There is a call in radio show that I have forced myself to listen to for a couple of weeks now. It is so frustrating. The show is designed for people 25 and younger who are dealing with life's issues. The person taking the calls is not a counselor, simply a youth worker/advocate. I totally understand that he is a parent and has worked with students for many years. What I don't understand, however, is how he is actually helping people.
Every time I have listened, I become more and more frustrated. These troubled people pour out their hearts and really get no closer to closure. For instance, last night a guy calls in and says that his parents smoke pot all the time. They have been busted before, but continue to smoke. The young man admitted that he had tried it himself, but did not like it and had not done it again. He said that he and his girlfriend were trying to "get right" and he didn't know what to do about his family. The host asked him what he meant by getting right. The young man didn't have a clear understanding of what it meant to "get right" with the Lord. I was expecting the host to reassure the guy that if he had asked for forgiveness that is all that he had to do. Besides that, his advice was that the boy has to move out. He must prove to his parents that he means business and leave. He then said, thanks for your call (hang up).
What??? Oh if life were that easy. The poor boy could have been 15 or 16 and have no where else to go. What if he has no job? How is he supposed to just leave? Offer him some help. Connect him with someone locally that can help him. Don't just cut the poor kid off with no resources! This is just one example of the frustrations that I face with this show. In my 9 years of youth work one thing that I have learned is that kids have to be given resources and often you have to hold their hand while taking advantage of the resources. They don't have a clue how to seek out help on their own. That is why they come to adults. They are told their whole lives to go to an adult they trust if they don't know how to handle something. That is exactly what these kids are doing and it isn't getting them any further than they were before.
My only hope is that there is more going on off air. I pray there is more going on!!! It makes me so angry each night when I listen to this. I want to call those kids back and offer them real help.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Boys, Boys, Boys
Dealing with teens is a major part of my life. Having been a teenage girl not so long ago, I am especially interested in helping girls through the drama that is teen life! 85% of the time you can be guaranteed that girl drama has to do with boys. And 85% of the time if those girls simply understood and embraced who Christ created them to be there wouldn't be a boy problem.
I often read books written for teens about these very things. I very strongly believe that I can not and will not offer advice or resources that I have not tested my self first. With that being said, I would strongly recommend a book that I am currently reading.
Last year I attended the Revolve Tour (excellent by the way. I highly recommend it!) and became familiar with Chad Eastham. He is a wonderful speaker and was a great choice. He is a young 20 something and is an attractive guy. Therefore, he immediately has the attention of all the girls in the audience. Thank goodness his message is right on target and rock solid. I was so impressed with him that I purchased a copy of his book with the hope of recommending it. Great decision!
The Truth about Guys is a WINNER! Eastham is not afraid to tell you like it is. He doesn't hold back and is very pointed. "When guys look at me, do they see me as a treasure or a target?" Who doesn't want to be a treasure!!! This is exactly what the first seven chapters of the book are about. He explains that girls are valuable and worthy just the way God made them. His message is the same as mine: No one can love you until you love yourself. No one will treasure you unless you treasure yourself. Make sure you are good with you before you try to find a guy that is good with you.
So far I am loving this book! I hope to finish it this week, so be on the look out for more....
I often read books written for teens about these very things. I very strongly believe that I can not and will not offer advice or resources that I have not tested my self first. With that being said, I would strongly recommend a book that I am currently reading.
Last year I attended the Revolve Tour (excellent by the way. I highly recommend it!) and became familiar with Chad Eastham. He is a wonderful speaker and was a great choice. He is a young 20 something and is an attractive guy. Therefore, he immediately has the attention of all the girls in the audience. Thank goodness his message is right on target and rock solid. I was so impressed with him that I purchased a copy of his book with the hope of recommending it. Great decision!
The Truth about Guys is a WINNER! Eastham is not afraid to tell you like it is. He doesn't hold back and is very pointed. "When guys look at me, do they see me as a treasure or a target?" Who doesn't want to be a treasure!!! This is exactly what the first seven chapters of the book are about. He explains that girls are valuable and worthy just the way God made them. His message is the same as mine: No one can love you until you love yourself. No one will treasure you unless you treasure yourself. Make sure you are good with you before you try to find a guy that is good with you.
