While Susan was swinging on her swing, I picked up a wad of cut grass. “Don’t do anything, Steven,” she warned me. “My dad is in there watching you.” I glanced at the dark window across the yard. How did she know he was watching? I couldn’t see anything. But she said it all theContinue reading “You Can Trust Your Heavenly Father. Psalm 123:2.”
Category Archives: Parenting
Spiritual Leadership. Ezekiel 46:1-10.
How do you learn to follow the Lord? How do you teach it to your children? Perhaps the simplest advice I’ve heard is this: Discipleship is Caught not Taught. That is, people learn by observing good models. Teach people to follow Christ by following Christ yourself. In front of them. Let them see you readingContinue reading “Spiritual Leadership. Ezekiel 46:1-10.”
Ask Your Father for a Blessing! Joshua 15:19.
Yesterday I read an interesting phrase. The writer said the father of Benjamin Franklin had 17 children “of which to dispose.” But it’s not what you think. The arcane phrase simply means Josiah Franklin had to find jobs, apprenticeships, husbands, or other arrangements to secure the future of each of his 17 children. Dispose, usedContinue reading “Ask Your Father for a Blessing! Joshua 15:19.”
How Do I Get My Children to Follow the Lord? 2 Chronicles 24:24-25.
What do most immigrants to the United States want their children to do? Go to med school, of course! The idea has become such a stereotype, standup comics make millions telling jokes about it. But the stereotype is not untrue. Parents of every stripe, of every American ethnicity and culture have imagined their children asContinue reading “How Do I Get My Children to Follow the Lord? 2 Chronicles 24:24-25.”
The Oak Tree in the House. 1 Kings 1:6.
When my father, Ernest, was about five, some older cousins came to visit. They were unruly, wildly undisciplined. One day the boys ran out of the house, little Ernest bringing up the rear. Just as he leapt from the porch, an older cousin pushed a wheelbarrow in front of him, knowing he would be unableContinue reading “The Oak Tree in the House. 1 Kings 1:6.”
Prayer, Fasting, and Generational Blessings. 1 Samuel 2:31-33.
“The child Samuel grew in favor both with the Lord and also with men” 1 Samuel 2:26. How can we have children like that? Is there a way to guarantee your children will walk with God? The short answer is “No, but…” That is, there is probably nothing godly parents can do to ensure theirContinue reading “Prayer, Fasting, and Generational Blessings. 1 Samuel 2:31-33.”
Fasting, Praying, Servant Leadership. Deuteronomy 9:18.
Image generated with A.I. In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses recounts his experiences leading the difficult people of Israel (whom he describes as “stiff-necked,” Deuteronomy 9:6). After they left Egypt and crossed the Red Sea, God called Moses to visit with the Lord on Mount Sinai. Moses went up the mountain, was gone forty days,Continue reading “Fasting, Praying, Servant Leadership. Deuteronomy 9:18.”
DO YOU EVER THINK ABOUT YOUR CHILDREN? Judges 2:10-12,14.
When I was a child in Sunday school, I always wondered what went wrong? We would read about Adam and Eve, the way they walked with God in the garden. But in a few generations, people were so evil, God chose to flood the earth and start over. Then Noah and his three sons andContinue reading “DO YOU EVER THINK ABOUT YOUR CHILDREN? Judges 2:10-12,14.”
ARE YOU A TERMITE OR A FIRE ANT? 1 Timothy 5:24.
Are you a termite or a fire ant? When termites grow wings, come to the surface, and take flight, the inexperienced may mistake them for winged ants. Ants may sting, but homeowners who have faced both ants and termites can tell you: ants are an easier problem than termites. If you’ve encountered fire ants, aContinue reading “ARE YOU A TERMITE OR A FIRE ANT? 1 Timothy 5:24.”
Comfort for Parents Who Have Regrets. Philippians 1 and 2.
I worry a bit about failing to do all we could as parents. I have regrets. Today I read a verse that brings me comfort. Paul writes to his spiritual children: “I am confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day ofContinue reading “Comfort for Parents Who Have Regrets. Philippians 1 and 2.”
Household Words: 