While sitting here tonight, watching the conclusion of “There Are No Children
Here,” my heart pulsated as I heard a little innocent boy say, "When I wake up
in the morning, I feel good that God gave me another chance to stay alive." This
statement as innocent as it was, was true to him because of where he lived, and
the lethal possibilities that he faced daily of being killed by someone's
bullet.
Oh -- I thought, just how much do I really mean those words when I wake up in
the morning? Are those words as true to me as they are to this little boy, or
have they become a ritual -- empty words with no meaning?
In our often-stressful lives, we are constantly absorbed by negativisms, feeling
that our troubles are insurmountable and that no one else in this world is
troubled by such circumstances.
We are often absorbed by meaningless thanksgivings -- being thankful only in
empty words for the things that we have. We are so absorbed with the things that
we do not have, that we effortlessly forget about the things that we do have.
Things such as loved ones, a place to lay our heads, food on our tables and
clothes on our backs. Things such as -- LIFE.
Things that we often complain about -- that we often yearn -- overpoweringly
forces us to forget to be thankful for what we have. While we are often
concerned with the things in life that we feel like we cannot live without,
there are millions of others, of young girls and boys, men and women, who are
genuinely thankful to just be alive.
Just to be alive -- is enough alone to be thankful. Take out time -- this day --
to just be thankful.
Motivational Speaker, Audrina Jones Bunton was born
the seventh of eight children in her household in Pinehurst, North Carolina into
a loving and committed Christian home. As she has 2 children, over 40 nieces and
nephews and great- nieces and nephews, it is not unusual to find her under the
same roof with many of her maternal five-generation family on weekends and on
holidays. In her youth, she fondly recalls traveling throughout the U.S. with
her family, as her parents ministered from state to state year after
year—helping people as they traveled.
A graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with a
Bachelor's degree in Sociology, Audrina is a Competent Toastmaster of
Toastmasters International and serves as the North Carolina District Sergeant At
Arms. She is a former counselor of the Durham Pregnancy Support Services, a
Christian-oriented crisis pregnancy center in Durham, North Carolina and is
currently a Social Research Assistant at the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. Audrina is currently studying at the Master's Divinity School in
Evansville, Indiana with a combined concentration in Biblical Counseling and
IABC certification.
She also serves as the Youth Director at the Come As You Are Evangelistic Center
in Aberdeen, North Carolina where her mother, Lydia Jones is the pastor.
Modeling after a song that her mother so often sings, and one that Martin Luther
King, Jr. often quoted, her life and speeches are based on the following lyrics,
“If I can help somebody as I pass along, If I can cheer somebody with a word or
song, If I can show somebody he's traveling wrong, Then my living will not be in
vain.”
* * *
Audrina resides with her husband William, and 2 children, Audrina Lorraine and
William Woodrow.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
Dressing Girls For School
I have spoken to so many parents who tell me it is a monumental task to get
their younger daughters ready for school in the morning. Unless your daughter
has only one set of clothes to wear, she probably wants to change her outfit
three times before choosing the one she will "agree" to wear to school each day.
Here's how we solved the problem in our family...
3 Easy Ways To Make An Awesome Playroom
Are you irritated every time you walk past your kids playroom? Paper here, toys
there, the floor is strewn with stuff that you can't even guess what it is! Most
of us feel a whole lot better when things are organized. Is it natural to be
neat and tidy or is it a skill that must be learned? We'll let you worry about
that question but we'll give you a few simple ideas on how to make that playroom
fun again.
What should you expect at 6 weeks, 6 months or 1 year? We provide useful
milestones and developmental stages so that you can keep an eye on your
baby's development in the first year. Baby Stages
Ideas For Sharing Stories
With Children
This two-part article discusses the ways in which stories and
storytelling play an important role in children's lives. Techniques are
offered for using stories to help develop children's verbal skills and
imaginations. This is part one.
Who Owns The Problem; Parent or Child?
It is tempting for parents to assume ownership and responsibility for everything that goes on in the life of their child. However, when the parent jumps in too soon to solve the problem or give the answer, the child never learns to trust his own judgment and become a critical thinker.
Parenting - Making A Schedule This article on the benefits of scheduling your day as a parent
really struck home with me. It took me a while to work this out for
myself when I had young children at home, and I wish I had done so - and
benefited from the much calmer household that was the result - sooner!
