It seems pretty common these days for people to take themselves a little too seriously. I know that I’ve been guilty of that tendency many times. Before meeting the woman that would become my wife, I wouldn’t even play board games! So much of an overemphasized need to be respected [...]
God is always doing miracles. As you reflect back on this Easter or years gone by, what memories stand out? Join us today in reading and celebrating the amazing testimony of our resident grandparent blogger, Nancy Hill! I have always loved Easter, the Easter baskets, chocolate bunnies, the egg [...]
National Pigs in a Blanket Day What? That’s a thing? Yep! April 24th is National Pigs in a Blanket Day. I can smell them baking – lil’ smokies wrapped in a blanket of canned crescent rolls then dipped in ketchup and mustard paired with a glass of cold [...]
Some of my Favorite things about Spring are the smell of fresh grass growing, the bright colors of flowers beginning to bud and bloom, and the promise of more sunshine on my face in the coming months. I love the newness and freshness of spring. There’s a freshness to each [...]
The Man in the Red Suit Each family decides how they’ll approach cultural myths and traditions. Before we had children, my husband and I decided how we’d handle Santa Claus. He was taught early about the real Saint Nicholas. We decided to follow that same tradition of explaining Saint Nicholas’ [...]
How many weeks did you spend preparing for Christmas? You likely decorated your house inside and out, made special holiday feast foods, bought and wrapped gifts, and even wore specific clothing (Christmas shirts and socks, fuzzy red and green slippers, etc.). Hopefully you did one of Family Time Training’s awesome [...]
In 2015, when my Grands were much younger, I wrote the following letter to each of them to put into their Grand Album: Dear Grand, Do you know I pray for you? I pray you will know and love God. I pray you will be a good and thoughtful friend [...]
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. John 15:12-14 Following Jesus’ Example of Love Let’s follow Jesus’ example of love as we train [...]
“As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love.” John 15:9 How do we remain in Jesus’ love? If He IS Love (1 John 4:8), it means staying connected to Him. Be with Him to Become like Him The less time we spend [...]
In my last devotional blog, we talked about loving our children by Lead by Example and serving Others First. Today, let’s talk about Varying Parenting Approaches and Engaging our children. Varying Parenting Approaches If you keep hitting a wall with one of your children, it’s time [...]
As we prepare to face the month focused on love, I’ve turned the word love into an acrostic of parenting tips to help you intentionally train your children! We’ll cover L and O in the first devotional and V and E in the second one. Lead by Example When thinking [...]
In working with countless teens as a youth pastor over the last two decades (plus a few years), I see a trend that is discouraging. Most “churchies” (kids who grow up in the church) know what they know from the Bible based on current Children’s Ministry trends. Many Children’s Pastors [...]
Beware of the post-Christmas letdown! What can we do to prevent our children (and ourselves) from slipping into the post-Christmas slump? Here are a few ideas to help us ready our families to keep moving forward when all the lights and decorations come down. Make your Christmas celebrations and preparations [...]
As parents, we each go through tough seasons with our children. But do we take time to thank God for those seasons when they are done? It’s a great time of the year to do just that. If you’re reading this as a young parent, please read these praises and [...]
GRATEFUL for THANKSMAS Thanksgiving is usually when every bed in our house is full as all the state-side kids and Grands gather for Thanksmas, a holiday I created for our family. It all came about when I realized I loved giving Christmas gifts to our family, but it made me [...]
Lately, my usual intentional spiritual training times have looked very different than even six months ago. I still work on AWANAs verses and pray for classmates with my youngest each day. I pray with my older kids for a specific teacher each day we ride together. But honestly, each morning [...]
I first learned about Mark Matlock through his ministry with a two day retreat called Planet Wisdom. Immediately, I felt Mark’s passion for youth ministry and apologetics. After hearing his name a few times after that, I looked up some of his material. Raising Wise Children was a title that [...]
Remember me telling you that our middle daughter lives in Tanzania, East Africa, and it is from Africa where our grandparent names originated. Our Grands call us Bibi and Babu. My name is Bibi, which means Wise Old Women in Swahili, the language utilized along the east coast of Africa. [...]
Let’s talk about another reason many children struggle with bedtime. Darkness How can we help our children not be afraid of the darkness around them especially at bedtime? There is one truth we’ve taught our children that has really helped them when they were afraid of the darkness at night [...]
Bedtime is a tricky time for so many parent/child relationships. Little ones don’t want to be away from their parents and, honestly, don’t want to be alone. There are many factors that make bedtime hard. Here are a couple and what to do about them. Finally Slowing Down When any [...]
Just a few years ago, I was introduced to the writing and ministry of Dr. Rob Rienow. That same year, I had the privilege of sitting under his teaching for a day-long seminar. The experience left a lasting impression. Quickly, I picked up a few of his books and his [...]
This title may seem like I’m about to complain about it being hard to win “the game of parenting,” but it’s really a story about teaching self-control, compassion, and grace. Not sure if you’ve noticed, but when children are young, they don’t like to lose. How many of you have [...]
A game our children enjoy playing together as a family is “Apples to Apples”! They love to try to guess what each other’s favorite card in our hand would be. They love to see what others think they like by looking at the cards they’re given. There’s something special about [...]
I am the mother of three adult children and the blessed grandmother of five grandchildren. If I had my choice, my family would all live within three blocks of us, but instead they are flung all over the map. Our oldest daughter lives in Boston with two of our Grands, [...]
I recently had the opportunity to interview Matthew Deprez on the FamTime Podcast and it was a pleasure. We met at Generations Church in Greeley, CO where Matthew serves as one of the pastors. From the moment we met, I could sense his passion for intergenerational ministry. His extensive background [...]
