Encouraging Our Children To Live Passionately

One of my hopes for my children is that they’ll live a passionate life, not settling for less just because they’re told they should or because the alternative seems too hard. But living passionately isn’t easy because it involves taking risks, putting yourself out there and being confident, even when you fail. I don’t think it’s something that can be taught or learned. Our best hope is to model and encourage it.
Although I’m not an expert in this area (and because my kids are young, I don’t have any proof that any of these methods work, just being honest), but here are the methods we’re using to inspire our girls to live passionate lives:

1. Let Them See Your Passion

A lot of “experts” talk about balance, which I think leaves many people discouraged and unhappy, to be honest. It’s okay for parents to have passions outside of our kids, and beyond being okay, I think it’s important that our kids see us excited and passionate about something other than them, even if it means sometimes they have to wait for our attention or help out around the house more.

2. Invite Them to Be Part of What Your Passionate About

In no way am I suggesting that you should force your children to share your interests, hobbies or passions, but let’s face it, kids like to be with their parents and would probably jump at the chance to participate with you in the things you’re excited about. Even if they don’t adopt those interests as their own, it’s still a good opportunity for them to see and participate in the things that get you excited.
For example, my husband loves to build and fly model airplanes, and even though our girls are too young to really participate, he invites them to watch, lets them “toss” his planes for him and answers all of their questions along the way.

3. Help Them Pursue Their Own Passions

Although I don’t have a ton of memories from my childhood, I distinctly remember being in elementary school and learning about animal classification. I decided then and there that I was going to be a zoologist, and I had a notebook filled with information about various animals. My parents indulged this love of animals and allowed me to hav e a variety of pets, including birds, an iguana, rabbits, a hamster who eventually had babies and so on.
Having a small pet store in your home isn’t the only way to engage your child’s love of animals, of course, and the important part is that you support their interests and help them find and outlet. You never know if one of your children might actually grow up to be a zoologist because of the foundation you laid during their childhood!

4. Give Them Lots of Opportunities to Try New Things

An important part of discovering what you’re passionate about is trying lots of new things. There could be a hobby, career or field of study out there that you don’t even know about that would capture your attention if you gave it a chance.

While lessons and hobbies can be expensive, trying new things doesn’t have to be. If you don’t have the money for your children to try a different hobby or sport every season, look for free opportunities. Visit the library and pick up all of the books they have on a single subject. Spend time video-hopping on YouTube for related videos. Scout thrift stores, Freecycle, Craigslist and yard sales for gently used equipment or supplies. And if you’re lucky enough to live near a metropolitan area like we do, take advantage of free museums and events.

How do you encourage your children to live passionately?

Post written by Zen Family Habits contributor Mandi from Life…Your Way.

 

I do not pray for success, I ask faithfulness.

New Life Fellowship Phnom Penh Thmey Churches, Cambodia

          

        Our church just baptized 41 new believers on the Sept. 18th. These believers have been added to cell groups for at least 3 months, gone through discipleship and membership classes and they got baptized by their cell group leaders. Praise and Glory be to God the Father.
By NLF: Pastor Sophea

Jesus said that his disciples would be baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit.” (Matthew 28:19) This means that a baptism candidate recognizes the authority of Jehovah God and of Jesus Christ. (Psalm 83:18; Matthew 28:18) He also recognizes the function and activity of God’s holy spirit, or active force.—Galatians 5:22, 23; 2 Peter 1:21.

           However, baptism is not a mere bath. It is a symbol of something very important. Going beneath the water symbolizes that you have died to your former life course. Being raised up out of the water indicates that you are now alive to do the will of God. Remember, too, that you have made a dedication to Jehovah God himself, not to a work, a cause, other humans, or an organization. Your dedication and baptism are the beginning of a very close friendship with God—an intimate relationship with him.—Psalm 25:14.

                   Baptism does not guarantee salvation. The apostle Paul wrote: “Keep working out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12)

 I prefer you to make mistakes in kindness than work miracles in unkindness.

