Once again some time has passed since my last entry, but this is entitled "random thoughts" so I guess we can call my posts random as well...I have no rhyme or reason. :-)

My rant today revolves around a television show "My Super Sweet Sixteen". I ran across this while channel surfing this weekend and my initial thoughts are "apalling". I cannot believe that we are glorifying things like this.

In this particular show 2 sisters were planning their party. They were doing it also to raise money for St. Jude's Hospital...a worthy cause, but they could have given more money if they hadn't spent so much on the party and just donated it to the hospital!

First thing that I saw (I came in part way through) was them picking out jewelry and racked up a bill of over $200,000. On top of that they arrived in a $415,000 Mercedes with fog coming out of it as they approached their red carpet. They had some rap group perform that I wouldn't pretend to know and changed clothes twice during the night and had their own "stylists" to help them for that special look. Might I remind you that these are 16 year olds?

Now, I've never denied the fact that I was spoiled growing up...I am the youngest and the only girl of 3 children and yes, I received a car for my 16th birthday and I think that I had a party...I honestly can't remember, but this is WAY over the top! This is more than just a 16th birthday party...this was even more than a debutant's coming out party...this was like the social event of the season AND ONLY FOR TEENAGERS! They were all bumping and grinding during the concert and the sisters were very upset that the group came out and started performing before they finished with their outfit change and didn't get to see it all. PUHLEASE...we've got people getting blown up in the Middle East and these girls were almost in tears over missing a few songs at their ridiculously extravagant party?

I would love to take all of these spoiled brats with me in October to Matamoros, Mexico when we go on our mission trip and let them see people picking their meals out of the trash at the city dump...or the children get excited about getting a bracelet that we made with beads on it because they don't have anything like it. These children are lucky that they have shoes on their feet, oh and by the way, some of them don't even have that - or some of them do, but their parents don't because they couldn't afford shoes for the whole family so the parents did without so that the children could have them. We'll be cooking out 'salchicas' (American hot dog) and that may be the biggest meal they'll have all week - they'll be so thankful that they'll want to do something for us as gratitude so they'll have some children sing and play their tambourines for us and that will be the neatest gift that I could think of...it will be worth a whole lot more to me that whatever those sisters gave as party favors to their friends at the party. It will also be something that I will NEVER forget for the rest of my life while those party favors will be long forgotten by the time they graduate high school.

In conclusion (I'm cutting myself off because I could go on for way too long on this), I love my children more than my own life, but I don't believe that it is my job or calling to give them everything their hearts will ever desire. I also don't believe that's the best thing for them. They need to learn that there are children not only in Mexico, but right here in the 'ham that aren't as blessed as they are. I'm thankful every day for the things that the Lord has blessed us with and I want them to be that way too. Believe me, as soon as we think they're old enough, they will be accompanying us to Mexico so that they can see first hand how blessed we are. We try to explain that to them now (or at least my oldest...my youngest can't even talk yet). So...here are 2 children that won't be having a complete "blow out party" for their 16th...they'll be lucky to get cars at this point: [forget it - the image upload isn't working for some reason]