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Christian Parenting Mistakes: #4 Raising Cultural Christians
The difference between religion and life in Christ, which is what God intended in Christianity, can be summed up in one word, RELATIONSHIP. We must guard against just handing down our rules and ethics like a religious preference. Christianity is not inherited or genetically passed on from one generation to another. It is not a way of life that is taught because how we live doesn’t make us Christians. Being a Christian determines how we live. We cannot give anyone a relationship with God. Relationship is personal. Relationship must be developed by the individuals at a personal commitment level. Christian parents are sadly mistaken when they think that if they…
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Christian Parenting Mistakes: #2 We Settle for Obedience
As I began my adventure of parenting I thought that obedience was the goal. If they were in danger, obeying immediately could save their lives. Unlike animals that are trained to follow orders, people by God’s design were created to obey in the context of relationship. In the great commission, Jesus doesn’t just say, “go and teach them all that I have commanded you.” He tells us to go and make disciples. Then we are to baptize and teach them His commands. The word “make” means we will invest time and ourselves to build a relationship. Obedience is meant to come from a willing heart. Who better to disciple than…
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Why some leaders fear setting you free
I've been in a women's Bible study for forty years but until this spring, I've never studied Galatians in a discovery/discussion format. Have you? It's revolutionized my walk with God, and now I know why so few leaders are courageous enough to feed it to women–or anybody for that matter. I think it's because Galatians sets us free from legalism and license to soar liberated in an intended glorious relationship with Jesus–and that scares people who fear losing control over us. Here in a nutshell is what I learned this spring that has freed me permanently from the bonds of legalism and license: In Galatians, Paul presents multiple arguments that…
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Why Thinkers Should Feel More
Are you a thinker or a feeler? If you’re a thinker like me, is growing into more of a feeler something you might want to be more intentional about? If you’re a feeler, how might you inspire a thinker to grow into more of a feeler? Or is that something we can change? Before we go any further, what does it means to be a thinker? According to the …you know you’re a thinker if, when it comes to decision making,… …you make decisions with your head and want to be fair. …you like to find the basic truth or principle to be applied, regardless of the…
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You Ready to See Your Fixer Upper?
Who doesn’t love HGTV’s Fixer Upper? My Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds go crazy during and after each episode. My girlfriends and I love Joanna and all her decorating tips and ideas. And Chip? Well, he’s hilarious. He inspires Joanna and challenges her in so many ways. What I love about this show, however, has nothing to do with shiplap, farmhouse sinks or color scheme ideas for my home. I love it because Chip and Joanna revitalize dilapidated houses into beautiful homes. I also love it because the show reminds me of what God has done in the life of a believer. We sought something better. As unbelievers, we wanted more—more of…
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Want It To Go Well With You?
When our sons were young, one of their favorite Golden Books was Tootle the Train. It was the story of a baby train in school to learn to be a Flyer, but he kept jumping off the track to go play in the meadow. It took all the people in the town working together to convince him that a train needs to “stay on the rails no matter what.” For a short while in the book, Tootle buys into the lie that life can be found in the meadow, racing horses and making daisy chains among the buttercups. But if you’re a train and you go off the rails, you…
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Cleaning Out
Our latest house project has caused us to do a lot of cleaning, which began with the simple need to empty some drawers and cabinets for painting. Then, we had to deal with dust and debris throughout the house from tearing out a tub and shower tile. Cleaning one area led to organizing it, which affected a related area that needed cleaning and/or organizing. Frankly, it’s overwhelming because the whole process of doing what seemed like a small renovation led to cleaning out areas long neglected. Instead of getting cleaner, the house was getting worse as day by day we took more stuff out of hiding. But by the…
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What Can Thaw a Frozen Heart?
Spoiler Alert: there may or may not be spoilers in this blog post. If your family is anything like mine, we are Frozen obsessed. We bought the movie on iTunes just last week and watched a portion if not all of it, EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. We needed a break as our obsession was getting out of hand. (And by “we”, I mean me and my husband). There are so many aspects of this movie that we LOVE. The fun-loving, persistent, optimistic and full of life nature of Anna. The fun and truthfulness of Olaf. The friendship (and just sheer cuteness) of Sven. The bravery of Kristof. And of course there…
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The IF:Gathering, Nail in the Coffin or a Fresh Awakening?
Two years ago Sarah Bessey rocked the women's ministry world with her blog, Why We Don't Need "Women's" Ministry (17 thousand likes). Did the IF:Gathering nail the coffin lid down tight or blow that sucker sky high with fresh resurrection power? What would Sarah say? Well, Sarah, there were no cute cupcake designs and decorating tips, scrapbooking parties or casserole recipes. Instead a parade of diverse nameless leaders opened with unscripted prayers to beseech God to act and empower. They were smart and they were brave and they asked God to use them to change the world. No long introductions full of accolades and sales pitches. Unapologetically…
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A Thanksgiving Dare
Did you know that thanksgiving is another definition for the word Eucharist. The meal we consume this Thursday can be a gathering that reflects Eucharist living. Ann Voscamp’s book, One Thousand Gifts, explores in poetic prose the power of this simple and biblical concept, gratitude. Ann discovered the pattern of thanksgiving that runs throughout the scripture. Not just the challenge to “in everything give thanks” (I Thess. 5:18) but how thanksgiving to God is exampled by so many biblical characters as well by the Jesus himself. Then a friend challenged Ann with a dare, “Could I write a list of 1000 things that I love. To name 1000 blessings—1000 gifts,…
