The world tells us our feelings are our truth. Emotions or circumstance define you...in that moment. But feelings and circumstances change leaving an unstable foundation of beliefs. Friends, this is one of the biggest issues facing our tweens and teens today. Two others are busyness and a cultural value of specialization. We invite you to dig ...
Parenting
Characteristics of a God-Centered Family, Part 1
We live in an instant-pot, microwave, Instagram society. Everything happens at breakneck speed. According to social media, if our calendars aren't jam packed with activities, we are failing our kids. I mean, what kind of bad mom would let her kid be bored??? But is this best for our children? Will it reap the God-centered families that we ...
Should Raising Good Kids Be Your Goal?
If I polled 100 Christian parents, I bet all would agree that they desire to raise "good" children -those who are kind to others, respectful to authority, and stay out of trouble. Isn’t this a good goal? Piggybacking on last week's blog post, blogger Barrett Johnson encourages us to rethink this target. Raising "Good" Kids "The ...
The 5 Major Blind Spots in Christian Parenting
About 10 years ago an article called, "Exposing the 7 Major Blind Spots of Homeschoolers" went viral on social media. Even Christian parents who didn't homeschool - like our family - shared it because the truths hit home. Now that I'm parenting teens, I reread the article through a different lens. But I was once again challenged to confront my ...
Behind the Scenes with Parenting to Impress
Seven months ago Melanie and I began sharing on the Parenting to Impress Podcast what God has taught us, mistakes we have made, and stories of God's faithfulness. And as only God could do, there have been so many downloads that Parenting to Impress is in the top 10% of all podcasts! Amazing! But, do you know the most popular podcast episode? ...
How to Raise Children Who Serve
What are the skills you want your kids to have when leaving your home? Change a tire. Be financially astute. Do laundry. The list goes on. But what about a servant attitude? Is that a goal? Part 1 of the Should Children Have Chores? podcast got us started. Now let's dig deeper into the subject of raising children who desire to serve ...
How to Set Up an Afternoon Quiet Time for Preschoolers
I love this question from an ABCJesusLovesMe family member: Just saw the sample daily routines on the ABCJesusLovesMe website. What is an afternoon quiet time and how do you get a busy preschooler on board? This is a really good question! Below is an explanation and some points to help get you started. What is an Afternoon Quiet ...
Advice We’ve Learned Along the Way, Part 3
In our final episode/blogpost of this 3-part series, Heidi and I wrap up the best parenting advice we've learned along our journeys as moms. While we said we didn't have any favorites, it's clear that as we came to the end of our list, we really did have some that we hold dearer than others! ▼ Jump to Listen to Episode #7: Advice ...
Advice We’ve Learned Along the Way, Part 2
Two weeks ago we began creating a list of "Advice We’ve Learned Along the Way." A list of parenting advice we have learned, things we wish we had done differently, and pointers from others we are thankful we held firm to. If you haven’t read the post or listened to the first podcast in this series, be sure to go back to receive the background ...
Advice We’ve Learned Along the Way, Part 1
From the moment you find out you're becoming a parent, everyone has a word of advice for you! When well-intentioned and from someone you trust, these words of wisdom have potential to shape and direct the course you take. But if you look to social media or Google for your advice, you’ll be overwhelmed with the results! So, how do we ...