Because I grew up in a Pastor’s home, we oftentimes had missionaries visit and stay with us. I remember listening to the stories and watching the slide shows they’d deliver during the all-ages Sunday School hour. These encounters shaped my understanding of “mission.” I rapidly learned that the Christian’s calling is to fulfill the Great…
I remember one of the hardest days I had when I first became a parent. It wasn’t watching my little guy get a shot and realizing that the world would hurt him in ways I would be unable to stop. It was the day we took our first family vacation. Let me…
When my kids were younger, my wife used to go to the grocery store with our three toddlers. She would often joke that the cashier would give her a “certain look.” A look that she felt said . . . “You need to choose a man!” Now, why would she say that? Well…
*The following is excerpted from an online article posted on MediaPost. YouTube viewers world-wide are now watching more than 1 billion hours of videos a day, boosted by algorithms personalizing user lineups, and threatening to eclipse U.S. television viewership. The number represents a ten-fold increase from 2012. YouTube surpassed the figure, which is far…
Okay, I admit it. I sometimes often overdo things. If I find a shirt I love that fits well, I’ve been known to buy it in two colors. If it’s on sale? … I mean, how many colors are there? Is there a price break for buying in bulk? A “cheat” meal has been…
This year, Mother’s Day turns 102. Although Anna Jarvis created the holiday in 1908, it wasn’t an official holiday until six years later when Woodrow Wilson signed it into law. It was a day created out of a prayer Anna overheard from her mom, that there be a Memorial Day for mothers to commemorate…
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…
Splink 1: Pure? Grab a water bottle and while the kids are watching, add a tablespoon of dirt to it. Ask, Would you like a drink of this water? Why or why not? Christians are called to be pure, to be holy. What does it mean to be pure? (Clean; not contaminated; not polluted; etc.)…