One day you’ll realize ...

One day you’ll realize there are too many dishes in your cupboard.
One day you’ll notice there are too many rooms in your house.
One day you’ll find yourself keeping the TV on just to fill the silence.
One day you’ll realize you have to make an effort to fill your days.
And then you’ll remember when twenty-four hours weren’t enough to get everything done,
when you locked yourself in the bathroom just to find a moment of silence,
when dirty dishes and glasses piled up in the sink,
when the whole house was full of life - your children’s lives.
And you’ll remember how much you wished for time to pass quickly,
for your little ones to grow up and become independent.
The days won’t always be so chaotic and messy:
silence will return, and so will free time.
And then you’ll miss all that chaos,
which was nothing more than life at its most beautiful.

[Unknown]

Children Learn What They Live

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to be shy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn to be patient.
If children live with praise, they learn to appreciate.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and others.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.

[Dorothy Law Nolte]

Some things are more important

SON: "Daddy, may I ask you a question?"
DAD: "Yeah sure, what is it?"
SON: "Daddy, how much do you make an hour?"
DAD: "That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?"
SON: "I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?"
DAD: "If you must know, I make $100 an hour."
SON: "Oh! (With his head down).
SON: "Daddy, may I please borrow $50?"

The Father was furious.
DAD: "If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I work hard everyday for such childish behavior."

The Little Boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The Man sat down and started to get even angrier about the Little Boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?

After about an hour or so, the Man had calmed down, and started to think: 'Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $50 and he really didn't ask for money very often.'

The Man went to the door of the Little Boy's room and opened the door.

DAD: "Are you asleep, Son?"

SON: "No Daddy, I'm awake".

DAD: "I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier. It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $50 you asked for."

The Little Boy sat straight up, smiling.

SON: "Oh, thank you Daddy!"

Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills. The Man saw that the Boy already had money, started to get angry again. The Little Boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his Father.

DAD: "Why do you want more money if you already have some?"

SON: "Because I didn't have enough, but now I do. Daddy, I have $100 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you."

The Father was crushed. He put his arms around his Little Son, and he begged for his forgiveness. It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts.

Do remember to share that $100 worth of your time with someone you love? If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for would replace us in a matter of days. But the family and friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family.

Some things are more important.

Explaining God

Although this letter can be found all over the web, we feel it is worth repeating.

"One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth.

He doesn't make grown-ups, just babies. I think they are smaller and easier to make. That way, He doesn't have to take up His valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.

God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times besides bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because He hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in His ears, unless He has thought of a way to turn it off.

God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere, which keeps Him pretty busy. So, you shouldn't be wasting His time by going over your mom and dad's heads asking for something they said you couldn't have.

Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think that there are any in Chula Vista. At least there aren't any who come to our church. Jesus is God's son. He used to do all the hard work like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of Him preaching to them and they crucified Him. But He was good and kind like His Father and He told His Father they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said OK.

His Dad (God) appreciated everything He had done and all His hard work on earth, so He told Him He didn't have to go out on the road anymore, He could stay in Heaven. So He did. And, now, He helps His Dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of Himself without having to bother God - like a secretary, only more important.

You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to hear you, because they got it worked out so that one of them is on duty at all times.

You should always go to church on Sunday, because it makes God happy, and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God. Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong! And, besides, the sun doesn't come out at the beach until noon anyway.

If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you are scared in the dark or when you can't swim very good and you got thrown into really deep water by big kids.

But you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and He can take me back anytime He pleases.

And that is why I believe in God."

[By Danny Dutton, a third grader from Chula Vista California]

Click HERE for more stories.

Raising kids was my choice

Your children are not your children...

(From) THE PROPHET

~ Kahlil Gibran ~

Your children are not your children.

They are sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,

which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,

and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;

For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

[More ...]

Three ways to teach your child...

There are only three ways to teach your child-
The first is by example,
The second is by example,
The third is by example!
(Albert Schweitzer)

Admire your parents...

It is more important that children admire their parents, than it is for parents to admire their children.
(Anonymous)

Together...

Their inner voice...