Exactly one year ago today my boys were born. I have a been a proud father, homeowner, and minivan driver for over a year now, and let me tell you that life can't get a whole lot more interesting. I never thought I'd be where I am today at the ripe old age of 23 but here I am awaiting the next big thing.
Today we are celebrating the boys' birthday with all the family that can make it. Somehow I have to accommodate nearly 20 people in and around our house. It's going to be hectic, but it was worth it. My boys are so AWESOME. Avery is the older and Micah the younger but believe me when I say there is no shortage of competition between the two of them for anything. It could be a random toy or time on my lap, they'll squabble. I'm pretty sure this will last for the rest of their lives.
Wow it seems like I don't have a lot to say about the longest year of my life. Well, I guess that's because I like things short, sweet, and straight to the point.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
My first REAL Date
Well, it was a great many moons ago now. Charity and I had been group dating a few times and I was brave enough to orchestrate a real date in which we met up in Mount Pleasant, MI watched a movie, and had dinner. Little did we know this would turn out to be the only thing we would call "dating" for the next 8 years of our relationship. I believe the film we wanted to see was going to start too late and I had to be back in town to be Jesus in our Easter Cantata practice. So we sat on the side of the road and made fun of the funny people walking by in the college town, which made us look more like hicks than anything else. Well, time came to pass and we were hungry so we took our extra money from not having watched a movie and went out to the Red Lobster. This too was the beginning of a beautiful trend of habits for us and our dating lives. I ordered one of my old fav's the fried shrimp combo with a double portion of the fried shrimp. Charity on the other hand had a full order of the shrimp linguine alfredo. I couldn't finish my meal, but to my surprise Charity put that alfredo away like it was water and she'd been walking in the desert for a week. This did not bother me, but like I said it was the beginning of long line of repeated favorite dates and she has yet to stop surprising me.
The Chase
Last night I dreamed of being chased. I wasn't quite sure what I was running from but I knew it when I saw it. I noticed a few different things while in this dream. The world was enslaved by fear. Everything they did was under strict control of what was chasing me. They knew me when they saw me, and yet they functioned as if I had nothing to do with them. Occasionally the dream would shift and I would try to perform my normal pastoral activities like having youth group or youth events in the area, but these were all under close watch and we were all careful about what was chasing us. We were careful in the sense that we were aware, but the chaser didn't come anywhere near our youth group. Instead it sent people who were still under his control, the slaves, to try to disrupt what we were trying to accomplish. Long story short the chaser caught me trying to get someone from among his slaves and soon I found myself fleeing for my life because I knew the truth. Right before I awoke I dove behind some brush to hide myself from the people searching the house I had ducked into. I no idea where I was running to, but like I said I was being chased because I knew the truth.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
The Failure Weapon
How often do we feel like failures? How often should we feel like failures? Is there ever an appropriate time to indulge in failure? The truth about failure is that we have this insatiable desire to be successful. For pastors like myself success is full of pressures. The pressure to convert millions of people, the pressure to fill seats on Sunday morning, the pressure to produce messages that will make people want to stand and applaud upon its conclusion. So the real question is not should we ever feel like failures when we have obviously failed to measure up, but should we redefine the ideaology of success?
Failure and success though antonyms by nature march hand in hand as a weapon of the enemy. Neither should be a problem for Christians, and yet we daily, moment by moment, measure ourselves by some misguided sense of success and failure. Most of our encounters with failure seem to revolve around our goals. Sometimes we don't even realize that a goal exists in our hearts until we missed it and we are stricken by the failure seizure.
The realization of failure is like an epileptic episode where the individual it seems is frozen in time. Now endowed with the innate ability to perceive the past with crystal clear vision, the consequences that are so often associated with failure also start to come into view. This moment of suspended animation is a moment of complete terror longing for the chance to make it up and change the past in order to avoid the defeat and disappointement to come. Painful as it is, the failure seizure passes when reality strikes, goals are lost, and despair attacks full force. Failure is a weapon that the enemy uses to try to diminish self worth, and without self worth the indiviual is blinded from his or her purpose for living.
What we need to remember is that God knows we have already failed, it's how we were born. He also knows what needs to be done in order for us to defeat failure. So instead of us needing to be successful, He just takes all of our self worth, our goals, our dreams and puts them on his shoulders. He then holds out his hand and asks us if we would like him to carry our burdens. If we are ready to admit that we are failures He's ready to show us how to succeed.
