Hi,

     I want to thank you for your participation in our three weeks of Sex, God, and Me. I thought that the program went well. It is hard to design something that works for a seventh grader all the way up to a high school senior but we covered some good stuff. One of the things that I was pleased with was the focus on communication between youth and parents. It is not easy and sometimes even seems unreasonable, but it is important for parents to talk with their kids about all subjects, especially on sexual matters and substance abuse issues. Remember that the studies tell us that it does matter for parents to make sure that their youth know where they stand on these matters. I know that sounds crazy, but you have to remind them.

     Back in the presidential election I read a blog about Bristol Palen, the Governor's daughter who was pregnant. Now believe it or not, this was not a partisan or political blog. In this, the writer posed a great question. The question was, "What was Bristol's plan A?" Meaning, instead of having to come up with a plan B because she was pregnant and in high school and unmarried, what were her hopes and dreams and goals? Studies have shown that youth that have thought about and worked on what they want to accomplish and what they want to do with their lives, are more likely to think about the ramifications of how a pregnancy or even a STD will have on their lives. Now they are still youth and most of them don't know what they are doing tomorrow much less the rest of their lives, but it is important to help our youth set goals and think about the future. We know it matters in areas of education, and sports, and music.

     So spend some time with your children and youth helping them dream about the future. Work with them to set goals and then help them see how to accomplish those goals. Of course they have to be reasonable and within reach. I will never forget the day my parents had to break it to me that I probably was never going to be a world class jockey. It seems that I had blown past the weight limit. I had a lot of tears that day because I had to cross ballerina and trapeze artist off of my list. Luckily I could return the costumes I had ordered.

     Of course, the list that you are helping your youth make is more about who they are as a child of God and who they want to be, more than what they will be when they grow up. Figure out how to weave both together. Think about how you can celebrate when goals are accomplished and reward your youth.

     My hope for each of you that you can help your youth come up with a "Plan A" and that this will help them grow in faith and in making positive decisions.

     As we begin the season of Lent, I encourage you to set some family goals for this time before Easter. Make an effort to Worship, Grow, Witness, and Give each and every week during this holy season. Do it as a family and I know you will be changed. Changed in a good way.

                            See you Sunday,


                            Steve