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

Making the most of summer

I have a love/hate relationship with summer.  I love being able to stay up late and sleep in, and I enjoy a more relaxed schedule of activities.  That's about it; I hate the heat and humidity, the bugs, the storms, and yard work.  When my kids were younger, there was the added challenge of keeping them busy (i.e., entertained).  By mid-July, I felt like Julie, the cruise director on "The Love Boat," and my children were definitely not into shuffleboard!  

One summer, the light bulb went on, and I discovered I possessed cheap labor within my own house.  Why, I could put these little munchkins to work and really accomplish something over the summer!  This genius plan had to be carried out with great finesse, however, because the workers could not know they were actually doing chores.  That would never fly.  

I began by casting a vision of the future, planting dreams of complete freedom and independence.  Anyone with teenagers knows it's not hard to get them thinking about the day they will be on their own.  After hearing their grandiose ideas of life without parental interference, I reminded them of those pesky little realities of life.  You know, things like doing your cooking, cleaning and laundry, buying your own groceries and (gasp!) paying your own bills.  

"Wouldn't it be so much easier if you already knew how to do all those things?" I inquired.  Okay, so their response was less than enthusiastic, but at least they had some positive motivation to do a little work.  

For some specific ideas, check out the article below.  It was written for children ages 6-12, but most of the suggestions fit teens as well.  And remember, one day they WILL thank you!  

Educational Summer Activities

Tween queen for a day

Today's birthday at my house isn't making me feel any younger either.  Emma, my "baby", turned 11 and is firmly entrenched in all that is tween.  That means Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, and a host of other Disney and Nickelodeon stars are pretty big at our house.  That also means the teen years are not far off.  I think I can FEEL the gray hairs creeping in already!    

Emma has been struggling with a severe asthma flare-up for the past week, so she hasn't felt well on her special day.  I'm sure she'd appreciate prayers for quick healing!    

22 years young

"Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth."  Psalm 127:4

It's one of those days that will forever be burned in my memory.  Every detail remains clear, right down to what I was wearing.  It was a day that changed my life forever; it was the day I became a parent.  

I was just one week shy of 22 years old when that whopping ten pound, redhead baby boy made his first appearance in the world.  Today, the now six-foot lanky young man turns 22 himself.  I have a new perspective about how young I really was when Jeremy was born.  No wonder I felt so clueless as a new parent!  

Through the years, he has been the child who could always make me laugh and was always humble enough to be able to laugh at himself, a quality I admire and aspire to.  Jeremy's smile is contagious, and I know it's the reason why God gave him those dimples.

Of course, I shed a few tears over my son as well, mostly during his teen years.  And I must say, he was probably the reason for most of the gray hairs I now have.  Still, I'm thankful for the lessons learned (for both of us).  

He is the arrow, I am the warrior, and I've had to release him to the world, knowing full well that God is sovereign over where he will land.  

Happy birthday, Jeremy!

    

Happy Mother's Day!

May madness has begun at our house.  It begins tomorrow with Mother's Day, followed by four birthdays in 11 days at our house!  We also have about a dozen family members celebrating birthdays and anniversaries in May, not to mention graduations, end-of-the-school year concerts and recitals.  By the time May is over, I'm as ready for summer vacation as the kids are!  

Just another reason to marvel at my own mother and how she managed to keep our household running without a hitch.  I'm not sure I inherited her energy or organizational ability!  

Tonight I am lifting up a prayer for all the moms out there, especially mothers of teenagers.  I pray that God will give you a day of appreciation for your cherubs, no matter how un-precious they may be right now.  :)

Happy Mother's Day!