Blog Archives
This Will Probably Tick You Off
As most of you know, I have dedicated my life to showing the love of Jesus to kids of all ages. I love Jesus and, wow, do I love kids. Every child in my life or who crosses my path gets my benefit of the doubt. I have this crazy ability to see the hurt and suffering and vulnerability of every child. And with that grows my love for them.
But my love, and my willingness to show Jesus’ love to these kids is just not enough. And here is why.
We are raising a generation who idolize people with mediocre talent or who have gotten famous for doing absolutely nothing. This laziness to stardom is morphing into the New American Dream. The Real, honest and true American dream is slowly flushing down the toilet. The one that prides itself on hard work and reaching goals.
Unfortunately, my small blog post won’t do anything to change how apathetic our kids are. In fact, I could sky write it and have it published in every respectable newspaper in America, and everyone will simply shake their heads in agreement and go about their business.
I know I’m right, and it saddens me. Because I know that a change of heart in today’s kids, and to challenge them to reach their full potential, will require something from you, and honestly, you aren’t willing to give it.
Changing and shaping our future would require you to lay your judgement down of that foul mouthed teenager and actually talk to him with the same respect you demand. It would beg you to maybe give a kid a hug. And the thing is, it would require you to do all of these things more than once, in fact more than twice. It would require an invested commitment on your part to pour into the next generation instead of expecting them to fend for themselves.
All of these years you have thought that putting your blinders on and forcing the outside world to disappear is what is best for YOUR family. But you see, the entire world affects your child, so why wouldn’t you want to take some ownership for your neighbor’s child, your friend’s child, or even the unknown child? All of those kids will have tremendous influence on your own kid, the future of our world and all upcoming generations.
But instead we judge the child, criticize the parent, homeschool our own kids so they don’t have to interact with society and then ask, “what is this world coming to?”.
And the answer is You . You are what this world is coming to. Stop living so selfishly. It’s not about you. It never was, and it never will be. This life is about giving generously of your life because Jesus gave generously to you of His.
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FREE | STRESSED OUT KIDS WORKSHOP
Saturday, October 6, 2012
10:30-12:00
1906 Bloomingdale Ave
Valrico, Fl 33596
INVITE YOUR FRIENDS!
REGISTER HERE
An Interactive Workshop focusing on
- Why our kids are so Stressed
- How we know if our kids are Stressed
- How Stress affects their behavior
- What we can do to help kids with Stress
A Workshop For
Parents
Teachers
Volunteers
Ministry Leaders
Childcare Workers
Brace Yourself-It Is A New Season
This week is an adventure. One of my very besties is off with her husband at youth camp, so I am here with her sweet little bit, Dylen, who is a two year old with just as much energy as an entire bus full of teenagers. I know this, because at 6:30 a.m. I am starting my day with a tiny voice, with big plans, shouting from her pack n play, “I awake now Ms. Tiff!”
And awake she is. Her energy and simplicity are things to envy. She is curious and busy. Concentrated and spontaneous. She loves to sing and dance, and Disney princesses. With her bow on her head she bobs around, embraces the constant undivided attention she gets in this house…and every other.
I have forgotten what it is like to be around a little one. My “baby” is seven and is the size of an eleven year old–and still acts 2, his brother and sisters would say. We probably would’ve had one more, but a year ago I had to have a hysterectomy, so that made our choice for us.
I am reminded of the constant changing seasons in life. The moment we grow comfortable in the warmth, the winds gently blow in, giving us a warning of the cold season to come. At times, we are hit with a mountainous blizzard, that piles on top of our lives, putting pressure on our hearts, making it hard to breathe.
We move in and out of our seasons, much like the waves on the beach. No real rhythm, no particular way to live expectantly of the next crash. We simply must sit on the shoreline, with our mouths closed, bracing ourselves and waiting.
The old me would try and stay in one season as long as possible and fight the changes of weather.and when the rain fell or the sun came out, I would lament over the season lost, the opportunities missed, the regrets. I hated to let go, and was fearful to move on.
Now, I simply feel the crash of waves hit me, and enjoy the rush of the water leaving me. I know ther ewill be another that soon follows, and will refresh me, or be sand filled and irritating. Either way, there is always the hope. The hope of a new wave, a new season, a new sprout of life pushing through the hard-iced land.
