Anxiety · Causes · Depressed · family · Family Share · fatherhood · Health · kids · love · Mental Health · mom · motherhood · reeding · sunday devotion · teens · World VS Life

6 things to do when you’re losing a wayward child #parenting

stairs-1024x682

  • They may be your literal flesh and blood, but that doesn’t mean your children will embrace your values or your rules. Finding yourself challenged with a wayward child can be heart-wrenching, and often makes you second-guess not only yourself but your parenting strategies as well. If you want to get your child back, it’s important not to lose hope. You can do more than you think.
  • Don’t blame yourself

    From acting up in kindergarten to sneaking out in high school, parents have a tendency to blame their children’s behavior on themselves. But taking on that kind of guilt won’t help your child find the right path, and nor will it help you deal healthily with the situation at hand. Not only does blaming yourself make you feel bad, but it also sends your child the message that he doesn’t need to be accountable for his actions. According to Empower Parents, when a parent blames himself, “the child gets the message that he’s not responsible for his own behavior and choices-his parents are. Unfortunately, this can lead to a lifetime pattern of blaming others and refusing to take responsibility. It will always be his spouse’s fault, the boss’s fault, the police officer’s fault, or the legal system’s fault.”

  • Stick to your values

    When you’re a parent, you’re charged with the responsibility of teaching your child morals and ethics, however you view them. But when your child becomes wayward, she will challenge these values to the very core. Whether these morals come from a religious or secular place, it’s critical that you show your child consistency in what you view as acceptable and unacceptable behavior. For example, if you’ve taught your child that underage drinking is wrong, don’t try to mitigate the risks of the behavior by allowing him to drink in your presence.

  • Love unconditionally

    It goes without saying that parents love their children unconditionally, but when you’ve got a wayward child, she can definitely try those feelings. While practicing unconditional love is easier in theory than in practice, it’s important if you’re trying to lead a wayward child back to the family fold. According to Aha! Parenting, “unconditional love is like a muscle. It needs a daily workout. Compassion is the heavy lifting of life.” If you don’t feel like you’re in the habit of loving your child unconditionally, don’t worry, it’s still possible to achieve it.

  • Let them be them

    When you see your child going down an undesirable path, your first reflex might be to take control. For example, when your son begins hanging out with a less-than-reputable crowd, it might be tempting to force him into soccer or football to keep him occupied after school and help him meet new friends. Psychology Todayadvises:

    “When we do that – that is, parent our children according to our own requirements, desires, or standards of how things ‘should be’ – we often deprive them of developing a solid sense of self. We stifle their innate creativity and urges. What’s more, we may subconsciously deliver the message that they will only earn our love by being just like us.”

  • Fight with them

    Fighting with them doesn’t mean you should go around arguing, screaming or bickering at your child. The fact of the matter is, many wayward children are facing some difficult demons, whether those are substance abuse, addictions, eating disorders, bullying or abuse. Any of those issues could be making your child feel isolated and hopeless. As parents, you’ll do anything to help your child find happiness and peace, and that will likely require a fight. Your child may not have the strength to face her demons, but when you join in the fight, your whole family will be stronger for it. And it will show your child that you’re in this with them, which may help bolster their hope and motivation.

  • Invade their space

    Giving your child his space and hoping he’ll make the right decisions on his own might sound enlightened in theory, but in practice, a laissez-faire parenting approach rarely works. That’s why it’s so important to monitor your child’s behavior and correct it when it needs correcting. For example, don’t allow your wayward child carte blanche access to the internet or social media when you think she’s sending or receiving explicit posts. Monitoring your child’s behaviorisn’t an invasion of privacy. It’s your duty.

    If you want to become more involved in your child’s life, WebSafety offers an easy-to-use app that helps you keep tabs on your children’s online and cellular activity.

