Parenting
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Saying “No” for a Reason
There is an old principle that I have heard, I suppose, for my entire life, but it has never really sunk in until recently. Or, maybe, to put it a better way, I knew the principle but did not live it out in practice. I’ll share what that principle is in a moment. But, first, a couple of personal anecdotes that provide the backdrop to this article. I was asked a short time ago to take part in something I had done before. Most wouldn’t consider it a big thing, and it would have probably only taken a couple of hours each week on average (something like that, anyway). It…
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One Gift You Can’t Wrap
We are trying to do better this year about buying our Christmas gifts earlier. We hope to get most–if not all–of them bought and wrapped in just the next few days. (We’ll see if that actually happens!) The “hurry and hustle” of this season of the year is real, but we would rather “hurry” now than be totally scrambling later on. And that hints at where I want to go in this brief article. For many of us, there is so much to do this time of year (and always). On top of the usual work and school things and regular activities (haircuts, dental appointments, etc.) there is shopping to…
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Lord, Give Us Strength
Let me say, right from the start, that this is not my usual, light-hearted attempt at encouragement. This article is being written while in a place of struggle and, as of the writing, I don’t know the outcome. But I do know this: Satan is at war for souls, including our children’s souls. He has many tools and resources that he uses to ensnare our thoughts and hearts. As much as he attacks us, sometimes I wonder if he isn’t after our children even more. After all, if he can get them young and then make them feel unworthy enough, they are much easier to keep down. And they haven’t…
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The Most Controversial Thing about Parents in Our Society
It is hard to watch, read, or scan the news and not see some story or headline about parents. Maybe it has to do with school curricula. Maybe it has to do with the medical establishment. Maybe it has to do with local sports’ leagues. But it is quite an interesting thing to hear the word “parents” in the news so often. It got me thinking about something that is quite telling, but also extremely sad. And it may just be the most controversial thing about parents in our society. What is it? That they are actually acting as parents! What does it say about our culture that parents trying…
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It’s Sunday Morning; Do You Know Where Your Children Are?
Some of us may remember a message that would appear on our television screens almost every (if not all) evening. As I remember it, just as the 10:00 pm news came on, these words would appear: It’s 10:00. Do you know where your children are? I grew up in a home in which the parents did not need that “little reminder.” I guess that I kind of resented that at the time, but I’m very thankful now that my parents loved me enough to try to make sure they knew the answer to that question. I’ve been doing some thinking lately about another question that might need to be asked. What would your answer…
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I Think That I Was Better Off In The Dark
I guess that some people would say that I grew up in the dark ages. A new elementary school opened just as I was old enough to attend. I was in the first class to complete eight years in that building. (For those who are familiar with the area around Metropolis, Illinois, I am talking about Franklin Elementary School.) Did you notice that I completed eight years there? At least where I grew up, kindergarten was an idea that apparently had not caught on yet. At the age when children today are attending kindergarten, I guess my biggest concerns were things like how long I would be allowed to stay outside playing, what chores my…
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Episode 162: Before Our Kids Leave… [Podcast]
https://media.blubrry.com/faughnfamily/content.blubrry.com/faughnfamily/Legacy_Podcast_162.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS (Player not displaying or working? Click here to listen.) In our last episode, dealing with family devotionals with teens in the house, we talked about focusing on certain things you want your children to know before they leave the house. This week, we share some of those things–nowhere near all of them–that we would like to focus on in our house. With just 2-3 years before our children are through with high school, what types of things would we most want them to know? Maybe by building this list, you will be encouraged to build your own list and focus on certain…
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Episode 161: Family Devotional Ideas for Parents with Teens [Podcast]
https://media.blubrry.com/faughnfamily/content.blubrry.com/faughnfamily/Legacy_Podcast_161.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS (Player not displaying or working? Click here to listen.) There are piles of materials available to help families have devotionals when their children are small. As those kids get older, though, it can be easy to run out of ideas. Today, Adam and Leah simply share some things they have tried as parents of teens, and also why it is so important to keep devotionals going, even during these busy years. Find our podcast on… Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify Stitcher TuneIn Radio RSS
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Off They Went
Typically, I write my articles for Legacy some time in advance, or, at the very least, I get the main idea scribbled down and fill in the gaps later. Today’s article, though, is one that is fresh because it just happened hours before writing and because it is on my mind so much. She got her license. My little “sweet girl,” the girl who made me a daddy, is now a driver. We are so proud of her. She often puts herself down and she nearly always doubts herself, but she passed her permit test on the first try and her driving test a few months later on the first…
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“We are a _________ Family”
I’ve read it on social media more times than I can count. I have had people introduce themselves to me using it. It’s when they try to describe their family and they fill in the blank with something of this world, and it is typically an activity of their children. “We are a softball family.” “We are a theater family.” “We are a soccer family.” “We are an academic family.” “We are a football family.” “We are a band family.” And, yes, I have had people who were followers of Jesus introduce themselves to me that way. Before I even knew the names of all the family members, they had…