Failure and success though antonyms by nature march hand in hand as a weapon of the enemy. Neither should be a problem for Christians, and yet we daily, moment by moment, measure ourselves by some misguided sense of success and failure. Most of our encounters with failure seem to revolve around our goals. Sometimes we don't even realize that a goal exists in our hearts until we missed it and we are stricken by the failure seizure.
The realization of failure is like an epileptic episode where the individual it seems is frozen in time. Now endowed with the innate ability to perceive the past with crystal clear vision, the consequences that are so often associated with failure also start to come into view. This moment of suspended animation is a moment of complete terror longing for the chance to make it up and change the past in order to avoid the defeat and disappointement to come. Painful as it is, the failure seizure passes when reality strikes, goals are lost, and despair attacks full force. Failure is a weapon that the enemy uses to try to diminish self worth, and without self worth the indiviual is blinded from his or her purpose for living.
What we need to remember is that God knows we have already failed, it's how we were born. He also knows what needs to be done in order for us to defeat failure. So instead of us needing to be successful, He just takes all of our self worth, our goals, our dreams and puts them on his shoulders. He then holds out his hand and asks us if we would like him to carry our burdens. If we are ready to admit that we are failures He's ready to show us how to succeed.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
My wife, the Pastor
All to often people assume that the man who is called to ministry is the bearer of the calling and his wife is called in accordance to his calling to be his wife and minister at his side, etc. I have in the last been challenged multiple times with multiple pieces of supporting scripture in this individual's argument that women are not to be in the position of "senior pastor", which would put her as head of the ministries in that church and thus head of the men. This initially appears to be contradictory to scripture and has caused enough ruffles in feathers to actually create animosity between God's people. This is an internal conflict which are the most dangerous to the cause of the church in general.
I was so bothered by this "cornering" as it were, that I began to pray about the subject with no certainty that the answer would come quickly. There was an unrest in my spirit about he whole matter. I thought to myself,"God has not separated us in eyes as children, so why am I supposed to separate us in ministry?". Keep in mind that this was a friendly debate strung out over the summer months with one gentleman in our breakfast church conversation time, but he's not the only one who holds the same opinion about the matter that attends our church.
The conclusion of the matter as it stood in our time of debate was that the scriptures clearly state that Christ is the head of man, man is the head of his house thus over woman, and that this was the order that God had intended since the Garden of Eden events.
I was then faced with the question, "What if God called my wife somewhere and not me?" Is this a matter of her misunderstanding her place? Am I at fault for not listening better to God? Neither of these questions is going to generate a "fair" answer that will not fall in favor of both sides without one or the other submitting. Does God really intend to generate favor unequally in our marriage? Is he trying to teach one of us a lesson of humility? This is all possible, but let me share what I feel consistent prayer over a long period of time (at least long for me) has produced.
We were driving through White Cloud, MI during fall of last year. The debate had recently rared its ugly head once again the Sunday prior to this trip, and once again my spirit was so uneasy about the conclusion drawn from the very scripture I read that I was beginning to question whether or not I was being influenced for evil rather than good. Up until this point I had been acknowledging the uneasiness but not acting upon it, just in case it was not from God.
During this first half of the trip the conversation with my wife occurred and we had began to analyze everything we could consider from the scriptures and also from our personal experience with our callings and how God has always given us identical or cohesive callings. I was at my whits end, and ready to conclude that we needed to adhere to this teaching. My heart was so uneasy about that decision. I had no peace, literally.
Suddenly it came to me like a warming adrenaline rush moving faster than my brain had time to process. It occurred to me that we both work for the same God. We both answer to him on equal levels. We both are held to the same standards and requirements. So our only real difference is gender. Therefore we are the same creation answering to the same Creator, the same master. If he should call one, what position in the order of creation do any of us hold to question the will of the Creator? So is God contradicting himself by calling women into leadership and senior pastoral ministry? Do women have it all wrong, and can they be held responsible for this misunderstanding?
"One of you will say to me: 'Then why does God still blame us? For who can resist his will?' But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? 'Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, "Why did you make me like this?" Does no the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?'"
I am no one to question the call of God on someone's life. If it is a man or woman. I cannot question my Creator, it is contrary to scripture.