 

 

 

Home

Devotion · family · fatherhood · kids · love · mom · motherhood · reeding · women · World VS Life

“Oh, How He Loves Us” 


“Oh, How He Loves Us” 

You’ve always heard that we are created in the image of God. But what does that really mean, and why did God create us in His image? When you hear that, you probably are reminded of your worth – that if the God of the universe created you like Him – you are worth something. But it can also be a little scary, because we can get a “God complex,” thinking we are equal with Him because we are made in His image. 
Let’s take a look at the beginning – to see where God fell deeply in love with us. Take a trip with me back to the Garden of Eden. I imagine it must have been the most beautiful sight. Vast with greenery, sprouting with life, and glowing with perfection. It was perfect. God created our world and had us in mind. He knew he wanted to bring us into this world to love in a way our minds cannot fathom. So, He created us in His image. 
The Hebrew meaning of the phrase image of God is imago Dei meaning “image, shadow or likeness of God.” I like to think of us as a snapshot, or a replication of Him. And that’s where it gets tricky because we begin to think we are in charge. We can easily confuse our God-likeness to being gods. God did place us in the highest order of His creations, because we are the only creations made in his image. It’s when we begin to become more like Him that we are truly his image bearers. We will be the most whole when we develop into who God made us to be. 
If this in itself isn’t a beautiful picture of God’s love for us, He gave us an entire love story in His Word. Story after story of His love, His faithfulness and His unrelenting passion for us. When we are ready to realize we are not God, we are of Him and His love for us is deeper than anything we can fully grasp – that’s when we will truly be an imago Dei of Him.
{ Genesis 1  } 

Anxiety · Causes · family · fatherhood · Health · kids · love · mom · motherhood · savings · teens · women · Wordless · World VS Life

7 things you must do If You Find Drugs in your kids room #momlife

aa4eeba4e4f11e72bee9d9364683768a

Drugs in your kids room: 7 things you must do
You are looking through your kids room and run across drugs or alcohol. Disbelief, anger, sadness, there are so many emotions. What should you do?

  • So you’re cleaning your kid’s room after asking them for the seventh time to do it. While you’re doing it, you run across some type of alcohol or drug. You’re shocked at first, and then some denial comes in. Then you’re angry. Figuring out a good way to handle it can be the difference between building a stronger relationship with your child or creating an even bigger rift in your relationship with them. Here are several things to remember when you have to deal with this situation.
  • 1. You are not alone

    Every day, parents all over the world have children that are involved in drugs and alcohol. This doesn’t mean it’s OK, but it does mean you don’t have to go through this challenging, and sometimes uncomfortable, time alone. Alanon family is a great resource for parents who are in the midst of not knowing what to do.

  • 2. Have a plan

    It would be really easy to have a negative knee-jerk reaction to finding drugs or alcohol in your child’s room. There will be any number of emotions you will be feeling, and you may want to take care of the problem right then and there. Yes, this could be a crisis, and it’s not something that will be able to solve itself in the next few hours. It will be wise to have a plan of action. When will you talk? Who will you have present with you? What questions will you need to have answered? If you have these kinds of things mapped out ahead of time, your conversation can go much more smoothly as you approach your kid.

  • 3. Don’t go in angry

    It is completely understandable to be angry about this new information you have just found out about. Yet, trying to let someone know your concern about them in the midst of anger doesn’t usually work well. It especially doesn’t work well if you try to do it with a teen. They hear and feel your anger instead of the actual message. Anger is a secondary emotion. What you are really feeling is something more akin to hurt, sadness, disappointment or loss. Those are the emotions you should talk about.

  • 4. You are in charge

    To some degree, you, as the parent, should be in charge in your child’s life. The fact that you found what you found should let you clearly know that you NEED to stay in charge. Your child is off-course and you need to help him get back on course. The challenge here is if you are off-course yourself. It’s going to be much more difficult to get your child back on track. Part of the reason he could be using drugs is due to something you may or may not be doing. Self-evaluation is going to be important in this process. If you are using illegal drugs and your kid knows it, it will be very difficult for him to listen to you. Make sure you are not doing things that undermine you being in charge.

