Making Life Work

From Ronald L. Dart's Born to Win Notes  

    In my years of education, from the first grade in 1940, until I graduated from high school in 1952, I don’t remember hearing of a single school shooting.

    I went off to the Navy for four years, and then to college for six years, and I still don’t recall hearing of a single school shooting. Now, it has become like an epidemic. Has something changed?

    Were there just as many school shootings in years gone by and we just didn’t hear about them? Did the media just treat them as isolated tragedies? Are we hearing about these shootings now because of the gun control movement?

    I do remember a group of kids taking shelter under a tree in a thunderstorm. They were all killed when...

By: Stacey Shoemaker

    There is someone who is deeply invested in your child’s spiritual development. He has analyzed her personality for strengths and weaknesses. He knows the intricacies of her relationships with family and friends and has studied every possible angle to win her over. He has a masterful plan for influencing your child’s walk with God. That someone is Satan the Devil.

    Right now a war is being waged for the hearts and minds of our young people (Ephesians 6). The last two decades have seen a flurry of sociological research about Christianity which has revealed changes that have been previously unseen in American history. As Forrest Barry, author of a blog entitled, The Last Christian Generation? states, “The percentage...

By: Allie Dart

    The adolescent years are difficult for parents and kids. As early to mid-teenagers gain their independence, they may not even want to be seen with their parents. Don’t let it throw you when you’re shopping in the mall with your kid and she doesn’t want to be seen with you. This is just one step in your teen declaring his or her independence. But what if she resents having to go to church with you? Should your teenager be given freedom of choice regarding religious beliefs and practices? A common phrase you’re likely to hear is, “I don’t want you cramming your religion down my throat.” So what do you do?

    You are not nearly as likely to have this happen if you have been consistent since birth indoctrinating your children...

 
By: Bill Jacobs

    A good friend and I were talking about the need to make our congregations good, safe places for our children. He observed that it is the tendency for many to think about help in a programmatic way: have a need; fill it by creating a program.

    Several interesting thoughts came from that observation. First, we noticed that Jesus did not start a single program. He started a movement, but no programs. Second, we noted that Jesus interacted with people directly to help them. If people were sick he healed them. If they were confused he told them a story or asked them illuminating questions. If children appeared before him, He picked them up and blessed them. In His thirty-three years of human life, he helped people primarily through face-to-face interactions.

By: Ronald L. Dart

    What do you think about an urban school district that, in the first three months of school, had 19 reports of weapons confiscated and 42 assaults by Kids. That’s awful, you say.

What a shame, you say. Yes it is. But that’s not the half of it: That was in kindergarten and first grade.

By: Lenny Cacchio  

    I used to like The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.  What was not to like?  They were a two-parent family with two well-behaved sons.   Every week for fourteen years they stumbled through the foibles of daily living, but as a family they managed in a mere thirty minutes minus commercial breaks to resolve every conflict that beset America’s favorite family.

    This, of course, was before the Nelsons became the emblem of what some seem to think was the silly season of American Culture.  Ozzie in his necktie and Harriet in her dress, David and Ricky minding their manners, always bright and polite – this was surely a phony portrayal of American family life that never was and never could be.

    Thus the series has...

By: Terri-Leigh Reilly

         The pair of them strolled, hand in hand, along the beach. The daughter looked up thoughtfully, opened her mouth as if to speak, and closed  it again in frustration. She watched the waves, then the seagulls, and  finally looked up to the sky, with that thoughtful look still shining in her eyes. Her father smiled, he could feel a question approaching.          "Daddy?" she said, twisting her hair around her finger.          "Yes, my darling," he replied.          She looked up at him again, "Will you always love me?"          He was quiet for a while. The instant reply that any other loving  father would have given to their daughter, would have been, yes, darling, I  will always love you. It was on the...

By: Bill Jacobs

    Someone asked me recently about the idea of a teen-oriented festival site. Everyone would be welcome, but the focus would be on teens. When I first entertained this idea I was enthused. Many of our teens feel discouraged about fitting in at church. We need to make them feel more a part. However, after thinking about it, I realized I was falling into a trap.

    People in Western Culture, when they want to help a group of people, usually create a program or an activity for them. For example, from time-to-time at church we have youth services, teen Bible studies and teen dances. This type of effort often meets with a popular response. Teens have specific issues they would like to hear addressed in Bible studies. They appreciate...

By: Allie Dart

    Are you neglecting one of the most important elements in raising your children? Do you fully understand the one, often neglected thing you should be doing that will give you joy, comfort and satisfaction throughout your life?

