Blog Archives
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?
Posted with Blogsy
Blame It On Disney
“96% of teenage relationships DO NOT end up in marriage”
Are you surprised? I remember being a teenager and thinking that every guy I dated was “the one”. He was going to be the guy that was going to sweep me off my feet, that was going to rescue me.
I recently asked a group of teenagers where they learned about dating and relationships. Quickly I heard, “my parents, my family, my aunt, my older brother.”
One young girl, in her wisdom-beyond-her-years answered, “Disney.”
Disney has infiltrated our young girls minds and given them false ideas of what relationships really are about. Cinderella is looking to be rescued from her horrible life (which must be why she was my favorite). Snow white got tired of living with the dwarfs, sleeping beauty needed a man to bring her back to life, even the modern-day tales like Enchanted are about finding true loves kiss.
In and of themselves, they seem harmless. But partnered with 16 and Pregnant, the ridiculousness of Jersey Shore and the Kardashians–not to mention the Real Housewives–honey those Housewives are anything but real–Disney, BRAVO, E!, and every other TV channel is doing a grave disservice to our youth. While attempting to entertain, they are subliminally teaching our kids about relationships.
Beyond dating and marriage, our kids and youth have no idea what it means to be in relationships. They don’t know what it means to resolve conflict, in fact they would sooner forfeit a friendship then work through issues. They are almost incapable of enjoying their highschool years, living in constant fear of not being able to have a boy/girlfriend.
If the media is teaching them everything wrong about relationships–and kids spend approximately 5 hours a day in front of the TV, (time spent 2nd to sleeping)–and you might take your kids to church three times a month (so that gives them maybe 3 hours a month of Biblical teaching)..who is teaching your kids? Are you?
Are you modeling healthy relationships for your kids?
Are you talking to them about Boundaries?
Are you starting discussions about peer pressure, including the pressure to be sexually active?
Are you over protecting your children REFUSING to talk about the realties of opposite sex relationships out of fear you may do more harm than good?
Reality check–kids are influenced, and have questions…if you aren’t going to talk to them, who will?
Not Disney!
