“SLOW DOWN!” my silver-haired wife would say loudly to me, more than once, in my quick pace to find a familiar road sign and determine where we were in a tossing sea of signs and sounds. Without any on-hand help from technology to get a hold on where we were, a desperate turn into a small fast-food restaurant to put a hold on our confusing fast journey farther into our unknown.
In an earlier HELP CRIES #13 – God's Little by Little segment, we touched on some of God's schedule of His blessings for us, and why. He further emphasizes our need to SELAH 'pause and retaste' his blessings to us in even longer periods. He gives us one day of the week to pause and think about our actions, events, plans of the past and coming week. He wants us to not just have fun or survive each day and week; He has His agenda for us that involves real life-saving opportunities for those around us.
If that isn't enough, God also has given a YEAR of rest for the land. He calls it a Sabbath Year, whereby several rules of rest are to be observed.
Now have you noticed? God gives us all these different 'pause periods' not to put our minds and spiritual growth on a shelf. He knows we humans need to take a special breather in thought and praise.
Ex-Teens Breather in Thought & Praise
During one of the days in the life of one of my children, when they thought their world was crumbling on top of them, we took a ride. Not far from our home, back then, was a river with a man-made waterfall. The view was a great place for a picnic. But today was definitely not a time for a picnic.
After we got out of the car, but leaned against it, I said, “Let's just take a few quiet moments, take a couple long deep breaths, and learn from what we are looking at right now.”
My teen's first response evidenced an inner earthquake caused by a broken love relationship.
I asked, “Which direction is the river flowing?” I got an appraising look that maybe I was off my rocker. “No. Listen. This is very important. Which way is the river flowing?” Hand gestures to me said the river was flowing from our left to our right. I looked my teen right in the eye and asked, “Will it ever go the other way?”
With a bit more inner calm, my teen said, “Never.” “OK. I agree. Now just suppose there was a super bad earthquake where some buildings came tumbling down and that dam over there got all broken up and some of it sank to the bottom of the river. Which way would the river then be flowing?” With another long deep breath, my teen said, “It wouldn't change. The river will still be flowing in the same direction it does now.”
Facing my teen and with good eye contact, I summarized by asking, “Now let me get this straight. You've just told me that no matter what happens to stuff that we humans build, like that dam over there, God's laws are still going to be obeyed; that water is still going to keep on going down hill. Is that what you've just told me?” My teen, now with head bowed, and moving a pebble with a shoe, took another long deep breath, and softly answered, “Yes. God is still in control.”
I put my arm around my teen and said, “You know, God can do so much with water. I mean He can walk on it, He can call it out of a solid rock, He can make it stand still and let those He loves walk through to places He has given them. And then God can use water to swallow up evil people. God does many mighty things with water, back in Bible times, but also today too.”
With an extra hug, I said, “Just like God uses water to do mighty things for Him, He wants me and He wants you to do mighty things for Him. And it's just like God to wrap all His actions for us in love. God does so many things with water – as powerful as it is, but love is even more powerful. God has given us a heart for love; to accept love and to give love.”
“The problem is that you and I act too much like that river over there. We don't seem to find the time to stop. We don't look for a calm quiet pool we can take a big breather and see what God has put around us.” To my teen, I said, there's a really famous Bible verse that a giant-killer shepherd boy talks about being 'lead by still waters'.”
Whether we're an ex-teen on a frantic out-of-control journey downhill, or a silver-haired person with great compassion for youth, we must often, drop anchor, find calm waters, and see where God has brought us; we need to get our bearings. Only when we find where we're at, and clearly see that our Loving God, 'that first loved us', wants to be at the very top on our list of loves. That established at the top of our agenda every day, can we then decide how and where we'll proceed; obeying His laws; His laws of love.
Showing posts with label calm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label calm. Show all posts
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
#17 - Digging for Diamonds
Our previous HELP CRIES segment led us to see that ex-teens must be very earnest in taking a time-out period, maybe for a couple days, in calm quiet surroundings. It's a chance for our senses to really grab reality – I mean real reality. We see all of Heaven's creation around us and how beautifully God still has control of it.
