Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Earth Day!

HAPPY EARTH DAY EVERYBODY!!!!

This is a day to pick up the earth! Conserve it! Educate the inhabitants! Recycle and reuse!

You know that I feel that the home environment is the one that needs saving, so here is my twist on Earth Day.

I know that my home environment is in need of a little TLC. How about yours? I need to dedicate a day with the whole family to clean up the yard and to de-clutter the inside. What a great time of year to get out the biodegradable trash bags and go to town!

Getting the whole family involved will make all the difference for me. That is my way of conserving energy. I really need to educate the inhabitants of our home environment(my kids) about keeping their rooms tidy and respecting our home in general.

It will be a time that we can go through old clothes, toys, books etc...and recycle them by donating to the Salvation Army. I'm sure that we have so many things that we just don't need or use that could be very useful to someone else. I can't wait to re-coup some endangered space in my small abode.

This is such an important step in saving the home environment. I'm sure you can't deny the peaceful feeling that is in a home that is clean and the opposite is true as well. I don't have time or energy to spend with the family if I always feel depleted by clutter. It is amazing how it can zap your energy.

So this Earth Day I pledge to spend a day to clean up my home and make it a more beautiful place to live.

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Monday, April 6, 2009

Get Ready For the Floods (Part 2)


Before you read this, please read Part 1.

So, why is this important? Why do our homes need a firm foundation?

When hard times come, and they will, you will be able to hold fast to each other for strength. The love, trust and foundation will be there. If you have faith in God, together you can gain strength through prayer and fasting. You will not curse God, but seek to understand His plan and learn to depend upon Him.

When your children are teenagers and making decisions for themselves, if they have a strong foundation, you can hope that they will remember and stand strong for the things they believe and have been taught. They hopefully will look for a spouse who has the same values and will be able to raise their children in a family with a strong foundation. This could be the most important decision of their life.

How can this change the world?

Our country was built on a foundation of freedom. It was based on judeochristian principles. God blessed this country to thrive and prosper. No civilization has ever seen such amazing advances in such a short span of history. Over time, the family has weakened and the world has seeped in. Black and white are now gray. Right and wrong are "more complicated" now. Our foundation on God and morality has begun to falter. Do you see it crumbling? I do. Do you see the very definition of the family being bombarded? Do you see children, teenagers and young adults being tossed to and fro because they have no foundation on which to stand?

It is all connected.

It all starts with the family.

We cannot let the government become our children's parents or our god.

We need to be our children's parents. If we can strengthen the family and teach correct values and principles, we can cement this foundation. Family by family, home by home we can raise young people who love God and country, who are honest and upright. THE FAMILY is the foundation and backbone of this country.

So prepare now for the floods and just remember that strength can result from stress, if you don't let it break you. You know deep down that the only way to grow is to wade your way through trials.

Remember.....remember to build your family upon a rock.

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Get Ready For the Floods (Part 1)

I'm not convinced that I am finally going to get that water front property that the environmentalists are promising, but I do know that floods and storms are coming!

Do you remember the story of the wise man and the foolish man? The foolish man built his house on the sand and the wise man built his on a rock. Well, the rains came down and the floods came up (the story didn't say anything about polar icecaps melting, but I guess that it could have been a possibility). What happened to the the two houses? One washed away and one STAYED STRONG! The difference: A FIRM FOUNDATION.

Are you prepared for the storms and floods of life? Can your family stay strong when things get tough?

What do I mean by storms and floods?

These floods are not going to rise up due to your refusal to drive a solar powered car. These storms come in the form of sickness, loss of jobs, financial troubles, a wayward child, debt, death, disappointment, or addiction. Sometimes the the storms are literal. Look at Hurricane Katrina and the major stress that it brought.

How do you build a strong foundation for your family? Here is a start:

1. Define or develop core beliefs and values in yourself: What do you believe? Do you believe in God? Do you want to? What is important to you? What characteristics do you want to develop? What is your rock? Is it strong and immovable? These questions may be hard to answer for some and for others it may be really easy. It is so important to have a firm foundation as a parent. Children look to you for answers. You are building the foundation for your family. Is it sand or rock?

2. Teach values to kids with love: This is pretty self explanatory, but takes effort and patience. If you are religious, teach them to pray, read scriptures and help them know that they are children of God. Talk to your kids about the consequences of lying, substance abuse, immorality, stealing, cheating, disrespecting you, others or property. Teach them the value of hard work, serving others, honesty, dressing and acting modestly and the importance of getting a good education. Let them know what you expect from them and why. They won't learn right from wrong unless you teach them. Don't let trends, teachers, celebrities, magazines, t.v. shows or friends set your child's values. Never a good idea!

3. Practice living values daily: Stay consistent in your family prayers, scriptures and family hour. Look for opportunities to teach and reinforce the values you have taught. If they need to be disciplined, do it with love and talk to them about why they were punished. Never give up or give in.

4. Be a good example of the values you represent: Your kids are watching you! Be honest, be prayerful, use good language, be respectful of others and respect yourself. Your true colors come out when you are stressed or surprised. Believe me. I know! I've never been more challenged in my life before becoming a parent. I'll give you lots of examples in the posts to come. :)

I'm getting a little long winded and I don't want to lose you, so I'm going to post the conclusion in a day or two.

So, be sure to check back, subscribe or follow this blog so you don't miss a post!

Stumble Upon Toolbar