Tuesday; September 3

I wish that I could tell you that this is going to be a safe and uneventful school year for all of our children, but if I did, I am afraid it would be wishful thinking at best and ignorance at worst.  Even when we didn’t have the prevalence of school violence there were instances of children being placed in danger by the actions of others.  While this is a concern in today’s society, I think there is something even more challenging than stranger danger – it is the peril our children place themselves in by making bad choices or choosing bad companions.  Sure, random acts of violence occur periodically throughout the year, but an even more common occurrence is when young people hang out with the wrong crowd or participate in risky behaviors that carry negative consequences.  Active shooters and bullying have become hot topics in today’s world, but the greatest day to day danger lies in not making good, moral choices.
I am not convinced that we need to send our children off to school with bulletproof backpacks as much as we need to arm them with good common sense.  We need to have the talk with them about the consequences of sin and the hazards of ungodly influences.  We need to warn them that the process of education involves having a safe place to think, try and fail; but, when it comes to living in the world there are times when it is all played out in live-action reality ... they may not get a second chance to make a good decision the first time.
Our schools do a good job of teaching our children what they need to know to function in the modern work-world, but as parents and mentors we are the ones who need to be teaching them about the dangers of living life.  Let’s keep our children safe – let’s help them make good decisions.
      Think About It!

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