John: You would not believe the people who have come to see Magic Mike.
me: Is that the male stripper movie?
John: yeah
me: Just big crowds?
John: you would not believe the women! It's terrible.
me: People you know?
John: yes! Like women from church too.
hummm.....Always sad to me! You know kids (in general) go see all kinds of trash, but they watch and hold adults accountable. I think everyone should be accountable, but I do get John's point. How disappointing to see women his mother's age flocking in to see male strippers. Especially women he holds in high regard.
Our example is HUGE! Our behavior is HUGE! Our life is HUGE!
It matters.
I did not ask John who was there, he didn't volunteer and frankly I (me, myself and I ) did not want to know either:(
Peter had some wise, abet inspired, things to say about examples too! Certainly we should strive to be like Jesus!
"To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps." 1 Peter 2:21
"...not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." 1 Peter 5:3
I was also reminded of these quotes:
"Nothing is more contagious than example, and no man does any exceeding good or exceeding ill but it spawns new deed of the same kind. The good imitate through emulation, the ill through the malignity of our nature, which shame keeps locked up, but example sets free."
Francois Duc Du La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680)
and perhaps my favorite about example is....
"If only people would realize that moral principals are like the measles....They have to be caught. And only the people who've got them can pass on the contagion."
Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)
I lament (for the better lack of a word) about morality today. About the choices we see people make today. Yet here are two of my most favorite quotes written hundreds of years ago.
The scripture? Thousands. Good and righteous behavior along with good and appropriate examples are not accidental.
This morning I was talking to Tasha as I drove her to cheer practice. I was talking about some of the youth's behavior at church. I was blunt. We have teenagers, some who come to worship alone and some who have parents sitting in the auditorium too whose behavior is nicely put "BAD".
I watch my children when they are not sitting with me. Jacob so kindly reminded me yesterday, in reminiscing about the past, that "the most embarrassing thing you ever did was come get me during church." If my children are disruptive, there needs to be intervention.
But, for those other kids? Are the parents unconcerned? Are they naive? Are they assuming their children innately choose right?
Last night I watched one teenage girl rub circles on the chest(breast) of her boyfriend. They were glued together and directly in my line of sight. I almost took them out:) Seriously, the thought crossed my mind.
This morning as I talked to Tasha I said much of the same. My words bluntly stating, "Most serious is the thought that if that is what they do sitting in a pew at church, what do they do when no one is looking?"
My daughter, humbled me with a story.......
I was sitting by Mary and Joe (obviously not real names) and Joe had his hand on Mary's leg (Tasha showed me the way to high placement). Tasha said, "So I reached over and moved his hand. But he put it back so I wrote a note to Mary and told her to draw the line or I would draw it for her! So Mary moved his hand.".
Francois Duc Du La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680)
and perhaps my favorite about example is....
"If only people would realize that moral principals are like the measles....They have to be caught. And only the people who've got them can pass on the contagion."
Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)
I lament (for the better lack of a word) about morality today. About the choices we see people make today. Yet here are two of my most favorite quotes written hundreds of years ago.
The scripture? Thousands. Good and righteous behavior along with good and appropriate examples are not accidental.
This morning I was talking to Tasha as I drove her to cheer practice. I was talking about some of the youth's behavior at church. I was blunt. We have teenagers, some who come to worship alone and some who have parents sitting in the auditorium too whose behavior is nicely put "BAD".
I watch my children when they are not sitting with me. Jacob so kindly reminded me yesterday, in reminiscing about the past, that "the most embarrassing thing you ever did was come get me during church." If my children are disruptive, there needs to be intervention.
But, for those other kids? Are the parents unconcerned? Are they naive? Are they assuming their children innately choose right?
Last night I watched one teenage girl rub circles on the chest(breast) of her boyfriend. They were glued together and directly in my line of sight. I almost took them out:) Seriously, the thought crossed my mind.
This morning as I talked to Tasha I said much of the same. My words bluntly stating, "Most serious is the thought that if that is what they do sitting in a pew at church, what do they do when no one is looking?"
My daughter, humbled me with a story.......
I was sitting by Mary and Joe (obviously not real names) and Joe had his hand on Mary's leg (Tasha showed me the way to high placement). Tasha said, "So I reached over and moved his hand. But he put it back so I wrote a note to Mary and told her to draw the line or I would draw it for her! So Mary moved his hand.".
I have to say that I could have cried. I was so humbled by her devotion as a friend. I thought to myself as I drove back home, when have I ever told a friend in danger "draw the line or I will draw it for you?".
For every bad example we have in this life we have good ones. We can dwell in either realm...the whining or the making a difference.
Today my teenager daughter made my day. I love love love good examples, but more than that I LOVE LOVE LOVE action. To be precise, Love in Action!! Kinda reminded me of Jesus, imagine that !! Thanks for the Christ-like example Tasha!!!
Example is HUGE, I agree! Actually, I was just speaking about this very thing with a deaf friend today {who happens to be in your age group}.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing.
Blessings and wisdom,
Summer
We are becoming an "anything goes" society and that makes me very sad. We aren't holding anyone accountable because it is considered being judgmental. Certainly no one wants to offend someone who is just doing his/her own thing. Everyone is politically correct and everyone is entitled to his/her own perception of the truth - whether there is any real truth to be found or not. It gets old and I'm afraid I have no patience for it. The lack of supervision of our youth is getting out of hand. People think if their kid has a cell phone and is with another kid they're doing their job - even when they have no clue where they are or who else is there with them. I imagine the parents of the girl who was rubbing circles into her boyfriends chest AT CHURCH figure she would know what NOT to do in church - but you're right, what in the world are they doing without an auditorium full of witnesses?
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