Tagged: parenting teens

And behold, the Lord stood… and said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants.” Genesis 28:13 Take heart, dear parent. The Lord Himself will speak to your children. Jacob deceived Isaac and Esau rebelled against him. Yet Isaac remained sure of the Lord, spoke a blessing over Jacob, and sent him into adulthood. The blessing of our children is critical at the launching point where we send our children out into adulthood. Though they may or may not embrace the truth they have been taught, though they may or may not be following Jesus as they exit our homes, they need… Read More

Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Proverbs 27:6 Parenting teens is both inspiring and intimidating. Some say that parents cannot be friends with their teenage children. I would argue that as parents, we have the potential to be the closest friends our teens have. A true friend is willing to wound, although kissing would be so much easier. As a parent, there come times in my responsibility toward my child when I must wound her with the truth. I must have the courage to tell my son what his friends either cannot or will not tell him. I must remind my daughter of the ground beneath her feet, the road ahead of her, the work at… Read More

For all mothers everywhere. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  Luke 2:19, NIV Among my most precious earthly possessions is an old trunk. Scratched and battered, it sits squat and square by my desk. On the front, just below the scuffed brass latches, is the hand-lettered name and address of one of my life-mentors. This trunk was all she carried with her almost a century ago when she left her home in England to travel by sea to North Africa. There she became a mother to the masses for over fifty years, welcoming new life into the world as both physical and spiritual midwife. Her trunk, now filled with treasures I’ve gathered over the years, is a daily… Read More

@audreycfrank Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit (Jeremiah 17:7-8, NASB). The rubber plant in my dining room is reaching toward the sun this morning. Day after day I have walked past it without noticing. When I brought it home the first day so many years ago, it was a small starter plant that I hoped would grow to fill the immense ceramic pot in which I placed it.… Read More

@audreycfrank She just had a feeling. It was that mother-gut, knowing feeling that words just can’t quite explain. Such a feeling is weighed and measured in units of anxiety and apprehension, intangible but real. Something was wrong, and her son was trying to hide it. Climbing the stairs, she said a quick prayer. Lord, please reveal whatever I need to know. As she opened the door to her son’s room, he quickly slid something under the covers, eyes avoiding her gaze, lips mumbling a weak explanation. The carefully laid household rule that electronic devices were not allowed in bedrooms had been ignored. The temptation was too great. Seizing the phone concealed in her son’s blankets, the mother turned on the screen. Images she could never… Read More

for David, and myself Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7) In the past week, I have Googled everything from sparrow photos, tossed broccoli salad, what causes insomnia, and where to find a halal sheep farm near me. More than revealing my eclectic interests and lifestyle, the ability to search such a wide range of topics in an instant discloses how dependent I have become on going to the internet to answer my questions and provide solutions to daily problems.  On a tough afternoon as I battled anxiety about one of my… Read More