Ok, so I've allowed too much time to pass since my last post.  Sorry. 

This past Sunday, i was super pumped and honored to be able to share the pulpit with Pastor Jim as he finished his latest series, Mending Family Fractures.  What a redemptive message of hope that our community needs to hear!

I mentioned in my part of the talk that I had a student ask me during one of our services where they can text in their questions LIVE, "Pastor Josh, how can I get my mom to slow down and listen to me?  I need to talk to her."  That is always a tough question to answer.  For the student, they battle feelings of rejection and frustration which lead them to make choices based out of their pain instead of the vision that God has for their lives.  I answered the question to the best of my ability and then asked a followup question of my own to the crowd, "How many of you feel the same way?"  The response was overwhelming.  90% of the hands went up!  We would all agree that students need their parents, but many times, they have a tough time showing it don't they?  Statements like, "Mom, get out of my face!" can be intimidating and discouraging to parents, but what they really mean is, "Mom, I'm hurting and need you to love me more than ever."

So parents, let's live out Acts 2:17 and start dreaming about what God can do in our homes, and when you do that, the younger generation can start receiving fresh vision.  I think we can do it.  I think we can heal our families and see God do incredible things in the hearts of our teens!

Here's a few things to try:

1. Plan at least one meaningful connection of at least 30 minutes of uninterrupted time with your teen or child every week.
2. Do something you both enjoy.  Go shopping or go see a movie, shoot some hoops, ask them to show you how to play that Nintendonk thingy.  
3. Turn off your cell phone and focus on the conversation.  Don't be afraid of one word answers.  Be patient because your investment of time and most importantly love will make a big difference!

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