Author: Rhodes Davis

My passion is analyzing information, exploring ideas, lifelong learning and sharing knowledge with others. I have a wide range of interests and am not easily bored so I approach unfamiliar and diverse subjects with great zeal. I am a business nerd, fascinated by what can be accomplished through innovative companies and people who want to change the world. My faith is very important and I enjoy opportunities to share my observations and study insights through teaching and writing. I follow the simple teachings of Jesus and try to reflect His glory in my life. I work with young people on applying the teachings of Jesus to their unique challenges and opportunities. "Curiosity keeps taking us down new paths." - Walt Disney

Dad’s Brownies

Author Unknown

A father of some teenage children had the family rule that they could  not attend PG-13 or R rated movies. His three teens wanted to see a particular popular movie that was playing at local theaters. It was rated PG-13. The teens interviewed friends and even some members of their family’s church to find out what was offensive in the movie.

The teens made a list of pros and cons about the movie to use to convince their dad that they should be allowed to see it. The con’s were that it contained ONLY 3 swear words, the ONLY violence was a building exploding (and you see that on TV all the time they said), and you actually did not “see” the couple in the movie having sex – it was just implied sex, off camera.

The pros were that it was a popular movie – a block buster. Everyone was seeing it. If the teens saw the movie then they would not feel left out when their friends discussed it. The movie contained a good story and plot. It had some great adventure and suspense in it. There were some fantastic special effects in this movie.

The movie’s stars were some of the most talented actors in Hollywood. It probably would be nominated for several awards. Many of the members of their Christian church had even seen the movie and said it wasn’t “very bad”. Therefore, since there were more pros than cons the teens said they were asking their father to reconsider his position on just this ONE movie and let them have permission to go see it.

The father looked at  the list and thought for a few minutes. He said he could tell his children had spent some time and thought on this request. He asked if he could have a day to think about it before making his decision. The teens were thrilled thinking, “Now we’ve got him! Our argument is too good! Dad can’t  turn us down!” So, they happily agreed to let him have a day to think about their request.

The next evening the father called in his three teenagers, who were smiling smugly, into the living room. There on the coffee table he had a plate of brownies. The teens were puzzled. The father told his children he had thought about their request and had decided that if they would eat a brownie then he would let them go to the movie. But just like the movie, the brownies had pros and cons.

The pros were that they were made with the finest chocolate and other good ingredients. They had the added special effect of yummy walnuts in them. The brownies were moist and fresh with wonderful chocolate frosting on top. He had made these fantastic brownies using an award winning recipe. And best of all, the brownies had been made lovingly by the hand of  their own father.

The brownies only had one con. He had included a little bit of a special ingredient. The brownies also contained just a little bit of dog poop. But he had mixed the dough well –  they probably would not even be able to taste the dog poop and he had baked it at 350 degrees so any bacteria or germs from the dog poop had probably been  destroyed. Therefore, if any of his children could stand to eat the brownies which included just a “little bit of poop” and not be effected by it, then he knew they would also be able to see the movie with “just a little bit of smut” and not be effected.

Of course, none of the teens would eat the brownies and the smug smiles had left their faces. Only Dad was smiling smugly as they left the room. Now when his teenagers ask permission to do something he is opposed  to the father just asks, “Would you like me to whip up a batch of my special brownies?”

Disappointment When Parents Let You Down

All of us have had some disappointment in life. Perhaps someone made a promise to us that we would do something extra special but, before we could go, it started raining, we got sick, the person who was going to do something for us got sick, or something else prevented us from doing that special thing. We may have cried or just have been sad. Either way, we felt disappointment.

There will be many times in our lives that we will have great joy but we will also have disap-pointments. Even as an adult, I make plans to do things with my family or friends only to be disappointed because our plans did not work out.

Parents sometimes want to do special things for their children but the plans do not work out. As a parent, I am as excited as my children about a trip to someplace special or some other activity that will allow us to spend fun time together.

Sometimes unexpected bills means that we do not have the money to do what we planned when we planned to do it. We do not want to get in trouble with the people to whom we owe money so we have to change our plans to do the special thing when we have more money.

Sometimes a parent has to do something at work, likely caused by some emergency, that requires them to change the plans. It is not that they want to be a work instead of being with you, but sometimes a parent has to fix the problem at work in order to make sure they have a job. The parent would rather be doing something special, but they know they will have to plan it for later.