    Parents usually devote about 18 years of their lives supporting, housing, clothing, raising and educating a child. During this time a wise parent recognizes the need to deliberately teach that child to be employable and marriageable. Judging from our welfare state and high divorce rates, knowing these things is not inherent within children. They must be taught with words and example.

    But there is a step beyond shaping your children to have good work ethics and to make someone a loving...

By: Bill Jacobs

    A good friend and I were talking about the need to make our congregations good, safe places for our children. He observed that it is the tendency for many to think about help in a programmatic way: have a need; fill it by creating a program.

    Several interesting thoughts came from that observation. First, we noticed that Jesus did not start a single program. He started a movement, but no programs. Second, we noted that Jesus interacted with people directly to help them. If people were sick he healed them. If they were confused he told them a story or asked them illuminating questions. If children appeared before him, He picked them up and blessed them. In His thirty-three years of human life, he helped people primarily...

By: Allie Dart

    Friendship-making skills are the number one thing churchgoing teenagers are interested in learning.Acquiring these skills ranks higher with these young people than learning more about who God is, and coming to know and love Jesus Christ. It may surprise you to know that it rated even higher than marrying and having a happy family or having a lot of money, according to researcher George Barna. What this shows is how much teenagers long to love and be loved.

    Everyone needs friends. But it’s important to understand that not everyone can be a friend. Some kids are so selfish that no matter how nice you are to them, they may not be the kind of people that you will want to hang-out with. You may have to love this type of person...

By: Cynthia Saladin  

    Sometimes raising children seems like an uphill struggle - a constant testing of limits, rules, and authority. “I don’t want to go to bed right now.” “Why do I have to wear my hat?” “I don’t like green beans.” “I don’t want to share with Christopher.” “Why, Mommy, why?” “Please can I do it one more time? Please.” And sometimes I get very weary and worn down. Sometimes I give in to the entreaties because I’m so tired of the battle. I make a deal; I hear myself saying, “O.K., one more time, and then it’s time for bed.” Sometimes it works; sometimes it just prolongs the battle. Later, as I am thinking about the struggle, whichever of the many daily contests of wills, I start second-guessing myself. Should I have given in? Was...

By: Allie Dart

    Have you ever had the opportunity to be the speaker for a group of teens? By some chance, were you the only person there who wasn’t a teen? Was the situation a little intimidating? As we grow older a challenge such as this may become even more frightening. But why should an adult be frightened to be with a group of youngsters that may only be one-third or even one-quarter of his age? But whether you’re a parent, youth worker, or minister, the more you understand teenagers, the better you will be able to connect with them.

    Jay Kesler in his book, Too Big to Spank, gives four things we adults need to understand when dealing with teens. One of the first things we can do is to put ourselves in their shoes as much as possible...

By: Allie Dart

    When you think of kids trekking off to school, one usually thinks of backpacks and lunch boxes. In the last few years, something new has been added. Cell phones are the newest school accessory for teenagers, a tool many think they can’t do without. “Nearly half of US Teens and Tweens have cell phones,” according to NOP World.

    Cell phone ownership among teens and tweens has now topped 16 million nationwide, “with almost half (44%) of 10-18 year-olds in the US owning a cell phone...Teens and tweens are on the cutting edge of cell phone technology and are no longer excited by typical single-function cell phones.” Today’s kids are most interested in multi-functioning cell phones that convert into mp3 players or into digital...

By: Allie Dart

Dedicated to: Katie Swenson of Indiana Katherine McCommon of Texas Amanda Marsh of Texas Kyle Cofield of Alabama Robert Quinn of Georgia     If you are a 2005 graduate, you’ve probably received stacks of cards congratulating you. They’ve told you the sky’s the limit, success awaits you, and your future couldn’t look brighter. The speaker at your commencement exercise may have left you feeling that you can conquer the world. And we certainly hope you do.     Along with receiving your diploma or degree, you’ve received a lot more freedom. You’ll likely move out of your parents’ home and into a college dorm, or into your own apartment. This is what you’ve been waiting for. Isn’t it? So where do you go from...

By: Allie Dart

    The first thing kids need to know about the Bible is that it is relevant to them and their lives. The Bible was written “to teach his people how to live – how to act in every circumstance, for he wanted them to be understanding, just and fair in everything they did. ‘I want to make the simple-minded wise!’ he said. ‘I want to warn young men about some problems they will face. I want those already wise to become the wiser and become leaders by exploring the depths of meaning in these nuggets of truth’” (Proverbs 1:2-6 TLB). Kids need to know what the Psalmist said, “Your words are a flashlight to light the path ahead of me, and keep me from stumbling. . . (Psalm 119:105a).     Kids need to know the Bible is the most...