Introduction
Welcome to our "Good Advice For Teens" webpage. We're glad that you stopped by for a visit. The purpose of this page is to share with you some of my experiences growing up as a teenager and to maybe lend a bit of advice when you encounter certain situations in your journeys.

So you're a teenager now? These years can be some of the most confusing, exciting, challenging, decision-making, soul-seeking, happiest, saddest, painful and most joyful times of your life all rolled into one. Growing up has never been easy for anyone, and it especially gets the hardest when you get to be around age 12 and up. We all come into this world as babies nurtured and loved by our parents. As children, we're protected under their wings and nestled and comforted when things go wrong. Our problems were small back then when we think about it. We needed a bandage put on a skinned knee, a wheel fell off our wagon, we needed help reaching the drinking fountain, etc. We just knew that when we needed help with those little things, that our parents would come quickly and make everything better.

But now as your teenage years approach, your problems have changed and they've become more grown up. Oh sure, your parents are still there, but sometimes it's difficult to find the right words to say to them about a particular subject and you're not quite sure how to approach the matter. Let's face it, some things are just uncomfortable to talk about, but yet you have to deal with these problems and make important decisions about them everyday that could affect the rest of your life. Below you will find several subjects that as a teen, you will encounter. I've been in each and every situation below and would like to pass on some advice that was learned only from tough experience.

As you grow up, you're not expected to be perfect (nobody is) you will make mistakes as we all have. Your parents can teach you all that they can, but once you step out that front door on a date, or on your way to a party . . . you're on your own. You will have to make some important choices for yourself with nobody around to help. It's best to be smart and to make wise choices concerning your body and your life.

I don't know what kind of home life that you come from. You could have 2 loving parents with a strong marriage, your parents could have gotten divorced, you could live with a relative, etc. But no matter who you live with or where, just remember that there is always an adult nearby that would be willing to spend some time and talk with you. I've found that grown-ups enjoy talking to and giving advice to young people. Some examples would be a teacher, counselor, pastor, youth leader, a relative, etc. Don't rely on your friends to give you advice because they're in your same age group and they're having to figure all this out too. They won't have the experience or maturity that age and being an adult brings to a person naturally.

Peer Pressure
We all know what peer pressure is. It's going along with the group or doing what your friends are doing just to "fit in" and to be accepted. You don't have to do this. I learned this by taking a daring chance in high school and risked losing my friends. I hung out with a group of friends who liked to smoke and skip school and so on. I was an A and B student and I really liked school and learning new things. For a year or so I went along with them. I really liked these friends but I just didn't like doing what they did such as skipping classes, but peer pressure had them convinced I liked it. So one day I said to myself, "I'm going to make a change today. I'm going to stop skipping and really get back into my studies again because I don't want to waste my high school education. If these people are really my friends, they will understand and still be my friends." Well do you know what happened? They respected me even more for it! They knew I had to be me and to be the best person I could be. They never again tried to convince me to do things I didn't want to do. We remained friends all the way through high school and had a lot of great times together. Don't give in to Peer Pressure! Be yourself and do only the things that you want to do. Your true friends will respect you for it.

Schoolwork and Study Time
Entering Junior High and High School is an exiting and adventurous time in your life. You have to shuffle around and find where your classrooms are, you'll be meeting a lot of new friends and teachers, going to dances, proms, sporting events, etc. But while you're having fun in high school, don't forget the main reason you're there...to get an education. Your studies should always come first and you should strive to get the best grades you can. These grades can get you into college and they'll be with you the rest of your life. When I was in high school, I actually had too many credits and I could have graduated a half a year early. But guess what? I stayed in school and took more classes and learned more things to take me through life. One thing we take for granted in life is that Junior High and High School are free! They don't cost you anything. So take advantage of that and get the very most you can out of school. Do your best in the required classes, but when you have a choice on others, take some classes that interest you or that you think you could use in life like a typing class. I thank God I took typing in high school. I've used the typing skills I learned throughout my whole life! Also take advantage of your local library and learn to love books. You can get so much out of reading. Go to the library weekly and check out books that interest you.

Choose the Right Friends
Who you hang out with and choose to follow is another important decision you'll have to make. We've all heard parents say, "I don't want you hanging out with so and so." Well there's a reason for it. They're only looking out for your best interest and may not want you heading down that same path as that person. I believe there's good in everyone, but some people are just headed for trouble by their actions and the things they do and most of the time they really don't care if you get into trouble with them. You'll have to make that choice to follow them or not. Choose your friends wisely. A true friend would never make or ask you to do something that you don't want to do. A true friend would never use you for your money or take advantage of you. Choose friends that will keep you on a Christian path, that will encourage you and lift you up. Choose friends that will bring you joy and laughter and who will be there when you need them in good times and in bad. You can trust a good friend and they will never turn their back on you or betray you. A good friend will be there for life!

