Author: Thereasa Winnett

Thereasa Winnett is the founder of Teach One Reach One and blogger at Parenting Like Hannah. She holds a BA in education from the College of William and Mary. She has served in all areas of ministry to children and teens for more than thirty years and regularly leads workshops for ministries and churches. She has conducted numerous workshops, including sessions at Points of Light’s National Conference on Volunteering and Service, the National Urban Ministry Conference, Pepperdine Bible Lectures, and Lipscomb’s Summer Celebration. Thereasa lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband Greg, where she enjoys reading, knitting, traveling and cooking.

Luck and God

Wow, that was lucky!” “What a wonderful coincidence!” “I guess that was her destiny.” You can’t go very long without hearing someone attribute an incident to luck, coincidence, chance or destiny. You probably have used similar expressions yourself from time to time, I know I have.

The problem with luck and chance is that it means you are often attributing something that was God’s handiwork to pure chance. Think about the last time you used the expression. Was it actually God working in your life? Was it God blessing you with some blessing you had not anticipated? Were you witnessing God’s plan for your life begin to take shape?

Continue reading Luck and God

Teaching Kids to Use Everything to Serve God

If you talk to anyone in business or non-profit management, they will tell you one key to success is finding synergies. Synergy is finding the connection to someone else so you help each other succeed by combining your talents and/or resources. Have you ever thought about how you might create synergy with God?

God has gifted each person with talents, resources and connections. He has given you the tools to succeed. Have you thought about how to use those same gifts to serve God? Did you ever consider teaching your children how to look at everything they have been given and see how they can use it to further God’s Kingdom?

Continue reading Teaching Kids to Use Everything to Serve God

When Kids Don’t Need Reasons

Why Kids Need Reasons explains why I believe we need to take the time to give older children and teens the reasons behind our rules and God’s rules. There are times though when children need to learn to obey just “because I said so”.

When your child is crossing the street and a car is barreling towards him, you don’t have the time to explain how much that car hitting him is going to hurt. Your child needs to know your commands are to be respected and obeyed immediately, because you are the parent. God has asked you to care for her and God expects her to honor and obey you.

Continue reading When Kids Don’t Need Reasons

Why Kids Need Reasons

For many pre-schoolers, their favorite question is “Why?”. Asking questions is a natural part of learning about the world around them. Often, adults assume this exploration phase ends about the time kids start school. I personally believe though, that children begin to squelch their oral questioning once they discover it irritates many adults.

As adults, we have learned (hopefully) that certain rules and authorities are to be obeyed. We understand God really does know what is best for us. We have a fairly good understanding of concepts like love, manipulation, anger and many others.

Children and teens are still discovering these more abstract worlds. They are figuring out whom they can trust, what works for them in the short term and hopefully what will be in their best interest for the long haul. They are not just trying to learn the rules, they are trying to understand why they became rules and if those rules are really important.

Continue reading Why Kids Need Reasons

Moving on From Mom Guilt

Our daughter was five years old and having her kindergarten physical, when I requested a flu shot for her. The pediatrician looked at me somewhat condescendingly and informed me my daughter most likely wouldn’t catch it and if she did, it would be a mild case that would build up her immunity. In my gut, I knew he was wrong, but was intimidated enough to obey him. Guess whose child got a horrible case of the flu with after effects that went on for weeks? (Guess whose child has had a flu shot every year since!)

Guilt seems to be a natural part of mothering. We read an article and second guess our selves. Little old ladies are constantly telling us to put the socks and shoes back on our babies before something horrid happens. (Not that I’m bitter or anything, but you try keeping shoes on a baby!) And then there are those times when we really do make mistakes – some of them even rather serious at times.

Guilt can freeze you as a mother. You become afraid to make decisions for fear of making a mistake and suffering more guilt. If your struggle with guilt is severe enough, it can paralyze you to the extent you are incapable of parenting at all.

Continue reading Moving on From Mom Guilt