Five things to let my kids know before they grow up...

I asked Carolanne to give me some time to think about this meme a little longer, but why not be spontaneous and give you my answers straight from the (father's) heart? I also want to be a good sport (and who on earth is able to say 'no' to Carolanne?), but this time I will not invite any other bloggers to answer this meme too. You can always consider yourself to be tagged - just let me know, so that I can read your words of wisdom too!

Five things to let my kids know before they grow up:

1. You are loved. God wanted you to be here and He has a plan for your life. You are precious and I will always love you, whatever happens. That's a promise!

2. Something's terribly wrong with this world. No, I am not talking about global warming, AIDS and war. The biggest problem we all have is SIN. Look at the I in the middle of this word and give it some thought. God knows that you were born in a broken world and He has paid the highest price to set things right. We are in the middle of a spiritual battle, but we have joined the Winner. Although we are all part of the problem, the solution is only one prayer away. You don't have to carry the weight of your sins on your own shoulders, because Jesus, God's Son, did that for you a long time ago. You can be free - just say: "thank You, Jesus!" But even after you've said this thank-you prayer, life will be difficult sometimes and the world is still broken. But the Kingdom of God is here and we can now be a part of the solution. Love is the answer, forgiveness is the key, hope is real - God still reigns.

3. I am your father. I will always be your father and there is nothing that will change this. But I am also a human being, so - even when I try to be a good father - I will let you down sooner or later. But I hope that I have invested enough love in you, so that you can forgive me. Whatever you do, don't blame your heavenly Father for mistakes that I've made. He is perfect because He is God. I am just trying to be the father He wants me to be... And if you don't want to listen to me, listen to your mom - she's the best.

4. Don't give yourself away to someone without knowing for sure that this is the person that God wants you to be with for the rest of your life. I don't want you to think that sex is a dirty word. Sex is God's beautiful gift, but He doesn't want you to cheapen it by sleeping around. Be careful with your body, mind and soul - you are absolutely unique and very precious. Good sex is not just a physical thing. Good sex is also a spiritual experience between two people who become one - without losing their own personality. Yes - it's a wonderful blessing and a great mystery. And by the way, devout Christian girls can become pregnant too and faithful believers struggle with their sexuality like all other human beings. We are all confused and messed up and this is also a part of our brokeness. Please don't share all your secrets with us, but let us know if we can help you. And of course you can talk with us about contraception too. We don't have all the answers, by the way. Use your mind, guard your heart, protect your body, this world is a dangerous place - but there are still many things to enjoy.

5. Don't give up on your dreams. If you want to achieve things in life - don't let anybody discourage you. I am proud of you! You don't have to realise my dreams, you don't have to live up to other people's expectations. Look inside your heart, ask for God's guidance and learn to trust Him. His plan for your life is the best. It will be exciting, adventurous and probably dangerous. But you will find treasures that will make you happy for ever and you will have a life that's worth living and a perfect eternity to look forward to.