Overcoming Hurdles to Getting Started with Family Time Whether a family has one, three, or seven kids… If they have a two year old or a 12 year old… If they home school or public school… live in the city or the country, EVERY family has hurdles to overcome if [...]
Parents and Leaders as Partners I hope you were inspired by yesterday’s post. What God has called us to as parents matters so, so much. Our kids are counting on us to love them and educate them. What could be more important than loving them and pointing them to Jesus? [...]
Parents, Let’s Build Faith and Truth at Home How did you learn to ride a bike? Brush your teeth? Play the piano? Read a book? Someone taught you, of course. Or maybe several “someone’s” taught you in these areas. “It takes a village” as the African proverb says. But as [...]
“Am I my brother’s keeper?” I’ve never uttered those words because I don’t have any siblings, but I am raising them. I must regularly ask my husband if the way our children are relating is normal.Something we see in our children that is different in our children’s relationships with each [...]
Like many white-skinned Americans, I’ve been spending a lot of time absorbing information over the past few weeks. I’ve also been evaluating my own thought patterns and habitual/learned thinking. As a Christian, I’ve been praying for our world, those most closely affected, and for how I can respond. I’ve [...]
I am very blessed to be a work-from-home mom. I do a few part-time jobs and our home is my home-base for those roles. A funny thing happens when everyone is home with me all the time. I just want to be with them. During the first part [...]
Our world has been in such a flux with the stay-at-home order melting into the safer-at-home order and especially flowing from school at home to no school at home. We realized early on that our children needed a schedule to know what to expect and also fluidity and adaptability [...]
It bothers me to find something broken in my home. There are things that are purposefully broken like when a child gets mad and throws a sibling’s toy in vengeance. There are things that are accidentally broken like when someone is learning how to throw a frisbee and it breaks [...]
“Have courage and be kind.” What a beautiful mantra Cinderella learned from her mama in the live - action movie from 2015. What will your children remember you saying? I once heard Chonda Pierce say that her mother used to tell her to not drink beer because it [...]
Here’s the classic Mother’s Day verse preached on Mother’s Day as a goal for wives and mothers: “Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: ‘There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all.’” Proverbs 31:28-29 It would be awesome [...]
In the first week of the stay-at-home order, I took my trash out at 7:45pm and it was completely silent. I’m talking no cars driving by, no one talking, no one walking by my house. I wasn’t horror movie afraid, I was still. I just stood on my [...]
Spring is here and new life is sprouting up (or about to be)! What can you do to inspire your children to finish strong this school year? How can you help them get revved back up after Spring Break to do their best as though it is the first [...]
In 1 Corinthians 9:19 Paul says, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” And as parents we very much want to save our children. We want to save them from the abuse and manipulation of others. We want [...]
In 1 Corinthians 9:19 Paul says, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” How can you possibly be all things to all people? Prioritize. If you aren’t taking care of your children, you can’t minister to other parents [...]
In 1 Corinthians 9:19 Paul says, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possiblemeans I might save some.” What does it mean for you to be all things to each of the people inyour family, in your neighborhood, in your community? It seems like a [...]
As all of us are adapting to our 'New Normal', we have new opportunities to: build special memories with our children, start new habits/routines, observe their learning styles, have fun, teach life lessons, and be ambassadors for Christ. We need to savor this unexpected time together for it [...]
You have probably heard the word “unprecedented” more times in the last month than you have in your entire life. If you are like me, you are so tired of hearing the word that you have become desperate for an appropriate synonym just to keep things fresh. With everything [...]
We have a cool opportunity to speak life and truth into our children’s lives. Like when Abram had no children and God said he would be a father of many nations, there are times in our children’s lives when we must “call things that are not as though they were.” [...]
When you have gone to Sunday school a long time, you know some of the answers to the typical questions even when you are young. “Who saves us from our sins?” “JESUS!” Gold Star.“What is sin?” “The wrong things we think, say and do.” Gold Star. Then in youth group, you [...]
As Jesus was riding the donkey down the streets of Jerusalem, people were convinced He was going to start a revolution and save them from Roman rule. They were ready for physical war and were cheering for their champion. What they thought was going to happen didn’t happen [...]
Recently I had the chance to hear a man teach on the importance of christians praying together. His three sermons focused on how to carry out the essential but neglected task of corporate prayer. For the first time in my life, I found myself concentrating all of my [...]
As we finish our parenting tips from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, let’s look at some absolutes that actually benefit your children. Love “always protects” looks like being attentive to your children’s well-being whether they are in your presence or not. Many children are hurt by others (peers and adults) because [...]
As we continue talking about 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, let’s open our laptops and figuratively clickon some social media. Mamas, this will be mainly focused towards us, but tune in dads, thismay give you an inside look into your spouse’s online world. Let’s cover “love is not…” on theseapps checklist style:Love [...]
We often hear “The Love Chapter” at weddings or near Valentine’s Day and it’s focused on romantic relationships. It is actually a pretty awesome checklist for self-reflection in parenting, so this month, we’ll focus on part of what love looks like practically. Love is patient. Patience has been [...]
I remember having an idea for a book called “The Death of a Cynic”. What do you think? Let me explain… I had only been married for a few months and had recently moved to the unfamiliar land of East Texas. For roughly a decade prior to getting married, I [...]
