True Christian parenting requires boldness to address the many issues that come to our understanding on a daily basis. It is

so easy to ignore what you just heard or saw and pretend it didn’t happen. But just as a pot boiling over on the stove must

have intervention to correct a disaster, so does a squabble over who gets the last cookie. Bold parenting creates loving

boundaries that children can depend on. When their environment is dependable children are free to develop outgoing, happy

attitudes. Be a bold parent today! Here are some attributes….

Bold parents:

Address situations immediately.

Ask tough questions like, “How long do you intend to be out?”

Do not let bad behavior go unchecked.

Say NO!

Can’t be coerced into changing a no to a yes.

Explain and encourage good manners every day, all day until they get it.

Keep promises even in the midst of other commitments.

Compliments good behavior with genuine admiration.

Boldness is the opposite of fearfulness and has been defined as "welcoming any suffering that comes from doing what is right because it will produce a greater power of love."

Daniel demonstrated this type of fearless courage and played a major role in furthering God's kingdom.

He was taken captive to Babylon and served under four Kings but he purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself nor violate God's law. Despite threats of being destroyed by lions he boldly sought the Lord in prayer every day (see Daniel 6:26). Despite fear of the king's wrath He boldly proclaimed God's judgement upon King Belshazzar (see Daniel 5:29). His unwavering stand caused King Darius to decree. "That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God." Daniel 6:26

Live a life of Boldness: Speak the truth with boldness, dedicate your life to God's calling. Understand God by seek out the special passages of scripture (rehmas) and meditating on them. These are guides to bravely accomplish all that God has for us. "The people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits" (Daniel 11-32)

“We fear men so much, because we fear God so little. One fear cures another. When man’s terror scares you, turn your thoughts to the wrath of God.” William Gurnall

John Knox also demonstrated boldness by speaking the truth. He was a sixteenth century reformer. He had a large congregation in Scotland but was arrested for speaking the truth and chained to the oars of a galley ship. During long months of pulling on oars, he built both his physical strength and the strength of fervent prayer. His cry was, “O God! Give me Scotland or I die!”

His life and work for God became so powerful that the Queen of Scotland is quoted as saying, “I Fear the prayers of John Knox more than all the assembled armies of Europe.” 

Aside from Christianity the most important question any child will have to make in his or her life time is that of choosing a life partner. With marriage failure rates still above 50% the need for prepared young people is very high. Don't be fooled into thinking that a child is too young to begin preparation for this important life step. If you haven't considered this end goal before start now. It's true that not everyone will marry, but statistics show that over 70% of individuals will marry at least once. As parents we have the unique opportunity to change the tide of failure to one of success. So how is parenting going? Are you preparing your children for marriage success? Here are a few important tips that will not only help you prepare you children for success in marriage but life as well.  And remember, it's never to early to start.

1. Demonstrate your faith before your children. Before children are able to make their own decisions and forming their own opinions (around 12 yrs) about faith and Christianity they will likely emulate the faith they see played out daily in their parents.

2. Build Character. Learn the different character traits, discuss them with your children and encourage your children to display character in their own lives. You can focus on one at a time by writing it down and displaying it. Take a week to strive as a family to display that particular character on a daily basis. Such character traits as patience, contentment, and self control are great building blocks on which to build a vibrant relationship.

3. Display good manenrs. Knowing how to treat others so that they feel valued and respected in the culture in which you live is always in order. Those who display good manners will earn the respect of others and helps builds relationships.

4. Develop a grateful spirit in your children. Unfulfilled expectations and their resulting emotional hurt can destroy the best of relationships. No human can ever fulfill the needs of another human. Teach your children to wait on the Lord and to target their expectations to Him and not others. (see Psalm 62:5) A grateful spirit says, "I was expecting nothing from you (another person), what an exciting surprise to receive….."

To read more about this subject read the book Preparing Son's and Daughters for Marriage.

