Moms Are Leaders Too

Moms Are Leaders Too - Parenting Like Hannah
Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley

As a former career woman, turned stay-at-home mom, I get upset when I hear mothers say staying home with their children is not fulfilling and doesn’t allow them to use their gifts. Women in management often mention the frustration of only being able to use their leadership skills at the local PTA. I am not going to debate the pros and cons of mothers working. I will say that whether you work outside the home or not, mothers are leading a project that requires the most creativity, business savvy and leadership skills possible. The critical leadership role God has given you is to lead your children to Him.

Mothers (and fathers) need to hone and develop their leadership skills, perhaps even more than the most famous CEO. Why? Because we are attempting to lead our children to follow God all the days of their lives. Whether or not we can successfully lead our children, may mean the difference not only in their lives but also in their eternities.

Continue reading Moms Are Leaders Too

Having the Family Relationships Your Heart Desires

Having the Family Relationships Your Heart Desires - Parenting Like Hannah
One Month to Love by Kerry and Chris Shook

Have you ever wished you had a better relationship with your spouse or children? Are there unresolved issues with your parents or siblings? Do you feel as if your friendships aren’t the deep meaningful relationships you really want? Do you sometimes feel as if there is no one who really knows you and accepts you and unconditionally loves you for who you are?

I don’t know if I have ever said this about any book (other than the Bible of course!).  If you have meaningful relationships in your life that are not what you wish they were, you absolutely must read One Month to Love by Kerry and Chris Shook. This couple has done the best job I have ever seen of breaking down the various aspects of not only how to be the person you need to be in your relationships, but helping you understand what you need from the important people in your life.

Continue reading Having the Family Relationships Your Heart Desires

Mom on Strike

Mom On Strike - Parenting Like Hannah
Cleaning House by Kay Wills Wyma

Have you ever looked up after a big meal to find everyone in your family had disappeared leaving you with the dishes? Or maybe you are beginning to feel like a short order cook or a maid as you work while everyone else is watching television. Perhaps you have even wondered to yourself how your offspring will ever have clean clothes or nutritious meals once they leave your nest.

I think every mom has had at least fleeting moments when they wonder if they have done enough to prepare their children for the real world. While most moms don’t go as far as doing their children’s schoolwork for them, all of us have probably procrastinated a bit about teaching our children the really important life skills like cleaning toilets or doing laundry.

Continue reading Mom on Strike

Books for Christian Teens Who Want to Change the World

Books for Christian Teens Who Want to Change the World - Parenting Like Hannah
Photo by D. Sharon Pruitt

Do you have a teen who wants to change the world? Thankfully, for all of its issues, our society is encouraging children to become more involved in making a difference in the world. As a Christian though, I want to make sure my daughter understands one very important principle the world does not teach. Souls last longer than bodies.

Serving the felt needs of people without sharing God with them, only helps them temporarily. We have done nothing to make sure they have an opportunity to go to heaven when they die. On the other hand, trying to share the Gospel with someone who is starving or in pain is cruel. How can they hear God’s love, when you aren’t even taking the time to get them some food or medicine so they don’t starve? Serving felt needs and sharing the Gospel should always be done together.

Continue reading Books for Christian Teens Who Want to Change the World

Parents and Youth Ministry

Parents and Youth Ministry - Parenting Like Hannah
After You Drop Them Off by Jeramy Clark

Having been involved in more than half a dozen different youth ministries in three regions of the country, I was interested to see what Jeramy and Jerusha Clark had to say about youth ministry in their book After You Drop Them Off. After decades of being a teen, becoming a volunteer in youth ministries and now as the parent of a teen, I have noticed a change over the years in teens and their parents.

While some things have remained constant, I believe we will see a major paradigm shift in youth ministry over the coming decade. With parents working long hours, at least one non-present parent becoming more common and some parents who are tired of parenting releasing young teens to their own devices, teens are beginning to parent themselves more than ever.

Continue reading Parents and Youth Ministry