So just about 11:30PM on New Years Eve I finished another book, as I wanted to start the new year with a clean slate.  Finished up the second book, How to Really Love Your Teenager, in the two-in-one book, How To Really Love Your Children.

This book overall got better to me the more I read it.  I started off not caring about certain parts, but after some reflection I came to like it.

Really puts some things into perspective for me in my interaction with my own children, and the boundaries we have to put on them as parents.

Now a comment a bit bigger than this book, but it was part of the book.  In the 11th chapter, "Helping Your Teenager Spiritually" it talked about Cellar voices and balcony people.  Cellar voices are the things inside us that keep telling us the negative and don't let you focus on any of the positive.  This is something I struggle with.  I have a lot of loud cellar voices.  But there is an answer, Balcony People.  Balcony people are those living and dead who walked the walk and talked the talk.  They are examples of great faith and life.  They are the folks around us that we can look to for help when the cellar voices get us down.  Hebrew's 11 is a great example of Balcony people in the Bible.  Loved this point.  The book tied this all together about relating just how important it is for us to make sure our teenagers have this dynamic in their life's.

Up next for me to read is "Purpose Drive Youth Ministry."  I am considering getting more involved with the youth ministry at my church, so the youth minister gave me this book to read.  Its a long book, but appears to be big font and an easy read.  I'll post some pictures of a youth outing we had on 12/30/07 soon.  Nearly 60 people (most youth) in attendance!!!