Family

Top Traits of Successful Families

[53 words] According to a study of more than 500 family counselors, the following are the top traits of successful families: • Communicating and listening• Affirming and supporting family members• Respecting one another• Developing a sense of trust• Sharing time and responsibility• Knowing right from wrong• Having rituals and traditions• Sharing a religious core• Respecting…

A Family Is…

[107 words] A deeply rooted treewith branchesof different strengthsall receiving nourishment from our Father in heaven. Where character is formed, values are learned,and society is preserved. Where all members contribute a share, cooperate and work,and accept their responsibilities toward the good of the group. Where holidays are celebrated with feastingbirthdays are acknowledged with gifts,and thoughts…

At What Price?

[271 words] Let’s say a man show up at your home, knocks on the door and says, “I saw your car in the drive, I always wanted one just like it, can I buy it from you?”, what do you do? Well, I guess it depends on how much you like your car. If it…

A Home Ruled by God

[191 words] A home ruled by God is a place where we develop a heart that will help the poor, weak, and unfortunate people around you. God expects us to reach out to the weak. “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” (Romans 15:1)…

The Blessings of Friends and Family

[194 words] It is truly a blessing to be part of a loving family. In like fashion, it is a great blessing to have dear friends. Sadly, not everyone knows what it feels like to be part of such things. All too often we take our family and friends for granted.  If you are so…

Family in the Faith

[328 words] Throughout Paul’s missionary journeys recorded in the book of Acts, he interacts with a number of young men who variously traveled with him, ran errands for him, and continued the work in a congregation begun by him. However, while the text mentions a few of these younger preachers, the relationship Paul had with…

Am I Being A Good Sibling?

[364 words] As the oldest in my family, I was held responsible for my younger siblings’ actions. There were times I would be put in charge. There were times I just happened to be with them when they got in trouble or hurt. Suddenly, it was my responsibility. I should have been watching them, I…

Clean Air

[434 words] There’s a new heat pump on the south end of the “preacher’s home.” I was there when the repair guys were pulling out the old one. The compressor died. It was no big surprise as all mechanical things fail, wear out, or break, sooner or later. However, there was an unexpected bit of…

Marital Blessings

  [258 words] Blessed are the husband and wife who continue to be affectionate, considerate, and loving after the wedding bells have ceased ringing (Ephesians 5:23–25).  Blessed are the husband and wife who are as polite and courteous to one another as they are to their friends (Romans 12:10).  Blessed are they who have a…

Spend Time With Your Kids!

  [96 words] In the diary of Brooks Adams is a note about a special day when he was eight years old. He wrote, “Went fishing with my father; the most glorious day of my life.” Through the next forty years, there were constant references to that day and the influence it had on his…

Home Improvement

[587 words] Recently as Alice and I were traveling, we saw this bumper sticker on the back of a vehicle:‘Home Improvement Begins With the King James Bible.’ We speak of home improvement in different ways. Perhaps we are painting or remodeling our home or maybe even building a new one. There are certainly many ways…

Do You Have a Moses on Your Hands?

  [435 words] “What do you know about Moses?” the Bible class teacher asked her eager 5th graders. “He was saved from death because his mother put him in a little boat on the river.” “He was found by Pharaoh’s daughter.” “He led the people out of bondage.” “He gave the Ten Commandments.” “He led…

How to Bring up Children

  [286 words] The rearing of children is probably the most difficult task on the face of this earth. All of us desperately want our children to turn out right. I certainly do not claim to have all the answers. As a matter of fact, the older I get the less I know. However, I…

Parents, Please Read: There’s Trouble in the Land

  [328 words] There’s trouble in the land. No wide-awake person will deny that! These upheavals have caused many parents to express apprehension concerning the future of their children. That’s understandable. When our children graduate from high school and leave home, many of them also leave the church. Suddenly they are exposed to an environment…

Joseph

The picture of a truly successful man is seen in Joseph. As we view him in his late thirties, he is in the courts of Pharaoh with the number two position In the land. But his success was measured by more than that. He was a righteous man who, even in his youth refused to…

Family Time

As our lives continue to grow busier and busier, we need to always remember to have time for family. Our time will always be demanded of us by school, work, extra-curricular activities and other time demanding activities. As we consider each of these activities, we also need to consider the importance of our family and…

The Importance of Family

Picture this Scene. A little baby boy is born in a hospital and everyone is so excited. However, when it comes time to take him home, the parents say, “we think he should stay here with you.” While such would never happen to a child born into a loving or even semi-loving family, the question…

Making a Difference in the Family

God gave each member of the family a role to play. Each one playing his or her part will make a difference in the family, as can be seen in Paul’s instructions to the saints in Ephesus. Christian wives are to place themselves under the control of their husbands as one means of showing that…

Family Time

As our lives continue to grow busier and busier, we need to always remember to have time for family. Our time will always be demanded of us by school, work, extra-curricular activities and other time demanding activities. As we consider each of these activities, we also need to consider the importance of our family and…

This Will Make You Sad!

I grew up watching “Father Knows Best,” and “Life With Father.” These shows revealed a father that cared for his family, loved his wife and children, and was looked upon as wise. Contrast that with so-called family shows on TV today. The family is revealed as similar to a cage full of monkeys. The father…

Making a Difference in the Family

God gave each member of the family a role to play. Each one playing his or her part will make a difference in the family, as can be seen in Paul’s instructions to the saints in Ephesus. Christian wives are to place themselves under the control of their husbands as one means of showing that…

Parents Have To Live It

At one point during a game, the coach said to one of his young players, “Do you understand what cooperation is and what teamwork is all about?” The little boy nodded in the affirmative. “Do you understand that what really matters is not whether we win or lose, but that we play together as a…

What Did You Think Of Church, Daddy?

Every Sunday, just about noon, families walk out of church, get in the car and begin the drive home. Crucial religious instruction takes place then. Here are some of the positions a parent can take as these minutes tick away. Act like you have never been to worship services. Do not mention anything that happened.…

Parenting

One Sunday a preacher was entertained in a farm home of a family of a rural church. The preacher was impressed by the intelligence and unusually good behavior of their only child, a little four-year-old boy. Then the preacher discovered one reason for the child’s charm. The mother was at the kitchen sink, washing the…

“Will Your Children Go to Heaven?”

Church leaders all over the nation are concerned about the drop-out rate of young people. And well they should be. It is a tragic thing to see these precious boys and girls, who are so thrilled with Bible study as little people, grow cold and uninterested in the Lord’s work as they grow older. Lately,…