this morning i decided that i should probably check out watermark. as much as i don't enjoy going to church alone, i really felt the need to go. it's easy to get lost in the crowd. so i found a spot and shortly after sitting down, the music began and the worship team was singing a song by need to breathe (which is one of my more recent obsessive listens).
the message was on the 16 things your 25 year-old wishes that you would have taught them before they were 16. now. i don't have kids, but it was still a really good message. there were several things that spoke to me-mostly because it's good to constantly reinforce what you know to be Truth! and i am so thankful that my parents were able to instill so many of these in my life! here are some of the things that really stuck out to me:
1. God's word is life-giving & worth giving your life to. get wisdom and give your kids a hunger for his word.
2. Life is not about you. pride is the center of every vice...if you've been given any gift, the purpose is to use it to serve others and be useful to them (image of God-love people who do nothing for you)
3. next to who you follow, who you follow with is going to shape who you are. who are your heroes? be slow at choosing friends and quick to resolve conflict.
4. life is hard.
5. money is not a ticket to freedom and happiness. it's a tool, a test and a testimony. basically this boiled down to where are your passions? as a parent, if you you ask your child what you are passionate about, and you are most passionate about your lake house...your sports car...your exercise plan....your job...your football team...your whatever...if what you're most passionate about is anything other than serving God, you're teaching them that there is another god that is better to serve. (something to chew on-upon reflection, i am so thankful that the first thing that comes to mind when i ask that question about my parents is that they are definitely most passionate about God and serving him by serving others #grateful)
5. you can't be whatever you want to be when you grow up, but you CAN be who you were created to be. find out what you were designed to be to bring glory to God.
6. failure is not fatal, but failing to try can be.
7. convince them that you love them; parent, not a pal
and most importantly,
8. convince them that God is love. full of grace, love and goodness.
i went to the early service, so unfortunately i missed the opportunity to see nika (who i probably would've missed anyway-refer back to paragraph 1, sentence 3: text evidence).
and then this afternoon, i got out for a little bit at vitruvian park to just practice throwing the frisbee golf discs...i found that this will require a bit of practice, because today they seemed to be veering to the left. surely a little time and practice will make it all come together! when i was going to get my gloves yesterday, i drove by one of the parks on josey, with a frisbee golf course, and there were several people out playing! with their little tripod camp chairs and professional carrying cases...it must have been a serious event! #hardcorefolk
anyhoo. here we go, time to get mentally prepared for another week! hope it's a good one!
julie
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