I was so bothered by this "cornering" as it were, that I began to pray about the subject with no certainty that the answer would come quickly. There was an unrest in my spirit about he whole matter. I thought to myself,"God has not separated us in eyes as children, so why am I supposed to separate us in ministry?". Keep in mind that this was a friendly debate strung out over the summer months with one gentleman in our breakfast church conversation time, but he's not the only one who holds the same opinion about the matter that attends our church.
The conclusion of the matter as it stood in our time of debate was that the scriptures clearly state that Christ is the head of man, man is the head of his house thus over woman, and that this was the order that God had intended since the Garden of Eden events.
I was then faced with the question, "What if God called my wife somewhere and not me?" Is this a matter of her misunderstanding her place? Am I at fault for not listening better to God? Neither of these questions is going to generate a "fair" answer that will not fall in favor of both sides without one or the other submitting. Does God really intend to generate favor unequally in our marriage? Is he trying to teach one of us a lesson of humility? This is all possible, but let me share what I feel consistent prayer over a long period of time (at least long for me) has produced.
We were driving through White Cloud, MI during fall of last year. The debate had recently rared its ugly head once again the Sunday prior to this trip, and once again my spirit was so uneasy about the conclusion drawn from the very scripture I read that I was beginning to question whether or not I was being influenced for evil rather than good. Up until this point I had been acknowledging the uneasiness but not acting upon it, just in case it was not from God.
During this first half of the trip the conversation with my wife occurred and we had began to analyze everything we could consider from the scriptures and also from our personal experience with our callings and how God has always given us identical or cohesive callings. I was at my whits end, and ready to conclude that we needed to adhere to this teaching. My heart was so uneasy about that decision. I had no peace, literally.
Suddenly it came to me like a warming adrenaline rush moving faster than my brain had time to process. It occurred to me that we both work for the same God. We both answer to him on equal levels. We both are held to the same standards and requirements. So our only real difference is gender. Therefore we are the same creation answering to the same Creator, the same master. If he should call one, what position in the order of creation do any of us hold to question the will of the Creator? So is God contradicting himself by calling women into leadership and senior pastoral ministry? Do women have it all wrong, and can they be held responsible for this misunderstanding?
"One of you will say to me: 'Then why does God still blame us? For who can resist his will?' But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? 'Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, "Why did you make me like this?" Does no the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?'"
I am no one to question the call of God on someone's life. If it is a man or woman. I cannot question my Creator, it is contrary to scripture.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Deception
What is it about deception that makes a liar tick? Why does truth present itself in so fewer ways than deception? It just seems like it's easier and more entertaining to engage in a life of deception rather than a truthful one.
What I have found in life is that deception is more likely to occur in an event against me, and that exposing the truth, be it all the more difficult, is where my heart trully resides. Whether it is simply for the challenge of finding the truth, or if I am genuinely rebellious to the norm and refuse to adhere to the simplicity and commonplace act of lying I am still subject to its torment. And so I begin my analysis of deception not in favor thereof but in light of its regular adhesion to my life.
I am but a man. A man not given to much lying or at least not one who makes purposeful habits out of it, yet I taste deception every day. I am flawed, I know this to be true about mankind. I believe that God himself is the only one who can remove this center of flaw from me, based on the promise of forgiveness in direct relation to my personal confession and the acknowledgement of cleansing power of
Christ in me.
Now deception, though I am cleasned from both accidental lying and purposeful lying, presents itself in two more ways that I am prone to submit to despite all my hatred, denial of, and renouncing of the act of lying. The first being guilt and the second being apathy.
In my personal walk with God I have discovered that while I retain a committed sin and stand guilty until the cleansing work of Christ is completed upon my confession and forgiveness I feel guilty. This guiltiness leads me down a long path of depression, self loathing, and even worthlessness. My imperfections are laid bare during my state of feeling guilty, and I dwell in sorry and grief. Upon my confession I do feel the life lifting peace and joy that comes with forgiveness that can only come from God, but no sin in my heart is removed without the regret of having done so. This guilt grinds me into a failure and drags me, or tries to, into a state of spiritual stagnation and despair. Why does it seem like deception was at the heart of my guilt?
I believed the lie that I was worthless, or that I could find forgiveness later as long as I enjoyed the moment. I believed that this was how I was supposed to be and that only God could change me. While that last statement is true remember that all great deceptions contain even the slightest of truths. Now I realize that I believed a lie, and while I did not lie in the real sense of the word, I believed one and committed myself to a guilt that was equal in all respects.
