I used to be so cool! I drove a sports car. My wife and I would eat out all the time. I was in really great-ish shape. Saturday mornings, I would sleep in. It seemed like we were doing too many fun things, but this was before we had kids. Before having kids, I...
For Richer, For Poorer, In Sickness and In Health
The Beauty in a Long Marriage Dennis and June Brady began their marriage adventure on a snowy Saturday in January of 1965. Over the past 55 years of marriage, they have lived a full life, raising two children and now being blessed with three grandchildren. We asked them to share their story with us...
Mentoring and Modeling Approach to Parenting Girls
In part two of our Parenting Pathway series Mentoring and Modeling Approach to Parenting, Dr. Andi Thacker, Associate Professor at Dallas Theological Seminary and licensed professional counselor, talks about parenting and raising girls in our modern culture. The natural temptation in parenting today is to create a path for our kids rather than preparing...
Mentoring and Modeling Approach to Parenting Boys
In part one of our Parenting Pathway series Mentoring and Modeling Approach to Parenting, Family Ministries Pastor Dave Carl and church member Brad Buhl talk about modeling manhood for our boys. There are few events in the modern boy’s life where he can point to a line and say, “Today I am a man!”...
A Father’s Advice for Raising Achievers
It’s a new year, and while most people don’t really support the idea of resolutions, we usually like the idea of reviewing your goals, priorities, and plans for the year. Over the holidays, my family had lots of discussions at the dinner table about what we want to focus on and what we hope...
Setting and Achieving Goals
I remember one particular dinner conversation from a few year’s back as if it just happened yesterday. As we were passing around the gourmet dinner (just kidding, it was chicken nuggets) we started to go around the table talking about our day. My husband had a great day at work with a big success,...
Unwrap Joy This Christmas
We sing a lot about “joy” each December. Have you noticed? We’ll offer “tidings of comfort and joy,” and we’ll join our voices on carols with titles like, “How Great Our Joy!” and “Joy to the World!” There’s just one problem. We aren’t joyful. Oh, we sing the songs and sip the eggnog, and...
Gratitude Treatment for Anxiety and Depression
Over Thanksgiving break, I read the following statistics in the weekly Culture Translator by AXIS.org. “According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 1 out of every 3 adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 will experience an anxiety disorder. Whether the culprit is social media, lack of sleep, increased scholastic pressure, or...
Set the Table for Forgiveness
My dad planted a garden for many years when I was a kid. I loved to plant stuff with him. Cantaloupe, tomatoes, strawberries (we lived in southern California) and we even planted corn one year. I’m no expert at gardening but then – you don’t really need to be an expert to garden. There...
Seven Ways to Get Ahead of Holiday Stress
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 We are two weeks away from Thanksgiving and six weeks from Christmas. I can...
Tasting Grace
Recently, Melissa D’Arabian stopped by to talk about her new book, Tasting Grace: Discovering the Power of Food to Connect Us to God, One Another, and Ourselves. She is the winner of the The Next Food Network Star, season five, and the author of many cookbooks including The Ten Dollar Dinner. In our conversation,...
Podcast: In Their Shoes
We are excited to invite Lauren Reitsema, author and esteemed speaker, to share her new book In Their Shoes with us. In her book, Lauren challenges us to look at divorce, remarriage, and blended families from a child’s perspective....