“He’s so smart,” the young mom often boasted. “One day he’ll be his own boss. He’s too smart to work for someone else.” Her little boy got the message. I won’t have to work for someone else because others aren't as smart as I am. I’ll tell you how that situation turned out in a moment. Parents face lots of pressure when it comes to their kids doing well in school. If a child isn’t excelling academically, Mom or Dad risks being branded as a failure. The pressure begins in grade school with mountains of homework. By the time kids are in high school, they face high levels of Continue Reading

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

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

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