After I realized that this feeling of guilt was a deception I learned that God doesn't make me feel guilty. I do stand in my own guilt upon all my committed acts of sin, willful and ingnorant, but God gave me a counter mechanism to the deception of guilt, that is, conviction.
Conviction of the heart is a work of the Holy Spirit in the life of all believers. It's the presence of God teaching us the difference between right and wrong. It's the power of God's law written on our hearts and so designed to help us realize our sin, repent, and learn. God's truth is revealed in the conflict of conviction equally enticing us to resist evil. Always providing us with the opportunity to run and escape sin and all that is privy to a life ridden with guilt.
The second form of deception as mentioned earlier is apathy. While this is not so difficult to identify as the complex of self guiilt, it is equally if not more so intrepid in the world of deception. I learned of this while also examining my heart after having sinned.
The distaste of apathy spawns out of deception that what I just did was simply acceptable. All of us have sinned and fallen short so why should I be any different? Keep in mind that this is a deception and not how I actually feel, just what I felt at the time. Like a wound's infection burrowing deeper into my heart and spreading I believed this lie, however short, it was belief nonetheless.
God's counter offensive of truth to apathy is simple, purpose. I was made in the image of God, redeemed by the willful sacrifice of Christ for the cleansing of my impurities, and have now been given the purpose of glorifying God with my life regardless of how simple and trivial the task may seem. I belong to God, I am not my own, and I can only hope that I would decrease in abundance so that God's truth can fill my life in a greater portion thereof. I am not required to be impartial to the truth. I am not required to walk a grey line, and I do not adhere to these lies any longer. I am not my own, therefore I do not live for myself, and my sole objective in this world is to be more like Christ whatever the cost.
What I have found in life is that deception is more likely to occur in an event against me, and that exposing the truth, be it all the more difficult, is where my heart trully resides. Whether it is simply for the challenge of finding the truth, or if I am genuinely rebellious to the norm and refuse to adhere to the simplicity and commonplace act of lying I am still subject to its torment. And so I begin my analysis of deception not in favor thereof but in light of its regular adhesion to my life.
I am but a man. A man not given to much lying or at least not one who makes purposeful habits out of it, yet I taste deception every day. I am flawed, I know this to be true about mankind. I believe that God himself is the only one who can remove this center of flaw from me, based on the promise of forgiveness in direct relation to my personal confession and the acknowledgement of cleansing power of
Christ in me.
Now deception, though I am cleasned from both accidental lying and purposeful lying, presents itself in two more ways that I am prone to submit to despite all my hatred, denial of, and renouncing of the act of lying. The first being guilt and the second being apathy.
In my personal walk with God I have discovered that while I retain a committed sin and stand guilty until the cleansing work of Christ is completed upon my confession and forgiveness I feel guilty. This guiltiness leads me down a long path of depression, self loathing, and even worthlessness. My imperfections are laid bare during my state of feeling guilty, and I dwell in sorry and grief. Upon my confession I do feel the life lifting peace and joy that comes with forgiveness that can only come from God, but no sin in my heart is removed without the regret of having done so. This guilt grinds me into a failure and drags me, or tries to, into a state of spiritual stagnation and despair. Why does it seem like deception was at the heart of my guilt?
I believed the lie that I was worthless, or that I could find forgiveness later as long as I enjoyed the moment. I believed that this was how I was supposed to be and that only God could change me. While that last statement is true remember that all great deceptions contain even the slightest of truths. Now I realize that I believed a lie, and while I did not lie in the real sense of the word, I believed one and committed myself to a guilt that was equal in all respects.
After I realized that this feeling of guilt was a deception I learned that God doesn't make me feel guilty. I do stand in my own guilt upon all my committed acts of sin, willful and ingnorant, but God gave me a counter mechanism to the deception of guilt, that is, conviction.
Conviction of the heart is a work of the Holy Spirit in the life of all believers. It's the presence of God teaching us the difference between right and wrong. It's the power of God's law written on our hearts and so designed to help us realize our sin, repent, and learn. God's truth is revealed in the conflict of conviction equally enticing us to resist evil. Always providing us with the opportunity to run and escape sin and all that is privy to a life ridden with guilt.
The second form of deception as mentioned earlier is apathy. While this is not so difficult to identify as the complex of self guiilt, it is equally if not more so intrepid in the world of deception. I learned of this while also examining my heart after having sinned.
