Category: Encouragement

Top Tip for Raising a Mature, Godly Child

Top Tip for Raising a Mature Fodly Child- Parenting Like HannahJohn Quincy Adams is a little known American President. Other than being the son of President John Adams, most of us know nothing about him. It’s a shame, because I think the Adam’s knew the secret to raising a mature son. (I can’t speak to how godly he was as historians tend to have little interest in such matters.) Don’t believe me?

By the age of fourteen, John Quincy Adams was traveling around Europe helping a diplomat convince other countries to recognize the newly formed United States. This was after having graduated from college that January. He was fluent in Dutch, French, Greek and Latin. (Not to mention a passing knowledge of other languages.) After his European jaunt, he entered Harvard and graduated from there by the time he was twenty.

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Your Kids Won’t Need a Binky in College, But They Will Need God

Your Kids Won't Need a Binky in College, But They Will Need God _ Parenting Like HannahWhen your children are very young, you tend to worry about interesting things. I have seen mothers absolutely obsessed with potty training or taking away a binky from a toddler who is still sucking on it for comfort. Don’t even get me started on night lights, thumb sucking and teddy bears. (Especially since I still own my Super Bear!)

We spend so much time and effort worrying, reading up on how to potty train or wean our child from a comfort item. We fret, talk to other moms and even pray. I will never forget what an older mom once told me. Our daughter had never needed a night light. A death of a favorite aunt in preschool made her suddenly begin to request light in her room at night.

As I fretted over what seemed like a step backward, the more experienced mom looked at me and said “Don’t worry, she will stop when she’s ready. I’ve never seen a kid in college with a night light.” Now granted, I am sure there actually are some kids with night lights in college, but she was right. In our case a little time and distance from the upsetting event and our daughter asked us to remove the light at night.

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Teaching Kids to See God in Tough Times

Teaching Kids to See God in Tough Times- Parenting Like HannahOur family was able to enjoy this past weekend in New York City. I loved my years living there and thoroughly enjoy exploring it again with the family I am now blessed to have. New York City can be a very tough, harsh place though. There are noises, dirt, crime and millions of people with stories that would break your heart. Living there has broken many a person, I am sure.

In this picture though, you can see one of the photos I took in the middle of Manhattan. An old abandoned rail line in what used to be a not so great area of town has been reclaimed and turned into an elevated park. When I look at this photo and others I took during our trip, I see God.

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What Peach Milkshakes Taught Me About Parenting

What Peach Milkshakes Taught Me About Parenting - Parenting Like HannahThere aren’t many foods that I will go out of my way to find and eat. One of them is the Chick Fil A peach milkshake. It’s creamy goodness is enhanced by huge chunks of fresh peaches. I enjoy them so much I limit myself to only two a season to keep me from living on a diet of peach milkshakes for several weeks each year.

The thing about peach milkshakes is they are only available during the height of peach season. Some years the peaches ripen early and I can grab my first shake in May or June. Other years there is a bumper crop and peach milkshakes are still around in September. In bad years, the peach milkshake season can come and go in just a few weeks. Because I limit myself to only two shakes, I plan them carefully. Sometimes I get distracted and pull up for my first peach dream in August when they are already gone for the year. I always cry out, “I thought I had more time before they were gone!”

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Raising an Encourager

Raising an Encourager - Parenting Like HannahIf you want parenting advice, it’s pretty easy to find lots of experts who will help you guide your child away from bad habits. There is also a lot of advice on how to train on practical things like manners. When it comes to heart issues like speech though, it gets much tougher. The Bible tells us what comes out of our mouths reflects what is on our hearts. (Matthew 15:18) How do we mold the hearts of our children so what comes out of their mouths is positive, loving and uplifting?

In Kids, Speech and God, I shared some speech habits which may also reveal some heart issues in your child that need correcting. What if your child has conquered many of the negative speech habits, but isn’t necessarily replacing them with encouraging speech? How can you raise a child who is like Barnabas in the Bible? Barnabas was known for being godly and wise. He reflected God’s love by encouraging others. He regularly shared his faith and encouraged people like Paul to go out and use their gifts to serve and share their faith, too. How can you raise a modern Barnabas in today’s negative world?

There are probably many things you can do, but these will get you started:

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