No matter where you are on the parenting spectrum, looking ahead to graduation can invoke anxiety and concern. Brad Griffin, Assistant Director of the Fuller Youth Institute, helps ease the tension with some thoughts on how to step into graduation with a plan over the next few weeks (or even the next few years.) He…
“Read their mind” is just our way of saying, a parent should seek to understand what’s changing mentally and physically about their kids. Kids and teenagers don’t think like adults. So it’s the role of a parent is to translate what you want in a way they can understand. When you know how they think—they will hear…
It was not my finest moment. We were running behind on Tuesday evening. Kristen had one of the four boys and I had the other three. For whatever reason, the boys didn’t understand that we were late and we needed to be in the car 10 minutes ago. Kristen called my phone, wanting me to…
Posted by Geoff Surratt | I grew up hating church. I didn’t have any theological problems with church, I was just bored. Sitting still for more than ten minutes was torture, and sometimes our services went on for two hours! The worst part is that my dad was the pastor, so we were there every…
My son and daughter-in-law just had their third child. At the moment, their home is like a three-ring circus of juggling, stunts, and acrobatics. Even now as I watch my daughter-in-law wrestle with diapers, wipes and poop, my son is juggling after-school pickup and entertaining a lively and spirited preschooler. Everybody is exhausted. Except…
I ran a 5k once. Once is the operative word. I might do it again some day when the faint smell of impending death finally leaves my nostrils. The race was fine, it was the runner who had a problem. I had always wanted to do it and wondered if I could. So when…
Posted by Tim Walker | I ran a 5k once. Once is the operative word. I might do it again some day when the faint smell of impending death finally leaves my nostrils. The race was fine, it was the runner who had a problem. I had always wanted to do it and wondered if…
By Kristen Ivy As part of my professional life, I recently had an opportunity to speak to a room of leaders. After it was over, there were a handful of people waiting to ask questions about the content and continue the conversation. But like so many times before, there were also some people lined up…
Posted by Reggie Joiner | Several years ago, our team was asked to design a program to help public schools teach kids character. One of the tools we provided was a “Value-able” card to award a child with free ice cream when they did something that demonstrated respect, responsibility, or kindness. We gave out enough cards…
I laughed when I read the tagline of this blog: “Do Family Better.” If I am totally honest, I think that is the one area I struggle most. As a single mom, there are days when I want to figure out where I put that darn cape—you know the one that says, “Single Mom’s the…