The distaste of apathy spawns out of deception that what I just did was simply acceptable. All of us have sinned and fallen short so why should I be any different? Keep in mind that this is a deception and not how I actually feel, just what I felt at the time. Like a wound's infection burrowing deeper into my heart and spreading I believed this lie, however short, it was belief nonetheless.
God's counter offensive of truth to apathy is simple, purpose. I was made in the image of God, redeemed by the willful sacrifice of Christ for the cleansing of my impurities, and have now been given the purpose of glorifying God with my life regardless of how simple and trivial the task may seem. I belong to God, I am not my own, and I can only hope that I would decrease in abundance so that God's truth can fill my life in a greater portion thereof. I am not required to be impartial to the truth. I am not required to walk a grey line, and I do not adhere to these lies any longer. I am not my own, therefore I do not live for myself, and my sole objective in this world is to be more like Christ whatever the cost.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
A Joyful Sad Day
Sunday I had the privilege as the youngest staff member in the church to offer the wedding vows for all those who wanted to renew their vows on Valentine's Day. It was a rare and special occasion as many couples who signed up and some that didn't joined us at the front to renew their vows in marriage to one another. It was so full of joy. My wife also got to participate with me and it was a great learning experience as well as a blessing to be a part of.
That evening I was on my way to pick up one of my teens who lived at the other end of town from most of my teens, so naturally I thought to pick him up first so that everyone doesn't have to ride past the church to get him. Plus I like to catch up with him while en route to get the others.
Upon my arrival I noticed there was a police car and an ambulance in front of his house. One of his friends who was with him called me out back and explained that his brother had just found his mom in bed and she hadn't been breathing for some time. Only minutes after speaking with her did he come out from talking with the police. He looked at me as he started to fall apart and barely was able to utter, "My mom's dead".
It took all I had not to cry with him because I knew his mom, she had some real issues. Through all of this, and the sadness of the funeral, I have been able to share Christ with him, his brother, his adopted mother and brother, and many other people surrounding them numerous times. I have no doubt that we have put Christ in their ears and left sticky notes on their hearts, but I can't help myself for also feeling some grief. I guess when you become family with people at church, when they hurt, you hurt. That's what's so wonderful about the family of God is that we can all be there and no one has to face death and grief on their own.
By the way, they never actually formally asked me to speak, but there was nothing formal about this arrangement. So in a sense my first funeral was a surprise funeral.
That evening I was on my way to pick up one of my teens who lived at the other end of town from most of my teens, so naturally I thought to pick him up first so that everyone doesn't have to ride past the church to get him. Plus I like to catch up with him while en route to get the others.
Upon my arrival I noticed there was a police car and an ambulance in front of his house. One of his friends who was with him called me out back and explained that his brother had just found his mom in bed and she hadn't been breathing for some time. Only minutes after speaking with her did he come out from talking with the police. He looked at me as he started to fall apart and barely was able to utter, "My mom's dead".
It took all I had not to cry with him because I knew his mom, she had some real issues. Through all of this, and the sadness of the funeral, I have been able to share Christ with him, his brother, his adopted mother and brother, and many other people surrounding them numerous times. I have no doubt that we have put Christ in their ears and left sticky notes on their hearts, but I can't help myself for also feeling some grief. I guess when you become family with people at church, when they hurt, you hurt. That's what's so wonderful about the family of God is that we can all be there and no one has to face death and grief on their own.
By the way, they never actually formally asked me to speak, but there was nothing formal about this arrangement. So in a sense my first funeral was a surprise funeral.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Jehovah's Witness, Really?
So today while my kids were napping some Jehovah's Witnesses stopped by. They were two very nice women named Gina and Nicole. Nicole just stood and smiled the whole time. Gina was older (late 40's) and she did all the talking. We got to know one another and what churches we are apart of. Funny thing, they never argued. All they wanted was to show me the "truth", and Gina actually flipped to a few key verses which she promptly took out of context. That's ok though, it's to be expected of the deceived.
They asked if they could come back sometime and I said they are more than welcome to come by but I don't think we will be switching churches any time soon. At the conclusion of our conversation, and after a brief Wesleyan history, they were still confused as to how we were related to the Methodists. That's ok, it's to be expected of the deceived.
