Mind Your P's and Q's

P's and Q's.  What the heck are your p's and q's I always wondered as a child.  I still don't know what that stands for.  I do know what it means though.  And you  will probably not believe this but it didn't take me to be a grown up to learn it.
Mind your manners.  We were always told that.  We were taught to respect authority.  Even as a child or product of the 60's man, we were taught. 
Teaching children to say please and thank you any more seems to be a lost art.  Holding them accountable for their actions is almost unheard of.  I am so thankful for my children in that they teach their children these things.  It shows I did at least something right. 
The sad thing is I don't hear a lot of children say that any more.  I know we can't judge the world by what we see on so called "reality t.v." but if that is actually how the world is it is very sad state of affairs.
I don't watch it often but I have seen the show about the little beauty pageant kids.  I have yet to see one of them say please or thank you to any one.  As a matter of fact all I have ever seen any of them be is disrespectful.  They live in a world of gimme and not of gratitude.  And then you have the likes of those same kids, grown up, a brood of drunken hooligan thugs, from New Jersey, that likely live in a world of the world owes me, that are so ungrateful for anything.  Or people like the vapid Kardashians.  Everything they have is valuable but has no value.  It is not treasured.  This is what we are setting up as our kids role models.
What happened to the role models we used to have?  Men like Neil Armstrong.  People that HAD character they didn't act like a character.
We are living in such a moraless world anymore.  A world where excuses take the place of accountability.  People live such shameless lives any more.  I remember hearing my mother or any other adult that was in authority over me saying "Aren't you ashamed of yourself" for any little old thing that I had done that was not acceptable.  And I have to admit there were plenty of times that I was not ashamed.  It did not mean that I didn't know what I had done was wrong.  But in this world where everything is acceptable then no one is accountable.
Remember when people like the president, doctors, lawers, politicians and teachers were respected.  Not so much any more.
Is it because we forgot our p's and q's or is it because they forgot theirs.  It seems as if somewhere along the line they lost respect for themselves and therefore garnished no respect from the rest of us. 
But does that nagate the rest of us from doing, saying and being what is right?
I have told my children and grandchildren that they are not responsible for how someone else acts but for how they act.
When we stand before God almighty on judgment day I do not find anywhere in His word where He says we will be held accountable for any one elses life but our own. 
So I beg of you, mind your p's and q's.  If no one else holds you accountable then hold yourself accountable.  Quit making excuses for your behavior.  Take ownership.  I am so sick of hearing people blame their parents for their behavior.  Granted some of us didn't have the best upbringing but at some point it becomes a choice.  Forgive them and move on.  Quit blaming your circumstances for how you handle things.  Learn to rise above your circumstances and be an overcomer not such a down and outer.
So many of these people seem to have everything.  Everything money can buy that is.  But they live such empty lives.
I Mark 8:36 the word of God says, "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul."
One day we will all be held accountable.  I do not want to be found wanting on judgement day.  And I know just because I didn't say please or thank you and was not always grateful or even accountable, I do know that those things can no longer count against me because they have been covered by the blood of the perfect Lamb that washes away all of my imperfections. 
So I leave you with this sentiment.  Teach your children manners and teach them about the Lord.  Manners hold them accountable to the world and the Lord will hold them accountable for everything else.