Thursday, March 31, 2016

Information Is The Same As Wisdom. Right?




We have noticed people today have forsaken wisdom for information. That Google has replaced textbooks and shortcuts have overshadowed study and knowledge. 
If knowing something takes more than a few minutes then we don't have time, after all I don't need to know how to multiply if my phone has a calculator right? The problem is we don't think for ourselves any more.

INFORMATION IS NOT KNOWLEDGE.

Knowledge is the earnest study of a subject  to truly understand the workings of something.
If I Google Taylor Swift and look at her bio, read a few blogs about her, learn all the lyrics to all of her songs, it doesn't mean I know her. Or if I google "how to install a windshield wiper" that doesn't make me a mechanic, I hope no one would go to a doctor that didn't have a degree.
Knowledge requires effort and time.

The same thing applies to becoming an adult. 

In generations past, people didn't look to books about parenting by some nut that has never had children. If we wanted to know how to be a man we didn't look to GQ. If we wanted to know how to be a woman Cosmo was not our reference source.

No, we looked to our family and close community.

We watched the way our fathers provided for their family, how they conducted business, and how they interacted with other men. We watched our mothers take care of their family, nurture their children, and provide an environment that fostered family unity. So where did she get her instruction?

That's right GRANDMA!

This movement away from instruction by family to instruction by institution began about the turn of the century when our fathers moved from the farm to the factory in order to support their family. Suddenly that side by side example of manhood wasn't there. Society was further moved away in the 60's and 70's when women moved from the home to the work place. Now children began to be raised by the teachers in our schools.
Now I'm not knocking schools, but they can't raise your children. 

They can't provide wisdom. 

Wisdom is when knowledge is combined with experience.
I can read all the books on piano I want, learn all the notes, but until I sit down to play, I am not a musician. And I will never be a good musician until I practice. The more I practice the better I'll be. No one wants to be on an airplane where the pilot is at the controls for the first time. Yet we raise our children according to books written by people who have never had any. Even if we haven't read the books ourselves the ideas have permeated our society to the point that it has become the norm. 

Grandma would never do this! 

She was confident that not only has God blessed her with children, but that He has blessed her with everything she needed to raise them. She had the instincts that God had given her, she had her parents and grandparents, and she had the 6,000 years of wisdom given to her by the one who made her, contained in the Bible.

As we go through the next few weeks we are going to share what we have learned, and two things are going to become clear.

First: Parents need to get back to being parents. 
Stop letting society dictate what you do through political correctness. Start listening to the voice inside, and to people that have raised successful children before you as an example. 

And for God's sake stop asking Oprah what to do.

Second: Young people, stop rejecting the advice and wisdom of people who have gone before you. Look to people who have happy and successful as examples to follow. 

If you want to be an adult find an adult you respect and be like them.




                                                                                        RUSS

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Did Grandma Have It Right All Along?


Today, kids have it easy. We make them the center of our universe.We're their chauffeurs, cooks, coaches, maids, and bankers. To top it all off we're suppose to be their best friends too! We put our lives on hold to take them to soccer and ballet, bring them their forgotten homework at school, and cater to their every desire. We give them toys, game systems, money, cars and trophies just for participating in a sport.

How did we get here? Did our grandparents have it right all along? 

Back in the day families believed in putting God first in their lives. Families worshiped and prayed together. You were expected to honor your family, obey and respect your parents, don't do anything to embarrass them, and come to their aid if a need arose without complaining. That's just what you did for your family.

Everyone was expected to pull their weight in the family. You were to do whatever needed to be done or whatever was asked of you- once again- without complaining! You were taught that if you worked a hard, honest days work you would be rewarded. It showed good character. Hard work equaled success.

Children gradually received more responsibility as they proved themselves trustworthy. By the time they were adults, they were prepared for that responsibility.

Now days we've extended childhood into the 20's and 30's. Our children have no idea how to be an adult or what it means. They have trouble with social interactions, being told "no" and not getting their way. As a result, they have trouble holding jobs, having lasting relationships and making commitments. We, as parents, have lowered the bar. We send our children the message "you're not good enough", "you can't do it on your own", "you will always need me". We have done them a disservice. They deserve better. We need to once again raise the bar for them. They need to know it's okay to make mistakes and even fail. They need us to believe in them and encourage them.

So, maybe Grandma did have it right all along. Maybe we need to follow in her footsteps for the next generation.

Becky