Hemingway was full of great quotes...  The one that sticks with me and I find myself constantly mulling over is: "Nobility is not found in being superior to one's fellow man but in being superior to one's former self."  Those are very humbling words if you take a little time and really chew on them.

For those of us who have submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, these words should have special meaning.  They remind us that we are new creations through the blood of Christ.  We are no longer slaves to our former natures.  We are free to be more than we could ever have otherwise been because we are now  filled with the Holy Spirit.  

These words should give us pause to consider that, for us as a Christians, we ultimately don't have to compare our successes or failures to other people or kill ourselves to live up to their expectations.  Ultimately, our goal is to serve the King with with all or the gifts and talents with which He has so richly blessed us.  Doing that will always lead us toward growth; spiritually, personally, and communally.

In other words, we as Christians will never get where we are going by looking sideways to see what everyone else is doing or thinking but by looking toward God to grab hold of where has set us free to go.   

When I first met Scott Smith (my old BSU Director at Lander U), he talked a lot about this question. He said it was the second most important question in life. That question scared me, because I had fallen into a world of broken mirrors. Those mirrors had decided to point out all the things that are “wrong” with me, and deep down inside I thought that’s what Jesus was going to do, too. When I finally let Jesus in, he set me free.
Scott reminded me that God’s names for me were: chosen son, rain that fertilizes and makes things grow, protected, and most of all LOVED.  He reminded me that  my life may have been a mess but it was a beautiful mess, a perfect artwork, and that even in the ashes of my darkness God was making a fertile and wild garden.
It is so easy buy in to the names that the world has for us…  The world has no problem pointing out our short comings and issues and if we let it, pretty soon we start to see ourselves through that lens. 
Never forget that you are wonderfully and beautifully made!  You are made in the perfect image of God Himself and that gives you all of the value you will ever need.  If you follow Christ then you have a beautiful name to go with that beautiful image.  CHRISTIAN. 
Wear it with humble pride in the knowledge that you too are a: chosen son or daughter, that you are the rain that fertilizes and should make people grow, that you are protected, and most of all… YOU ARE LOVED!!!!!
 

I have a simple question that is burdening my heart of late.  “WHERE IS THE JOY?”  We have been given the greatest gift mankind has ever known through the blood of Christ.  We have an eternity to look forward to in which we can know and be known by our creator face to face.  We have assurances through His HOLY WORD that he loves us and is with us even now.  So again I ask, “WHERE IS THE JOY?” 
​
I get it… Life is sometimes and even often hard.  Believe me I see it all the time working with the fire department. There are times when our circumstances can steal our temporal happiness.  However, there is nothing (no matter how bad) in this world that has to power to steal the JOY of those who’s names are written in the book of life.  That is something we as followers of Christ have to willingly give up.

I’m saying this because it hurts my soul when I see fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who have seemingly given up their joy.  It’s like every time you see them they have something to complain about, nothing is ever going their way, and somehow somewhere the sky must be falling.  (Again, I’m not trying to belittle true tragedies that we all face from time to time that become overwhelming.)  It’s just that some folks seem to wallow in it… 

What ultimately happens is that over time, many of those folks loose sight of the joy that we have in Jesus Christ and they become… JOY SUCKERS.  They develop a negative attitude about life and after a while they start spreading it around as if doing so will somehow validate how they feel.
​
God has called us to so much more.  He created us for a purpose! That purpose is to know Him, Serve Him, and Enjoy Him forever.  So I encourage you… if you feel like you have lost your JOY, remember the big picture.  You don’t have to define your existence by your sense of victimhood or by a difficult circumstance.  What Christ did on the cross set us free from all of that so we can live in the freshness of a JOY FILLED LIFE so I urge you…

GRAB IT AND RUN WITH IT AND HAVE SOME FUN ALONG THE WAY!!!!!!!

I have to say that there is a group of young people that make me very proud.  In the past couple of months we have started a new opportunity for our youth to serve our church and the local community.  We have named it the "Lamplighter Team".  Right now, the Lamplighter team is working on 3 separate projects.  One of the projects is to shoot promotional commercials to highlight big things our church is doing.  Currently they are working on a commercial to promote VBS that we will use to invite children around our community to our Vacation Bible School this summer.  Another of the projects they are working on is preparing a Back Yard Bible Club program to do for the children over at the Ware Hotel once a month.  I have spoken with the manager there and he is very excited about our young people doing that for them.  Finally, they are working on a secret project that they will be sharing on Easter Sunday morning.  Please be praying for them as they plan and implement these great projects to grow the Kingdom.