  • 5. Gather support

    You don’t have to do this alone. Since you are in charge it’s going to be important to gather support around yourself and your kid. This support can take form in a variety of ways. The most immediate way to get support is with a spouse or significant other who can help you. Together you can think of some ways to implement a new plan in the home. Gathering other family members, church members or even close friends can be useful as well. If you absolutely have no one in your vicinity to provide support, then the above link to Alanon can be a starting place to find support.

  • 6. Stay consistent

    Kids need consistency in their lives. This is no different. Once you have a plan and have gathered support you now need to stay consistent. You can’t let things get in the way of your consistency. Things unfortunately may need to be arranged in your life in order to make things work in a consistent manner.

  • 7. Love your kid

    When you had your child, there was no way you imagined she would someday use illegal substances. Instead, you had great hopes and dreams for her. At the core of your relationship with her, there was love. This love caused you to stay up nights with her when she was sick, make her favorite meals, take her to places she loved. This love is what will carry you through now. It will help you stay consistent and do the hard things when it comes to helping your child. Love is simply not an emotion, it’s also an action. You can and must love your child even in the midst of these difficult circumstances.

    The important thing to remember through this process is the value of controlled action and love. While this discovery may offer its share of pain, the end result can be one of hope, recovery and understanding.

 

Dr. David Simonsen
dad · family · fatherhood · kids · love · mom · motherhood · photography · Poem · reeding · Style · teens · women · Wordless · World VS Life

First Day of College #momlife 


FIRST DAY OF COLLEGE

I miss the days when you would just crawl into my arms and my hugs and kisses were all you seemed to need….. I can only hope that we have taught you the most important lessons about life….ethics, morality….if not in words then at least through our actions and deeds.

You will have temptation from every direction, and will need to have the guts to know what is right and not just follow the ‘pack’! If you still have any doubt on how to proceed…..REMEMBER…now that you are 18, you will always be tried as an adult!

There is always someone smarter than you, dumber than you, more confused than you, more secure, less confident, more sensitive, less reserved….and even more dysfunctional! Enjoy the benefits of meeting some, and show compassion for the others. Roles may be reversed next week!

In these upcoming years, don’t be afraid to roll up your sleeves and work hard for what you want! You have never shied away from hard work…..don’t start now! Believe in yourself and never be afraid to say what you really think or feel. You will be facing adversity……make sure you get up when you are kicked down, holding your head high! Continue to be the loving, caring son/friend I know you to be. Compassion is everything in life!

You have been so focused on who and what you want to be since you were 5 years of age. With the endless possibilities in front of you, don’t be afraid if your goals take a couple of twists and turns. This is only natural and expected. You are surrounded by our love and support.

I am so proud to be your Mom. You are a true gift from God and one of my greatest accomplishments. I cannot wait to see what your future holds, the possibilities are endless.

I Love you ❤

 
Author unknown
dad · Devotion · family · Family Share · fatherhood · kids · love · mom · motherhood · teens · Wordless · World VS Life

5 tips on fighting fair with your teen

5 tips on fighting fair with your teen

Fights with your moody teenagers are inevitable, but here are a few things to remember when a battle breaks out.
  • Teenagers can be terrors, and battles are bound to break out. But not every argument has to be a free-for-all fight. It may seem fitting to make sure your little one knows who’s boss in your home, but it’s important to remember that your kids are still growing, and how you handle arguments with them will teach them how to handle arguments with others. You are a model for your son’s behavior, and you’re teaching your daughter what to expect from the world. So when frustrations rise and tensions boil over, remember this important advice about fights:
  • 1. Words hurt, and cannot be taken back

    You can’t un-ring a bell; and you can’t take back hurtful words you say to your child. You may instantly forget what is spewed in a fray, but the worse it was, the longer your child will remember. No matter how bad the conflict seems, your son or daughter needs to know you’ll still be there for him or her once the battle is over and the smoke has cleared. That bond and trust can easily be broken when he or she has to forget something terrible you’ve said to rebuild your relationship.

