Homework time:
Emma: Oh, I spelled snail wrong. I wrote s-n-a-l-e instead of s-n-a-i-l.
Me: Well, you're going to jail!
Emma: Darn.
Rachel: And that's not j-a-l-e.
Good one, Ra.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Disobedience is like smoking...
I was talking with Emma tonight at bedtime (it seems that's the best "talking" time for some reason).
We were talking about how she doesn't have to be "that" kid - the "teenager" with attitude... she can be an adolescent young woman with a heart for God and a desire to do the right thing, not just have a desire to be cool or have the newest "stuff" or the coolest clothes or whatever the "thing" may be.
She was telling me that most of the time when she starts to have a disobedient or unhealthy attitude, and I tell her she needs to change her attitude (we even have a code word that sometimes just makes her laugh), she often does the typical "huff", and then after being alone for a minute, she said she feels guilty and realizes that I was right; she needed to change her attitude. We talked some more, and I asked her to let me know after she comes to that realization - telling me how she felt, asking forgiveness if necessary - so she can practice *now* being repentant towards God and whomever else she wronged. If she practices that now, then it will be easier in a year or two when she's actually a "teenager". [Ok, Soapbox...by the way, I can't stand that word - at least how it's used now. "Oh, you have *teenagers*? I'm so sorry..." or whatever it is people say. It's really kind of unfair to the kids when they're pretty much typecast into having an attitude problem. Kids don't *have* to be that way. (stepping off soapbox now)]
Anyway, after our little talk, she said the following (it's the basic idea, I am not good at remembering actual words):
How wise our young ones are, if only we take the time to listen to them.
[Thank you God for my babies...
may I be less selfish and more open to what they have to say.]
We were talking about how she doesn't have to be "that" kid - the "teenager" with attitude... she can be an adolescent young woman with a heart for God and a desire to do the right thing, not just have a desire to be cool or have the newest "stuff" or the coolest clothes or whatever the "thing" may be.
She was telling me that most of the time when she starts to have a disobedient or unhealthy attitude, and I tell her she needs to change her attitude (we even have a code word that sometimes just makes her laugh), she often does the typical "huff", and then after being alone for a minute, she said she feels guilty and realizes that I was right; she needed to change her attitude. We talked some more, and I asked her to let me know after she comes to that realization - telling me how she felt, asking forgiveness if necessary - so she can practice *now* being repentant towards God and whomever else she wronged. If she practices that now, then it will be easier in a year or two when she's actually a "teenager". [Ok, Soapbox...by the way, I can't stand that word - at least how it's used now. "Oh, you have *teenagers*? I'm so sorry..." or whatever it is people say. It's really kind of unfair to the kids when they're pretty much typecast into having an attitude problem. Kids don't *have* to be that way. (stepping off soapbox now)]
Anyway, after our little talk, she said the following (it's the basic idea, I am not good at remembering actual words):
Disobedience is like smoking.
When you smoke, you're putting bad stuff into your lungs and they turn black, and sometimes it's hard to stop doing it. People know it's bad for them, but they just can't stop.
Disobedience is something you do and it makes your heart turn black, and you know it's wrong but it's really hard to stop, even though you know it's not right.
How wise our young ones are, if only we take the time to listen to them.
[Thank you God for my babies...
may I be less selfish and more open to what they have to say.]
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