adolescence

My friend, Anne, has had some good posts on her blog about adolescence lately. You can read those posts here and here and she has other links to other good articles/books as well. She says,

"As the mother of two teenagers and a teacher of middle-schoolers, this is a topic much on my mind. It seems to me that our culture is fixated on and worships youth, while at the same time neglecting certain truths about youth. Namely, that wisdom comes with age and experience and teachability, and it begins with the fear of the Lord. And those of us who are parents have a special responsibility to teach that fear of the Lord and to impart wisdom to our children. Teachers and pastors and others who work with young people have a big responsibility, too..."

This has been on my mind a lot lately as well, mainly because of hearing Jason's stories of the students at his school (pre-teen and teenagers), interacting with youth group kids at church (with their attitudes, constant texting and I-Pods plugged in their ears) and also hearing a lot of people referencing and recommending the new book Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations by Alex and Brett Harris.

You're probably thinking that I have a ways to go before my boys will be teenagers. But I think it's important to see how culture labels certain behaviors and expectations as normal, so that I can then be aware of how different that is from how God has called us (in his Word) to raise our children. Jason and I realize we have to start thinking now about how we can be teaching our children to "not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of their minds" (Romans 12:2).