There are times in parenthood when your children struggle with something that you can’t for the life of you figure out how to help them through. There are some struggles that most of us endure like potty training, training children from saying “no” to “Yes, Mommy”, and staying in bed [...]
It may seem like an overused description on these top 5 blogs, but the book we are looking at today is truly a one-stop-shop resource for parents. Can we pause for a moment to thank God that so many helpful books are available these days? Just this morning, I was [...]
When our children are afraid or unsure, we must train them to not let those feelings control them. We must do our best to look at the circumstances and their emotions with discernment and perspective, using God’s Word as our lens. Often parents adopt their children’s fear and uncertainty. The [...]
When our children have grown strong roots into Jesus as their foundation, their faith will grow strong in the truth they’ve been taught. Then they will overflow with the fruit of thankfulness! Let’s remind ourselves of what Colossians 2:6-7 says, And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your [...]
I remember a youth pastor friend of mine showing me his church’s brand new family ministry resource center. You could tell that they had invested plenty of time and money in making this center a quality offering to their members. As I looked through the books and pamphlets, my heart [...]
With all the gorgeous green trees around us in the summertime, it’s a great time to remind ourselves of how to help our children grow spiritually following their example. Colossians 2:6-7 gives us a pattern to follow. And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must [...]
If you feel like time is flying by, you’re not alone. We’re almost exactly halfway through 2022 and I bet if you asked your friends most would agree that time seems to be moving too quickly. Of course, our perception of time and the reality of days passing can only [...]
Father’s day marks an opportunity for churches to honor and challenge the men in their congregations. However, Fathers Day can feel pretty different when compared to the events surrounding of Mothers day. Fathers Day can feel like a beat down for a lot of guys. I’ve even had men [...]
In my last post you learned about my adventurous life as a child with my dad and how even going to the bank was an adventure with him. We also did lots of “exploring.” Exploring “Exploring” almost always included being in nature. We’d go exploring at one of the parks [...]
I have to admit that this book has been practically forgotten on my shelf for several years. I was originally recommended the book by a friend and had every intention of reading it. However, dust collected on the cover as I focused on other books. I’m so glad that I [...]
When I was a little girl, my daddy would take me on adventures and to go exploring. It was a pre-cell phone era, so my mom never really knew when we’d be back, but, oh, the adventures we would have. Let me define Dad’s different understanding of “adventures” and “exploring.” [...]
I have fond memories of the Vacation Bible Schools that I attended as a child and that I’ve helped with over the years. My memories are filled with songs that still get stuck in my head, snacks, and sunburns. I also remember story after story of God working in the [...]
Intergenerational Relationships bring life to all of us. When God knits us together with someone in the body of Christ, those people become family. God gives us blood family, but also gives us chosen family. Hymns, Hard Candy, and Pot Luck Dinners In my personal devotional blog (BethMeverden.com), [...]
About two decades ago, while attending the National Youth Workers’ Convention, I heard a strong woman in youth ministry say that, when she and her husband discovered they couldn’t have their own children, they resolved to adopt the next generation of believers. Why has that stuck with me for so [...]
The Senior Pastor and the Reformation of Youth Ministry by Richard Ross We have featured books by Dr. Richard Ross before and there are reasons. This man loves Jesus, loves his family, and is very passionate about youth & family ministry. You can always count on Dr. Ross to [...]
Luke 7:1-10 (ESV) After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him [...]
We need to encourage our children in every way we can. The world is against them. The enemy is trying to distract and undercut them. We need to train them in the truth, but also intentionally encourage them to do the right thing and applaud when we “catch” them doing [...]
Easter is the most important holiday in the Christian faith. Hopefully you got the chance to take your family through “Celebrate: A Family Easter Guide through 7 Attributes of Jesus”. If you didn’t get the chance, you can still get the resource and go through it in your Family [...]
I love the D6 organization (D6family.com), so when I see a new resource from them, I normally buy it immediately or place it on my Amazon wish list. Recently they published a book by Julie Kurz that sounded awesome! I had not heard of Julie before, but the book went [...]
A Neglected Grace: Family Worship in the Christian Home By Jason Helopoulos I’ve been aware of this book for years but only recently picked it up. I am so glad that I did! Here, we have another example of a seemingly one-stop-shop resources for families wanting to learn about family [...]
Many people call Hebrews 11 the “Hall of Faith” or “Heroes of the Faith.” I love to study it, because I’m challenged to learn whatever I can from the people in the Bible – from their good decisions and from their bad ones. A good challenge is to see what [...]
Love from friends can encourage and empower. This kind of love is different than the agape love from God. This love in Greek is “phileo.” Phileo love is characterized by approval, kindness, sanctioning, welcoming, befriending, and fondness.1 I think of David and Jonathan when I think of this kind [...]
I met Dr. Williams a few years before he earned his Ph.D. In that first meeting, and in every interaction since then, Dr. Williams consistently has shown his heart for Jesus. Dr. Williams’ passion for family ministry, and thorough scholarship, comes through beautifully in his book on the practical theology [...]
“Love is a choice.” If you had been in my youth group in the early 2000s, you would have heard me saying that phrase a LOT! Many people are deceived about what love actually is. People think love is an emotion, a feeling. People think it’s something we fall in [...]
I’ve noticed over the last several years that men’s ministry has adopted a general theme of authenticity at all costs. Seems legit…right? Before I became a Christian, using foul language was a part of my daily routine. I took great pleasure in utilizing the worst of the worst four letter [...]