I heard a podcast a few years back where two Christian men were lamenting the current fads of man-bashing and woman-boosting. They agreed that never are those two on display within the church quite like on Mother's Day for woman-boosting and Father's Day for man-bashing. If I think back to sermons I've happened to hear on any particular Mother's Day or Father's Day I can see their point.
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Tags: mentoring, advice, guidance, purpose, godliness

What does our culture tend to think of parenting? Sadly, most see it as a costly, difficult, seemingly never-ending thankless job.

What about you, Christian parent? How do you feel about your parenting efforts? When you think of your parenting efforts, how often do you see it as a holy act of worship, a self-sacrificing service highly valued in the sight of God? Continue Reading »

Tags: mentoring, advice, guidance, purpose, goals, discipleship, seasons of parenting, godliness, vision, intentionality

DIAPERS — Love them or hate them, they are, in fact, an inseparable part of parenthood.

I’ve been pondering the world of diapers and diaper changing lately. Maybe it’s because we’ve been blessed with a growing number of grand-babies this past year and anytime we gather as a family it’s always coupled with lots of diapers and much diaper changing! Continue Reading »

Scripture exhorts the older generation to impart godly wisdom to the next. In a sense, it’s the passing of the baton of faith that each generation might know the wondrous deeds of our mighty God (Psalm 78:4) and grow stronger in their faith.

As a Mother’s Day gift to you, Continue Reading »

Raising 8 children was quite a journey for us, to say the least. Sitting in the middle of all our noise and activity, Mary’s grandmother, who lived with us for years, would often laughingly say, “There’s never a dull moment in your home!”. There was a lot of truth in that observation!
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Tags: exhaustion, mentoring, advice, guidance, beliefs, family, conflict, confidence, discipleship, spoiled kids, purpose, goals, discipleship, older children, godliness, training, vision, worldliness, disorder, hope

Dear Mommy Blogger,

First, I want to thank you with all sincerity for your love and care for your fellow young moms. There is, no doubt, a great need in these daysContinue Reading »

Tags: mentoring, advice, guidance, beliefs, family, purpose, goals, discipleship, godliness, vision, worldliness, hope

In our last three blogposts (part 1, part 2, and part 3 of the series), we discussed ways we can fulfill our biblical mandate to “love our children”.

The first was to align our hearts with what scripture says about children. The second, Continue Reading »

Tags: mentoring, advice, guidance, beliefs, family, purpose, goals, discipleship, godliness, vision, hope

In our last two blogposts (part 1 and part 2 of the series), we discussed ways we can fulfill our biblical mandate to “love our children”.

The first was to align our heartsContinue Reading »

Tags: mentoring, advice, guidance, beliefs, family, purpose, goals, discipleship, godliness, vision, hope

In our previous post we discussed the first of 3 truths which distinctly characterizes a woman who loves her children.

Today, let’s examine the second:Continue Reading »

Tags: mentoring, advice, guidance, beliefs, family, purpose, goals, discipleship, godliness, vision, hope

What does it mean to love our children in a truly God-centered, selfless, biblical sort of way? What does that even look like? Continue Reading »

Tags: mentoring, advice, guidance, beliefs, family, purpose, goals, discipleship, godliness, vision, hope

Our women's ministry just recently completed a beautiful study in the book of Colossians. I have read through it’s four chapters now many times and continue to glean new, rich truths. However, there are three simple words the apostle Paul writes to the church in Colossae that penetrates my heart every time I read themContinue Reading »

Tags: motivation, beliefs, faith, family, godliness, guidance, spiritual leadership, prayer, intentionality, practical help, seasons of parenting, uncertainty, overwhelmed, advice, anxiety, encouragement

Over the years we’ve been called on by many exasperated parents who’ve hit critical mass in their homes and are in desperate need hoping to turn their circumstances around. Continue Reading »

Tags: motivation, beliefs, faith, family, godliness, guidance, spiritual leadership, prayer, intentionality, practical help, seasons of parenting, uncertainty, overwhelmed, advice, anxiety, encouragement

Isn’t it true that as parents we often find ourselves struggling to navigate our children through some of the very same challenges we face? One of those for us has been constraining worldliness Continue Reading »

Tags: worldliness, advice, godliness, identity, influence

There is nothing like the untimely death of a loved one to cause us to reflect and reevaluate our own lives. Continue Reading »

Tags: faith, family, godliness

Parent reform is excited to announce our first official parenting conference! Continue Reading »

Tags: training

It’s clear that scripture holds the discipline of self-control in high esteem.

