"It's only six more years," said the exhausted mother of teens who were involved in multiple sports. "And then they'll be out of the house." I was dismayed, but held my tongue. How sad! This mother was enduring, not enjoying, her years of child rearing. God meant for her to delight in that time, not just survive it. God wants you to experience joy as a parent, too. Remember, a passionate parent is a mom or dad who enthusiastically and fully invests him or herself in the joyful responsibility of teaching their children about Jesus. Here are three qualities you'll exhibit as a Continue Reading

Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it? How can we be relaxed about something that is super important?   Let's back this whole truck up and look at the big picture. There's something I want you to grab hold of, because when you do, you will carry out what God has set before you with peace and with great effectiveness. We need to begin at the proper starting point for all this to make sense, which is: God has a destiny in mind for your child. Whatever thoughts, hopes and dreams you have for your child, God has bigger things in mind than you can even come remotely close to Continue Reading

My heart goes out to Christian parents today. What with the bewildering array of parenting styles out there, ranging from gentle to positive to helicopter to free-range to granola.... what’s a parent to be? More importantly, how do parents who follow Jesus best impart faith in Christ to their children? Allow me to introduce you to the idea of passionate parenting. Passion?  You’re wondering. Isn’t that reserved for romance? It makes sense to be a passionate spouse … but what is a passionate parent? There’s more to the term “passion” than sexual or romantic desire. According Continue Reading

It felt risky. I wasn't sure how things would play out. Would my 18-year-old forgive me? I knew I had offended Danny by raising my voice and being harsh many times over. Yet I had always said I wasn't a fan of generalized apologies.   You know, the insincere quickie, I'm sorry for everything I ever did wrong, so now we're good, right?   Still, it was time to swallow my pride, confess my wrong, and ask for my son's forgiveness.   Even if it was a blanket appeal, it was better than pretending nothing was wrong.   So we're sitting in the cafe where all of Danny's Continue Reading