Thinkers

 "We draw people to Christ not by loudly discrediting what they believe.....but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it."

Peanut dutifully gives at church every Sunday. Her Sunday routine is to pack her bible and her offering in her bag. She's so faithful that today she was asked to demonstrate for the church what joyful giving looks like.

She proudly stood on stage and dropped her offering into the PLINKO machine so we could see how it was done.

Giving is just one way that Peanut shows that she loves God, and loves people.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to substitute in a government class. We were talking about Congress and it's many powers. One of which is to declare war.

We stumbled upon the question "Does what's happening in the Ukraine matter to me?" in this conversation.

In a mix of geography, history, and government we walked through why the Ukraine may or may not matter to the United States, NATO, or to us individually in Loganville, GA.

Just the week before we had talked about how their generation is growing up in an information rich, but wisdom weak society.

Information is very easy to find. They are all carrying around portable devices to access all sorts of mass media.

Wisdom, discernment, on the other hand, an entirely different conversation.

Much like with my own children, I did not tell this impressionable group what to think about the proposed question but rather suggested they may want to ask questions like this.

Where does "Love God, Love your Neighbor" start and stop. Who are the neighbors?

By the fall we will have two voters in our house, and I know they both will vote differently on many issues than myself or each other.

I consider this a homeschooling success.

I've encouraged my kids to ask big questions and decide where THEY fall.

While it may be hard to see them wrestle and walk different paths than I might chose for them, I want them to OWN their own walk.

I find far too many people in their 40s in a spiritual crisis because they have always carried the faith of their parents and when presented with real struggle - they don't own their own faith.

They believe because they were told to but not because they really do.

Mama Warriors, it's a news heavy week (isn't it always?).

I encourage you to ask the big questions without giving an idea of a "right answer." See how that changes the narrative of the conversation.

Let's raise kids who can filter the information overload through a lens of wisdom.

Let's give them opportunities to practice.