…not necessarily what’s best for ME.

Waiting for the death penalty while shackled to a prison guard wasn’t BEST for Paul.
But it was best for the advancement of the Gospel.
(Philippians 1:12)

Being beat to shreds on a criminal’s cross wasn’t BEST for Jesus.
But it was the only way to procure salvation for those He came to redeem.
(Matthew 26:42)

Ultimately God’s best is what’s best for me.

But in the meantime:
If what’s BEST for the cause of Christ doesn’t happen to be what’s BEST for ME…
am I okay with that?

This morning I read this from one of the Blogs that I read on a regular basis. I wanted to share it with you this morning because it is so true, yet so hard to see, when we are in the middle of the "story" yet when we are able to look back or see things from Gods perspective we can see how God's best is/was God's best. You can check out Pastor Steven Furtick at www.stevenfurtick.com

25:16
¹⁶ If you find honey, eat just enough—
too much of it, and you will vomit.

For some reason this verse really stuck out to me...maybe because it is so practicle...it doesn't seem to be very spiritual. But, this is really good advice!

I wonder at what point in Solomon's life this was written...Maybe he was bent over the "royal thrown" wiping dinner off his face and he yelled out " somebody write this down"

I don't know how it went down...but I do know...I like it. Do you have any thoughts about the Proverbs you read today?

23:6 caught my attention: "the message"

We are going to try something new...Every-once-in-a-while we are going to have a top 10 list...by you...we will ask a question and we want you to give us the list!

So here it is...Make a list of the top 10 things that confuse the heck out of you!

The average child hears their mother or father utter six expletives a week with up to 86 per cent saying they felt their parents' swearing as well as the language of celebrities such as Gordon Ramsay and Jonathan Ross set a bad example.

The poll of 3,000 11-year-olds show two out five children were using swear words at an earlier age, admitting to using them in their everyday language because they heard their parents use them.

More than one in three however have asked their parents to stop swearing in front of them with almost half admitting it upset them.

Peter Foot, chairman of the Campaign for Courtesy said: "We need parents to be the ones to put their children right before they ever get to school with 'please' and 'thank yous', rather than leaving it to teachers.

"But this is awful, appalling really. There are some age groups now who can't say a single sentence without the F-word in it."

A spokesman for research site youngpoll.com, which carried out the study, said: "When youngsters hear their parents use swear words so frequently, it's inevitable that they will pick up bad habits.

"Parents should be aware that children are easily influence and will try to replicate what they say whether it's swear words or not.

"When adults hear a young child swear it's very easy to find it humorous, yet any use of bad language should be nipped in the bud at an early age."

This article was copied from churchrelavance.com .

High school reunions can be either something we eagerly look forward to, or anxiously dread. The reasons for our excitement or our hesitation are usually the same—the people. We’re concerned about who we will encounter from our past and the lasting impression they had on us—for better or for worse—and the lasting impression we had on them. And no relationship has the ability to leave an impression, for better or worse, than a dating relationship. Dating relationships just have a lot of potential to do great good, or harm in the mark they leave. So this week we are going to help students explore dating from the perspective of the one they date. We want to challenge students this week to think about their own responsibility, regardless of where they may have been in the past, to always consider what they can do in the future to make someone’s story better, and to treat them in a way that will be beneficial and positive in the long run.

It is 720 am...friday I am getting ready to go out the door to leave for winter camp at Hume lake...We are supposed to have crazy weather...maybe rain or snow depending on where we are at at the time...pray for us that it will be an awesome adventure!

There is a blog I read called http://www.churchrelevance.com/ I really enjoy what he writes...I know most of you wouldn't follow the link to his site to read it, so I copied it hear...I was really convicted and am looking forward to the other 3 parts of this series.

Sometimes blunt, crude words are the only things that can shock a person out of a rut and motivate him to improve to the next level. This four-part blog series is for the church worker who needs such forthright words.

So as you do your church work, remember…You deserve to go to hell.

SAY WHAT?

Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. (Romans 3:23)
Sin pays off with death. But God’s gift is eternal life given by Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

In other words, because mankind’s nature is sinful, we all deserve to go to hell. It is only by Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection that you have the opportunity to be redeemed from hell if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. (Romans 10:9-10)This is the only way. (John 14:6) It is an undeserved gift from God. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

THE PROBLEM

If you are a Christian, you are already familiar with this. And that is the beginning of the problem.If not careful, familiarity will desensitize you to the power of the gospel. It makes the gospel old-hat.Desensitization will prevent you from truly grasping what it means to be saved from hell.And when this happens, it becomes far too easy to become drunk on the message of grace and feel entitled to your redemption from hell.The next thing you know, you are telling God what to do and treating Him like He is your servant rather than acting like a servant of God.

