Parenting
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10 Lessons on Parenting from a Small Family Farm
[NOTE: This week’s guest post comes from Josh Ketchum. To learn more about Josh, check out his bio following today’s article. Also, note that this will be our final guest post until December, as we will be taking one week off, then relaunching our podcast on September 4.] We purchased 20 acres in Graves County, Kentucky, in the fall of 2013, and are now in the process of building a home on the property. We have four children ages 2 to 10 (3 boys and 1 girl). While the experience has been a real challenge at times to manage the extra work and stresses, it has also been lots of fun and…
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Our Homsechool Room and Curriculum [Video]
For today’s post, Adam and Leah recorded a video. In it, they give you a quick tour of their simple homeschool room, as well as some thoughts on the books and materials being used this year. Enjoy! (Video not playing? Click Here.)
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It Goes Without Saying
It is a common phrase. It is often used when one means, “Well, of course, I shouldn’t have to make that point, should I?” Then they add the phrase, “It goes without saying!” I wonder, though, if too many parents have that same attitude when teaching and training their children. Do you? Are there things that you are assuming your children know, but leaving those things unsaid? Here are 3 areas where words should not go without saying. 1. Etiquette. Some parents leave any words regarding manners unsaid. Maybe they think their kids will just grow into it. Maybe they think manners are not important in the grand scheme of…
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“And Me” : A Lesson from a Child’s Prayer
I enjoy listening to children pray. On those occasions when our family is able to be together, I especially appreciate hearing our grandchildren pray. For some time now, I have been intrigued by a phrase often used by our youngest grandson when he prays. He regularly thanks God for “Mommy, Daddy, Mary Carol (his sister), and me.” “And me”–I’m not sure I’ve ever heard him pray when he didn’t add those two words. A few years ago, I saw this Ziggy cartoon. Apparently the cartoonist and our grandson are on the same page when it comes to how they view life. A young boy’s prayer and a cartoon serve as a…
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It May be Poisonous
Last week when we were walking across the church parking lot my daughter showed me a medium-sized berry she had pulled off of one of the trees. My first reaction was to ask why she was pulling anything off a tree without permission. But that immediately became unimportant when I saw her motion to put this unknown object in her mouth. “Don’t eat that!” “Why not?” “Because it’s probably poisonous!” I couldn’t believe I had just gone there. I had been somewhat distracted by all of the other people that had been trying to talk to the preacher and that was a quick fix. I had no idea if it…
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An Appropriate Place for “George”
What you are about to read is the very first paragraph of an uncorrected proof of a book that is scheduled for publication on August 25, 2015. Let’s see if you find anything strange about that paragraph: George pulled a silver house key out of the smallest pocket of a large red backpack. Mom had sewn the key in so that it wouldn’t get lost, but the yarn wasn’t quite long enough to reach the keyhole if the bag rested on the ground. Instead, George had to steady herself awkwardly on one foot while the backpack rested on her other knee. She wiggled the key until it clicked into place. It wasn’t really too…
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Love Wins
Despite the title, this is not another article about the recent Supreme Court decision. For my personal beliefs on that issue, click here and/or here. If you struggle with your feelings toward our government and the direction our country is headed, I would direct you here or here. That said, despite all of the misuse of the phrase “love wins,” love does, in fact, win! Love wins in our marriages when a husband and wife follow the example Christ, given to us in Ephesians 5:25-33. Instead of a home where the battle for supremacy is waged at every turn, you have a unit functioning together in love: forgiving, supporting, encouraging,…
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#RediscoverNature : Kids Need to be Outdoors
We can read all the articles and books we want about raising our children, and the experts seem to disagree on a lot of issues. But there are certain things that nearly every expert agrees on. One of those things is that children need to be outside. When you think back to your childhood, what are some of your best memories of just being a kid? Nature Valley asked that of three generations, and put the answers in a short video. You must see this: (Video not playing? Click here to watch on YouTube.) If that doesn’t open your eyes, I’m not sure what will! Now most of us can…
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What I Wish the Church Knew about the Preacher’s Family
[Note: This week’s guest post comes to us from our friend Dale Jenkins. To learn more about Dale, check out his information following today’s article.] The apostle Paul wrote: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves” (2 Corinthians 4:7 KJV). The New Living Translation says: “We ourselves are like fragile clay jars.” To Timothy he wrote that “… in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will…
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Cousins’ Camp 2015: “Discovering Who You Are and Whose You Are”
Cousins’ Camp 2015 is now in the history books for the Faughn family. Three years ago, I borrowed an idea from my friend Sheila Butt and launched our version of Cousins’ Camp. I had heard Sheila talk about getting her grandchildren together for activities, devotionals, and lots of fun things. I loved the idea, so I borrowed it and began our version of the camp. Our camp, which is held at our home, begins on Thursday and runs through Monday at lunch. We run it very much like church camp. I’ll never forget the first time after breakfast when I said, “It’s cabin clean-up time,” and they all got up and went to their…
