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10 Keys for Effective Parenting
I devoured a bunch of parenting books back in my child-rearing days, and they all left me feeling somewhat inadequate. They influenced me positively, I’m sure, but when reading chapter after chapter of...
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No Perfect Fathers (or Mothers)
My father was not a fan of Father’s Day. He appreciated grateful children as much as any father does. However, he didn’t want our family to spend money on gifts he considered frivolous: ties he didn’t...
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Fathers, Exercise the Leadership God Has Trusted to You
The description of David as “a man after God’s heart” was used first by Samuel when he told Saul that his kingdom would not continue. “The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart,” he said (1...
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Hope for Parents in the Middle of July
It is now the middle of July, and the kids have been home long enough to spend unstructured, valuable time with you, take part in educational or sporting activities, relax a little, help around the...
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Four Prayers for the New School Year
Our youngest left for college a few weeks ago. For the first time, my husband and I have no one to wake for school, help with homework, or share the car keys. I’m not sure when ABCs became...
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The Pressures of 21st Century Parenting
From the first time I became a parent eight-and-a-half years ago, with three more little ones to follow, one thing has remained the same: There is immense pressure to keep up with the unrealistic and...
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This Mother’s Day, Don’t Worry
Once a mother always a mother. When I was planning the series Ultimate Questions for the congregation of The Orchard some time ago, I wondered which of Jesus’ questions might be most appropriate for...
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Parents and Children, Be Motivated by the Gospel
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you. (Exodus 20:12) God had miraculously brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt at...
View ArticleKey Connections (September 21, 2016)
4 Questions Parents Should Ask of Extracurricular Activities (Cameron Cole, The Gospel Coalition) Is it wrong to play on Sunday? Are we offering a poor Christian witness if we miss games and practices...
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Why Busy Parents Need Bible Study
I used to love studying my Bible. I would wake up in the morning, grab my first cup of coffee, and settle into uninterrupted time reading my Bible. I loved it. Whether I was preparing for a full day of...
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Walking with Our Children through Suffering (Sarah Walton, Set Apart) What do we do when suffering strikes in our kid’s lives? How do we prepare our children for a world that involves disappointment,...
View ArticleKey Connections (November 30, 2016)
How Can Expository Sermons Avoid Being Wooden and Uncreative? (Colin Smith, The Gospel Coalition) There is a kind of preaching that reflects the disciples’ spirit: dutiful, disciplined, and faithful,...
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Seven Good Books for Kids (and Their Grown-Ups)
It’s a great day for Christian children’s literature. Theologically sound authors are joining forces with incredible illustrators to create books for kids with the truth, stimulation, and whimsy...
View ArticleKey Connections (January 11, 2017)
7 Ways Smartphones Can Enhance Your Spiritual Life (Joe Carter, The Gospel Coalition) Christians must therefore think critically about how smartphones affect us…Yet in watching out for the pitfalls of...
View ArticleThree Ways to Help Your Kids Through Suffering
Trials and suffering can be anywhere from stretching to downright devastating. But most people would agree that as painful as it is to endure suffering ourselves, it’s even more painful to watch our...
View ArticleHow to Teach Your Children to Suffer Well
As painful as it is to endure suffering as parents, it’s even more painful to watch our children suffer. All four of my children have suffered immensely from the physical, emotional, and neurological...
View ArticleKey Connections (March 29, 2017)
Helping Kids Handle Conflict (Eric Davis, The Cripplegate) A child’s greatest need is not insulation from mean kids, but salvation from their sin; not to meet nicer kids, but to meet Christ. Through...
View ArticleKey Connections (May 4, 2017)
Stop Photobombing Jesus (Garrett Kell, The Gospel Coalition) Are you frustrated or discouraged when God “overlooks” you? Those are good times to re-evaluate why you follow Jesus. Satan Wields Ignorance...
View ArticleKey Connections (May 11, 2017)
To the childless on Mother’s Day (Chelsea Patterson, The ERLC) As a childless woman, Mother’s Day can be a painful reminder of what I don’t have, and what I long for. Seven Things Church Members Should...
View ArticleAn Open Letter to My Daughter on Mother’s Day
To my youngest daughter, for Mother’s Day, Have I ever told you that I consider Mother’s Day a celebration of you more than me? When your older sister was made for heaven, and not for earth—taken...
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