~ From LOLACHE Newsletter, issue 5
As many of you know, Marilyn is dealing with a family emergency over these last several days, so she isn’t available to write her usual newsletter note at this time. However, she joins with me in expressing the hope that this new year finds you ready to press forward with the knowing, loving, and educating of your children!
As I went to bed the other night, I heard my 5 teenagers in the living room developing purpose. They were excitedly talking about the story line for a movie they want to make together. This delight-directed purpose will keep several of them happily and diligently focused and productively occupied for several months as they work on it together.
Their current purpose of this particular movie isn’t going to earn them a high salary, and it isn’t going to minister the gospel to a great number of people, but it is leading them toward their life purpose as they practice being purposeful. They are practicing having vision, and moving their life forward. As they press forward with this project they will have to learn and grow and increase in skill as they overcome difficulties and problems along the way and I will continue to watch over their attitudes, intentions and motivations toward Christlike Character. They are practicing living a purposeful life.
When they were younger, this purpose looked like making cardboard vending machines, and setting up a restaurant in the living room. It looked like building with LEGOs and making up stories with their Polly dolls.
I thought about how many kids their age don’t have much purpose. They don’t actually know what they want to do with their lives for the next few days let alone for the future. Their current life goals might include, get my school work done today so I can go to my friend’s, earn enough money to buy something more entertaining than the entertainment I currently have, and get done with high school so I don’t have to do this stuff anymore.
These kids will probably find jobs, they’ll probably get married and have kids, but will they have purpose that keeps them happily and diligently focused and productively occupied? Or will their lifestyle produce a life of boredom and the constant search for more self-entertainment? Will they be able to develop vision and move their lives forward? Will they be able to live a life that is bigger than the building of their own enjoyment?
As I drifted off to sleep, I was so grateful for our lifestyle of learning, so blessed to know my children are developing purpose and Christlike character, so blessed for what the Lord has put into each one of them to do. So blessed.
Marilyn has written a 12-page eArticle for new members of LOLACHE. “Your Child’s Individuality and Unique Creative Profile” will help you take a closer look at how God made your children. By tapping into their rich reservoir of God-given raw materials, your children are pre-disposed toward their purpose if they are guided to release creativity more fully.
Blessings to your family as you discover individual and family purpose,
Barbie Poling