Truth uncovered: There is no money tree!

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'"  Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)

I remember one time when I was very young, I asked my father to buy me a record album.  He said, "OK, well, I will just go out in the back yard and get some money off the money tree!"  I was too young to understand sarcasm, and for weeks I kept searching my back yard for that tree.  

I'm sure many of us have used that expression with our kids as well. We may be using it more often these days, as prices soar and wages remain the same.  As our teens prepare to go out in the world, they need to have good money-management skills with a godly approach.  

A couple of PARENtEEN readers sent me links to some helpful articles below (thank you, Matthew and Allison!).  

Ways To Teach Kids That Money Doesn't Grow on Trees by Eric Tyson encourages us to use the economic crunch as an opportunity to teach our children the real value of money.  

Stop Overindulging Your Children by Jill Rigby teaches parents how to stop falling for the nag factor.  

Below are some more resources for you to check out:

Teaching appreciation diminishes the impact of materialism (Harris Interactive survey)

Material world teens (Center for Parent/Youth Understanding)

Teaching your teen to budget (Family Education)

Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl

My daughter alerted me to a new song that is outrageous enough to be making waves on the top 40 chart.  It's called, "I Kissed A Girl," performed by Katy Perry.  Here are the lyrics:

This was never the way I planned
Not my intention
I got so brave, drink in hand
Lost my discretion
It's not what, I'm used to
Just wanna try you on
I'm curious for you
Caught my attention

I kissed a girl and I liked it
The taste of her cherry chap stick
I kissed a girl just to try it
I hope my boyfriend don't mind it
It felt so wrong
It felt so right
Don't mean I'm in love tonight
I kissed a girl and I liked it
I liked it

No, I don't even know your name
It doesn't matter
You're my experimental game
Just human nature
It's not what, good girls do
Not how they should behave
My head gets so confused
Hard to obey

Us girls we are so magical
Soft skin, red lips, so kissable
Hard to resist so touchable
Too good to deny it
Ain't no big deal, it's innocent

 

I hate to even give press to this song, but parents, this is a great opportunity to talk to your teens about homosexuality.  With the recent legislation in California, stories of gay marriages are plastered in every form of media.  Not only is homosexuality becoming widely accepted, it is glorified and even celebrated.

This song encourages sexual experimentation and sends a message that it's "no big deal."  Our kids need to know that this behavior is wrong in God's eyes, and more importantly, they need to know why. They need to know that God has a better plan, a perfect plan for their sexuality. They need to know they are being deceived by the world.  

Chances are, your teens have friends or acquaintances who are gay. This is also a great time to talk about how we should treat homosexuals.  Teens need to know that just because we don't agree with the behavior, we must love all people who are lost and confused. That is part of the greatest commandment.  

Another interesting side note on Katy Perry:  she is the daughter of two pastors, and she released a Christian album under her real name, Katy Hudson, back in 2001.  

For more help on this subject, check out CPYU's 3-D review below:

I Kissed A Girl

Fathers of all kinds

Happy Father's Day to all our dad readers!  I hope you got lots of accolades, a little rest, and no neckties.  

You may have noticed this blog has been quiet the past few weeks.  Our family was going through a season which kept me physically busy and mentally drained.  My youngest daughter spent the better part of May trying to get her asthma under control, which meant lots of sleepless nights for Mom.  I, in turn, had a compromised immune system and ended up getting sick, just about the time my husband accompanied his father to Arizona for a risky, experimental heart surgery.  I am thankful to say that all went well, and his dad is back home recuperating.  We are all mended now and back to our "normal" amount of crazy.  :)

This Father's Day was a mix of emotions for me.  I still miss my dad, who is celebrating in heaven for the second year, but it was great to celebrate my father-in-law being here after (once again) defying the medical odds.  

Today was also the last day for our church's senior pastor, who God is calling on a great faith adventure.  I think it was appropriate that we celebrated him today, as he has been a remarkable spiritual father to his congregation.  I encourage you to check out the link below to a newspaper article about Pastor David Holt.  He is truly inspiring.

That also means I will be saying goodbye to one of my favorite women, Dede Holt.  She has been a tireless supporter of PARENtEEN and a dear friend.  I know it will only be a temporary goodbye (and thank God for e-mail!), but I will miss her smile and sweet Georgia accent.  Love you, Dede!

Farewell, Pastor Holt: Longtime evangelical leader returning to his Georgia roots