  • 2. Your child will remember things you forget

    It’s not just words you must be careful of in fights; your actions can also speak loudly. Acting aggressively toward your son or daughter – lunging, chasing, grabbing or raising a fist – is unnecessary. And needless to say, making contact in this manner is entirely inappropriate. If your teen loses control and attacks you, your job is to restrain and de-escalate — never to retaliate. Likewise, leaving your child in a fight, either at home or stranded somewhere, will leave him feeling abandoned. Be present and available, even in conflict. And see your fight through until its resolution.

  • 3. You are the adult, and you are in control

    Not of your son, but of yourself. He is growing into an independent person with a mind of his own, and no amount of punishment, rage or belittling is going to turn him into who or what you want him to be. He has to find that for himself. But the best way to encourage this is to show him how to be someone you would want him to be; especially in times of crisis.

family father mother daughter dispute screaming silhouette

  • 4. You are a role model

    How you respond in times of stress says a lot about you and your parenting. Show your child how a mature adult responds to the world when things are not going your way. You may feel justified in blowing up and getting into a shouting match, but nothing gets heard or resolved over yelling. Make change at indoor volume.

  • 5. Yours is not the only valid opinion

    It may be time to sit back and actually listen to your teen’s point of view. Yes he may lie, and yes she may be manipulative, but somewhere deep down your teens are learning to navigate the world, and there is likely some structured and logical thinking. Acknowledge what actually makes sense, and build on that.

    Fights with your teens can be stepping stones into adulthood, so make sure you’re laying a good foundation. Teach your sons and daughters to resolve conflict and face an argument with good skills and goals so everyone comes out unscathed and no worse for wear.

snow-love-but-not_16355314461_o
Georgia D. Lee seeks to empower, inspire, enrich and educate anyone with an open mind, heart and spirit through her most treasured medium – black and white!
Website: http://authorgeorgiadlee.weebly.com
dad · family · Family Share · fatherhood · love · mom · photography · Poem · World VS Life

To The One That  I Love 

  
Seems like it was yesterday. We were standing at the altar. I was only 18 and you 21. People must of been thinking. ” what are these kids doing?” But here we are today. 
You’re turning 40 and I would like to wish you a Happy birthday! 

Couldn’t be a happier wife. You’re even better than what I ever imagine. 

A husband that takes care of his house, his kids, well his family in general. 

A person that a friend can count on. 

A Pastor with many other values. 

I’m very proud of you for everything you are and for everything I’m sure you will still become. 

You have many dreams you already conquered and a lot still to come. 

I’ve made a promise to be by you’re side and a promise I’ll keep ” Till Death do Us Part. ”
 I Love You forever and Always. Happy 40th Birthday !!! 
You’re wife. ❤️💕

decoration · entertainment · family · Family Night · fatherhood · fun · kids · love · mom · motherhood · party · photography · Poem · teens · Wordless · World VS Life

Happy 16th Birthday :) #parenting 

  

 Today my youngest turns 16. I can’t believe how fast time has passed. I’m so proud of all my kids. There’s not words to describe how happy I am to be the mother of my three boys. I don’t know where I would be today If I didn’t get pregnant. They saved my life. I love these kids more than my own life. 

  
Happy Birthday Gabe mom and Dad love you very much.  
Happy Birthday

May everything happy

and everything bright

be yours on your birthday

from morning till night.

And then through the year

may the same thing hold true

so that each day is filled

with life’s best things for you!

Have a Happy Birthday

 Author: unknown

  

family · fatherhood · mom · motherhood · reeding · teens · women · World VS Life

INTERNET SAFETY #Parenting #kids #Pbloggers

This was shared on the Police of EB website and I wanted to share here on my blog.
I though the story was amazing. Every kid should read it and learn from it.

Never publicly post in ANY online forum any personally identifiable information. What is personally identifiable information? It’s any personal information that could be used to find or identify you in real life. This could be such information as your real name, address, telephone number, cell number, your sports team, health club, or links to websites or other profiles that might give this information away.

Even without meaning to, you can give this information away by taking a picture in front of your car with your license plate, home address, workplace, school, etc showing in the photo. You may be wearing a school or team t-shirt, a scout uniform or baseball cap that might give away ways of finding you offline. This information could be misused to steal your identity, guess your passwords, cyber stalk, cyber bully or harass you or by predators who really want to hurt you.

