On Home Education: Freedom from the Machine
As a graduate of home education, and a currently-home-educating mom, I get many questions about it. I’ve been approached by people who have an inkling— or maybe even a deep conviction— that they want to pursue it for their family; but it’s unfamiliar, scary, or they just don’t know where to begin.……
The Value of Sport for Young Disciples
“To sport or not to sport” is a question for many Christian families. I believe our response should be a hearty, resounding “Yes!” The Things of Earth Does sport fit into the Christian life, and in particular, the Christian family life? I propose that those questions are part of a broader…
3 Tips for Family Discipleship with Infants and Toddlers
When you first start telling people you’re going to have a baby, people start asking questions you’ll have to answer over and over again— “Do you know what you’re having?” and “Do you have a name picked out?” As for my wife and I, like many couples, we wanted to be “surprised” by the baby’s gender.…
Are You an Owner-Parent?
In this brief article I want to challenge you to consider two words that may not seem to go together at face value. The words are ‘parent’ and ‘steward’. When we hear the term ‘steward’ our minds tend to go to thoughts of money and possessions. When we hear the word ‘parent’, we think of kids.…
3 Things Your Adolescent Son Needs to Hear
I never heard the words I needed to hear most as a young man. As a result, I turned to the world to give me the value and “wisdom” I craved. I don’t blame my parents— they did the best they could with what was available to them. My dad passed away when I was 6 and my stepdad passed away a few years…
5 Steps for Reading the Bible with Your Children
A few weeks back I was up early reading through the book of Hebrews. Our oldest daughter, Dela (6), happened to get up early too. She’s a professional snuggler, so her typical M.O. is to climb into my lap regardless of what I’m doing and just sink in. Except this morning was different.…
Relax, You Needn’t Be the Hero
The most liberating truth about gospel-centered parenting is that you don’t have to be the hero of your child’s story. Instead, you get to be the guide who introduces them to true Hero! Yes, in many ways they may come to regard us as their heroes (not a bad thing), but that’s not…
Parents Who are Becoming
Fathers have a special role to play in the lives of their children (as do mothers!). The ideas, character, habits, and attitudes our kids grow up with are less the result of the words we say to them and more the result of who we are—as parents, yes, but specifically as fathers. Here’s the…
Trusting in God’s Precise Sovereignty
Consider something with me for a moment. You are the exact parents God gave to your exact children for this exact moment in time. Do you believe that? The word "exact" means "not approximated in any way; precise." Whether you're considering the current global crisis or looking at your average day,…