Now some of God's beauty is just below the surface, sort-of like digging for diamonds or gold. In our golden years of silver hair, God blesses us with truths and experiences we didn't expect or imagine. God's like that. Even when we don't deserve it (or think we don't) He opens His gift-giving toward us. That gift we're given can wonderfully be an ex-teen acquaintance that thinks his/her life should be on a trash heap.
As you mentor your ex-teen, teach them how to begin mining for diamonds – the kind that doesn't require special tools or skills. About all that's needed is some of that calm quiet surroundings and the friendship of a compassionate senior, like you. God has blessed your ex-teen with many diamonds as skills and attitudes that need to be brought to the surface. This is a casual listing of those diamonds to start building youthful self-esteem.
Note: in mentoring, you'll give Satan a lot less ammunition if men mentor boys and ladies mentor girls. Be very careful NOT to gather personal information that may create a problem later. I'm super cautious to share my contact information for them and sometimes vice versa.
Assembling the Diamond Puzzle
As a starting point in helping your ex-teen to drop anchor, and get his/her bearings - begin a super simple resume. (pronounced “ri-zoo-may”) I'm a big fan of simple resumes. They help me understand who and where I am, with regard to my experience, knowledge, shortcomings and goals. But far more than that, is the resume's power to factor in God's blessings in what He has already done in my life.
Your ex-teen will gain bits of self-esteem as you help him/her include notes of hobbies, dreams, and important friendships. This also a good place to begin practicing penmanship writing skills and begin building typing skills that are so necessary in everyone's future.
What Would I Like to Do?
Even if this took some thought to be filled in later.
What Skills and Talents Has God Given Me?
Link what you have and are should be linked to God's Goodness
Your Ship's Log
shows prospective employers you are a self starter, begin by volunteering.
diary accountability have them work for you. teach them how to use tools etc.
There are many scriptural references about time-wasters, idleness, and being a sluggard. Proverbs 6:6 is an enjoyable one to admonish ourselves and make a solid step toward fine-tuning the powerhouse in my shoes:
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
Ex-teens at home spend many hours each day playing addictive games that neither challenge, teach life skills, nor honor God. Instead, we need computer activities that get us to think and create. These activities also need to help us to continually examine ourselves, our spirituality, and our people skills based on scriptural directives.
There are valuable directives to young ladies in 1st Timothy 5. But look especially at verse 13:
And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.
Not only is social networking a terrible waste of time but it also provides easy access to unsupervised anonymous communication with anyone anywhere in the world. Of the many valuable guidelines concerning our communication – digital or otherwise, Matthew 12:36, 37 says,
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
It should be strongly emphasized here, that developing the above character changes take much time and prayer for our youth. It's not workable to just teach them guidelines, but to join in and partner with them in maturing in ways that trust and honor God.
Now some of God's beauty is just below the surface, sort-of like digging for diamonds or gold. In our golden years of silver hair, God blesses us with truths and experiences we didn't expect or imagine. God's like that. Even when we don't deserve it (or think we don't) He opens His gift-giving toward us. That gift we're given can wonderfully be an ex-teen acquaintance that thinks his/her life should be on a trash heap.
As you mentor your ex-teen, teach them how to begin mining for diamonds – the kind that doesn't require special tools or skills. About all that's needed is some of that calm quiet surroundings and the friendship of a compassionate senior, like you. God has blessed your ex-teen with many diamonds as skills and attitudes that need to be brought to the surface. This is a casual listing of those diamonds to start building youthful self-esteem.
Note: in mentoring, you'll give Satan a lot less ammunition if men mentor boys and ladies mentor girls. Be very careful NOT to gather personal information that may create a problem later. I'm super cautious to share my contact information for them and sometimes vice versa.
Assembling the Diamond Puzzle
As a starting point in helping your ex-teen to drop anchor, and get his/her bearings - begin a super simple resume. (pronounced “ri-zoo-may”) I'm a big fan of simple resumes. They help me understand who and where I am, with regard to my experience, knowledge, shortcomings and goals. But far more than that, is the resume's power to factor in God's blessings in what He has already done in my life.
Your ex-teen will gain bits of self-esteem as you help him/her include notes of hobbies, dreams, and important friendships. This also a good place to begin practicing penmanship writing skills and begin building typing skills that are so necessary in everyone's future.
What Would I Like to Do?
Even if this took some thought to be filled in later.