Smoking, Drugs and Alcohol
It is inevitable that you will encounter someone that offers you a cigarette, drugs or alcohol at some point in your school years. Most people have tried these things at one time or another. Some dislike them altogether and never try them again. Some make it a daily habit which ruins parts of their body after many years of abuse. Smoking, drugs and alcohol will be a choice that you will have to make for yourself but again, DO NOT give in to peer pressure! Make your own decisions that will affect your bodies health. I suggest that you do some research on all the harmful effects that these substances WILL DO to your body. They can also become very addictive and turn into very costly expensive habits where you will have nothing to show for your money. You only get one set of nice pink healthy lungs, one strong pumping heart and one beautiful body that God made perfectly for you...so why not keep it that way? These substances will distort your thinking and you won't be able to make sound decisions as you normally would. People can also take advantage of you under these conditions and do things to you that they shouldn't. Also do not get into a car where others are driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Their ability to make good sound driving decisions are not there and they are risking their own life and yours despite the confidence they might say they have. My advice is to stay away from these things and to do activities that are healthy for you. Make very careful and wise decisions in this area and remember the phrase "JUST SAY NO!"

Dating and Sex
You can't get away from this subject. It's everywhere you go. Sex is on TV, it sells products in commercials, we see it in soap operas, hear about it on the radio, see it in the movies, it's in magazines, in books and you hear your friends talk about it. Times have changed. When I was a kid, you never heard anything about sex on TV or the radio. Now it's displayed everywhere and is making billions of dollars in advertising. You hear of your friends getting involved in sex and you might wonder if you should try it. A good mature decision would be that you put that experience on hold and wait until you get older and find the right person that you want to marry and spend the rest of your life with. That way you both can share this wonderful experience together for the first time and it will be so special and mean so much more than if it were shared with just anybody in a fleeting moment. Also you don't want to risk catching a disease like AIDS that could ruin the rest of your life. You also run the risk of getting pregnant or becoming a father at a very early age when you're not ready for it.

My friend, you will never again have times like these. Your youth only comes but once and most adults wish they could relive it again differently. When you get older is the time all the responsibilities come like having children, buying a house, paying mortgage, car payments, etc. Don't be forced at an early age to quit high school, have a baby and have to set up house when you're not ready for it. Be responsible when you're young and enjoy your youth. DO NOT let anyone try to convince you to have sex when you're not ready for it! Just because your other friends are doing it doesn't mean you have to. I can't tell you how many girls I knew that got pregnant in high school and they very much regretted it later. It ruined their life. They had to quit school and all their plans for college changed. Have fun dating when your parents say it's OK to do so and follow their rules that they set for you. They put them in place because they love you. And remember, if someone you're dating really loves you and respects you, they won't put any pressure on you to do things you're not ready to do. If you're a young lady reading this, it's your place to put the brakes on and tell the young man "no" if he tries to push too far. And if you're a young man, listen to the young lady and treat her respectfully. Date responsibly and one day you'll look back on these days and be glad you were mature and made the decisions that you did.

Join a Youth Group
A great way to have fun in a variety of activities and to meet new friends is to join your church's youth group or one nearby. They have all kinds of activities going on and trips that you can take. This is a much better alternative than just hanging around doing nothing, plus a youth group will be Christ centered and that will most certainly enrich your life. Take a buddy or a good friend along with you. Join together and see what fun things God has in store for you!

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?
I have often heard kids say that they don't know what they want to be when they grow up. Some kids have it easy and know all their life what they want to be like a nurse, an artist, a mechanic, etc. But other kids have no clue as to what kind of work they want to do later on. It may sound like having to decide on what you want to do for a living is far off in the future, but it's never too soon to start planning. If you're having trouble deciding, ask yourself, "What do I like to do best in life?" If you say for example working with wood, maybe you would like to be a carpenter. If you said fixing computer problems, maybe you would enjoy being a computer repair technician. If you like working with flowers or in the yard, you might like to be a florist or a landscaper. Maybe you said you like being around animals, then I'll bet you would like to be a veterinarian's assistant or a veterinarian. You see, if you have to spend your whole life working in a profession, why not pick one that interests you and that you will have fun at. So many people are in jobs that they hate and that makes for long boring days and bad attitudes.

During your high school years, read books that relate to the profession that you think you might like to get into. Or just read books on the subjects that you like to do. For example if you like flowers, read up on them and learn their names and how to grow them. Everything you learn in high school will stay with you the rest of your life and it will just be more information to help you along in your career. Take classes that relate to your interests. If you don't plan on going to college and there's a Vocational Technical school where you're at, check into what they have to offer. A Vo-Tech school is a wonderful training environment and many times students are offered jobs when they graduate. The military is another option. They have hundreds of occupations to choose from and they help pay for your college too. You also get a great sense of pride knowing that you've served your country. Talk to your parents and tell them your ideas. Maybe they can help you decide because no one knows you better than your family. Also know this, that God made you very special in His eyes and there's no one else exactly like you. God gave you very special talents and gifts that He didn't give anybody else.

Here's one of my favorite verses that is good to read throughout your life as you encounter different situations in the workplace.