Parenting and Religion

With summer here, kids will be outside playing, going to the local swimming pools, riding their bikes, and having a great time. Parents will be enjoying (for the most part) having the kids around, more noise than normal, and laughter while listening to the kids play.
With so much fun and games ahead, it seems a shame to have to worry about safety, but as a parent, I do. Not so much worry, as remain constantly aware of where my kids are, what they are doing, and who else may be in the general vicinity.
I check my computer periodically for child predators who are registered in my area, and there are a few. I show my kids what they look like (most often there is a picture), and where they live. I give instructions about what to do if anyone scares them, acts suspicious, and if any people in cars pull over to try and talk to them.
I hate to have to do this, but every year we go through the same things, and every year, my children have been safe.
There have been instances when I have had to call the police, and when my kids have been scared by someone. There have been instances when a suspicious car tried to get my kids to come to the window, and then when my kids ran, the car drove away. In one instance, a car fitting the description my kids gave me, was being looked for later the same day, for picking up a child a few miles away.
Safety is worth the work , and worth the time.
Most people are good, most people are trustworthy. Unfortunately , I have to make my kids beware of anyone they don’t know, and sometimes of people they do know.
Keeping them safe may not always be full of fun, but keeping them safe is my job.

Summer is officially here, with all the great busyness it offers.
Some things we are looking forward to are things you may want to do with your own family.
A traditional mini vacation we take every year (Minus one, for the last 20 years), is Kingdom Bound in Western NY.
The Kingdom Bound Festival is a great family time. There is entertainment and worship that will be great for all ages. When you got o Kingdom Bound, you may just come away with a new outlook on not just life in general, but life as a Christian. There is something magnificent about worshippiing with so many people, who have a like faith. When there is corporate worship, as offered at KB every day, there is a special anointing that can spur you on to grow in your own walk with the Lord, as well as help you realize that there are so many other people who Love God too.
When the lazy afternoons hit, it’s nice to take a walk through Darien Lake Amusement park, where the KB festival is held, and go on some of the fun rides.
Campfires at night, or the late night jam session offer some relaxing fun to end the day.

Another great thing we are looking forward to is Camping. We have never gone camping, just to go camping. This is the year to give it a go. The kids are excited, and Dan and I are trying to figure out the most comfortable way to sleep in a tent. (middle age makes comfort a nessesity..lol)
We are also having picnics and a family reunion, weddings and other parties, cookouts at our house, and trips to a local park.
Summer fun can only be done in the summer, so I decided to try to relax and enjoy it all.

I am already getting overwhelmed with all the things that are going on this summer. When I think about everything I have to do, and everything I want to do (Thye aren’t always the same, you know!), I can wonder how all of it will ever get done.

I guess that’s where taking one day at a time comes in.

When your kids pass through a mile stone, do you tell yourself things like “One step closer to leaving the nest”, and sigh with sentimentality?
I have a longing inside me to hold onto each moment, and remember each one for each child. Even though I know it will be virtually impossible, I have moments that I try to file away and remember certain looks they have, or things they say, or special conversations betwen just them and me.

We had a couple of mile stones in the last couple of weeks. Andy, age 5, lost his first tooth. He is my baby, and my baby is growing up. Shawn, age 17, graduated from High School. He is my baby, and my baby is growing up. And Danny, turned 11. He is now a preteen, but still, another baby who is growing up. I want to hold the moments with them in my heart forever.

When I look at my older kids, I sometimes feel almost like I am having a flash back. You know how the TV shows do it, show them in the present, and then flash back to a previous episode of when they were younger?
That’s what my mind does at times.

I know that looking back isn’t always good, but remembering the times that were good is good, as long as we don’t try to live in the past, or let the past make the present look dull.

My memories of my kids are good ones. I hope their memories of time with me and Dan will always be good ones too.