Have you ever thought it is odd that at a child’s birthday party, we give him the cake to blow all his germs on before we eat it? Until recently, I had never thought of it that way. Or, what about sneezing? For years it seemed funny. Now, I get a little nervous or embarrassed when I need to sneeze. What is healthy has changed. What is best? What is wise? What is good? As the pandemic subsides...
In twenty years of ministry to men, I have heard countless stories of fathers who raised their children with this tragic philosophy: “Do as I say, not as I do.” The legacies of confusion and brokenness left in the wake of such instruction is both sad and sobering. Children naturally observe and mimic whatever their parents do, even more than what they say. Therefore, if you are a father, you have...
By God’s grace, many Christians can testify of being blessed through the legacy of a godly grandmother. But how about the spiritual impact of grandfathers? Are we Christian grandfathers also impacting the coming generations with the gospel of Christ? When our grandchildren look at us, do they see tangible proof that the gospel changes people? That the gospel has changed us? What a blessing it is...
When Tina’s husband left, she was devastated. Even though she and her husband had struggled with problems, she was shocked that he would actually leave her. When she asked him why he was leaving and what he planned to do, he had no answers. His only response—he needed space. This common beginning to many unplanned separations is the first surprising reality about marital separation. Although it...
When my kids were little, we read books every night. Some they picked, and some I picked. One series that I never chose, but they often wanted to read was The Berenstain Bears. I thought the books were a bit moralistic, and Papa Bear was a bumbler who needed lots of direction from Mama Bear. But my children loved the bear world, the true-to-life problems, the silly things that happened, and the...
