Shepherd's Hill Journals

February, 2007 - Blinders, Blunders, Blood, Blogs and Blonds

Church; we need to pull our heads out of the sand. The common denominator with our troubled "Christian" youth today is that Christians have bought into the ways of the world rather than bringing the world to the ways of God. I am amazed at who our kids heroes are! If you want to freak out, go to your kids' MySpace page. Not to sound legalistic, but I hope your kids doesn't have one. His/her page may be fine, but be sure to check their fiends' --I'm talking "Christian" friends! Just for the record, there is porn on MySpace--and plenty of it! And it is accessable to everyone with a computer--with or without a filter. 
Ask a kid why a certain person is their hero and their answer is too often "because they are cool". The kid does't even know what their "heroes" values are! Sadder yet is when they DO know! Its style over substance. I am sorry about Anna Nicole Smith's death and the death of her son, but was it really a surprise? Wasn't it the logical outworking of her lifestyle? I heard a newsman say she was an American icon--you know, like Paris Hilton, and the guys from Jack***. Postage stamps used to display presidents and other positive role models of American culture--I don't think Elvis qualifies. When Hugh Hefner gets a stamp you can say you heard it here first.
A couple of months ago, Billy Graham marched over 16, 000 people out of an auditorium in New Orleans onto Bourbon Street singing "When the Saints Go Marching In". People were pouring out their drinks and asking to be prayed with. Police were prepared for a riot but saw a revival instead!  Where was the press for this true American hero? We all know what his values are. You think he's got a stamp on the presses any time soon?
A short time ago, there was a blood drive at one of our local high schools. Sixty percent of it had to be rejected because it was infected with STD's!!!  What else do you expect from a culture whose "heroes" sin for a living! 
But today's "icons" and "heroes" are the outworking of my generation's moral recklessness. Our lives defined our art. Today, however, our "art" defines our lives. But it's our kids who've been sucker punched, while my generation gets rich pandering to their vices. 
America is creating a generation without consciences, and no moral reference point by which to live life. It took a people committed to Christ to build this nation--it will require the same kind to preserve it! That is what we hope to create at SHF.
~Trace Embry; Director Shepherd's Hill Farm

                                               TRICKS AND TREATS

Many of the kids dressed up in creative costumes, and had a blast collecting candy from the few residents we have here at SHF.  Without the usual ghost and goblin garb, the kids were very creative in selecting their disguises.  When they stopped at Pop Pop’s cabin, they were indulged with an over abundance of candy--it’s that grandparent thing.  When they stopped at Rebecca’s house, they were greeted at the door by a 50 year old woman dressed up to look 100!  It was a good laugh.  They bagged a bunch there as well.  By the time their night was over they had all the candy they would have collected in a small neighborhood.  It was all innocent fun as the kids celebrated Reformation Day.  Of course, all the candy was confiscated for temperate distribution!

the destination glorious!  Amen.

                                               UNLIKELY HAPPENINGS

It is so neat to see our kids participating in things they never would have dreamed of at home.  A couple of the boys were so excited to tell me of their homemade crawfish cage they made out of sticks and screen.  In their stream, they actually caught some crawfish, and other fish--keeping them as pets for a while.  The girls are cherishing their visits at a local nursing home where they sing hymns for the elderly that they learned from Pop Pop (Beth’s dad).  The other day the girls asked all the staff to take a few minutes out of their workday to perform a short song and dance rendition of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.  It was hysterical!  These are just a few examples of kids getting their childhood back.  What a sight to see former drug addicted, gang banging, rebellious, parent abusing, promiscuous, self-hating teens catching up on what our culture has stolen from them.   They will soon be writing letters to different TV advertisers urging them not to sponsor shows that help pervert the minds and spirits of today’s viewing audience.  You can assist them by going to ww w. parentstv.org,  and write to the sponsors of garbage TV as well.

                                                          BE AWARE

As time goes by, I have noticed inquiries to SHF are coming from parents of kids younger and younger as our nation’s moral standards plunge deeper into the abyss. A generation ago, the average age for a kid’s first encounter with anything pornographic was 12 years old.  Today it is 5 years old!  A generation ago, it was probably a still photo in a magazine comparable to what is seen on the racks of most check-out lines today--and that, viewed only as often as the neighbor kid’s parents weren’t home.  Today, however, kids can view the most obscene moving pictures contrived by mankind (or animal-kind)--all day everyday in the privacy of home, which is too often devoid of parental supervision.  Think about that before you allow your kids internet access in their own bedroom.  This is not the same world we grew up in; so, we have to adjust our parenting accordingly.  If you’re doing it effectively, you will look ridiculous in the eyes of most.