Impress Them On Your Children

It was a slow realization over many years that I had been living a divided life as a Christian teaching in the public school system. I had no problem teaching at a public school myself, but I simultaneously refused to send my children to the same school because I didn’t want them exposed to what was taught there. The inconsistency was clear in the minds of others when they found out that I homeschooled my children, but it took years for it to become clear to me. After a decade in teaching, I felt convicted to resign. This book recounts the several moments and realizations that led up to my decision to leave public education.

Every thought you have creates or reinforces already-created negative or positive beliefs in your heart. These beliefs are the main controllers of our thoughts, words, and actions, which in turn form our emotions. The key to having a high-quality life is to create beliefs within your heart that control your behavior. In this workbook, Dr. Gary Smalley presents how-to steps, engaging questions, practical exercises, and fun activities to help the whole family memorize and meditate on key Scriptures.

Mothering is messy. Our joy and hope in raising children doesn’t change the reality that being a mom can be frustrating, stressful, and tiring. But just as God is using us to shape our children, God is using our children and motherhood to shape us. In The Better Mom, author Ruth Schwenk, herself a mother of four children, encourages us with the good news that there is more to being a mom than the extremes of striving for perfection or simply embracing the mess. We don’t need to settle for surviving our kids’ childhood. We can grow through it. With refreshing and heartfelt honesty Ruth emboldens moms to: Find freedom and walk confidently in purpose Create a God-honoring home environment Overcome unhealthy and destructive emotions such as anger, anxiety, and more Avoid glorifying the mess of mom-ing or idolizing perfection Cultivate life-giving friendships At the heart of The Better Mom is the message that Jesus calls us to live not a weary life, but a worthy life. We don’t have to settle for either being apathetic or struggling to be perfect. Both visions of motherhood go too far. Ruth offers a better option. She says, “It’s okay to come as we are, but what we’re called to do and be is far too important to stay there! The way to becoming a better mom starts not with what we are doing, but with who God is inviting us to become."

An encyclopedia that is compact enough to be quick and easy to use, this handy reference includes only the topics that people want and only the vital information they need. Approximately 1500 entries each contain pronunciations, concise definitions, additional information, and Scripture references. "Zipporah (zip POE rah), daughter of Jethro and wife of Moses. She gave birth to two sons: Gershom (Exodus 2:22) and Eliezer (Exodus 18:4). Her name means 'little bird'." Experienced students of the Bible and curious seekers alike will appreciate this useful and informative tool. A companion to Ron's Find It Fast in the Bible topical guide, this compact reference will be readers' first choice for quick definitions and information on Bible subjects.

Packed with 10 essential parenting strategies, Clinton and Sibcy help parents understand the strengths and weaknesses of parenting styles, and offer a proven method for raising healthy, happy, well-balanced kids.

Three veteran dads offer their best practical advice so you can build awesome relationships with your kids. In partnership with the National Center for Fathering, they draw on their day-in, day-out experience to help you... creatively express care and affection in ways only a father can convey a positive perspective on life and the future teach, counsel, and guide in ways your children can receive and remember remind your kids--and yourself--that God is always there, listening and participating be a dad through all the stages of your kids' lives These time-tested ideas will reignite your passion for being a dad. You'll find the inspiration and know-how you need to engage with daughters and sons in the best ways possible and make your home their favorite place to be.