I am guilty of doing this. And unfortunately, many other “seasoned” Christians are, too.

WHY THESE CRUDE WORDS HELP

You deserve to go to hell, so ever-presently live like it is true.Understanding the magnitude of hell and what it means to be redeemed from it will change your priorities, give you passion, and give your clarity.Church bureaucracy and doing things for the sake of doing things will seem disgustingly meaningless to you. And effectively reaching people with the redemptive gospel message will be your greatest priority.

http://www.humelake.org/webcams/

For those who would like to look for themselves!

In Chap Clark’s book, Disconnected, he says that parents are responsible for providing the boundaries necessary to help a child grow into the person God has created and redeemed them to be. That’s a pretty heavy task. It requires first that parents know where the child is—an ongoing challenge in itself. And second, it requires that parents know where the dangers lie, where the areas of caution are and what signals indicate that something might be holding the child back.

In this series, we are talking with your child about dating. But more importantly we are talking about balance. In a world where finding a boyfriend or girlfriend sometimes becomes all-consuming, we want to remind students that dating is only one of many areas in their lives. Like everything else, it is good in moderation, when it is not taken to extremes. We also want to help them develop healthy relationships, whether those are dating relationships or friendships with the opposite sex, and help them understand the value in leaving a positive impression in the lives of those we come in contact with.

As a mother or as a father, you are in a better position than anyone to know and understand how dating works in your child’s life. Maybe they haven’t dated anyone, but they are constantly thinking about ways to find that perfect someone. Maybe they haven’t been alone since fourth grade. Maybe they’ve been dating the same person for the past two years. Wherever they fall on the spectrum, you are viewing the situation close-up. Their emotions are in it. You, who have more insight and more life experience, can look down the road for them when they don’t have the perspective to do it on their own. Are there dangers ahead? Is there something that might be holding them back from experiencing the life they were intended for?

I would like to challenge you to take a few minutes this month to reflect on your child’s situation—especially in the area of dating. Think of ways you can be creative and helpful as you set boundaries and help them navigate the wonderful and risky world of relationships.

“Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket!” We’ve all heard the phrase before, some of us have probably even used it a time or two, but when it comes to dating, it can be pretty hard to actually put into practice. We live in a culture where marketing, events and entertainment are driven by romantic relationships, where people are profiled based on relationship status, and where love and romance are a part of our daily conversations. For many students it just seems normal, almost expected to devote all of their time, energy and affection to acquiring or maintaining a dating relationship. This week we’re going to talk to students about finding balance as they learn to fit dating into the many other, equally important, areas of life.

According to NDP Group, kids are increasingly using digital media to acquire information. While this is not surprising, the growth rate statistics are fascinating.

Among kids ages 2 to 14 in 2008:

92% use a computer (down from 94% in 07)
85% play video games (up from 80% in 07)
82% of kids ages 2 to 5 play video games (up from 79% in 07)
57% of girls play video games (up from 50% in 06)
30% of kids ages 6 to 9 own a portable video game device
60% use portable digital music devices (up from 51% in 07)
20% of kids ages 6 to 9 own a digital music device
51% use a cellphone (up from 49% in 07)
30% of kids ages 6 to 9 own a cellphone
22% download ringtones
22% watched TV digitally on a computer, cellphone, gaming device, or music device (up from 17% in 07)

Three trends that particularly stand out to me are:

Video Game Momentum: It has been a long time since Atari, Mario, and Duck Hunt, so I am surprised to see video game usage among kids still growing at such a startling rate of 80% in 2007 to 85% in 2008. It seems hard to imagine kid culture being more fixated on video games, but clearly the love for gaming will only grow stronger.

Diaper Gamers: Four out of every five 2 to 5-year-olds play video games. Think about that. Some still struggle with pooping their pants or wetting the bed, yet they are learning how to master gaming. While playing video games at such a young age does not completely rewire a kid’s ability to enjoy childlike things, I do believe early gaming makes kids pickier and raises their level of expectations for entertainment.

Instant Gratification: Unless you are 8 years old, it is difficult to imagine growing up in a world where you can often instantly watch your favorite show, listen to your favorite song, call your best friend, look up an answer, or play a game. While these conveniences are wonderful, they also eliminate many opportunities to learn patience and self-discipline.
Because these conveniences change kid culture, it is important that children’s ministers and parents both emphasize the importance of good character and provide kids with opportunities to develop their character.

For Discussion:-
-What do you think of these statistics?
- How do you see digital media changing kid culture?
- What methods work for reaching kid culture?

A recent poll by Common Sense Media discovered that parents’ biggest health concern for their kids is the overuse of media. In fact, other studies show that kids spend as much as 45 hours per week with media such as iPods, social networks, TV, and video games.