Always keep in mind that some individuals will maintain contact with the intent to glean as many small bits of information as possible. When viewed as a whole, these seemingly innocuous facts can used to determine a prospective victim’s actual location. They may use multiple screen names and user profiles, pretending to be other people, to gather more information from someone who might not be willing to continue talking to a stranger beyond a few conversations.

An easy guide for kids and teens is to tell them never to post anything that their parents and principal shouldn’t see.

On a related note, NEVER post any information or pictures that you would NOT want to be broadcast to the entire world. Remember, once you hit that send button, you will have virtually NO control over how this information will be used, or who may end up viewing it. A typical scenario involves one member persuading another to send them sexually explicit pictures of themselves. This can eventually lead to threats of publishing the pictures Internet-wide, or forwarding them to a victim’s friends, coworkers, and family members. Can you even imagine the level of embarrassment you may be forced to suffer?

NEVER give personal information to anyone you have not met in person. While it is human nature to want to know about the other person, their name, age, what they look like, where they live, this information is not needed to carry on a conversation. If someone presses you for this type of information, back away! Especially if the requests come early in your relationship. Most users with legitimate intentions will realize WHY you are reluctant to tell them, and will respect your desire to play it safe.

NEVER agree to meet someone you have only met online unless you have a mutual friend that could possibly vouch for them.

If you are under the age of 18 NEVER meet up with someone you have only met online unless your parents not only know who this person is, but agree to go along with you to the meeting.

If you feel you just must meet a new online acquaintance, NEVER go alone, and ALWAYS meet in a very public place like a popular coffee shop, a busy shopping mall, or similar place.

Choose your screen name carefully. Never include your real name, or any elements of it. Choose something fun, yet gender neutral. You may think that having a risqué screen name is cute, but be advised, you will attract the type of people your screen name appeals to. A screen name such as “Panda” is much less provocative than “SexMagnet”. And much less offensive to many of your fellow netizens.

Resist the urge to ‘tell people off’ or engage in ‘flame wars’. People come in all temperaments, and as in real life, there are those who will try to provoke you into an argument. This type of activity is becoming all too common online these days. Many people feel power through the anonymity that the keyboard gives them. Therefore, if you encounter someone who is rude in online chats, ignore them, back away! Most importantly, resist the urge to strike back at them. This type of person craves the attention their behavior brings them. Deprived of this attention, most either quit acting like jerks, or else move on. Either way, you have avoided a confrontation that can quickly escalate into a full-fledged harassment situation.

Remember your Netiquette and be nice!

Interesting Internet Safety Story

Something to think about.

Shannon could hear the footsteps behind her as she walked toward home. The thought of being followed made her heart beat faster. “You’re being silly,” she told herself, “no one is following you.”  To be safe she began to walk faster, but the footsteps kept up with her pace. She was afraid to look back and she was glad she was almost home. Shannon said a quick prayer, “God please get me home safe.” She saw the porch light burning and ran the rest of the way to her house. Once inside she leaned against the door for a moment, relieved to be in the safety of her home. She glanced out the window to see if anyone was there.  The sidewalk was empty.

After tossing her books on the sofa she decided to grab a snack and get on-line.  There she could talk to strangers without being afraid.  After all, no one knew who she really was and couldn’t hurt her.  She logged on under her screen name ByAngel213.   Checking her Buddy List she saw GoTo123 was on. She sent him an instant message:

ByAngel213:   Hi I’m glad you are on!   I thought someone was following me home today.   It was really weird!

GoTo123:   LOL   you watch too much TV.  Why would someone be following you?  Don’t you live in a safe neighborhood?

ByAngel213:   Of course I do LOL   I guess it was my imagination cause I didn’t see anybody when I looked out.

GoTo123:  Unless you gave your name out on line.  You haven’t done that have you?

ByAngel213:  Of course not.  I’m not stupid you know.

GoTo123:   Did you have a softball game after school today?

ByAngel213:   Yes and we won!

GoTo123:  That’s great! Who did you play?

