Model Behavior?

I am currently sitting on an airplane headed for Tampa, FL where I will join women from all over the world for Unstoppable, the CONFERENCE for women in ministry. Unstoppable is being hosted by Pastor Deanna D. Shrodes and Pastor Lindsey Barta. I am so excited and to be honest thrilled about getting away for a few days! Hey, we’re all entitled from time to time!

Before heading to the airport this morning I made a stop at my nail salon for a little pampering. It is a nice salon but the conversation is pretty limited. The owners and technicians Asian and speak very little English. Pair that up with the fact that I am a southern girl transplanted to Chicago, throw in the southern slang and well, let’s just say we don’t get very far! So, for folks like me they have a nice big plasma screen television where they show movies, the news, or regular programming. I generally visit on the weekends so going on a Thursday was an exception for me as was the fact that I was able to watch “The View.”

I am going to forgo sharing my strong opinions about this show for sake of that is not what this post is meant to be about. Instead, I’d like to hone in on one of their “hot topic” items this morning.

New moderator, Whoopie started sharing about the recent poor behavior some of the nation’s big name sports stars have been sporting. The discussion led into how these men are poor role models for kids today. The other panelists contributed the names of others in the spotlight who are also poor role models. Names like Britney Spears, Michael Vic, Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan... and many others were named. Joy Behar took a moment to then take the whole discussion to a new level. She said that at one time we could count on the church and the Christians to be role models, but now that was no longer true. They went on and basically moaned and mourned over the fact that there were no good role models anymore. It just went on and on…

At this point I got a little disgusted! My response to all of this whoa-ing and crying over the lack of good role models coming out of the celebrity scene is… So what? WHY in the world are we only looking at people who make a living being plastered on magazine covers and running from paparazzi? Okay, I’ll be fair, these folks are talented at their craft, well most of them anyway, however, why are they the only people our kids can look up to?

My take on this is if there are no good role models around, BE ONE! Break the mold, be the exception, refuse to settle for less than the VERY best for your life! It isn’t hard, just be and do the opposite of what these fallen role models are doing!

As a parent, it is my JOB to be the first and foremost role model for my kids. I want to set the bar for anyone else they may look up to. That is most definitely a tall order, a difficult job, however, if I am not their measuring stick, who will be? Britney Spears? I think not.
Good role models are needed, yes I agree. Let it begin with me.

Love & Blessings!