Index: Changing Hearts

During this time of year when there are lists of things to do and places to go, don’t forget this one simple truth: people are more important than things. People are worth more of our focus than lists. We may think that the lists of things make the holiday perfect for the people, but that isn’t true. While it is… Read more »

In an ideal world, children would dutifully do their chores not only as effectively as Mom or Dad would do them, but also without delay.Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world. Human brains, especially child brains, are wired to find more efficient ways to do tasks in order to save time or effort. These brains create great innovations in… Read more »

Chris W. shared this shocking story with me about his experience last week with his son at a California park. “My son and I were playing soccer at a park in the bay area of California. Multiple African American boys came up to my son and started punching him in the head for no reason. When I attempted to stop… Read more »

Think of the voices that surround our children. Voices leading children to love money, God, family, power, popularity, prestige, entitlement, activism, intellectual achievement, personal worth, truth, pleasure-seeking, time wasting, productivity, industry, judgment, despair, and more.   It’s easy to see how some of these voices mislead and hurt a child’s potential. Yet, these voices oftentimes come from people who say,… Read more »

Humanity is such an interestingthing. Do we really understand it? Do we really know what it is? How do we define “being human?” In order to be human, we must understand nature; what God created. Once we understand that, we can begin to understandhuman nature.… Read more »

Two to three times per day, my 17-year-old son spontaneously comes up to me as I’m coming down the hall or when I’m standing in the kitchen, and wraps his arms around me and gives me a tender, loving hug. “Oh, Mom…I love you,” he says. These hugs are some of the highlights of my days. They truly turn our… Read more »

Trapped! That’s what many people feel like they are right now. Many children are complaining of being bored, or worse, having way too much screen time. Stress is infiltrating more homes globally by the day because businesses are closing their doors, people are losing their jobs, bills are still coming due, social distancing is making people feel disconnected, and there… Read more »

Reaching a child’s heart is vital for awakening his conscience and morally training him to desire to make good choices, but structure also has a part to play in training the heart. This is a true story, and a new parenting lesson, of how to help a person understand the truths behind your teachings. Structure “Porter, I need you do… Read more »

It’s all too common in many modern households to hear sighs, grumbling, complaining and whining from children when parents give reminders of daily work responsibilities, or when additional work assignments are given to children.But, before we think this is the way children have always felt about doing work or that everyone should feel work is somehow one of the punishments… Read more »

As I held my 15-year-old son’s hand and watched the magic of Christmas unfold around me with lights and nativity displays at the city center, I felt that date with my son was a parent’s dream come true. Who doesn’t dream of the perfect parent/child memory? We all want them, but could our desire for that perfect moment be just… Read more »

“I hate that I’ve been mean to my children before,” confessed a father I was speaking to recently. Instead of calmly handling difficult situations, this father had become frustrated a few times and lost his temper with his children. His voice tone and body were humble as he confessed this. He wasn’t making excuses for his bad behavior but was… Read more »

Sometimes, no matter how diligently parents try to teach their children and unify their families, they are met with opposition. Sunday Evening 1986 “It’s time for family council,” said Dad, as usual one Sunday evening. “How long is it going to take?” “We hate family council!” “Urgh!” “I’m tired. Can I go to bed?” said child after child in the… Read more »