daddy4ms

I just finished reading the book Give Them Grace by Fitzpatrick & Thompson.  It will be a challenging read for parents because it goes against much of the parenting advice you get from the world and even within Christian circles.  Their premise is that our children don't need more rules, but more grace.  Before you quit reading, they do not advocate for anarchy in the home.  But rather want parents to think through what their discipline and parenting is speaking to their children.  Do our kids think if they try harder they can be good kids?  Or do we point them to the message of what Jesus has done and how they need him rather than trying harder? As I read the book, I was stretched and realized how recent conversations with my kids had actually focused more on the law than on grace.  They write, "Grace trains us to rest in what Christ has done for us and to live lives of godly gratitude."  In other words, once we realize what Jesus has don...

Today is Molly's 5th birthday.  She gets to pick where we eat supper tonight.  I am so proud of my kids because each of them took money out of savings to buy her a present this year.  My babies are growing up! Here are a few pictures of Molly on her big arrival day:

One of my favorite activities each year is Park & Pool Day.  On this day, we invite families from the church to come together for a picnic, kickball game, and swimming.  With the heat we have been having in Kansas, I was not sure if anyone would show up this year until pool time.  However, we had a great time eating and playing kickball.  The pool was a great way to end the day. Here are some pictures that Bethany took during the evening: 

Here's some pictures from today:

Today, I met again the author of Not A Fan, Kyle Idleman. My Sunday School class loved the study based on his book. As we talked, he informed me about his new book, gods at war, that comes out later this year. It will be a great companion to Not A Fan. They also have a new study for teens releasing soon. Here's a picture from today:

Here are a few pictures from first morning at Orlando International Christian Retail Show:

Today is my last day in the office this week.  Tomorrow, I am going to be packing and leaving for the International Christian Retail Show in Orlando, FL.  Bethany and I are looking forward to the trip together.  We attended the show last year in Atlanta, GA.  It is actually work for Bethany, but a vacation for me.  I get to go along and meet authors and artists and get lots of free books.  Not to mention, I will be hitting the beach at least one of the days.  I wonder which authors and artists we will meet this year.  Check back starting Monday to find out and for pictures from the show.