Hello Family Matters! It's October 29th, just two days before Halloween. This week's topic is about gaining friends while making good moral decisions that are not always popular. Ironically, my family can totally relate with the family decision we made concerning Halloween that actually made friends along the way. Some of our favorite Halloween nights were with our friends and Camp family, the Mechlers. While our kids were young we started a TRADITION (A TRADITION…) that the kids (now all young adults) still talk about. Well…we would turn all the lights out in our house, cuddle up with popcorn and watch videos. We felt so secretive and special that even when one of the Mechlers, Lauren, got married she referred to how much she appreciated the families making that kind of stance. She even mentioned it at her rehearsal dinner.
Daniel from the Bible is one of my heroes; in fact my oldest son is named John Daniel. Both Daniels have made some difficult but wise choices. You can check out the little book of Daniel that is filled with some big, bold decisions that he and his friends took and read of the outcome. The consequences were equally as bold with a bonfire for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego though they were not alone. Daniel even stood alone at age eighty and got thrown into the lion's den, only to have the felines watch him all night. They devoured his accusers the very next morning--munch, munch, burp!
I will never forget seventh grade. NO WAY! I had moved from public to private school and one day some guys from my class got rough with a girl in our class. She was tough and ready to fight--as a punch was being delivered in the hallway….tah-dah…yours truly intervened, much to the admiration of the girl. Consequently, also to the jeering silly songs of those guys and to their suggesting that I was her boyfriend. I promise you that I still remember the teasing to this day.
Steps to “Dare to be a Daniel” (verses from the book of Daniel)
1. Purpose in your heart not to violate God or defile yourself (1:8)
2. Be brave with creative alternatives when facing compromising situations (1:12)
3. Be an advocate for others (2:14-16…47)
4. Take a stand even if things get hot (3:12-18)
5. Don't compromise your convictions (6:10-28)
Remember though you may seem to be standing alone, you're not--God is with you, God is for you!
Finally, is it easy? No way! Will you be respected when you do it right and in a noncondemning way? You know it. I love the quote: "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything."
See you next month!
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