Encouragement For Parents - And The Rest of Us As Well!

My wife and I began the parenting adventure in a different century.  That gives us some historical perspective on what parents face today.  

Now, as an overdue grandparent and pastor of young families, I find myself very, very aware of how dramatically the world that we parent in has changed.  Technology, entertainment and social pressures have altered the ocean of life that families will grow in.  No wise parent would face those waters alone.  Here are three GREAT resources for encouraging and equipping parents in this new setting.   

By the way, they are in alphabetical and not rank order.  You’ll want to read them all, even if you are raising only boys or only girls.  Odds are still good that your kids will eventually bring home your potential “child-in-law” and you’ll want to get started understanding that gender NOW!

Give Them Grace: Gospel-Centered Parenting

In a recent blog post, Pastor Tullian Tchivdjian recounts a conversation with his son after a crushing basketball defeat.  It's a great example of what gospel-centered parenting could look like and what it means to "pursue the heart" with our children in the lives that they live.

“Dad, I played terrible.”

I said, “I know you don’t think you played well but why does not playing well make you so sad.”

Learning To Pray

I want to pass on to you the most inspiring prayer resource that I have encountered in many years.  "Heavenward" is  a blog by Scotty Smith, pastor of Christ Community Church in Franklin, TN.  Each day he posts a prayer.  Each prayer is now a part of own my daily time with my Heavenly Father. There is no better resource for learning to pray from a "gospel of grace" perspective that I have been able to find.

You can go directly to the blog by clicking here.  Once there, mark that in your browser and then pray daily with Scotty, just as I do.  There is even a link on that page to have the prayer emailed to you each day.  Do whatever works best for you, but don't miss the opportunity to see your prayer life grow and the roots of your heart dig deeper into the gospel of grace.  Let me encourage you by giving you a taste of today's prayer: