PARENT NEWS
September 25, 2026
“I had to quit my 7:00 AM logic,” he said.
My wife, Betsy, and I were sitting with some friends in a small auditorium just outside of Atlanta, Georgia, listening to Trip Lee—a Christian hip-hop artist I had never encountered before, and he had me rapt with attention.
Trip went on to describe how he used to live with 15 alarms set in 1-2 minute increments because he knew he wouldn’t force himself out of bed for the first 13 . . .
“I’d rationalize that going to class wasn’t that important . . . that my friend would take notes for me . . . I’ve already been late 10 days in a row. What’s one more?”
Trip called this kind of thinking, 7:00 AM logic.
It was his shorthand way of calling out his own laziness and trying to rationalize it away so that it didn’t plague him with guilt. But then he asked what would happen if we let our whole lives function that way—not doing anything meaningful until we felt like it.
He then focused on youth. “Our society doesn’t expect very much from young people, to be honest,” he said. “I had an uncle ask me, “Son, why are you so serious? You need to be out there sowing your wild oats, having fun!”
But God doesn’t share society’s low expectations for our young people.
Let me say that again: God doesn’t share society’s low expectations for our young people.
When He tasks us, as His living images in this world, to put him on display for everyone we meet, He means it. It should shape every moment of our day—the way we talk, what we choose to watch and listen to, the way we treat our friends and family, the way we learn, and work, and play . . .
Friends, this is the sense of purpose we hope to instill in your children with your help. There’s nothing more meaningful or more fulfilling than a life lived in service to the Lord and to others, regardless of what your profession is, who you’re married to, or how old you are.
That’s it.
That’s the secret. We just have to forget our 7:00 AM logic, get out of “bed,” and start doing it. It’s not always easy, and we’re here to be those metaphorical multiple alarms to help urge our young people to shake off all the low expectations this world has for them and that they might even have for themselves . . . and to get busy, living for the King.
Together,
Dan Meester
Executive Director
