The Why’s and the Wherefore

As my kids get older I am finding that I am having to address the tougher and tougher problems.  Life isn’t as cut and dry as it is when you are little bitty.  There are many shades of grey.  So many times when just being right isn’t the only issue. 


The kids and I have had many meaningful conversations over the past few weeks.  Some of our conversations have been with the group of us, Gretchen, Heidi, Eli and I…..and other conversations have been just between one child and myself.  I don’t know if any of what I tell them is getting through, but I hope so. 


We have had some rather interesting conversations with one of the kids about heterosexuality,  homosexuality, and just sexuality in general.  I think, in these times of massive media overload and freedom, that mature ideas are presented to young minds who aren’t ready to deal with those ideas.  I have no issues with people with different lifestyles then mine, but I do have problems with a preoccupation with a segment of our lives that is really so small and insignificant when taken into consideration of our whole affect we have in this world.  At what point does sexual preference become sensualism?  I don’t care how my children, or anyone for that matter, cares to define themselves…… I do care that a preoccupation with sex is unhealthy and wasteful of so many other talents that a person has. 

Another conversation we have had is the idea of choice.  The choices we make in our lives can determine much about how smoothly our lives will go.  How I know that one soooooooo well.  The girls and I are doing a health curriculum in our homeschool that starts out with the idea of choice.  The book retells the story of Adam and Eve from the Bible and asks the question, “What if Eve had made a better choice?  What if she had consulted with Adam…. or better yet, God….. and made an informed choice?”  This prompted a great opportunity to talk about some of the choices that I have made in my life and how they helped or hindered my maturing.  We talked about my choice to stop drinking alcohol and how soon after I found someone who loved me for me…..not for my dress size and not for my ability to drink someone else under the table.  In so many things, it is our choices that master us. 

The kids are coming into the time in their lives when they question everything and want answers.  I’m not ready to give all the answers…..I’ve made some pretty bad choices in my life.  I have also made some pretty good ones.  LOL  The good ones I attribute to listening to God. 

Yesterday we talked about how I met Mark, my husband.  It was listening to God that jolted me out of that bed that Sunday morning and compelled me to go to Church.  I can count at least 4 times when I thought to myself, “Nah…I’m not going to Church.”  ….. and a big and very “unstill” like voice told me, “YOU ARE GOING TO CHURCH!”  I went to church and sat next to a good looking older guy whose side I would never leave and whose love I would always cherish.  This year marks 23 years with this man.  I think it was a great choice/ answer to a prayer. 

We all have choices to make.  These choices aren’t easy ones…..many of them can make other people hurt and angry with us.  When I quit drinking many people turned away.  If the choice you make is the right one for you then you have to stick with it.  Our choices should make us better individuals, they should hurt no one, and possibly help lift someone else up out of the muck.  It is my belief that we are all on a journey of discovery, and it doesn’t matter who is in office or what our government is doing, what matters is that we are acting upon our highest sense of right…..wherever that comes from.  The more solidly we stand on what is right and good for mankind…..hold to principles that hurt no man……and live these principles in our daily lives….then mankind will prosper.  Our lives are noble and good if we follow whatever leads us continually in that direction.  Sometimes we must try the waters and often find them unsatisfactory, and then we must step out from the crowd and get back on that path…that journey that raises us up.  It isn’t about which religion is right or which government should rule…..it is about living good and noble lives. 

I think most people strive for that goal, but often the cares of the day, the waste of time on tv and internet mindlessness, takes our eyes off what we really feel is important.  More of our days should be spent seeking good and less time spent criticizing the bad. 

Wow!  This post took a different twist!  LOL  Oh well, such is life.  I leave with some quotes on Being Noble….

"A noble man compares and estimates himself by an idea which is higher than himself; and a mean man, by one lower than himself. The one produces aspiration; the other ambition, which is the way in which a vulgar man aspires." ~ Marcus Aurelius

"Be noble minded! Our own heart, and not other men's opinions of us, forms our true honor." ~ Friedrich Schiller