Looking at the next fruit of the spirit, we come to ‘faithfulness’, sometimes translated as simply faith, in the Message paraphrase it is listed as: “being involved in loyal commitments”.
Faith and faithfulness are qualities much admired throughout the Bible. Both Testaments are littered with stories of, and calls to demonstrate them:
Abraham faithfully follows God to a new land, making some pretty tricky decisions along the way; Moses discovers that faithfulness is one of God’s key characteristics; It is something rewarded; there are almost 50 references to it in the Psalms; Jesus tells parables to illustrate it’s importance, and criticises the religious leaders of his day for their failings in this area; John writes with almost childish excitement to Gaius, enthusing about his; and Paul commends Timothy to the Corinthians with praise of his faithfulness.
We asked ourselves what we consider the nature faithfulness to be, and here is a selection of our speculations:

• Faithfulness is demonstrated when we remain with something or someone we have made a commitment to.
• Some tenacity, discipline, commitment, and concious choice is needed for faithfulness to flourish.
• Faithfulness is something that grows, but in what way? Principally, it feels, faithfulness is something that grows by being put into practice, like the weight-lifters’ muscles, or the footballers’ silky skills.
• Faithfulness is something that has many facets to it.
• Loyalty and truthfulness are intimately connected with faithfulness.
• Rewards can motivate faithfulness, are maybe a key in many situations (Christians usually believe that they will receive a reward for faithfulness in some form or another).

God's Desire & Prayer & Difficulty & God Is Near

God Is Good All The Time

Every believer is called to live so in the power of the indwelling Spirit that he will not fulfill the lust of the flesh but will bear fruit to the glory of God.

God's Desire

1 Timothy 1:12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service

I can see it is God's desire to enlarge my capacity for more spiritual understanding as I continue to endure greater amounts of suffering. I am not suppossed to be afraid. Yet through all of this I can also see that the Lord has a great amount of sympathy surrounding me to keep my heart soft, sensitive, tender, and true.

Prayer

We need to remember that our helper, our advocate, in our prayers is our Lord Jesus Christ. So if you feel you might be lacking the power of prayer, all you have to do is look to Christ.

And if you see the moment of victory approaching keep on fighting, keep on praying. Keep on trusting so the act of the Holy Spirit will bring blessings to you.

Difficulty

Genesis 18:14 Is anything too difficult for the LORD?

No nothing is too difficult when we believe in Him and go forward doing His will and letting Him do the impossible for us. Nothing is too impossible for our loving Father when we trust in Him.

God Is Near

The way that we are traveling, the path we are taking, how many of us have the feeling or the assurance that God is right there, right by our side, every step of the way.

Or is it that we are feeling that God is possibly the furthest away. We are being thrown into "the furnace that is heated to seven times more than it was usualy heated. (Dan. 3:19)

Maybe you can't feel it or you just don't know, but when you think and feel God could be the furthest away He is actually the closest to you.

Have the assurance that, yes, God is there with you walking down the path you are on. He lights your path. He directs your steps to where you need to go whether it's to the bitter taing waters of Marah or the sweet refreshing tasting waters of Elim. Wherever He leads you, Whatever he gives you or takes away remember to praise His name.

Hope in God. Trust in God. See God is in everything and near you always.

The Orphanages in Cambodia: No life without problems (About my real life)

The Orphanages in Cambodia: No life without problems (About my real life): " No life without problems A..."

No life without problems (About my real life)

No Life Without A Problem:

My Real Life

My name is Richard Orn and I am 17 years old. I am writing about my own life story. Even though I am only seventeen years old, for some people would think that I am thirty-nine years old because my facial appearance and my thoughts seem like a 39 years old man. I have a lot of sense of humors when it comes to making people laugh. Some think I am a funny boy and I often make people feel happy when I share about my experiences and my true life story with them. I was born in the center city of Phnom Penh, Cambodia and currently I still live there. On October 2010, I am a senior high school student and anticipating graduation year 2011. After high school, I really worry about going to a university.



