I never thought I would be one of THOSE parents. The ones who hand their kids tech to keep them quiet. I mean, do some parenting, people! Raise your children! Teach them to behave appropriately. Put in the work to engage them, play with them, pay attention to them. Oh, silly me. Silly,…
Early this morning I was reading in the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 5, about a distraught father named Jairus. As I pondered his two-sentence urgency-filled request to Jesus I kept thinking about kids today. Jairus said to Jesus, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so…
Imagine the end. Say words that build. Use everyday moments to tell a bigger story. Be the person you want your kids to be. These are the things I am so glad someone much wiser than us encouraged us to do when we were beginning our parenting journey. There’s one last thing, and it’s…
I hope to raise my children to be followers. Our world has plenty of leaders but not nearly enough followers. Leadership is overrated. All too often accompanied by inflated ego and entitlement, it tears us apart, offers a temporary façade of confidence, and severs our relationship with the only true leader. You see, I want…
Posted by Carey Nieuwhof There’s an insecurity inside most of us that asks, “But, does he/she really love me?” It happens when you’re dating. Sometimes it still haunts you when you’re married. It follows you into your deep friendships. And it definitely makes its way into the heart of almost every child. I have NO…
Thirteen years ago, I couldn’t have known all that motherhood held in store. I knew I wanted to be a mom and have a handful of kids. 3-4 would be good. God saw fit to bless our family with three wonderful boys. Benjamin came first. He was going to be William until the day he…
I get it. When you stop for a moment and say, “Take care of yourself, OK?” you’re telling me you care. And I’m so glad you stopped instead of walking by. But can I let you in on something? I’m trying to take care of myself, really I am. On days where my son’s health…
It was a bitter cold winter. The viral rage was throwing pots of boiling water out the door so kids could watch it freeze mid-air. I was beginning to feel like we were back to our homeschooling years. Administrators had closed school so often. Even if you don’t live in the frigid North like I…
Here’s one thing I know. There isn’t a parent out there who woke up with the thought, I wonder how I could ruin my child today? We know you want to be the best parent you can be. But being a great parent requires more than focusing on your child. It calls for the…
Today, we hear from Andrew McPeak. Andrew is a writer, curriculum designer, and speaker who has served with a number of non-profit organizations (and has spoken to thousands of Millennials) over the last 5 years. He now serves on our team at Growing Leaders. This has been a year of change for our county and our…