Power to Change » From Today On

Lest We Forget

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 09:00:53 +0000

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.

The In Flanders Fields poem was written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae on May 3 1915. He wrote it after witnessing the death of his friend on the battlefield the day before. It is a solemn reminder of the atrocities of war and an admonishment to steadfastly remain vigilant even when faced with terrifying adversity.

On this day we honor those who bravely fought for freedom and justice, and many of whom bravely gave their lives for the noble cause. It goes by different names in different places, including Remembrance Day, Veteran’s Day, Poppy Day, and Armistice Day, but the sentiment is the same: Not to glorify the tragedy of war, but to commemorate the valor of those who fought to defend their country.

Brigadier General (ret.) Robinson Risner, a veteran pilot who fought in World War 2, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, is one of those brave military soldiers who we should remember today. Despite being shot down twice over enemy territory, and being captured and tortured, each time it happened he wasted no time taking to the skies again, ready to serve his country. Read his story: Enduring Torture in a POW Camp

Please feel free to share your own stories of remembrance or commemoration in the comments below. If you feel the need to speak with someone in private, our online mentors are always available to listen.

7 Facebook Essentials for Kids

Mon, 30 May 2011 08:00:28 +0000

#1 Parents must have the password
The password is the key to unlock the door for full access into your child’s Facebook profile. It must be shared with the parents and only with the parents! This is essential for accountability and building trust in the relationship as it allows parents to spot check the News Feed and Inbox from time to time. If the password must be changed (and we recommend changing it every 60-90 days for security reasons), parents must know what it is immediately. To us, this is a non-negotiable for kids being on Facebook.

#2 Parents must have full access to Friends
Facebook has created a number of ways to help Facebookers protect themselves such as setting up Friend Lists, limiting what certain people can access and hiding certain parts of the profile from view. But when it comes to parents and their kids, not only must the parents and kids be Facebook friends, but the parents must be able to view as much as possible – all pictures, videos, posts, updates, tags – everything.This creates a check-and-balance and keeps the surprises to a minimum.

#3 Keep personal information private
Kids are an open book and much more naïve about the world than adults. There really are bad people in the world. Some bad people are using Facebook for bad purposes. Bad people are hacking Facebook accounts to gain access to people’s private information and that of their Facebook friends. To be as safe as possible, don’t post personal information on Facebook (physical address, full birth date, place of employment, etc). Also, avoid updates such as, “Parents are gone. I’m home alone and bored,” or “Our family is gone on vacation for three weeks!” These kinds of updates can invite bad people to do bad things to a family member or the family’s home.

#4 Watch what is said because others are watching
What your kid posts is seen by everyone they’re friends with: family, coaches, youth leaders, teachers, family friends, neighbors and more. If it gets commented on by a Facebook friend, all their friends may see it too. So watch what is said: no swearing, no threats, and no innuendo. Also, watch who is talked about: no complaining about parents, no putting down siblings, no publicizing family spats. A good rule of thumb when posting anything is to ask, “What would happen if what I’m posting was posted on the Google home page for everyone to see?”

#5 Friend real people that are really known
Facebook is about connecting and reconnecting with people who are part of one’s past or present reality. There is no contest or award for “who can get the most Facebook friends.” Avoid friending people just because others have friended them. Don’t friend strangers. Don’t raid the parents’ friends either. The key question to ask when friending or considering a friend request is, “do I really TRUST this person to see the updates, the pictures and the information I post and not do something bad with them?”

#6 Kids are fully responsible for their Facebook page
While kids can’t be responsible for the dumb things their Facebook friends post on their Wall and News Feed, your kids must be responsible for anything posted from their own profile. If they left a public place and kept their Facebook logged in and somebody posted something acting like your kid (regardless if it’s inappropriate or not), your kid is responsible for it. If they allow a friend to use their Facebook profile to send messages out to people, your kid is responsible for it. Once something is posted, it can never be permanently removed. Hopefully this helps them think twice (or a third or fourth time) about allowing someone else to borrow their identity for a little while.

#7 If in doubt, ask the parents
Participating in an online social network opens up all kinds of new situations and scenarios for people to deal with. Sometimes the right things to do isn’t so clear. In some cases, the “right” solution can feel awkward or put you in a difficult place. Adults don’t always know how to deal with Facebook-related issues, how can we expect our teenage kids to deal with them and do it correctly? Kids need a safe place to turn if a Facebook friend is crossing a line, if an uncomfortable situation arises, or if they don’t know how to respond to a distressing message. That safe place should be their parents.

Buy the Book here

Education – A vital gift

Tue, 10 May 2011 08:00:49 +0000

The most valuable things we offer our children cost nothing. But there are many other things we give them that cost money. The most expensive is often the opportunity for them to attend college or university. Without financial assistance, our children may have to forego post-secondary education or graduate with loads of student debts. We want to give them the gift of higher education, but can we afford it?

Education for children or grandchildren is an investment and, like all investments, the sooner you commit, the greater your reward. This may be difficult to grasp when you are managing mortgage payments and all the expenses of a growing family. With help from the federal government, qualified investment advice, and a little planning, education funds can be amassed over time.

