Lately it has become all to evident that someone in our house in on the brink of adolesence. Today I think the world had forced children into growing up too fast. I know this is true, I have seen it. I am guilty of being one of those overprotective moms. I still police everything my children watch and listen to and have a hard time giving in to his desires to watch these adolescent soap operas on Disney. Some I allow, in small doses. I can always tell when he has seen too much of these shows. We still do not allow certain words to be spoken in our house that you would commonly hear today on TV and coming out of the mouths of kids everywhere. I am still very strict about who he plays with and who's house he's allowed to go to. Can I really trust their parents? He is starting to question why I am like this. It is becoming harder and harder to be the positive influence to him. He is more and more interested in what other people think about things and about him. It doesn't matter that I think he is cute, and loving and talented and "cool". It matters more what they think. I am worried about how I will handle these years . I remember all too well the adolescent years, most of mine were really happy but I do remember how hard those times are. Trying to figure where you fit in, who your friends are, just all around who you are. And unfortunately in our world being a Christian will make it harder for him.

After I wrote this I was thinking how my last sentence maybe came out wrong. Actually being a christian can make it harder and maybe easier. Harder because he will struggle with worldly things and trying to stay on the correct moral path but maybe easier because he can pull strength from his faith to stay on the right path. My prayer is that being a christian will be his strength to get through these years and something that he is proud of, always.