This will be a fun gathering of married couples where you will learn tools of how to keep, or rekindle, the romance in your marriage. We will be gathering every Monday evening in June to share creative ways to liven up you and your spouse’s relationship. Each gathering will be in Room 1108 at Shoreline and led by Andy and Terrie Belleci. For more information, you can contact them at 831.899.3888 or connections@shorelinechurch.org. Childcare will be provided for a donation. We hope you and your spouse will join us for some Summer Romance fun!
This will be a fun gathering of married couples where you will learn tools of how to keep, or rekindle, the romance in your marriage. We will be gathering every Monday evening in June to share creative ways to liven up you and your spouse’s relationship. Each gathering will be in Room 1108 at Shoreline and led by Andy and Terrie Belleci. For more information, you can contact them at 831.899.3888 or connections@shorelinechurch.org. Childcare will be provided for a donation. We hope you and your spouse will join us for some Summer Romance fun!
Excerpt from 101 Simple Lessons for Life by Marsh Marks
What if a child came to your church and you knew the child’s mother was a single woman who worked in a bar? What if you knew that mother had been married several times and had not used good judgment on any of the marriages? What if the child was not well dressed or very clean, had no manners, and was loud and disruptive? What if you knew the mother took the child to church only so she could have some time off, and the child seemed to want to cause trouble just to get attention?
How would you act toward that child? Would you be kind? Would you treat the child so special she would beg to be able to come back? Would you make the child feel as important as another kid with nice clothes and a solid home, who was clean, and used manners and smelled wonderful? Would you use the extra patience it would take to get to the heart of the problem with that child? Would you love her so she could understand what the Bible means by “he quiets us with his love”?
I am asking that because, years ago, I was that dirty child from a broken home. I was a child that caused everyone to shake their heads when my mother dropped me off at the local church on Sundays and Wednesdays. I was that child with no manners. I was the child you would have voted most likely to fail.
But in the church where my mom dropped me off, I discovered a nurturing group of people who seemed to think I was worth something. Sunday school teachers who went the second mile for me when I had no way of paying them for the first. And church people who told me about characters in the Bible who seemed to have it worse than I did.
First, there was this guy, Joseph, who was dropped in a well by his brothers. This other guy, David, was hiding from a crazy king who wanted to kill him. And there was this girl, Rahab, who had been known to work in a job that wasn’t respected, yet who ended up being mentioned as one of the most faithful people in the Bible. Another girl, Esther, whose parents were no where around, was selected to accomplish a mission that saved the lives of all God’s people.
In Sunday school lessons, I learned of a God who could use anyone or anything committed to him. A God who could take something awful and completely change it so you would never recognize what it used to be. And I learned from the way my teachers treated me that God’s view of everything was different than the world’s. That God saw everyone as having been at one time on the “wrong side of the track,” and what was important was not where we had been but where we were headed. The little church I went to as a child had people in it who seemed to feel that if they acted out God’s love toward a small, dirty child from a broken home, it would make a difference.
And it has.
“Love one another as I have loved you” – John 13:34
Excerpt from 101 Simple Lessons for Life by Marsh Marks
What if a child came to your church and you knew the child’s mother was a single woman who worked in a bar? What if you knew that mother had been married several times and had not used good judgment on any of the marriages? What if the child was not well dressed or very clean, had no manners, and was loud and disruptive? What if you knew the mother took the child to church only so she could have some time off, and the child seemed to want to cause trouble just to get attention?
How would you act toward that child? Would you be kind? Would you treat the child so special she would beg to be able to come back? Would you make the child feel as important as another kid with nice clothes and a solid home, who was clean, and used manners and smelled wonderful? Would you use the extra patience it would take to get to the heart of the problem with that child? Would you love her so she could understand what the Bible means by “he quiets us with his love”?
I am asking that because, years ago, I was that dirty child from a broken home. I was a child that caused everyone to shake their heads when my mother dropped me off at the local church on Sundays and Wednesdays. I was that child with no manners. I was the child you would have voted most likely to fail.
