Let’s keep working on involving teens in church life.
Adults have much to offer to teens, and teens have much to teach us. This is hard work. Let’s get started.
Discipleship, Parenting
We say we want kids and teens at church. So what are we prepared to do?
Two weeks ago, I wrote a blog post questioning whether or not kids should be forced to attend church. The feedback was overwhelmingly in favor of taking kids to church, for a variety of reasons. If we say we want kids to come to church, then stop engaging them, our actions don’t match up with our words. Just what are we prepared to do to keep kids, teens, and young adults in church?
Jesus Didn’t Have Kids, But He Makes Me a Better Parent
Remember when the acronym WWJD got popular? What Would Jesus Do is a great question to ask in a myriad of situations: when you’re parking, and someone goes for the same spot you’re going for, when someone is rude, and you want to tell them a thing or two… but what about parenting? Have you ever looked at your kids and wondered… what would Jesus do?
Teaching Our Kids to Pray for Our Enemies
No parent, not matter how old your child is, wants to watch his or her child to be hurt. We need to find ways to rebuild our children so that they want to continue to pursue their goals. This time, we did this by praying for those who wish us to fail.
Talking Scripture: You Can Go Home Again
Tonight I was blessed with a three-generation discussion about the Bible. I’m still pinching myself.
Homemade Prayer Cards: Gifts that Keep on Giving
After surgery, homemade prayer cards from my teen daughters were truly a blessing.
Changing perspectives with opposite thinking… even with teens.
Perhaps you know a person who can out-argue any potentially successful advice. Kaia could teach a class on how to shoot down suggestions of any plausibility level. I often want to roll my eyes and say “Ok, whatever, you’ve got it all figured out. Let me know how it goes next time.” This time, before I spoke, I paused and prayed for guidance, and God heard.
Same Family, New Traditions: Preparing to Wait for Jesus
My mom died fifteen years ago, and it’s still tough to think about “doing the holidays” without her. But through God’s grace and our love for Jesus, we’ve created new ways to celebrate the baby who changed the world.
In case of emergency… create a spiritual toolkit
We have insurance policies, health insurance, spare tires, first aid kits, and AAA. What preparation do we have for when we have a spiritual emergency?
How Daily Devo Guides My Parenting
I had no idea that reading, writing, and editing Daily Devo: Devotions for Families would make me a better disciple, and a better parent.
