As difficult and out of reach as it may seem to you at the moment, your home can become a place of peace, love, strength, and support – for every family member. We understand that is your deepest desire, and it is a right desire. After all, it's biblical.

The bible speaks of children as being blessings. We know in moments that they may feel nothing like a blessing to you, or to anyone else for that matter. Yet, you want them to bless - all the time. And not just bless you, but bless others and even themselves – that is a wonderful desire. It's biblical, too.

Your marriage may seem a source of constant conflict. You may feel miles apart emotionally, philosophically, and perhaps spiritually. We understand that is not how either of you ever expected it to be when you both said "I do".

You want things to be not only like they were early in your relationship, but even better. And that is a wonderful desire. Having a joyful, healthy marriage is God's desire for you as well.

Take heart, it is not beyond repair, it can become what God intended for you both, a gift and a blessing from the hand of a loving Heavenly Father.

And for the solo parent going it alone (and often in the face of opposition) the task may seem impossibly daunting. You want, and need, your home to be a place of refuge and recharge for both you and your children. You deeply desire your children to be spared the difficulties you've faced and are now overcoming.

You are not alone, we all have history and struggles that we want to end with us. The last thing we want is to see our beloved children repeat and relive our own failures and struggles. We want them to stand on our shoulders - to go further in Christ and achieve greater things for the Kingdom of God than did we.

II Peter 1: 3-4 tells us that God has granted to us everything necessary for life - for a godly life. He has given us knowledge by his calling of his glory and greatness. He has given us amazing promises that through them we actually become partakers of his divine nature. Let that soak in.

We have all sufficiency in Christ. His word is sufficient for our needs and daily living. He created us male and female and he invented marriage. He loves our family more than we possibly can imagine. Believe that he knows what we need even before we ask.

For Christians, he is both with us and he is for us - in our marriages and in our parenting.

Be encouraged.

You're no wimp.

No one enjoys feeling powerless – and powerless is exactly how many parents describe their relationships with their own children. How can such small humans wield such might? They are relentless, it seems. Parents worry, what is coming next. If it is like this when they are 2 (or 4, 8, 13, or …), how is this going to look as they grow up?

Parents need to be empowered. The good news is - you are! You just don't know it!

Then why am I so exhausted?!

It's not your fault you feel exhausted, lost, and helpless at successfully parenting your children. It seems we've lost our way as Christians. We've let the world's culture creep in over generations and now there are so few good examples to look to we are not even sure what it should look like, let alone, have any help making it a reality in our own home!

You may have tried all sorts of things to stop your domestic madness. Seminars, books, counseling, even retreats. And for the kids, "if we just try harder to meet their needs, if we'll just be a little more patient, then I know they'll finally understand how much we love them and then surely they will start obeying and treating us better!" - no such luck.

You may be putting in a lot of effort, after all, that's why you're so exhausted by the time your head hits the pillow each night. Things are like they are not for lack of effort or because you want them this way.

Are we doomed?

Your children do not have to turn out like what you see all around. Who wants to spend their life energy and financial resources raising children who grow up to ultimately reject you, your ideas, and your faith? No one. And it does not have to end that way!

Oblivion

You may have wondered, "Does anyone have a successful marriage? Does anyone actually enjoy their children?" The truth is, yes, there are many on both counts. Unfortunately they are becoming rare. But not extinct!

We enjoy our marriage. Our children are a joy to us, all eight of them. Are they perfect? Nope - but then neither are we. Do we deeply enjoy one another? Yes, we do. Do they bless us and others? Yes, they do.

Overcomers

The world accuses Christians of being holy in word only. They say our families are no better off than theirs and that our children fall into the same traps as theirs. They mock the very rock we build our lives on.

The reality is, when we begin to embrace God's plan and instructions for marriage, parenting, and home we will look very different from the world. No one makes it through this world unscathed by the ravages of sin, but God’s people overcome. Those things meant to destroy us and our children, can, through obedience and his power, be defeated and actually be made to serve us for good. Wow. (Romans 8:28, 37)

Our results will be unlike their results. Our children, our marriages, our home life will be a wordless testimonial to the glory of God. Our lives, lived well, will be a shining light, salt in a savorless world.

Hope

We will exude hope to the hopeless. And when the world sees that, they will ask us to explain why we are different, why we have hope when they have little! Several non-Christians have taken our unapologetically Christian parenting classes because of the testimony of hope in Christ for homes. They sensed a substantive difference, hope, and were willing to listen.

Welcome

What you are about to experience will revolutionize your entire outlook on parenting and that can change your marriage and children, for the better - which will then inescapably spill over onto your home life, church life, and shine everywhere you go.

What's next?

May we suggest you continue with our first article: "The Christian Home - What it could be"