The idea to write fictional letters to marital couples on how to use God's lifetime warranty on their marriages came into being in the process of a sermon preparation as a guest pastor for a local church in November 2011. I prayed about which message to deliver for many days. About two days before Sunday, I had a dream that a young lady participated during my sermon. After the sermon, her family greeted me well and said I made her speak in public for the first time and I gave her the encouragement that she needs for the rest of her life. Then I woke up. On the actual Sunday service, during the sermon, I asked the congregation how many of them had a dog or a cat. A young lady - a 17 year old said she had a cat. I asked if she ever took her cat for a walk, she said, "no." I asked, "why not?" She replied, "Nobody does!" Then I said people take their dogs for walks, but this does not mean that dogs are more important or better than cats. Cats have their own usefulness. God who created us knows that we are not the same and that we cannot function in the same way. One should not be boasting that s/he is better than the other. After the service, the grandfather of the cat owner who spoke during my sermon and her aunt came to me and thanked me for the opportunity given to the young lady to talk for the first time in public, which would enable her to express herself publicly. When I was praying at home after the sermon, I had the feeling that God wanted me to tell people to try out what seems to be unusual for them. It has been my concern for many years that many couples don't take their wedding vows seriously. It is affecting children a great deal; many children have two or three stepparents. Those children without stepparents seem to be the odd ones among their peers. In Canada, about 50% of first marriages may likely end up in divorce. One may presume that the rate of divorce in second marriages would be lower, but instead it is higher at 72% while, third marriages have the highest divorce rate of 85% (Comparative Annual Divorce Rate in Canada). Similarly, in America, the first marriage divorce rate ranges from 41 - 50%; second marriage divorce rate is between 60-67% and third marriage is between 73-74%. (Information on Divorce Rate and Statistics). This book is fictional. The stories are not real stories. They are about my past experiences with heterosexual couples in my counseling or pastoral care. I do not have a particular person or couple in mind. No names in the book are real names. If anybody's name or any couples have the same names as used in the book, I would like them to know that I am not telling their particular story or using them as an example. The Holy Spirit inspired the writers of the bible stories/instructions/messages and the same Holy Spirit is still talking to us today. I believe, I was inspired to write the book. I will encourage anyone or couple whose story or stories are similar to what's in the book not to be too critical but to take it (the book) as a means through which God is speaking to them to change. No marriage is too bad that God cannot change for better. Don't fold your arms and accept your troubled marriage as a done deal. I will advise the readers to call upon the author of marriage, God through Jesus Christ, to fix their marriages. He is able. Since the idea of letter writing is becoming obsolete, one may be wondering why letters to marital couples, and not email, text, or any other modern means of communication. Letter writing is an old form of communication, which is to inform, correct, and educate. In the New Testament, there are many letters written by Paul the apostle and others to individuals and churches to deal with issues, circumstances, and problems faced by the recipients. We never read about their responses or their initial letters to the Apostles. Similarly, only letters written to the couples are featured in this book. Most of the Letters in this book are long term correspondence with the imaginary couples. The objectives of the letters are to: 1). Encourage couples not to give up on their dream of having a successful marriage and to continue fighting until the victory is won. 2). Enable the counsellors/pastors to keep their counselees' hope alive as long as they are still interested in counselling. 3). Help families and friends to keep on supporting the couples in crises. Note that some of the letters end with prayer, while some didn't. The idea is we don't have to impose prayer on people. Praying with people is as important as praying for people in absentia. We need permission to pray with people, but we don't need permission to pray for people while they are not there. In both my pastoral and counselling ministries, the most prevalent issues are marriage and family matters. This book thus serves as a handbook to help couples in crises or prevent couples from getting into a marital mess. It can be used in marriage enrichment groups or as a counsellor/Pastor's handbook. The group Leaders, Counsellors or Pastors should not use the book as a weapon of judgment against anyone, but as a means of correction and education. The book is calling people who just want a family and not a marriage. Many couples lose love in their marriages. Love is the greatest gift God gives to people but many people do not accept it. They choose anger instead of peace or love from God. The book is calling the readers who are making wrong decisions for wrong reasons. We should not let bitterness, anger, frustration, alcohol, drugs, etc., ruin our marital relationships. The principles of marital solutions in the book focus on God. May God bless you as you read the it. Shalom!

How we live is based on what we believe. Susan Hunt's book helps parents teach their kids basic truths of faith. Each lesson has a story featuring two youngsters, Caleb and Cassie, that shows how truth can be applied even at a young age.