Julia recently posed a dilemma she is facing with her daughter in this article. It’s a difficult issue, since as Christian parents our duty is to raise our children in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

When our children reach an age in which they are able to be held accountable for their actions, they often begin to question whether or not to choose a relationship with God. If they seek our assistance in understanding the enormity of this commitment,... more

Yesterday you heard about the newly formed “Worthy Women Club”. Today, I’ll tell you about it’s male counterpart, “The Righteous Dude Organization.”

After forming the Worthy Women Club yesterday, “sissy” tried to form a club for her “bubbies” and called it the “Worthy Men Club.” It didn’t have quite the right ring for them, so I suggested the “Righteous Dude Organization” and it was met with enthusiasm, so it stayed!

As I predicted,... more

My daughter is captivated by the stories I tell of myself as a child. I was truly a Rude Girl - I was bossy, mouthy, bratty, spoiled and completely insensitive to the feelings of others.

My ADD was undiagnosed until I was an adult, so my childhood was spent in misery as a social outcast. So, on days like today, when nothing else is working with my daughter and I’m utterly defeated and thinking that nothing can be done about her many issues, I sit down with her, and in a very quiet voice, begin reminding her that I know how she feels because I was once A Very Angry... more

My family loves all those television shows with outtakes, bloopers and videos sent in by viewers. Last night, however, I felt like I was trapped in one!

I teach the 4’s and 5’s Bible class on Wednesday nights. The Sunday Bible class teacher had discussed the story of Anna and Simeon (Luke 2:21-40) with the children. I was reviewing the lesson with the children to see what they remembered. The conversation went a little something like this:

Me: So who remembers the names of the people we learned about on Sunday? [Several children raise their... more

Consider this a corollary to my last post on appropriate consequences, as I often use Scripture memorization to help reinforce what the Bible says about specific actions.

For example, a major issue we’ve had with my daughter has to do with the way she speaks to people. Sometimes she is intentionally rude, other times she speaks impulsively, and her hurtful remarks appear to be unintentional.... more

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded... more

Most of us know him as Abraham, but before God dubbed him the “father of all nations”, he was plain old Abram, and his life story provides a parallel for adoption:

Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; (Genesis 12:1)

"The Lord said, 'Go forth'": I know in my own case, I wasn’t actively looking to adopt when... more

The old adage says, “The devil is in the details” and it is so with adoption. Give me a big problem or hurdle, and shockingly, I do just fine (while holding onto God’s hand, that is!). But I do “sweat the small stuff.” Ask me to chase around little details, and then have something go wrong? That’s a recipe for disaster, and the area Satan knows is best if he wants to trip me up … and you know that’s exactly what he wants!

Be of sober spirit, be on... more