course. Andthank you again Lord, she sure hasbeen a sweet lady. You are a goodGod. But I’m telling you Lord, I wassweating having to tell her I leftour boy behind to show the gospelfilm and when I came back to thatremote Indian village a week later,the locals had taken him to the(Continued on page 7)

No Greater Joy Page 5A Stinking Situationrom time to time, here at the churchF at Cane Creek, among our youngpeople and children, incidents developthat reflect upon their personalities andcharacters. One such recent episodebears repeating, in hopes that you will beforewarned and therefore guard against asimilar crisis in your community. I willadmit that the children involved weretoo young to realize the dire consequencesof their misdeed, but at whatage does accountability begin?I have hesitated to make thisknown publicly lest I provide furthermaterial for those who need very little toconcoct juicy stories designed to cast ashadow upon our ministry. But, knowingthat the story will likely leak out andcause a stink, I have decided to give youthe uncensored facts before you hear agarnished version from one of our selfinstalledenemies. There are ample witnessesto testify to the truth of what Ihere write.Recently, during a workday ona certain homestead, while the adultswere preoccupied, the younger childrenwere playing down by the stream awayfrom the house. It was a mixture of boysand girls, all under ten years old. Youknow how boys and girls often compete.The boys had made a bridge across thestream and would not let the girls crossover unless they could guess the password—whichthey were unable to do.On the other side of the stream was awonderful mud slide about six feet talland very steep. I am sure it was nothinglike what they have at Six Flags, but thegirls thought they should share in theboy’s fun. Eventually, the girls constructedtheir own bridge and establisheda password (as the eagle flies south toAustralia) which the boys were unable tobreak. But, even though the girls nowhad their own access to the other side ofthe stream, the boys, led by Joseph,seven years old, continued to deny thegirls access to the wonderful mud slide.As the adults later gathered toconsider the events that led up to thecrises, it is clear that if this kind of behavioris allowed to continue, it couldlead to a bloated male ego, not to mentionthe female’s diminished sense ofself-assertion.As events developed, Joseph,the main culprit, felt the call of natureand departed for the outhouse (for youcity-slickers that’s an outside toilet).Emily, cute as a button and small for herfour years, and otherwise normally quitepassive, had endured all of Joseph’sbossing she could stand. So at a discreetdistance, she followed him to the outhouse.When he was securely seatedinside, she slipped up and locked thedoor. When he got ready to leave, shewas already across his bridge and slidingdown his exclusive mudslide. His criesof distress, occasionally punctuated withgagging sounds, surely reached heracross the field and over the creek. But Isuppose her heart had been hardened bythe many times of humiliation she hadsuffered at his uncaring hands. Shecontinued to enjoy the slide until someoneelse heard the choking, pleadingJoseph and released him from hissteamy, fly pestering prison.When you must avail yourselfof an outhouse, you normally hold yourbreath the whole time. When Josephbolted for the door and found it locked,it must have been a rather horrible experience.I am sure he will be traumatizedfor life. It will probably call for anentirely new field of psychiatry to treathis putraphobia.To top it all off, the parentsinvolved only stopped working longenough to laugh. Emily escaped with amild reprimand that in my estimationwill only encourage here in her feministagenda.Well, you have the whole story,as embellished as I know how. I can’timagine how this story will sound by thetime it gets around. But, let no more besaid; this is a shut and open case of goodcountry fun. ☺Rats RevisitedOur article “Rats” first printed in theMay 97 issue, has been by far ourmost popular article. We have receivedhundreds of letters expressing thanksand telling of changed lives. We alsoreceived eight or ten negative replies. Ithas been reprinted in several magazinesand newsletters.The family that inspired the articlelives near by. We are thankful to reportthat since the article was written one ofthe rats has become a Saint. Printed herein his own words, without editing, is histestimony.“Now I have a story for youtoday. I call it “Rat to Righteous”. Itis safe for me to say, I was born arat, raised a rat in a rat’s den.Therefore, I’ve done things that ratsnaturally do and I have for a longtime, more than I care to remember.I grew tired of being a rat. I longedto be something greater and then Ifound my inspiration, my wife. Ithought I had something to strivefor. It was the wrong reason andcost me dearly. Five years laterwe’re in separation with a 2 yearoldson right in the middle of it. Thisseparation caused me to fall and Ifell hard, but thank God I fell on theRock, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thereis none Holy as the Lord: for thereis none beside thee nor is there anyrock like our God. That rockchanged my life and now I havepeace, compassion, sobriety andfaith. Faith gives us confidence,which gives us strength so we canwalk closer to God. That is how Iwent from “Rat to Righteousness.”Eph. 5:8 says, “For ye were sometimesin darkness, but now are yechildren of the light.” Amen. ☺Dear reader, pray right now forthis man’s wife. He desires hersalvation and the reunion of theirfamily. ☺

