Is it a tradition for you to trim your butt?

There is a story that I read somewhere that goes something like this:

A woman is teaching her daughter how to make a roast. She gets out the roast and proceeds to slice the end off of it and throw it out. The daughter asks her mother why she threw part of the meat away. Her mom told her that was what you were supposed to do. The daughter asked why again. The mom said that she did not know, that she did it because HER mom did that. They then called the grandmother and asked her the reason. She said that she did it because HER mom always did that when she was making a roast. They then called the great-grandmother and asked her why she always cut the end off of her roasts before cooking them. The grandmother's response? 'Because my pan was too small.'

At church recently, we were discussing about what do we do because of tradition and what do we do because it is what God wants us to do. I believe so many of us have developed not only our sense of right and wrong, but our entire belief system on what we learned from our parents.

While this is okay for small children, as one matures, we need to learn to think for ourselves. With this growth, we also need to learn WHY we think what we think and to be able to defend and support it. I believe that any religion out there has the goal of reaching out to others to try to teach them about God/Jesus/Allah/Buddha, etc. I cannot think of any religion off hand that encourages people to completely avoid others and to not ever try to spread the word. In order to successfully do this, you must have some ammunition. You must have some ready answers and to be able to support your words.

If someone asks you what religion you are, you can give a simple answer. What, if after that, they ask what your religion believes in? That answer, while a little more in depth, would not be too difficult. Then, what if they ask you WHY you believe that? Could you answer that? How would you answer that?

We talked about visiting other churches with your friends. I think it helps you to start asking questions when you are exposed to other beliefs. It makes you see that there are different sets of beliefs out there, and while we may never know this side of heaven which religion is the closest to being right, it will help you make an informed decision if you actively search for info.

Hopefully no one picks a religion because it seems easier than others. It is not supposed to be easy. I mean, Adam and Eve were the only people in the world at one point and they only had 1 rule. They had an intimate relationship with God and they blew it, so we cannot expect to not fail.

I hope that the girls that I teach on Sunday's will at some point question their beliefs. I hope that when it happens, their parents realize what a sign of maturity it is and will allow them to make this journey. I also hope that they understand that all differences may not be salvation issues. Some differences are due to different core beliefs and other are just matters of preference or tradition. That is something I hope these young ladies, and everyone else as well, realize as they spiritually mature. I also hope that they realize that people can agree to disagree and still respect each other's beliefs.

If you are still reading, I really appreciate you listening to your ramblings. I would love any feedback any of you may have, positive or negative. My only request is that no one bashes any one else's comments.

So, do you "trim your butt" because your pan is too small, or because that is how you're parents did it? (In other words, do you believe what you believe because you looked for the answers, or because you followed what your parent's did?)

Thank you for reading!

Come back and visit again.

I do hope to get a more "fun" entry up soon.

Post Spring Break ramblings

Wow, it has been a long time since I posted! I really enjoyed the comments people left here after my last post as well as all of the emails that came from it! I like hearing others points of view and learning about how others tick.

Anyway, over spring break we went to my parents house. They live way out in the middle of nowhere. We let the girls each bring a friend with them. We took our 4-wheelers out there with us as well. Between our two 4-wheelers, my dad's 4-wheeler, my dad's little circus bicycle, my mom's 3-wheel bicycle, and my mom's all terrain golf-cart - the girls were riding something continuously. I will post some pictures later. Some of them are quite hilarious.

J, my oldest daughter, finally got her MRI. Guess what? She has a stress fracture in her right tibia. What fun. The doc said to try to rest it and quit trying to "work through the pain" so much. What is funny is that she is leaving on Monday for a school trip near a beach where they will be participating in many tours as well as a scavenger hunt through the town. She gets back from there on Wednesday evening. School on Thursday. Then, on Friday, a school trip to a theme park (physics lessons in a fun setting.) So, I'm not seeing much rest coming to that tired little tibia.

She is rethinking her goals for gymnastics. She doesn't think she can get to the level needed for a college scholarship in time. This has always been her goal, so it is a little hard to see her struggling right now. She has had a tough year with competing a dual season and having some injuries. She is feeling kinda down right now. I'm hoping that since competition season is almost over - one more meet - she will get time to regroup and refocus. She loves gymnastics so much and she does not want to lose it. I told her that she does not have to get a college scholarship to be a considered a successful gymnast. Very few girls get to that level. However, many compete in the "amateur" side and do very well. She is debating on if she wants to just stay in the USAG side and just get as far as she can, or if she wants to stay in the AAU rec side of it. The skills are pretty much the same, but the judging is a little more lenient in the AAU side. Also, if she stayed in USA, there are 4 levels left to compete. In AAU, she is in the highest level there is (I believe.) She could add harder skills in AAU as she learned them, but would never move up a level. It is so much to think about.

M, my youngest daughter, will be trying out for team in a couple of weeks. She is very nervous about tryouts and the thought of competing. However, she has seen the myriad of benefits that have come to her sister from it; strong body, determination, endurance, prioritization, and most of all, an extremely strong bond with other girls that become like family.

Speaking of my girls, they both participated in something besides gymnastics this year!! :-) J. is in a Christian drama group in her school. This morning, they performed for the kindergartners.

M. participated on a web-design team and they just submitted their site to be judged. This morning, the web-design team was spotlighted at the elementary morning assembly. The web-design teacher called me this morning to tell us about it. She was going on a field trip with the kids in a different grade and could not be at the assembly. She asked if M. would mind getting up at the assembly and telling the elementary what their site was about, etc. She said that M. was such a leader on the team that she wanted her to get up and be the spokesperson! I was so proud! Interestingly enough, both girls were on two different stages on campus at the exact same time.

Even though things have been really stressful for all of us this first week back to school, I have enjoyed watching my girls rise to whatever occasion occurred. They are maturing so quickly that I often get tears in my eyes. Sometimes the tears are from watching them have to struggle with hard decisions, quick changes in plans, and being disappointed. Other times, though, the tears are from joy in the way they are handling these situations as well as seeing what kind of person they are developing into.

I am such a hands-on type mom that it is a little hard sometimes to see that they (especially my teenager) are getting to where they don't NEED me quite as much. I enjoy the difference in the relationships that comes from a desire to be with me rather than the utter dependence. It has left me feeling a little bereft at times though. I know that they will always need me - but it is just in a different way now. It is more of a guidance role now rather than a director. I like being the director. I like the control. :-) I know, though, that if a relationship stays with that dynamic, there is really no growth and no reward for either party. I'm doing my best to accept it and go on.

So, those of you with kids that are older, let me know how this process evolved with you. Those of you with kids that are younger, you are free to tell me that I am a psycho and that I need therapy. ;-)

Pics will be posted soon.