When I was a little girl, I dreamed of being an umpire. The stubborn, sassy side of me relished the idea of throwing Tommy Lasorda out of a baseball game. When I was a preteen, I dreamed of being a pilot. I had visions of making one fantastic landing after another, debarking my plane to the cheers of onlookers as I slid my helmet off and let down my luscious, flowing hair. When I was a teenager, I dreamed of being an orchestra conductor, uniting artists in the making of heart-rending music before an enthralled audience. (To be honest, I still kind of dream about that sometimes.) From my adult perspective, I ...Read More
10 Easy Ways Your Family Can Share the Gospel During the Holidays
"Mom, is that person a Christian?" Around seven or eight years of age, each of my kids has gone through a stage where this question frequently crosses their lips. From the professional athlete to the grocery clerk to the woman holding the cardboard sign on the street corner—no one is exempt from the speculation. It seems the inquiry comes from my kids' growing awareness of what "being a Christian" entails, and from an understanding that some people will receive Christ, others will reject Him, and still others haven't yet had an opportunity to do either one, having never heard a clear presentation of the ...Read More
8 Things My Entitled Kids Need to Know About Thankfulness
Thanksgiving is almost upon us. For many families, it's a season full of traditions. Whether those traditions are centered around family togetherness, service to those in need, jovial feasting, or some combination of all three, Thanksgiving is a holiday full of significance. Yes, having a holiday set aside to reflect on our blessings and thank God for them is a good thing. But in a culture immersed with entitlement and greed, it's increasingly important to teach our kids to have a spirit of gratitude all year long. Don't believe me? Here's what God has to say about it. What the Bible says about ...Read More
Speaking Life to Your Kids: Balancing Encouragement with Truth
I wore earplugs to my sons' most recent youth football game. Now I should let you know that while I tend to be on the reserved side, I'm not opposed to high-volume cheering at sporting events. Especially when my kids are participating, I can cheer my head off with the best of them. But during the first game of this season, I noticed that while there was a lot of shouting happening in the stands, very little of it was actually cheering. The crowd shrieked commands and censure. "Get the ball!" "Get your head in the game!" "We can't win like this, guys!" "Keep your hands on the ball!" "You HAVE to ...Read More
How to Teach Your Kids Christian Principles for Entertainment
"Mom, can you check out these TV shows and see if I can watch them?" Music to this mama's ears. After a bit of research, I approved two of the programs and disapproved the others, primarily because the shows were known to depict teens disrespecting adult authority figures. It was my disapproval that led to her next questions: "Why can't I watch them? I know other kids who watch them. And besides, why does it really matter? It's not like I'll start being rude and disrespectful just because of what I'm watching." Now, in the face of such a response (offered, ironically, in a barely-still-respectful tone), I ...Read More
Discipling Your Kids Through a World Crisis
Tension. It's what happens when both ends of a guitar string are pulled taut. The right amount of tension means the string is in tune, prepared to be plucked or strummed in harmony with other well-tuned strings in the making of lovely music. But what if there's too much tension? Stretching, expanding, straining tighter and tighter until— SNAP! The string breaks somewhere near the middle, leaving two frayed, shortened, useless pieces of nylon instead of the long, whole, unharmed string that once bore a limitless capacity for beauty. There's a lot of tension in our nation and in our world ...Read More
Praying the Scriptures for Your Kids’ Purity
Fellow moms, I know you do countless good things for your kids every single day. You feed them, clothe them, and make sure they stay (relatively) clean. You counsel them, discipline them, and train them. You comfort them, encourage them, and teach them. But among the myriad of important things you do for your children, consider that there's nothing more critical than praying for them. "God shapes the world by prayer. The more prayer there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against evil." E.M. Bounds I've found praying the Scriptures to be particularly meaningful and ...Read More
Training the Next Generation in Godly Stewardship
What comes to your mind when you hear the word "stewardship"? I used to associate that word strictly with finances. Though I probably realized on some level that the applications reach further, I neglected to flesh out what that looks like in real life. I've learned in recent years that stewardship is one of the most life-changing principles for Christ-followers living out our faith. So if stewardship isn't just about managing our money, what is it? Simply put, stewardship is recognizing our blessings and managing them well for the glory of God and the good of others. Stewardship starts with an ...Read More
