Losing a beloved pet can introduce death to our children earlier than we might like. But it also provides an opportunity to talk to our kids about the gospel.

Simple truths about how God made us can help us have meaningful conversations about ethnic diversity with our kids.

It can be hard for us to develop a habit of prayer, much less teach our children to do it. Daniel provides a helpful model for all of us.

First things first: Follow well, lead well

We don’t pretend story bibles are the real thing, but they can be really helpful. Here are some helpful things to consider as you figure out how to (or not to!) use story bibles in your home.

If we sing the ABCs with our children so that they learn how to read and write, we should also sing the ABCs of the gospel with them, so that they might grow in the faith.

Helping kids understand and love others with different skin tones in a divisive world starts with teaching them the love of Christ for his people.

As Christians, we’re called to make disciples and as moms, it starts at home. But how exactly do we do that?  

The conversations around the kitchen table may hold greater impact than you can imagine. Here are a few ways to shape minds and hearts while they’re still in your home.

Passing on Bible truths can happen at any moment; you just need to be ready to take the opportunity.

There’s no denying we are what we eat; what is your family feasting on? What we treasure in our homes is often reflected in the hearts and lives of our children.

“We’ve all been there. We’ve all given our children instructions, they’ve asked why, and we’ve responded with neither grace nor eloquence, ‘Because I said so!’

We’re tired, exasperated, and in search of a quick fix.

But if time paused and we were given a moment to really think about the answer to their question of why, what would we come up with? Why do we want them to do what we’ve asked them to do? What are the motives behind our commands? What’s driving us?

In the Bible, Paul answers the question why over and over. In every letter he wrote to the early churches, he didn’t merely give them instructions for godly living and say, “Because I said so!” He gave them—and us—a foundation, a motivation, a robust reason for doing what God asks us to do.

When we read Colossians, we can almost hear Paul’s words getting faster and faster, culminating in a crescendo of praise. And then he says, ‘Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.’

The praise comes first, then the pivot, and then the instruction for godly living. This order is crucial.

First, we understand the nature and character of our God. We remember his goodness and kindness to us. We recall how he gave himself over to us. We acknowledge that we were in darkness before him and he brought us into the kingdom of light. We say out loud that he’s a gift we do not deserve.

Then, after those rehearsals and proclamations, we set out to obey our good God. It’s from a heart full of remembrance and praise, which is how we received Christ Jesus the Lord, that we walk in him.

First we remember the gospel, and then we walk in it.

Christian parenting is discipleship. As Christian moms, we want our homes, our language, our actions, our thoughts to be distinctly Christian. So our answer to why must have the substance of our Savior.

May they  bear the aroma of Christ.

It was his grace that saved us. May it also be his grace that propels us. God’s grace is the answer to why.”