Then they hand me a pamphlet, which I'll admit I did peruse. They misused Jesus title as the "Word" with another passage of scripture that was just talking about small caps "words". But that's ok, it's to be expected of the deceived.
They asked if they could come back sometime and I said they are more than welcome to come by but I don't think we will be switching churches any time soon. At the conclusion of our conversation, and after a brief Wesleyan history, they were still confused as to how we were related to the Methodists. That's ok, it's to be expected of the deceived.
Then they hand me a pamphlet, which I'll admit I did peruse. They misused Jesus title as the "Word" with another passage of scripture that was just talking about small caps "words". But that's ok, it's to be expected of the deceived.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Skeels chapel session
So here I am, a graduate of Skeels Christian School. Now I've had the opportunity to go and speak in their chapel, and out of that lesson I think I've struck on something that may effect a good part of my ministry to come as a youth pastor.
The lesson was about following the rules of Christianity and how it's impossible to completely follow some list when really it's just letting God live in us. All the rest of His rules come in hand with loving Him. At the end of the lesson I had covered so many rules that they were all kind of chuckling like, "We're never gonna remember this stuff". Believe it or not this was the response I was looking for because the goal of my lesson was to give them something they could remember. I don't know how original it is, but I've never heard anyone use it so I'll call it mine (with direct influence from the Bible and the guidance of the Holy Spirit). I then told them to live love loud. I also had them repeat it.
So regardless of whether or not you remember anything about this blog entry or who is talking to you I recommend that you live for God in your life for all of your life, that you love him with everything you've got, and then be loud about that love by telling everyone you know, fearlessly and boldy, that you love to live for God. Live love loud.
The lesson was about following the rules of Christianity and how it's impossible to completely follow some list when really it's just letting God live in us. All the rest of His rules come in hand with loving Him. At the end of the lesson I had covered so many rules that they were all kind of chuckling like, "We're never gonna remember this stuff". Believe it or not this was the response I was looking for because the goal of my lesson was to give them something they could remember. I don't know how original it is, but I've never heard anyone use it so I'll call it mine (with direct influence from the Bible and the guidance of the Holy Spirit). I then told them to live love loud. I also had them repeat it.
So regardless of whether or not you remember anything about this blog entry or who is talking to you I recommend that you live for God in your life for all of your life, that you love him with everything you've got, and then be loud about that love by telling everyone you know, fearlessly and boldy, that you love to live for God. Live love loud.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Sign Out
So I was playing basketball at lunch today and there was a weird free-for-all game going on at one of the corner hoops. They said I could join whenever. It was called "sign out". Basically I'm on my own team and whenever someone makes a basket the person closest to them or the person guarding them is out. The basket maker then goes to the free throw line and it he makes it there calls someone out, takes a step back and if made again calls another person out until he misses or wins. Holy cow, I had a blast. I only wish I'd known the game was happening a week and a half ago while I was not playing basketball during my lunch hour.
Thoughts on Subbing
So I've been subbing in Houghton Lake High School for two weeks straight. It's definitely one of the most stressful things I've tried to do on top of being the only pastor within 1,200 miles of our church. Everyone else besides my wife with twins are on vacation, which means my senior pastor (my dad) left saying, "Number 2, you have the helm". Star Trek terms always make him feel better.
Anyways, I've only had to write up 2 kids and kick one out to the hall to yell at (I never raised my voice). Teenagers can really make your blood boil, I would know, I was one. Some of these kdis obviously demonstrate that their home lives are less than perfect, which is not unusual. Many are already demonstrating that they are making very primary decisions at an age that should not require that.
In short, I have realized that we are raising a generation at war against itself both individually and among peers. A split to which I have never observed in teens before. Anyone who reads this should be gravely concerned about the future for our kids. They will face challenges similar to us and yet some are unbelievably beyond anything we've had to deal with before. Pray hard.
Anyways, I've only had to write up 2 kids and kick one out to the hall to yell at (I never raised my voice). Teenagers can really make your blood boil, I would know, I was one. Some of these kdis obviously demonstrate that their home lives are less than perfect, which is not unusual. Many are already demonstrating that they are making very primary decisions at an age that should not require that.
In short, I have realized that we are raising a generation at war against itself both individually and among peers. A split to which I have never observed in teens before. Anyone who reads this should be gravely concerned about the future for our kids. They will face challenges similar to us and yet some are unbelievably beyond anything we've had to deal with before. Pray hard.
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