RESPs

Start by opening a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP). An RESP is a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) for your children’s education. Contributions to the plan are invested and earnings from these investments remain free of income tax until applied to the beneficiary’s education, when they are taxed in the student’s hands. Since a student’s anticipated income is either nil or very low, the income tax is insignificant.

Unlike an RRSP, you cannot deduct RESP contributions from taxable income. The federal government, however, may increase the contributions via a Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) and a Canada Learning Bond (CLB). (Residents of Alberta may be eligible for an Alberta Centennial Education Savings Grant.) Additionally, A CLB will provide up to $2000 over 15 years, to assist modest-income families who have children born after December 31, 2003.

Grandparents and family friends may open their own plan. You can launch an RESP for a grandchild, niece, nephew, or any child you wish to assist in obtaining a college or university education simply by naming them as the beneficiary.

RESP growth depends on your investment decisions. An RESP should be considered an investment, not a savings plan. Two elements that can maximize the growth of your RESP are an early start and professional investment advice. A $2500 contribution made annually combined with the maximum CESG contribution, will grow to a substantial amount. You may contribute a maximum of $50,000 to an RESP.

What happens if the child opts out of pursuing a post-secondary education? You have a number of options that are available:

Wait for your child to pursue post-secondary studies at a later date
Transfer the plan to a brother or sister who chooses to attend college or university
- Transfer the money to your RRSP (less CESG and CLB funds)
Withdraw your contributions tax-free. Investment earnings are subject to income tax; CESG and CLB contributions must be returned to the federal government.

Getting started

Start with a SIN and a telephone call. As the beneficiary of your RESP, your child must have a Social Insurance Number (SIN). For information on obtaining a SIN application, contact your local Service Canada Centre. After your child is assigned a SIN, contact a FaithLife Financial representative to help you choose the best available RESP plan and guide you through the government’s CESG application process.

For help in getting your financial needs in balance so you can live a more generous life as God calls, contact FaithLife Financial.

Call 1-800-563-6237, or email moreinfo@faithlifefinancial.ca.

Visit our website www.faithlifefinancial.ca

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Try a Life Lesson

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 08:00:11 +0000

“Always walk through life as if you have something new to learn and you will.” ~Vernon Howard

It can be hard to find time to learn amid the busyness of work and family but if you have a few minutes here and there, that’s enough. Pick up a good book, try a new cuisine or dig in to one of our Life Lessons.

Life Lessons are short, topical studies that let you dig a little deeper into a topic that interests you. There are lessons on marriage, communication, fear, spirituality, secrets, beauty, stress and contentment.

Most lessons take about half an hour to complete. Simply read the material and answer the questions. When you hit “Submit” your answers will be sent to a Study Coach who will respond with additional insights. If you wish to discuss things further with your coach, they’re always just an email away.

You can see a complete list of topics on our site.
Browse our selection of nearly 100 online interactive life lessons

Which one will you try first?

Plan ahead for “April Showers”

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 08:00:27 +0000

As we move through life, each new stage brings its share of joy and challenge. Just as April showers bring May flowers, it is often only after hard work, perseverance and planning that we see the benefit of our efforts.

Planning for your financial future is no different. Saving and planning can be incredibly beneficial when you are faced with a “storm” that can affect your financial security. Whether that is an illness, accident or death, it’s comforting to know that you can continue to provide for your family in the event of a life crisis.

We can’t avoid life’s struggles however, we can help you to develop a firm financial foundation so you can weather life’s showers. As your life evolves, your insurance and investment needs can change dramatically. The following important life events should prompt you to review your financial plan:

graduation from college or university
getting married
buying a new home
having a baby
planning your children’s education
starting a business
buying a cottage or vacation property
planning for retirement

If you are currently facing one of these life changes, or anticipating one soon, talk to a financial professional to ensure you are well-informed about the financial options available.

If you begin planting seeds at the right time, you’re much more likely to enjoy a glorious garden when April showers have passed. Likewise, when you plan early and thoroughly to protect your financial security, it will be much easier to cope with life challenges. Knowing you have financial resources at hand in a crisis makes it easier to concentrate on the important emotional and spiritual support your family will need.

At FaithLife Financial, we’re here to help you prepare for life’s changes. For help in getting your financial needs in balance so you can live a more generous life, contact FaithLIfe Financial.

Email moreinfo@faithlifefinancial.ca.

Visit our website www.faithlifefinancial.ca

What I Mean to Say Is…

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 09:00:03 +0000

Words are powerful. They start can start a revolution, they can start a family, they can change a nation, they can end a war. We decorate our walls with words, some of us tattoo them on to our bodies. In the moment it can be hard to find just the right words which might also be why we like quotes so much. T. S. Eliot wrote, “It is impossible to say just what I mean!” It’s a familiar feeling.

A Google search for “quotes” returns 465 million results. That’s a lot of words. What is it about quotes that we like so much? I think for many of us it’s the chance to say exactly what we wish we could have said. Quotes give us a chance to try and see behind the curtain, to see if we can discover the secret of a great businessman, a world leader, a poet or sports hero. It’s as if by borrowing their words we can assume a little of them we can be more like them by sounding like them.