What Skills and Talents Has God Given Me?
Link what you have and are should be linked to God's Goodness
Your Ship's Log
shows prospective employers you are a self starter, begin by volunteering.
diary accountability have them work for you. teach them how to use tools etc.
There are many scriptural references about time-wasters, idleness, and being a sluggard. Proverbs 6:6 is an enjoyable one to admonish ourselves and make a solid step toward fine-tuning the powerhouse in my shoes:
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
Ex-teens at home spend many hours each day playing addictive games that neither challenge, teach life skills, nor honor God. Instead, we need computer activities that get us to think and create. These activities also need to help us to continually examine ourselves, our spirituality, and our people skills based on scriptural directives.
There are valuable directives to young ladies in 1st Timothy 5. But look especially at verse 13:
And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.
Not only is social networking a terrible waste of time but it also provides easy access to unsupervised anonymous communication with anyone anywhere in the world. Of the many valuable guidelines concerning our communication – digital or otherwise, Matthew 12:36, 37 says,
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
It should be strongly emphasized here, that developing the above character changes take much time and prayer for our youth. It's not workable to just teach them guidelines, but to join in and partner with them in maturing in ways that trust and honor God.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
#19 - Are We There Yet?
“Are we there yet?” What a simple question that always accompanies actions that involve most travel or progress; whether it be reading a story, working a problem, or going down some road. Often the question is asked by the person not knowing just what the destination or goal actually is.
Even with mankind's GPS positioning technology matched up with road maps and a human synthesized voice speaking, “turn right at this intersection”, man still has no deep satisfaction he is where he is supposed to be. Maybe we often arrive at a dead end that is decorated to look like our goal. Shortly we get an uneasy feeling we are somehow at a spot that God is not, nor has been.
This is likely the most lonely place on our planet; having trusted in man's guidance devices, being 'dumped' at a dead end we thought was a worthy goal, and now not knowing who or what to trust in. Welcome to the lost world of most teens and ex-teens.
With a heart and typing fingers full of compassion for all those in this lost world, the HELP CRIES has been published, with God's leading. My heart asks, “Are we there yet? Have we done all that God wants in this resource?” The answer comes back, “There is the frosting, you know.”
The Apostle Paul taught the young pastor Timothy all about frosting; the frosting on the cake; the finishing touch to all teaching. The clear principle is stated in 2nd Timothy 2:2:
“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”
Paul says the job is not done until your student becomes a teacher to others; and actually even beyond that. In a light-hearted semi-serious sort of way, I think of this as “be fruitful and multiply” (intellectually).
So how do we know when HELP CRIES has done its job? The answer is when the ex-teen that once was in that lost world of technology dead ends, is now reaching out in compassion to those ex-teens who are sending out tearful SOS!... SOS!... SOS!
The 'Grandfather Psalm' says,
“Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.” Psalm 71:18
Even with mankind's GPS positioning technology matched up with road maps and a human synthesized voice speaking, “turn right at this intersection”, man still has no deep satisfaction he is where he is supposed to be. Maybe we often arrive at a dead end that is decorated to look like our goal. Shortly we get an uneasy feeling we are somehow at a spot that God is not, nor has been.
This is likely the most lonely place on our planet; having trusted in man's guidance devices, being 'dumped' at a dead end we thought was a worthy goal, and now not knowing who or what to trust in. Welcome to the lost world of most teens and ex-teens.
With a heart and typing fingers full of compassion for all those in this lost world, the HELP CRIES has been published, with God's leading. My heart asks, “Are we there yet? Have we done all that God wants in this resource?” The answer comes back, “There is the frosting, you know.”
The Apostle Paul taught the young pastor Timothy all about frosting; the frosting on the cake; the finishing touch to all teaching. The clear principle is stated in 2nd Timothy 2:2:
“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”
Paul says the job is not done until your student becomes a teacher to others; and actually even beyond that. In a light-hearted semi-serious sort of way, I think of this as “be fruitful and multiply” (intellectually).
So how do we know when HELP CRIES has done its job? The answer is when the ex-teen that once was in that lost world of technology dead ends, is now reaching out in compassion to those ex-teens who are sending out tearful SOS!... SOS!... SOS!
The 'Grandfather Psalm' says,
“Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.” Psalm 71:18
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