ByAngel213:   We played the Hornets LOL.  Their uniforms are so gross!  They look like bees LOL

GoTo123:  What is your team called?

ByAngel213:  We are the Brockton Boxers.   Our colors are red and black and we have a bull dog on our uniforms.    They are really kewl.

GoTo123:  Do you pitch or what?

ByAngel213:   No I play second   base.   I got to go.   My homework has to be done before my parents get home.  I don’t want them mad at me.  Bye

GoTo123:  Catch you later.  Bye

GoTo123 decided it was time to teach Angel a   lesson.  One she would never forget.

He went to the member menu and began to search for her profile.   When it came up he highlighted it and printed it out.  He took   out a pen and began to write down what he knew about Angel so far.

Her name: Shannon

Birthday:   Jan. 3, 1986 age 13

State where she lived: Massachusetts

Hobbies: softball, chorus, skating and going to the mall.

Besides this information he knew she lived in Brockton.  She had just told him.  He knew she stayed by herself until 6:30 every afternoon until her parents came home from work. He knew she played softball on Thursday afternoons on the school team and the team was named the Boxers.  Her favorite number 7 was printed on her jersey. He knew she was in the seventh grade at a Brockton Junior High School.  She had told him all this in the conversations they had on line. He had enough information to find her now. “She’ll be so surprised” he thought, “she doesn’t even know what she has done.”

Shannon didn’t tell her parents about the incident on the way home from the ball park that day. She didn’t want them to make a scene and stop her from walking home from the softball games. Parents were always overreacting and hers were the worst. It made her wish she was not an only child. Maybe if she had brothers and sisters her parents wouldn’t be so overprotective.

By Thursday Shannon had forgotten about the footsteps following her. Her game was in full swing when suddenly she felt someone staring at her. It was then that the memory came back.  She glanced up from her second base position to see a man watching her closely. He was leaning against the fence behind first base and he smiled when she looked at him. He didn’t look scary and she quickly dismissed the fear she had felt.  After the game he sat on a bleacher while she talked to the coach. She noticed his smile once again as she walked past him. He nodded and she smiled back. He noticed her name on back of the shirt.  He knew he had found her. Quietly he walked a safe distance behind her.

He didn’t want to frighten her and have to explain what he was doing to anyone. It was only a few blocks to Shannon’s home and once he saw where she lived. He quickly returned to the park to get his car.  Now he had to wait.  He decided to get a bite to eat until the time came to go to Shannon’s house. He drove to a fast food restaurant and sat there until time to make his move.

Shannon was in her room later that evening when she heard voices in the living room.  “Shannon, come here” her father called. He sounded upset and she couldn’t imagine why. She went into the room to see the man from the ballpark sitting on the sofa. “Sit down,” her father began, “this man is a policeman and he has just told us a most interesting story about you.”  Shannon moved cautiously to a chair across from the man. How could he tell her parents anything? She had never seen him before today! “Do you know who I am Shannon?”   The man asked.  “No” Shannon   answered. “I am your online friend, GoTo123.” Shannon was stunned.  “That’s   impossible! GoTo is a kid my age! He’s 14 and he lives in Michigan!”  The man smiled. “I know I told you all that but it wasn’ t true. You see Shannon there are people on line who pretend to be kids; I was one of them.  But while others do it to find kids and hurt them, I belong to a group of parents who do it to protect kids from predators.  I came here to find you to teach you how dangerous it is to give out too much information to people on line. You told me enough about yourself to make it easy for me to find you. Your name, the school you went to, the name of your ball team and the position you played. The number and name on your jersey just made finding you a breeze.”

Shannon was stunned.  “You mean you don’t live in Michigan?” He laughed. “No, I live in Brockton. It made you feel safe to think I was so far away, didn’t   it?”  She nodded.   “I had a friend whose daughter was like you. Only she wasn’t as lucky.  The guy found her and attempted to abduct her while she was home alone. Kids are taught not to tell anyone when they are alone, yet they do it all the time on-line.  The wrong people trick you into giving out information a little here and there on-line.  Before you know it, you have told them enough for them to find you without even realizing you have done it.  I hope you’ve learned a lesson from this and won’t do it again.”

