"Remember now your creator in the days of your youth. before the difficult days come and the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them." Ecclesiastics 12:2

My prayer for my children is that they will someday see the greater picture. Youth often live life for the moment. They feel indestructable. They feel their whole lifes are ahead of them and they need to have as much fun as possible. I love to see my kids enjoy life in good, healthy ways. I just pray for their protection against the powers and principalities of darkness. I whole heartedly believe there are evil influences trying to rob us of our souls. The Bible says "We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6 :12. "For the theif cometh but for to steal, and to kill and to destroy...." John 10:10. I think these evil influences come in many forms, in some music, in the media, in drugs, in cults and occults such as Wicca, even sometimes churches. There are churches that appear to tell a form of the truth but in reality tell a lie. These churches believe that we make our own truth, or that we pick and chose what we believe of the Bible. This is a form of spiritual depravity that will steal one's soul. I told Kevin recently that there is such a bigger picture out there as to why I don't want him to go to "Ozz Fest" or not. I have my parental reasons to not let him go such as the drinking, the drugs, the mayhem but far greater is the spiritual influence of the music/musicians. No matter how great a musician is, if he promotes anger, violence, immortality his music is "worthless". The big picture is "What do I want Kevin to pattern his life after?" And it is not after a rock musician with bigger problems than one could imagine. I want him to be a man with a belief in not just "a greater power", but in the greater power. The one who sacrificed His life for us to "...have life and have it more abundantly." also John 10:10. I want my children to not find their own ways but to seek God's way. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and he will direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5&6
A friend of mine called today to tell me her son accepted Christ in his life. I am so happy for them. She said it is evident there is a change in his life. She says he just sounds happier. He is 22 and I'm sure he spent some of his life doing his own thing but God had a greater plan for him. I believe that God has a plan for each of my kids. He will not give up on them and neither do I. While Jess lived at home I tried my hardest to guide her. I am trying to do the same with Kevin. We are sometimes at odds. He does make his own choices but I am still trying to guide him. I am not afraid to say uncomfortable things to him if they might make him think of his actions. As adults we get to make our own decisions. I've certainly never wanted someone telling me how to live my life. At times I've even not wanted to listen to God's word and tried to ignore it. I've learn mostly from experience. Of course I don't want any of my kids struggling but sometimes that is how we learn our greatest lessons. It is hard to watch sometimes but I trust that God has a greater purpose. "And what doesn't kill us only makes us stronger", I've heard said. God accepts us and patiently waits for us to need Him.
I am happy that I have Erik, still young and tender hearted. The teenage years will rip your heart out and Erik has help me keep my sanity. Roger is a great support system too. Lately Erik and I have been getting up at 5am when Roger goes to work. We walk 2 miles, then read a devotion, have a prayer, then read a book together. We have lots of good talks on our walks and have gotten really close. I thank God that Erik has the opportunity to know God from a youth and I hope that Roger and I have grown as parents, at least in example.

Temporal Things

"What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul." Matt. 6:20

I said I was going to write the awesome things about being an adult. First off, I have to say that I believe that this world is temporal. And all things that give enjoyment here are only for a moment. I think that we only find true contentment and happiness in this life thru faith in Jesus Christ. We can attain to gain financially, through career, education or success. These things can all be good, but do not prepare us for eternity. Preparation for eternity is only achieved thru simple faith. Not of works. Not how much you do. But simply by faith..."Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1 I believe not because the Bible has been proven to me...but because I chose to believe. There are people who study the history of the Bible and can give you good reason to believe it theoretically. Then there are those who try to discredit it or question the deity of Christ like those believing works of fiction such as "The Davinci Code" For those looking for scientific evidence to believe the Bible they may find in thru such organizations as answersingenesis.org. I've believed since I was a child. Not that I haven't questioned things but what causes me to overcome these doubts are seeing the results of living things God's way as opposed to my way. I find it much easier to believe that God created this incredible world with all it's complexities rather than to believe it all evolved from an atom. I am amazed by the indescribable solar system. See the astronomy pictures of the day at antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html. Or the amazing Earth. See the earth science picture of the day at epod.usra.edu/.
I have found that material things only bring temporary happiness. I get enjoyment from a new car, new clothes, new house decor, etc. but they are soon the old car, the old clothes, the old decor. When I get bored with the mundane I try to make excitement out of the mundane. Like many people I'm sure, I have days where I feel like I'm sick too of working, worrying, living. So after I'm done with my pity party I realize life goes on and I am truly blessed. Of course it could be worse, right? So I look for ways to pull myself out of the quagmire of life and live. It truly is a wonderful life. So here are things about this temporal world that bring me pleasure.
Sunrises and sunsets.
Gentle rains.
walks at dawn with Erik and Max.
a ride on the 4-wheeler at dusk with Roger.
music- Worship music, heals and uplifts my spirit. Classical, (listen to the young family of pianists "The 5 Browns"), this inspires me. Salsa, makes me want to dance. Christian, this gives me hope.
Books- The Bible, strengthens my faith. Self-help, gives me direction ( read "A Long Way Off" by Kitti Murray if you've experienced hurt over a child). Fiction, helps me escape reality. Devotionals, helps me build on my faith (read "Irrepressible Hope" by 7 incredible faith-inspired authors)
Foods- Cajun anything! Chicago style hotdogs, cobb salad with blue cheese dressing, Red Lobster's biscuits, Chili's egg rolls, hot apple pie with ice cream, etc, etc.
Sitting by a fire.
Holding a baby.
Driving wherever I want...(when I was a child I often could not wait to drive to Lake Michigan and get out and dip my feet in, instead of sitting in the car while my parents drove by the lake!)
Ride on the back of a motorcycle with the wind on my face-this I did with my brother Paul who I miss and remember often.
Shopping at thrift stores- it is such a bargain that you feel good about the money you are not spending at Neiman Marcus. (Never shopped there by the way. Don't care either.)
Vacations- whether they are weekend trips or road/plane trips I enjoy every one of them. I may not have traveled worldwide yet but I get out of "Mayberry" now and then.
Laughing-with my family and friends or at myself. And of course at "I Love Lucy"
Meeting ordinary and extraordinary people. I've never met a president, an arch bishop or a celebrity but I've met very many interesting people. And old people have such good stories too!
So it may seem like childhood was the best days of my life and somedays I wish I could be a child again but with age comes experiences and appreciation. I have yet to experience- being a grandma, dancing at a child's wedding, retirement, menopause :)
True, life has it share of disappointments too. A song we sang in church today says, "Blessed be the name of the Lord... He gives and takes away... My heart will chose to say, blessed be the name of the Lord." God has given me much and taken away little. I hope that I will always be able to bless God thru the good and bad. I admire people such as Barbara Johnson who experienced a lot of heartache, deaths of 2 sons, an estranged son, her own sickness, etc and still keeps her faith. To trust the Lord that he has a greater purpose is the greatest demonstration of faith.