A letter to Pastor

I love this letter. Much to take away if you sit in the pew or if you are in the pulpit. Speaks about intentionality for both, and mutual support in the work of the Church.

Brain friendly tips for home and work

Want to help your children (and you) stay more focused? Here are some brain friendly tips to check out. Practical application of current brain research.

It addresses
-multitasking,
-attention, and
-rest/sleep.

It can be applied to homework, home devotions, work flow on the job, etc.

Clicking with Caution

Parents, check out this video on online safety. Watch it yourself first. Then watch it with your kids. (There is a warning on it for content below age 12 - but the kids in the various video sections - many are well under 12... that means it is realistic as to what is happening.)

The point is, you need to talk with them about this stuff. But first we need to be educated a bit about what is really happening - kids aren't going to listen well if they think we don't know what we are talking about.

When you watch it with them you can talk about their experiences online in the context of realistic examples.

Real concerns about real dangers for our children! A dialogue can help keep them safe.

And more living...

I've posted about Connie before. I'd encourage you to check out her June 8th blog, and then come back about once per week. Connie was a teammate at St John Lutheran in Seward. She has terminal cancer but is not defined by that. She is defined by her relationship with Jesus. She is a great example of the faithful saints who encourage by their example.

The Biggest Loser

Check out this blog from Rich Melheim (it is a sobering twist from what you'd expect with the title). Rich is the key guy at Faith Inc. He has for years been lifting parents up as key in faith formation. We have seen him at his home and he lives it as well. Challenging words, but, from my perspective, right on the money.

Faith Inc and Rich get it. Dick Hardel from FaithWellMT gets it. The folks at Vibrant Faith Ministries get it. Ben and Jennifer Freudenburg of the Family Friendly Partners Network get it. It can't be business as usual because business as usual has meant a church centered focus instead of a home centered focus for passing on our faith in Jesus. And it will take a long time to change the culture. It can be changed, with a strong partnership between church and home, and the results are worth it: parents and children talking about faith, living their faith and passing their faith in Jesus on "to the children not yet born" (Psalm 78:1-7).