Page 6No Greater JoyJuly 17, 1995I’m here! We took a small plane, 5 seater, single prop, turbo, for 35 minutes inland.We flew past the highest mountain in P.N.G., snow covered, Mount Wilhelm. Then we landedon a small grass airstrip where about 150 natives were waiting. They loaded up our backpacks,put the food in their bilams, and we started up the mountains. And climbed up andup and up until I was sure we must have passed the moon and sun too. The villagers werepeeking through the brush and climbing trees to see us.The girls would run their hands up and down my arms andfeel my hair. I said to them, “Mi narapela kain meri,eh?” (“I’m a different kind of girl, eh?”), and they allbusted out laughing. I was indeed another kind of girlthan they had ever seen. The children hang back andstare with big eyes. We met a lapun meri (old woman)who screeched and crooned with toothless delight at ourarrival. Another old man went off into an enrapturedspeech in Kumboi, “In 1975 we gained independence as acountry. That year was the last time I saw a white man.Now I am happy to see white brothers and sisters.”I112 pages - paperbackNew BookRead the rest of the story. Rebekah Pearl, the daughter ofMichael and Debi Pearl is a missionary to a primitive tribe in the highlandsof Papua New Guinea. Now you can read the daily chronicle ofher first year among the Kumboi people. This 112 page book tells theawesome story of God’s guidance and protection as a 22 year oldgirl, all alone where no white person had ever been, sought to adaptto a primitive culture, learn two languages, and translate Scripture.See Rebekah in her village setting through several pages of photagraphs.Send a gift of $4.00 plus $2.00 S.H. and you will receive your copy rightaway. You will also want to hear her story in her own words, now available onaudio tape for a gift of $3.00. Ask for the Gami Akiz story. ☺Marathon(Continued from page 3)the father to command the boy to stopcrying immediately or he would again bespanked. The boy ignored him untilFather took his foot off the gas, preparatoryto stopping. In all his crying, heunderstood the issues well enough toimmediately sense the slowing of the carand understand that it was a response tohis crying. The family was relieved tohave him stop and the father started toresume his drive. I said “No, you toldhim he was to stop crying immediatelyor you would spank him; he waited untilyou began stopping. He has not obeyed;he is just beginning to show confidencein your resolve. Spank him again and tellhim that you will continue to stop andcontinue to spank until you get instantcompliance. The boy was smart. He maynot have feared mama. His respect forDaddy was growing, but that big hairyfellow in the front seat seemed to bemore stubborn than he was, and with noguilt at all. This time when Daddy gavehis command, the boy dried it up like apaper towel. The parents had won andthe boy was the beneficiary.Now you may wonder why Idid not tell the father to tell the boy thathe was going to spank him until hestopped crying, and so, not resume drivinguntil he had stopped. Never putyourself in the place where you may losethe contest. What if the boy didn’t stop?Would you spank him forever, or wouldyou stop when it bordered on the abusive,in which case the child would win?Your word would fall to the ground; yougave-in before he did. You would have(Continued on page 9)

No Greater Joy Page 7Doer of the Word(Continued from page 4)next village over. When I got tothat village he had moved on to thenext. I tell you Lord, I didn’t thinkmy old rickety airplane or my fuel,not to mention my heart, was goingto last through that one. Excuseme for laughing Lord, every time Iremember finding him in that newvillage, where no missionary hadever gone, I just have this uncontrollableurge to throw my hands inthe air and laugh with thanksgivingand praise. To think, my young 10-year-old son started a new work allby himself. Yes, Lord, thank youfor giving me back my boy thatday. He has been a blessing.You know Lord, I think hetold me the other day he has over80 thousand people enroled in correspondencein Guatamelo now.What a ministry! He has been likeElisha, with a double portion.Thank you Lord for a son like that.Yes Lord, thank you for all 5 of mykids. Hard to believe they are allover 30 years old now. I tell youLord, if I can’t do all the ministryI had my heart set on, it is mightysatifying seeing my own sons anddaughters doing