We have recently launched a new version of INFO for Families. We are still in the process of getting all the url links to push people to the new site, so if you have ended up here, you're in the wrong place.
We have previously used Typepad for our blog platform, but now we have moved to Squarespace. Hopefully, we will get the simple www.infoforfamilies.com link up and running, but you can go directly there by using the Squarespace address at
https://infoforfamilies.squarespace.com/
We hope to have all the glitches removed and the links working correctly very soon. Hope to see you at the new site!
This is a post well-suited to the imperfect and normal parent in all of us...the parent who regularly feels like a failure while everyone else has it going on.
I came across a post on MSN that includes several common True Parenting Confessions. You'll probably recognize a few. The one about using "TV as a Babysitter" or the honest confession that you might occasionally miss your life before kids are jarringly honest.
If anything the list should serve as an encouragement that you're not alone in your imperfections. We all have daily struggles with out kids. Each of the confessions includes a few insights from "experts" to help you to move in the right direction with your struggles.
One thing the (secular) article fails to mention is the simple reality that we can't parent effectively without spiritual help. Raising a little person into a functional adult it too great of a task. We desperately need the power of God to do in us what we cannot do on our own. We would do well to daily confess our shortcomings to the One who loves us and promises to come alongside us as we aim for His very best in our families.
So what is your true parenting confession? What is God telling you to do about it?
It's always interesting when God uses a commercial to inspire a blog post. Have you seen this Volkswagen ad? If you haven't, you need to. I think it's Super Bowl Sunday caliber material...
You can also see it on YouTube here: Volkswagen Passat Commercial: Toss
Here's a news flash for every person who knows me well: I am not an athlete. While I can enjoy a friendly game of basketball or volleyball, sports are not my forte. I grew up usually being picked last in gym. I got the rare privilege of being picked second-to-last on those days when Richard Feinstein, who had a chronic lung disorder, came to school.
The net result is that when wedgies were being handed out in the locker room, I was more likely to be on the receiving end than the giving end. (Ha! I said "end!") It wasn't a regular occurrence, but I have at least one memory of the experience, dished out by a couple of friends who thought it was funny.
Thankfully, I got through middle and high school with my self-worth intact (praise Jesus...literally) and was able to enter adulthood without too many emotional scars. While my lack of sports ability may have stunted my social development by a few months, I know now that it ultimately doesn't matter. More important, there are lessons my parents taught me back then that matter now far more than my ability to do well on a men's softball team.
Here's something that the commercial above reminds me of that every dad needs to remember: "There are way more important things than teaching your kids to excel at sports." While there's nothing more sentimental and beautiful than a father and son playing catch, it is still just that: a game. If a father's greatest contribution to his son or daughter's growth is athletic skill, than he has put his efforts into something that ultimately doesn't matter.
Years ago, I did a survey of a bunch of teenagers, asking them what their parents' passion was. My theory was that a parent's passion would be the most clear life lessons that their kids would get. One student replied that "My father's passion is my football career. He never misses one of my games." While I appreciate this father's interest in his son's sports life, I wonder if the dad worked hard to teach life lessons, as well. Yes, he made sure his son stayed focused on physical discipline, but did he encourage his son to be spiritually disciplined? To see his worth in Christ beyond his success on the field?
So back to the lesson from the commercial: even if you're a terrible athlete, you can still be a great dad. You have so much to give, so much to teach, so much to invest in the next generation. The great thing is that when you deliberately plant seeds of faith and a Christ-centered worldview in your kids, you eventually get to see the fruit down the road.
A few days ago, I got to sit on my couch beside my 20 year old daughter and son-in-law, staring in wonder at my grandson as he shifted, moved, and danced just beneath Lindsey's belly. (He's due to arrive in about 2 months.) I got a little misty-eyed as I told them that nothing could make me more proud or blessed than to see my children walking in obedience to God, and preparing to raise a child to do the same. Sniff, sniff.
Dads, even if you throw a ball like a girl...even if you were the guy on the receiving end of the wedgies in middle school, you have so much to give your kids. Lead them well with biblical wisdom as your guide. Love them unconditionally, showing and telling them every day how much you value them. Model for them the Spirit-filled life that makes every day an adventure. This is what imperfect and normal dads like us do for our kids. When we do, that's when our perfect and extraordinary God shows up and does something incredible.
With so many voices raging in the public square about gay marriage, the result is typically a polarization of the parties involved, usually stirred up by false assumptions and an unwillingness to actually listen to those with whom we disagree. The ultimate result is the demonization of those who we are opposed to. That rarely helps.
