Family Archives | The Sparrow's Home

Food for Thought #38

July 16, 2018 by Susan

Parenting is one of those topics that you just can’t read enough about. Not that you’re usually seeing new or revolutionary information. But the nature of humanity is to forget. Reminders about parenting priorities, methods, ideas and practices are important…I’d even say necessary…in making us the best parents we can be. I’ve especially had parenting on the brain as I recently read a fantastic book on Christian parenting, and used it to teach a couple of workshops. One of the things I have enjoyed the most is hearing parents speaking into each others’ lives in the course of our discussions.

Here’s what I’ve been reading…

Parents, we may miss the mark sometimes, but we should at least know where the target is.

July 9, 2018 by Susan

Are you worried that you’ll do everything you can raising your kids in the faith and yet when they’re an adult they’ll walk away from it?

There’s no more important mission field we face than raising our children to adore God. You could be a hero of the faith, but that’s meaningless if you neglect to parent well. No pressure, right.

What’s the secret to family trips with more learning, more memories?

June 18, 2018 by Susan

Summer is often the time when families hit the road. Whether it’s a vacation, visiting family, or heading off to camps and conferences… we are on the move.

The first really long road trip we made as a family was from Minnesota to Louisiana for a wedding when the boys were just about 2 and 3 years old. This was before ipads and other devices so we did what we could: We wedged a tiny TV between the front two seats and made a 6 hour video tape of Dora the Explorer and Bob the Builder episodes to entertain the troops.

Before you say, “What were you thinking…6 hours of Dora?!” We weren’t totally crazy, we also brought The Wiggles videos.

Oh, wait. Nevermind.

As kids get older, though, there is so much that you can do to make family trips more enjoyable, more memory-filled, and more intentionally filled with learning.

Adding the words “kid friendly” to your kale chips recipe isn’t fooling anyone

May 7, 2018 by Susan

Do you have picky eaters?

If so then you, like me, are skeptical of lists that claim to be “kid friendly”. It’s especially offensive to click a link promising “10 recipes your picky eaters will devour” only to find it full of recipes with ingredients many adults I know wouldn’t even eat.

Chickpeas, really?

Movie ideas for your next girls movie night

April 30, 2018 by Susan

Do you prioritize girl time, or are you lucky to squeeze some in on rare occasions? Maybe you’re like me and you try be good at scheduling time, but most often end up falling into the latter category.

One thing I try to do sorta semi-regularly is schedule girls movie nights with some of the younger ladies I know. Maybe I see it as my job to introduce them to films they might not check out on their own. Maybe it makes me feel younger. Mostly, I like the chance to watch some of my favorites again.

And it only breaks my heart a little when they don’t love a movie as much as I do. (Gone With the Wind, I’ll always love you).

Winning in marriage starts with knowing it’s a team event

April 2, 2018 by Susan

Once every four years, we find ourselves using phrases like “Lutz” and “triple Salchow” …during the Winter Olympics when we all become experts in sports we watch exactly once every four years.

Imagine if figure skating pairs got on the ice and each did their own routine. It would never work. Not only would they never medal, but they’d be laughed off the ice. Everyone knows, that’s not how paired figure skating works.

It’s not how marriage works either, friends.

And yet day after day we pursue our own agendas and wonder why our marriages are not all that we’d hoped they would be.

Marriage is Hard

Marriage can be difficult. No doubt. But ask someone who’s been married into the decades (plural) and they will overwhelmingly tell you that it’s worth it.

The other side of difficult is worth it.