Parenting

,

4 C’s For Raising Polite Kids

,

At just about every parenting conference I speak at I inevitably get one question and it usually goes something like this. “What should I do when my kids don’t behave the way they are supposed to?” My answer generally includes these four C’s for raising polite kids.


1. Clarity

Setting clear boundaries four our children in advance will help them know where the line is. That does not mean they stay on the right side of the line all the time; it simply means they know where it is. They will not only push a boundary but will exercise their will and cross it. Why? Because it’s their job. If you haven’t defined reasonable boundaries for your kids, how will you know what

,

3 Ways To Find Your Family Rhythm And Stay In Sync

,

One of the things I like best about families is that each member is different. We look different, we act different and we’re interested in different things. Each member has his or her own rhythm and beat. In a musical sense, rhythm is “The pattern of musical movement through time.”

I’m sure you have heard someone described as “marching to the beat of his [or her] own drum.” Usually that means the person has an internal beat or rhythm that is different from others. It’s a statement about uniqueness and style.

We have many different instruments in our families. In fact, if you have a bigger family, you have a bigger band! But no matter how many people are in your band the goal is to always keep the rhythm! Why march to the beat of the music playing

, ,

Why Thankfulness Will Change Your Life

, ,

The Story: Ten Lepers Luke 17:11-19


Cleansed

When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed. Luke 17:14 NASBStr

Cleansed: The Greek word for cleansed is Katharizō which means, “to cleanse: to make clean.” (From Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance) The idea of this word is to wash away a physical stain or dirt. The words is used 17 times in the Gospels and is used of lepers, pharisees

, ,

Why It’s Important To Be WITH Not Just FOR Someone + Video

, ,

When Jesus Came Into The World He Was WITH Us
And they will call him Immanuel, which means God is with us. Matthew 1:23b NLTse

When Jesus Left This World He Said He Is WITH Us
And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20b NLTse

Jesus isn’t just FOR us, He is WITH us and to me that makes a huge difference in how I live my life. He is not distant, he is fully present. There are people in my life who aren’t just FOR me, they are WITH me. I usually

, ,

Parents & Leaders: Why A Laugh A Day Is The Right Way + Video

, ,

There is a time to cry and a time to laugh. Ecclesiastes 3:4a NCV

“You need to stop that humor stuff, it’s taking away from God’s message!” That was the advice written to me on the comment card that was dropped into the offering plate as it went by then delivered to my office on Monday morning. I still remember the man’s name, “Unknown.” Yes, he actually wrote the name “Unknown.”

As I stared at the words I felt like a failure, I felt hurt, I felt pain. You see, ”There is a time to cry.”

Now, as I retell this story both in writing and speaking around the country I can’t help

,

7 Words That Will Change Your Life - Number 4: Expect + Video

,

Expect [ik-spekt]
Verb

"to look forward to; regard as likely to happen; anticipate the occurrence or the coming of"

The above definition was taken from Dictionary.com. I like what it has to say for the most part. When we expect something to happen we anticipate it, we look forward to it we do this because we think it’s likely to happen. I guess that’s where the definition goes a little sideways for me.

From a Biblical perspective the idea of expect carry’s with it something a little more than “likely” to happen. How about a “Confident Assurance” that something

, ,

A Small Word With Big Impact For Parents and Leaders + Video

, ,

What’s the word?
It’s AND.
Yep, that’s it, AND.
It’s a small word and it packs a big punch if we really embrace what it has to offer. Let’s take a look.

Dialectical Thinking: What is it, how does it work, what does it have to do with “AND?”

When thinking dialectically the key word that comes to mind is the word AND. When there are seemingly opposing views dialectical thinking allows us to hold the moment in neutral instead of passing judgment or giving an opinion. It’s the ability to view what appears to be opposing issues with a neutral perspective allowing us to seek to understand rather