Teen years are the making of the child into an adult and the humbling of the parent who realizes they never were in control of their children! But it also makes for forming great adult friendships that will give back to you the rest of their lives. Take heart and a deep breath and expect to see God's grace and provision in new ways--and above all, don't let it get you down. It is a normal process for all of history--the reason Solomon wrote Proverbs to teens, and the means through which many adults become more humble and compassionate for others.
I hope you will enjoy the second podcast with Clay and me sharing our thoughts about what we have learned about parenting to reach the hearts of our own four, who love us and love the Lord—all by His grace. We are always putting in something in their lives—we invest thorough the seasons:
Many of you who have read our books know that Clay and I are very relationship-based in our approach to children. As we looked to Christ for His model in how He reached the hearts of his disciples, so we wanted to develop a close and deep with ours. Yet, I think because every parent wants to do everything right, they often become susceptible to whatever parenting book they get their hands on first, seeking to find a formula for disciplining children.
Often, my children were doubting God, they were doubting because it didn't seem like He was answering prayer, or because other Christians had hurt or disappointed our family or acted without integrity or one of their friends had fallen from faith or adopted an immoral lifestyle. There are many reasons in a world full of temptation, but I think staying close, communicating love, affirming and understanding their questions and speaking forward into their lives is helpful. And of course, pray, pray, pray!
There is darkness in our world, discouragement, confusion. Yes, this is a really crazy time and we are not living as healthy as God intended us to—without regular contact with community, family, friends, church, restaurants, trying to meet all of our own needs alone without the normal interaction of those who used to be our support system. But there is still beauty, people we can love and be loved by, things to laugh at, and places where we still see goodness and God’s lifegiving creativity in our daily lives.
Do you ever feel like just when you are going to have a good day, someone spills something, argues, gets a fever when you were looking forward to going outside? Part of the challenge of life is learning to celebrate the joyful times and learning to live in grace through the times when life is just hard to tame.
How are you? Most of “my people” are getting restless and cranky and drained to their toes.
In now world is this normal life. The seclusion from church, friends, family and normal activity is truly unhealthy at the heart of it. We were made for relationship, work, fun, faith inspiration and ways to have a break once in a while—whatever that means to you.
A mother, living well in her God-ordained role, is of great beauty and inestimable value to the future history of any generation. Her impact is irreplaceable and necessary to the spiritual formation of children who will be the future adults of the next generation. Fun, comfort, humor, graciousness, spiritual passion, compassion for the lost, hospitality, chores, meals, training, life-giving words, hours and hours of listening and playing and praying and reading—all are parts of the mosaic which go into the process of soul development.
We know we are called to follow Christ, to take His message to the world, to raise our children to heed Jesus' call. But sometimes I think we fail to consider that following the Lord might mean leaving behind the ordinary and the familiar. It means exchanging a temporal view of life for an eternal goal. And this may mean leaving behind things we really care about--involvements and pursuits that seem important and worthwhile but may not be God's best for us.
A year ago, my wonderful friend, Nicole, NPT, created a program called "30 Days of Whole Living". I know that stress is slowing me down in my own ideals and practices. I thought it would be encouraging to all of us to talk about a healthy lifestyle today. Nicole has a plan, "7 Days of Whole Living", that helps women make a plan that fits into their lives for healthy rhythms and practices..
Today, we talked about her plan for whole living and what we both do to try to keep ourselves as healthy and strong as possible as a rhythm of life, all the time, every day. The purpose of her own program is to help women and moms, especially, learn different practices of self-care or what both of us call, “Whole. Living”
Drawing upon Scripture and upon his own experience learning from his friend and mentor Eugene Peterson, Grothe shows how our lives can be secured by the resource that will keep us from collapsing under the onslaught of the difficulties of life. Wisdom is available to us. It takes work to pursue it. Chasing Wisdom reveals how.
We had a grand time in our interview and I was so very encouraged. I know you will be so inspired by his message.
Today, I talked with my dear friend, Holly Packiam. Holly serves as the Pastor of Parenting Ministries at New Life Downtown, and brings her experience as a mother and her training as a counselor to the subject of loss. She shared how this season of being in isolation reminds her of when her kids were 7 and under and it felt impossible to go anywhere, get anything done, or see anyone outside of her family.
I hope you will enjoy the podcast today. Greatness is shaped in the hidden moments of life, the repeated rhythms over and over again that shape a life of memories and values in the hearts and minds of our children.
I hope you’ll enjoy our podcast today, as we discuss ways to find peace in the midst of stressful times!
Mothers are the keepers of lives entrusted by God in every generation. This week, I celebrate Mother’s day with some personal thoughts and some book giveaways that I hope will further inspire you.
Mama’s are my heroes who God uses to shape the destinies of little boys who become men. When a boy thinks his mama is for him, his mama sees a hero in his heart, prays for him, enjoys him, the messages last for life. Nathan, my son, is releasing a new book today that I think will help recapture the imagination of men all over the world to live into their capacity to become Good Men. But I think that mamas can be such an important part to working forward in creating this desire in the heart of her men.