Back to School 2017

I think this captures my

daughter's thought processes 

pretty accurately, maybe?

It is now that crazy and exciting time when our kids head back to school.  For me this year will be especially interesting as my daughter moves to high school.  Last year as a freshman she began accumulating her credits toward graduation, but it all gets very real from here on out.

The next three years will hold many questions about the future, and lots of exciting times as we experience her growth and the challenges she, and every other student, will face.  Are we ready?  It is likely that no one is ever ready, but we believe that the base upon which her life has been built will serve her well.

So you might ask, what is that base?  It is a base built upon a solid Christian faith, the importance of family, learning decision making by actually making decisions, and not biting off more than you can chew.  Sound simplistic, well it probably is, but so far so good.  No we don't have it all figured out, and there will be plenty of opportunities for our daughter, or us as parents, to totally blow it.  That is when we will learn the very difficult lessons of forgiveness, grace, mercy, and reflection.

Are these characteristics present in your life and home?  Each of these are essential in order to move forward after the errors, failures, and letdowns that we face.  How we respond to adversity is a powerful revelation of character, and can also be a difference maker in the eventual outcomes we see.

So as back to school time comes and quickly leads to the routines and flows of the school year take a moment or two and think about where you are with your kids.  Consider that each school year that begins marks another step closer to their leaving home and walking in the world as adults.  Will they be ready?  We cannot live their lives for them, so our goal must be to prepare them daily to be ready for this coming eventuality.

Pray for all our children and be there as a friend, mentor, or listening ear.  Just as we need those things, they need them in spades!

Make today GREAT!

Here are a few links to help:

27 Back to School Organizing Tips

American Academy of Pediatrics Back to School Tips

Princeton Review Study Tips

Good Times

This morning I have to write about something we watched on TV last night. 

Some of you likely remember the 70's TV show "Good Times" and it's iconic character JJ.  The show is set in a Chicago ghetto and revolves around the daily life of the Evans family and their neighbors.  The family consists of father James, mother Florida, eldest son JJ, daughter Thelma, and youngest son Michael.

In the episode Angie and I came across last night Michael was having difficulty with a neighborhood bully.  This was causing differing concerns and responses from the parents.  Finally James had directed Michael to "take a stand" against the bully in hopes that the bullying would come to an end.

Later that day Michael was late getting home and Florida was getting quite concerned, as only a mom can.  Then Michael came in and had not a scratch upon him and the rest of the family was stunned.  They asked what had happened that he had not been touched?  He said you can ask him, the bully, because he had invited him to spend the weekend with them in their home.

As the story progressed James told them they needed to study so Michael sat down  and the bully initially sat with him.  However he grew weary of it quickly and tried to get out of it, even demeaning Michael for it.  At this point as he was becoming increasingly belligerent James took control of the situation by taking his belt off and carrying the youngster to his bedroom to administer a good old fashioned spanking.

When this was done the whole family went on to explain how this worked, that some could whip the devil out of you out of concern and caring.  This was difficult for the young man to understand as it was obviously a new concept.

For us it served as a clear reminder that we must be diligent in discipline with our children and that we also have a responsibility, God-given, to aid in pointing others in the right way.  Today James would likely have been brought up on child abuse charges, when in reality he was heroically filling a void in the life of this child.  Let's work together to bring up a better generation, with God we will.