As the school year opens up again, we need to give young people advice for living and learning. The advice for learning is well known and that is basically to study hard and aim at a goal. My mother taught us to study hard and leave the rest to the teacher who knows more about the lessons than you know. He/she is qualified to teach. They have everything you need. You have nothing they need. Your job is to learn. Ask yourself, “Do you want to be a doctor, lawyer, or a beggar? Make your choice and keep your eyes on the goal. Here are a few tips that you will not hear a lot these days. We are living in a period when young people should get married. Besides having someone to grow old with, they have someone to share caring for each other when one of them gets old. My brother died at the age of sixty-three. I think he would have lived longer if he were married. His wife could have made sure he took his medicine every day. Maybe I am being selfish, but this is what I believe.
When we were younger, we went to the park and played ball together. We walked together and went to the school and played tennis together. All of this was bonding as well as exercise for the family. Now that I am old, the exercise paid off. My wife and I still do some walking, bicycling, stretching, and exercising together. Getting old is said to be no fun, but it can be educational to young people who you mentor. If you are blessed enough to have children in your life, you can have help in your later years. Children can be a blessing unless they are not raised right. Do not forget the scripture that says, “Raise up a child in a way they should go and when they are old, they will not forget it.” (Proverbs 22:6) I have three sons. They are blessings to us. We like to think we have done an excellent job raising them. Church is an element that is necessary to raising great children. I remember going to church and to Sunday School, and because we were Church of God in Christ raised, we went to Young People Willing Worker, Vacation Bible School, and summer tent revivals. It was all educational. I learned to read, and write, and speak, and give speeches, and how to interact with others. All of it helped me grow up and even become a leader. One thing people learn from interacting with others is also to learn occupations or professions from others in the church. Watching other people ply their trade can give you a clue of what you may want to be just from observing recall a guy at my Church who had a barber shop and when I was old enough, I was blessed enough to get a barber shop, thanks to my mother knowing I wanted a barber shop. Parents are their children’s example of the direction they will follow. If you are an engineer, your child may follow the pattern and study engineering. He, or she may watch you as a barber and become an engineer or barber. There is also a negative side of setting an example. Simply a parent that drinks too much alcohol or is violent to their spouse can create a violent child who follows his parent’s example. Once you marry someone you are obligated to treat that person with respect and love. You may need to work on the mate with a Pastor or therapist, work on the relationship you must. Bottom line marriage can be fun, but it is work, the sooner you jump in the water, the better, in my opinion. |
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