Category: FAMILY
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...
Now that Camp, or the Retreat, or the Conference, is Over
There is a spiritual “high” that is often experienced toward the end of a church camp, retreat, or conference. A few days of solid Bible teaching, intentional fellowship, and extended personal time with the Lord has a way of making a believer’s heart full. “I wish...
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 Best is Yet to Be
Marriage, as designed by God, is the union of a man and woman in a life-long relationship that produces happiness, comfort, companionship, pleasure, and fulfillment for them, and glory and honor for him. As I write this, my wife and I are preparing to celebrate 33...
Mommy Wars: Judging and Feeling Judged in a Diverse Body
Within a few hours of airing on YouTube, a Similac commercial called “Mother ‘Hood” went viral. In it, groups from several different mommy sub-cultures show up at a playground—nursing moms, bottle-feeding moms, businesswomen-moms, even baby-wearing-yoga moms. Battle lines are drawn immediately and insults fly. Eventually, just...
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...
Overcoming Over-gifting
Christian parents often struggle with ways to keep their children from becoming “spoiled” by material possessions. They recognize the danger of fostering a tendency toward greed, and are careful not to feed this dangerous appetite of the flesh. So, they carefully limit toys, clothes, and other...
