Our children go through stages. In beginning, they need us for everything and often feel like “Velcro children”. We are needed non-stop. Then, they get a little older and really don’t even want to talk with us and we crave that conversation. I think God, our Heavenly Father, craves to hear from his children. He wants us to come running to Him and tell Him about our day, our concerns, our triumphs, and our failures. He says, “I am longing to talk with you. Rest in Me and I will take care of you.”

So, I encourage you this year instead of trying to do more at home, work, or church make a conscious decision to REST. Rest in God and spend time with him. See what God has to say to you and let him fill you with his peace. I have often found I am less tired if I am consistently spending time with God and resting in Him. God is ultimate stress reliever, peace giver, and burden bearer. Make rest a priority in 2005.

7. Can you remember last time you told your child you are not old enough to know about a certain topic and we will talk about it when you get older?

8. When was last time you told your children, "No, you can't do that until your older or that outfit is not acceptable to wear in our family?"

9. Do you monitor what music your children listen to, computer games they play, Internet sites they visit - are they age appropriate?

10. Do your children hang out with much older kids who are not a good influence?

Hopefully, these questions have caused you to stop and think about how quickly your children are growing up. Due to society's pressures you will have to make a concerted effort to keep your children innocent. There will be parent and child peer pressure to force your children to do things early. You may not be a popular parent when you say No to something "everyone else is doing." Parenting is not for fainthearted or a popularity contest.

In closing, let me relate a recent example. I was watching a morning news shoe and they were discussing summer camps for kids. The guest said more and more kids are looking for computer and science camps, in order to improve their resumes for college. I found myself yelling at TV - "Why can't you just enjoy camp, instead of it looking good on a resume. When did camp stop being fun and started being work?" Remember wise words of King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3:1 - "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." Childhood is a precious time and it is all ready much too short, keep your children innocent and protect their childhood.