You never know when God is going to point something biblical out to you. For me, it recently happened at a strategic communications conference I went to for work. There was a Q&A session where an author was explaining the importance of including the human element in innovation, specifically three characteristics that make the difference: Strategic kindness Optimism Curiosity These three points immediately made me think of three biblical themes God repeated throughout the Bible: Kindness Hope Listening Strategic kindness I’m not sure how “strategic kindness” is different than just plain ordinary kindness. But here’s what we’re told, biblically: Ephesians
Back when my husband and I got married, my parents gave us a copy of Love and Respect to help us build a strong foundation to our marriage. Of course, with the distractions of life, it took us a while to get around to opening it up. But now, 13 years and 3 kids later, my husband picked it up and started reading through it. I haven’t had a chance to dive into it yet, but my husband has been telling me about it and video blogging what he’s been learning. Although he’s talking to gamer dads, there’s a lot
I’ve been working on praying. I’ve always felt comfortable going to God with requests, but as I shared in a previous post, lately I’ve been trying to be more consistent and deliberate as I pray . Lately I’ve been trying to view them as daily one-on-ones rather than reactions to whatever circumstances I find myself in. This was a topic we covered Ephesians 3:14-21 at church on May 15 . In this sermon, Pastor Matt suggested hiding from those you live with to hang out with God and pray (watch at 32:29–34:58 ). Some of you might be thinking, I
It’s easy to feel like who you are gets lost in your role as Mom. It can feel all-consuming–especially at certain stages–to the point that you wonder if you even have an identity outside these little people that are completely dependent on you. I think that leaves some of us wonder, who am I? I don’t have time for hobbies. My friends’ calendars never sync up with mine. Chances are I’m working, feeding my kids, cleaning my house, or mindlessly sitting in front of the TV–too tired to do anything productive, but not wanting to give into sleep yet because
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I worry about how to raise my kids in this crazy world we live in. We try to shelter them as it seems age-appropriate to do so. We set boundaries for TV shows and movies they can watch or video games they can play. We’ll let the oldest one use the computer on a very limited basis, and monitor websites she goes to and talk about internet safety. But there’s only so much we can do. We’ll only be able to protect them to a point. They’ll hear and see things. They’ll experience
How many times do you hear your kids whine, “It’s not fair!” Despite all the advantages my kids have, life is still hard. They will still face challenges. As a parent, how can I prepare them for those tough situations right around the corner? In Chip Ingram’s series, Effective Parenting in a Defective World , he shares five things to teach your kids to prepare them for life’s biggest battles. Here are the takeaways that stood out to me from his main points. Suffering is normal This world isn’t perfect. There will be suffering. Jesus told us we can expect
Parenting Goals What are your goals as an effective parent ? I’d like my kids to pursue careers they’re interested in, have healthy relationships with friends and maybe a spouse someday, and eventually (in a long while) bless us with some grandchildren. But ultimately, no matter what they do, my husband and I hope they choose to follow God and the plans He has for their lives. I want them to obey their Creator. Why Obedience? In his Effective Parenting in a Defective World series, Chip Ingram says, “You must recognize your child’s primary responsibility is to learn obedience.” The
Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.–Psalm 127:3 As much as I know and believe my children are a gift from the Lord, sometimes this parenting thing is HARD. As a mother, I’ve continued to grow in ways I didn’t know were possible, and I’m not done growing, either. I’m very far from being a perfect parent. I was recently encouraged by Chip Ingram’s Effective Parenting in a Defective World series . My church offered it as an 8-week class a few years ago and I took it then. I walked away with a