Every night after school I commute to work on my beautiful bicycle at a small restaurant in Tolkok. I am a waiter. I often sleep there after I finish my work. Although I don’t have a home to go to and sleep, I have many places to stay such as the Orphanage dorm, work place, and my Uncle’s house. Sometimes I face many obstacles at my workplace, but I will try working hard to the best of my ability.



My mom lives far away from me and she got married to my so-called stepfather and together they have two children. My biological father left me when I was only twenty-days old. I was a lonely boy, but now I’m not any more because I have you near me and encourage me every time.



Well, the following will tell you some more about my lonely life and the truth of my life. I apologize in advance if my English is not grammatical. I am still learning and I don’t know how to write in good grammar. This story might not be interesting to you to read, but I hope it might help you to understand about my life which I experienced and face daily. Thank you so much for reading to the end. No life is free of problems.



Story start from 1992 till 2010



In 1992, my family had three people, including my mother, grandmother and uncle. They have lived in the same house located in the city of Phnom Penh. My grandfather and some of my other relatives had died during the Pol Pot’s regime. Nowadays some of my survival relatives live in Takeo province. They are farmers.



Everyday my grandmother goes to work at a bread factory near my house and my mother goes to work at the Clothes Shop. She cleans everything and then she starts to sell clothes with her friends at the shop. In November 1992 my uncle got married with a woman and then he left my family to live with his wife. Now there are only my mother and grandmother living in the house. Every morning my mom always gets up early to ride a motor taxi to go to work. In the clothes shop she had many customers and soldiers that came from another countries to buy clothes, hates and shoes, etc. Between 1991 and 1993 there were many foreign soldiers coming to Phnom Penh to work as peacekeepers during the National Election Day for Prime Minister of Cambodia.



While my mom was working there, one soldier from the United States of America came to buy clothes and then met my mother. This U.S. soldier fell in love with my mother and he kept coming to the shop. When he finished his duty in the evening, he came to meet my mom everyday. He rented a house near my house because he loved my mom. Nonetheless, my mom did not love him because she could not speak any English. She considered herself as a good Khmer woman who would not, traditionally, choose a husband without her mother’s arrangement or approval. However he kept coming to visit my mom and spoke a little Khmer language to her everyday. He said, “I love you” in Khmer. (I heard this from my grandma). It’s really fun when he spoke Khmer. Eventually my mom fell in love with this man. He is my biological father. At that point and time, both my father and mother lived together without getting married because they were very busy with their jobs. Two years later, my mom gave birth to me on May 20, 1993 and my dad named me Richard. He bought many things for my birthday. Unfortunately when I was twenty days old, my father left my mother because he had finished his tour of duty in Cambodia. Before he left Cambodia, he talked with my mom a lot. He said he loved my mom and the child. He promised that he would come back to Cambodia again when his son was 6 years old. Then he finally left Cambodia. My mom was very sad and hopeless. She thought the address and photos of my father were not important for her and she did not want to meet my father again. Hence, she cut and burnt my father’s address and photos which he left for her to communicate in the future. (Oh God... I think that’s a crazy idea).



In 1993 there were only three people in my family: my grandma and my mom and me. We were a poor family in Phnom Penh city, but we tried working hard to make a living. My grandma quit her job because she had a responsibility to taking care of me while mom was very busy with her job. Everyday my mom tried to earn some money to spend for our basic needs. I really love my mom…



In 1999 when I was 6 years old, my mom hoped and waited to see my father coming back because my dad had promised that he would come back to Cambodia again. He did not return to meet me and my mother. Oh my God… Why would my dad not want to meet me? Why would he want to leave me? Maybe he had a new wife in America and forgot my family. I still want to know and meet my father before I die one day. My mom was sorry that she cut and burnt the address book and photos of my dad. So right now I am an orphan that has no father. In October 1999 I started to study grade one at Sonturmok Primary school in Phnom Penh.



