Helping Teens Serve Others Effectively

Helping Teens Serve Effectively - Parenting Like HannahMy work with Teach One Reach One (Parenting Like Hannah’s parent ministry) has me working with a lot of urban ministries and mission fields. When I meet a new group, one of the first things I do is ask what challenges they face. Inevitably, one of the things I hear is the groups that come in to serve their ministry are not well prepared to help.

While they acknowledge the groups mean well, often they leave a wake of problems instead of service behind them. There are numerous reasons for this, but one is that the groups come in “knowing” what the people they are about to serve need. While it’s true we all need to be loved and to hear and understand God’s message of redemption, most of the things these groups “know” about the people they are about to serve is little to nothing.

There are a lot of ways to help teens learn to minister to others more effectively, but one of the most important is teaching them to ask good questions and really listen to the answers. Seems a little crazy when you are taking your teen or a group of teens to go serve in a soup kitchen. Obviously, the people are hungry. That’s why it’s a soup kitchen. The reality is so much more complex than that.

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Christian Moms Meet Change

CHristian Moms Meet Change - Parenting Like HannahMy high school graduation was wonderful. My speech went well. I loved celebrating our graduation with tons of good friends and family. I was so excited about attending college that August, I could barely stand it. Yet that night, I cried myself to sleep.

Have you ever wondered why some of the times in your life when you were so excited and happy, you still had an overwhelming urge to cry? It’s because often those times also mean change. Sometimes the change is small and sometimes it is large, but change is a huge part of life. When you become a parent, your life seems like it changes daily and some of the changes can almost knock you off your feet.

I was interested to read the new book, Girl Meets Change: Truths to Carry You through Life’s Transitions by Kristen Strong. As a military wife, Strong is no stranger to change. As someone also born with a low tolerance for change, Strong struggled to learn how to deal with the many changes her husband’s career demanded. The result is a very practical book to help others struggling with change.

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Christian Kids and Jewish Holidays

Christian Kids and Jewish Holidays - Parenting Like HannahMost Christian kids get very little exposure to the Jewish holidays. Passover of course, because of its ties to the Resurrection and our communion service. If you live in a diverse area, your kids have probably been exposed to Hanukkah also. The rest seem to be a jumble of difficult names and cultural practices which have little meaning to the modern child.

Yet our kids can learn so much from these holidays. These holidays were originally designed to point the Jewish people back to God and remind them of everything God had done for them. More importantly, every holiday points to Jesus. We are not bound to celebrate them any longer, but understanding them and their original celebrations will give our children a richer sense of heritage and appreciation for God’s Plan.

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Kids, Stars and God

Kids, Stars and God - Parenting Like HannahDid you ever stop and think about how many times stars are mentioned in the Bible? Of course there is the creation of the stars, then Abraham being promised as many descendants as the stars and of course the star that led the wise men to Jesus. Those aren’t the only times God sued stars to teach His people something. Stars are actually mentioned several dozen more times in the Bible.

From “And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3 NIV) to “He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the Lord is his name.” (Amos 5:8 NIV) stars play a large role in the Bible.

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Christian Moms and Thresholds

Christian Moms and Thresholds - Parenting Like HannahIt seems like every time you adapt to your child’s newest stage of development, he changes again. Often this means you are thrust into new and unfamiliar environments. I will never forget my first PTA meeting after our daughter entered kindergarten. The people running the meeting threw out so many unfamiliar acronyms, I felt like I was listening to another language. Thankfully, a more experienced mom took pity on me and translated.

Crossing the threshold into unfamiliar territory can be a little unnerving for even the hardiest of explorers. For some, it may drive you into almost a state of sheer panic. The new book Thresholds: How to Thrive Through Life’s Transitions to Live Fearlessly and Regret-Free by Sherre Hirsch tries to help you tackle those jitters and confidently cross into your next adventure.

This book was a little different for me to review as it is written from a faith perspective, but by a Jewish rabbi. There are parts that refer to the Bible, but obviously, only the Old Testament. There are a couple of things which may strike you as slightly different about her perspective on the Old Testament stories. I have learned over the years, some of the differences are because they have added on to some of the stories through rabbinical writings.

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