I am embracing my season. I have visions of seasons to come, and am excited about all God will do. But for now, I am learning to be content in the moment. Knowing God will sustain me in the winter and give me new life when my heart is ready.
Thoughts?
When Your Kids Drive You Nuts
Oh these summer days. Filled with boys. In the house. Driving. Me. Crazy. I asked for it, didn’t I? I said the words, “Oh! I just can’t wait until school’s out! Oh! I just can’t wait for summertime!” What was I thinking?
My kids are fighting, and “bored” and everyday wondering “what are we gonna do?!” I’m not going to give you any cute-sy ideas to keep your kids busy and engaged. It’s simply to let you know MOM or DAD that you are NOT The only parent out there with kids who have lost their minds.
And for you parents out there with ungrateful kids, I understand. You take them to the waterpark, to the movies, to the beach and they continuously whine and complain about wanting more cotton candy, or that they are so hot and need another $7 coke. They want to be carried, they don’t want to talk a walk on the beach, they want, they don’t want, they want, they don’t want….
Then there is the grocery bill, because kids are hungry, every second…every minute. They can eat an entire box of fruit snacks during one episode of Phineas and Ferb. They want to go to McDonald’s. Spaghetti again?
Let’s chat a moment about Disney channel, and it’s annoying, monotenous aggrevatingly pitched shows, that whine on and on. If I’ve seen that episode 6 times, the kids have seen it 12! Not again, no…not one more episode of two brothers who are kings of an island–absolutely RIDICULOUSNESS and completely irrelevant…and the sound machine that laughs evey 2 seconds. My blood pressure races, and my faces scrinches just thinking about it.
They have forgotten how to read, how to take showers and how to answer each other with the slightest bit of respect. But then there are those moments, when the big one crawls up next to me and asks about my writing and we talk about ideas and laugh at the silliness of it all. And the little one says to me the other night, “Mom, I love you. Have I told you that yet today?”
Yah, it makes it kinda worth it! Kinda.
Hope you have a great weekend!
How Subliminal is Hollywood?
Back in the day I was a HUGE Beverly Hills, 90210 fan. Who didn’t love the spoiled gang from Beverly Hills that dealt with real teenage life issues in the comfort of their BMW’s. Every Wednesday I was there, in my living room with a pizza and my BFF waiting to see what was going to happen with Brandon or Dylan–they were our Edward and Jacob. You either crushed on one or the other.
A few weeks ago, my daughters were sprawled out on the couch watching the latest episodes of the newest 90210. I pushed a few painted toes over, and grabbed a bit of a blanket to watch Kelly, who is now a counselor at Beverly High, deal with the same issues with her alcoholic mother. I was intrigued how they took the story line and continued it on decades later.
And then I watched these “teenagers” tackle the same issues of the 90s–teenage pregnancy, drugs, addiction. After taking it all in, I closely examined these “teenagers” with their curves and muscles and then shook my head.
I couldn’t hold my tongue any longer. I minister to kids in highschool and was once a teenager myself and 16 year old boys NEVER looked like that. I quickly Googled IMDB and found that these HIGHSCHOOL girls in 90210 were 22…24….and the teenage boys were, wait for it….27…and even THIRTY. Yes, THIRTY!
Hollywood is casting thirty year old men to play the roles of 17 year old boys. Hollywood is casting 24 year old women to play the roles of 15 year old girls. Our kids are so confused.
Our kids are so filled with self-contempt. Our kids constantly tell themselves they can’t measure up. Our girls are expecting their boyfriends to have the muscular build of a man, and our boys are expecting their girlfriends to have the curves of a woman.
Our kids are being blinded for hours at a time, showed how they should look or act. They are deceived of the realities of the beauty of how God grows us, slowly and purposefully. They are methodically being made completely discontent in their own skin.
It is a trap, it is a snare. It is the killing of self-worth, the stealing of peace, the destruction of a spirit. It’s not just the script or the costumes that accomplish this, it is the more subtle that can sometimes be the most destructive.
Be aware, and be willing to talk about the ridiculousness of the world with your kids. Be willing to discuss the hard issues and ask what your kids think about how Hollywood desires to make fools out of them. If you don’t, the enemy will just keep digging his heels in. Share the truth of God’s creative perfection. It is only in the truth that our kids will be freed and protected.
THOUGHTS?!
