Equipping Parents for The Journey
I remember very distinctly the day that we found out our firstborn was going to be a boy. It was the most terrifying day of my life to date. As soon as we learned we were having a boy, we raced down to meet my family for dinner to share the news. After dinner,...
One of the funniest conversations I’ve ever heard was a couple preparing to leave the hospital with their first newborn child… “These people are crazy… they are telling us to take this baby home, expecting us to ‘parent’ her when we have absolutely no experience being one… Seriously. Who does that?” It took me back to the...
The other day while flipping through the radio in my car, I stopped on a speaker talking about the four components of a prayer. You probably remember these components from Sunday School: Praise and Adoration, Asking for Forgiveness, Petition, and Thanksgiving. When teaching a child or new believer to pray, I can see the...
We are wrapping up a great summer of Vacation Bible School, camps, mission trips, midweek adventures, and general fun. Summer is a busy season in our Family Ministry, and we get to spend a lot of time with your kids and our own. After doing a study of all these kids in their world...
Close your eyes and let your mind go with me to a place where your child always behaves and responds immediately to your directions or requests. Each time you ask your child to do something, it is done with a “yes”, a smile, and no temper tantrums or questions. Take a deep breath and...
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...
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...
I grew up in the 1960s. Lots of good stuff back then. My dad only bought Pepsi in glass bottles, new and fancy cars were built with air conditioning, and we routinely watched 16mm movies in school. The teachers barely knew how to thread these complicated machines, so often some nerd in the A/V...
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...
You teach your children how to brush their teeth, drive a car, stick to a schedule, and read their Bible. But do you train your children, whether elementary or high school aged, to be students of sound theology and solid in their application of Christian apologetics? To show you why this is so crucial,...
Have you ever had a difficult time motivating your teenager to go to church? Well, that was the struggle I faced when my youngest son lost interest in church attendance. He had always been excited to hear the stories, sing the songs, and eat the snacks, but suddenly he no longer wanted to get...
When driving from Point A to Point B, you expect everyone to follow the rules of the road so you can all maneuver well. In spite of flashing lights, closed roads, and even gravel doing a number on your windshield, you have a destination in mind. And news flash: it is not the same as the person...