​4 Powerful Ways to Love Your Teens and Help Them Like You Back (Maybe)
By: Jessie Minassian

An eye roll (or 20). A smashed bumper. Indifference and disrespect. Eating the last of your favorite ice cream, for crying out loud! For some parents, the teenage years test the bonds of unconditional love like no other parenting season. We can't force our children to behave respectfully, love us wholeheartedly or — let's be honest — even like to be around us.
But here's the good news: After working with teens and their families for more than a decade, I've noticed four key actions that help parents connect with their teens, and as a result, make it easier for those teens to appreciate their families in return.

Fight fair
Conflict isn't the problem; knowing how to resolve it peaceably is. In our home, we call healthy conflict resolution "fighting fair." The goal is to reach a compromise or truce with a greater understanding of each other, rather than wounding each other with dagger-like words or cold indifference. When we stick to the rules of a good, clean fight, the resolution is alwaysbetter.
If you want your teens to engage in a meaningful discussion devoid of name-calling, low blows, running away, eye rolling and dismissive speech, show them how. This means you:

• Listen in order to understand.
• Don't criticize things the other can't change, such as learning ability, physical agility and appearance.
• Don't use physical violence or coercion.
• Stick to one issue at a time.
• Believe the best until guilt is proven.
• Reserve your veto power for the biggest issues.
• Concede when you're wrong.
• Ask forgiveness when necessary (even when your disrespect was instigated by his or hers).

The key to modeling a fair fight with a hormone-charged teenager is to keep your own emotions under control. Proverbs 17:27 says, "Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding."

Figure them out
Figuring out a teen sounds like an impossibility, akin to understanding quantum physics or capturing video of Bigfoot. While it might be impossible to wrap our minds around our teens' moody landscape and catawampus decision-making, we can get to know them as individuals. Sure, you know your son still gets hungry at 4 p.m. just as he did when he was 5, but do you know what his greatest fears are at 16? You might know your daughter would rather be grounded for a week than clean her room, but do you know who her best friends are and why?
Show love by taking time to know their evolving likes, dislikes, fears, hopes, conflicts and accomplishments. Your teens are changing quickly, which means you have the joy and responsibility of continually discovering them — who they are and who they are becoming. Showing an interest in your teens might not spark instant reciprocation, but they will likely soften when they see you genuinely care to know the real them.

Free them
Our goal as parents is to help our kids reach adulthood before they leave our home, not hope they figure it out after they leave. To do this, you have to concede freedoms, even when teens don't use those freedoms wisely. Let them increasingly make their own decisions about food, sleep, homework, purchases and activities, and allow them to enjoy the rewards or suffer the natural consequences of their choices.
Allow them to try and fail with as little "rescuing" as possible. For example, if you've given your teen the freedom to drive your car and she crashes it, let her know she is responsible for the repairs. Or if he works hard to purchase a car, let him decide which set of wheels to buy (even if you believe it's a frivolous choice).

​Foresee change
One of the only certainties about the teen years is that they will end. In a few years, your relationship will change. So before your teens launch into adulthood, ask yourself:

• How do I want to spend the days we have left together?
• Are there battles I can relinquish?
• Are there experiences I want us to share?

Make the most of these days, and tell your teens why you're being intentional. Invest in your relationship, not only to keep you from regret, but also to give your teens a solid footing for their lives ahead.

Over the years I have had a growing interest with WW2 history.  It started with a slight addiction to the History Channel and grew from there.  Maybe it's because I've known men for whom I have had great respect or maybe it's because when I met my birth mother I found out my grandfather crossed the Normandy beach on D-Day (not in the first waves mind you but later after the beach was taken)  It's probably a lot of things...

After watching the movie "Hacksaw Ridge" which is the story of Pvt. Desmond Doss and his heroic deeds in saving the lives of at least 75 wounded soldiers, one at a time, for an entire night, at incredible risk to himself, I decided to do a little research and see just what really happened.  

