Maria #122DO 26298/90

—By Maria & WS Staff

Dear Family Adults,

1. GBY! WLY & appreciate you & your faithful labours of love for the Lord & His Kingdom!

2. This "Adults Only" issue is the first in a very helpful & enlightening new series of GNs. Please see the Letter, "Introduction to the 'Techi's Battles & Victories' Series" in GN 447 for the background & explanation of why this particular series is being published at this time.

3. Some of the GNs in this series will be classified "Adults Only," while others will be designated "For JETTs & Teens," since a large portion of the material in this series is either written by Techi, or is a discussion between Mama & Techi. However, those GNs that are designated "For JETTs & Teens" should also be read by all adults.

4. Besides the talks to & with Techi, Dad & Mama have also discussed with each other & with other Staff Members ways to help Techi overcome some of her recent battles. This counsel is directed to adults on how to better understand their children, how to help them over their problems, & how to win victories over the Enemy's attacks against them. It is not intended for children, JETTs or Teens, so will be found in the "Adults Only" GNs of this series.

5. However, you may share appropriate material from these "Adults Only" GNs with mature Teens if you feel it would he helpful for them.—Particularly if they're helping to care for JETTs & younger Teens.

6. Likewise, you may also share portions of the Techi GNs that are for JETTs & Teens with "OCs" (Older Children) who have not yet reached the "JETT age" of 11. For example, if a 9– or 10-year-old is learning lessons about daydreaming, honesty or some other topic that these Techi GNs deal with, you may want to share appropriate portions of the GNs with him. Although tips on how to overcome daydreaming might be fine for your nine-year-old, you certainly wouldn't want to read him material from these GNs that addresses "heavier" topics such as suicide or violent pictures.—So please be very prayerful & counsel with other teachers, Shepherds or parents when making exceptions to the 11-year-old-&-up age restriction on these GNs. (Please see LNFs 139, "Special Notice Regarding New 'JETT Age'" for more important counsel on how to share "meaty" Teen material with different age groups!)

7. Mama outlined some of the benefits & blessings you'll derive from this series as follows:

8. "I think that the Family needs to hear what Techi has to say as much as they need to hear what I have to say about all of this. Our adults need to be aware of the big spiritual battles their children go through & how they see things, & the multitude of things that they don't understand.

9. "So many of the things that Techi says in her reports are not only a good sample of honesty, openness, consideration & of her struggle to do the right thing, but are also quite revealing in a lot of ways, & I believe will be a tremendous help to all of our parents in knowing how to handle their children.

10. "I know that taking time to listen to Techi is certainly opening my eyes & helping me to realise things I never realised before! So this is why we're going to be pubbing her reactions & reports, & not just what Dad & I have had to say to her or about her. Besides, there's something very intriguing about reading someone's personal log. God bless Techi for agreeing to share these with all.

11. "I think that reading a running commentary or a day-by-day account of what really goes on in a little girl's heart & mind, her true & honest & open feelings, trials, confessions, questions, etc., will be of great benefit to all of our parents, Shepherds & Shepherdesses, & will help us all to be a greater encouragement & strength to our dear children, to help them over the many hurdles & challenges that meet them as they grow into the young men & women of God that the Lord wants them to become.

12. "We're learning so much about how very important it is for our children to be able to pour out their hearts, to be able to just talk about their problems & to be able to find reassurance & understanding. It's so important that they can be assured that they haven't committed any unpardonable sins & that they don't need to condemn themselves for the battles & trials they may go through. Such battles are often tests, steps in their growth as they climb up the mountain of loving & serving the Lord.—Obstacles that He will help them to overcome.

13. "Even when they may sometimes be tripping or stumbling on their way up, we nevertheless need to encourage them to just keep getting up & going up, that it's not the end of their spiritual usefulness when such trials or battles take place. The Lord is trying to help them turn these tests into stepping stones to greater strength & usefulness! If they want the victory, they can have it!"

14. God bless you‚ & may He make this series a great blessing to you & your children! PTL!

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family