Recipe for a great marriage

What's your top ten list of things you put in for a great and happy marriage? Communication, time out.... what things are important to you as a couple? How does this impact your role as a parent? What things do you find hardest to maintain? How can we keep our marriages a priority? Please leave some ideas and thoughts?

How will they turn out?

All this work as a parent is leading towards what? What are your goals, aims, purpose as a parent? What values and principles do you want your children to grow up with and how do you intend to plant those in their hearts so that these values become theirs?

So lets talk about some of the characteristics we want our children to exhibit by age 6, 12 and 18. Please leave your comment so we can share some ideas and learn from each other.

Parenting: A mixed bag of opportunities and emotions!

Being a parent really is a challenging and difficult thing. But at the same time it's a huge blessing. While we watch our kids exert their own will, listen to them say 'no' to us and sometimes say the same thing over and over and over again till we can no longer hear ourselves think, we also see them growing, starting to say 'I love you mummy' without prompting, giving big hugs and kisses and discovering what life is all about right before our very eyes. Parenting has so many amazing contrasts attached to it. As parents we can feel both overwhelmed and overjoyed all mixed up in the one bag of emotions. But we have this amazing opportunity to help shape our children's futures.

For you as a parent, what is difficult or challenging and what is wonderful or awesome about your journey in raising children? Please leave a comment so we can share some thoughts together.

Principle vs. Application

Biblical principles and application are not the same thing. God's principles are constant, never changing, they come from Scripture. But applying His principles can be based on personal experience, common wisdon, culture, tradition etc.... Both are important.

How do you apply the principles of the Bible? What's important to you as you decide how to implement the different goals you have?

Training the Heart

Garry Ezzo says "the primary consideration in early parenting is the child's heart and not simply outward behaviour. There is something about the human heart that requires attention, and that is the focus of early training. We know that the heart is the centre of all life and behaviour" (AVW Manual 2002, p. 17).

So what are your thoughts on training your child's heart?

Welcome to Parenting online

Hi

This blog is all about supporting each other as parents in the sometimes daunting journey of raising a family and trying to be the best parent you can be. We want to share experiences and ideas, struggles and triumphs so that can learn from one another and grow as families while gaining strength from God and each other.

Please feel free to click on the comment button in the blog to leave your responses which will then appear on the website for others to consider and respond to. Or you can email me directly and this will be private.

Happy blogging

Andrew Rienecker

SCC Families Ministry