As it turns out, Mel Gibson, the director of the movie, decided to leave out some of the amazing things Pvt. Doss did because he felt that the real story would be too hard for movie audiences to believe.  In other words, Pvt. Doss was an even greater hero in reality than he was in the movie.

What the movie depicts is true...  All of it...  It just leaves parts of the real story out because the director felt it was just too much to be believed.

I think that is an issue we face today in "Christian" circles.  I make no bones about the fact that I am a "Sola Scriptura" believer.  That means that I believe that the Bible is not only the best source of truth with regard to God and His will for our lives and the world, but the only RELIABLE, AUTHENTIC, AND TRUE source.  Not just the parts that I like but even the parts that I don't.  (Yes... there are things in Scripture I don't like)  The thing is that it doesn't matter if I like them or not.  God didn't ask me for my opinion when He was creating the order of things and that means that I have to conform to His way of doing things.  I have to accept that the Bible is absolutely true and right as it is in representing God and the telling of His story.  The Bible is the total source of knowing why Christ came and what he did for humanity.  It is our total source of knowledge of what is true and moral.

In our culture today I'm afraid that many people are finding it more and more convenient and easy to believe some of the truths of Scripture and simply choosing to ignore some of the others.  In other words, they are accepting a partial truth rather than the hard reality of what is really taught in the Bible.  

I say this in love!!!  We can not water down the reality of the Bible and what it teaches on who God is and what His standard is for his followers.  If we are to be true "Disciples" then we have to go in "Lock, Stock, and Barrel".  God will never compromise when it comes to what is Biblical or Un-Biblical, what is moral or immoral, what is true or false.  God's reality is the only reality.  Anything else is a very wide road...

​John Wheeler 

This is an article by Chrissy Gordon I found that I think is important for all of us to hear as parents!!!

​When your young child reaches the teenage years it may seem he or she doesn’t want the physical and emotional affection of mom or dad. But perhaps more than any time in their life a teenager needs to experience the “unfailing love” of his or her parents.    

A young girl wrote this song about her absentee dad:

I wear your old clothes, your polo sweater. I dream of another you, the one who would never leave me alone to pick up the pieces – a daddy to hold me. That’s what I needed.
That young girl would grow up to record those words in the song “Confessions of a Broken Heart.” She would perform in movies, be in and out of jail, go to rehab and struggle “getting her act together.” And so when you look beyond the erratic behavior of actor, songwriter and musical artist Lindsay Lohan you see a girl in search of her father’s love.

An extraordinarily talented 5-year-old boy was rehearsing with his four brothers. The singing brothers were practicing for an upcoming TV special. Their father was guiding them through a number and the boys weren’t getting their parts just right. The little 5-year-old wanted a clarification so he addressed his father. “Daddy,” he began. But instantly his father interrupted him and sternly stated “I’m not your father now, I’m your manager and don’t you ever forget it.” And little Michael Jackson never did.

A few years before Michael’s death, he was speaking to some 800 students at Oxford University. He was promoting his newly-formed foundation, “Help the Children.” About fifteen minutes into his presentation he began to weep almost uncontrollably. After a few minutes he regained his composure and seemingly out of nowhere said, “I just wanted a dad. I wanted a father to show me love. But I never once heard my father say, ‘Michael, I love you.’”

More than fortune or fame; more than peer acceptance or anything else your kids could dream for, they want to know you are there for them with “unfailing love.” No, you don’t toss out the rules or lower the boundaries of protection. They need the boundaries to feel secure. But they need those rules and boundaries within the context of your loving relationship. The power of your love toward them will be the motivating factor to make the right moral choices.

​When you finish reading these words, go to your child or teenager and surprise them with a hug. As you wrap your arms around them let them hear your words, “I love you.” And then commit to letting them see your love modeled before them every day. As you do, you will be convincing their emotions that you are there for them with an “unfailing love.” Your loving relationship can empower them to believe right, embrace the right values, and live right. That is the power of love

This is the re-post of an article from a Youth Ministry writer I like to read.  His name is Jonathan McKee.  www.theSource4Parents.com 

Have you ever regretted something you posted on social media? 

