Kids Growing up too Fast?

”Why is it that I don’t like the little things as much.  What happened to my innocence and easy excitement?  When I look at my baby dolls, I feel so happy, remembering all those hours I spent being their mother.
Did I grow up too fast?  Did I take advantage of my childhood?  Or did I just give in to the pressures of wanting to be an adult as soon as I could?”
                                                                                    -12 year old little girl


              I wanted to write a blog on this because I think it is such an interesting and true problem we have going on in our country today.
In my opinion I do think kids are growing up way too fast.  Kids aren’t picking up baby dolls as much or watching cartoons like Winnie the pooh. Instead they’re picking up cellphones/purses and watching shows like Hannah Montana.  Kids as young as 7 are getting cellphones!  Yes, cell phones can be a good thing for young kids, if you’re using it for emergency’s purposes, but a lot of these kids aren’t using them in that way.  Most of the kids who have one, was not their mothers idea, it was the kids who kept begging their parents for one. On top of that, girls even in the second grade are asking their parents to let them wear bras. It is safe to say that 8 years is the new 13 and 13 is the new 16.
I think most of this is due to the media and the parents.  The media seems to put more and more focus on sexual content, popularity and beauty. As for parents, both may work or are very busy.  Dinner time as a family is a rare thing.  In 1900, 5.1million mothers worked. Now in 2010 are generation is experiencing the record rise in working moms. About 65.7 million are working and that number is expected to rise to 75million by 2014. I understand both parent’s working may be  necessary for financial reasons. But mothers are also supposed to be the nurtures of the family. They are supposed to be mothers! Mom’s should stay home if they can. Their children need them.  I believe parents spend far too less time with their children than they should. Being a parent is a ministry in itself. It is a beautiful vocation that doesn’t get enough praise.
 “The future of the world and the Church passes through the family" (Familiaris Consortio, #79). The family is the very bedrock of Foundation of society.  Cracks in that bedrock will eventually result in earthquakes in society. It is impossible to have a healthy society without healthy families and that is a fact. 
Did I mention another problem going on with our country? It is laziness. The average person watches about 20 hours of tv a week. That’s not counting video games. Why are there so many less kids playing outside these days?  Instead their watching tv, or playing video games, eating junk food.  What happened to our kid’s imaginations? Imagination is key to a child’s brain development. Imagination helps the child develop emotionally as well.  Now there are new wii games where you can play sports inside your home?! Now when people say they played tennis, soccer and even bowling, they’re going to have to specify whether it was the wii tennis or the real one.

”Many adults remember spending long hours after school, on weekends, and during the summer playing outdoors, mostly in unstructured and unsupervised play. But today, children are spending 25% less time engaged in outdoor play than their parents' did.  Dramatic increases in screen time and other factors have contributed to this decrease in active play, yet play is critically important for child health, especially unstructured play in the great outdoors.
The physical, psychological, social, and emotional benefits of play have been well documented. Unstructured play and physical activity promote healthy brain development9 as well as the development of imagination and creativity.10,11 Active play with friends develops important social skills such as conflict resolution and negotiating skills, and fosters constructive group interaction and cooperation” For more on Imaginative Play Click Here 


Overall this has become a huge problem in our society. It might sound a little harsh and may offend some people, but in truth I’m just telling it like it is.


Why don't we see these commercials as much anymore?





Instead our kids are seeing these-

The Road of Life....; )

The Road of Life


At first, I saw God as my observer,
my judge,
keeping track of the things I did wrong,
so as to know whether I merited heaven
or hell when I die.
He was out there sort of like a president.
I recognized His picture when I saw it,
but I really didn't know Him.



But later on
when I met Christ,
it seemed as though life was rather like a bike ride,
but it was a tandem bike,
and I noticed that Christ
was in the back helping me pedal.


I don't know just when it was
that He suggested we change places,
but life has not been the same since.


When I had control,
I knew the way.
It was rather boring,
but predictable . . .
It was the shortest distance between two points.


