I heard a podcast a few years back where two Christian men were lamenting the current fads of man-bashing and woman-boosting. They agreed that never are those two on display within the church quite like on Mother's Day for woman-boosting and Father's Day for man-bashing. If I think back to sermons I've happened to hear on any particular Mother's Day or Father's Day I can see their point.
Continue Reading »

Tags: mentoring, advice, guidance, purpose, godliness

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

Isn’t it true that as parents we often find ourselves struggling to navigate our children through some of the very same challenges we face? One of those for us has been constraining worldliness Continue Reading »

Tags: worldliness, advice, godliness, identity, influence

It’s clear that scripture holds the discipline of self-control in high esteem.

Galatians 5: 22-24 lists it as one of the fruits of the spirit: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." Continue Reading »

Tags: advice, behavior, expectations, godliness, intentionality, whining, young children, training, older children

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!
Continue Reading »

Tags: exhaustion, mentoring, advice, guidance, beliefs, family, conflict, confidence, discipleship, spoiled kids, purpose, goals, discipleship, older children, godliness, training, vision, worldliness, disorder, hope

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.
Continue Reading »

Tags: distraction, fear, intentionality, motivation, overwhelmed, advice, anxiety, encouragement, guidance, guilt, uncertainty, perseverance, regret

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

2 Peter 1:2-4 tells us that by His divine power, God has given his people all things necessary for life and godliness. What a tremendously comforting thought!

And what are those ‘things’? Continue Reading »

Tags: advice, church, guidance, knowledge, mentoring, salvation, wisdom, faith, hope, influence, support

Charles Spurgeon, the famous nineteenth-century English preacher, once said, “You might not always get what you want, but you always get what you expect.” Continue Reading »

Tags: behavior, chaos, elementary school, advice, blessing, goals, guidance, intentionality, practical help, entitlement, expectations, high school, influence, middle school, older children, preschool, tantrums, teens, toddler, whining, worldliness, young children

What does it mean to love our children in a truly God-centered, selfless, biblical sort of way? What does that even look like? Continue Reading »

Tags: mentoring, advice, guidance, beliefs, family, purpose, goals, discipleship, godliness, vision, hope

In our previous post we discussed the first of 3 truths which distinctly characterizes a woman who loves her children.

Today, let’s examine the second:Continue Reading »

Tags: mentoring, advice, guidance, beliefs, family, purpose, goals, discipleship, godliness, vision, hope

In our last two blogposts (part 1 and part 2 of the series), we discussed ways we can fulfill our biblical mandate to “love our children”.

The first was to align our heartsContinue Reading »

Tags: mentoring, advice, guidance, beliefs, family, purpose, goals, discipleship, godliness, vision, hope

In our last three blogposts (part 1, part 2, and part 3 of the series), we discussed ways we can fulfill our biblical mandate to “love our children”.

The first was to align our hearts with what scripture says about children. The second, Continue Reading »

Tags: mentoring, advice, guidance, beliefs, family, purpose, goals, discipleship, godliness, vision, hope

What does our culture tend to think of parenting? Sadly, most see it as a costly, difficult, seemingly never-ending thankless job.

What about you, Christian parent? How do you feel about your parenting efforts? When you think of your parenting efforts, how often do you see it as a holy act of worship, a self-sacrificing service highly valued in the sight of God? Continue Reading »

Tags: mentoring, advice, guidance, purpose, goals, discipleship, seasons of parenting, godliness, vision, intentionality

Dear Mommy Blogger,

First, I want to thank you with all sincerity for your love and care for your fellow young moms. There is, no doubt, a great need in these daysContinue Reading »

Tags: mentoring, advice, guidance, beliefs, family, purpose, goals, discipleship, godliness, vision, worldliness, hope