My new hero . .

I had heard of her before but just in passing. Today I have been reading an online biography of Henrietta Mears (this link is a short overview of her life's work). Who? Just the lady that Billy Graham says next to his mom and grandmother had the most impact on his spiritual growth - that's who! Not to mention the founders of Campus Crusade for Christ and others. Her primary ministry was Sunday School (she started Gospel Light Press in 1933) and she had a heart for challenging college kids (it sounds like) to live for Christ.

One of the things her biographer is talking about is that she would teach about positive and negative Christianity. In negative Christianity you are separating yourself from the world. In positive Christianity you separate yourself onto God. For me it goes back (in some ways) to the difference between being naive and being pure. We want our children and ourselves to be pure- to be aware of what is out there but choosing what God has for us.

Here is a quote to that effect:

"Many Christians," she says, "put the emphasis on putting up fences to keep people out of the world, instead of putting up bridges to bring people unto God. If you separate Christians from the world but give them no promised land to possess, they will wander around in the wilderness having nothing — nothing from the world and nothing from the Lord."

Amen! I am going to read the rest of the biography now and I'll let you know what other gems she has in there.

Beware the chopper blades

This article caught my attention because it discusses one of my pet peeves - helicopter parents. I am not sure where this term originated but I know that it is used in Love and Logic to personify parents who are constantly hovering around their children. This article nicely describes the end result of such constant over parenting - feeble kids and lost parents. It is our responsibility to help raise children who are able to stand on their own two feet - not have to hide in our skirts forever. I wish I could say that this article is an overstatement - but it's not. My friend who works in residential life at a local university said that the number of PARENT calls about their COLLEGE AGED child's roommate problems has increased. Why are parents calling the college to complain about little Johnny's roommate - I don't know?

Everyone loses in the path of a helicopter parent. The problem is that the short term results seem so positive. The problems is solved. Little Jane doesn't cry. Your child seems so well put together. However, you propping them up throughout their childhood ensures they never learn a lesson on their own. This is not a good way to be sent into the world. So try to stop whirring around your child and let them fall down, make a mistake and learn a real lesson. I know I'm preaching to the choir here - but like I said, it's a pet peeve.