365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 276

I think most parents would agree with this, that peer pressure is a top concern. Your children are with you almost 24/7 in those first few years so when they go off to school suddenly they are around their peers a majority of their days. It becomes even more worrisome as they go into those pre-teen and teenage years. I am sure that some kids are just built by their temperament to be able to withstand peer pressure but other kids may need some help. My daughter is getting some blackheads and zits on her face and one in particular got all pussy and was centered right in the middle of her chin. We have instituted the washing the face at morning and night to clean up the skin and hope to keep these from becoming rampant. My dear son has had the acne problem and been on medication for it for a couple years now. Thankfully, he has been very resilient to peer pressure and has chosen his friends wisely. It is tough to not worry about  your kids but in the end they are in the hands of God and are his so we have to accept his will for our kids and just love them and keep on praying and guiding them towards God and his Word.

Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 250

My son went to a youth activity at the church last evening called Crud Wars. Let me let your imagine wonder what the heck that entails for a moment. Imagine a slip-n-slide, water balloons, shaving cream, flour and goopy gel of some kind and a bunch of teenagers running around trying to throw all this on each other. I almost wished I had gone to pick him up sooner just to see some of it but when I arrived to pick him up the clean-up process had already been in full-swing. He walks up in his jeans and t-shirt soaking wet, has no towel or change of clothes and says "uh not sure what to do". Thankfully, my creative problem solving brain kicked into action. I used the sun shade in my car as a seat cover so we made it home without him soaking the passenger seat in my car. It was fun to hear the stories of how the evening went. I really wish I was there when he got the pie of shaving cream in the face! Apparently, they took a group photo so I am hoping to get a copy and create a scrapbook page of his memories of this activity. Thank you Lord for our church and the people who make these kinds of activites possible. What a fun bonding experience!

Colossians 3:14-16
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 10

We watched the movie Super 8 last night and WOW! was that intense. The movie was very well made and directed with most of the cast being teenagers. It is well worth watching because of the messages within the movie which are truths in the bible one being that we are forgiven and we need to be forgiving to each other. I am thankful to God for the reminders like this we can find in entertaining movies and in all kinds of situations around us. The more open we are to seeing God all around us the more we do see Him.

From the Lord's Prayer: Matthew 6:12 ... and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.