But when He took the lead,
He knew delightful long cuts,
up mountains,
and through rocky places
at breakneck speeds,
it was all I could do to hang on!
Even though it looked like madness,
He said, "Pedal!"


I worried and was anxious
and asked,
"Where are you taking me?"
He laughed and didn't answer,
and I started to learn to trust.


I forgot my boring life
and entered into the adventure.
And when I'd say, "I'm scared,"
He'd lean back and touch my hand.


He took me to people with gifts that I needed,
gifts of healing,
acceptance
and joy.
They gave me gifts to take on my journey,
my Lord's and mine.



\And we were off again.
He said, "Give the gifts away;
they're extra baggage, too much weight."
So I did,
to the people we met,
and I found that in giving I received,
and still our burden was light.


I did not trust Him,
at first,
in control of my life.
I thought He'd wreck it;
but He knows bike secrets,
knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners,
knows how to jump to clear high rocks,
knows how to fly to shorten scary passages.

And I am learning to shut up
and pedal
in the strangest places,
and I'm beginning to enjoy the view
and the cool breeze on my face
with my delightful constant companion, Jesus Christ.


And when I'm sure I just can't do anymore,
He just smiles and says . . . "Pedal."


-- author unknown

Pray, Hope, and Don't WORRY!

I thought I'd write about worry since thats what I find myself doing when I'm afraid or stressed. I went to a conference this past weekend and it really opened up my eyes to why worrying is pointless and unnecessary.


I'm sure we've heard the famous Padre Pio "Pray, Hope and Don't Worry" Easier said then done right? You bet!   Everyday we are faced with stresses and with stresses comes worry. (Or it can go the other way around) The message I recieved from the conference was that worrying is a sin! It is completely and totally from satan trying to tear your happiness and trust away from God.

When we let worry in,whether it's about money situations, the future, or even school tests, we think we are being responsible in our thinking. We think we are spending this time well b/c we think if we don't worry then we are simply not caring. This is a lie. We need to look at the difference between worrying and just simply caring.
At the conference I went to this past weekend, there was a very gifted speaker named Damian Stayne. He works miracles by allowing Jesus to work through him to heal people of sickness and even cancer! He is very blessed with this gift of healing.
He adds on to the topic of worry saying, "People have thought that worry is really "responsible thinking ahead" and that preoccupation with making financial provision and having material security were a godly focus. Here the devil often highjacks the responsible person's good intentions so as to TAKE their attention from attentiveness to the WORD SOWN in them. Are you one of them? As a holy man once told me "Worry is a sin even worry about spiritual things!" THese worries and precoccupations are active weeds, planted by the enemy in our lives. They fight for the territiory in our hearts. They must be uprooted!"

So how do we overcome this worry circle?....

We need to TRUST in God!!! I can't say it enough! But you can't just wake up one morning and say "Today I am finally going to trust in God." Trust is a GIFT.  You NEED to spend more TIME with Him! You need to pray, pray, pray! God will give you the gift. So form a relationship with Him. Ya know, He IS your Father who loves you like Crazy! Get to know that guy up there!

At the conference Damian says "Worry is the absence of trust and trust is a gift from God. Other than praying for and increase in trust, we can help to overcome worry by the practice of regulary THANKING God for all the blessings He has given and done for us!"

Even though this is the truth, it is hard to take this to heart. It is hard for me to take this to heart and start living it! It's definitley a journey, but keep your head up because God is up there. He is ALIVE!
Damian says "The Ground can also be hard for lack of water. If we are not receptive to the Holy Spirit the "living water" our heart will be unable to welcome the word sown there. WE become like the pahrisees who knew the word in their MINDS but because of their hardness of heart they never experience its life giving power.  A plant with no roots will easily be blown away when there is a bit of wind, dry up if there is a bit too much heat, drown if there is a little too much water."
I love that saying! If your heart is stone how will you let the truth of Jesus soak in?  You might know the truth in your mind but it is no where to be found in your heart.  Pray that your roots grow deep enough so that they are stable.  Pray that your roots are not just resting on the surface where they can easily be blown away.  Letting only the truth penatrate your mind and not your heart is like living on the surface.

