Parenting

“The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.” Luke 6:40 (NIV) Everyone always says, “My mom’s fry bread is the best.” I think back to when I would say the same thing. I can remember when I asked my mom to teach me how to make fry bread. She told my wife and me to grab a bowl, and she told us the ingredients: flour, water, oil, salt, baking powder . . . and two handfuls of love! She told us to mix them together and try not to knead […]

“Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.” Proverbs 31:28 (KJV) My memories of my mother are good ones that I will treasure forever! I remember how us kids were the apple of her eye. Everything she did revolved around her family. She always looked forward to Christmas and other holidays when the kids and grandkids would come home. She’d orchestrate huge meals, and nobody ever went hungry at her place! She’d cry for happiness when we came, and she’d cry again out of loneliness when we left (she’d start missing us a […]

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 (ESV) I remember Deuteronomy 6:7 from the early years that my husband and I came to the Lord. It says, “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, when you rise up.” (NKJV) However, we were so busy being discipled and helping with the church planting of the Vancouver Native Fellowship that we failed to focus […]

“Jesus said, ‘Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ ” Matthew 19:14 (NASB) I can remember when a certain woman came to me. She was very distraught. She told me that her grandson had just been born, and she had been told to go find a priest to baptize her grandson, or else he would go to hell. I told her that, as a pastor, I don’t do water baptisms for babies. I told her what I do is called a “dedication” to the […]

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21 (NIV) “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 (NIV) We once had trophies lined up in our house from accomplishments, and we were especially recognized and known for the sport of volleyball. One day, as I was sitting there looking at those trophies, I realized that I, as a father, was missing the whole point if I was raising my children to base their lives only on who they are and what they […]