I am making this late Father’s Day entry because I have not had much time to sit down and write. I ran across this photo of my kids on my wife’s camera yesterday and just started typing a few thoughts.
I heard a Father’s Day sermon this year that was probably one of my favorites. My favorite quote was when the speaker said something like this:
“If you have little children or no children and you want to give advice on how to raise kids please SHUT UP!” I paraphrased a little bit. You can hear the actual sermon here www.rbvincent.com/audio.htm(Check out the June 18 audio)
If you have the urge to give your two cents worth on parenting heed his advise. Until your kids are grown, married and independent you don’t get an opinion worth listening to. I try to keep my mouth shut when it comes to parental advice. Truth be said – there is no one formula for every kid. That’s the beauty of raising kids. Believe me when I say Dee and I are not experts at the parenting thing.
Today I want to introduce my kids. Kristina is 17 and will be a senior this year at Grace Christian. Corey is 16 and will be a junior. Both are energetic, smart and both have a great sense of humor.
Kristina is strong willed to say the least. She will make a great lawyer if she decides to head in that direction. She doesn’t even need to peel an orange – because she can debate the skin right off! I enjoy taking the opposite view from her on issues just to hear her argue her side. A few weeks ago we spoke at a church and she sang a song. After the service the kids swarmed around her like she was a rock star. Simply put she has charisma. I always tell her she has the whole package – brains, beauty, a heart that seeks God, and an unstoppable drive to succeed at all she does. I know it is the “parent thing” to say, “You can do anything with your life!” But I believe she truly can and will. Her strength is in her confidence.
Corey is my little boy. At 6’2” he’s not really that little. He gets a kick out of standing next to his mom and kissing the top of her head. Corey has a smile that will melt your heart. No matter what kind of trouble he gets into he just whips out that smile like a “Get out of jail free” card in a Monopoly game. He has a heart to match the smile. I remember him telling me about a mission trip he did in Mexico City where they worked with the street kids. I remember Corey’s sad eyes as he described the young street boys that fought off hunger pains by huffing paint thinner out of a paper bag. The world around him touches Corey and that is where his true strength lies.
Don’t get me wrong. Kristina and Corey have many challenges ahead of them and they struggle just like all teens do. But they have the stuff inside them that will get them through it all.
God, be with Kristina and Corey daily. Help them to know
you – truly know you. Keep them safe and healthy. Challenge
them. Guide them. Keep them close. Amen.
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