Category: Parenting

The Summer Garden (PART 5): The Role of Corrective Discipline in Preparing Your Child’s Heart to Receive the Gospel 

So far, in Parts 1-4, we have covered most of the “Why?” and “When?” questions concerning corrective discipline. Now we need to discuss the “How?” question. How should you as a parent apply corrective discipline? Before we discuss modes of discipline, remember that there is no...

The Summer Garden(PART 4) The Role of Corrective Discipline in Preparing Your Child’s Heart to Receive the Gospel

In Part 3 I spoke of childishness and foolishness. Now I need to talk about the types of sinful behavior that should never be tolerated in the Christian home—not even once. The only appropriate parental response to the kinds of sins I’m including in Part 4...

What Will Your Children Remember About You?

When my first child was just a baby, I’m sure my mindset was something like, “I might have 18 to 20 years with this gift from God. That’s plenty of time to train her up in the way she should go (Proverbs 22:6).” But the older...

C.H. Spurgeon on Mothers—Like Cat like Kit

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) was an English Baptist pastor known for his powerful preaching and extensive writing. Below is an excerpt titled “Like Cat Like Kit” from his publication, John Ploughman’s Pictures or Plain Talk for Plain People, which is filled with pithy and proverbial admonitions...

The Significance of “Please” (and “Thank You”)

My wife and I were always together on the importance of training our five children to say “please” and “thank you,” but we were recently discussing why we held this to be such a central part of child training. Neither of us had ever viewed it...

What to Do if Your Parenting Produced Rebellious, Ungrateful Teenagers

We all have regrets in life. You might wish you had continued with those piano lessons. Or perhaps you’re sorry you didn’t spend more time with your grandparents before their passing. But one of the worst regrets in life is looking back and saying, “I was...

Adoption—In God’s Loving Eyes

God loves orphans. Throughout the Old Testament God makes special mention of them (and widows) as dear to His heart. When you reap your harvest in your field and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall...

Three Reminders for Parents in the Trenches with Young Children

When my mom walked into the room there was dust in the air. Draped over the ceiling fan, filling the curtains, imbedded in the carpet and all over my little brother and sister. It was soot from the cast iron stove—lots of it, strewn all across...

The Enduring Effects of a Parent’s Daily Chatter

About a week ago, a knock came to my bedroom door. “Who is it?” “It’s Lilly!” Playfully, I responded, “Lilly? Who’s Lilly?” “The pretty one, Dad!” “Of course, come on in!” That’s a cute story, but why did she call herself “the pretty one?” Let me...

Young Christian Parents, Enjoy Your Children

I was on the couch reading some relatively important emails that had been piling up from the other elders I serve with, and I couldn’t focus. My 15-month-old had decided that there was nothing more interesting or important in the universe of our living room than...