it. Such a blessingLord—such a blessing. Thank youLord, for using every one of mychildren to your honor and grace.Yes, you have been so good.Oh Lord, help me to rememberto read that book thatman’s been after me to read, thatdeeper life book by that Chinaman. I guess I need to do thatLord, but I’m getting old and thereis so little time left to reach thislast people group over in the farsouthwest. Now lord, I got an ideato air drop a bunch of tracts; sayabout ten thousand or so overeight of their villages. I know noone has written their language yet,but I heard some of those folkscome out of the mountains totrade, and they have to know someSpanish. So the way I figure it, ifthe people find a strange piece ofpaper they will take it to someonethat might know how to read Spanish.Its’ an idea, Lord. You let meknow if it is from you. I’m runningout of time and there are still somany who have never heard. Lord,right now raise up someone to goto those tribes, you told us to prayfor laborers and I want to go onrecord again Lord, we need somehard working, hard walking man tofinish these mountains. I’ll tellthem at this next meeting andmaybe someone will decide to stopwaiting for a lightening bolt andjust obey your last command.You know Lord I hate tohave to go back to the States toanother one of those meetings.They bore me to tears, spendinghalf the night fussing about littledifferences. They are almost asbad as those seeking the mind ofGod about fasting meetings andnever just open the Book. Excuseme, Lord I’m laughing again. Thosefolks don’t know what fasting is, dothey Lord. You remember thattime I was up in—now I can’t evenremember where we were thattime Lord—but anyway, I’d beenwithout food so long, I wastempted to try the stones forbread. I sure was glad that Indianfamily showed up with tortillas.Best tasting stuff I ever ate. Yes,Lord we have had some mighty leantimes. I tell you, I’ve eaten allkinds of dogs, snakes, lizards, andother critters in my day—talkingabout unclean meat, but I guess itsbest not tell those folks that kindastuff. Might scare them off fromgoing. Of course, not many folksare doing any going anyway. Toobusy preaching about going deeperor fussing about some doctrine.Well, Lord, I was going toask you about this problem I’ve runinto about the translation of thesepeople’s Bible. I need some wisdomhere Lord, you know I really wantthese people to know your Word.Ouch! I wish I had my young legsback; and Lord about the villageover in the south…..This story is based on fact,though the conversation with God isimagination. He and his wife are stillbehind the plough, being “doers ofthe word, and not hearers only.” ☺Subscriptionto this newsletteris freeupon request.

Page 8No Greater JoyMan and Wifehere is a young couple in our churchT who just had their first baby. Theyrecently bought several acres of timberland,about a mile off the road. Determinedto not borrow money, they built atwelve-foot by twelve-foot house untilthey can save enough to build a largerone. Their “house” is without runningwater, except that which runs off the tinroof. It is without electricity, refrigerator,washing machine, sink, toilet, tub,furniture, etc. You say, “What does ithave? Four walls, two windows (of avery used variety), one door, a cute littleroof, a porch, a cozy loft for sleeping,and two young people just gettingstarted in life, who hardly ever appear inpublic for the joy they have of just beingtogether in their little castle.The little lady carried her newbaby to an auction last week and stayedall day, buying a refrigerator for $1.00and a gas stove—a Proverbs 31 woman.The refrigerator is in anticipation of theday they get electricity. The stove willwork off of a propane bottle. Can youimagine the joy on the face of a newbride meeting her husband coming homefrom work with the news that for $1.00she has just furnished their would-bekitchen?Before they got married theyoung man was extremely visible andactive, always on the volleyball court orgoing somewhere with the fellows. Now,when he comes home from his constructionjob, he greets his wife and picks uphis little baby girl. His big, rough handscompletely encompass the tiny infant.The way he carries on, you would thinkthat he is the one who gave birth. I havenever seen a more intense case of malebonding with his new infant.When she was large with child,they came over one night for us to drillthem on natural home delivery. Thereare several midwives in the community,all work free, but they had studied andwere determined to have their babyalone, just the two of them, in their littlecabin. They received a lot of criticism,but they didn’t notice. They continued infaith and sobriety, believing they “wouldbe saved in child bearing,” just like Godsaid.Three days after our little childbirthing class, they drove up and hejumped out with a bundle in his hands.She followed him in, and they told us ofher easy delivery just a few hours earlier.They stayed with us for one day andnight to shower and recover, and thenreturned to their