1. To create an Action Plan first look at where you want to go. Get an understanding of a single goal to be achieved.

2. Consider how much time you have to work toward that goal. Is it short term or long term? 

3. Will there be barriers to meeting your goals? How will you overcome them? Note that barriers will often appear while working toward the goal that were not percieved at the beginning. That is very normal and should be expected. Barriers often cause slight or long term delays this is ok too. Just continue to evaluate as you go.

4. What resources will be needed to achieve these goals? Will there be a cost involved. Be sure to gather the resources or at least know where they are so that they can be accessable when you need them. For instance, if you will need a library book be sure your library has it and or if you will have to order it.

5. Brainstorm. You may want to get someone else to help with this. Think of as many ways to reach your goal as possible, write them all down then choose the best one. Be sure that your ideas follow the SMART rule. S-Specific: It addresses the matter specifically, M-Measurable: It can be measured to determine whether it has been achieved. A-Achievable: It is within the means and capacity of your time and resources. R-Ralistic: It is practical and can be accomplished within a reasonable time frame. T-Time-bound: The time period for reaching it is clearly specified.

6. Set tasks. For each goal you want to layout the steps needed to complete the goal (also known as an objective).

7. Prioritize the tasks and set them in order of importance.

8. Create a timeline. What is a realistic time limit to put on the achieving this goal or objective?

9. Be accountable. What can you do to ensure you stay on task? Talk to your spouse or someone else and assign them the task of accountability checker. Maybe they can send an email reminder, phone call, or you could even set up a key word or phrase that is code for "Did you work toward your goal?" to make it more fun such as, "Did you eat your ice cream today?".

10. Plan to celebrate. The scripture is ripe with examples of celebrations. God knew that having joy in achievements was a great motiviating tool. Under God's structure the Israelites became an explosively productive nation. Even today the Jewish people are known for their productivity. Could one reason be because they knew how to celebrate achievements?

1. Pick ONE Goal: This is important! You can only achieve your goals if you focus on them one at a time. Once your goal has been accomplished or made into a stable habit you can start on the next goal.

2. Start Small and Easy: The best way to succeed with your first goal is to pick something you are already doing, once in awhile, but want to do daily. This will build your self confidence as you achieve the goal and help prepare you to work on future goals.

3. Simplify: Choose a small, specific goal, or break up larger goals into small pieces that can be done on a daily basis. Big successes start with little ones.

4. Write It Down: Write your goal in large letters and place it where you will see it several times a day. Putting a goal on paper makes it official: You Want It! 

5. You Have To Want It: If you don't really want to do it, you won't succeed. Pick goals you want to achieve or change your attitude so you REALLY do want it.

6. Schedule Time: Here are three ideas to help you make time for your goal:

• Prioritize: Make time by not doing things that are of less, or no, value. Hours in front of the TV or computer can be used productively by pushing the off button, or just walking away.
• Say No: Learn to gracefully say no to those who ask for your time when you already have too much to do. Saying no can be done in a kind way, just be clear that you cannot do what is being asked of you.
• Make the Time: You have to MAKE the time or you won't MAKE the goal. Pick a time when you will work on your goal, such as early in the morning, late at night, during lunch, when children are napping (watching TV, playing with a friend/spouse), or when you're waiting in line for something. If you "just don't have the time" then wake up earlier. Most people only need 6 hours of deep sleep. 

7. Be Firm Yet Flexible: To achieve your goal you have to be firm with yourself. You have to do the required work to accomplish your goal. But let’s face it. Life isn’t always predictable so learn to be flexible. Try to think of a backup plan for days when achieving your goal might be difficult. i.e. If your goal is to study the scriptures daily and you know on Friday you'll be running errands the entire day take your scriptures with you. Study them during the moments you're waiting for something to happen, such as standing in line. BUT be firm with yourself that this is ONLY for rare occasions.

8. Be Positive: Doubting thoughts, and words, will crush your goal. Think and say positive things. Find and meditate on scriptures that speak on diligence or the power of Christian living i.e. “I can do ALL things through Christ…”

9. Pray About It: Choosing righteous goals is just what the Lord wants us to do, so ask for his help. As you daily pray and work toward your goal you will see daily success.

