TO OUR TEENS: DO YOUR BEST!--Sara D.              8/85
--A Teenage Challenge!                                                Sara No.66

         1. THE MAIN BURDEN I HAD WAS TO TRY TO GIVE YOU THE VISION OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE IN OUR TRAINING. With people coming here for training we feel so responsible & accountable for having had so much & so many blessings & so many lessons from Grandpa & Maria, & most people who leave here are accountable to be used at "bigger jobs" when they go on to other places. So therefore it's a real responsibility to share everything we can with you & it's a big responsibility on your part to impart this same kind of training & same kind of vision everywhere you go from now on!
         2. ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU TEENS ABOUT IS VISION BECAUSE THAT'S SUCH A MAJOR GOAL. That's a very important thing to have in life, & certainly is in my life, because I'm trying to envision the children in so many areas & that's what you need especially in your life, now that you're older.
         3. YOU'RE NOT JUST CHILDREN, YOU'RE YOUNG ADULTS. When you've been in the Family 10, 12 or 14 years, you're real leadership material. You've been more years in the Family than some of our adult leadership. When David started getting older & then you teens came along, I realised that we've got to really set ourselves a goal, to prayerfully consider how short the time is & how old you are & how little time we have left to accomplish so many things! This is why I've felt so burdened lately, that there is so much to accomplish. But the Bible says, "Without a vision the people perish." (Pro. 29:18), so vision is almost your number one requirement in being here & in receiving any kind of training, whether it's here or anywhere!
         4. IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE JUST PIDDLE & PLOD ALONG DAY-BY-DAY, IT'S MERELY A MUNDANE ROUTINE, dull & boring, & you're not really accomplishing that much for the Lord, although those little jobs have to get done. It all depends on how much vision you have for each of those jobs you're doing & how much glory you put into it, how much initiative & diligence & faithfulness is behind it because of your vision. Just like Grandpa says, pioneers must have vision & faith & initiative & courage to climb any mountain! Without vision all these little things are zero, they're nothing, they're boring. I remember very clearly when I first joined the Family that it was sweet Alf who envisioned me with the faith & initiative & diligence by his sample of just really digging in there with all his heart & getting any job done! When he'd cook a meal he would put his all into it, he would make it look nice & he would clean the kitchen spic-&-span before the meal was done. He would always be on time & was always on the go & always happy & super cheerful & really challenged by every job, no matter how little or menial it was. I was surprised at first to see they weren't big things at all, & mostly accomplished on his own initiative!
         5. SEE, ALF HAD A VISION--HE COULD SEE THE NEED: "The leadership should be hungry by now, they haven't eaten in six hours, I'm going to make a nice meal & have it ready for them by the time they're out of their prayer meeting." He was busy busy busy for the Lord all the time, & it'd "catch on" to others too. You know, our spirits are contagious whether good or bad & this is how I got some of my first training, from Uncle Alf, & thank the Lord for it!
         6. I REALISED THAT I COULD MAKE MYSELF VERY VERY USEFUL IN THE FAMILY IN ANY SITUATION, if I just had that enthusiasm & that vision to try & use my initiative & faithfulness & diligence to the utmost in every given situation. "There's always a place for the man of gifts or talents, even if his only talent is to know how to work! There is always a good place for people who are willing workers & work well." "If it's not worth putting everything you've got into it, it's not worth doing it! So give it all you got!"
         7. MAKE IT A CHALLENGE, CHALLENGE YOURSELF EVERY DAY with that idea of just really serving the Lord with gladness & getting as much done as you can for the Lord & really redeeming the time & cheering others up & teaching others.
         8. I HAD TO MAKE A CHOICE SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY IN THE FAMILY WHETHER I WANTED TO GIVE IT MY ALL & really be what the Lord wanted me to be as Alf's wife, or I could just plod along after him & ride on his coat tails & be "myself". So I made the choice! It was so wonderful then to later be called to help take care of Davidito & live with Dad & Maria!
         9. AND THIS IS THE TIME IN YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU ALL HAVE TO MAKE THAT SAME KIND OF DECISION. You've got to let your vision far surpass the day-to-day routine of things. You've got to pray for & hold on to the vision that all these little things that you learn here are your bootcamp & your training for what will mold your life & habits & attitudes for your very soon future! You, right now at this age, if you haven't already, need to make a choice as to what kind of adult, what kind of soldier you're going to be for the Lord.--It's up to you! &
         10. YOU EVEN HAVE TO MAKE A CHOICE IN EACH MINISTRY YOU'RE IN AS TO HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO LEARN & BENEFIT FROM IT. Why not look at it as a challenge, "Well, I can sit here & 'watch' the baby or toddler, or play tea set & then colour with the toddler, then well, maybe we can go outside & play." You can go about it in a "baby-sitter" type way, which is even helpful in itself because you're still freeing the mommy or daddy to get their work done for the Lord,
         11. OR YOU CAN REALLY PRAY & ASK THE LORD FOR MORE VISION & MORE GIFTS & TALENTS IN THAT AREA TO BECOME A TOP-NOTCH TEACHER! Why just settle for being a baby-sitter when you can learn to teach & train that little tiny child to be a future prophet & prince for Jesus! Our little ones only have a few more years before Jesus comes back! These little kids have a very very short time to learn all that you've learned & we don't have much time to teach them, so every minute counts. Don't you think you've got an awful lot to share & teach them? And if you don't, who will?