Words can heal and words can hurt – something I learned the hard way.

One of the most popular pages on this site is our collection of quotes on success With quotes on goals, character, achievement and leadership there’s a quote for everyone. My favorite is, “I cannot give you a formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure – which is: try to please everybody.” – Herbert Bayard Swope What’s your favorite quote?

Allowing Kids to Fail

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 09:00:54 +0000

Every now and then, an idea explodes through our collective consciences, challenging our notions about how life works. It happened in the fifteenth century when Galileo argued that the earth was round. It happened in the eighteenth century when upstarts in North America decided they wanted to govern themselves. And I hope, for some of you parents, it may happen as you ponder this thought: What if parenting is not about helping your kids accomplish certain tasks, but instead about raising them to want to accomplish those things by themselves?

Take the frantic morning routine that sends many parents careening for the Tim Horton’s drive-through in desperation before it’s done. You yell and plead for the kids to get up, to no avail. So you yank off covers, rifle through drawers to find clothes, and hunt for the glasses Sally can’t locate, all while stuffing lunches into backpacks.

Sometimes helping doesn’t actually help

No one else seems to be able to hear that bus countdown that is ticking loudly in your own mind. Just when you’ve finally finished ensuring all your offspring is properly attired, one announces that he forgot to do his math homework. So you hunt for a piece of paper and a pencil and start multiplying, while you shove a cereal bowl towards him. By the time the children mount the bus stairs you’re exhausted, and it’s not even nine o’clock yet.

Unfortunately, most parents focus on helping their children complete tasks, instead of helping their children own those tasks. What kids really need is not a mom or a dad who runs around afterwards picking up all the pieces. Kids need to learn to be responsible for themselves, or they’ll wind up moving back in when they’re 23, hoping you’re still around to get them off to their dead-end job. We are accepting too much responsibility.

I read of one mother who was so frustrated by her typical morning that she warned the children that if they missed the bus, and made her drive them to school, then they would have to clean up the kitchen that night in exchange. She explained the new arrangement, and then she shut her trap. She didn’t nag them about homework, or backpacks, or lunches, or breakfasts. She let them figure it out. They soon learned that they didn’t really enjoy cleaning out dirty pots and pans. And lo and behold, she got her mornings back.

Their problem, not yours

Our society seems to believe that children’s behavior reflects completely upon parents, and so parents tend to do too much to cover up for kids’ failures. All we’re doing, though, is encouraging irresponsibility. Why not make children responsible for the things that are rightly theirs? If they don’t get their homework done, they fail the test. If they fail the test, they lose TV and video game privileges. No more griping over homework. If teens want a car, they have to pay for the insurance, which means they have to get a job. And if they’re late for that job, they lose it. Their problem, not yours.

If your three-year-old can’t behave on a play date, you leave. You don’t coax them or bribe them or flatter them. If your eight-year-old can’t find his hockey equipment, he misses the game. End of story.

Allowing children to fail teaches children what real life is all about. Turning ourselves into pretzels to help them get through that play date, finish that homework, make that bus, or afford that cell phone doesn’t teach them anything except that irresponsibility doesn’t matter.

If you’re running ragged trying to fix your children’s lives, quit it. The world isn’t going to stop spinning if they miss that bus. Galileo figured that out six hundred years ago. Maybe it’s time we caught up. For a great book on this topic read Have a New Kid by Friday by Kevin Lehman.

This blog was originally posted on tolovehonorandvacuum.blogspot.com . Used with permission.

Need more parenting resources? Check out FamilyLife Canada

Jan 26: How Many Chances Do You Get?

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 12:00:12 +0000

We want fairness. At least, we say we do. But fairness means getting exactly what you deserve, all the time, with no exceptions. What we really want is a little extra preferential treatment for ourselves and fairness for everyone else.

I once heard it said that “The beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair.” Do you think the teacher made the right choice in the video? We cannot know how this story turns out, but when is it wrong to show grace and mercy?

Jan 7: What makes you a grown-up?

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:50:59 +0000

Did you have an imaginary friend growing up? Maybe a child you know has one. While it’s generally considered acceptable for kids, what do you do when a friend refuses to give up their imaginary friend as they grow up? What does “growing up” mean to you? In this video, one man is challenged by an old friend to give up his childish ways. Have you ever been challenged in this way before?

Start living: Take our online interactive lesson on Living with Significance and get a personalized reply via email!

More ways to move forward:
“There was still something missing in my life, and I didn’t know what it was.”
On the road of life, do you know who you are and where you’re going?

What Do You Fear?

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 16:09:19 +0000

What do you fear, and why? Is it holding you back from realizing your full potential? The childish fears of our youth are usually replaced by new fears, or sometimes they just morph into more socially acceptable versions of those same childish fears. Watch this short film and then take a look at the related online study to think a bit more deeply about the themes explored in this brief story of Levi and a guy named Trick up a tree.

Watch “What Do You Fear?”