Galatians 5: 22-24 lists it as one of the fruits of the spirit: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." Continue Reading »

Tags: advice, behavior, expectations, godliness, intentionality, whining, young children, training, older children

Hey, want to spend an evening with John Piper?

I got that question the other day at a particularly low point for me. Continue Reading »

Discipleship as it relates to the stages of development

The Rhetoric Stage

In this series, we’ve taken a deeper look at discipleship in regard to the different stages of your child’s development. We have discussed what it looks like in the grammar stage (preschool-young elementary ages) and the logic stage (5th-9th grades). Now we will look at what discipleship looks like in the rhetoric stage (14 - 18+year olds).
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Tags: discipleship, intentionality, practical help, beliefs, church, expectations, faith, family, godliness, guidance, motivation, priorities, salvation, spiritual leadership, vision, wisdom, prayer, seasons of parenting, teens

Discipleship as it relates to stages of development

The Logic Stage

In our previous posts we discussed what discipleship is, and what it looks like in the early pre-school and elementary years.

Today, we are going to take a deeper look at discipleship in the tween years or the Logic Stage of discipleship (5th - 9th grades). We’ll discuss practical, effective ways you can help disciple your child in this stage. Continue Reading »

Tags: anxiety, discipleship, elementary school, fear, intentionality, beliefs, church, expectations, faith, family, godliness, guidance, motivation, prayer, middle school, older children, parent-child relationship, practical help, salvation, seasons of parenting, training

Discipleship as it relates to stages of development

The “Grammar” Stage

In Parts 2-4 of our discipleship series we will provide practical and helpful ways to equip you in the faithful discipleship of your children.

Having raised and educated our own eight children we have become believers in the trivium model of the classical approach to learning. Continue Reading »

Tags: discipleship, beliefs, church, expectations, faith, family, godliness, guidance, salvation, spiritual leadership, prayer, elementary school, intentionality, practical help, preschool, seasons of parenting, training, uncertainty, young children

Discipleship as it relates to stages of development

Rich and faithful discipleship should be the hallmark of every Christian home. For most parents it is something that is a genuine desire but often elusive and never fully integrated into family life.Continue Reading »

Tags: discipleship, godliness, guilt, home life, confidence, inadequacy, influence, parent-child relationship, prayer, intentionality, motivation, parental authority, priorities, spiritual leadership, wisdom

Over the years we've interacted with many Christian parents. They have been at all levels of spiritual maturity — some very young in their faith to the seasoned and deeply mature.

One thing, however, is pretty universal — and that is what they desire for their children.

So, Christian parent, let me ask you...
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Tags: behavior, discipleship, entitlement, godliness, motivation, salvation, worldliness, expectations, influence, spoiled kids

How often do you stop and consider your identity?

With whom or what do you identity yourself? Continue Reading »

Tags: fear, identity, inadequacy, marriage, beliefs, guidance, influence, parent-child relationship, significance, peace, priorities, vision, worry

A “good” parent is a humble and teachable parent. One who willingly and frequently reevaluates priorities. It can be an uncomfortable process, but one that is absolutely necessary to maintain a home that is conducive to the faithful nurturing and training of children.Continue Reading »

Tags: busyness, disorder, guilt, home life, irritability, overcommitted, priorities, advice, anxiety, chaos, decision making, distraction, dysfunction, expectations, family, goals, identity, intentionality, overwhelmed, peace, significance, seasons of parenting, stress

Sometimes when I deeply ponder the gravity of parenting and truly consider the stakes, a certain deep-seated uneasiness (perhaps approaching panic) slips over me. It isn't thinking about parenting in general that does this, it is thinking about the parenting of a specific child who seems to have drifted off course without my having noticed it sooner.
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Tags: distraction, fear, intentionality, motivation, overwhelmed, advice, anxiety, encouragement, guidance, guilt, uncertainty, perseverance, regret

In “Parenting Flows From Your Marriage” we shared that we’ve been collecting a sort of mental notebook around ways marriages can be self strengthening and in turn be able to deliver more effective parenting.