But in the church where my mom dropped me off, I discovered a nurturing group of people who seemed to think I was worth something. Sunday school teachers who went the second mile for me when I had no way of paying them for the first. And church people who told me about characters in the Bible who seemed to have it worse than I did.
First, there was this guy, Joseph, who was dropped in a well by his brothers. This other guy, David, was hiding from a crazy king who wanted to kill him. And there was this girl, Rahab, who had been known to work in a job that wasn’t respected, yet who ended up being mentioned as one of the most faithful people in the Bible. Another girl, Esther, whose parents were no where around, was selected to accomplish a mission that saved the lives of all God’s people.
In Sunday school lessons, I learned of a God who could use anyone or anything committed to him. A God who could take something awful and completely change it so you would never recognize what it used to be. And I learned from the way my teachers treated me that God’s view of everything was different than the world’s. That God saw everyone as having been at one time on the “wrong side of the track,” and what was important was not where we had been but where we were headed. The little church I went to as a child had people in it who seemed to feel that if they acted out God’s love toward a small, dirty child from a broken home, it would make a difference.
And it has.
“Love one another as I have loved you” – John 13:34
February 26, 2010
Bad Attitudes Come In Three Arenas
A bad attitude is a challenge to family life and frustrates many a parent. Furthermore, if children don’t learn how to deal with their attitude, they grow up to be adults with bad attitudes. One way to help children overcome a bad attitude is to take it apart and help them deal with it in smaller pieces. Children are tempted to have a bad attitude in three prominent areas: when given an instruction, when corrected, and when given a “no” answer. One mom put a sign up in her kitchen listing those three areas with the heading, “Three opportunities for a good attitude.” Take time to talk about attitude with your children. Discuss the importance and benefits of a good attitude. Help your children understand these three areas and even warn your child when one of them is coming. Coach your children to have a better response. The next time your child demonstrates a bad attitude, don’t just point out the negative but teach how to respond rightly. When given an instruction, a child might say, “Okay Mom,” in a pleasant tone of voice. When corrected, it would be helpful to say, “I’m sorry.” When receiving a “no” answer, children might say to themselves, “Okay, maybe another time.” A bad attitude is often a sign of an angry spirit and the groaning, rolled eyes, sarcasm, stomping feet, or disgusted look are all attempts to communicate dissatisfaction with the situation. Gently point out these bad habits and help your children to practice better responses. Be careful of your own harshness in the process and look for ways to break the problem down into manageable pieces.
February 26, 2010
Bad Attitudes Come In Three Arenas
A bad attitude is a challenge to family life and frustrates many a parent. Furthermore, if children don’t learn how to deal with their attitude, they grow up to be adults with bad attitudes. One way to help children overcome a bad attitude is to take it apart and help them deal with it in smaller pieces. Children are tempted to have a bad attitude in three prominent areas: when given an instruction, when corrected, and when given a “no” answer. One mom put a sign up in her kitchen listing those three areas with the heading, “Three opportunities for a good attitude.” Take time to talk about attitude with your children. Discuss the importance and benefits of a good attitude. Help your children understand these three areas and even warn your child when one of them is coming. Coach your children to have a better response. The next time your child demonstrates a bad attitude, don’t just point out the negative but teach how to respond rightly. When given an instruction, a child might say, “Okay Mom,” in a pleasant tone of voice. When corrected, it would be helpful to say, “I’m sorry.” When receiving a “no” answer, children might say to themselves, “Okay, maybe another time.” A bad attitude is often a sign of an angry spirit and the groaning, rolled eyes, sarcasm, stomping feet, or disgusted look are all attempts to communicate dissatisfaction with the situation. Gently point out these bad habits and help your children to practice better responses. Be careful of your own harshness in the process and look for ways to break the problem down into manageable pieces.
