Thursday Talkn' About Teens: VBS Workings...

We are in the trenches of VBS this week, and some of my best memories of VBS were when we did a western theme like this year! I just love the cowboy thing! When my kids were littles, I dressed them in cowboy garb complete with boots and vests, but this year, they've dressed themselves! My teenagers are working as a teacher of missions and the sound man.  Oh, it's not been that many years since  they were little cowpokes and such! Head over to  Plans 4 You to read about other GREAT TEENS!

Thursday Talkn' About Teens: Driving Dad...

So our teenager is driving! CLEAR the roads, folks!! She's off and going~not so fast and not soo furious!  Her Daddy is in the bucket seat next to her and off they goooo...I'm GLAD it isn't me...oh yeah, I am! She's not sure and she is slow moving....

But she is learning! She loves it!

All the dreams of the open road are hers, and she's gaining confidence that NOW she's correcting MY driving~by the book~HA! Guess I'll have to walk or ride in the back. BACK of the pickup that is..cause my girl is D R I V I N G!!

WATCH OUT! lol!!

Thursday Talkin' About Teens: Looking Ahead

This past week our daughter began her first job.  It's a reminder that adulthood isn't all that far away for them.  She is so excited and had such a positive experience. I am thrilled for her!

She has goals and dreams.  As her teacher, I am concerned with MY ability to prepare her for this big ole bad world.  Let's face it, I have limitations as well any human will~but I worry.  I believe I am doing right. I believe that I am giving all that I can. I believe that homeschooling is the best possible education for her~and him!

But... ... ...

Do you ever have a nagging fear that your personal abilities will fail in the final analysis of how prepared your children will be in adulthood?

I think it goes beyond worry when we have to recognize that our children are gifts from God to BE who HE designed them to be.  I mean, not only do I have limitations, but so do they.  ALL children are not destined for a space ship or an operating room with scalpel in hand!!  But all children can contribute something to this world, and well each should...

So I am looking a head, but I'm not the only one...no...

My children are looking ahead to their futures~it amazes me when they tell me about their dreams and goals...

"Yeah, Mom~how good will it look to be a published author on my resume'?" she asked me.  THEN came the discussion of self publishing and that publishing didn't necessarily mean..blah. blah, blah...you get the idea..but HERE'S a dream~a goal...a desire!

Oh it doesn't stop with writing.  "I want to live in Japan."  "You can come see me.  I will pay for your ticket," she proudly announces as she tells me further that, "I'm gonna get you a first class seat with..." and she dreams on with all sorts of (truthfully, unrealistic) amenities that would make this mama a queen!

My son has a different take on his future.  "I just might make music for my job," he says as I hear and see him faithfully go up into his room to serenade us with his trumpet.  My son just learned to play not quite two years ago, and it's amazing his level of proficiency that he has gained.  But it's been desire that has lead the way! He had piano lessons which I am sure have helped him learn the trumpet, but he NEVER loved our piano the same~oh no! It was war and fight~argue, cajole... ... ... The trumpet was HIS IDEA...his passion...just like he has developed a love for his fish pond outside.  Don't imagine a lake type pond filled with freshwater fish, but rather a black kidney shaped plastic in the ground kind with about $3 of feeder goldfish that he is training to hand feed and who are thriving!  It's so cool to see those fish growing~they have already doubled in size, but like their more expensive variety, are now near size...The fish pond has bred a love of gardening too.  He has rocks nicely landscaped around it with a few houseplants thrown in with a garden angel hovering on a small stick over the pond.

We are looking a head in perhaps one of the most nondeliberate ways.  We are purposeful though. We are pursuing and planning...but it's happening in our everyday...each and every second and action of our day with the natural life we have...

Will my children achieve their goals? HONESTLY, I don't know...but I do know this: IF they don't have a goal they most certainly will never achieve one!  So it's goals and aims... fueled by their passion, desire and abilities...Oh, let me not forget to say that God gives them and us all His power to be ABLE to do as He desire!

Today I am talkn' about teens who are looking ahead! What are your kids doing and thinking about their future(s)??

Thursday Talkn' About Teens~New Computers

I have two excited teenagers!! We were able to get them both their own laptops recently, and they are having a GREAT time loading their own wallpapers, and programs.  Of course these will help them with their school work, but just as important is their ability to learn and work with their creative juices.

I got ticked with my son when tonight at Bible study he said, "let me go get my computer so we can look that up," meaning a word in the Bible we didn't know the definition.  Ha~guess the processor can translate Greek and Hebrew now??? LOL

Teenagers~gotta love 'em!

Thursday Talkn' About Teens~Dreaming!

Dreams are more than what happens to us in our sleep.  They are well crafted desires that enlist an action on our part to get something DONE~and my daughter has dreams, BIG dreams! She wants to live in Japan one day and be a writer.  Now as to order of these dreams, I can't say...I just know that at 15 she is chasing the elusive star as hard as she can in learning the Japanese language and studying the culture, as well as writing and attempting to sharpen her skills as she does.  She has entered a writing contest which we are quite proud of~while the entry isn't a "all roses and light" kind of story, it is well written and leaves one going..hmmm....

It's amazing when our teens LOVE and pursue something that is a desire and DREAM...my son, while he's not voiced it more than once has said he might play his trumpet for a living...is this way I hear him practice multiple times a day?

 As much as we think we can drive our teens to go after something, it really turns into what it is that they WANT~their own vision of their future lives...where they see themselves as adults.

Well, at least mine have noble aims...they could wanna be  a ditch digger~which IF this is where they end up or what they pursue, I pray that honesty and nobleness of character will be their motto as with any other thing they do.

Our kids are dreaming~
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