Religious conservatives (most of whom rarely interact with anyone from the homosexual community) make broad generalizations about what "they" are like. Those from a more liberal bent assume that all evangelical Christians hate gays, even though they spend very little time getting to know the compassionate people gathered on Sunday mornings in the Bible belt. The problem is that we rarely get together to talk and listen to one another.
There are some encouraging things that suggest a shift might be underway. Focus on the Family President Jim Daly is working overtime to change the reputation of that stereotyped organization. His new book, Re-Focus is more than just a play on words. It is a clear message to the church that we must stop putting issues over people. Certainly, there are principles that God's Word demands that we cling to, but we must not ever stop reaching out in love to a world who may not embrace those values. And when we are known more for what we are against than the love of Jesus, then something is terribly wrong.
I was so encouraged by something I read today. It was an article written by Shane Windmeyer on Huffington Post called Dan and Me: My Coming Out as a Friend of Dan Cathy and Chick-fil-A. Shane is key leader of the LGBT community on college campuses around the nation. In the article, he describes the friendship he has developed with Dan Cathy over the past several months. PLEEAAASE take a few minutes to read it, as I feel it is an excellent example of the way things should be.
Will you join me in praying that conservatives don't give Cathy a hard time for reaching out to this man? And would you pray that the LGBT community doesn't give Windmeyer grief for their friendship? Instead of seeing either of their actions as a compromise, may we see them as the model for how we can agree to disagree on issues but still treat one another with love, empathy, and respect.
As you discuss this issue in your home with your kids, don't compromise on what you feel the Scripture teaches. But also don't forget that Jesus said a whole lot more about loving others than He did about their sexual orientation. Both are important; but our sinful, prideful hearts are always prone to getting things out of balance.
It was sunny in Atlanta today for the first time in what feels like several weeks. We've had enough cold, wet, miserable winter weather to make me yearn for someplace warm and sunny. Jenifer and I even went to a tropical-feeling restaurant last night called Bahama Breeze in a fruitless attempt to experience the vibe of the islands. While it was nice to be alone with Jen for a few hours, our escape didn't work. It was still cold and wet when we went outside. Boo.
While summer is still a good ways off, we are getting geared up for something later in the year that promises to satisfy a whole lot better than our date last night. We're going on a cruise!
But not just any cruise. It's The Marriage Boat, a six night Royal Caribbean cruise in late September that will sail to Bermuda from Baltimore. What's great is that it will have all the features of a traditional cruise along with a few special components to build your marriage. There will be plenty of "you" time to spend with your spouse, but also some additional times of directed coaching designed to give renew the spark in your marriage.
Jenifer and I have been invited to be a part of the teaching team and we can't be more excited. After all, it's a cruise! What's not to love?!
If you're interested in joining us, check out the links above. They have some great payment plans to spread the cost out over the next six or eight months, so it's pretty easy to pull off.
I truly wish I was standing over your shoulder as you read this. If I was, I would definitely be singing the Love Boat Theme Song in your ear right now. You can hear it, can't you?
This clip is making the rounds on Facebook and it absolutely amazing. Given that most of what Oprah espouses on her shows and network is the typical "all roads lead to God" nonsense, this is truly refreshing. Rick Warren tees it up pretty nice but Nick Vujicic brings the truth.
I'm not sure who posted this on YouTube, so I don't know who officially owns the rights to it, so thanks to OWN for broadcasting it and for extending grace to all of us who are sharing it. While the quality is pretty bad, the content is terrific.
I particularly like his word to parents about the need to keep pursuing your kids' hearts: "When your teenager hears you say 'You're beautiful' and they put a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on their door, I want you to respect that...but go through their window." I love that.
Jen and I went to the movies on a Tuesday night this week, something we rarely do. In our desire for a little escape from the real world, we chose the artsy-fartsy period drama Anna Karenina. We knew that it was based on a famous Russian novel, but not much more than that. Call us uncultured.
I can't say that I enjoyed it all that much, but I will say that it was a great movie. It was great because it offered a graphic depiction of what happens when one listens to the "follow your heart" drivel that the world sells people today. So it wasn't fun to watch (I had a hard time rooting for anyone), but it was very true.
The plot is far too detailed for me to describe, but I will summarize it this way: Anna Karenina beautifully displays the reality that when you walk away from your marriage and choose to be unfaithful, you blow up your own life and destroy everyone else's around you. For that, I appreciated the film. It pulled no punches. For that reason alone, I would recommend you see it. For parents who want to demonstrate to their older teens the stupidity of the "follow your heart" message when it runs contrary to the wisdom of scripture, I would recommend it, as well. There are a few sensual scenes that you should avoid (let's all go get some popcorn!), but I think the R rating comes mainly from a graphic scene of a bloody train accident.
You can read a great detailed review at Plugged In that offers some great insights. It might be a terrific DVD rental in a few months.
Recent Comments