Your Child is More Than Their Accomplishments (or Lack Thereof)
One of my sons is known for his academic prowess. He’s a good student and test-taker and works very hard at his studies. Even at a young age we could tell he was a sharp cookie. One day, while sitting at the lunch table with a few friends, some boys started mocking him and calling him “nerd”…
3 Ways My Kids Help Me Delight
It’s funny how the things that have the potential to frustrate me the most about my kids are also the things that remind me what really matters. Here are three ways my children help me delight in the simple things: 1. Literally stop and smell the roses. Many years ago, when my oldest daughter…
No Greater Joy
Confession: Anyone close to me knows how much I disliked “Dad Life” in the baby, toddler, and early elementary school days. Our sons cried too much. They drained our bank account. And they frustratingly wouldn’t comply with my every wish and command. Date nights went by the wayside. Fun vacations…
When We Lose Our Joy
I dare say that almost every Christian parent in the world has found it a little harder to keep a joyful spirit at home over the past year. I don’t think joy-losing is a problem unique to a worldwide pandemic. It’s a struggle that every believer has to face because we live as redeemed children of…
“Not Everyone Can Be a Foster Parent…”
“Not everyone can be a foster parent, but everyone can help foster kids…” It was our first night as foster parents. That well-known radio ad was playing overhead at midnight as I desperately wandered the baby section at WalMart. Picking up and putting down baby supplies like a zombie— I was trying…
What are Your Priorities— Really?
Imagine with me that someone asks you to write down your priorities, starting with the most important first. Would your list look something like this? God Family Church Work Social life/extracurriculars That’s kind of the universally accepted “biblical priorities pattern.” Here’s the question…
3 Steps to Better Family Scheduling Decisions
Any parent knows trying to keep up with the proverbial Joneses is flat-out exhausting. Athletic coaches tell you your kids need to play on select travel teams. Voice coaches inform you your child won’t make all-state choir if they don’t keep up their lessons. And if your kids don’t take the…
It’s Good to Require Obedience
It’s challenging to require obedience from our children. Just like us, our kids are sinful and naturally resistant to any will other than their own. Additionally, many of us struggle to exercise good and healthy authority because we know we aren’t perfect parents. Those internal…
3 Big Problems that Lead to Unmet Expectations
We all come into marriage and parenting with expectations. We may or may not realize it, but we have expectations about everything in life. Our expectations come from a variety of sources, including media/social media, our parents/family of origin, other friends, and from God’s Word and the body of…