Parents’ View of Media

96% of parents said that they are responsible for monitoring their childrens media use
68% of parents think media influences the health and well-being of their kids
57% of parents are concerned about their kids overusing media
13% of parents were able connect the dots when it came to the influence that media has on their health of their children

The Biggest Concern

29% of parents rank television as their #1 concern
24% rank the Internet as #1
18% rank video games as #1

The Effects of Media

89% of parents with children aged 5 to 7 reported that the media prompted their kids to request toys and dolls
71% of parents with teens aged 14 to 16 say they think media persuaded their kids to ask for iPods and computers

This is a post from one of the Blogs I follow. "Pastor Steven Furtick" This is great advice for parents but is also great wisdom for Christ Followers!

But He’s always loving.
Don’t confuse God’s love with like ability. He is most certainly a loving Father. But that doesn’t always mean He’s like able.

When a parent sets out to be like able, the primary intention is to make the child happy. Like able parents want their children to have favorable opinions of them at all times. So, in order to enforce this opinion, like able parents give their children whatever the children want, whenever they want it.God is not that kind of Father. He is entirely unconcerned about how He fares in the paternal popularity poll.And every parent knows that in order to be truly loving toward your children, sometimes you have to be utterly unlikeable.

Sometimes being loving means saying a firm no, refusing to capitulate no matter how much your children scream or cry or beg.Sometimes being loving means taking something away from your child because it’s bad for them, even if they don’t understand the danger of the object they’re playing with.Sometimes being loving means measuring out discipline to correct and train, even though you hate giving the punishment more than they hate receiving it.

Maybe you don’t like what the Lord is doing in your life right now.That’s okay.He’s infinitely more moved by how much He loves you than how much you like Him.

Hebrews 12:5-7And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,because the Lord disciplines those he loves,and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?

Teens who frequently go out with friends more likely to use marijuana
Marijuana use appears to have decreased among most European and North American adolescents between 2002 and 2006, and those who went out with friends on fewer evenings of the week were less likely to report using the drug, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

"Cannabis [marijuana] use among young people is a serious public health concern," the authors write as background information in the article. Recent evidence links marijuana use to motor vehicle accidents, injuries, inflammatory and cancerous changes in the airways and mental health problems, including depression. Long-term detrimental effects include poor academic performance and failure to complete schooling, impeding development and hampering future career opportunities.

"One factor that may help explain why adolescents engage in cannabis use is association with cannabis-using peers, which can increase the availability of cannabis and socially influence use," the authors write. To investigate this link and also trends in marijuana use over time, Emmanuel Kuntsche, Ph.D., of the Swiss Institute for the Prevention of Alcohol and Drugs Problems, Lausanne, and colleagues analyzed data from 93,297 15-year-old students who participated in the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children study. Participants in 31 countries (mostly in Europe and North America) were surveyed in 2002 and again in 2006 about marijuana use and the number of evenings per week they usually spend out with their friends, among other topics.

During the four-year study period, marijuana use decreased in most of the countries, with the most significant declines in England, Portugal, Switzerland, Slovenia and Canada. Increases were observed in Estonia, Lithuania, and Malta and among Russian girls. The number of evenings out with friends also declined in most countries during the same time period, although there was a wide range in averages, from about one evening per week for Portuguese girls to more than three evenings per week among boys and girls in the Ukraine, Russia, Scotland, Estonia and Spain.

"The more frequently adolescents reported going out with their friends in the evenings, the more likely they were to report using cannabis," the authors write. "This link was consistent for boys and girls and across survey years. Across countries, changes in the mean [average] frequency of evenings spent out were strongly linked to changes in cannabis use."

Besides a decline in evenings out with friends, potential reasons for the decline in marijuana use include prevention efforts, availability or changes in teen preferences. It is more difficult to pinpoint factors behind the decline in evenings out, the authors note. New forms of communication, such as e-mail and text messaging, may have replaced some face-to-face interactions, or that the high rate of marijuana use in 2002 may have increased parental concerns about substance use and made access to the drug and evenings out more difficult.

"This overview of trends in 31 countries and regions provides policy makers with important information on the prevalence and amount of change in cannabis use among boys and girls in their countries," the authors write. "There is a great need to learn more about the nature of evenings out with friends and related factors that might explain changes in adolescent cannabis use over time. Because there are many benefits to adolescent social interaction, it is important to determine how best to foster it without unduly increasing exposure opportunities for cannabis use."

“The great weakness of North American spirituality is that it is all about us: fulfilling our potential, getting in on the blessings of God, expanding our influence, finding our gifts, getting a handle on principles by which we can get an edge over the competition. And the more there is of us, the less there is of God.” Eugene Peterson