Don’t feel bad, 57% of Americans who use social media have posted something they regret afterwards. And that’s just adults. Now jump into the brain of a 10-year-old. Yes, a 10-year-old. Nielsen research labels age 10 as the “mobile adoption sweet spot” because the average age a child receives a smartphone today is 10.3 years-old. How is a 10-year-old supposed to make wise decisions on their favorite social media apps like Snapchat, Instagram or FriendO? (Especially when COPPA—Child Online Privacy Protection Act—regulates that you have to be at least 13 to be on any of those three apps). 

Today’s young people don’t think for more than 3 seconds before they post, press SEND, or accept a friend request (the more friends the better, right?). Sadly, the pics they post, the rants they engage in and the connections they make often lead to dire consequences. 

So how can we help young people think before they click? 

Here are two conversations we need to have with young people about the devices they know and love: the friends they “friend”, and the pics they post. 

The Friends they “Friend” 
Consider SnapMaps for a moment. Snapmaps is a cool feature on Snapchat that allows you to see where your friends are on a map at any moment. Of course, they can also see where you are at any moment. This is a lot of fun when you want to see which of your friends are hanging out at the place you’re hanging... but consider the ramifications for a moment. 

A 13-year-old girl finishes hanging out with her friends at the mall, texts mom for a ride, and waits for her by the exit.

• QUESTION: Who else knows she’s standing there? 
  
  ANSWER: Unless she opted to be in Ghost Mode, or took the time to go into her Snap preferences and select only a custom group of friends to be able to see her, then the answer is every one of her friends can see her exact location on a map.

This begs the question: Has she met every one of her friends face to face? 

Are you sure that the 16-year-old guy she met online and “friended” last week is actually a 16-year-old… or is he the 44-year-old pedophile sitting in his car at the mall watching for any likely “friends” to wander outside by themselves? 

This happens all the time. In fact, whenever I address young people I share story after story of “friends” who didn’t turn out to be friends at all. In fact, in my new book to teenagers on this subjectI share a frightening true story about a guy the police called “creepy underwear guy” who used young girls’ locations to sneak into their bedrooms and steal their underwear. Whenever I tell this story I always see girls slowly pulling out their phones and checking their privacy settings. 

Nobody wants creepy underwear guy in their room! 

We need to help young people rethink who they’re “friending.” 

But that’s not all they need to rethink… 

The Pics They’re Posting 
I hear it all the time from school principals when I show up to speak at a school assembly. 

“Last week I practically had to shut down the school because of the pictures that were being passed around. Kids couldn’t even concentrate on school because everyone had seen the pictures!” 

It happens all the time (in fact, it happened at a Christian school I worked with). It’s like this: Boy convinces girl to send him a pic. (After all, it disappears, right?) Girl sends pic. Boy screenshots “disappearing” pic. Boy and girl eventually break up. Boy sends pic to all of his friends: “Look at this tramp!” Girl is devastated because everyone is giggling and pointing as she walks around campus. 

Young people don’t think through the permanence of their posts. They use an app that brags, “the pics disappear” and they interpret that as “no consequences.” It doesn’t take long for them to discover a simple screenshot takes away the “temporary.” 

We need to help kids understand: nothing you post is temporary. So don’t post anything you don’t want your principal, Grandma, your future boss… and Jesus seeing (Jesus is on Insta, you know). 

Are you helping kids think before they click? 

No one questions how hard it is to raise children and youth to be committed followers of Jesus Christ in the culture we live in today.  Even here in S. Georgia, which has been considered the heart of the "Bible Belt", young people are challenged and even assaulted on every level when it comes to standing up for and living out their faith.  Parents and those working with students often feel like they are on an island when it comes to dealing with the challenges they face.  Nothing could be farther from the truth!!  There are many wonderful ministries dedicated to helping Christian parents navigate the turbulent waters that come with parenting.   

I am providing a new section in the youth web site for parents to look to as a true and functional resource.  With that in mind, I have made a "Parent Resource" page with several links that I know you will find very helpful and dare I say, "Educational".  I will active be adding to it as I come across articles and web sites.  Please feel free to share other resources with me that you feel may be helpful.  I'd love to see this section of the web site grow.

Here is a link to take you to it.