"I can be anything I want when I grow up, but I cannot be a liar.”

  Call me a mean mommy if you'd like, but I am EXTREMELY over the sudden problem we are having with lying in our house. The question really becomes this: How sudden is it really? Another question or two comes to mind: How long has this been a problem? Have I been blindly trusting certain children?

   I can't answer any of those with certainty, but I can say for sure that I am not willing to be patient about this issue. That being said, we are going to start with this punishment plan shown below, and go from there. In general, I feel like any one of the following three punishments would work, but for a certain child we have been struggling with almost constant lies for? We are going to do all three to make a loud and clear point.  Mean? Yes. Overboard? Possibly. Effective? Here is hoping! Otherwise this list will be growing faster than Pinocchio's nose.

Consequences for Lying

•        Write each of the scriptures below 5 times each nicely. 
•        Write an apology letter to the person you lied to. Be very specific about what you lied about and why you are sorry. This letter must be at least 4 paragraphs long and include why you lied, as well as what the truth about the situation really is.
•        Write 100 times: “I can be anything I want when I grow up, but I cannot be a liar.”

                                  Bible Verses on Lying

Please read these Bible verses on lying if you need help with telling lies. Sometimes it is extremely difficult to tell the truth, but God can give you the courage to do so.

Psalm 5:6 “You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the Lord abhors.”

Psalm 15:1-2 “Lord, who may dwell in Your sanctuary? Who may live on Your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart”

Psalm 51:6 “Surely You desire truth in the inner parts; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.”

Psalm 101:6-7 “My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with Me; he whose walk is blameless will minister to Me. No one who practices deceit will dwell in My house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in My presence.”

Psalm 119:29-30 “Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me through Your law. I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on Your laws.”

Proverbs 6:16-19 “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.”

Proverbs 10:9 “The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.”

Proverbs 12:19 “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.”

Proverbs 12:22 “The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in men who are truthful.”

Proverbs 19:9 “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will perish.”

Proverbs 24:12 “If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not He who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not He who guards your life know it? Will He not repay each person according to what he has done?”

Proverbs 26:18-19 “Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, ‘I was only joking!’ ”

Proverbs 26:28 “A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.”

Zechariah 8:16-17 “ ‘These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,’ declares the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 13:6 “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”

Ephesians 4:25 “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.”

Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”

Colossians 3:9-10 “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”

1 Peter 3:10 “For, ‘Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.’ ”.

Zephaniah 3:13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

1 Timothy 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;