"Are these your children?" she asked. Our husbands shook hands quickly in those brief moments before the sermon began. "Yes, ma'am," I replied with a smile, "and our oldest daughter is in Virginia." Clasping my hand, she continued, "You have a beautiful...
Sarah with two of her Bonus Mamas! In my last blog post, I shared about the power of Bonus Parents in a teen’s life. In this post, I’d like to share 5 tips for being an awesome bonus parent for the teens around you! The great thing about being a Bonus Parent is there...
In honor of Mother’s Day and all the Bonus Parents out there, here’s a flashback to my Junior year of high school, a few weeks before Prom: Sixteen-year-old-me sits in the driveway, trying to pull myself together, still shaking from the shock of being dumped. The...
Flashback to Covid Prom 2020, Sarah & her beautiful friends! We knew it as soon as we laid eyes on it. This was the dress! Only, someone would have to convince her… (Cue the Mission Impossible music) Last week, Abby and I had the joy of going prom dress shopping...
Most of you are probably familiar with the story Jesus tells of the Prodigal Son found in Luke 15.
A fairly wealthy man has two sons. The younger one decides he’s had enough of boring ranch life and asks his dad to give him his inheritance early. Without looking back, he heads off into the world, living his best life, and squandering everything his father bestowed on him along the way. Eventually, the shininess wears off and the young man recognizes the mess he’s made. He longs for the life he gave up, yet realizes he is unworthy to even eat with the pigs. Humbly, he makes his way home, hoping his father might take pity on him and hire him as a farmhand.
Luke tells us that “when he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran to him.” This story has several messages, but the overarching point is that our Father, like the one in the story, has tremendous compassion and mercy for His children, even when our hearts are prone to wander. He watches for us when we leave Him, and He celebrates when we return!
This parable actually follows two similar parables in Luke 15…
“Let’s Gooooooooo!” they yell, as they fling their bodies through the air in a massive chest-bump. Balls bounce, shoes squeak, nets swish. Sweaty-middle-school-boy-smell permeates the air, while colorful high-top sneakers pound out a rhythm against the hard floor.
This is my son’s favorite place to be on a rainy afternoon—or any afternoon, really—and today is no exception.
We meet his friends up here at least once a week. Some days it’s just them; today the courts are busy. A few kids their age shoot free-throws next to them, glancing longingly in their direction as they divide up their teams.
I see Eli notice them. He keeps looking at them and then back at his friends, trying to decide what to do…
Are you the parent of a teen or college student? Do you want to pray more intentionally for them, but you’re not sure where to start?
Pull up a chair, because this post is for you!
“I DON’T WANNA GO TO BED!” he hollered, tearing out of my grasp and throwing himself onto the couch. The more I tried to reason with my little guy, the more he fought me. My simmering anger rose like a thermometer on a hot day at the beach, until, finally, we were both about to explode.
Taking a step back, I turned and whispered a quick prayer. “Lord, help me love this child well in this moment, because otherwise I just might kill him!”
Facing him again, I noticed his bright red cheeks and his little hands, balled into fists. His body was rigid, like a scared rabbit ready to bolt. Angry tears pooled behind his squinting eyes, and his forehead crinkled fiercely, his tiny chin tucked in defiance.
Something broke inside me. My heart instantly softened with love for my angry little warrior.
Lifting my hands amicably, I slowly moved forward, crouching down on the floor in front of him. He looked at me out of the corner of his eyes, wondering just what his momma was up to…
It happens to all of us. We are in the middle of what we think is a perfectly normal conversation with our teen, when suddenly voices get louder, tears fall, and all you-know-what breaks loose!
Or maybe we make a promise with every intention of fulfilling it; only, we forget to check our schedule first or something important pops up. We try to explain or justify our predicament, but our words ring hollow to the disappointed ears of our teen.
Sooner or later, we all find ourselves in conflict of some sort with our teenagers, wondering who will be the first to say sorry. Can I give you some advice?
Most of the time, it should be you.
Wait, what?…
One of the first things I learned in Student Ministry is that teens have certain rhythms: patterns and trends of how and when they are willing to talk. Knowing these rhythms can make all the difference in reaching a teen’s heart, which is essential not just for discipleship, but for building relationships in general.
But how in the world do you figure out what those rhythms are? It’s pretty simple, really— we just have to pay attention. Here are some practical ways to help you discover and take advantage of your teen’s rhythms…