So far I am loving this book! I hope to finish it this week, so be on the look out for more....
Distractions
Tonight I left work and turned onto Fairview Rd. As usual, I got over into the far lane so that I could exit onto 385. In front of me there was a small Lexus SUV. I noticed something flashing, so I had to "investigate". At first I thought that it must be a navigation system, but as a paid closer attention I realized what I was seeing. The alphabet was flashing by.
It totally caught me off guard. I realized that I am driving on 385 and I am watching a kids video rather than paying attention to the road. This was a built in DVD system that was hanging from the roof of the car. I had never noticed how distrating (and therefore dangerous) these things are. If the screen is mounted on the seat back, the driver behind you can't really see it.
I made a mental note to my self that my child's safety is more important than their entertainment. However, I must say that I have never seen U,V,W, and X is such an entertaining way. Random!
It totally caught me off guard. I realized that I am driving on 385 and I am watching a kids video rather than paying attention to the road. This was a built in DVD system that was hanging from the roof of the car. I had never noticed how distrating (and therefore dangerous) these things are. If the screen is mounted on the seat back, the driver behind you can't really see it.
I made a mental note to my self that my child's safety is more important than their entertainment. However, I must say that I have never seen U,V,W, and X is such an entertaining way. Random!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Why I love children...
This Saturday I visited my wonderful hair stylist, Erin Brown. She did a great job on my hair and I am a little sad that I can't quite recreate it myself. (I did get a little coaching though.) Every time she does my hair, I get an endless stream of compliments. Since I don't wash my hair every day (I know you think that is gross, but trust me, it works best for me.) my hair still looked good on Sunday.
Sunday morning I got up and made my way to church. When I arrived I went to my classroom and prepared for my 2 and 3 year olds to arrive. I love my class and each week there is a new adventure! There is one little boy that holds a special place in my heart. He is absolutely beautiful. He is tall and athletic looking already! His hair is white blond and he has the sweetest face. Someone said he looks like a Ralph Lauren model and that is 100% true. Drew is also quite smart and sweet! When he came into class I sat down at a table with him and began to play. Drew looked up at me and said, "I like your new hair cut." A 3 year old!!! Sometimes my husband doesn't even notice my hair cuts. For this little fella to recognize that I got a hair cut and to say he liked it amazed me.
I did not get to see Drew's mom, but when I do, I can promise you that I will thank her for teaching her son to be so thoughtful! He is going to make some girl a great catch one day.
Sunday morning I got up and made my way to church. When I arrived I went to my classroom and prepared for my 2 and 3 year olds to arrive. I love my class and each week there is a new adventure! There is one little boy that holds a special place in my heart. He is absolutely beautiful. He is tall and athletic looking already! His hair is white blond and he has the sweetest face. Someone said he looks like a Ralph Lauren model and that is 100% true. Drew is also quite smart and sweet! When he came into class I sat down at a table with him and began to play. Drew looked up at me and said, "I like your new hair cut." A 3 year old!!! Sometimes my husband doesn't even notice my hair cuts. For this little fella to recognize that I got a hair cut and to say he liked it amazed me.
I did not get to see Drew's mom, but when I do, I can promise you that I will thank her for teaching her son to be so thoughtful! He is going to make some girl a great catch one day.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
I am adopted, YEAH!
Since we last joined each other I have done some reading. Much of it has been magazine and Internet articles, but I have also begun reading two books. One is "The Essential 55" by Ron Clark and "The Quest For Character" by Charles Swindoll. I will comment on these as I get further into them. If you are in education, I hear that Ron Clark's books are phenomenal. So far he is right on target. This was a must read according to my aunt (she gave me the book) so I thought I would give it a chance.
A lot of my reading has been about adoption. Bryan and I plan to adopt internationally, so I have been looking for as much info as I can find. Adoption has become a passion of mine over the last 4 or 5 years. I had never considered it before, but God ever so politely smacked me over the head with the thought one day as I was listening to the radio. It didn't take very long for God to move Bryan the same way. It breaks my heart to know that there are precious children out there with no one to dry their tears or to applaud and encourage them. What a blessing children are!!! I have never seen my Lord manifested more clearly than in the face of some of the many children that I have worked with.
