Like most newlywed couples, I can remember how excited my wife and I were to have children. 3...4... maybe 10? We planned to wait a couple of years before getting started on our new little family, however, our colicky firstborn son didn't think that was such a good...

Have you ever struggled with knowing when to be a parent and when to be a friend with your children? Which is more important, and is it okay to be both? Yesterday at our church, my wife and I and our pastor and pastor's wife sat down to discuss the four seasons of...

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue..." Proverbs 18:21 I can remember it clearly as a young boy when our family would go shopping at Northwoods Mall in Peoria, IL. On a few occasions, I would see someone smoking, and I can still remember Dad leaning over...

Wisdom from the Scriptures tells us that when children are properly corrected and disciplined (as our Heavenly Father does for us), it is meant to produce ‘the peaceable fruit of righteousness.’ (Hebrews 12:11) Here are a couple of rhetorical questions: When...

There’s a phrase that can be heard almost anywhere at any time where parents and children are present if you’ll listen for it. And it's one of the most dangerous phrases used in parenting. In general, the scenario goes like this - little Johnny does something that he...

The front door swung open and the first words I heard were these, "She hates me, and I don't know why." One of our kids had been hurt by a friend at school, and an important conversation followed.  It’s inevitable, your kids are going to get hurt by others, both...

On many occasions, I’ve talked to parents who feel totally inadequate for the task of raising their children. Parenting seems overwhelming, and as the responsibilities pile up, so does the frustration and feelings of inadequacy.  Have you ever been there yourself?...