Raising 8 children was quite a journey for us, to say the least. Sitting in the middle of all our noise and activity, Mary’s grandmother, who lived with us for years, would often laughingly say, “There’s never a dull moment in your home!”. There was a lot of truth in that observation!
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Tags: exhaustion, mentoring, advice, guidance, beliefs, family, conflict, confidence, discipleship, spoiled kids, purpose, goals, discipleship, older children, godliness, training, vision, worldliness, disorder, hope

Our women's ministry just recently completed a beautiful study in the book of Colossians. I have read through it’s four chapters now many times and continue to glean new, rich truths. However, there are three simple words the apostle Paul writes to the church in Colossae that penetrates my heart every time I read themContinue Reading »

Tags: motivation, beliefs, faith, family, godliness, guidance, spiritual leadership, prayer, intentionality, practical help, seasons of parenting, uncertainty, overwhelmed, advice, anxiety, encouragement

Over the years we’ve been called on by many exasperated parents who’ve hit critical mass in their homes and are in desperate need hoping to turn their circumstances around. Continue Reading »

Tags: motivation, beliefs, faith, family, godliness, guidance, spiritual leadership, prayer, intentionality, practical help, seasons of parenting, uncertainty, overwhelmed, advice, anxiety, encouragement

There is nothing like the untimely death of a loved one to cause us to reflect and reevaluate our own lives. Continue Reading »

Tags: faith, family, godliness

Discipleship as it relates to the stages of development

The Rhetoric Stage

In this series, we’ve taken a deeper look at discipleship in regard to the different stages of your child’s development. We have discussed what it looks like in the grammar stage (preschool-young elementary ages) and the logic stage (5th-9th grades). Now we will look at what discipleship looks like in the rhetoric stage (14 - 18+year olds).
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Tags: discipleship, intentionality, practical help, beliefs, church, expectations, faith, family, godliness, guidance, motivation, priorities, salvation, spiritual leadership, vision, wisdom, prayer, seasons of parenting, teens

Discipleship as it relates to stages of development

The Logic Stage

In our previous posts we discussed what discipleship is, and what it looks like in the early pre-school and elementary years.

Today, we are going to take a deeper look at discipleship in the tween years or the Logic Stage of discipleship (5th - 9th grades). We’ll discuss practical, effective ways you can help disciple your child in this stage. Continue Reading »

Tags: anxiety, discipleship, elementary school, fear, intentionality, beliefs, church, expectations, faith, family, godliness, guidance, motivation, prayer, middle school, older children, parent-child relationship, practical help, salvation, seasons of parenting, training

Discipleship as it relates to stages of development

The “Grammar” Stage

In Parts 2-4 of our discipleship series we will provide practical and helpful ways to equip you in the faithful discipleship of your children.

Having raised and educated our own eight children we have become believers in the trivium model of the classical approach to learning. Continue Reading »

Tags: discipleship, beliefs, church, expectations, faith, family, godliness, guidance, salvation, spiritual leadership, prayer, elementary school, intentionality, practical help, preschool, seasons of parenting, training, uncertainty, young children

Discipleship as it relates to stages of development

Rich and faithful discipleship should be the hallmark of every Christian home. For most parents it is something that is a genuine desire but often elusive and never fully integrated into family life.Continue Reading »

Tags: discipleship, godliness, guilt, home life, confidence, inadequacy, influence, parent-child relationship, prayer, intentionality, motivation, parental authority, priorities, spiritual leadership, wisdom

A “good” parent is a humble and teachable parent. One who willingly and frequently reevaluates priorities. It can be an uncomfortable process, but one that is absolutely necessary to maintain a home that is conducive to the faithful nurturing and training of children.Continue Reading »

Tags: busyness, disorder, guilt, home life, irritability, overcommitted, priorities, advice, anxiety, chaos, decision making, distraction, dysfunction, expectations, family, goals, identity, intentionality, overwhelmed, peace, significance, seasons of parenting, stress

Sometimes when I deeply ponder the gravity of parenting and truly consider the stakes, a certain deep-seated uneasiness (perhaps approaching panic) slips over me. It isn't thinking about parenting in general that does this, it is thinking about the parenting of a specific child who seems to have drifted off course without my having noticed it sooner.
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Tags: distraction, fear, intentionality, motivation, overwhelmed, advice, anxiety, encouragement, guidance, guilt, uncertainty, perseverance, regret

In “Parenting Flows From Your Marriage” we shared that we’ve been collecting a sort of mental notebook around ways marriages can be self strengthening and in turn be able to deliver more effective parenting.

Today, we’re sharing our thoughts on the needs of a wife. Continue Reading »

Tags: church, encouragement, exhaustion, prayer, financial matters, chaos, confidence, family, guidance, guilt, home life, influence, motivation, oneness, practical help, priorities, reassurance, husbands and fathers, intentionality, loneliness, marriage, spiritual leadership, support, unity, wives and moms

We believe many factors contribute to successful, biblical parenting. Of all those factors, perhaps, second only to the spiritual health and maturity of each parent, is the health and maturity of your marriage. Continue Reading »

Tags: encouragement, home life, husbands and fathers, marriage, peace, priorities, identity, oneness, unity, wives and moms

One of the unexpected realities confronting Christian parents is this: faithful parenting is personally costly. No one ever told us this, we were completely unprepared. Continue Reading »

Tags: balance, intentionality, loneliness, advice, blessing, busyness, decision making, distraction, encouragement, personal sacrifice, priorities, expectations, faith, family, husbands and fathers, guidance, home life, hope, motivation, parent-child relationship, perseverance, regret, significance, vision, wives and moms, purpose, resentment, seasons of parenting, selfishness, unappreciated

Domestic desperation and chaos - many parents find themselves facing unrelenting waves of turmoil, crises and conflict in their homes. How do I do this? Am I doing this right? What exactly should I be doing? Is this normal? How long can this go on, how long can I go on? So uncertain, so weary. And, thankfully, all so unnecessary.Continue Reading »

Tags: anxiety, conflict, crisis, desperation, exhaustion, family, home life, insecurity, instability, marriage, overwhelmed, peace, stress, uncertainty

The current state of the Christian home

In the course of time it seems that somewhere, somehow we have lost our way....especially as it relates to the state of our homes. While we would all agree that we desire our homes to be a haven, a shelter, and a place of peace, most of us would sadly have to concede that our family dwellings are a far cry from this description.Continue Reading »

Tags: blessing, chaos, conflict, disorder, dysfunction, confidence, marriage, family, goals, godliness, helicopter parent, home life, hope, oneness, parent-child relationship, peace, perseverance, purpose, spoiled kids, stress, trials, vision, worldliness, intentionality