As I sat in church yesterday, I was reminded by our friend and pastor, to consider the lifestyle and purpose exhibited by our founding fathers. It reinforced the reason behind starting this blog. Hard work. Moving from enabling to equipping our kids so maybe they can change the world like these men and women.
The blog started when I was convicted by a passage Teen Take-Out had to memorize for school from T. Roosevelt’s speech in Chicago entitled The Strenuous Life (I’ve linked it before, but here you go again if you’re interested). A small snippet for you pleasure (maybe inspiration):
“I ask only that what every self-respecting American demands from himself and from his sons shall be demanded of the American nation as a whole. Who among you would teach your boys that ease, that peace, is to be the first consideration in their eyes—to be the ultimate goal after which they strive? You men of Chicago have made this city great, you men of Illinois have done your share, and more than your share, in making America great, because you neither preach nor practice such a doctrine.”
So, looking back at our founding fathers, let’s not begin to forget the work effort on which this nation was birthed. Consider the effort they put forth in forging a nation built on the principals of freedom and Biblical truth. Not only did they create a type of government never before known. they also risked their lives in attaining it. They worked with every ounce of their ability and brought into existence a nation that has proven to be the backbone of stewardship, of democracy, of excellence, of ingenuity, of friendship and so much more to the world. All built on tenacity, work, honesty, morality and freedom.
Here are a few quotes from our founding fathers that might have something to say of our endeavor hear at the MOAT:
I’m a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it. -Thomas Jefferson
Rise early, that by habit it may become familiar, agreeable, healthy, and profitable. It may, for a while, be irksome to do this, but that will wear off; and the practice will produce a rich harvest forever thereafter; whether in public or private walks of life. George Washington in a letter to his step-grandson in 1798
I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I traveled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer. -Benjamin Franklin, On the Price of Corn and Management of the Poor, November 1766
I know Franklin is speaking about the poor, but the same principal applies to our kids. If we do too much for them, there is absolutely no incentive for them to do for themselves.
Okay, enough with the quotes. Here’s a MOAT shout-out to our founding fathers for so many things. Today, though, thanks for providing amazing examples and for being steadfast role models in the world of hard work/responsibility/equipping this generation of kids.
I have some fun pics to post from our 4th of July celebration … but, oh yeah, did I forget once again to introduce myself? My name is Kay. I’m a recovering enabler, procrastinator, grammar hacker and am severely calendar challenged.
Point in case? If I hadn’t called my brother this morning, just to check in and see what they were up to this week, I would never have been given a major heads up.
Brother: “We’re putting our kids on a plane for kamp on Wednesday.”
Me: “No. You can’t be. They go on Thursday.”
Brother: “No. I’m pretty sure they go on Wednesday.”
Sister-in-Law in background: “Yes. It’s Wednesday.”
Me: “I pick up Teen Take-Out on Wednesday. Slow Walker goes on Thursday.”
Brother: “Kay. Slow Walker goes on Wednesday.” laughter in the background … yeah I heard it.
Me: “Oh, my gosh. I thought the 6th was Wednesday. It’s TOMORROW!!”
So, from a mother who has accidentally wrote the wrong birth year for her daughter and sent her to kamp as a 5th grader instead a 3rd grader – her actual age (and suffered the major trauma from that mistake), I felt as if I was hitting par for the course.
My poor kids. TTO barely missed a home-run of a faux-pas on my part. And Slow Walker would have shown up a day late! Needless to say, I’ve spent today (Monday) crazily running around getting his stuff together (all the things I had put off until Tuesday, since I was leaving Wednesday!) and didn’t have much time to blog.
All I can say is… Thanks for walking the road with me. I will do my best to set the bar low :)
-Kay