Just last week I was faced with one of those precious ones. At school I received a call from DSS saying that they were sending a child to register. He was in their custody and they were allowing him to live temporarily with a family member. When he walked in the door all you could see were his perfect white teeth. He was so happy to have a new start. The little boy was sooo cute, sweet, and friendly. He was whisked away by a counselor to have a placement test. After about 30 minutes he returned with her to the main office and he was quite proud of himself. It almost seemed that his goal was to add a little sunshine to our day. Mission Accomplished!! He entertained us for the next 15 -20 minutes as the Principal worked on placing him in a classroom. In a room full of women, he was definitely the star. We couldn't resist telling him how cute and smart he was. He insisted that he had taught himself his shapes and colors. This precocious little fella just may have. Soon he was escorted down the hall to the Kindergarten class chosen for him. I am most certain that his two teachers picked up where we left off with the doting.
One of the other ladies in the office was going over his paperwork and saw the DSS documentation. It absolutely broke my heart to hear what this poor baby had been dealing with in his five short years of life. He certainly deserved a new chance at life and all the doting a boy can take. Later in the week his teacher came to us and shared with us about her time with him. The first day, she walked him to the bus and made sure that he was safely inside and that the driver knew where to take him. The sweet little one looked up at her and said, "this has been the best day of my life." The next day before loading the bus he told her that he loved her.
The best day of his life... He just came from DSS. He is in the custody of an agency, not a person, an agency. How could this possibly be the best day of his life? Oh, to have the heart of a child. Each day is new and yesterday doesn't matter. All I could think about was taking him home with me and giving him a real family. A family that would love and protect him. A family to guard his heart and show him why each day is new.
I can't wait for the day that God blesses me with the one that will come home with me. It is such a wonderful reminder to me of how he loves me and how he adopted me. I can't think of any better example of what he has done for me than the gift of adoption.
A lot of my reading has been about adoption. Bryan and I plan to adopt internationally, so I have been looking for as much info as I can find. Adoption has become a passion of mine over the last 4 or 5 years. I had never considered it before, but God ever so politely smacked me over the head with the thought one day as I was listening to the radio. It didn't take very long for God to move Bryan the same way. It breaks my heart to know that there are precious children out there with no one to dry their tears or to applaud and encourage them. What a blessing children are!!! I have never seen my Lord manifested more clearly than in the face of some of the many children that I have worked with.
Just last week I was faced with one of those precious ones. At school I received a call from DSS saying that they were sending a child to register. He was in their custody and they were allowing him to live temporarily with a family member. When he walked in the door all you could see were his perfect white teeth. He was so happy to have a new start. The little boy was sooo cute, sweet, and friendly. He was whisked away by a counselor to have a placement test. After about 30 minutes he returned with her to the main office and he was quite proud of himself. It almost seemed that his goal was to add a little sunshine to our day. Mission Accomplished!! He entertained us for the next 15 -20 minutes as the Principal worked on placing him in a classroom. In a room full of women, he was definitely the star. We couldn't resist telling him how cute and smart he was. He insisted that he had taught himself his shapes and colors. This precocious little fella just may have. Soon he was escorted down the hall to the Kindergarten class chosen for him. I am most certain that his two teachers picked up where we left off with the doting.
One of the other ladies in the office was going over his paperwork and saw the DSS documentation. It absolutely broke my heart to hear what this poor baby had been dealing with in his five short years of life. He certainly deserved a new chance at life and all the doting a boy can take. Later in the week his teacher came to us and shared with us about her time with him. The first day, she walked him to the bus and made sure that he was safely inside and that the driver knew where to take him. The sweet little one looked up at her and said, "this has been the best day of my life." The next day before loading the bus he told her that he loved her.
The best day of his life... He just came from DSS. He is in the custody of an agency, not a person, an agency. How could this possibly be the best day of his life? Oh, to have the heart of a child. Each day is new and yesterday doesn't matter. All I could think about was taking him home with me and giving him a real family. A family that would love and protect him. A family to guard his heart and show him why each day is new.
