Having a good work ethic does not come naturally for most of us, and this is even more true for children. There are families where one parent is a bit carefree or even lazy, while then the other parent is a 'get-r-done' kind of person. This can often cause problems between husband and wife which
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Being productive is one of the drums I beat all the time, but there is a huge difference between being productive and being busy. We cannot be busy for the sake of activity, our busyness must have a purpose. Busyness: 1. the quality or condition of being busy. 2. lively but meaningl
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My 87 year old grandmother has been here visiting us since November. She is a very soft spoken, tiny woman, and her mind is still pretty sharp! I know our time together is getting shorter and there are moments I want everything to just stand still and let me savor all I
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Almost always it is those that serve (give, work, sacrifice, love) the least that will be the most CRITICAL, PETTY, DISCONTENT people in the crowd whether it be in the family, voters, church, occupation or group. Do you have one in your family who avoids work? He will be the one that compl
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As I told you yesterday we had a really nice Christmas weekend. For those of you that have been here a while you know that life here is not perfect. We've experienced rebellion and our son leaving home on not-so-good terms at 18. I don't want to share the details of this publicly because it is als
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If you want to know someone, to see what they are made of, roll up your sleeves and work along side them. Nowhere is this more true than with your family, especially your children! Whether doing daily chores or working for pay outside the home it is your duty to train your children to work
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Having 2 girls in our home that are of marrying 'age', courtship, romance and marriage is the topic of conversation quite often. As we keep our eyes open and wait for the right ones to come calling...and wondering where they are...we have to keep our focus. Our focus is on: Doing Today's Work- T
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Are you ever around people that feel sorry for themselves a lot? They complain about their circumstances, act as if everyone is out to get them? Do you know people who get angry because they feel like they have been given a raw deal in life? The problem here is PRIDE. Why do we think we
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Age of Opportunity: A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens Here is an excellent resource for parenting teens. You can get it for under $3 (plus shipping) at Amazon. Shepherding a Child's Heart This one is great if you are trying to win the heart of a younger child.
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I've been working on my new book (I still haven't decided on a title), and I wanted to share a part of one of the chapters. I'd love to hear some feedback in the comment section. :) Teach Them to Be Problem Solvers I am convinced that we expect too little from our children. It hasn’t been that
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For the most part I'm all for living simply, now not too simple. ;o) I'm pretty frugal and I don't mind having less to make life more simple. I think it is very easy to get caught up in owning so much stuff that it can eventually own you. I mean really, do we need 4 frying pans? Do we
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Although this is an article about Canada, the United States is in the same boat, and they are both sinking! It’s hard not to laugh when Barry Smith starts telling stories about the hapless young workers he has to deal with. Smith, who runs Toronto-area roofing company RoofSmith Canada, tells
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I met Allison a few weeks ago at a party we catered. She and her family were there not only as guests, but she was also the photographer for the party. She has a really neat family which is partly birthed through adoption. You can read more about her family at Five Lewis Crew. When I w
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If the Lord allows me to live to be 80 or so I guess I'd call this season of my life the latter part of summer. The labor intensive part of parenting is mostly past, you know, the part of constantly planting, watering and weeding. All those years of work, wondering if the fruit would ever come,
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Last week our girls were at the Student World View Conference. The speakers were fantastic and the girls came home with so many nuggets of truth! After dealing with rebellion from our older two I do not take for granted that any of our children have a desire to grow spiritually, it is a beautiful th
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I popped in on Olivia's blog and saw this sweet, sweet post she wrote about her little sister. It has to be one of my favorite things she has written, I also love that this picture is not staged, she really took it while Emma was still asleep. As I reflected on her writings I thought abou
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For the last couple years I have prayed that my children (remember they are older teens and 20 now) would see real heart ache, to see suffering, not that I wanted it to happen to them, but to see that there are so many in need. I wanted them (and myself) moved to deeper levels of compassion for othe
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Moms and future moms, know that you ARE building the future, one day at a time, one cup of water at a time. Make sure you are influencing the future for the Kingdom, in a way that truly pleases God. Don't worry about keeping up with the Jones. Don't worry about what friends and family members think
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Our children are God's gift to us. If we are Christians, they are God's; and it is our responsibility to hide them in Christ. It is our responsibility to say 'No' to the world, which in every subtle way would put it's stamps upon their minds and hearts. Our children are given to us to raise for
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Before we had kids I was an expert on children! Yep...it's true! THEN God gave me some and I repent and confess I know very little! I think part of my ignorance was because I had two siblings growing up and I was at a baby sitter or at school for the majority of my childhood. Both my parents worked
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I would like introduce all of you to my friend Leah Smith. She just released her first e-book, Diapers, Dishes & Dominion-How Christian Housewives Could Change the World. If you are a stay at home mom and feeling like you are not accomplishing anything important I encourage you to get her book
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I wonder what our homes would be like if we stayed home more often? I wonder how many relationship issues could be resolved... if we created an atmosphere of peace and a place for true hospitality? I wonder how many skills could be learned... and how many stories could be told and retold..
