As a former rough water lifeguard and eager health enthusiast, I completely support physical exercise being part of growing a whole child.  However, I struggle with the emphasis on sports in today’s youth culture.  Every kid walks away from their chosen sport someday…….then what?  Many coaches and parents fail to identify the lifetime value of sports because they falsely assume they are training the next state champs. So when the lights go out, when the cheering stops, when it is time to “leave it on the field”…. what do we have when the game is over?

I am really just a simple girl blessed beyond words. As a mother of five beautiful children, a grateful wife, a sister, a daughter, a friend, a teacher and a follower of Jesus Christ… I stand humbled. This book is about my journey through parenting intentionally while navigating through the challenges of raising five very unique children. This book is full of practical tips and inspiration.

Recently when I thought of the renewing season of the beginning of the year, it seemed appropriate to consider it a time of sweet intentions. Considering the areas of physical, spiritual and relational health are just three areas to reset. Live the life you dream.

While traditions certainly hold value, they can also involve stress. Holding too tightly to unreachable expectations can evaporate all of the joy out of the holidays. Letting go of expectations can eliminate stress and create room for happy memories.

Fatherhood on earth actually comes from the fatherhood of God.  From the very beginning Christ is the perfect father.  He created fatherhood on earth as an introduction to who he is.

Being a parent is just hard work. The stages of childhood change rapidly. Before you begin, know that dating is radically different from how it was when you were a teenager and young adult. Sexual promiscuity is rampant. Sexual identity, date rape, binge drinking, emotional cheating, sexting and a host of new and more shocking behavior is the normal for today’s teens. Becoming more acquainted with today’s culture is a necessary, on-going job of today’s parents.

One of the most important jobs of parenting is teaching your child social skills. An often ignored skill is teaching a child how to interrupt politely. Whether you have been cut off mid-sentence or just completely shut down, you might remember a time that a child has abruptly interrupted the flow of conversation. Teach your child how to interrupt and master this social skill.