homestead.It has been several weeks now.Just the other night, the sleeping babystopped breathing. They artificiallyrestored respiration. It tookan hour for the baby tobegin breathing normallyand without assistance.They didn’t panic. Theyprayed and applied theemergency treatment hehad learned in a class takenyears earlier.The joys, pains,highs and lows, the fear,the faith. Each new life,each new couple is a freshcreation, unexplored territory,mystery waiting to bediscovered anew. Each lifeis an original creation, eachcouple a new Adam andEve, each home anothergarden of Eden, children ofGod destined to be conformedinto the image ofGod’s son. God madeAdam incomplete and thenbrought to him the womanthat could cause him togrow into all that he was designed to be.She was his helper, the other half ofhumanity, two pieces of a whole thatwould bear fruit to reproduce itself andmultiply the sons and daughters of God.A book is being written. It is agreat sweeping epic that carries acrossthe centuries, covering every culture andlanguage. Each couple is part of the cast,each event part of the script. How theyplay their roles will form the pages ofhistory and define eternity. If it has beena long time since you were innocent andgullible, if bitterness and discouragementhave taken the seats where hopeand joy once sat, know that as long asthere is life there is hope. Circumstancesdon’t rule, attitudes do. There is noground in which faith cannot grow.Hope doesn’t need to see.This little mother told of alesson she learned early in marriage.They are both athletic and decided totake a cross-country bicycle trip for theirhoneymoon. I must admit, such athought never occurred to me. She relatedhow they immediately began arguing.The husband is very stubborn, especiallywhen it comes to reading a map.He was always taking the wrong road—with the utmost confidence. She wouldsay, “No this is the right direction,”and so they wouldargue about it. No, it is no bigdeal to take the wrong roadwhen driving; you can just gotwenty miles down the roadand then turn around. But ifyou are peddling up all thehills—well.She tells how she finallylearned her role as helper. Shedecided that her husbandcouldn’t read a map half asgood as she could, but if heread the map incorrectly andthey went in a different directionthan intended, then it wasGod’s will for her to joyouslyfollow, lending all assistance.If he read the map incorrectly,then God would work it fortheir good. When she followedher husband, she alwayswent in the right directionand always ended upwhere she ought to be,whether he did or not. They are growing.She is learning to be a good helper andhe is learning to be a more considerateleader.It is not too late to try it again.Life still has some romance for thosewho will trust God and believe. ☺

No Greater JoyPage 9Permission to reprintT. J. Slayman is back in Laos after receivinga certificate to teach English in foreign countriesto peoples of a different language. He loves the Laotianpeople and plans to spend the rest of his life there in service.Laos is closed to missionaries. The native pastors aresometimes shot while preaching to their congregations. Butthey do welcome English teachers. T.J. has an old book that isthe finest example of English literature. His students will bereading the K.J.B. ☺☺☺Marathon(Continued from page 6)actually hardened his resolve to rebel.Furthermore, when a child is beingspanked and shortly thereafter, he maybe too emotionally wrought to makeresponsible decisions. Our concern is notjust to silence the child, but to gainvoluntary submission of his will throughrespect for our command.Father tells the boy to stopcrying or he will stop the vehicle andspank. Father stops, spanks, the childcries, and the father resumes the drive,waits three to five minutes, ignores thecrying and continues to talk as if all iswell. Five minutes later, the father againcommands the child to stop crying. Bythis time there is no lingering pain andhe has had time to quiet in his emotionsand reflect on the parental mandate—“Stop crying or get a spanking.” Again,the father commands the child to stopcrying or he will receive a spanking. Thechild continues crying only because heassumes that the status quo continues.That is, he is not at all convinced that thefather means what he says. Judging frompast experiences, he is sure that he willwin this contest eventually. By breakingit up into several sessions, the father isreprogramming the child—Father commandswith a threat; child disobeys;Father carries out threat; child loses andsuffers the consequences; it is an unpleasantexperience; repeat all of abovefive to ten times. The child concludes:There is a new order; Father is consistent;he always means what he says; boycannot win; there is no alternative toinstant obedience. Get smart, be a survivor,just say no to self-will.The beauty of this kind ofcontest is that when the parents conquer,it applies across the board. The child isnot just yielding to the circumstances; heis yielding to his parents. The