Friday, February 10, 2012

It takes a village...


"It takes a village to raise a child"



That may have been so and it is certainly a great notion. That the wisest of elders, the most experienced hunters, the best of the tribesmen can teach a child.



But sadly, we do not live in that culture any longer. It is more crucial today to be a vigilant and responsible parent than it has ever been in our culture. It is absolutely necessary to teach your children the dangers and even instill fear of the evil that lurks quite literally right outside our doors. With all the social networking sites of Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Hi-5, Yearbook and God knows how many countless others; that predators can stake out our children, target them and invade them in their own rooms, right under your our roof. It is terrifying! People, wake up and please love your children enough to teach them.



I remember when I was a young kid watching my siblings home alone and getting a phone call asking if my parents were home. I knew immediately not to say my parents were gone. I remember well that I was taught never to say you were home alone. That was 2o years ago. Now you can't turn on the TV or computer without seeing a headline of a child abduction, murdered or other gruesome unimaginable thing. And yet modern children don't seem to understand the dangers of posting, blogging, or texting their every status or thought.



I am not saying parenting was a breeze before but with the boom of technology, it certainly gives parents more challenges.



I imagine when you live in a small community, everybody knows who everybody is. And just like in the movies, your kid would walk to the bus stop and wave hello to the baker, and greet the market vendor, and tip is cap to the milk man. He would be perfectly respectful to all his elders and polite to his teachers.


And they can still be respectful and polite but that too must be taught. Not by teachers, or the school nurse, or even the principal. Not by the Sunday school teacher or the choir director or even the Pastor. Not by your neighbor or the baby sitter or even the grandparents. No, it must be taught by YOU, the parent. Your are your child's guide to right and wrong, to patience and respect and unconditional love. Tough love at times. But they are worth it and if you do your job right, they will respect you for it. Probably not when they are young or even teenagers, but one day, you will be the topic if their school essay on their hero or maybe just a simple hug that says I love you and you are a good parent.


But please, for the love of God, be there for your kids. Teach them! Love them enough to be the best parent you can be, regardless of whatever upbringing you had, learn from it and take the best and learn from the worst. Learn from the mistakes of others and do the best for your kids.


_______________


Side note: The village quote is said to have come from Africa. This is interesting because many villages are often raided by gorilla warriors, tribes or gangs. So perhaps the saying has more to do with watching out for each other and protecting each other than letting others raise your kids. Either way, you have to be involved otherwise, the dangers that lurk will take them from you, one way or another.

Friday, February 3, 2012

the good & the BAD



Today was the melting point.

It has been building and today the fuse finally ignited!

Let's just leave out all the "leading up to" and say I ended up sitting at the end of my driveway calling my mom and sobbing.

I buried my face in my hands and cried. My kids, my day, it all came crashing down and I had to breath. Alone. Quite.

It is amazing how women can carry so much weight and smile but they reach that point, and whamm-O! Total meltdown. It is also amazing that such a beautiful perfect angel that you love so very much can make you so crazy you lose total control of sanity.

But my husband hurried home to help but with two little kids demanding all your time, I still was not able to nap, which was so desperately needed. We managed to get through the day.

And it is just one day. And it is almost over. The kids are tucked warmly into bed courtesy of my wonderful husband.

I am ready for bedtime myself. So farewell readers and fellow parents. My your days be peaceful and full of blessings.

God bless you all.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

God vs the Volcano

There are two sides to a coin, two plates on a scale, two ways to look at it:


On ONE Hand, one can prepare to believe in God. That there is a Heaven and a Hell. That those that believe in Him and follow His Will will go to Heaven and those that turn from Him will go to Hell. ~ On this hand, if you believe but are wrong, then nothing happens. If you believe and are right, you will be in Heaven.