         12. NOBODY CAN PUSH YOU, NOBODY CAN MAKE YOU GET THAT VISION, BUT YOU NEED TO DESIRE THAT VISION & faith from the Lord & His Word. You have to make a stand, a choice, how much you're going to put into each ministry & what you want to make of that child through the Lord's Spirit & help. Just think, you can pray for any gift in the World, you have access to any tool you want. We have Family pubs available to teach every given educational area possible, including all their schooling & childcare & cooking & kitchen & handyman & office work.--Every ministry in our Family is in print today. So we are without excuse, we have the personnel at our hand, we have the materials at our hand, we have the golden opportunities at our hand, but it all depends on what you're going to do with it!
         13. YOU CAN TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THIS TRAINING IN THE LITTLE THINGS & INSTANTLY APPLY EVERYTHING YOU LEARN TO YOURSELF, put it into action, pray about it, get on-fire about it & impart that same enthusiasm & faithfulness & diligence & initiative in everything that you do, & turn it into a fruitful, helpful service for the Lord!
         14. YOU CAN PLANT THAT SEED IN EVERY LITTLE HEART OF EVERY LITTLE CHILD YOU TAKE CARE OF & they can be even greater artists & performers than you have ever been! It's just the same way that I & so many others desired to accept that challenge in my growing years in the Family, then imparted that seed of vision & faithfulness & diligence in the little things to every disciple we ever won.--And it really paid off! All those early disciples were also trained in much the same way like I do for the children today, & just like those disciples are teaching new & knew disciples today!
         15. THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT SOMEONE TAUGHT ME THAT I COULD TEACH OTHERS that they are teaching others, & now they are World leaders & responsible for so many things because they took the challenge, they got the vision, they used their initiative to the fullest, they prayed for gifts, they got on-fire for the Lord & they went somewhere, they did something with it!
         16. THERE ARE ALWAYS LEADERS & THERE ARE FOLLOWERS & IT'S REALLY UP TO YOU what you do with your training, how much you work at it & learn it & feed on the Word daily & get on-fire for the Lord! We expect each & every one of our children to be a leader--Why not?
         17. SO LITTLE THINGS CAN BE VERY GREAT THINGS IF YOU LOOK AT THEM WITH A VISION in your heart & take each task as a challenge & really apply every lesson to your heart personally & live in the Word! So why not launch out to be a help to a mommy by taking care of their child & become a fantastic, indispensable blessing to a Unit or a Home by being, not just a baby-sitter but a teacher & inspirationalist, teaching music & reading & writing & the Word & science & math & more!
         18. LOOK AT ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES YOU HAVE IN THIS HOME RIGHT NOW to learn so many different ministries--cooking & kitchen work, childcare, teaching, office work, etc.--IF you take the challenge & get the vision & really give it your best, which I believe you want to do! I'm just trying to remind you that all these little things grow into big things but it's up to you how you put them into action. You can learn how to do every aspect of each ministry if you take it upon yourself to learn all you can & put it into practice & pray for wisdom & help. Isn't that exciting?
         19. ALL THESE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FAMILY ARE AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE TO EVERY ONE OF OUR PEOPLE, but some people do more with a little than others do. But it's up to you what you're going to do with it! You can even shine in several ministries instead of just one. Why not do your best while you're at it? Why be specialised in only one area when you have many opportunities to learn & grow in?
         20. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE! There are David's Mighty Men, leaders, real fighters for Jesus & there are even leadership "little people" in the Family, real dedicated labourers for the Lord, really on-fire & challenged & cheerful & turned on about whatever they do, no matter what it is! And there are plodders & day-to-day, ho-hum, "Okay, what do I do next? Is there anything more I have to do?" People who just kind of drag along & do only what's expected of them & do only what they're told to do & don't really press-in & enjoy serving the Lord!
         21. JUST PUT A GLORY IN IT & DO IT FOR THE LORD, do it for Grandpa, do it for others & enjoy it & pretty soon when you make that grade, when you learn these lessons I'm telling you, the Lord is going to give you greater things & greater jobs & greater ministries! How rewarding! That's not why we try to be faithful in those things, for rewards, but the Lord needs labour leaders desperately!
         22. I HAVE EVERY BIT OF FAITH THAT OUR TEENS & CHILDREN IN OUR FAMILY CAN OUTSHINE OUR ADULTS far better & excel in every ministry, in every opportunity they have they can cultivate it into a top-notch talent if they've been given that vision, if they've been taught & led faithfully by someone, if they're challenged with the idea & they make that choice! "Here's a golden opportunity, now what are you going to do with it?"
