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Hi Everybody,
Have you ever hung a May Basket on May Day? When I
was a child, we did this every year at school. My
classmates and I would decorate a shoebox with
colorful crepe steamers and ribbons. Then, we'd
fill the box with assorted penny candies. After
that, we'd hang the basket outside our teacher's
school room door, yell "May Basket," and
run!
Our teacher always acted surprised, but knew what
to do. She would chase us! It became a game of
tag. When she caught one of us, we would then help
her catch the rest of our classmates. After
everyone was caught, the teacher would share the
candy with us.
I still have a real scar from one May Day game
of tag. While running from the teacher, in primary
school, I fell on a rusty coil of fencing at the
back of the play ground. I still have a 3 inch
scar near my right knee, from that fall. Ah!
Sometimes the most memorable experiences are not
the most fun!
When I got married and had children, our family
carried on the May Basket tradition, usually at my
mom's house. Mammie loves to pick May Flowers &
hang May baskets, and our boys loved to run and
eat candy. The Heath brothers and their cousins
hung many May baskets on Mammie.
What family traditions do you remember? Please
write and let me know. And, enjoy May!
~Paulie
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Adultolescence - Part 2 |
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Recently, I wrote about 'adultolescence.' I
reprinted an article by John Piper, a
well-known pastor and author. He defines
adultolescence as "the postponement of
adulthood into the thirties."
This week, I'd like to tell you part of our
'boys to men' story.
If you have teens who have graduated from high
school but still aren't sure they're ready to
become adults, they may be "adultolescents."
Mike and I told our sons for many years,
before leaving home, that when they turned 18,
they were no longer adolescents, but adults.
We also told them they needed to have a plan;
at least a short-term plan for their lives
after high school graduation.
You see, we did not want to end up like the
married couple on the television commercial,
with a 20- something aged son sitting in their
living room, laying on their couch, watching
their TV, eating their pizza, being messy, and
enjoying a life of comfort & ease. Not a worry
in the world. And not a plan for his life.
We encouraged our sons to have a plan. In
fact, we forced them to have a plan. It
was fine if they felt the need to change the
plan after enacting it, but they needed to at
least have a short-term plan for their life
when they graduated from high school.
Of course, we did not just sit around waiting
for them to come up with a plan. We helped
them in their decision-making process, along
the way. We took them to visit college
campuses. We drove them to Washington DC,
where we visited the Pentagon to meet a
relative who was a high-ranking officer in the
US Marine Corps. We talked with them about
God's plan for their lives. We introduced them
to trusted adults who helped mentor and guide
them on their quest. And we co-signed on the
dotted line.
We also prayed! We prayed that God would show
us what their talents, gifts, and callings
were.
Our oldest son has asthma, so the military was
not an option for him (though we think he'd
make an excellent US Marine, as he is the best
athlete in the family). God has other plans
for him.
He will graduate from Grove City College in
Pennsylvania, next month, with a degree in
History. He changed his major 2 times
throughout the last four years, but he did
stay at Grove City College and finish what he
started, with lots of encouragement from us,
along the way.
Our middle and youngest sons have both signed
four- year active duty contracts with the US
Marine Corps. Basically, they're stuck in the
Marines for 4 years. That's a good thing. They
are on a path that is hard to get off, for
which we are thankful. They are growing into
strong men, who know what they believe. Their
combat training is as important as a college
education, at this point in their lives.
Mike and I feel it is important for parents to
guide and direct their children, until they
are mature enough to make good choices on
their own. We are blessed that our sons
listened to us, and respected our advice.
In the 1980's, Dr. James Dobson emerged as a
Christian psychologist & radio personality.
His views on parenting were a stark contrast
to the Dr. Spock "hands off" approach to
parenting, from the 1960's. Dobson's books
"Dare to Discipline," "The Strong-willed
Child" and "Bringing Up Boys" gave parents
courage to rear their children biblically.
I believe the Bible is, indeed, the best book
on parenting. Our strong-willed children
learned many Proverbs on the topic of
obedience. They are now respectful young men,
in spite of all the discipline! Or maybe -
because of it!
If you have an adultolescent in your home, it
may be time to take a new look at the
situation, and encourage your young adult to
give up adolescence.
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From You To Me |
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From Nairobi, Kenya, Faith wrote:
Praise the Lord, my sister, Paulie.
Indeed you are doing a good job for the Lord.
I have listened to your songs, (Make Me Pure)
I really love it. I have also learned that you
have ever visited Kenya and I wished I could
meet such a powerful woman of God like you; to
mentor me in music. I would really pray that
the Lord will make us meet. I need my voice to
be trained and to get a place to buy maybe
voice training CD, TAPE ,ETC. it hard here. I
INVITE YOU TO COME BACK TO KENYA. I thank God
for you and please reply. I will appreciate.
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Blonde Fun |
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A blonde was weed-whacking her yard and she
accidentally cut off the tail of her cat,
which was hiding in the grass. She rushed her
cat, along with the tail, over to WAL- MART!
Why WAL-MART?!
HELLOOOOOOOOO!
WALMART is the largest retailer in the
world!!!
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Heath Family Update |
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I'm enjoying cooking again, with Jared
home. (green shirt) He's having a great
week.
His older brother (yellow shirt) is
probably NOT enjoying a month of desert
training.
The oldest brother, Dustin, (white shirt)
just helped the
Grove City College
track team win their Conference Title! He
ran his personal best time in the 800
meter dash. |
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Paulie's Schedule |
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May events include: Thursday, May 1
1. National Day of Prayer Breakfast 7:00
- 8:30 AM
Augusta Armory
Western Ave., Augusta, ME
2. Capitol Park Prayer Event* 12:00 -
1:30 PM
Augusta, Maine
*Mike will be participating
3. Christian Civic League of Maine Open
House
1:30 - 3:00 PM Please come - if you live
in Central Maine!
70 Sewall St., Augusta, Maine
(across from Dunkin' Donuts, next to the
Fed. Bldg)
Fri-Sat, May 2-3, 2008
the Maine Republican Party State
Convention*
Augusta Civic Center
Augusta, Maine
*Mike & Paulie will be at the Christian
Civic League Booth
Stop by our booth, if you're a delegate
to the convention!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Paulie Leads Worship & Jared Speaks at
N. Baldwin Baptist Church
E. Baldwin, Maine
Rev. Will Kindred
A trip to Focus on the Family
A trip to Grove City College, for
Dustin's graduation
On the way back from PA, I will minister
in New York,
Sunday, May 18, 2008 10:30 AM
Warwick Valley Church of the Nazarene
W. Warwick, NY
Pastor Bruce Barnard
May 25, 2008 8:30 AM & 10:00 AM
Special music at Calvary Chapel
Orrington, Maine
Rev. Ken Graves
Paulie's Complete Schedule
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Paulie Heath Missions 2008
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God has provided some of our needs for the
upcoming Women of the Harvest retreat in July.
If I can raise $1000 to cover the rest of our
expenses, I will go to the Women of the
Harvest Furlough Retreat this year. Please let
me know if you are interested in helping.
Maybe giving foot rubs and pedicures, or
leading worship is not your calling, but you
would like to contribute, so that I might do
this for missionary women.
Email me for info on where to send a
tax-deductible donation to Paulie Heath
Missions.
Paulie Mission Pics |
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