twenty-eighth.

when we have not yet reached intradependence we see criticism that we would not normally see if we were more dependent. when we reach intradependence and independence we are confident in who we are and what we stand for. we know of God's love and know that what he thinks of us (that we are great!) is all that matters. if peers look down on us and judge us that shouldn't matter if we have a strong knowledge of who we are and where we came from. however, i do not believe that being willing to attend work meetings in a setting where alcohol is involved makes me dependent. it does not mean that i am not confident enough in who i am to stand up for my principles and not attend the meeting. what being willing to attend the meeting implies is that i am confident in myself and my morals that i can attend the meeting and stand up to all those present and let them know that i do not consume alcohol--ever. not drinking, and still attending, shows my independence and my confidence.

in teaching this princples to james we recognize that neither of us are dependent. although we may have not reached the highest level of the maturity scale, we know who we are. although we are confident of our knowledge of the love God has for us, we know we must be aware and think of His love always. from time to time we do begin to judge ourselves, but we need to remember His mass amount of love for us.