         23. LOOK AT GRANDPA, HOW HE TAKES ADVANTAGE OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY FOR THE LORD'S WORK. Everything he puts his hand to do he does with his whole heart, the best possible way he could do it. He jumps right in there, he does it wholeheartedly, faithfully, safely, prayerfully & it's done, & the next day he's right at another job, another project, another goal. You see? Vision & goals, that's something we should read in the MOP because it's really up to you!
         24. MANY ARE CALLED IN OUR FAMILY, BUT VERY FEW ARE LEADERS MAYBE BECAUSE THEY DON'T CHOOSE TO BE LEADERS, they don't choose to be faithful, they don't make that choice in their own life to be faithful & obedient in the little things, so the Lord can't trust them to be faithful in the bigger things. It's a big job, it's a big responsibility, but what a challenge, what a blessing to be really on-fire for the Lord & really in love with Jesus & bringing forth fruit in everything you put your hand to do. How much better than being a stunted vine that doesn't really grow into a big strong tree bringing forth fruit every season. Every little fruit that a good tree brings forth can plant seeds in others & bring forth even more & more fruit!
         25. ALL THESE LITTLE THINGS POURED INTO YOU, YOU CAN POUR INTO THE YOUNGER CHILDREN & it won't return void because they're new models & new bottles & good copycats, & they're the easiest & best people to train in the whole World! You of course have to be a sample yourself first in the littlest things. Even the big people will see that vision & goal in you & those children will be a sample to everybody who visits your house as to what their children should be like too. Childcare, like Dad said, is one of our very most important ministries of the Family because they are our eternal souls we'll take with us to Heaven. They'll reap dividends that you'll be profiting from for the rest of your life. You'll get the reward for all their labours if you're faithful to teach them everything you've learned.
         26. REMEMBER, "WITHOUT A VISION THE PEOPLE PERISH" (Pro. 29:18), & all these little things don't amount to anything if you don't have a vision of how far they can go, how important they are in your training. If I sat & shared with you 500 little things a day it wouldn't do you any good without the vision of needing that real faithfulness & diligence & initiative, that obedience & willingness & cheerfulness & getting on-fire for the Lord about each little thing.
         27. THAT SPARK & THAT ENTHUSIASM, LIKE IN THE LETTER "GOD'S EXPLOSIONS", ONLY COMES FROM GOD! You've got to suck for it, you've got to desire it. The Holy Spirit is like a dove, if you repel the Spirit then it's going to go somewhere else where it's more wanted. So thus it is up to us to accept the challenge, to accept that Teenage Challenge!
         28. YOU DON'T HAVE THE WORRIES WE HAD GROWING UP, "What am I going to be?" That was real difficult & a lot of pressure to grow up with in life, & everybody was always pressuring you about it. But you've got it made! You've got it all! The Lord's going to take care of you no matter what you do & you've got so many golden opportunities to choose from! You could be tops in every field & there's no reason why you shouldn't be. Why not? But we're not trying to have any kind of competition about it, we're all just striving to do our best for the Lord in every area we can.
         29. YOU CAN REALLY EXCEL IN SOME FIELDS & STILL REALLY SHINE IN OTHER FIELDS. You can choose to be that way, or you can choose to do the least for the Lord & follow the schedule & only do what's required of you day by day by day. Jesus will come & you'll go to Heaven & everything's going to work out all right. But what have you done with your life?
         30. YOU HAVE TO STIR YOURSELF UP WITH A VISION, it's something you have to constantly pray for the Lord to re-envision you & rechallenge you & "Lord, I'm losing that fire for You. I really pray You re-envision me & give me more faith & vision & initiative & diligence in every area." It all comes down to your prayer life & your desire, "If you will ask anything in His name He will do it!" (Jn.14:14) It's just a matter of asking & receiving, see?
         31. ALL THAT FAITH & VISION COMES FROM THE WORD, IT'S THE WORD. "Without faith it's impossible to please God, & faith comes by hearing the Word", so the Word is your source of inspiration to keep envisioned. That's another real important point, without the vision you'll perish, & without the Word you'll perish. The Word sparks all the vision & faithfulness & diligence & inspiration, initiative. You can't live on someone's glowing sample forever.
         32. DORA & I ARE CONSTANTLY CHALLENGING OURSELVES WITH NEW IDEAS & different ways to do things & sharing the load, so to speak, because we know that we have a big responsibility here & we want to do our best for the Lord & that's what I wanted to share with you. Do your best for Jesus!
         33. WHY BE CONTENT WITH ANYTHING LESS THAN THE BEST? You get your reward right here on Earth, your reward comes daily with the blessings God gives you for that faithfulness. Your reward is right here on Earth day by day. Why just drag through the day doing your least when you can do your best & feel rewarded & fulfilled & accomplished & turned on & inspired!--That's the reward day by day for faithfulness.
         34. BUT WE'VE JUST GOT TO DO OUR PART SO THAT THE LORD CAN DO THE REST & we don't have much time to do it. So TYL! Do your best for Jesus! "When you're willing to be what God wants you to be, not what you are, but what God wants you to be, then He can mightily use you!" Are you doing your very best for Jesus?