Let your father and your mother be glad, and let her rejoice who gave birth to you. (Proverbs 23:25)

In this day and age, respect and manners have fallen by the wayside in pursuit of higher academic standards and materialism. We emphasize athletic ability and good grades, and reward such with more “stuff.” What about basic common courtesies?

My oldest son has been involved with robotics competitions for the past three years or so. For the last year, these classes have been held in my home. The most recent semester has been... more

Recently, I blogged about the fact that my oldest has been asking to do more things independently online. One of my suggestions was to educate your child about your internet usage rules, but that advice can be expanded to apply to any "sensitive topic."

That said, here are some tips for handling “difficult conversations”:

• Pray: Ask that God give you wisdom, courage and that your child will have an open and receptive heart.

•... more

Now that my oldest is 10, he is exploring his independence more and more. One example is his request to do more things online.

As a Christian parent, I feel I have a few obligations:

To “bring my children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).”

To ensure their physical, emotional and spiritual well-being and safety: Beyond providing the basics (food, drink, clothing and shelter), this means also teaching them about things that could hurt them and creating bonds of love that will allow them to feel safe, nurtured and... more

Yesterday, I wrote about our dilemma in choosing a birthday present for our son who will be 10 tomorrow. What did we decide?

After I posted my blog entry yesterday, the hubby read it. It convicted him, just as it convicted me in writing it. So, we decided to let things ride. Our local toy store had a huge clearance sale last week, and had hubby stocked up on a few things to hand out as rewards. Turns out he had quite a cache that will make for an exciting birthday for someone tomorrow!

He... more

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10)

I grew up living in public housing most of my pre-married life. I was always well fed, well clothed and had neat toys, same as the next kid. The only time I felt any “lack” was when I visited the homes of the kids I went to school with in the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program back in the 70’s. Because GATE was “experimental,” the classes were usually offered in schools located in affluent neighborhoods,... more

And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body (Romans 8:23).

In today’s mail, I received a lovely surprise – our daughter’s amended birth certificate! After opening the envelope and seeing the contents, I called my daughter in the room to see it as well. We were both so excited to see my name as her mommy and my husband’s name as her father. She just kept hugging me and kept pointing to the names... more

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me (Matthew 18:1-5).

My youngest son really made his older brother... more

We've been talking a bit about moving. The kids are pretty excited about it and talk about it, even though we've clearly stressed it's all conjecture at this point. Even though we've looked at a few places, we still have let the kids know we're not sure about taking any steps toward any of the dwellings we've seen.

Even though it appears the kids all view this positively, I am still concerned about uprooting the kids. I take transitions pretty seriously, because I know all three of our kids are pretty sensitive and get attached to things very easily. I also... more

Before my kids arrived, I blogged a bit on making one-on-one kid time. I've posted a little bit here and there, now and again, but I'm really seeing the dividends.

My daughter is just... more

"...There was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me--to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness " Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong (2... more