Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Recently, my family welcomed a new addition - a puppy! While the puppy is for the whole family, it's really under the care and ownership of my oldest daughter. After watching my daughter take care of the puppy these past few weeks, I noticed something about my 6th grade daughter that has seemed to slip past me - She is growing up! She's becoming a caring and responsible young woman, who is growing and experiencing life right before my eyes. Sometimes I miss it, sometimes I don't, and other times tears well-up in my eyes, because I don't want her to grow-up.
This year she will 13 and taking another step in life's journey (Jr. High); time sure seems to pass by really fast! The preteen years are here for only a split second and then "puff their gone" - Yet it is this twinkle in the circle of life that are some of the most important to the very being of a person. This is true physically, academically, emotionally, psychologically, morally, and most importantlly - spiritually. Spirituality affects all of these areas and becomes the foundation on which all these other areas rest. It takes time, albeit, urgent time to teach and mold a preteen into the person that God created them to be. The molding is done by the Holy Spirit, but the teaching is done by us - the parent(s), the minister, the small group leader, the Sunday school teacher, the grandma or grandpa, the key important adult! There are no easy how too's, no formulas, no easy button - it just takes time and patience.
Time sure seems to pass by really fast - Spend as much time as possible with your kids and don't let it slip past you!