Status Quo Is a No-No

My friend and mentor Alvin Reid (http://www.alvinreid.com/; @alvinreid on Twitter) quotes, "When people in need of change face multiple options, the tendency is to choose the status quo, even if that is not the best path."

There is a great risk of this in parenting! As we see the need for change in our children, and thus in our parenting approach, family schedule, etc., we face the enemy of 'everyone else does it that way.'

To be an effective parent, you will have to be different than the culture. The status quo has a dictator, his name is Satan. He looks good so that you won't give the best to your family.

This is brief today, but I just want to encourage you -- literally enCOURAGE you -- to make the changes you need to make.

And if enough of us do that, we won't be alone. We'll be a community of Christ-following families who have identity in Him and support in each other. That's a model our children can learn from.

                                    Links-N-Quotes
* Discuss this with your children. "One of the big lies of our culture is that sex is only physical & has no spiritual, emotional & relational consequences." -- Rick Warren.

* Got to talk about this quote with teens!: "Genuine love is unselfconscious - the opposite of how people act in dating when they're worried about making an impression." -- Rick Warren

* Check out Longhollow Pastor David Landrith's (@DavidLandrith) blog post on modesty, which includes some guidelines I previously sent from Michael Hyatt, but are worthing of review and of sharing with your daughters. http://blogs.longhollow.com/david/

* This is one of the best-stated, most insightful things I've ever seen written on the issue of knowing the sexual past of your potential marriage partner. It might become relevant for late teens, so I know it's pushing the limits of the audience of this blog, but it is so good that it still might help inform you as parents as you deal with this with your children in the future. http://www.russellmoore.com/2010/03/10/how-much-do-i-need-to-know-about-my-potential-spouses-sexual-past-my-response/

* Top internet searches of 2009 for kids and teens. Parents, pay attention!
http://childrensministryandculture.wordpress.com/2010/03/11/top-web-browser-searches-for-kids-and-teens-for-2009/