rebel inhim is dying. This submission will translateinto every aspect of their relationship.The child has learned that theparents have more resolve than he does.They are not liars. When they say stop orelse, they mean it. There is no way tobend the parents; their word is final.The next day we were sitting inthe living room when the mother gavethe little fellow a command. Out ofhabit, he commenced his whine, whichturned to a cry. Mother looked discouragedand turned to me asking, “Whatshould I do now?” I said, “Tell him todry it up instantly and to start smiling.”When she commanded him, he immediatelystopped crying and gave a fakedsmile that quickly turned to a sincere onein reflection to the delight on hismother’s face. I never will forget. Shestarted laughing with absolute abandonment.She was overjoyed. “He has neverWe receive many requests toreprint our articles in otherpublications. All our materialis copyrighted so that wecan maintain control. However,we do hereby grantpermission for any publicationto reprint our articles intheir entirety, without editing,on the conditions that:with each reprint, clear recognitionbe given as to thesource; an advertisement beincluded with our addressand the cost, including shipping,of our book, To Trainup a Child. This permissionis in force unless otherwisenotified.obeyed me like that,” she said. For thefew days that remained, he obeyed herinstantly and the household was a verypeaceful place. The battle was won.Whether or not the victory continueddepends on how consistent the parentswere. The hard part was over. If theparents didn’t revert to their old responses,the child wouldn’t revert to his.There are those of you who willthink that the twenty miles of spankingwas cruel. Remember, this was not adaily event; it was a war to end all wars.The spankings were not wild, violentaffairs. They were not greatly painful.They were done in quiet calm and dignity.It is not the severity of the spankingbut the certainty of it that gives it persuasivepower. Our object in spanking isnot to cause the child to so fear the painthat he obeys. It is to gain the child’sattention and give him respect for theparent’s word. I know that there areabusive, angry parents out there who,through their own inconsistency, findthemselves in a position where they(Continued on page 10)

Page 10YoungMen’s BibleWorkshopDec. 8-19oung man, come study theY Scripture with Michael Pearl.December 8 th – 19 th Cane Creek willbe hosting a marathon Bible studyfor men only. We are limiting thenumber to fifteen. This is not a timeof inspiration and social life. Menonly will bring their sleeping bagsand prepare to rough it. We will providean indoor floor for you to sleepon and kill a deer for the stew pot.This is not for the faint hearted orone who needs coddling. You will cutyour own firewood and wash yourown dishes and clothes. All wepromise you is that you will learnmore Bible in this two weeks thanmost people doin two years ofBible college.Our method isnot to tell youwhat the biblesays but toguide you in thetried andproved BiblicalMethods ofstudy. You willdevelop confidenceand skillas a Bible student.Ratherthan sit andlisten, you willNo Greater Joystudy and participate. We will coverthe books of Romans, Galatians andGenesis.No professional Bible conferenceattenders please. This is justfor serious, sober young men whohave already made and followed upon a commitment to growand minister in the Faith.There are no accommodationsfor families orspouses. Men only.If you would like to knowmore, send me your addressand telephone number.Tell me a little aboutyourself and I will get intouch with you to discuss itfurther. Address your envelopeto: Men in Training,The Church at CaneCreek, 1000 Pearl Rd.,Pleasantville, TN, 37147During the week of April 8 th through April 14 th the Pearls will be touring in seminars inthe area of Columbus and Atlanta, Georgia. If you are interested in having them in yourchurch or homeschool meeting please write address your envelope to Carolyne Chambers.A word of explanation:You may have wondered where yourSeptember newsletter disappeared.Deb and I have been too busy withRebekah to write one. We spent twoweeks in the recording studio makingand then mixing a singing tape ofRebekah. It should be ready for distributionby the middle of November.We spent a month proofing andformatting her diary. It is now backfrom the printer and ready for distribution.It was quite a project. Wefinally got through with her preparationsfor leaving. This newsletter islarger to make up for the missingmonth.Marathon(Continued from page 9)excessively spank every day. Spankingshould just be part of a training program.It is our consistency that trains.The rod just gives credibility to ourword. If your word is not credible, noamount of the rod will ever be effective.You will become abusive. If you feelabusive, you probably are. Get counseland advice from a close friend who hasa Biblical perspective on child training.In reflecting on our one-weekstay with this fine family, I am amazedat their humility and grace. Giving usfull license in the home must have beenlike the Judgment Seat of Christ. Well,not quite, but about as close to it as canbe had down here in the flesh. One wordof warning: Don’t invite us to come staywith you for a week; this old man has hadall the crying and whining he can standfor the next five years. We’re retired.“Honey, I’ll put some wood onthe fire and you put the tea on. We’llhave another quiet evening writing.” ☺