Today, we’re sharing our thoughts on the needs of a wife. Continue Reading »

Tags: church, encouragement, exhaustion, prayer, financial matters, chaos, confidence, family, guidance, guilt, home life, influence, motivation, oneness, practical help, priorities, reassurance, husbands and fathers, intentionality, loneliness, marriage, spiritual leadership, support, unity, wives and moms

We believe many factors contribute to successful, biblical parenting. Of all those factors, perhaps, second only to the spiritual health and maturity of each parent, is the health and maturity of your marriage. Continue Reading »

Tags: encouragement, home life, husbands and fathers, marriage, peace, priorities, identity, oneness, unity, wives and moms

One of the unexpected realities confronting Christian parents is this: faithful parenting is personally costly. No one ever told us this, we were completely unprepared. Continue Reading »

Tags: balance, intentionality, loneliness, advice, blessing, busyness, decision making, distraction, encouragement, personal sacrifice, priorities, expectations, faith, family, husbands and fathers, guidance, home life, hope, motivation, parent-child relationship, perseverance, regret, significance, vision, wives and moms, purpose, resentment, seasons of parenting, selfishness, unappreciated

Authorization means having been granted permission and approval to exercise authority. And, what is authority?Continue Reading »

Tags: confidence, family, parent-child relationship, reassurance, vision, decision making, home life, influence, insecurity, parental authority, uncertainty

2 Peter 1:2-4 tells us that by His divine power, God has given his people all things necessary for life and godliness. What a tremendously comforting thought!

And what are those ‘things’? Continue Reading »

Tags: advice, church, guidance, knowledge, mentoring, salvation, wisdom, faith, hope, influence, support

Charles Spurgeon, the famous nineteenth-century English preacher, once said, “You might not always get what you want, but you always get what you expect.” Continue Reading »

Tags: behavior, chaos, elementary school, advice, blessing, goals, guidance, intentionality, practical help, entitlement, expectations, high school, influence, middle school, older children, preschool, tantrums, teens, toddler, whining, worldliness, young children

Much is made these days about getting things done under the banner of personal productivity. Bookstore shelves are filled with self-help titles on the topic. Common among those writings are encouragements to identify objectives and set clear, specific goals.Continue Reading »

Tags: goals, home life, husbands and fathers, identity, purpose, uncertainty, vision, wives and moms

Domestic desperation and chaos - many parents find themselves facing unrelenting waves of turmoil, crises and conflict in their homes. How do I do this? Am I doing this right? What exactly should I be doing? Is this normal? How long can this go on, how long can I go on? So uncertain, so weary. And, thankfully, all so unnecessary.Continue Reading »

Tags: anxiety, conflict, crisis, desperation, exhaustion, family, home life, insecurity, instability, marriage, overwhelmed, peace, stress, uncertainty

The rising tide of worldliness is swamping even the church, it seems. Frightening statistics tell a story of young adults from Christian homes entering college or the workforce then soon abandoning their parents’ values and turning their backs on their parents’ faith.
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Tags: beliefs, confidence, faith, grown children, home life, inadequacy, reassurance, salvation, vision, worldliness, encouragement, family, guidance, motivation, parental authority, peace, worry, godliness

The current state of the Christian home

In the course of time it seems that somewhere, somehow we have lost our way....especially as it relates to the state of our homes. While we would all agree that we desire our homes to be a haven, a shelter, and a place of peace, most of us would sadly have to concede that our family dwellings are a far cry from this description.Continue Reading »

Tags: blessing, chaos, conflict, disorder, dysfunction, confidence, marriage, family, goals, godliness, helicopter parent, home life, hope, oneness, parent-child relationship, peace, perseverance, purpose, spoiled kids, stress, trials, vision, worldliness, intentionality