I am a C!!

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."  Proverbs 22:6
First thing's first...I am a C, I am a C-H, I am a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N.  (I do love that fun camp song!)  I was fortunate enough to be raised in a Christian household.  My parents were married in 1970, and for better or worse, they're still together.  I have one Christian (older) brother who lives nearby with his family.  I had two sets of Christian grandparents.  Most of my aunts, uncles, cousins and friends were Christians.  I had a great church family.  I married my best friend who was and is a Christian.  My in-laws are Christians. Basically, I was/am spoiled.  (Are you still humming that song in your head?)

Now that I have grown up (or am trying to) and have become a youth leader and parent, I realize that I truly have NO idea what it must be like to NOT be surrounded by strong Christian influences.  I have taken that for granted my whole life.  Getting a glimpse into the lives of our young people and the family influences they have to live with has totally opened my sheltered eyes. 

So my hope and prayer is that I will be that strong Christian influence in my children's lives, in their friend's lives, in our youth's lives, in my friend's lives, in my co-worker's lives.  Little by little, I'm drawing closer and closer to God.  This doesn't mean that I'm becoming a better behaved Christian, it just means that I'm trying more and more every day.  I'm not sure I'll ever be well-behaved.  I sometimes wonder if I even have it in me, but I am working on it...