Loud Fruit

Loud Fruit

“By their fruits ye shall know them.” Matthew 7:20 Woven throughout Scripture, there is a subtle yet motivational principle—fruits are extensions of roots (Luke 6:43-45).  One of the greatest Biblical fruits referenced is children—the “fruit of the womb.” God says...
Silence Is Not Always Golden

Silence Is Not Always Golden

We live in a world full of tough topics. And when it comes to our kids, silence is not always golden. If we fail to talk to our kids about the tough stuff, someone else certainly will. I can remember having “the talk” with each of our kids as preteens. However, more...
6 Small Daily Moments Parents Need to Prioritize

6 Small Daily Moments Parents Need to Prioritize

“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”  Eph. 5:16 Have you noticed?… that the days we’re living in are evil? Time is short… before our kids grow up into adults… before the impressionable years are gone… before Christ comes back again. I was reminded of...
Behavior Strategy #4 — Discipline as Discipleship

Behavior Strategy #4 — Discipline as Discipleship

No parent can avoid it. No child is without need of it. Discipline.  But, believe it or not, discipline is a gift.  Discipline provides parents with an unparalleled opportunity to tap into the innermost workings of their child’s heart. As a parent, you have: –...
Behavior Strategy #2 — The Required Response

Behavior Strategy #2 — The Required Response

As a child, our youngest son had a terrible habit of repeatedly failing to do what he was asked. And his excuse was always the same… “But, I didn’t hear you,” or ” I forgot.” On some level, all parents deal with kids not doing what...
Behavior Strategy #1 – The Repeat Re-do

Behavior Strategy #1 – The Repeat Re-do

This month, I’ll be sharing multiple ways to quickly and effectively address common behavior issues with your kids through heart-based strategies that work. While my wife and I got plenty of things wrong when our kids were young, these were some of the things we got...
Transform Your Home With These Two Things

Transform Your Home With These Two Things

Want to transform your home? Here are two things every parent can get right this week. Is there anything in your home that you’d like to be different than it is? Any struggles you’re facing? Any challenges that seem insurmountable, whether relational, financial,...
How to Avoid Being the Adversary at Home

How to Avoid Being the Adversary at Home

One of the ongoing struggles for nearly every parent is striking the balance between being a friend, a parent, and even sometimes an adversary to their children. We all have the same desire for our kids to like us, yet we all sometimes find ourselves playing the part...
Embracing Your Messy Life

Embracing Your Messy Life

Life is messy and filled with mess-ups (just ask Notre Dame fans from this past weekend). At least mine is. I was sitting at the kitchen table this past week when I heard a loud pop sound. It didn’t sound quite right. Something bad had just happened.  My 14-year-old...
5 Things I’d Tell My Younger Self As a Parent

5 Things I’d Tell My Younger Self As a Parent

If you had a do-over in parenting, would you take it? Our oldest child is 22 and just got married. Our other children are now adults and teens. (We’ve also been blessed with an 11-month-old “bonus child” that brings so much joy to our lives.)  If I could go back and...
Your Kids Don’t Need Perfect

Your Kids Don’t Need Perfect

Your kids don’t need perfect.  Have you ever gotten frustrated with yourself as a parent because you fell short in some way? Maybe you lost your cool… again  Or your words didn’t match your actions Or, you just seem to be lacking in daily grace with your kids Let me...