D6 Blog

Can’t? Won’t?

Can’t? Won’t?

Any book, film, or song is necessarily edited into its final form. Movies sometimes follow their credits by showing outtakes that didn’t make the final cut. A few short months ago this blog was a zygote, an edited outtake still being formed by the writing of, Grit & Joy: Help for Bewildered Families of Teens. If it bears any fruit among readers, please know that it began as a seed planted by the Lord. Since everything God begins ends at a joyful finish line, my face is beaming right...

Helping Your Child Learn Self-Control

Helping Your Child Learn Self-Control

Learning self-control is a lifelong process, and you should look at each day as an opportunity to help your child continually grow in self-control. What can you do to help him or her?  Model self-control. Yelling at your child for yelling at his sibling is not...

Voices

Voices

I feel like I need to start with a couple of confessions. Confession is not only good for the soul, but it also brings clarity of purpose when it comes to living for Christ. So, here are my confessions. When I first became a dad, I realized I had more shortcomings...

From Super and Duper to Good and Faithful

From Super and Duper to Good and Faithful

Are you a report card person? The digital age has ruined the trauma we used to feel with a good ol’ paper report card. Do you remember how the teacher would place that thick-papered official document in your hand at 2:48 on Friday afternoon and say, “Bring this back...

Fear Must Be Defeated

Fear Must Be Defeated

The phrase “fear not” appears 158 times in the Bible. Fear is an emotional response to a real or perceived imminent threat; anxiety is the anticipation of a future threat. Left unchecked, it can wreck our lives. I have witnessed the damage of untamed fear. Long ago, I...

Becoming the Parent of Your Parents

Becoming the Parent of Your Parents

If blessed with a long life, there is a strong likelihood you will come to a point when your parents need some sort of care. This could range from complete nursing home care to occasional assistance. Generally, it will be somewhere in between.  It is not uncommon...

Helping Our Children Influence Culture

Helping Our Children Influence Culture

As Christians, we often wrestle with questions concerning the state of our world and the role our faith plays out in our culture. Research shows we are gaining converts but losing influence. How do we influence the culture we live in when so many are opposed to our...

Feelings vs. Truth

Feelings vs. Truth

As parents, we must ask ourselves, “What do our teens typically base their decision-making on: Feelings or Truth?” We must ask this question of ourselves as well and model healthy decision-making as best as we can. In our feelings-driven culture, biblical guidelines...

Evolving Technology

Evolving Technology

Technology is constantly evolving in our culture. There will always be the next, best thing that grabs the attention of society, which brings unique challenges of how we are to deal with the ever-changing culture as our children are often very invested in these...

How to Keep Christmas Focused on Christ

How to Keep Christmas Focused on Christ

Navigating through a year filled with challenges, many of us have felt the weight of heightened stress and concern. We are more than ready for a season of peace and joy. In the midst of the chaos, we need to be extra intentional to keep the quickly approaching...