Hi Parents!
​When I think about noise, I divide it into two categories: the noise around us and the noise we make.  The noise around us is hard to avoid and is compounded by the "noise" of distraction that fills our minds.  We also add to the noise by talking, sometimes a lot.  

​We are designed for relationship, and a huge part of relationship is communication; but sometimes we need to stop talking. Too much noise from outside or from our own lips can drown out the voice of God.  To grow in our relationship with God, we need to learn to shut off the noise.  Ancient believers, monks, and nuns knew that silence is a way for us to meet with God.  Jesus also lived with noise, but to cope, he took time away to center his thoughts on the one who is the source of all strength - God.  In doing so, Jesus provides the perfect example of how we can refuel our tanks.

Ask your teen...
Look at your day.  When can you carve out time to be alone with God?
What noise will you have to tune out?

Challenge your teen...
​Are you uncomfortable with silence?  Do you try to fill quiet moments with conversation?  Make time today to get away from the noise.  Focus your mind and quiet your soul.  Be still.  Seek to know who God is and let this time of silence be broken only by the voice of God.

​Discover why Jesus needed a quiet place in Matthew 26:36-56.

Dear Parents:
​All families have problems and all families fight.  When people live together for a long time, they are bound to disagree and to get on one another's nerves.  Exodus 20:12 tells us to "honor our father and mother" but as teenagers, we may remember countless conflicts with  parents. 

God gives both parents and children some explicit commands in Exodus and in Ephesians 6:1-4: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  Honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with a promise - that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.  Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."  Arguments don't have to tear families apart.  When a fight breaks out in your family, remember these tips:

1. ​Be patient.  Losing your temper will only make things worse.
2. Put yourself in their shoes.  Every story has at least two sides.  Try to see the situation from each person's perspective.
3. Compromise.  You can almost always find middle ground.  Seek a solution that is a win-win for everyone.
4. Agree to Disagree.  When you are unable to find middle ground, sometimes the best thing you can do is to agree to disagree.  Then let it go and move on.
5. Be like Christ.  Remember that Jesus loves all of us, including the person whom you are arguing with.  Always be respectful, considerate, and kind.
6. Above all, if you lose your temper as a parent, tell your child you are sorry and that you love them.  

​THINK ABOUT IT...
What are some challenges of being a parent?  Of being a teenager?
​How can you respect and honor each other?
​
​Trust that God is at work in your family.  Our God is a God of relationship, who invites us into God's family.  When our families get along, we see a beautiful reflection of God's love - family members who serve, listen, communicate clearly, and set healthy boundaries; who bear with one another and forgive as God forgives them (Colossians 3:13).  Watching family members fight can be painful, but we believe in a God of never-ending love who invites us into a family of love.  God never gives up on us or on our families.  God fights for us even while our family members are fighting.  That is good news!

Hi Parents!
​We let a lot of clutter pile up in our lives.  Some of it is physical clutter - the clothing we've outgrown but keep in our closets, the stuffed animals from childhood we can't part with, even the empty soda cans and candy wrappers in our vehicles.  We also collect spiritual clutter - the wrongs we do, the hurt and pain and sin we keep hidden inside.

When we do something wrong and then keep doing it without confessing it to God and turning away from it, we add clutter to our lives, our thoughts, our hearts.  Unlike the clutter in our homes and vehicles, this kind of clutter can tear us down or tear us apart, and often leaves us feeling a need to pull away from God.

​Turn to God instead.  God wants something better for us.  God wants to show us how to live without the clutter of pain and sin.  Let's choose to clear the clutter from our hearts and to accept God's grace and love.

Ask your teen...
​What things are you holding on to that you need to let go of to make room in your heart for God's love to grow?
What distractions, noises, lies, and confusion in your world leave your spirit empty?

Challenge your teen...
​Who in your community does not have what they need to live a healthy life?  What do you have that you are willing to share with others?

Prayer...
​Lord, help me to let go of all the clutter and let your love and peace fill my heart and to flow through me to bless others.  Amen.

Hi Parents!
​Each new days brings new questions, new hope, and a longing to be better than we were yesterday.  Sometimes a  new day can seem overwhelming before we even get out of bed.  Being involved isn't a bad thing; it can keep us challenged and excited about each new day.  But stretching ourselves too thin and not programming down time, can leave us out of touch with life and even our own emotions.  We begin to feel overwhelmed and unable to connect with others around us.  Talking with God before our day starts is the best way to feel confident as we make our way through the day.

​To be in God's presence begins with intention - a deep, spiritual decision to be connected to God.  This decision allows God to envelope us in love and peace.  Even as we become involved in other matters during the day, we can remain in God's presence if we maintain our attentiveness and allow God to be the center of our lives.  What might we gain by letting go of our distractions?  Spending time with God is not an option; it's a privilege and the more time we spend with God, the more we will notice the affect it has on our day and on our lives. Psalm 46:10 says "Be still, and know that I am God!" 

Practical tips to learn to be still:
​1. Make morning prayer time a habit.  Even a few minutes each day is better than one huge chunk of time.  Commit to having a conversation with God every morning.
​2. Plan a time every day to refocus. Read, watch a video, listen to a podcast, discover scripture or read daily devotions.  Tune out the craziness of the world and focus on God.
​3. Take a break from social media.  Whether it's one afternoon or a week or more, take as much time away as you need to connect more deeply with those around you.
​4. Create an intentional time to meet with friends without an agenda.  Just enjoy each other's presence and focus on building relationships.
​5. Learn how and when to say no.  It's a hard one, but pick and choose what you're passionate about so that you can focus your attention on those high priority activities.
​

Dear Parents:
​We face many temptations each day.  Matthew 26:41 (NIV) says "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."  One of the biggest is the desire for power over others.  We see this desire for power play out when people bully others.  Bullying is a critical issue for teens today, some of whom are taking their own lives in response to being harassed and bullied in school and online.

What can we do about this abuse of power when we witness bullying?  First of all, we can report it.  If we see it happening, we can speak up and seek justice for the bullied person.  We can start a club at school or a small group at church to explore the problem and to provide support for bullied individuals.  We can also pray for those being bullied and those doing the bullying. 
​It's about making choices with God's assistance.  We may rarely face life-changing decisions, but every day we have opportunities to choose between little things that develop our character.  If we have practice turning to God with our smaller decisions, it will be easier to turn to God when it comes to making bigger decisions - college, drinking, drugs, sex.
  
Ask your teen...
What are some practical ways you will fight the urge that you or your peers feel to bully others?
​When have you been tempted to sacrifice your character?

Challenge your teen...
Decide with your friends or youth group how you will hold each other accountable for living your beliefs and following God's dreams for you.  As you do, notice the ways you become positive role models for others.

Prayer for strength...
​I have given into temptation and sinned against you, God.  I have brought you shame and disappointment.  I ask for your forgiveness, knowing I don't deserve it.  Thank you for washing and cleansing me.  Strengthen my weak body to stand against the temptations of this world.