Autumn glory in the Appalachian Mountains

There is something about the Appalachian Mountains that soothes the soul. Driving through them is akin to answering the siren's call of nature. Today, the mountains are cloaked in the splendor of an autumn evening. The brilliant reds and gleaming golden leaves herald the transition from the hot summer into the coolness of winter. I gaze upon the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains as I drive into the interstate 40 in North Carolina and am at once touched and inspired by the beauty.

I am reminded that Jesus said if we do not praise Him, then the very rocks will cry out. And, they do. Looking at the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, it seems as though the trees are crying out. Each tree created individually, yet standing together as a giant chorus sing their own rendition of "It is Well with My Soul".

I drive through a road, cut into the side of a towering mountain. The cliff face rises as though it can touch the sky. I see rocks on the roadside, rocks being replaced, the grinding sound of equipment and roar of the road are a blur against my window as I pass by. It is a brief interruption in the otherwise quiet of the journey.

A rest area sign calls me to pause and I do. I sit on a bench at the North Carolina Welcome Center. The Saturday canopy provides a respite on sunny days.Today, I bask in the shadow of the mountain. Flowers at the rest area are in full bloom. It is as though they know their days are numbered and have chosen to go out in full glory. Birds twitter softly, a light breeze carries the sound. It is a good moment.

A car pulls up and children, full of the energy of youth and of being in the car too long, begin piling out of the car as if to escape confinement. Tablets and phones wave in the air. A harried mom and dad get out to stand in front of the minivan pondering the miles that lay before them.

They are heading to the beach they say. It is fall break for only a few more days. They need the break they tell me, as the kids rush up. Mom leaves kids with Dad for a few minutes then returns.

We chat for a minute. Then Dad leans back stretching and looks at the mountains. Mom does too. Together they stand for a minute, they too seem to be taking in the wonder. The kids notice and comes running up to see what's wrong. In their busy high tech world it doesn't occur to them to sit, be still, and see.

Mom sees this, and Dad. They exchange looks and Mom nods. Groaning kids put their tablets in the car and together they stomp down to follow dad down the side of the hill to the picnic area.

The mom looks my way and gives a small wave. She says that she wonders if the kids realized that they are on vacation or what that actually means.

We talk about the busyness of life, what that means for families and how adults and kids don't take time for each other even when they are on a trip. I said that as parents it's our job to teach them. She nods in agreement and says, that lesson can begin right now.

I couldn't agree more.

Setting Google alerts can help parents

I want to thank Bill Latchford at Protect Children Online (.org) for tweeting a safety tip that parents will appreciate. He suggests that setting a Google alert can help parents monitor kid's behavior. After you set the alert, a message and link is be sent to your inbox every time Google picks up the name.

This was something that I did with my kids years ago. I deleted the link after they became adults. The alerts that I received were usually when their name was in the paper or when the high school posted a newsletter online. Occasionally, Google alerts would come in for people who had the same (or very similar) names to my children.

I didn't think of the alerts as being a safety measure. For me, it was a way of helping the kids find things for their scrapbook. As Bill points out, Google alerts can serve another purpose. By letting parents know when their child's name is used, parents are able to better monitor their kids behavior.

Setting an alert is as easy as going to www.google.com/alerts and following the directions. It only takes a few minutes. If it helps protect children, then it's a few minutes well spent.

It is a very good idea to Google your Child's name once in a while or setup a Google Alert for His/Her Name. What are they doing online?
— Bill Latchford (@PCOorg) September 15, 2014

Ramblings about the war on children in the U.S.

There is a war on children these days. The Sandy Hook shooting is the latest in what I'm concerned is the continued slow erosion of society. Victims of domestic violence often have to flee with children in tow. The lessons they learn lead many of these children to identify as either victims or abusers. Neither is optimal. Only, a few children will emerge from violent households as neither victims or abusers.

Violence isn't the only assault on children. Poverty is taking its toll. In 2010, 22% of children in the United States were living in poverty. This means that almost 1:4 children don't have the resources that they need. Along with this sad statistic is the fact that almost 8 million children are without health insurance. They cannot go to the doctor when sick and know little (if anything) about preventative care.

Then there is the "anything goes" attitude, gun control arguments, violence on video games and in music and movies, child abuse and drug abuse issues. We also need to get to the root cause of teen pregnancy, truancy and affordable childcare. Which are the symptoms and which are the causes are up to debate. Which came first? Was it the chicken or the egg?

How can we fight the war on children?  In my opinion, we all need to search out ways to better support families. Health care and mental health care should be made affordable and available to all families. I am not talking about places that charge on a sliding fee scale. Many parents will tell you that the scale rarely slides far enough.

Schools need to have the funding they need to provide these services. Problem solving is a skill that children rarely have the chance to learn. Teachers need to be able to teach without having to worry about "teaching the test".

Personally, I would like to see mental health experts in every school who can provide therapy to at-risk children and families. This may be the only way that children can get the help they need. I also think that parents need to have the education they need to get out of poverty. Whether it is college, tech school or another trade or career, children deserve to have educated parents.

Churches and religious institutions need to stand up and be unafraid to be churches. Youth groups, children's groups, programs for young mothers and fathers can be offered by churches. Many pastors will tell you that their flock is doing the best job that they can (including me). I applaud those efforts but I still think that we can all do more.

Obviously, fighting the war on children is a multifaceted problem. There aren't any good answers and I don't have any to offer. All I know is that children deserve to be loved, to live outside of the bonds of poverty and to be unafraid to go to school.

Is that really too much for a child to ask?