On the OTHER Hand, you can think that it is all superstitious hokum created by the oppressed to make it through their menial existence. Or perhaps by an authoritarian to control the pagan masses from rioting, IE. if you are good and subservient, you will be rewarded but if you rebel, you will face the consequences. Or whatever reason you come up with not to believe. ~ On this hand, if you are right then nothing happens. BUT if you are WRONG, you will be in a very nasty place.



So it seems you lose nothing by believing but take a big gamble by not believing.


In the same way you can look at preparing for 2012.

On ONE hand, you can prepare to believe that something is going to happen and have supplies on hand. ~ On this hand, if you are wrong, you will just have a surplus of camping supplies. If you are right, then you have prepared to take care of your family the best you can.


On the OTHER hand, you can think it is bunk thought up by fanatics believing the sky is falling, drink to much special kool-aide and watched one to many shows about UFO's. ~ If you are right, then nothing happens. But if you are wrong, then you will not be prepared to provide for your family.

So on ONE Hand you have God.


You believed and prepared for Him.





On the OTHER Hand,

You did not believe.

You may not be prepared.

All compasses point to 2012



My husband is a camping enthusiast and he loves all things camping (so by default, aka, survival). He loves to watch Man vs Wild; Man,Woman, Wild; and Dual Survival.



But being a history buff, he also loves to watch NatGeo, History channel and Discovery channel.



Now the very interesting thing is that all the shows really lead you to one conclusion: something very big is going to happen in 2012.



But what could it be? Scientist talk about the increase of solar flares, seismic and volcanic activity, major earthquakes, tornadoes, tsunamis and other natural disasters. Other scientists discuss magnetic poles flipping, polar caps melting, the "Dark Rift" when the galaxy comes into alignment.



Then there the archaeologist who talk about ancient cultures calendars. It is amazing how they all seem to end around the same time despite the fact they all lived centuries and continents apart from each other.



Many religions preach about the end times and several Christians feel it is coming to pass.



So back to survivalists. These folks are ready! There are websites that tell you how to build a shelter in any environment, how to hunt, fish, skin and dry food. There are sites that sell gear, food, safety and first aide, water purification methods, and even radiation tablets.



Now, I don't mean to sound like a fanatic, or even scare you but the way I see it; No matter how you look at it; no matter how you slice it; no matter who you are, be it survivalist, scientist, or just religious..... All compasses point to 2012.



Are you prepared?

Monday, January 16, 2012

To Steal a Quote

Donna wrote this in her blog and it was so perfectly said, I had to quote her to share it with you~ Enjoy~

"Perhaps it’s not about who doesn’t come to read, it’s about who does. What will we feed the hungry who pull up chairs to our blog table? Forget the hundreds you wish would come; feed the hungry who are already there.Feed them your best. Lay out your story and your life and your generous love for them.

Perhaps our blogs are only as big as our hospitality. Because platforms can be lonely and spotlights too bright, but no one ever felt unwelcome in that overstuffed chair pulled up by the fire, feet up under them snuggled in a warm blanket with a cup of hot chocolate, and a good friend telling you it’s OK to be you."

A favorite hangout

Every so often, I like to go back and read over my previous blogs.




And by no means do I want to sound vain but I really enjoy reading them. I think they are very clever and witty. It may seem silly, but for some reason, being on my blog is like going to your favorite hangout. I almost feel like I am in a cozy corner, sipping a warm cup of chia tea, listening to great music in the company of a great friend. Silly I know, but that is just the way I feel. I hope my readers feel the same way.



A friend just started his blog and I wanted to share it with you. It is his little piece of himself that he can share and I hope you enjoy it.

God Bless!

Friday, January 13, 2012

[A follow-up]

I still have Fears .....

....like I hope I don't scar her for life.

But looking at my (now two) beautiful little girls, I am still so in love with both of them...

...now if I could just get a solid nights sleep.

God Bless you all, and Good Night!

It dawns on me...

....that you need to see the newest addition to our little family.




So without further ado, here is Morgan Lyn Cunningham.

Awww, isn't she adorable.