{This might be my shortest blog post ever.} Praise generously. Give your children as much encouragement as you can. Praise genuinely. But make sure you are giving legitimate encouragement. Be specific ... and focus more on character than ability and appearance. One of the most beautiful gifts in the world is the gift of encouragement. When someone encourages you, that person helps you over a threshold you might otherwise never have crossed on your own. - John O'Donohue How do you ... [Read More]
Parent with Passion
Writing. Speaking. Teaching. Auburn Football. Playing at interior design. These are a few of the things I am passionate about. Fashion design. Dance. Justin Beiber. These are a few of the things my tween daughter is passionate about. When I speak {write} of parenting with passion, I'm not referring to your passion for your children. Nope! Not this time ... I'm talking about those activities or pursuits in life beyond your kids. Those things matter! They matter a ... [Read More]
10 Ways to Parent with Purpose
Parenting with Purpose. Isn't that what we all want to do? To be intentional, responsive, and proactive in our relationships with our children. The thing is ... that's hard. I mean, what does it look like? And especially what does it look like in the midst of the daily chaos in our homes? How do we walk that line between "Don't Provoke" and "Do Instruct"? Here are 10 ways to parent with purpose: Don't do those things that drive your kids crazy!! Sounds simple, but really ... if he ... [Read More]
Parent with Purpose
Week three of Starting Well in 2012!! It's all about THE KIDS! Well, actually, it's more about our role with our children and what being a godly parent looks like ... and how we can manage such a noble task in this post-modern world. First up ... Parenting with Purpose. She's eleven. Very soon (like less than a month!) she'll be twelve. Twelve? How in the world did this happen? Two-thirds of the time she will live in our home has likely passed. I look back over the past ... [Read More]
Tools of the Trade: Marriage
Marriage Must Reads: Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas Sacred Influence by Gary Thomas Praying for Your Husband: The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian Praying God's Word for Your Husband by Kathi Lipp Sex in Marriage: For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn Between the Sheets by Dr. Kevin Leman Other Books on Marriage: The Four Seasons of Marriage by Gary Chapman The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman A Wife after God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George <A ... [Read More]
Sharing Your Husband?
My husband is a pastor. I share him with the members of our church. My husband is a son. I share him with his mom. My husband is a brother. I share him with his brother. My husband is an uncle. I share him with our nieces and nephews. My husband is a dad. I share him with our daughter. There are countless others - friends, co-workers, ministry partners, etc. - who also need pieces of my husband's time, energy, and abilities. My life isn't all that different from yours, I imagine. The ... [Read More]
