What Is Your Child’s Godly Potential?

What Is Yoru Child's Godly Potential - Parenting Like Hannah“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) Did you know God has a plan for each of your children? Some might argue this verse was only for these people in this time and place, but I believe other verses like, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) point to a more universal application.

The idea God not only knows each of us well enough to know the ever changing number of hairs on our heads, but has made specific plans He would like each of us to do, should excite you as a parent. Of course God has THE Plan – sending His son to earth to die for our sins so you and your kids have the hope of eternal life.

I also believe though, God has things He wants your children to do in addition to becoming a Christian and worshipping and obeying Him. He, who has all wisdom and can see the future, knows your children will have opportunities in their lives to serve others and share their faith. In fact, I believe the Bible reinforces the idea God has uniquely gifted your children to be prepared to meet the challenges those opportunities will provide.

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Can One Day of Kindness Really Change Everything?

Can One Day of Kindness Really Change Everything? - Parenting Like HannahRecently, I was asked to review a new book, Your Next 24 Hours: One Day of Kindness Can Change Everything by Hal Donaldson and Kirk Noonan (Sorry, but I believe ghost writers should get equal billing.) Social justice has taken front stage in our world lately and I was interested in reading what was billed as a Christian book on the subject.

Before I share some of the very serious issues I have with this book from a Christian perspective, let me say I don’t actually have many problems with this book if it were marketed as a secular book. Ultimately, that’s what this book really is – a secular book on social justice – with the lightest coat of Jesus varnish on it.

The subjects covered range from serving others to showing kindness and more. The discussions include a wide range of topics on a rather basic level. Each of the 22 chapters ends with several ideas of concrete ways to implement the concepts in that chapter. Most are what you would find on any list of service project ideas for kids and honestly, a couple of them sounded almost trite, or at least forced.

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Fun Activity To Help Kids Learn About Loving Others

Fun Activities to Help Kids Learn About Loving Others - Parenting Like HannahGod’s love for us is at the very root of Christianity. I’m sure you are teaching your kids to love others. Love is complicated though. It’s not just butterflies in your stomach or finding a friend who enjoys the same things you do. True agape love is loving people even when you have nothing in common with them. It’s the ability to love people even if you don’t particularly like them at the moment. It’s even what makes it possible to love our enemies.

There is a fun activity you can do with your kids to help them begin to understand love is unconditional. Gather up some paper and some pens and markers or crayons. If you want to get really creative, cut out the paper in the shape of a heart or buy those inexpensive heart-shaped blank books.

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Fun Ways to Teach 5 Important Listening Skills to Your Kids

Fun Ways to Teach Five Important Listening Skills to Your Children - Parenting Like Hannah

 

In 5 Important Listening Skills You Should Be Teaching Your Kids, I shared the five types of listening skills you should be helping your kids master. The best way to teach kids almost anything is to find ways for them to have fun while they practice. Some of the listening skills we covered overlap the others a bit. Since they have a slightly different focus though, you should do activities focusing primarily on each particular listening skill.

You can probably find lots of fun things to try, but here are a few of my favorites for each listening skill:

 

 

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5 Listening Skills You Should Be Teaching Your Children

5 Listening Skills You Should Be Teaching Your Children - Parenting Like Hannah
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Did you realize there are dozens of verses in the Bible about listening? Whether it’s listening to God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, parents, wisdom or instruction, it is clearly important to God that our children listen and listen well. If you have children, you have probably been frustrated more than once with their ability to listen – and we won’t even talk about the obeying part!

Strong listening skills are essential to any Christian who wants to make an impact on the world for God. Yet parents, churches and schools spend little time training children how to listen well. Oh, a few may have children practice repeating what they have heard or even answering questions about it, but the listening skills your kids need go far beyond merely recalling details.

So what are the listening skills you need to help your children learn to master?

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