No Greater Joy Page 11Gami Akiz: We highly recommended this tape forall young people, as well as adults. Children loveit.Miracles are not all in the past. The story of God’sgrace among an ancient peoples, and how theirpath crossed that of one lone American girl obeyingGod. Told by Rebekah Pearl.•Five Helpers: A Panel of five women, all wivesof men of far reaching ministries, discuss howthey help their husbands be used of God.•Authority of the believer in prayer: The lastmessage of the missions camp, preached by MichaelPearl. Hear how prayer changes God,moves heaven, and determines the course ofGreat BookAudio TapesMe? Obey Him? When I was ayoung bride I read Me? Obey Him? ByMrs. Elizabeth Rice Hanford. I can stillremember the surprise and joy I experiencedin “trying out” what I hadread. I know God used this book tohelp make my marriage, thus my ministry,what it is today. May God blessyou thus as you read it. Debi PearlWe highly recommend this video,EE Taow! Rejoice as you see live footageof an entire village becoming believersin Jesus—all in one day.“Can you believe this, my childrenlove to listen to your tapes ofNo Greater Joy Vol. I and ToTrain Up A Child. We listen as wedrive along in the car and whenwe get where we are going theywant to stay in the car to finishthe story. In the evenings the childrenbeg to listen to the tapeswhile they sit coloring pictures.The tapes are transforming theway my children think aboutthemselves. Even our teens areloving the tapes.”BOOKSAUDIO CASSETTE TAPEVIDEOSSorry, we have been forced to up thesuggested price of our books just a little tocompensate for price rises at the printer. Wewant to keep our books accessible so you can ordermany copies and give them to your friends. When wereceive request for books from those who cannot affordto buy, as the Lord provides, we send them out free ofcharge. When you pay for books, you are making a donationto this ministry.Order FormQuan. Code Description Suggested gift TotalBK 9SBK 9XBK 9CBK 1SBK 1XBK 1CBK 4BK 1MBK 2MAD 9AD 1AD 10AD 11AD 12AD 13AD 14AD 15To Train Up A Child 1-7 booksTo Train Up A Child 8-99 booksTo Train Up A Child Box of 100No Greater Joy Volume One 1-7 booksNo Greater Joy Volume One 8-99 booksNo Greater Joy Volume One Box of 100Me? Obey Him? pbk. 95 pg. (Christian wives)Brucho, pbk. 202 pg. (missionary)Lords of the Earth, pbk. 368 pg. (missionary)Rebekah’s Diary, pbk. 108 pg.To Train up a Child (3 tapes read by Michael Pearl)No Greater Joy Vol. 1 (3 tapes read by Michael Pearl)Vinyl album of both books, To Train up aChild & No Greater Joy V. 1 (six tapes in album)Best Homeschooling Ideas (by Debi Pearl)Gami Akiz true story told by Rebekah PearlA Panel of Five (for women only)Authority and Prayer sermon by Michael PearlEACH4.002.502.204.002.502.202.009.0010.004.009.009.0018.003.003.003.003.003.00VI 11 EE-Taow (Best missionary video) 20.00Name _________________________________A d -dress________________________________Sub TotalPostageTotalWhen we started gettingthese letters, we decided tobuy a vinyl album to holdboth set of tapes—all six 90minute tapes, both books,read by Michael Pearl. For a gift of $18.00SHIPPING$0.01 - $10.00 ......$10.01 - $25.00 ....$25.01 - $50.00 ....$50.01 - $100.00 ..$100.01 or more ...add $2.00 S/Hadd $3.00 S/Hadd $4.50 S/Hadd $6.00 S/Hadd 6%♦ No phone in orders.♦ No COD’sAll foreign orders triple S/H

Page 12Would you like answers to these questions?108 page paperback bookNo Greater Joy♦ How can I teach my children to share, to give up theirrights?♦ How do I get my children to sit still in church?♦ How do I stop being angry with my children?♦ What can I do about sibling rivalry?♦ Is it too late for my teenagers?♦ How do I take the frustration out of homeschooling?And much more: Potty training, lying, fighting, pouting,whining, how to use the rod, problems at puberty, teenageboys, teaching them to work, fairness, bad attitudes, husbandand wife relationships, and more.Written over a period of two years, the questions thePearl’s were most asked are answered in this 104 pagebook. It contains 48 individual articles, each on a separatesubject. It’s full of real life humorous stories illustrating theBiblical approach to training children. This exciting newbook is being placed in Doctor’s offices and waiting rooms.Order eight at a 40% savings and share them with yourfriends. Send a gift of $4.00 + $2.00 SH for one book.To receive eight books send $20.00 + $3.00 SH.The Church At Cane CreekMICHAEL PEARL1000 PEARL ROADPLEASANTVILLE, TN 37147Sept. Oct. 1997NON-PROFITORGU.S. POSTAGEPAIDCOLUMBIA TN