Parents

Jesus headed to those at the bottom of the pile. Will our children follow him? She was six years old, eating lunch at school. At the next table was the class naughty boy, with only a chocolate bar in his lunchbox. She had two thoughts. Firstly, chocolate bars were not allowed in lunchboxes. Secon…

You don’t need me to tell you that this year has been like no other. We have all felt the difficulties of 2020. I doubt we will forget them. We are still living with them. The relief is that, as Christians, we can live through this season of uncertainty and hardship knowing that there is hope …

During lockdown my mum has found recipes that require the most basic of ingredients and yet produce incredible results. I have no idea how she does it. Over the years our family Bible studies have been a little like that. God took a recently-converted, Biblically-illiterate single mum and some reluc…

Immanuel. The Bible makes the mega claim that the baby Mary gave birth to, the baby Joseph named ‘Jesus’, is in fact Immanuel – ‘God with us’. Why is that great? Jesus is God with us. It seems a fairly simple statement, but those words are as stuffed with meaning as I …

“She will have a son, and they will name him Immanuel.” This name means “God is with us.” Matthew 1:23 (International Children’s Bible). The good news of Christmas is that God is with us. In person, taking our form, into our world, hands on and messy, part of the everyd…

We have a little rule in our house. It’s called no eating, nibbling or touching of your food, until we’ve prayed and given thanks to God. It’s not that we think there’s anything particularly unholy about eating before praying. But it’s just one of those rules we have to…

I mean…. What’s not to love? Massive wheels, caterpillar treads, sticking out spouts, trundling through a golden field. Just the very sight makes me burst into “We plough the fields and scatter…” My children prefer to sing “Big, red, combine harvester, big red c…

‘Dad, don’t do a funny voice.’ That’s what one of my children sometimes says when I change my voice for the characters when reading a bedtime story. Perhaps I’m a bit silly and over the top when I do it. I’m trying to be fun but it doesn’t always work! When …

During lockdown I was told that there are usually three stages to a crisis. I see these responses in the lives of the families I know, including my own. 1. Emergency response. The first weeks of lockdown. Hard work. Getting by. Running on adrenaline. Late nights. Early mornings. The crisis feels ver…

What is your greatest delight and satisfaction? Do your children know? Have they heard you delighting yourself in the LORD - giving voice to your heart’s greatest love through singing? Even if you can’t carry a tune, we as parents are called to model this area of our faith. Did you know …