As a mom, it's my job to confront the problem of disobedience head on. I’ll be honest, though; this problem seems awfully inconvenient at times. I would much rather slap a band-aid on the problem and continue on my merry way, than take the time to get to the root of it. All too often, I fall into the trap of being defensive instead of offensive when one of my kids misbehaves. I sacrifice the long-term goal of their behavior improving for good, for that short-term gain of momentary peace. If I’m constantly reacting to my child’s disrespect with disapproval, and correcting the problems when they arise, it’s not solving the heart issue at hand. I really shouldn’t react to their bad behavior as if I’m surprised by it. And I shouldn't always ... Read More...
6 Surprising Benefits of a Homeschool Education
This week, we started the second half of our 5th homeschool year. It's so funny to look back and think that once upon a time I said "I would never homeschool." Never say never, right? Now I couldn't imagine not getting to teach my kids every day and see their eyes light up when they finally grasp that difficult concept they were working so hard on. My house would definitely be cleaner and I'd have more time to myself, but my children are only this young once, and I don't want to miss a precious moment. Our family has enjoyed many advantages of homeschooling during the past several years. Besides the rather obvious ones of an unhurried learning pace and a customized education, there have also been numerous benefits which have come as a ... Read More...
5 Myths Christian Parents Believe
How in the world did people ever parent before the days of social media? I mean, seriously… Where did they get birthday party ideas? And how did they manage to distract themselves with completely irrelevant facts about the lives of their "friends" on Facebook while looking for birthday party ideas? And where did they post pictures of the aforementioned birthday party ideas that were carried out? In all seriousness, it’s pretty shocking to look back and consider how quickly social media has become ingrained in our lives. And while there are some benefits (hello, birthday party ideas!), there’s one glaring drawback: we have countless standards by which to judge ourselves. The problem is that most of these standards come from ... Read More...
7 Things Scripture Says About Children
From beginning to end, God speaks about the importance of children through His Word. Because children are important to Him, children should be important to us. But the evidence of moral decay in a country full of people who claim to be Christians, and a church made up of shallow believers, points to the fact that our ideas about children are essentially the same as the world's. We let a culture that kills 1 million babies a year in the womb inform our opinion about children. Knowing what the Bible says about children will help you connect with God's heart for them and see how He asks us to relate to and regard them. God longs to give His people the gift of children in order that they can make disciples of them. He calls them a ... Read More...
4 Ways To Raise Thankful Children
My seven-year-old loves to read her Illustrated Children's Bible on her own each morning before breakfast. From the kitchen, I'll often hear commentary like "oh boy, here they go again." She's discovering that the Israelites weren't always so grateful. In fact, they were usually downright selfish complainers. God had just delivered them from slavery in Egypt and was providing for their physical needs in the wilderness, as He led them to the Promised Land. Yet, they still found reasons to moan and groan. Our kids are prone to the same type of behavior. They have safe, warm homes with rooms full of toys and plenty of food to eat. Video games. Friends. Loving parents. But somehow they're not satisfied. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells ... Read More...
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