In 2000 my mom got married with one man that I never knew or met before. He became my stepfather and he started living with my family. I was seven years old and I knew everything around me what’s true and what’s right. I thought to myself that when I had a stepfather, he would make me feel happy and that I could live under his warm love like my real father. Nevertheless everything was opposite. He often did something bad and spoke bad words to me. Sometimes I was sad and I asked myself why he did something like this to me? Now I knew the reason why he did not love me was that he was not my biological father.



In 2002 my mom had baby boy with my stepfather and this boy was my step brother. He was a cute boy and I really loved him. Everyday no one brought me to school because my grandma had to go to work in a bread factory again and my mom and my stepfather were busy protecting their kids. Thus, I walked alone to school located in far distance and scared to cross a road. I was trying to find some friends that I hadn’t met to walk with me. I loved my friends at school but I didn’t like some people near my house because they always called me, “Richard you are half foreigner and half Khmer.” I was shy and I rarely went out side. Oh man!!



In 2003 I was ten years old and I studied grade 5th at primary school and I knew clearly about everything around me what was right and what was wrong. One day my stepfather and my mom decided to take me to live with my uncle because my stepfather said, “I don’t have much money to support you and so you would be better living with your uncle and help him work. Then you would get money for your education.” In my heart, I thought to myself that stepfather did not love me and wanted to get rid of me. I was in shocked and sad. Eventually he took me to my uncle’s house. I felt hopeless and asked myself why my mom would do this to me? I loved my grandma and I didn’t want to leave her. Before I left my family, my grandma told me, “take care yourself and don’t worry I will go to visit you sometime” and then we both cried. Oh God...



In 2004 I have lived with my uncle and I always helped him selling food at his restaurant. I was a waiter there. I worked from 6 to 11 p.m. every night. I was very tired, but I must try to work hard. If I didn’t work and helped him, I would not receive $25 a month. This salary was not enough for me to spend for food, study, and clothes and everything else. But I still worked with him because I didn’t know how to find another job. If I didn’t work with him, I would not have a place to stay at night. Therefore, I was still working with him. When I worked with him at the restaurant, I often had problems with the customers. They didn’t want to pay for their food and drinks when they were heavily intoxicated. Sometimes they were fighting each other and wanted to kill their friends with a gun. My friends and I were really scared. But we still worked there even though we faced with difficulties. This was my first job at the restaurant.



In 2006 I was fourteen years old. Everyday I went to high school and I never quit my study. In that time I didn’t know the English language but my friends who learnt with me knew English well. I wanted to be like them. I started studying English at a private English school and I paid $5 every month. I had studied at the English school for six months and then I stopped because I did not have money to pay for books. It was expensive. I told my uncle about my English school, but he told me that “you are so young so you can not study English.” I thought I was not young, but he didn’t want me to learn. Hence, I had to stop studying there. Every morning I rode my bicycle to high school (about four kilometer from my uncle’s house) and I studied grade 8 at high school. In my class I had one good friend, he was always encourages me and helped me when I didn’t understand questions. One day he told me that, “Richard I know one school that is free. Do you want to study there?” I said yes I wanted to. It’s a church. I started studying there until today and I found one thing good for my life. I became a Christian. I believed in God. I knew that some people in the world they didn’t like Christians, but I never hated them. I loved them the same. I knew that I was an ugly and poor boy, but I was trying to be a good person and I never did anything bad in my life. I kept my name clean because this was my way and my choice.



