The Most Happiest Time... of the year!

As the Staples ad says, it is THAT time of year!!! The kids are back at school, Sunday School is in full swing, and Wednesday night WOW is about to start up. Homebuilders has a new home too - in the old Cornerstone room - top of the stairs just inside the office entrance, first room on the left. This double room should give us plenty of room to grow, as we welcome so many new members. Thank you to everyone who made this possible, while relocating is not an easy thing for anybody, this move will allow us to welcome other folks who, like us, want the fellowship and study that this class provides.
Welcome Back!

New Beginnings

We had a wonderful time with Mike Massey last week, starting on our 10 Commandmants study. It is a great thing to see so many of our new friends from the parenting series returning to join us. It seems that at this time of year when all the world seems to be starting anew, so are we both physically and spiritually. I'm sure that going to the start of our law with the Ten Commandments will be renewing to all of us. Thank you Mike!

Don't forget - 9AM Sunday School tomorrow, breakfast in Henderson Hall at 9:45, service at 10:30.

Shepherds or sheep?

The sheep imagery came up last week in our scripture, and I wondered if part of our trouble as parents is seeing ourselves as both shepherds and sheep? We are lambs of God, but charged with keeping His sheep... I think sometimes I'd rather be a sheep than a shepherd. It's a great responsibility with which we've been charged, and often feels overwhelming. This study has helped me be more mindful of my behaviour as an example to my children, but in so many ways I still feel more like a sheep wandering lost, than the shepherd.

Stephanie asked that I post this from her for everyone:
Thinking is something all humankind is capable of doing. Often we get tired
of thinking and only react. But the absence of thought is considered empty
minded and foolish. We should really try to think through all
things.....reason, ponder, meditate, consider, cogitate, suppose! Don't
depend on thinking only while you are "on the job", because as
parents......we are always "on the job". Ask God for his wisdom, we can all
use more of it, especially HIS. Don't let age come all by itself!

It is so hard to be mindful, but to live a good life it seems we must be ever mindful: of our mouths, that our actions match our intentions, that we are living our values not just going along with the herd. May God be with us all as we struggle to be as He would like us to be.

Making Children Mind...

Thanks to Stephanie Rice for facilitating our first session of Dr. Kevin Lehman's Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours. It was great to see all the new faces in the group, we will so enjoy having fresh faces, thoughts and ideas. I thought it was interesting that the subtitle is "How to Bring Out the Best in Your Kids By Doing What is Best for Them". That seems very different from the 'making children mind' of the title. I know they came up with that to be catchy and cute, but I like the subtitle better!
See you next week!

Kids and the Common Good

Or... how sharing a room with your sister is good for the future of our society!
I was reading an article about the difficulties of raising children in today's society (that I will share with you at class some time) and came across what I felt was a profound statement: "...[the couple's] six children share bedrooms as well as belongings, and Todd believes that such large-family necessities expose children to the notion of 'the common good' in a very direct and concrete way." I know that kids learn best from experience, and Christ tells us that we each have an obligation to contribute to the common good (take care of our neighbors), but little did I realize that I am training them in the ways of Christ by making them share a room! (Just wait 'till someone asks for her own room again...) The serious message is that economic and cultural changes of the last 20 years have had many unintended impacts, including the NOT teaching of these critical lessons in direct, personal ways so that children internalize the message - THUS making the job of good, concerned parents even harder. Something to think about as we start our parenting study this week! Please post and comment with your thoughts on the subject. Jenn