
Living Above The Influence
As my wife and I were raising our three sons, we frequently encouraged them to “live above the influence.” This meant making good decisions, resisting peer pressure, and avoiding the temptations of risky behaviors. Especially during their teenage years, we prayed often they were making choices about substance and alcohol use, premarital sex, and bullying that could negatively impact them and others. Our hope was they would avoid acting like the immature males we see in society and portrayed in the media today. All three of our sons are now in their early 30s, gainfully employed, and either married or in a long-term relationship. Whether consciously or not, they have followed the Success Sequence that I wrote about in an earlier post. Not that my wife and I did parenting perfectly, but we do chuckle whenever any of them repeats one of our favorite sayings, “Have fun, be safe, and