By now everyone has heard about the teenager in Wisconsin who held a group of classmates hostage at gun point for about six hours. The boy then shot himself, it goes without saying that this child was deeply troubled. I would like to encourage folks to pray for this young man and his family. The news reported that he had two handguns, of course the anti-gun rights folks are going to raise an alarm, and call for tougher gun control laws or outright bans on handguns. The problem that these folks close their eyes to is that the young man at 15 years of age, had to steal these guns and any type of gun control or ban would have made no difference at all.
The real cry should be, what signs were missed and how could the school or parents prevented this? Intervention should be more than a television show. The holiday season comes with tons of stress for adults and for school students there are added items of stress. Whether adults want to admit it or not, teens share many of the adult stress factors, then you must add in the exams, senior projects, and peer group pressure.
Most teens find ways to deal with these stress items through friends, activities, attitude, hard work, some use drugs and or alcohol abuse, there are constructive relievers and destructive relievers. The job as adults is to help teens find a constructive reliever.
What are some of the signs we need to be aware of? Good question, glad you ask.
Teens and children that are normally outgoing and chatty, may become quiet and withdrawn....time to ask questions.
The child who was always compliant and obeyed, becomes defensive and defiant and maybe augmentative.
The circle of friends changes.
The open child becomes very reserved and secretive.
Do you notice a change in your child's demeanor or attitude, start by asking questions and then seek help.
We can start by teaching our children how too deal with stress problems, we can make our children aware that the stress will come and go. What is the greatest stress reliever?
Try prayer and faith, I have found that these two items are the greatest stress relief ever. Jesus said His yoke was easy and well fitted, and His brother James encourages us to cast our cares on Jesus, because He cares for us.I can tell you from a life of experience that these two items work and do so well.
We need to focus on what is important, why teens find the need to act with violent behavior and or self destructive. How to really understand what is going on the lives of young people and how to do an intervention that works.
Gun control and bans will do nothing to fix the problem, that is a non-important side bar.
We need to focus on what is important.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
The Important Thing
I sometimes check in on what is referred to a "progressive web sites", this is what many of our politically and socially liberal friends refer to themselves as. I don't really recommend that people read these sites unless you happen to agree with the dribble that is posted there or have a very strong stomach. Recently I was on one of these sites and read an article by an atheistic writer.
The writer was presenting the idea that he/she would engage religious people in conversation in which the religious people were seeking the approval of the atheist for their religion and no matter what the religious people say he/she would never agree to the religious point of view. This may surprise you, but I agree with the atheist. I do not want an atheist to agree or approve of my faith.
My faith is not based on religion, it is based on a relationship with Jesus. Religion over the past history is faith that is corrupted by man's ambitions and desires. I will not take up the remainder of your life digging in to all the bad things done in the name of religion in the past. I will remind you that in the name of Islam (religion) a war is being waged against American infidels and Christian infidels, in Iraq churches are invaded and believers are killed because they have a relationship with Jesus.
Notice I have use the term relationship with Jesus several times, and that is the truth of the Christian religion, many people have made it about the religion, but I always go back to the fact that it is about relationship with Jesus. Now I know that many people don't believe that Jesus really existed, but that is closing your eyes to a historical fact, that would be tantamount to saying that Buddha or Confucius did not exist. The problem is in the fact that Jesus' tomb is empty and there fore He could not have lived, right? Well, if that is what they want to believe, they are certainly free to do so, except if Islam is the state religion and then they have to swear to Islam even if they don't believe.
However Jesus is a historical fact and the fact that His grave is empty only proves that what was written 100's to a 1000 years before His birth is simply true. Jesus was anti-religion, He was about relationships and that is what He wants from us, a relationship between you and Him. Jesus wants you to believe in Him and be saved John 3:18 and 6:40. By living a relationship with Jesus you will find light in your life, John 8:12, notice that Jesus was talking to the religious leaders when He made both statements.
So the short answer is I don't need any ones approval for my faith, because it is based on a relationship, not a religion. I would encourage the folks that consider themselves to smart for a personnel relationship Jesus, to reconsider.
If I live my life serving Jesus and doing what He wants me to, like helping others, serving the poor and sick and being kind and gentle, raising my family to be honest and trustworthy citizens, and when I die I find that there is no heaven or hell and it is all over, what have I wasted? If you live denying Jesus and it makes no difference what you do and the strong shall survive, and you do what ever seems right to you, and you die and find out that you were wrong and there is a heaven and hell and a judgement, what then?
Jesus does not call you to a religion, but a relationship with the King of Kings. What will you do with this man called Jesus? Your move.