Because once you know the truth in your heart you can start LIVING it! and this is what we are fighting for.  We are fighting everyday to ignore the lies and start inviting the truth.
So  let your hearts be open! Let Christ's truth shine in. Then let it radiate out to others.  and feel the true freedom you were made for! <3

katy perry - california gurls??

I know this song is a favorite to a lot of teens and even grade schoolers, but maybe those who listen to it need to pay better attention to the message of the song. (not only that, but pay closer attention to most of the other questionable songs out there, catching the attention of young listeners.)
For one, this song is degrading to women.  It portrays them as objects. In the music video snoop dog(rapper) is pretending he is playing a candy land game and  the play-pieces are women. The women are looked at as being a "candy treat."  when wearing cupcakes for their chest. It doesn't make things any better when Katy Perry is wearing close-to-nothing in one of the clips.  Snoop Dog joins in the song using raunchy inappropriate language to describe the so-called "california girls".  One comment he makes saying "squeeze those buns". and "california gurls are unforgettable".
 The SAD part is, is that this song, "California Gurls" by Katy Perry, has WON  summer music choice by teens all over the world in the "Teen Choice Awards last night!!" Not only that, but this song is number eight on Itunes.  Her new song called "Teenage Dream" is number five on itunes. and the lyrics to this one explains it's sad message to teens today. She sings "Let's go all the way tonight, No regrets, just love.."

We need to realize the music that is playing in young people's ears today.  We need to realize that our society is heading in the wrong direction!!

You can watch part of the video if you dare, posted below.

A letter from Jesus---Be satisfied with me

My Child,


Everyone Longs to give themselves completely to someone,


To have a deep soul relationship with another, To be loved thoroughly and exclusively, But, God, to a Christian says: No, not until you are satisfied, filled and content with being loved by Me alone. With giving yourself totally and unreservedly to Me alone. Discovering that only in Me is your satisfaction to be found will you be capable of the perfect human relationship that I have planned or you. You will never be united with one anther until you are united with Me. Exclusively for anyone or anything else. Exclusively for any other desires or longings.


I want you to stop wishing and allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing. One that you cannot imagine. I want you to have the best. Please allow Me to bring it to you.


You must keep watching Me, expecting the greatest things. Keep experiencing the satisfaction that I am, keep learning what I want to tell you. You just wait, wait. That's all.


Don't be anxious. Don't worry. Don't look around at the things that others have gotten or that I have given them. Don't look at the things you think you want. You just keep looking off and away to Me, or you'll miss what I want to show you, when you are ready....


I will surprise you with a love more beautiful than you could dream of.


You see, until you are ready, and until the one I have for you is ready, you will never be able to Experience the great love that is waiting for you.


(I am working even at this very moment to have both of you ready at the same time)


Until you are both satisfied with Me and the life I've prepared for you, you won't be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with Me, And this is the perfect love.


And dear one, I want you to have the most wonderful Love.


I want you to see in flesh a picture of your relationship with Me and enjoy the everlasting union of beauty, and perfection and love that I offer you with Myself. Know that I love you utterly. I am God.


Believe it...and be satisfied.”


Love, Jesus


-St. Anthony of Padua

Also attatched is a song called "For Those Who wait" by Fireflight. I heard this song and it just really spoke to my heart. Maybe it will do the same for you...

“For those who wait” by fireflight

Let go and Let God!

"How many young  people, for example, hesitate to give their lives entirely to God because they do not have confidence that God is capable of making them completely happy.  And they seek to asure their own happiness by themselves and then make themselves sad and unhappy in the process. This is precisely the great victory of the Father of Lies,(satan): succeeding in putting into the heart of a child of God distrust vis-a-vis his Father!"
-From the beautiful words of Father Jacques Philippe

I wanted to write this post about surrendering completely to God, because I know so many, including myself, struggle  with it.   I think we all have to be reminded that God is thee ultimate, perfect and loving Father!  Our Father not only wants what's best for us, He Knows what's best for us.  So why aren't we completely trusting in our beautiful Father?
  It is doubt that the Father can truly take care of us.  It is the lies that are being whispered to you from satan telling you that if you surrender to God, He's going to let something happen that you don't want to happen.  So we tell ourselves that we can only let God in a little bit, and the rest of our lives is up to us to control.

