Family
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Do You Have a Favorite Pillow?
Recently, two of our grandchildren spent a couple of nights with us. After they had spent a night back at their house, it was discovered that our granddaughter did not make it home with her pillow. When I told her that we were sorry that we didn’t find it earlier, she told me that it was alright because that wasn’t the only one she had. She told me that it was her favorite pillow, but that she slept fine without it. Her response didn’t seem all that strange to me. She’s not the only person in the world who has a favorite pillow. Her “Grammy” also has one that we typically take with us when we…
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The Main Lesson To Teach Your Children On Vacation
Vacation season has arrived for many people. Schools are letting out and families are taking trips. Despite rising costs, a lot of families see value in getting away for a few days of relaxation and fun. With Memorial Day coming soon, trips will begin in earnest and summer will be loaded with them. There are so many good things that can come from a vacation. Rest is a good thing. Making memories is a blessing that is so special. Experiencing new things and seeing new places is wonderful. There is also an educational aspect to any vacation. Even if you are just going to hang out in the mountains or…
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Your Face Says It
Have you noticed how many people aren’t smiling these days? Everywhere I look, lots of people are walking around with a sad, straight, or frowning face. Now, I realize that smiling all the time would seem kind of weird, but when in a crowd of people, shouldn’t we at least try to smile at those with whom we establish eye contact? Thinking about this reminded me of a conversation I had with my mother near the end of her life. She was living in an assisted living home near me, and I was able to visit her every day. As she became more and more feeble, she began to talk about…
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7 Family Devo Ideas for Families with Teens
Though not perfectly consistent with it, we are big advocates of family devotionals. However, when the kids are a little older, it can be more difficult to find ideas. Many websites, blogs, and books are out there with ideas for little children or elementary-aged kids, but what do you do when you are dealing with teenagers? Since that’s the stage of life we are in, I thought it might be helpful to give a few ideas that you might want to try. We’ve tried all of these. Some have worked better than others, but all have been a great encouragement. Appian Media Videos We love the work done by Appian…
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What Does It Take to be a Mother?
No, this isn’t going to be a biology or physiology lesson, but the biology and physiology of conceiving a child really should be taught by parents to our children in the home. They need to learn that when an egg in the woman is fertilized by a sperm from a man, a child is conceived. That child will continue to grow inside the woman for approximately nine months and then be born making her the mother. But there’s so much more to motherhood, as God intended it, than just this textbook description. Maturity. A woman (along with her husband) should recognize that life is sacred and a gift from God…
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The Hug That Was Years in the Making
It happened three years ago now, but I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. For many years, because I was preaching, I was not able to be with my mom on Mother’s Day (or my dad on Father’s Day). She was with dad, worshiping while he preached and I was preaching elsewhere. I did my best to call on Mother’s Day and it was always a joy to hear her be happy to hear from her son, but there was just something different about not seeing her on that special day, and knowing that I couldn’t see her. Then, as you likely know, we moved to where my parents live…
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Wanted!
Expert in just about everything – often without formal trainingWilling and able to organize, lead, and motivate – without being perceived as a leaderLong hoursAlways on callNo real job description“Target” for criticism from others (most of whom don’t really understand the situation)No salaryNo vacation timeNo established sick leaveNo company funded insurance or retirement planOften under (or not) appreciated Do you know anybody who would sign up for that? I do! In fact, I am blessed because I have had and/or currently have five such people in my family. Two of them, Virginia Faughn and Ruth Turner, have left this life, but have left behind an amazing legacy in a lot of ways. Three…
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I Didn’t Know What I Had Until…
In reading Psalm 51 recently, I was reminded of David’s remorse for what he had done. He had disobeyed God by committing sin with Bathsheba and trying to cover it up by having her husband, Uriah, killed. He then proceeded to take Bathsheba as his wife. Second Samuel 11 ends with these words, “But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord” (2 Sam. 11:27). We all remember how God sent Nathan to David to tell him that he was the man with whom God was displeased. The account tells us of all the things that God had given David (2 Sam. 12:7-8). The chapter continues with all the…
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Could I Be The Problem?
I just tried a little experiment. I wanted to see if I could trick my spellchecker. What I typed was “The Untied States of America.” Immediately, a suggested correction showed up. The suggestion was for me to change what I had typed to “The United States of America.” Some might argue that our nation is becoming increasingly “untied” and that I am thinking of some political or social point that needs to be made. While I am reasonably sure that some points along those lines could be made and could have some validity, that was not the purpose of my “experiment.” I was thinking about the importance and desirability of unity. I have…
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Happy Birthday, Beautiful
[NOTE: When we made A Legacy of Faith to where I only release articles on Wednesdays, the “odds” of me posting on Leah’s birthday dropped dramatically. So forgive me for this personal post. However, I believe it fits with what our site is, because it celebrates the home and a marriage that is a blessing. –Adam] Leah, It was on your birthday, let’s just say a few years ago, that you gave me the gift. Oh, I bought something, and it was expensive, but you were the giver. On your birthday, when you said, “Yes” to my marriage proposal, I was the recipient of a blessing that continues, without fail,…
