When one of our church’s leaders sought us out to address some concerns, I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be a fun conversation. Sure enough, the topic was our oldest boy’s disobedience toward the couple in whose home our house church met. They’d established ground rules for all the kids, including our three boys, but Danny consistently ignored them. I’d already attended a few parent/teacher meetings centered on his behavior. Danny is funny, but distracts the other students…he doesn’t listen to instructions… As young parents, Scott and I had an invisible report card in our Continue Reading
How to help your children hear God’s voice
In our search for the gas station’s restrooms, I hurried my three young sons past a man who sat cross-legged on the sidewalk. “If you’re looking for the bathrooms, they’re that way,” he said, pointing. “Thanks,” I mumbled as I rushed by. The man looked unkempt and made me a little nervous. As we returned to the car, I had a strong impression God wanted me to talk to go back and talk to the man. I balked. Lord, if you want me to talk to him, what am I supposed to say? The answer came as a clear thought: He is a seeker, but I am seeking him. Heart pounding, I decided to Continue Reading
Two things you shouldn’t try to be for your children
As my daughter-in-law Rebecca approached the birth of her first child, she listened to the comments of young parents around her, looking for a hint of what her life might soon be like. While paying attention, she noticed a dismaying trend. Many parents would make a laundry list of complaints about the difficulties of raising children, then finish with the remark, “Oh, but I wouldn’t trade being a parent for anything.” Really? thought Rebecca. Because you make it sound pretty miserable. Well, good news—parenting doesn’t need to be miserable and exhausting! In fact, it’s meant to Continue Reading
How to have the eyes of a child at Christmas (even though you’re a mom or dad)
My church operates a daycare center, inside which our church office is located. As an office assistant, even though I’m tucked out of sight, I’m literally surrounded by children all day long. There’s extra excitement in the air among the little ones these days. Every so often, we hear comments like, “When is it finally going to be Christmas?” I don’t hear things like this from the parents, though—because guess who’s responsible for making Christmas so awesome? (It sure ain’t Santa Claus!) As a parent, you’ve got things on your plate that your children have no ability to appreciate Continue Reading