Parent-Child ClosenessMissional Parenting
A Quick Reminder on Work, Life, Eternity, and the Home
I’m writing this quick post for all (including me) who need to remember: you don’t live in order to work, you work in order to live. Our society prizes accomplishment and material wealth above all. As a believer, you are called (and freed!) to live for a set of different priorities. You…
Coastlines Don’t Shift in a Day
The other day I had to once again sit down and teach our two oldest daughters about listening. They had flown off the rails and blown through every boundary we’ve set for them. Like a frog in a boiling vat of water, Selena suddenly realized just how bad things had gotten in a short time. So…
Parent-Child ClosenessMissional Parenting
Important, Eternal, Soul-Forming Work
This thought challenged me recently: How quick can we be to dismiss or take too lightly the joy and importance of being parents? Life is hectic. Work seems important. Your body feels tired. It’s so easy to lose perspective. If that’s you, keep reading for a timely reminder! The Molder…
Missional ParentingBiblical PerspectivesFamily Discipleship
3 Ways to Trust God as Parents
We can so easily underestimate our ability to teach our kids the deep things of God. Or, we think it's our pastor's job (to an extent it is), or that they'll have to learn on their own. This is the very special reality that is the home: we are placed in our kids' lives for a short period of time to…
Missional ParentingFamily Discipleship
Your Greatest Contribution
The Bible calls children “arrows in the hand of a warrior.” (Ps 127:4) If you are the warrior (you are) and your kids are arrows, then what could that mean for today? Every day is an opportunity to fashion/mold them, sharpen them, prepare them, AIM them, and release them in some way.…
Missional ParentingFamily Discipleship
Society’s Forge
This idea has been stuck in my head for months: the home is society’s forge. What I mean is, the very societies we occupy and the changes that form them are the result of whatever happened (or didn’t happen) in the homes of that society in prior generations. Today’s heroes and…
Gospel-Saturated Parenting
The term "gospel saturated" has a way of making us think a little differently. As parents who want to raise our kids to know God, we will readily admit that the gospel is important as we navigate the various questions and challenges inherent to parenting. But why is the gospel important? And what…
Missional ParentingFamily Discipleship
The Myth of Legacy
A friend once told me a freeing truth. He said, "Legacy is a myth." At first it grated on me. "What!? Of course legacy is real... and it's super important!" I thought. I was deflated and indignant. Then I considered the legacy of my own great grandparents. Sadly (and to my shame), I don't even know…
Welcome to Fierce Parenting!
About 7 years ago when we started Fierce Marriage, we didn't have any kids. We were into our 10th year of marriage and God led us to start sharing openly and transparently about our successes and failures. Well, we now feel like we have the go-ahead to the same type of thing for parenting—though we…