Parenting
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Moving is Hard Work!
Jim and I have just moved, and it was hard work. We moved from a 5-bedroom house with 3 bathrooms to a 3-bedroom house with 2 bathrooms all within the same city. The old house had a huge walk-in attic and it was full. It also had a large shed and a two car garage with a storage room off of it. We now have a small attic, no shed and no storage room off of our garage. Downsizing seemed like a very logical thing to do at our age (and it was), but little did we know that it would be so difficult. Deciding what furniture to move and what to sell was the…
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An Important Tip from An Eight-Year-Old
Some sermons are heard and some sermons are seen. Human behavior can be extraordinarily moving and thought provoking. There were even times in the life of the Son of God when He marveled at the actions of certain individuals. He marveled at the faith of the centurion (Matt. 8:10). He marveled at the unbelief of His own countrymen (Mark. 6:6). And I believe He marveled when He saw the widow give all her livelihood at the Jerusalem temple (Luke 21:1-4). It is with this in mind that I recall last Wednesday evening. Returning home from Bible class my young daughter traveled with me as we stopped to get a smoothie.…
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How To Lose Young People (in Three Words)
There comes a time when we have to loose young people. At some point in their lives, they have to be on their own. Parents have to “let go” and let their children start their own families, careers, etc. Some secondary school, trade school, college, or university will be the last place of formal education for them. Home congregations will have had the last opportunity to instill truths from God’s word (at least on a regular basis) as they move on in life. However, the cry heard from many quarters has little to do with loosing young people. Instead the cry from families, educational systems, and churches is: “We are losing our young people.”…
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Quick Children’s Devotional Idea [Video]
I recently did a Periscope with a short devotional idea for kids. (Yes, it was one that actually worked!) Here’s a quick description of how you can do this same devotional for your kids. (Video not working? Click here.)
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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…
