Perserverance rewarded

Our church holds an annual "music camp" for children so they can learn to sing in harmony, learn to do the dances that we regularly do at church functions (think Pride and Prejudice dances) and learn some history. This year's theme is "Martin Luther". I had been getting frustrated at the "life is about entertainment" mindset in my kids and so set before them a challenge. I told them that anyone of them that could write a well written, mostly grammatically correct with proper spelling, 20 page paper with bibliography, on the life and works of Martin Luther, by July 26th could attend Music Camp this year. I wanted them to understand that not only is this meant to be a fun time with their friends but it is also a time where many teachers are working hard to teach them and they should take that part seriously.

So far, two of my boys have risen to the challenge and their papers were really good, one of these boys who we have nicknamed "The Fool Around King" because of his mantra that life is a joke and work is too hard being one of the boys who finished. His paper was excellent and in addition to finishing a really hard job I gave him on the farm to pay back something he had broken in a moment of foolishness, he is showing me that he is growing up..:-)

One daughter is almost finished and another son is waking up a half hour to an hour earlier each morning to get his done. Two more children don't want to be bothered and two additional ones are struggling through-we will see if they make the deadline.

I am glad I did this as it shows them that anything worth having or participating in is worth working hard for and they will appreciate the camp so much more now that they have a frame of reference and worked so hard to get there.