Church Blog (Page 2)

Parenting in the Margin I get it. Parenting is exhausting. There are simply not enough hours in the day or milligrams of caffeine to get everything done. So what are we to do? How do we balance our faith life, work, kids’ calendars, and sleep? How do we manage when something unexpected forces its way into our already packed-out Google calendar? Most of us are so overscheduled and so under-rested that when something unexpected happens in our life, something else…

Changing Your Family Legacy A question I often ask couples in pre-marital counseling is: “What did you see in your parents’ marriage that you want to do differently in your marriage?” This question generates intentional conversation about the topic of legacy. The same question can apply with parenting, grand-parenting, and being an aunt or uncle: “What did your parents (or grandparents, or aunts and uncles) do that you want to keep, and what did they do that you want to…

I think everyone gets songs stuck in their heads sometimes. If it’s a great song, it can motivate you through the day. If it’s a bad song, it can annoy you to no end. Music is powerful. It teaches us and influences us. This is why Justin and I are intentional with the songs we sing at church. We want church music to teach you truths about God and for those truths to get “stuck in our heads.” I think…

Discipline Through Connection Guest Authors:  Chris and Liz Leonard “I hate you!” “You don’t love me.” “No one cares about me.” About a year ago, it became apparent that we needed to change how we parent our children. We didn’t know what needed to change, but we knew that we couldn’t stay on the course we were on. Our pediatrician assured us that these big emotions were normal for the age, but we knew differently in our hearts. We didn’t…

Forming Identity in Kids Kids are often asking the question, whether consciously or unconsciously, “who am I?” This is especially true as they enter the preteen and teenage years. How do we form a healthy identity in them? The Bible shows us two critical truths about their identity. It is like two-sides of the same coin, and both sides are equally important. First, they need to understand at the core that they are made in the image of God. Psalm…

Parents Reading to Kids One of the greatest joys for me as a parent has been reading to my kids. I have seen great fruit in this time from infancy all the way to my ten-year old. I probably don’t need to tell you about the academic reasons to read to your kids. You have probably seen many of the same articles describing how reading to kids develops their speech and language skills, amongst many others. Beyond those benefits, reading…