“I won’t,” Shannon promised solemnly.

“Will you tell others about this so they will be safe too?”

“It’s a promise!”

That night Shannon and her parents had a long conversation about her Internet experience and online friends.  They worked out a set of ground rules both Shannon and her parents felt comfortable with.  They all agreed that this time they were lucky.   If the person who tracked down Shannon was not a police officer, the results could have lead to a scary and possibly tragic situation. Remember the potential danger of giving away too much information about yourself.  The world we live in is too dangerous to even give out your age, let alone any other information that may be used to trace who you really are and where to find you.

Be Smart.  Be Safe!

*This story was adapted from the original “Shannon” story posted to the internet, author unknown.

MORE TO COME………

© 2011 East Bridgewater Police Department

book · dad · family · Family Share · fatherhood · kids · mom · motherhood · photography · reeding · sunday devotion · teens · World VS Life

Riding the Brakes #Parenting 

  

Riding the Brakes
I see parents all the time who are working very hard to correct their children, but they don’t realize it doesn’t have to be so hard. If they would invest more time in building a relationship—hit the gas a little harder—they would discover it’s much easier to steer.

That analogy poses the question: What gets in the way of building a relationship? Sometimes we blame our lack of time, because we’re just too busy. In the analogy, that’s like running out of gas. Other times we blame our children’s stubbornness. They don’t want a relationship with us and push us away. That’s like having a flat tire. We’re not going anywhere until we pull off to the side of our paths and change an attitude or two.

“But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.””

‭‭James‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Both our lack of time and their stubbornness can be factors in why the relationship isn’t gaining much acceleration. However, I’d like to suggest another reason, one I think is actually much more common than we recognize. Many parents are riding down the road with one foot on the gas and the other foot on the brake. And the name of that brake pedal is pride.

Three times in God’s Word, pride is linked to resistance. Peter and James both tell us, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” The writer of Proverbs says, “Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.” I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking that if God says something three times, it must be really important to Him. Here’s my paraphrase: in a relationship with God, humility hits the gas and pride hits the brakes.

God warns us repeatedly about pride because it destroys our relationship with Him. God does not want your life to implode into self-centeredness like a black hole that collapses into nothingness under its own gravity. But it’s pretty hard to worship your Creator when you are High Priest of My Way in the Temple of Me.
*Do you see pride or selfishness in your own life that is affecting or being picked up on by your child?

Anxiety · book · Causes · Challenge · Depressed · family · Family Share · fatherhood · Mental Health · reeding · Review · teens · World VS Life

A Book #ReviewWithElly Fix by Force By Jason Warne

 photo 1.jpg

Fix by Force

By Jason Warne
Published by WestBow Press

This is a story of a young 17-year-old boy named Spencer. A high school student. Like many others of course relentlessly bullied at school, dealing with his father’s death, his mother’s illness, and everyday life battle as a teen. Part of the time he is trying to figure out who he really is and uncover a story of himself in a town that just won’t allow it to happen. His biggest fear is to become a shadow of his old man. Poor kid tries so hard and everything backfires. This book will keep you up reading till the end. Overall, a good read. I enjoyed it, also found the story interesting.

Book Description

Drawn from personal experiences, this fast-faced story about self-image, relationships, choices, and sources of hope aims to speak to those readers who seek authentic and relatable characters they can identify with in real-life situations. Spencer doesn’t have a choice. He can’t choose to be different than what he is—the son of the town’s worst enemy, the weakling who can’t stand up for himself, the loser without friends. He can’t change the way things are. Or maybe he can. Spencer believes he needs to fix his life, and that is what the steroids promise—a quick fix.

BookLookBloggers.com Reviewer copy provided for Eliane Filho in exchange for an honest review.

“Think of ways that you can speak positive words of life to your friends the next time you get together.”Tweet:

I received this book from BookLook in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

magiamorenas36
Click Here to read my reviews on Amazon 

red-fancy-pinterest-button