It's the First Day of April

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Funny stuff!

We All Have to Begin

Life changes are definitely a good thing because they set the stage for achievement and growth. As with all beginnings, I will face setbacks and frustrations and not everything I set my hand to do will be the all in all. But I know for a fact that as long as I am striving to learn something new every day, what I experience will enhance my life. I feel like I am on my way to becoming the person I've always dreamed of being. I see my kids flourishing and that is paramount. Also, I'm not afraid to face myself and admit that I have a deep crazy passion for life...and I'm starting to feel at ease with being that way.

I'm so grateful for the friends who have stood by my side and given me the courage to strive to excel far beyond what I ever imagined, to break out of the box and see life full-circle. I'm not completely there yet, but I can visualise my future, and I'm on my way!

Learning from Our Children

I never cease to be amazed by a child’s world. So often it is something that I take for granted. A child grows, a child learns, a child grows, a child learns…a child lives! Life is an exciting experience for children because every day they learn so much! We are also continuously learning as adults but the process for us is more tedious and difficult. Yet a child practically absorbs all the knowledge he/she comes in contact with.

My kids teach me something new each day. They are a support when I need them most! One day I was lying on my bed crying. It had been a particularly difficult day and I felt really low. We all have those moments, don’t we? My seven year-old son came into the room and caught my teary eyes. At first I wanted to hide but then my heart told me to just be natural about my emotions around him. Right away he tenderly said, “what’s wrong mommy? Can I help you?” I told him that I was feeling sad and that I was unhappy with myself. I told him a child-version of my problem and my thoughts. He responded by reaching out to me, telling me not to worry, telling me that my negative thoughts were not true. And then, to top it off, he gave me a big hug and told me he loved me. I thought, wow, some people study years of modern psychology in order to be able to do what he had just done!

Kids have such pure faith and a positive outlook on life. We, as parents, teachers, and caretakers, must learn to let them influence our lives!

Thots to Ponder

1. When God made the earth He could have finished it. But He didn't. He left it as raw material--to tease us, to tantalize us, to set us thinking and experimenting and risking and adventuring. And therein we find our supreme interest in living.
2. He gave us the challenge of raw materials, not the satisfaction of perfect, finished things.
3. He left the music unsung, the dramas unplayed. He left the poetry undreamed, in order that we might become, not bored, but engage in stimulating, exciting, creative activities that keep us thinking, working, experimenting, & experiencing all the joys & durable satisfactions of achievement.

Home Level Management

Well, as parents, we're qualified managers. I'm sure of it. I know I am. I might not have a sheet of paper stating that I passed a multilevel management course, but I know full well that I have the skills to pull the job off. Just the fact that I am a mother of five children, ages ranging from 6 to 14, and we manage to keep a daily schedule, get three meals on the table, keep the house clean, stay on top of daily schoolwork, and sort through emotional/social issues, is enough proof. And that's just a tiny bit of what our exciting lifestyle entails. :-)

So, since I'm qualified to do so, :-P, I will venture to state something about home management:

Our aim, as parents, is to secure peak performance from our children by nudging them to realize their full potential. Sometimes we walk a fine line between offering support and encouragement and pushing a bit. Well, don't be afraid to prod and shove a little (when appropriate). Don't be afraid to maintain high ethical standards. There have got to be clearly defined rights and wrongs. In the ends our kids will be thankful that we believed in them enough to encourage their best. The key is LOVE. Real love will see the potential and positively fuel the flame of that potential.

Above all things, have love. Because love really is the most powerful force in the universe.

Teens love one-word statements

I have a feeling that my teen boy is relieved when I skip the "lecture" and say it in a word. I don't know why I never noticed this before...hmmm. It's all coming to me now.

I suppose his imagination is active enough to know what to do when I say, "your bed"! And if I can keep myself from yielding to the temptation of elaboration, I will be giving him an opportunity to exercise his own initiative and stimulate his intelligence. Whether he, upon hearing the word bed, decides to make his bed or jump in for a snooze is yet to be discovered...

Happy New Years to All