10. Be Patient: This step is VERY IMPORTANT! Everything we accomplish takes DAILY steps which turns the goal into a habit. Forming the goal into a habit takes time and energy. As you continue to implement your goal it will soon turn into a habit. Once if becomes a habit it will flow as seamlessly into your life as brushing your teeth or tying your shoes.

Linens are so hard to control. Storage closets usually become a monster that has to be rangled each time the door is open. Not only is time wasted finding the matching sheets but the those pillow cases! Sometimes it seems they have a thing going on with those socks down at the dryer black hole. Not only, that but it also looks bad and disorganized which can lead to mental fatigue.

The solution is very simple. The photo above is showing 8 complete sets of linens ready for a bed. The way it works is that you fold both sheets together in a shape that can easily fit inside the matching pillow case. Be sure to put the other matching pillowcase inside as well. 

Now your linen closet can look good even if the doors are open and you can save precious time looking for matches when it's time to change the sheets. Ahh… happiness.

One of the most essential elements of being organized is knowing where you are going. Have you ever felt as if you are a drift in the world? Lacking direction. You work so hard, but you don't seem to get anywhere worthwhile? If so you may benefit from goal setting. Life is like taking a journey and certainly you wouldn’t set out on a major journey with no real idea of your destination? Probably not!

Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality.

The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You'll also quickly spot the distractions that can, so easily, lead you astray.

Goals are powerful motivators for living AND they improve self confidence because you can measure your achievements and take pride in them. So look at your life long term and short term, what do you want to achieve? Be sure to write them down.

When you hear or see the words "the huddle" sports automatically come to mind. Journey with me as I take you from the football huddle to the huddle of marriage.

When it comes to marriage there is so much more to it than just two people getting together with the intent of spending the rest of their lives together.

Let's begin with the word "together", which signifies a connection. There are a number of ways to build a connection between two people. However, you should always begin with Jesus Christ. Psalm 127:1 reminds us that nunless the Lord builds a house they labor in vain who build it. Basically, God is the foundation on  which you should build your marriage.

You have to realize that with Christ as the foundation  of your marriage (both partners committing to please Him) you will have help to pelase one another.

As you strive to please one another it's important to realize that no two people view or do everthing the same way. When it comes to the health of your marriage you have to ask yourself, "Would I rather be right or would I rather stay connected to my spouse." You'll be surprised to know the extent a person will go in order to prove they are right. This is a sure way to shut down communication.

In the football huddle there has to be communication so you will know the plays. When relating to God and in marriage there has to be communication to be in sync and build the relationship.

Here are 2 key insights that I learned from the football huddle that I feel will help couples discover new ways to relate to each other.

Key #1- Encouragement

The Huddle-Whenever I made a good play one or several of my team members would respond by verbalizing words of encouragement, tapping me on the helmet or giving me a high-five. Which encouraged me to make another good play.

God- God gives us encouragement through His word. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13. Before Jesus began His ministry, He received affirmation from His father. "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17

Marriage- When you encourage your spouse it lights a fire in them to be the best they can be and they are more inclined to return the encouargement in various ways.

Key #2- Forgiveness

The Huddle- When I would jump off- sides or get a holding penalty, my teammates would forgive me. This afforded me the opportunity join them in the next play with renewed confidence.

God- God offered and still offers each of us forgiveness by washing us clean of our sins. The Bible also reminds us that we are to forgive 70 x 7 and in order to receive forgiveness we have to forgive.

Another beautiful thing about God is that He forgives us of our sins and declares not to remember them anymore (Isaiah 43:25)

Marriage- One of the pillars that will hold a marriage toghether is forgiveness. We have to remember that our spouse is not perfect and they will make mistakes. Looking for our spouse to meet all of our needs, will cause disappointment because we are looking to an imperfect person to do something that only God can do.