These our words from Christ spoken through the mouth of Saint Catherine of Siena....
My Child,


"Why don't you have confidence in me, your creator?  Why do you rely on yourself? Am I not faithful and loyal to you? Redeemed and restored to grace by virture of the blood of my only Son, man can then say that he has experience my fidelity. And, nevetheless, he doubts it, it woul appear, that I am sufficiently powerful to help him, sufficiently strong to help and defend him against his enemies, sufficiently wise to illuminate the eyes of his intelligence or that I have sufficient clemency to want to give him whatever is necessary for his slavation.  It woulb appear that I am not sufficiently rich to make his fortune, not beautiful enough to make him beautiful; one might say taht he is afraid not to find enough bread in my home to nourish himself, nor clothing with which to cover himself.

So I think it's time to get know our Father a little more.  Know that you CAN trust Him with everything.  I think it's all time we Let go and let God!

Spread the truth!

I saw a woman interviewed on the Today Show this morning. She came up with the idea of leaving encouraging post-it note messages on random things in public to help women with their self image.  Thought it was a neat way to spread the truth to women everywhere.  So if you wanna write a message on a post-it note for someone today, GO For It!!

Ladies, Do you truly want to be beautiful!

I struggle with my beauty as a woman.  It's hard to realize what's most important in life. This is why I wanted to share my thoughts on the topic and  this passage from a book I recommend, about true beauty!

"We know that the desire to be beautiful has caused many women untold grief. (How many diets have you been on?) Countless tears have been shed and hearts broken in its pursuit.  Beauty has been extolled and worshipped and kept just out of reach for most of us.  For others, beauty has been shamed, used, and abused. Many women have learned that possessing beauty can be dangerous.  And yet, in spite of all the pain and distress that beauty has caused us as women, our desire for it remains.  And it's not just the desire for an outward beauty, but more, it's a desire to be captivating in the depths of who we are. (Cinderella is beautiful, yes, but she is also good. Her outward beauty would be hollow were it not for the beauty of her HEART"
-Eldredge "Your Captivating Heart

Ladies, the beauty that matters the most is how beautiful our heart and souls our.  In God's eyes, beauty is not defined by stick thin bodies, or the perfect skin.  Yes, these things compliment our beauty but it is NOT beauty.  Beauty defined by God is how we love others.  Having God in our hearts and love for others is what will make us truly beautiful. Christ's light and love will shine through us and out to others. Do you ever look at Mother Teresa and just think, wow, she is so beautiful and so loving!  How can someone have so many wrinkles and be so beautiful.  This is because Christ's love makes her just radiant.  She knew and loved God, and knew what truly mattered in life.
Bishop Fulton Sheen always said, "The beauty of the soul is reflected on the face."

Blogging it up = my first post!

Ok so I wasn't sure what my first post should be, so I thought I'd just say a few words about our Lord.

I know everyday life can be exhausting, stressful and even scary. But, we have to remember not to get sucked into all the chaos and unneeded worries of this world.(which I struggle with too often)  Today I just want you to be reminded that you can trust in your Father. Know that even in the most hectic crazy(nothings going your way) times, that He is by your side.  He is there.  Just give all the stresses of the day to Him.  He will be more than glad to take it.  He knows your heart and everything you're going through.  Sometimes when I'm having a bad day I somehow seem to forget to just take a moment and pray.  Just ASK Him for His help.  He will be sure to answer.  Maybe not the way you want, but in the way he knows best ; )

Prayer:
Father I know you know me so well. You know that I get caught up in fear and worry. Please take my hand and lead me to peace.  Calm my heart and mind. Guide me on the right path today.   You have always been there for me, even in the times I couldn't see. Thank you.  Jesus I trust in you.