God's goodness is the source and foundation of your child's developing character. As they learn to value that goodness, their character will begin to be shaped by it; when they receive Christ and His Spirit, they will continue to walk in it.
Our children, especially boys, come to us in all sorts of shapes, sizes, issues, personalities and skill sets. I must confess that I struggled with all of my children in different ways at different times. But at some point, I finally had to realize that I needed to make peace with my precious children and the puzzle I was given to figure out with my own different ones, as all were quite unique.
As parents, we are in effect giving God's life to our children by helping them flesh out the words of the old hymn: "Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to truth and obey." Strengthening your child's faith and shaping your child's will is the path for them to finding their life in Christ, just as every marriage begins with belief and willingness.
We are an artistic bunch: books, music, movies, scripts, cd's. Not a scientist in the crowd. Many of you who have followed J&J have written to ask me about the music we have shared on fb and other places so I thought I would go ahead and put the info here. Enjoy!
Find Jennifer at her blog, here: Jennifer Fulwiler and on Instagram here: Jennifer Fulwiler
Find Randall and his wonderful products on Instagram at Slugs and Bugs and his website here: Slugs and Bugs
It’s safe to say that most of us would agree with the popular aphorism “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” That unforgettable phrase first entered the collective American mind in 1972 as the slogan for UNCF ads, helping that worthy organization raise billions of dollars in scholarships for African American college students. It has since become part of the American vernacular, expressing a truth that resonates for all thinking people: Every mind is valuable and worthy of investment and development. It also suggests that the mind is a renewable resource, or, as Leonardo da Vinci quipped (though not in English), “Learning never exhausts the mind.” In other words, the more we invest in the mind, the more it will give back.
No matter how hard we try to help our children stay on the straight and narrow way, how diligently we try to guard their eye and ear gates, how much we try to model and train them to practice the Golden Rule, they are constantly tempted to be pulled away from God’s ideals. Truly faith-driven parents will never completely give up on their biblical standards, and yet the longer we are on the parenting journey, the more we may let go of our tight grip on what we believe Scripture teaches about parenting. But that doesn’t change the realness of the ideals.
Because it is launch day and Clay and I are in Oxford, England, we will not be in the right time zone to do our normal facebook launch party. So we recorded a special launch day podcast for you from Scotland.
Nurturing my children was not always a planned part of my normal day, but sometimes the spontaneous times of training and instruction were the best times.
Website: www.LaraCasey.com
Shop: www.shop.cultivatewhatmatters.com
Instagram: @LaraCasey
Set kid-sized goals. Training your children how to set goals, even at a young age, is giving them early practice at one aspect of what it means to be a disciple of Christ.
Kristen Kill is a woman transformed by the delight of God. She is passionate about encouraging women who feel stretched thin with the truth that, even in the tension, God is singing over them with love. After spending the last seven years in the hustle of New York City, Kristen and her husband, Josh, are learning to go slow as they raise their five kids in the Pacific Northwest. Her days are filled with homeschooling, walking her slightly anxious hound dog, and putting off the cleaning for one more day. Find Kristen writing at kristenkill.com and follow her on Instagram @kristenkill.
If you would like to see what Holly is up to, follow her at storyformed.com or find her on Instagram @storyformedhome.
Lifegiving parenting is not about changing the culture we live in but about being a counterculture to it. It’s not about creating a comfortable Christian subculture insulated from the surrounding world; rather, it’s about being the kind of lifegiving home culture that will stand as a testimony of God’s biblical design for family to a lost world whose sandy foundations are washing away.
We have had such a great time interviewing different parents asking them to share some of their best ideas and advice about being a parent who raises their children for Christ. Today is our first such podcast. We hope you will enjoy this series and glean from the many ideas shared in the next two weeks.
You will love Susie Davis. She is a seasoned mom, an author and loves to encourage those in her ministry. You will be refreshed by our time shared on this podcast, Thanks, Susie.
I think that the goal is to teach our children to obey quickly, but search as I may, I cannot find that as a standard in scripture. And so I may find relief in the grace I have found in scripture.
Join me in my podcast today where I discuss the way to contentment in marriage, how to build this legacy for a lifetime and why God considers your worship of Him as a reflection of how well you choose to love and live in harmony with your spouse.
Discipleship and mentoring took place daily at our table, because of our intentional commitment to inform their values, to reach their hearts with truth and messages from the heart of God.
The lifegiving home must start with a heart that says, "I will be the hostess of life here within these walls to serve all who come here so that they may taste and see that the Lord is good by being here with me."
Our newest book, The Lifegiving Parent, is all about the ways we walk along the path of life with our children, encouraging them to find life in God. Available now for preorder!