Equipping Parents for The Journey
“You’re off to great places!” Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so… Get on your way! —Dr. Suess When I first began as a student ministry pastor, I quickly encountered the problem we have all come to recognize as “graduating from church.” Statistics varied wildly, but everyone seemed to agree there was...
I was standing by the door of an SUV, a new middle school minister, trying to reassure a dad twice my age that he did not have to worry, his precious daughter/princess would not be in any danger. You see, in our small junior high youth group, we had decided to go clean up...
I think we can all agree that no child has ever had to be taught how to misbehave, make bad choices, or even lie. That is something we are all born with—the ability to sin. The Bible tells us that “we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)....
“Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 When I am tired and have not slept well, I am grumpy and hard to be around. When I am over-committed and running around all crazy, I am anxious and hard to be around. When I am...
Life was over. I had lost all purpose. As I crossed Lake Ray Hubbard on I-30, I saw the opportunity to exit, drive across the overpass, and drive my SUV down the hill in front of Bass Pro Shop into Lake Ray Hubbard and end it all. The date was July 18, 2008. I...
Written by Insight for Living Ministries staff members. Shattered. Your dreams of your children growing up to be godly Christians now lay like splinters of glass on the marble floor. “Mom, I’m gay,” your son announces. Your daughter reveals, “Dad, I’ve moved in with my boyfriend.” These words take your breath away. Your adult...
There’s no doubt—winter can be long. Seemingly endlessly long. It’s cold outside and often gloomy. Sometimes drizzly and damp. So, what’s a mom or a dad to do when shut in the house with a bunch of bored kids? There’s only so many times you can visit Chick-fil-A so they can play on the...
There is a biblical foundation for our conversation about dating and sexuality. Looking at 1 Corinthians 6:9-20, we see that Paul’s letter to Corinth is about living differently in a fallen world. Paul explains that believers are to have different attitudes toward lawsuits, sex, and other controversial topics. Historically the attitudes toward sex in Corinth...
Journal Excerpt: October 23, 2013 “Tired. Worn. Heavy hearted. It’s a little bit of a roller coaster here. Some days I feel like we’ll be okay, like a year will fly by and it’ll be good. Other days I can hear the clock ticking slowly—and it’s really not a clock; it’s the dripping kitchen...
Like most Americans, my family has a hard time getting everyone to the table on the same night, at the same time to have dinner together. And when we do get there, it is not uncommon to hear grumbling about the no phone rule, or the big salad instead of spaghetti, or the awkward...
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3 We had a plan. My husband and I got married in December of 2007, we bought our first home in September 2008, and we would get pregnant fall 2008....
January is tough on every family with kids still in school. Getting back into the routine of school, homework, sports, and activities can be overwhelming, especially if you feel like you hardly got a break during the holidays. This week, one of our favorite homeschooling moms, Katie Hayes, shares advice and encouragement as we...
