Love is spelled T-I-M-E

There's nothing better to my calling than spending time with the youth. I LOVE spending time with them and getting to know them. They live in such a different world than I grew up in (and that wasn't too long ago). They face challenges in junior high and high school that I can't even imagine facing while I was in high school. I often wonder how much we, as parents, really know of the amount of filth they face every day; how hard they fight to stay clean and virtuous.

How close are we with our kids and how much are they really telling us? Trust me... it's very different than when you and I went to school! You can no longer rely on your own experience to help these youth get through the challenges they face. It is so important to open lines of communication with them and have them share with you the challenges they face. To do that, they must trust you. A trust that comes from the fact you won't argue with them or punish them, but you'll help them.

Where do they receive the strength to withstand the daily storms they face? The answer to this question should be the refuge found in the home. They receive the strength through the love they feel and perceive at home. President Dieter F Uchtdorf stated that "in family relationships LOVE is spelled T-I-M-E, time. Taking time for each other is a key for harmony at home."

How much of time are we devoting to Facebook, Pinterest, and TV versus sitting down and chatting with our sons or daughters face-to-face? When they walk through the door after coming home from school, do they encounter parents waiting to discuss their day or do they see the backs of smartphones, laptops, and iPads? Do our children really know we love them through the TIME we are spending with them? If our how we spend our time was a determining factor of our love, who or what do we love most?

I have much to work on myself including where I spend my time. I only share this because I know that our youth need us more than ever right now to love them with our TIME; time completely dedicated to them without distraction.