Back to School

I know, I know! I can’t believe it either! School is here again and I don’t remember summer even starting!
Some parents cheer because order reigns again. Others are sad because they are one year closer to graduation. And then there are some of you who are completely conflicted in how you feel. You are glad that a normal schedule begins again, but have a hard time that it has come and gone so quickly. But then hasn’t it at every turn? Every age from infancy on has come and gone as quickly as a wink and sometimes it feels as if we have missed so much of it.

So many firsts, so many onlys, so many times that we swore we would never forget have come and then faded in the busyness of raising those very teenagers!

We are very good at planning and scheduling and mainstreaming and multitasking. For just a moment, be still. Be still enough to hear the crickets with your teen on this late summer night. Be still enough to play a game of checkers and then make the winner’s favorite milkshake. Even be still enough to just listen at the bottom of the stairs as your teen laughs out loud while watching their favorite show!

Psalms 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God!” Show your teenager that it is necessary to stop for a moment if only because God commands it. Know that God has created every moment and every moment was created for you. Each moment with your teenager is a gift God has given you. Treasure it because soon this moment will be a memory.

We are currently doing a series based off the movie “God’s Not Dead”, which we will be showing at SBC Family Life Center on Sunday August 31, 7pm.  This week we watched a clip from the movie,   Josh, a college freshman, finds himself in a philosophy class that requires every  student to proclaim, in writing, that God is dead. Josh’s faith makes it impossible for  him to comply with the professor’s request—and so sets him on a journey to prove   to himself, his professor, and his classmates that God’s not dead but very much alive.

We spent our Bible study time talking about what it means to be a stand-alone  Christian, using primarily Jeremiah 1:5, Acts 26:17-18, and Deuteronomy 31:6.

While you’re trapped in the minivan, here are a few questions you might use to  engage your teenager in conversation about this week’s study!

  + Talk about a time you had to take an unpopular stand, perhaps one you took   entirely by yourself. It doesn’t necessarily have to be one of faith—but make sure    it’s not one related to disciplining or arguing with your student!

  + “Is there ever a time when you felt compelled to go along with the group   even though you wanted to take an opposite view?” (Remember, this is an effort   to keep communication lines open and fl owing, so be mindful not to judge or   correct your teenager’s actions during this conversation. One way you can do   this is by relaying a story of your own of a similar nature. If your teen conveys   something that requires your parental focus, engage in that at another time.)

  + “Is there someone you know—and respect—who has taken an unpopular   stand despite pressure to do otherwise? Tell me about them—what’s admirable?   How would you take on those same traits?”

As always, thank you for allowing us to make a small investment in the spiritual life  of your family. It’s an honor to come alongside you as you continue to show your  kids the walk of a Christ-follower.

Upcoming Events:

·         God’s Not Dead- Aug. 31 7pm  All youth and families invited.

·         Sept. 5- first 5^th Quarter of the year, after the football game til Midnight

·         Sept. 20- Fall Rally at Camp Cowen.  Cost $5, sign up by Sept. 14.

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