June/July, 2008

It’s June! Where has the time gone?  I find that every year at about this time, people always talk about how, now that the school year is over, they can slow down a little.  I have come to realize that instead of slowing down, I exchange one list of responsibilities and deadlines for another.  If you are involved in the education business, whether you are a parent of a school-aged child, a teacher or involved with a school or Sunday school in any way, I think you will probably agree with me that life does not really slow down in the summer. 

There are many things that create stress for an adult, and particularly a parent,  in the summer.  Because so many families have adults who work year-round, having children home from school adds a lot of stress to their lives.  What will the children do while the parents are at work? Camps, play dates, and extracurricular activities are often necessary because the parent needs some kind of childcare that school took care of during the year. But the planning, arranging and traveling involved in these events adds stress to a parent’s already overloaded schedule. 

 And vacations.  How many times have you gone on vacation and felt like you needed another few days off of work to recover from vacation?  I sometimes think vacations are almost not worth going on, when I consider the stress levels my husband and I experience while planning for vacations and then going on vacation as a family.  The travel time and constant change of pace and urgency to do things because we have come somewhere special, can often take all the fun out of a vacation.   Soaring gas prices may actually do us all a favor this summer; as we find the cost of travel beyond our ability to afford, we may find that staying home and having vacation at home is much more enjoyable and relaxing!  If your kids don’t normally get to spend time with you, having a week home with your family may be more meaningful and rewarding to them than long hours in the car where everyone is grumpy and tired.  Just a thought. J

For the many adults who are like me, stressed out and wondering how we got halfway to June with a “to do” list that grows longer by the second,  I want to share with you a secret to inner peace during the summer—and year round. I talk about this in greater detail in my Being Families of Faith and Being Dedicated to God conferences and workshops, but in short, remember that just because options are popping up before you all the time as to how you fill your time,  you are not required to choose these options!  We do not live lives that are constantly faced with “Do I choose Door A or Door B?” decisions—we are just encouraged to think this way by a consumer-driven society.  This thought process is so ingrained in us that it affects not just our consumer choices, but our time choices. We get so accustomed to a certain way of thinking in our culture –do I spend my time or money this way or that way?—because of our overly rich diet of advertising and media, that we forget that there is often a 3^rd choice.  We can always choose not to choose.

When you find your gut clenching, your palms sweating, your mouth going dry, or the feeling of dread uncurling at the back of your mind as someone approaches you to ask you to do something or buy into something this summer, there is a simple process to keep yourself from getting in over your head:

1.  Don’t say “Yes!”   Say instead, “Let me check my schedule and get back to you.”  Then, follow through on your promise.  Pray about it, think about it, and determine whether you really have time or money to do this, or whether you are willing to contribute a smaller mount of time or money, or whether this is really something you have the energy or money to take on at all.  Then get back to the person.  If you have a hard time saying “No,” email and voicemail are great tools that allow you to give your answer without having to face pressure tactics.

If the person you tell, “Let me get back to you,” tries to strong-arm you into an immediate “Yes,” then say “No” immediately.  Why?  There is only one other being who knows what your life is like.  That being is God.  If someone else does not respect that you have limited time and energy and thinks they can tell you how you should give of your time and/or money, you are signing yourself up to work for (not with) someone who does not respect other people or who is so desperate for help that they will more than likely abuse the people whose help is given. Finally, remember in situations that require you to part with your money, if you are told this is a great deal and you have to jump on it now, then it is too good to be true and it is best that you walk away.  One of the first things taught in college economics classes is that there is no such thing as a free lunch--you end up paying for it somehow.

 2.  It is inevitable that the world will catch you up in its rush-rush, hectic lifestyle.  How do you deal with the stress, worry and panic that dogs you at these times?  When you start to feel stressed or you realize that you are beginning to worry excessively over every small thing and even over things for which you have no control, it is time to stop what you are doing, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and tell yourself, “it will all happen as it is meant to happen.”  I follow this statement with a small portion of the prayer created by St. Patrick*.

 “Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every person who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.”

This can become a mantra for me on truly stressful days.  However, when I tell myself where Christ is, I find peace and calm; it will all happen as it is meant to happen, and I am not alone.  On mornings that I know are going to busy, stressful and tiring, I read another portion of St. Patrick’s prayer, before I even get out of bed:

“I arise today through God's strength to pilot me;
God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me, God's shield to protect me,
God's hosts to save me from snares of the devil,
From temptations of vices,
From every one who desires me ill,
Afar and near, alone or in a multitude.”

I encourage you to try these simple statements out over the next few weeks.  See if you are able to create inner peace and calm for yourself  rather than being a victim of stress and worry.  Arm yourself with God!  Then check back to this site at the beginning of August, for a new article!   

*You can find the complete prayer of St. Patrick on the web--it is public domain, and easily found by typing "The Lorica of St. Patrick" in a search engine.

Help the Diocese of Iowa raise funds to provide chlorinators for countries and regions that have no means of making water safe for drinking!  Visit this site to learn about the Waters of Hope Project:

A New Page! For those of you who have visited my site before, you may have noticed that a lot of changes have been made at the beginning of this year.  I have removed the Parents Page and the CE Director's page, and have replaced them with this page, "Something To Think About."  It is my plan to post a new article on this page at the beginning of every month that will speak to issues that all adults will find thought provoking and spiritually encouraging.  I hope this becomes a saved spot in your favorites folder.  Check back during the first week of every month for a new article! 


For Parents:

For Christian Education Leaders:

 Please join me on the phone on July 22, 2008 as I facilitate a  teleclass entitled Creating and Supporting Families of Faith.

What is a teleclass?  A teleclass is a class that allows you to attend class without ever having to leave your office or home.  You simply sign up for the class, and on the scheduled day and time the class is to occur, you call the number you have been given upon registration, and you are transferred into a classroom that takes place via conference call. 

Go to www.eministrynetwork.org and click on the "classes" button in the left column.  Scroll down to the June offerings, and then click on the title of the course, which will take you to a page that gives a course overview and information about cost and registration information.  I hope some of you will join me- I look forward to talking to you! 

See the Workshops and Other Events page for course descriptions of this and other classes I'll be offering through eMinistry this summer and fall! 

Have you read The Teaching Church:  Moving Christian Education to Center Stage?  If you haven't, you should!  Written by Eugene Roehlkepartain, published in 1993 by abingdon Press. Tthis book holds a lot of insight into Christian Education and it's role in the church.