Parenting Tip
June 29, 2009
Dealing With Sarcasm
Communication is like sitting at a table and passing messages back and forth. Anyone can take a piece of paper and a pencil, write down a message, and give it to anyone else across the table. A sarcastic remark, however, is like handing one piece of paper over the table and another one under the table. It sends mixed signals as the word message is inconsistent with the tone of voice. Family communication may sound like this:
“Yeah, you’re too tired to take out the trash but just wait until the phone rings, then we’ll see how tired you are.” Or, “I worked hard today. I didn’t just sit around the house like some other people I know.” Or, “Sit around the house! I can’t believe you. How come you’re so smart with a computer but you can’t seem to figure out how to work the vacuum cleaner?”
Some people are pretty quick when it comes to cutting others with their mouth. Bad communication habits become ingrained quickly so watch out for the sarcasm trap. A wise parent will hear sarcasm and gently ask questions about the hidden message. “The way you said that communicates that you’re angry or frustrated with me?” or “You said ‘right’ as if you agreed, but I can tell by your tone of voice that you don’t believe what I’m saying is true. Is that correct?”
Sarcasm isn’t always wrong. Sometimes it’s just a way of having fun. Many times, however, sarcasm is a way of stabbing someone in the back. Learn to recognize it and challenge it when it’s used inappropriately. Some children and even adults have a lifestyle of using sarcasm. Those patterns can be hard to change, but challenging sarcasm can be a healthy step toward honest communication.
This tip comes from the book, Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes, In You and Your Kids by Dr Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN.
Parenting Tip
June 29, 2009
Dealing With Sarcasm
Communication is like sitting at a table and passing messages back and forth. Anyone can take a piece of paper and a pencil, write down a message, and give it to anyone else across the table. A sarcastic remark, however, is like handing one piece of paper over the table and another one under the table. It sends mixed signals as the word message is inconsistent with the tone of voice. Family communication may sound like this:
“Yeah, you’re too tired to take out the trash but just wait until the phone rings, then we’ll see how tired you are.” Or, “I worked hard today. I didn’t just sit around the house like some other people I know.” Or, “Sit around the house! I can’t believe you. How come you’re so smart with a computer but you can’t seem to figure out how to work the vacuum cleaner?”
Some people are pretty quick when it comes to cutting others with their mouth. Bad communication habits become ingrained quickly so watch out for the sarcasm trap. A wise parent will hear sarcasm and gently ask questions about the hidden message. “The way you said that communicates that you’re angry or frustrated with me?” or “You said ‘right’ as if you agreed, but I can tell by your tone of voice that you don’t believe what I’m saying is true. Is that correct?”
Sarcasm isn’t always wrong. Sometimes it’s just a way of having fun. Many times, however, sarcasm is a way of stabbing someone in the back. Learn to recognize it and challenge it when it’s used inappropriately. Some children and even adults have a lifestyle of using sarcasm. Those patterns can be hard to change, but challenging sarcasm can be a healthy step toward honest communication.
This tip comes from the book, Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes, In You and Your Kids by Dr Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN.
Come one, come all to the Shoreline Family Fourth of July BBQ! Sponsored by the Single Adult Ministry and Celebrate Recovery, this event takes place at 4PM in the Fellowship Center and the adjacent parking lot. Enjoy a hamburger or hotdog plus selected sides for just $5! Bring your favorite Fourth of July side, dessert or beverage to share with the rest of the family. There will be loads of entertainment provided including karaoke, live music, a DJ…plus a bounce house and games for the kids! If you plan to attend this exciting BBQ, RSVP via email to dhopkins@shorelinechurch.org. If you are interested in helping out with this event, please call Pastor Dave Hopkins at 655.0100 x 303.
Come one, come all to the Shoreline Family Fourth of July BBQ! Sponsored by the Single Adult Ministry and Celebrate Recovery, this event takes place at 4PM in the Fellowship Center and the adjacent parking lot. Enjoy a hamburger or hotdog plus selected sides for just $5! Bring your favorite Fourth of July side, dessert or beverage to share with the rest of the family. There will be loads of entertainment provided including karaoke, live music, a DJ…plus a bounce house and games for the kids! If you plan to attend this exciting BBQ, RSVP via email to dhopkins@shorelinechurch.org. If you are interested in helping out with this event, please call Pastor Dave Hopkins at 655.0100 x 303.
