So – take a look; are you on the right side of life; your friends know they can lean on you when they have to and do you thank them for when you need to lean on them? Thanks for thinking on this and remember Proverbs 16:28 . . . A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. |
Our Path To Wisdom (P2W) returns with a look at friendship. And if you agree with that – then you need to look at the friendships that you have (are you being a friend as you hope your friends are with you?). And please note: We know that there are a lot of challenges unfolding for all. Don't forget to look at our OH2C and our Resources tabs for more great information to leverage as you deem best.
0 Comments
A few weeks back we opened this series and asked . . . "To be a (2BA) good man or a good woman - what does it take?" Well, let us begin with: Talk #1: The Level Set [What if you shared something like the following with your 10 year old?] You need to know this – society will throw a ton of crap at you as to what you should think and what you should have. That is manipulation. You need to know the following and then make decisions that are honorable. For when you choose actions that are not – you and or those you care for and love, will be hurt. So please - understand the following: It doesn't matter who you are or where you were born. Some will have it easier and some harder, but in reality – most will be like you, challenged in a variety of ways throughout all your years. Some will have a higher level of intelligence, or be more athletic, or have greater artistic capabilities and that is okay. Some are optimistic, some pessimistic and some apathetic. Some will become honorable, some disgusting, and the rest in between. You may not have as many options as some but you always have a choice. Some will step up, some will hide and some will just watch. It all can be summarized by this. Life is not fair but it is precious. Our character is like forged steel. It is comprised of different elements and then heated to the extreme (the challenges of life). Many become strong and honorable, some become weak and defective; and the rest end up in the middle ground - somewhat useful. And yes, there are examples of every type of individual who has made hard decisions and have impacted their situation, their family, their community, or the world. The opposite is true as well. Which raises the question . . . what will you embrace and what will you try to share and to encourage your children to know and to pursue? Now as an example – what if in that talk with your 10 year old, you had a good discussion on those 7 points of understanding? Questions raised, concerns discussed . . . probably and at a minimum, a good foundation for your next talk.
Sorry you had to wait a bit but our No or Know (NoK) series is back. This year of 2020 has unfolded plenty of frustrations and in dealing with those, our need for patience has been challenged probably more then the typical year would provoke. So, why not think about this in two ways? Second, when we have learned to embrace this, we learn it is okay to wait on the smaller issues as well. Easy? No but doable. From Proverbs 14:29 . . . we are also reminded to avoid the quick-tempered path (always regrettable).
[So] Do you say no to patience and know folly? Because . . . To have patience is to travel the path away from regrets. Our Path To Wisdom (P2W) looks at when, where and how our imagination fits into our life.
And the rest are in the weird space in between those realities. So then – what are we recommending? It is the challenge to imagine . . . Life is often shorter than we would like so at some point - we each need to do a self check on where we are at and what we want to yet achieve or pursue for our time ahead. The what that should be is up to each of us . . . just make sure you add a shot of your imagination to help make sure what you want to pursue – is worth it.
Proverbs 15:3: Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and He will establish your plans. As we start August of 2020, and in seeing the very ugly side of our society – raise its head again in abuse, discrimination, frustration and violence (over these last two months), I thought, we have a problem. Too many families are broken, there is no pervasive commitment to honor, respect and compassion across all aspects of our society, and there is no good way forward. So, if you agree to the above – what should we do? Well, I would recommend the following and it all is wrapped around the question: "To be a (2BA) good man or a good woman - what does it take?"
Second, the young adults and kids of today need to have the 7 Talks. The how, when, what and by who is what each Dad & Mom need to determine. I would recommend that parents use the early years – their kids in ages 1 through 9 . . . as a time for learning the basics (listening, building confidence, etc).
For the transition years – their kids in ages 10 through 13 . . . as a time for building a foundation – and it is then that I would have these 7 Talks. Now, what those talks should be about - please ponder that and jot down your thoughts on this. I'll then use the weeks ahead to share what I think those should be but I ask this. What I will share is one perspective. You may have a different view and that is okay. Third, my hope is that this series triggers various comments and then each Dad comes up with their own plan and questions for what makes sense to them for their kids. Thanks for joining in on this! My prayers and best wishes to all. |
AuthorHi, my name is Keith Gore and I encourage all to join in as we pursue this journey of men helping men to achieve the success they desire in faith, with their family, at work and with friends. The blogs are posted with the latest info first. Read through them to catch up on all the info shared and as always, comments are welcomed (and you may have some great insights to share). Archives
March 2024
Categories |