In January 2010 my Uncle asked me, “Are you a Christian?” I said, “yes I am.” Then he said, “if you are a Christian go to live with your God and don’t live with me again. You should go to bring your clothes and books and you must leave my house tomorrow.” He continued, “If you want to live here and work here, you should not go to study at the church and stop believe in God. Then you can live and work with me.” I thought I was a Christian I never did anything wrongs to him and I always tried to work hard. Why didn’t he want me go to church? Oh my God why? So I told him “I am sorry, Uncle. I can’t stop going to church because God give me a new life with hope and showed me how to love all the people in the world.” Then he became very angry with me and hit me in face and he said, “Today you must prepare your clothes and books and tomorrow you must go to live with your God.” Then I went to the bathroom and cried. I asked God “Why did you do this to me? What can I do?” Oh God why….? Tomorrow was coming and I already prepared my clothes putting in my bag. Then I went to say good bye to my Uncle and then to all my friends who worked with me. My friends asked me, “Where are you going? You are so young and you can’t go anywhere yet. I worry about you and remember you. If you need any help, tell me and I can help you a little.” Before I left, my Uncle gave me $70 and told me to take care. I was really excited, but I didn’t know where to go. I asked myself where I was going. One thought came into my mind and I decided to go to visit my students at the Orphanage. When I arrived there, the children said, “Hello Brother we miss you and we want you to come teaching us every week like before.” I didn’t know how to tell them; I was sad. Reluctantly I told them just a little bit about my situation and my tears started dripping down my cheeks. The children always made me feel happy. I loved them very much. In the afternoon I left the Orphanage and then I went to Sovanna Mall. I sat on the top stairs and I thought about where I would go next. If I went home, I could not live there long time. If I went to live with my Uncle, I must stop going to church forever. Then I sent messages to my Pastor and my Bible teacher at church. I hoped they could help me and prayed for me at least. My Bible teacher replied to me, “Can you come to live with me a few days and I will talk with our Pastor about your situation and you can live in the dorm.” I was really happy about that. But I thought if I lived in the dorm maybe I didn’t have money to study at high school and paid for my daily foods I needed. I thought I could not live there. I must look for a new job and it sure was very difficult to find a job because my English was very bad and my education was low. I called to my friends and told them about my problems, and he came to meet me and brought me to work with him in a restaurant at Tolkok which was not near my old restaurant. I was a waiter again in a new restaurant. I was happy when I got a new job and I started working there until now. When I finished my work, I often slept there because my boss trusted in me. I tried to work hard even though my salary was not as much as my friend. Sometimes I went to sleep at the Orphanage with my kids and at my grandma’s house when I missed her. Now she’s 73 years old and she was sick, I did worry about her health and kept praying to God for her everyday.





In December 2009 Christmas Day was approaching. I was very busy making post cards for my teachers at Harvest’s class, my classmates and some friends at church. While I tried to find the old post cards to read, I found one old book in which it had one letter written by my biological father. I was really excited in my heart, but it did not show the address of my father. However, it stated about why did he leave me? The letter explained that he could not live in Cambodia because it was a different country, religion, food, tradition, and everything else. “But I will take our family to live in my country soon... So don’t worry, I love you and the child and God will bless my son.” All these words showed me that he loves me and my mom. It’s enough for my life. Although I have never met him, I love you dad.

The End



Summary

Nowadays I live in Phnom Penh and I am 12th grade student at Samduch HunSen Phnom Penh Thmey high school. Every night I work in a small restaurant at Tolkok. I am tired but I am happy with my job sometime. I study English one hour everyday in church with my Bible teacher. Also I am a teacher for Children on Sunday at the church. I never study grammar because I don’t have free time to study in the evening. I often study by myself after I have done my work. In the morning I go to study Khmer at high school and in the afternoon I stay at my friend’s house or dorm. In the evening I go to work from 6pm till 11pm at night. Every Sunday evening I go to teach my students at Orphanage about ABC and the History of loving and play puzzles and eat food and drink orange juice with them. I love them so much, but the kids don’t like me because I sometime angry with them when they don’t listen to me while I am teaching. +_+ Goal for my life is I want to be a good person for my country and I want to be a good leader. I love Business management and Missionary.

Thanks for spending time reading my true life story. I am really excited when you have read. Please comment me about how to write good grammar and give me some experience of your life…..



Welcome all the time about your correcting my grammar in this letter and helping me to be a good person like you… This letter I just summarize it… It does not telling you all but I will write about my current life in the near future.

I am sorry that I make you tired to read my Bio...


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