As young people, you can be understanding when your parents have to change their plans. They want to spend time with you and do special things for you but sometimes things do not go as planned. Remember, even as adults, they are disappointed when things do not work out. Give them a hug, try to understand, and help them plan the time when you can have that special time together.

What Are You Wearing?

If you watch television or walk down the street, you will see people wearing all kinds of clothing. People choose their clothes for different reasons.

Some wear t-shirts with messages on them to tell people what kind of sports and teams they like. Some like to wear expensive clothes so other people will think that they have lots of money. Some people wear certain kinds of clothes to show they belong to a certain group of people at school. Most of us have probably known times when our parents bought us something we did not want to wear because we thought it would make us look silly.

Those who serve God must be careful about what they wear. Some clothes can make other people think bad thoughts. If we are not wearing enough clothes or our clothes are so tight that they let people see things they should not, we should refrain from those clothes. Music and movie stars will often wear clothes that reveal too much of their bodies. The Bible calls such clothing immodest. Immodest means not modest. To be modest is to be decent both in your clothes and the way you act. A person can be dressed in good clothes but act like a bad person. That person would still be immodest.

Our parents try to help us learn how to be modest. Maybe your friends are wearing a certain type of outfit and you want to wear it. Your parents object because it does not send the right message; it is immodest. Listen to your parents, I can almost guarantee that their parents had the same conversation with them when they were young people. They want to help you show others, by what you wear, that you live by God’s principles.

Sadly, some people cannot blush when they wear such little clothing out in public. When I lived in Florida, I was amazed at the people who would go to grocery stores in nothing but bathing suits. We must not let what others wear influence what we wear. Wear clothes that show the purity of your heart.

Secrets You Should NOT Keep

Trust is a very important quality in a friend. We often will tell friends things that are important to us but that we do not want others to know. It is good to have friends with which you can share fears, hopes, and dreams. However, we must be careful of some secrets that others want us to keep. There are some secrets that we must not keep.

If a person says they are going to harm other people or themselves, we must try to stop the violence. You may need to tell a teacher, principal, or parent depending on the situation. I had a friend tell me that he took too much medicine one time when he was trying to hurt himself. I told someone in charge at our school and they were able to make sure that the medicine would not hurt him and try to help him not hurt himself in the future.

An important secret that you must not keep is any secret that an adult wants you to keep from your parents. It does not matter if that adult is a relative (like an uncle, aunt, cousin, or grandparent), an elder, preacher, church teacher, school teacher, principal, or any other adult.

Please listen to me:  a responsible adult will never say or do anything to you that they would not want your parents to know about. A caring and concerned adult would never say that they will hurt you, your parents, or a brother or sister if you tell your parents something you saw, heard, or something that happened to you. You do need to tell your parents. An adult who would say such things is likely trying to cover up something they are doing wrong; in fact, they are scared of your parents finding out. If you tell your parents—and you should—they will protect you, your brothers and sisters, and themselves and will be able to handle the problem. Please trust your parents, not the person who would try to scare you. Talk to your parents about this and you will see that what I am saying is true. You will not be a tattle-tale if you tell your parents; you will be doing the right thing.

Good and Bad Habits

Sow an act and you reap a habit.
Sow a habit and you reap a character.
Sow a character and you reap a destiny.
-Samuel Smiles

We must be careful about our thoughts and actions for they may become habits. A habit is something that one does continually, often without thinking about it. Some habits are good. Saying “please” and “thank you,” cleaning your room, and feeding your pets are examples of good habits. You can also develop bad habits such as using bad language, lying, not helping your parents keep the house clean, or acting up in church services.

Habits start slowly. We might use a bad word once or tell a lie when we are in trouble. When we do something wrong, we need to repent. When we repent, we decide that we will try our hardest not to do the wrong thing again. We might slip and do the wrong thing again, but we will try hard not to do it. We should also tell God we are sorry and ask for His help in doing what is right.

If we do not repent or change, we will probably do the bad things again and again. Soon, we will not even think about whether we should or should not do it; it will become habit. Once we have developed a habit, it is hard to stop it. We can stop it but it will take a lot of effort.

Of course, we can develop good habits by doing good things again and again. If you try hard to use good manners, talk politely, and act properly, those good behaviors will become good habits. If you make your bed and clean your room every day out of habit, you will not have to remind yourself to do these chores.

Work hard to develop many good habits so your life will be filled with good thoughts and actions. Always do the things that will make you more like Jesus and you will live a healthier, happier, and more peaceful life.