Equipping Parents for The Journey
If you are around young children for any amount of time, you will know that they are born into the world with an egocentric nature. One of the first words they learn is “mine.” And “mine” is almost always followed by an exclamation mark. Selfishness and ingratitude are just two more things parents are tasked...
A crisis is occurring in younger generations as children who grew up in churches turn away from their faith as adults. Kids may have the book knowledge required to navigate church today, but do they have the heart for Christ that will carry them through the challenges life will bring? Do you worry your...
So my story goes something like this… I was a… pastor’s kid… missionary kid… The gold standard of what parents wanted their kids to be at church… A high school graduate at 16… Medical School Student at 19… I… Crashed and burned at 21… Worked hard to fix it all (ministry, career, marriage,...
October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month. President Reagan made it official in 1988, and I love what he says about parents who have lost children. “When a child loses his parent, they are called an orphan. When a spouse loses her or his partner, they are called a widow or widower. When...
In his recent blog post Exciting News: I’m Not Enough, and You Aren’t, Either!, Family Ministry Pastor Dave Carl said, “You are not okay, and you don’t need to pretend to be anymore!” Dave Carl I wish I could put that line on the marquee sign out in front of our church. It would...
With the school year off and running, this week we have a unique opportunity to invite guest author Dorianne Commarota—wife, mom, and homeschooling speaker—to share her journey with homeschooling and offer encouragement to those families considering the same path. When my husband Tony and I were engaged, we had a few “we’ll never” statements...
“A lot of times I feel lonely.” “I often feel left out of things.” “I often wish I had more good friends.” These statements by teenagers were recorded in a recent article found in the September issue of The Atlantic magazine, highlighting a study on the effects of smart phones on our current teen...
It is hard to think of allowing our children to make mistakes, but that is the only way they will learn. Not being successful at something on the first time does not mean your child will never get it; it only means your child needs practice. Children fall down a lot when they are...
I was having one of those parenting days. You know. Those days. My child was losing his ever-loving mind, bless his heart. And I was getting dangerously close to losing mine. So, I did the only thing a logical mother does in her time of stress… I sent everyone to their rooms for a...
If you’re gonna build a submarine, you will deal primarily in the sphere of math and efficiency. If you’re gonna build a relationship, you will deal primarily in the sphere of long conversations and valuable inefficiency. The deeper and better the relationship, the more you will depend on artistry to get you through. Relationship...
You are at a restaurant to have a nice meal and a lovely time of visiting with your spouse, family, or friends. You are forced into hearing what is happening at the next booth. “Stop that! What are you doing?” the mom asks in frustration. “But I don’t want to eat it” whines the...
I have theories. Lots of theories. Some have been proven wrong, like the theory that bell bottoms will never go out of style and the word “groovy” will be used by everyone forever. It’s such a good word . . . But I also have more substantial theories, the parts of which have been...
