take a moment

Las Vegas, Nevada was never on my list of places I wanted to live--much less ever being on my bucket list. But as life will have it, here I am. At times I fantasize about being back in Virginia or maybe near the ocean in California. But then I take a moment and look at my reality---Las Vegas.

Life here is convenient, affordable, decent medical doctors, secure with family nearby---and a church that seems to offer opportunities I have not had before through a church. There is a sense of community in this church. People really take time and reach out to the less fortunate---the marginalized. Programs and money and especially time is offered through meals, homelessness housing, time with disadvantaged youth. The term discipleship is truly actualized.

Personally I am given the opportunity to use my background in mental health nursing through workshops and groups. I have often said I think the most important thing we can do in life is be loving parents. As I have worked with people challenged with all kinds of mental health problems, I have continued to maintain that if parents can give a solid sense of love,values, morals, ethics etc, then children can grow into productive, solid, loving adults. And now this church has asked me to write a column for the monthly newsletter on parenting! What a joy! An opportunity to actualize one of my core beliefs.

I'll use the books that helped me parent my own children and that I feel really changed how I parented--Children the Challenge  and Raising the Responsible Child. They are still in publication all these years later!--gives credit to how good they are! So I'll try to put their information into easy, readable columns---short, church newsletter type columns. Of course I'll give them all the credit ---and maybe, just maybe, a busy, overwhelmed parent may have a moment to read something that might help in their relationship with their child...to speak more gently, to give options, to ask questions, to set limits, to use logical consequences

I am convinced all parents want to be good parents. We just don't always know how or what might be some options. After all we generally parent the way we were parented --or exactly the opposite way.

So---Las Vegas...life...gives us unexpected opportunities...if we are open...if we recognize God's hand. I'm not certain God has a prepaid plan for my life--but He certainly gives me surprises.

Everyday, dear God, give me a moment to recognize your hand in my life.

Blessings-Penny