In our last installment of our three-week study of Colossians 3:15-17, we are reminded to do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the [...]
As we continue our three-week study of Colossians 3:15-17, we think about the message ofChrist.Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another withall wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude inyour hearts. Colossians 3:16What is [...]
Memorial Day is the time our country has set aside to honor those fallen heroes who gave their lives for our personal freedoms and our nation’s continued political and religious freedom. Please take the time to talk to your children about what was sacrificed on their behalf! We like [...]
It’s important as a couple to be of one mind. If there are people (including your children) who would try to pit you against each other to get their way, you must stand together in submission to God and one another no matter what others think. Zechariah and Elizabeth [...]
Let’s cuddle up in front of the fireplace and look at the Nativity Scene together. Each of the people in this everlasting reminder were blessings to God and to the whole world.. Mary was obedient and submissive even before she was asked to be. She had proven her dedication [...]
Just a few years ago my wife and I buckled our little girl into her carseat after a full Christmas morning of presents and peace. We were loading up to visit family in a town a few hours away. Our little vehicle was filled to the brim with Holiday [...]
I have heard some over-tired, overwhelmed mamas say they “just want peace” in their home. Often what these mamas really want is quiet. Children make sounds all day long. There are sounds that little ones make that adults don’t. Humming, blowing raspberries, gun sounds shooting bad guys, clicking, popping, [...]
The holidays are my favorite time of year. Thanksgiving makes me think of family, football, food, naps, movies, and shopping (not necessarily in that order!). Christmas makes me think of a warm hearth, traditions, closed stores, A Christmas Carol movies, Charlie Brown, family, hymns, carols, opening presents with my [...]
As we continue to think thankful thoughts, it’s good to remind ourselves of the most important reason for us to be thankful. This passage of Scripture inspires us with thinking of that most important thing! 6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live [...]
Sit with me at the Thanksgiving Table of my childhood for a moment. Everyone has their food and begins to dig in! One of the adults looks up and says, “As we thank God for this bountiful feast, let’s go around and each say something we are thankful [...]
We hear people talking about having a thankful heart or an attitude of gratitude. Both are super important, but I believe thankfulness begins in the mind. When we feel discontent in our lives, it is often a sign we are not having the perspective of thankful thoughts. There’s an [...]
I’ve always been amazed by music. Even the most educated, trained, and experienced musicians struggle when tasked with pinning down what music actually is! I view it as a creation and gift from God to be used for His glory. Not only is it a gift from God, it [...]
People love stories. They love telling them, hearing them, watching them and living them. Part of thereason children love to dress up is to pretend to be in a different story. My little ones loved dressing uplike firemen, doctors, and superheros. They wanted to be heroes who helped other people. [...]
When we lost our fourth baby to miscarriage a few years ago, I realized that our culture doesn’t know how to deal with miscarriage. Every other woman I talked to for the first two weeks after losing the baby said they had experienced the same thing. As we talked [...]
We live in a Disposable Culture where people all around us see people and relationships as disposable. I met a woman whose husband left her and their three children to live a life addicted to gambling. He legally divorced her, but there was no infidelity or reason to leave [...]
Affirming Spiritual and Character Growth This month we’ve been focusing on affirmation and have learned that the definition of affirm” is “to state as fact; assert strongly and publicly; to declare one’s support for; uphold; defend.” We discussed the importance of affirming your children, your spouse, the other authorities [...]
As we have been covering this month, the definition of the word “affirm” is “to state as fact; assert strongly and publicly; to declare one’s support for; uphold; defend.” We talked about the importance of affirming your children in order for them to feel known and supported and of [...]
As we discussed last week, the definition of the word “affirm” is “to state as fact; assert strongly and publicly; to declare one’s support for; uphold; defend.” We talked about the importance of affirming your children in order for them to feel known and supported. This truth is the [...]
The definition of the word “affirm” is “to state as fact; assert strongly and publicly; to declare one’s support for; uphold; defend.” What a beautiful word. When I feel affirmed, I do feel supported and I feel known. When was the last time someone you respect affirmed you in [...]
Your four-year-old looks up at you in his oversized rain boots and fireman costume and says, “Mama, I want to be a fireman when I grow up… and build buildings… and be a superhero… and…” Our children are taught that they can be anything they want to be when [...]
One new parenting dilemma that our parents did not deal with is the new definition of “identifying” our middle and high schoolers are being faced with. When we used to identify with a group of people in was because of classes or extra-curricular activities we were in together, [...]
dBack to school is a perfect time to get into (or back into) a Family Time Training routine with your family. It’s a great time to determine which activities you’ll do together for the fall or even through Christmastime. You can pick a date, time, and even do pre-meal planning [...]
Spend some time in the kitchen tasting summer foods together and being grateful for all the ways God provides for your family. Here are a few fun taste testing ideas to try with your family: Act of Food Service Have each person write down a meal that they would [...]
When we spend a lot of time together, we can start to become impatient and easily irritated with each other. Here is a fun Family Activity that will help us remember the battle is a spiritual one not one fought against each other!Water Balloon BattleThe object of this activity is [...]
Having intentional spiritual conversations when we are with our children in non-formal settings is key to helping them understand that our relationship with God affects every aspect of our lives. Deuteronomy 6:7 is a command to talk about the commandments of God as you walk along the road. So, [...]