We all have some dysfunction in our family relationships. Tim Stanford wrote an informative and helpful article defining destructive patterns and solutions for dysfunctional behaviors within families. The link to his article is at the bottom of this page: Destructive relationship patterns can get passed down from one generation to the next. Here's how you can set a new precedent for your future family: Boys who witness domestic violence in their own home are three times more likely to … [Read more...] about 8 Steps to Breaking the Cycle of Family Dysfunction
Children
Narcissism & Entitlement in Today’s Children
Victoria Prooday, OT finds today’s kids come to school emotionally unavailable for learning. There are many factors in our modern lifestyle that contribute to this. She writes: I am an occupational therapist with years of experience working with children, parents, and teachers. I completely agree with this teacher’s message that our children are getting worse and worse in many aspects. I hear the same consistent message from every teacher I meet. Clearly, throughout my time as an … [Read more...] about Narcissism & Entitlement in Today’s Children
A Silent Tragedy in How We Are Raising Our Children
There is a silent tragedy that is unfolding today in our homes and concerns our most precious jewels: our children. Our children are in a devastating emotional state! In the last 15 years, researchers have given us increasingly alarming statistics on a sharp and steady increase in childhood mental illness that is now reaching epidemic proportions: Statistics do not lie: What is happening and what are we doing wrong? Today’s children are being over-stimulated and over-gifted with … [Read more...] about A Silent Tragedy in How We Are Raising Our Children
The Importance of Parental Love
I read an article recently on FocusOnTheFamily.com which lists five benefits of parental love. The link to the article is: (https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/parental-love/). The five benefits and descriptions are listed below. I would like to apply them to our families' and our spiritual lives as followers of God the Father and Jesus Christ. Spiritual Growth Love is a physical need for children. When children receive and learn to give love, they won’t be as thirsty for love … [Read more...] about The Importance of Parental Love
Misunderstood Authority?
The subject of authority is a difficult one because of the many negative applications we see around us. It’s primary association with power, clashes with the natural human desire for autonomy. In our present day, the subject of authority is often confused with authoritarianism and the abuse of power, which creates a negative perception. Authority is a vital ingredient for godly living, and it is therefore important for us to be clear minded about what it is and what it is not. … [Read more...] about Misunderstood Authority?
There is a Generation. . .
We are shown four things in scripture that God considers to be incredibly important at any point in time. The four characteristics in Proverbs 30 are referenced by the phrase "there is a generation”. The Hebrew does not identify a particular generation. This generation can exist at any point in time as can the characteristics that are listed. We will see that each one provokes separation from God, as Satan works his work to separate man from God. The first point: “There is a … [Read more...] about There is a Generation. . .
A Word of Encouragement
“A word of encouragement during a failure is worth more than an hour of praise after success.” The author of that statement is unknown, but what can be known is that there is a lot of wisdom in it. The author did not say that offering praise after a success is bad – it’s not, it is a good thing. It is, however, not nearly as valuable as the encouragement needed to get to that eventual praise for success. When our children are little, there will always be certain things that they fail at, at … [Read more...] about A Word of Encouragement