Give Thanks

Thanksgiving comes every year and every year people are posting 30 days of Thankfulness.  It's good to reflect on thankfullness this time of year. It's just  too easy to slip into a rut and forget to be truly thankful.

I'm not talking about a thankfulness of "I'm glad I'm not like that poor soul over there." or a thankfulness like "I'm glad for these material possessions that most people in the world don't have." but a true attitude of gratitude.

Psalm 100:4 says "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name."

Philippians 1:3 " I thank my God upon every remembrance of you."

Colossians 3:15 "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful."

Ephesians 5: 19-21 "speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God."

All these verses speak of being thankful.  I see no mention of stuff.  Just a heart that is thankful. They all have to do with our relationships to people and our relationship with the Lord.

God put us here on the earth with people - annoying as they can be sometimes.  But we are to speak to and encourage one another.  Be thankful for each other.

God warns us what ungratefulness can do to us.

 Romans 1:20-21 "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,  because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

This verse is speaking to the one who doesn't believe in God--they not only did not glorify Him but they weren't thankful -- and their hearts were darkened.

This Thanksgiving and this season...focus on Giving Thanks!  For He has given us so much for which to be thankful!

Moving our kids toward being an Adult!

There seems to be an epidemic going on in America today.  Maybe worldwide.  I've seen it time and time again.

Parents not encouraging their kids to grow up.
Parents today are coddling their kids more and more and for longer periods of time.  They aren't expecting anything out of them.  They let them freeload for far too long.
How is this doing a dis-service to our kids?

Well, they won't learn life lessons for one thing.

Teen:  mom I need a ride to so-and-so's house
Parent:  well, I'd love to help you but I've got plans tonight.

So how will poor teenager make it to their friend's house with out the help of the mommy or daddy?

Well, here's an idea... He/she can figure it out!

There's multiple options available to get there if they wanted to, but by the parents taking the responsibility to come up with the plan and implement it-then the kids lose out on a valuable skill!

But how will the poor baby get to work without my help...  well, not my problem!

Kids nowadays need to learn to solve these problems on their own.  Yes, I will help you sometimes, but the kids shouldn't  be entitled to my help just because they live at my house!

In parenting, the goal is to raise kids that are INDEPENDENT!  How are they learning that independence if I'm solving all their problems, washing all their clothes, buying all their food, paying all their bills, cleaning up all their messes??

What kind of lessons am I teaching them by coddling them so much?

Well, I'm teaching them that I don't trust them to make any decisions.

I'm teaching them I don't love them enough to give them room to grow.

I'm teaching them that my role will always be the parent and never change to a peer-to-peer relationship.

But if I  don't make all the decisions for them they will make mistakes!

Yes they will!  And that's where grace in parenting comes in.  We don't hold mistakes over our kid's heads.  We encourage, love, guide and direct them with a loving parenting heart.

Let's help our boys become men and our girls become women who can be responsible human beings!

It starts early on.  From the moment they are born there is a constant letting go.  Please don't stunt your kids' natural growth by keeping them "babies" too long.  Let them do their own laundry, go buy the groceries, help around the house, get where they need to go with money they've earned their selves!

You will be happier and they will be too!