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If you can learn to laugh at yourself, and the foolishness of others, it will help you get through some tough times, especially while you are in the trenches of parenthood! I'm all about diligence, training and consistency, but there are days you just have to breath and laugh, remembering you are
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Kelly asked: "My question would be how to find a balance between wanting your teens (mine are 13 & 17) to respect you and like you? I want them to obey, but they, especially the boy, challenges me. I am thankful to have a great husband who really interacts with all of us……but, I just
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Here are a couple questions that were asked last week concerning raising up daughters. Darcy asked: How do I make sure I am training my girls for all God created them to be?! I was raised with strong feminist tendencies so I’m not sure how it looks to raise my girls differently (although I
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I had some great questions left last week, I'm trying to group them together. Today's questions are about chores and attitude, can anyone relate? Sharon asked: How do you get your children to have a desire to help? Because every family is different, and each child is different, there is no concre
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If only we had been taught this stuff when our family was younger. We were not even taught Biblical principles for the family after we were saved and in church EVERY Sunday and Wednesday! Yes, we did have the Bible, but good, solid teaching is also important! Say what you will about the evils of
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Fellowship is important! No matter how old you are, who you choose for friends makes a difference in your life. Who you choose to get advice from not only affects you, but it affects your marriage and your children. Ladies, if you choose friends that are critical and contentious, if they gossip
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A couple weeks ago I posted why I believe older kids should have to help pay their own way. Today I'd like to break down how we do a few things and the benefits of living as a family. It is COST effective to live together and share: Auto Insurance - Our adult children can be on our auto insuranc
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Diana left this comment in the comment section of The Two Most Important Things in Education: As our kids are getting into the higher teens and they are getting income from various places we have struggled with what to require of them (for example a friend our ours has her children contribute hal
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As we Americans celebrate Thanksgiving this month it is a good time to really focus on the character trait of gratitude. Little irks me more than an ungrateful person! It seems that for most people the more they are given the more ungrateful they become and act as if they 'deserve' more. Children th
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"Do everything without complaining or arguing..." Philippians 2:14 Whining children grow up to be adults that complain about everyone and everything! For some reason (selfishness...pride...covetousness) they think they deserve more. Make your home a whine free zone...starting with Mom. Moms ma
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Our greatest resource, and possibly the most abused, is TIME! One of the lessons that were taught to me early on in my homeschooling days (almost 18 years ago!) was because of our freedom, and not being limited to someone else's agenda, that it was easy to get over committed and overwhelmed w
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All parents, well good parents at least, want their children to grow up to be responsible, respectable, productive adults. No parent is proud when their adult 'child' becomes a bum who squanders time, talent and money. I am simply amazed at the stupidity of this extended adolescence phenomena that
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What an outstanding speech from a young lady that truly understands what a real education is!!! Erica Goldson presented this speech at her graduation ceremony; she was valedictorian of her class! Erica articulates well one of the biggest reasons that we educate our children at home! The section
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The following was written by my dear friend Nancy. Nancy and her children always encourage me with their positive attitudes and cheerful dispositions. Nancy and her husband have such a great sense of humor, I love to just sit back and listen to them. Nancy and I once laughed how we were at the sam
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We are often asked at what age should children start doing chores? May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 90:17 Disclaimer: Every family is different. Children within a single family are different
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I've been a mother for 25 years. Before I had kids I knew the answers to all of the problems, everything was black and white. Then I had kids and found out that I knew very little! Then we started to live the Christian life, learning to obey God's commands rather than the world's logic, by this poin
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Discernment, I think some people are just born with it, for others it has to be taught and nurtured. When praying for our children, perhaps the two greatest qualities would be humility and wisdom! This young lady, all of 19 years old, has such discernment, and it is nothing that I can take credit
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Those of you that have been reading my blog for a while know that our daughter Olivia (19), is serving as a governess to a 13 year old girl whose mom died from cancer last summer (she was a friend of mine). Olivia lives about an hour away and comes home on the weekends. It's been a bitter sweet thin
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22 years ago today I gave birth to our son. He filled our hearts and arms about a year after the death of my first child. God has been so very good, not to replace, but to increase. Little did I know then just how much God would teach me about Himself through this boy/man. At that point of my
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Every family has them, days that you say things you wish you didn't say, reacting in anger and frustration, wishing you could take back time and make it right. Many of us were not raised in a way that we were taught how to Biblicaly respond to conflict. Often as parents we hear ourselves saying t
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I am so thankful that Jeff insist that we always eat meals together at the table. I am thankful that our social circle we are closest to also believes that eating at the table is important. Often when we entertain those who do not share our same spiritual beliefs, or family values, are surprised at
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Wayward children are more common than we may want to admit. Parents of prodigals usually struggle with how to respond as they see their much loved child venture off the straight and narrow path. The desperation that a Christian parent feels can cause them to either, and often go to both extremes
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I confess, smiling does not come easy for me. Not because I am not happy (because I AM!), but smiling takes effort on my part. Have you ever noticed that some people just seem to always have a smile, a pleasant countenance? Oh, how I wish I were more like that, but I'm not. For me, I have to se
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I just finished listening to this broadcast by Kevin Swanson. You HAVE GOT TO GO LISTEN!!! It's only about 25 minutes long. Sullen, Ungrateful, Slothful Teens He talks about homeschool kids a lot, but this applies to EVERYONE! I'd love to hear your feedback.
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I love to look through homemaking magazines to get decorating ideas; but I've come to realize that a home full of PEOPLE and PRODUCTIVITY will NOT look like a Better Homes and Garden home, any more than I will look like a woman on the cover of a magazine. It's just not reality!
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This month's FREE audio book download from Christian Audio Download is JJohn Piper's Desiring God Go here and get your free copy! I loaded it to my Walkman that my sweet daughter gave me for my birthday. I started listening to it last night and I am really enjoying i
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Our family's choice:
“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
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