As parents we want to convey to our children the essential doctrines of Christianity. We must let them know that all men are hopelessly lost and at war with God until the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ covers their sin and produces in them repentance and faith. But we cannot stop there. We must teach …
Ephesians 5:11 tells us to having nothing to do with the deeds of darkness but to reprove and expose them. Thus, it is not a virtuous act to experience an injustice and let it continue without seeking help or assistance. We need to be (and teach our children to be) people who place a high …
One of the recurring conversations I had with my daughters as they grew up was that I was not responsible in a direct sense for the color of their hair or eyes, their height, or whether they had natural inclinations for a particular activity that caught their interest. When we studied biology and the science …
There are people who do amazing things, things I find it hard to imagine doing myself. These people inspire me. Missionaries who give up living in Western style comfort for the third-world mission field, doctors and midwives who pursue practices to under-served populations, and couples who bring foster children into their homes to raise as …
When I was in high school, I prided myself (as did my parents) that I was enrolled in “honors” classes. When the class rankings came out, I was usually in the top ten percent. I can vividly remember thinking and commenting negatively about the girls (in my all girls school) who took home economics. To …
One gains perspective with age. It’s not that younger people don’t have valid perspectives; it’s just that they don’t always have enough experience to interpret circumstances in their lives and determine how to best maneuver through them. This became clear to me as I was going through some old photographs of me recently. As I …
Oh that children would stay little! That is the lament I used to hear over and over as relatives or friends who hadn’t seen my children for some time commented on how much they had grown. The “enjoy them now” perspective indicated that there would be a time when I wouldn’t be enjoying them all …
We live in an age of superstars. Whether it is sports, academics, entertainment or politics, at any given moment in time there is usually a “big name” that defines success in a particular area of life or endeavor. In such an atmosphere, where competition maintains an ever-present role, there are, almost by definition, more losers …
Some people are natural smilers and others don’t feel the need or desire to smile all of the time. Does this mean that smiling persons are happier than non-smilers? Does the Bible instruct us to smile as a matter of obedience and responsibility? I fall into the category of a non-smiler. I tend to smile …
I’m often in mentoring situations with mothers who are eager to raise godly children, and who struggle with how well they are accomplishing this task. The question of discipline comes up regularly and their concerns are whether they are being too strict or too lenient with their children. Over the years I’ve struggled with this …
The Kingdom-Driven Family 