The writer was presenting the idea that he/she would engage religious people in conversation in which the religious people were seeking the approval of the atheist for their religion and no matter what the religious people say he/she would never agree to the religious point of view. This may surprise you, but I agree with the atheist. I do not want an atheist to agree or approve of my faith.
My faith is not based on religion, it is based on a relationship with Jesus. Religion over the past history is faith that is corrupted by man's ambitions and desires. I will not take up the remainder of your life digging in to all the bad things done in the name of religion in the past. I will remind you that in the name of Islam (religion) a war is being waged against American infidels and Christian infidels, in Iraq churches are invaded and believers are killed because they have a relationship with Jesus.
Notice I have use the term relationship with Jesus several times, and that is the truth of the Christian religion, many people have made it about the religion, but I always go back to the fact that it is about relationship with Jesus. Now I know that many people don't believe that Jesus really existed, but that is closing your eyes to a historical fact, that would be tantamount to saying that Buddha or Confucius did not exist. The problem is in the fact that Jesus' tomb is empty and there fore He could not have lived, right? Well, if that is what they want to believe, they are certainly free to do so, except if Islam is the state religion and then they have to swear to Islam even if they don't believe.
However Jesus is a historical fact and the fact that His grave is empty only proves that what was written 100's to a 1000 years before His birth is simply true. Jesus was anti-religion, He was about relationships and that is what He wants from us, a relationship between you and Him. Jesus wants you to believe in Him and be saved John 3:18 and 6:40. By living a relationship with Jesus you will find light in your life, John 8:12, notice that Jesus was talking to the religious leaders when He made both statements.
So the short answer is I don't need any ones approval for my faith, because it is based on a relationship, not a religion. I would encourage the folks that consider themselves to smart for a personnel relationship Jesus, to reconsider.
If I live my life serving Jesus and doing what He wants me to, like helping others, serving the poor and sick and being kind and gentle, raising my family to be honest and trustworthy citizens, and when I die I find that there is no heaven or hell and it is all over, what have I wasted? If you live denying Jesus and it makes no difference what you do and the strong shall survive, and you do what ever seems right to you, and you die and find out that you were wrong and there is a heaven and hell and a judgement, what then?
Jesus does not call you to a religion, but a relationship with the King of Kings. What will you do with this man called Jesus? Your move.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
New Day
The majority of Americans are sending a message to the Washington elite, restore government to what it is suppose to be. The government was never meant to be everything to everyone, the main purpose of government is to provide for the common defense and good of the people. Look at what the Preamble to the US Constitution says: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." I am not sure that the governing elite understand this concept anymore, but worse than that many citizens of America don't understand that concept either.
For some reason domestic tranquility and general welfare have been convoluted to mean that the government is suppose to give people everything they need or want from cradle to grave. Provide for "common defence" does not mean that you are not responsible for taking care of yourself. That term did not mean that the government would have the resources to promise that you would never be the victim of a crime or that everyone would have a personal guard at all times.
Domestic Tranquility was used to refer to maintaining order and control crime and warfare from within the country, remember that during this time there were groups of people who would desire to see the government overturned, that is not so much different from today. The common defence( please note the old English spelling) was to secure our country, from countries and people that would attack us from outside the borders, again not some much different from today.
I think it is important to note that the writers of the Constitution also understood that people would work to become successful. The Blessing of Liberty and Posterity, simply put the citizen could pursue wealth through hard work and effort. The government would do nothing to hamper the the individual who was legally pursue the dream of life, liberty, and posterity.
Now that the lame duck session of Congress is in, maybe the American people can prevent any major legislation from moving through the Congress, that is pushed by liberal politics. Hopefully, government of the people, by the people, for the people, will be true again. Less government and more freedom will result in a stronger America and American economy.
For some reason domestic tranquility and general welfare have been convoluted to mean that the government is suppose to give people everything they need or want from cradle to grave. Provide for "common defence" does not mean that you are not responsible for taking care of yourself. That term did not mean that the government would have the resources to promise that you would never be the victim of a crime or that everyone would have a personal guard at all times.
Domestic Tranquility was used to refer to maintaining order and control crime and warfare from within the country, remember that during this time there were groups of people who would desire to see the government overturned, that is not so much different from today. The common defence( please note the old English spelling) was to secure our country, from countries and people that would attack us from outside the borders, again not some much different from today.
I think it is important to note that the writers of the Constitution also understood that people would work to become successful. The Blessing of Liberty and Posterity, simply put the citizen could pursue wealth through hard work and effort. The government would do nothing to hamper the the individual who was legally pursue the dream of life, liberty, and posterity.
Now that the lame duck session of Congress is in, maybe the American people can prevent any major legislation from moving through the Congress, that is pushed by liberal politics. Hopefully, government of the people, by the people, for the people, will be true again. Less government and more freedom will result in a stronger America and American economy.
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