CONVICTED!

Last night we had our first class of "parenting for teenagers." It was one of the most moving classes I have ever been to. It taught me:

1. It's tough being a kid today. We think they go to school and come home. We forget about all the pressure that is on them. After the class I wanted to go and hug every teenager I could.

2. Listen to your kids. During the class, I realized that I had been failing miserably in this area. I would try and "set my kids straight". But I wasn't taking the time to listen to them. I went home and listened to Dalton. Afterwards I layed in bed under the conviction of the Holy Spirit abotu how I has messed up in this area. I wasn't the only one. Another Dad who was in the class came in this morning and said his teenager talked his ear off for 2 hours all because he listend to him.

When it comes to listening they recommended two skills: clarifying content and reflecting feeling.

Listen to your kids! Show them that you love them unconditionally. And pray that I would do the same!