Tag Archive - Parenting

Mother’s Day Links + More!

May 7, 2012 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments


Be sure to join us this Sunday for Mother’s Day at one of our Sojourn campuses! In light of Mother’s Day, I was reflecting a bit this morning about parenting. My friend Doug Wolter recently posted about the difference between Over-Parenting and Missional-Parenting. Here are a few of his thoughts:

Much of our parenting is motivated by fear. Consequently, we’re more concerned with protecting our children from the world than preparing them to make a difference in this world. Gospel-centered, missional parenting is much different. It pictures parents as courageous warriors getting ready to release their children into battle.
Read More! 

Also, here are some great Mother’s Day craft ideas from SojournKids’ J-town Campus Director, Danielle West:

 

12 Teachable Moments

December 15, 2011 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

…from Doug Wolter (#s 1-10), Pat Aldridge (#11), and Mark Driscoll (#12)
  1. When Your Kids Can’t Sleep
  2. When Your Kids Want Control
  3. When Your Kids Keep Whining
  4. When Your Kids Get Sick
  5. When Your Kids Scratch the Neighbor’s Car
  6. When Your Kids Disobey You (Again!)
  7. When Your Kids Have a Meltdown in Public
  8. When Your Kids Get Overly Emotional
  9. When Your Kids Ask About Death
  10. When Your Kids Ask About Earthquakes
  11. When You’re Stuck in the Basement
  12. When You’re Just There.

FAQs: Family Worship for a Child Under 2?

September 28, 2011 in Uncategorized with 2 Comments

One parent recently wrote our office with the following question: As our child grows older, we want to be very intentional about family devotions and sharing the gospel with her. Right now she is 13 1/2 months old and her attention span isn’t quite long enough to read the Big Picture Story Bible or the Jesus Storybook Bible. What are some practical things we can do now to begin to share the gospel with her and incorporate a devotional time? Are there any devotional books for younger kids that you would recommend, or any types of activities we can do? 

I pray that the short answer that follows is helpful both for this family and other families who may be struggling with the same kind of question: I’m so thankful for your desire to be intentional with your daughter. Here are some resources that I really like for children under age 2 and then for toddlers. The Lindvall Read-Aloud Story Bible books for toddlers have shorter and easier stories than the Big Picture Bible, and our girls really loved them. I think that your daughter would enjoy them soon–possibly even now. The stories are short and repetitive, so they are easy for young kids to memorize.

For infants (under age 2):

For toddlers (ages 2 & 3):

Josh, we also have prayed a nightly blessing over our girls since they were really young. When they were really young, we did this without much reading. Some nights now, we just pray the blessing and nothing more, because the girls are just too antsy or tired to listen to a story or memorize anything–particularly if we get in late from a training event or community group meeting. Our blessing goes something like this: “Dear Jesus, please help                          to grow up to be a girl who loves Jesus and trusts in Jesus. Please protect her from Satan and his schemes. Help her to have godly friends and a godly husband when she gets big. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” Children Desiring God has a book of blessings for fathers (A Father’s Guide for Blessing His Children by David Michael) that includes the Scripture blessings written out on notecards. You can download a PDF version of the book for $3. The printed booklet is $7.50, but the extra few bucks is probably worth it if you think that you’ll use the notecards.

You May Name Your Boy “Sue” but…

July 15, 2011 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

“A Boy Named Sue” was created by Shel Silverstein and popularized by Johnny Cash. If you’ve heard classic country music at all, you probably know it. The song hit #1 on the Billboard Country charts in 1969, and it was Cash’s only top 10 single on the Billboard Top 100.  The song tells the tale of a young man’s quest for revenge on his absent father. The father’s only contribution to his entire life was naming him Sue, a girl’s name. The name resulted in regular giggles and bullying at young Sue’s expense. The moral (if you can call it that) is found near the end where Sue’s father reveals that all of the suffering Sue endured was by design:

And he said: “Son, this world is rough
And if a man’s gonna make it, he’s gotta be tough
And I knew I wouldn’t be there to help ya along.
So I give ya that name and I said goodbye
I knew you’d have to get tough or die
And it’s the name that helped to make you strong.”

There is an element of truth in that. As much as we may try to pursue comfort for our children, the book of Hebrews teaches that the Father disciplines those he loves (Hebrews 12:6), and this discipline certainly does have a purpose: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11). Like Sue’s name, the Father’s discipline does toughen us up.

In spite of this similarity, there are other obvious ways that Sue’s dirty, mangy dad is nothing like the Heavenly Father. 
 Continue Reading…

A typical parenting conversation…

May 10, 2011 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

Kevin DeYoung posted today about parenting.  He includes this typical parenting conversation. My take away was… “I am not alone.”

Me: What’s the matter son?
Child: I want that toy and he won’t give it to me!
Me: Why do you want the toy?
Child: I don’t know.
Me: What’s going on in your heart when you desire that toy?
Child: I don’t know.
Me: Think about it son. Use your brain. Don’t you know something?
Child: I guess I just want the toy.
Me: Obviously. But why?
Child: I don’t know.
Me: Fine. [Mental note: abandon "why" questions and skip straight to leading questions.] Do you think he is having fun playing with the toy right now?
Child: No.
Me: Really?! He’s not having fun? Then why does he want that toy in the first place?
Child: Because he’s mean.
Me: Have you ever considered that maybe you are being mean by trying to rip the toy from his quivering little hands?
Child: I don’t know.
Me: What do you know?
Child: I don’t know!
Me: Nevermind. [I wonder how my brilliant child can know absolutely nothing at this moment.] Well, I think taking the toy from him will make your brother sad. Do you like to make him sad?
Child: I don’t know.
Me: [Audible sigh.]
Child: He makes me sad all the time!
Me: Well, I’m getting sad right now with your attitude! [Pause, think, what would Paul Tripp do?  Thinking . . . .thinking . . . .man, I can't stop thinking of that mustache. This isn't working. Let's just go right to the Jesus part.] You know, Jesus wants us to love each other.
Child: I don’t know.
Me: I didn’t ask you a question!
Child: [Pause.] Can I have some fruit snacks?
Me: No, you can’t have fruit snacks. We are talking about the gospel. Jesus loves us and died for us. He wants you to love your brother too.
Child: So?
Me: So give him the toy back!

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