I can't wait for the day that God blesses me with the one that will come home with me. It is such a wonderful reminder to me of how he loves me and how he adopted me. I can't think of any better example of what he has done for me than the gift of adoption.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Shampoo Snob
Ok, so this is a totally pointless blog and it is probably a waste of your time. I hardly ever post though, so I thought I would share my latest random thought.
You see all these crazy shampoo commercials on tv and wonderful how amazingly exciting shampoo can really be. Does shampoo really make a difference? If your hair is clean isn't that the point. Who needs all the hubub. Your average person walks in Wal-Mart, Target, or Walgreens and looks for what smells good and is on sale. Of course they want their hair to look clean and healthy and to smell pleasant, but they realize that they are not going to become amazing attractive simply because of that shampoo.
Truth be known, I am a shampoo snob. I used to buy the Target special and even Target brand at times. However, I decided a few years ago to indulge myself and stray from my normally frugal ways. I bought salon shampoo! Many people find it absurd to spend $10 or more on shampoo, but not me. I am a believer! Shampoo truly does make a difference.
As you know, I have a curly mop on my head. Those curls used to be either uncontrollable or just plain flat. Though I am not a sissy girl, I do have a prissy side and that prissy side makes me care about my hair. However stupid or shallow it is, my hair does affect my mood. Now, notice I said affect, not control. If my hair does not cooperate I will be aggravated for an hour or so and I will be a little more self conscious throughout the day, but my day is not crushed. I can get over it and move on. When I feel like my hair looks good, it gives a little extra boost for the day, and who doesn't need that?!
So what brought on this shampoo obsession and why do I share it with you? Occasionally I like to give my hair a break and I will try a different shampoo. The last one that I sampled was Matrix curl life. (I hope I don't get sued!) Knowing that I am picky about such things I bought a small sample sized bottle and only spent $2 each for the shampoo and conditioner. That was the biggest waste of $4!!!! I hated it. My hair was so flat and heavy. It was totally wrong for my hair. Thank goodness I only spent $4, that made it a lot easier to trash the half that was left.
After about two weeks, I made the trip to the salon to buy my good ole standby. And yes, the standby cost me $20, but it will last me the rest of the year. (We don't share shampoo in my house! I buy him his own salon brand.) Less than a week after the switch back my hubby Bubby even noticed the change. He commented on hair my hair looked different and better than it had for a few weeks.
Don't tell me that shampoo doesn't matter!!! By the way, my favorite is Curls Rock by Catwalk. I have to give props to Ashley Rogers for suggesting it about 3 or 4 years ago. It hasn't done me wrong!
You see all these crazy shampoo commercials on tv and wonderful how amazingly exciting shampoo can really be. Does shampoo really make a difference? If your hair is clean isn't that the point. Who needs all the hubub. Your average person walks in Wal-Mart, Target, or Walgreens and looks for what smells good and is on sale. Of course they want their hair to look clean and healthy and to smell pleasant, but they realize that they are not going to become amazing attractive simply because of that shampoo.
Truth be known, I am a shampoo snob. I used to buy the Target special and even Target brand at times. However, I decided a few years ago to indulge myself and stray from my normally frugal ways. I bought salon shampoo! Many people find it absurd to spend $10 or more on shampoo, but not me. I am a believer! Shampoo truly does make a difference.
As you know, I have a curly mop on my head. Those curls used to be either uncontrollable or just plain flat. Though I am not a sissy girl, I do have a prissy side and that prissy side makes me care about my hair. However stupid or shallow it is, my hair does affect my mood. Now, notice I said affect, not control. If my hair does not cooperate I will be aggravated for an hour or so and I will be a little more self conscious throughout the day, but my day is not crushed. I can get over it and move on. When I feel like my hair looks good, it gives a little extra boost for the day, and who doesn't need that?!
So what brought on this shampoo obsession and why do I share it with you? Occasionally I like to give my hair a break and I will try a different shampoo. The last one that I sampled was Matrix curl life. (I hope I don't get sued!) Knowing that I am picky about such things I bought a small sample sized bottle and only spent $2 each for the shampoo and conditioner. That was the biggest waste of $4!!!! I hated it. My hair was so flat and heavy. It was totally wrong for my hair. Thank goodness I only spent $4, that made it a lot easier to trash the half that was left.
After about two weeks, I made the trip to the salon to buy my good ole standby. And yes, the standby cost me $20, but it will last me the rest of the year. (We don't share shampoo in my house! I buy him his own salon brand.) Less than a week after the switch back my hubby Bubby even noticed the change. He commented on hair my hair looked different and better than it had for a few weeks.
Don't tell me that shampoo doesn't matter!!! By the way, my favorite is Curls Rock by Catwalk. I have to give props to Ashley Rogers for suggesting it about 3 or 4 years ago. It hasn't done me wrong!
Monday, July 2, 2007
Desperate for Change
Have you ever felt desperate for change? I have often wanted things to be different, thought it would be nice or convenient. However, I don't think I have ever felt desperate for change... until now.
My life seems to be in this awful rut right now, it has been for months. I am tired of my life. Don't get me wrong, I am not depressed or suicidal or anything like that. I am simply sick and tired of the way that I have been living. There is so much more to this life than what I have been living out the last year. This is the most disconnected I have ever felt. My whole life seems to be in disarray. It is total chaos. My organized box has been thrown out the window and I don't know what to do.
It is hard to tell if this is God's way of showing me how far I have strayed, or if He is simply preparing me for something more. I desperately hope that He is preparing me for something more. Please give me more. I just want more! Somehow, right now I think that it is ok to expect and demand more from my life and everyone around me.
I am tired of this same old routine everyday. I am tired of expecting the same old thing. I need a change!!!
I want to be in a place where the people around me want more. It seems like I am surrounded by content people. They don't expect excellence, so they don't demand it either. The sad part is, I seem to have taken on their attitude and I hate it. I don't want to be content in my ministry. I don't want to be content in my personal walk. I don't want to be content in my marriage. I don't want to be content with the condition of my home. More than anything, I want to be close to my God again. I want to feel like I am with Him everyday and learning something new everyday. I want to be challenged by the people around me. I want to desire more!! I want to desire His best.
Bryan said one time that he often has to pray for the desire to desire more of God. That is where I am right now. I am desiring the desire for more, for the best, for His best.
Maybe God is preparing me for a big change. I hope He is, it can't come soon enough. Please God send me change. I realize that change has to begin with me and I can't control those around me. I can, however, pray that God would move me where He wants me and put those people in my path that will challenge me. I desperately want the accountability of others desiring excellence. Ok, so I also know, that God may want me to change right here where I am. A change of scenery would be nice though.
My life seems to be in this awful rut right now, it has been for months. I am tired of my life. Don't get me wrong, I am not depressed or suicidal or anything like that. I am simply sick and tired of the way that I have been living. There is so much more to this life than what I have been living out the last year. This is the most disconnected I have ever felt. My whole life seems to be in disarray. It is total chaos. My organized box has been thrown out the window and I don't know what to do.
It is hard to tell if this is God's way of showing me how far I have strayed, or if He is simply preparing me for something more. I desperately hope that He is preparing me for something more. Please give me more. I just want more! Somehow, right now I think that it is ok to expect and demand more from my life and everyone around me.
I am tired of this same old routine everyday. I am tired of expecting the same old thing. I need a change!!!
I want to be in a place where the people around me want more. It seems like I am surrounded by content people. They don't expect excellence, so they don't demand it either. The sad part is, I seem to have taken on their attitude and I hate it. I don't want to be content in my ministry. I don't want to be content in my personal walk. I don't want to be content in my marriage. I don't want to be content with the condition of my home. More than anything, I want to be close to my God again. I want to feel like I am with Him everyday and learning something new everyday. I want to be challenged by the people around me. I want to desire more!! I want to desire His best.
Bryan said one time that he often has to pray for the desire to desire more of God. That is where I am right now. I am desiring the desire for more, for the best, for His best.
Maybe God is preparing me for a big change. I hope He is, it can't come soon enough. Please God send me change. I realize that change has to begin with me and I can't control those around me. I can, however, pray that God would move me where He wants me and put those people in my path that will challenge me. I desperately want the accountability of others desiring excellence. Ok, so I also know, that God may want me to change right here where I am. A change of scenery would be nice though.
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