good points in today's message-parenting done right

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

game night and 'ya got some spare change?' turns into almost a full tank of gas. well played, jrob

last saturday i went to game night at natalie's and since i got there first, i got the grand tour! her husband, steven, is so talented! he makes beautiful furniture-which they showcase throughout the house. LOVED IT!

before everyone got there, i noticed a little puppy sleeping on his bed under the coffee table...i knew he wasn't real, but everyone likes to touch things, so i went to 'fake-pet' him under the chin (because i'm pretty sure i can even win over a fake dog)...and his head pretty much swung away from his neck, as if on a hinge; i asked natalie about this, and she informed me of a slight mishap with some young family members. good times.

he was sleeping so peacefully that even a swinging neck couldn't wake him.

 the food was spectacular, and then we got to the games! it was fun getting to know the spouses a little better!

i have realized that no matter how many times i try to like catch phrase and give it a chance, it just doesn't work for me. i'm pretty sure it's the countdown timer that irritates the crap out of me. anyhoo, we also tried cranium (which i do enjoy), but i'm pretty sure everyone else got bored with it. then we moved to balderdash, which was very fun-i love that one as well, and we ended up back at catch phrase before the evening was over.

i think i'm more into games like pictionary, word games...apples to apples..volleyball...regardless, we all had fun! 

when maria walked in, she gave me  an awesome magazine, which i have read through, and may consider subscribing to. and then her husband gave me this awesome keychain, which i immediately put on my key-biner.

some great articles!

partly to see what people say! great conversation starter!!

 sunday night i had my last reading assignment for ed-policy...but that doesn't mean i will stop looking for more information about education reform. once you start, it's addictive. it will be neat to watch and see how what we've learned evolves.

tuesday night was our final meeting-apart from our culminating event. it was a great session, and as much as i sometimes dreaded losing a tuesday night, it is always so worth it! i always leave enthusiastic about the possibilities for change.

this afternoon i stopped at target to get some items i needed, and when i was walking the cart through the parking lot toward my car, i saw an older african american gentleman walking away from another lady and pushing her cart to the corral. i tried to avoid eye contact as he approached me because i thought, great, he's going to ask me for money too. and sure enough, he held out his hand where he had some change and asked if i had any change, because he needed gas for his car, they were trying to get back to duncanville, just need $5 etc. well, i didn't have any small bills nor did i have any coins. i had just gotten a $20 while i was in the store, but i got it for a reason...

i looked to see if i had any change in my purse, and avoided looking at the $20, then i looked at all i had bought, and thought how petty of you not to help him put $5 into his car. what's $5? 

so i pointed to the gas station and said, meet me over there with your car and i will pay for your gas. at first i don't think he believed me, but he started walking and i drove over to meet him there. well, when i got there, he was walking up, his wife was on the other side of a busy street (beltline), and it took her an awfully long time to get through traffic and pull in. i'm sure the gas attendant people were wondering what i was waiting around for.

i grabbed two waters and at the last moment, i decided that $5 wasn't enough, and paid for $40 worth of fuel for the couple, gave them the water and wished them well. it just seemed like the right thing to do. i don't know what their circumstances were, but i do know the story of the good samaritan...and i just got paid...you know how some people grow up and say, "i sound like my parents!" well.. i didn't have to say much, but i'm pretty sure  i can say(proudly), "i act like my parents." 

i don't know how many times they have done things like that in order to help people out, knowing they will never be paid back for their kindnesses. there is not a more powerful lesson, and i couldn't love and respect them more! thanks mom and dad!

julie