God, is like a loving parent.  We are given chance after chance to make the right choices.  Isn’t that the way a loving parent should be?  A loving parent should never give up on their child. A loving parent should allow chance after chance for their child to choose the correct path.

Parents, pay attention to this list!  If you choose not to provide your children with the following tools for their lives, it means you are acting out of conceit and selfishness and not out of LOVE. How can you expect your children to learn if not from you and your actions?  It is not only conceited but selfish to believe your time and thoughts are more important than your own children’s.

It is your responsibility to:

01)Love your children

02)Give your time to them

03)Live by example:

a-Be kind

b-Be tolerant

c-Stick to your commitments; your children are watching you and your actions constantly.

d-Take care of yourself; low self-esteem is teaching your child to be the same. Get help if you need it, so they won’t have to.

e-Admit your mistakes; just because you are the parent, does not mean you are perfect or correct all the time.

f-Don’t be afraid to show gratitude for everything in your life; again your kids are watching your every action.

It is your responsibility to teach them:

01)Manners:

a-Say thank you,

b-Say please

c-Teach all forms of gratitude and common courtesy, like holding the doors for others, sending thank-you cards, thinking of others first.

02)Respect:

a-It begins at home.  If you show no respect and your children hear you disrespecting others, they will believe it is o.k. because you taught them that.  Disrespect is never alright!

03)Tolerance:

a-Not everyone is just like you

b-Teach them to celebrate our differences instead of making fun or pointing a finger at them.

04)Be their best! Teach them to be the very best version of themselves:

a-If you are lazy and unmotivated, how can you expect them to not be.  If you don’t make your bed, do you think they will, willingly?

b-God expects us to use the very gifts given to us to the best of our ability not just for ourselves but for others.  If you have the gift of cooking for example, and your neighbor is sick, why not

make your neighbor some soup?  And, keep yourself healthy, by taking care of yourself…in eating, and exercising to be your best self.  It is lazy to allow your child to become unhealthy

because you couldn’t make the time to feed them properly or see that they were bathed, clothed, or had enough sleep.

c-Do not make excuses; take responsibility for your actions.  And, if your child does wrong, own it!  Don’t blame everyone else.  We are all responsible for our own actions.

05)Show kindness to all humans and living creatures:

a-Help a stray animal in need.  Teach your children that we are all advocates for God’s world.  We are to help the living creatures and our environment.  Don’t litter.  Help an injured animal.

06)Let your children make mistakes and love them anyway.  It’s their own path to follow and learn.

Remember, children learn by example.  Don’t be the parent who says, “Do as I say, not as I do.”  If we are bigots, so shall are kids be.  If we make fun of others, so shall our children.  If we complain about everything in life, so will our children.  If we are endlessly unhappy, so will our children be.  If we are haters, abusers, negative persons, we are teaching our children to act the same.  If we are prejudice, our children learn to be also.

If a man disrespects his wife, he is teaching his children to disrespect their spouse.  If a woman controls her husband and rules the roost, she is teaching her children to act alike.  If we are raised Republican and our children decide to be Democrats, they are not wrong, it means we taught them to choose for themselves.

Teaching your child to be respectful, reminds us to be respectful in life, with everyone and everything.  Remember, we are not special; everyone is special.

So, have you heard the parable about the three farmers? There were three farmers, each of who planted their crop, tended to it, and waited for the outcome.

1)When the time came and the crops were ready, the first farmer had a beautiful, plentiful, crop to be quite thankful for.  He saved all of it for his future.

2)The second farmer had a wonderful crop as well.  He gave all of it away to others.

3)The third farmer’s crop was just as great as the first and second farmer’s crop.  The third farmer, however, chose to do nothing with what he had grown.

All three of the farmers had been blessed substantially.

Who was God most disappointed in, we wonder?  Well, of course, it was the third farmer.

Now, although God found favor in farmer one and farmer two, God was not entirely pleased with their behavior, altogether.

Farmer one, was smart in saving for his future but he shared with no one when he had enough for himself and others.  God would prefer that we save for our future as well as give to others.  It is selfish to hoard everything and give nothing.

Farmer two, gave everything away.  Although God loves when we give to others, it is never wise to not think of your future.  It is conceited to believe that the world will take care of you.  You are responsible for yourself.  Also, if you are giving in hopes of a pat on the back or so that others will give you praise, you are not giving correctly.  We should give because it is the right thing to do, not for accolades.  And, if you have great wealth but only give enough to say that you did, that’s not giving properly either.  Do we really need millions of dollars and things to exist and be happy?  Is a fancy sports car more important than feeding a poor family without food and care?

Farmer three, was lazy which is conceit. He was given the gift of a plentiful crop but carelessly ignored it, not using what God had given him. He could have shared it with persons in need and saved for his future but rather, did nothing.  It wasted in the field.  God gives us gifts to utilize.  When we refuse to see those gifts and put them to good use, it is selfish and conceited.

The moral of the story is, be thankful, share with others, prepare for your own future, use the gifts bestowed on you for yourself and for others.  God is pleased when we act out of love and consideration.

Sometimes, terrible things happen to seemingly good people because of the path, they are on.

They may be close to fulfilling their path.  We all have had or will have difficult lives.  We learn and grow and complete our paths through those difficult times.  We have choice before reincarnating.  We know ahead of time, there will be difficulties.  We choose to have turbulence, in some form, in an attempt to complete our paths and fulfill our Karmic Debt.

When a person asks, “Why did God do this to me,” the answer is easy.  God didn’t.  You did.  You are paying back your Karmic Debt.  Make your choices wisely, choose your actions knowing you are creating your own Karma.

The definition of jealousy is an unhappy or angry feeling of wanting to have what someone else has. Isn’t this a wasted emotion?  Don’t you think God made enough of everything to go around for everyone?  None of us is perfect and we all have flaws.  Why not be yourself?  God does not make mistakes.

If it is material wealth that inspires you, it’s all at your disposal.  You need not obsess over what another person has.  If you want it, go out and get it.  Save, or plan for your desire but don’t find jealousy in another’s accomplishments.  You should love that person for their success and steadfastness.

If you are unhappy about working at a lower paying job, take the plunge to better yourself and choose a better paying profession.  But, should you degrade a person for becoming a doctor, let’s say because it causes you to look at your own lack of accomplishment?  Absolutely not. Everything is your choice.  We are a very fortunate society in America.  We are able to make our own choices.

Make the choice to LOVE, not ENVY.