It's Not Good, It's Not Bad, It's Just Different!

Anne, Me and Sharon

Yesterday I was on a "Teen Parenting Panel" at our church. I was joining 2 other moms whose kids happen to be my kids best friends. As we prepared for this workshop it was interesting to hear how each of us has approached parenting. Between us we have 13 kids - 8 of them being teenagers, 3 are in college, 1 is getting married and 3 of our boys are graduating from high school. As I listened to each of them talk I couldn't help but think "why didn't I do it that way, that is such a good idea, I guess I screwed up"?? I love to have a plan - but it can give you a false hope that in 10 easy steps you will have the perfect child. Well, it doesn't work that way - God does tell us to "plan our path, but that God will determine our steps".

As I write my blog and share parenting ideas with you I don't want you to think that everything we did was right - that is only what I share with you. There were plenty of things that didn't work out so well - you just won't hear about them!

It's amazing how 4 kids with the same exact parents can be so different, what works with one, falls flat with the other. I needed to "learn" my kids and parent them according to "the way they should go" - meaning the way God created them.

It was fun to sit with these ladies and hear what each of us are doing to raise Godly men and women, but the bottom line is all of our children are doing well - they love the Lord, are seeking to serve him and make the right choices. And when they make mistakes, we are able to help them turn to God for forgiveness (just like their parents have to do). You see when you are parenting -  it's not good, it's not bad it's just different!

I loved what Anne said "if our kids never struggle, they will never have a reason to turn to God in prayer."

So instead of feeling bad that I didn't do this or that with my kids, I need to remember that God made Cam and I their parents and placed them right where they should be. I need to seek wisdom daily from the Bible, my husband and Godly resources.

Sharon was kind enough to put together a resource list for our workshop and I want to share it with all of you! Enjoy!

TALK RADIO

WFIL 560 AM Philadelphia’s Christian Radio

  Look for these shows:

Family Life Today with Dennis Rainey, 9:00am and 8:00pm

Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, 7:00am and 8:30pm

New Life Live with Steve Arterburn, 1:00pm

Adventures in Odyssey, 7:30pm

MUSIC RADIO

STAR 99.1 FM Family Safe Music

K-LOVE 89.1 FM Christian Music

MARRIAGE

Sacred Marriage, Gary Thomas

Love & Respect, Emerson Eggerich

The Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman

The Love Dare, Stephen and Alex Kendrick

The Language of Love, Gary Smalley and John Trent

GUIDANCE FOR WIVES

Created to Be His Help Meet, Debi Pearl

Lies Women Believe (and the truth that sets them free), Nancy Leigh DeMoss

The Power of a Praying Wife, Stormie Omartian

What’s Submission Got to Do with It? Cindy Easley

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, Joanna Weaver

GUIDANCE FOR DADS

Interviewing Your Daughter’s Date, Dennis Rainey

Every Man’s Battle, Stephen Arterburn

Wild at Heart, John Eldredge

FOR PARENTING

Shepherding a Child’s Heart, Tedd Tripp

Growing Kids God’s Way: Biblical Ethics for Parenting,

  Gary Ezzo

The Smart Parent, Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo

Parenting Today’s Adolescent, Dennis and Barbara Rainey

Boundaries for Teens, John Townsend

How To Talk So Teens Will Listen & Listen So Teens Will Talk,   Adele Faber

Teen Proofing, John Rosemond

Raising a Child Conservatively in a Sexually Permissive World, Sol Gordon and Judith Gordon

Family Faith Walks, Kelly J. Haack

Teaching Kids about God, John Trent, Rick Osborne and Kurt Bruner

Different Children Different Needs, Charles F. Boyd

Your Family, Kenn and Betty Gangel

Spiritual Mentoring of Teens, Joe White and Jim Weidmann

God Sex and Your Child, John Nieder

Confident Parents, Exceptional Teens, Ted Haggard and John Bolin

Bringing up BOYS, James Dobson

The World’s Easiest Guide to Family Relationships. Gary Chapman with Randy Southern

Fathering a Son, Paul Heiderbrecht and Jerry Rohrbach

Going Public, David and Kelli Pritchard with Dean MerrillAge of Opportunity, Paul David Tripp

Got Teens?, Jill Savage and Pam Farrel

Boundaries, Henry Cloud and John Townsend

Parenting Adolescents, Kevin Huggins

The 10 Best Decisions Every Parent Can Make, Bill and Pam Farrel

Daughters and Dads, Chap and Dee Clark

Sacred Parenting, Gary L. Thomas

Family-Based Youth Ministry, Mark DeVries

A Boy’s Passage, Brian D. Molitor

BOOKS FOR TEENS TO READ

Lies Young Women Believe, Nancy Leigh DeMoss and      Dannah Gresh (For girls)

The Truth about Guys, Chad Eastham (For girls)

Live Like a Jesus Freak, dc Talk

Every Young Man’s Battle, Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker (For boys)

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, Sean Covey

Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low

  Expectations, Alex and Brett Harris

Crazy Love, Francis Chan

The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom

The Holiness of God, R.C.Sproul

More Than a Carpenter, Josh McDowell

The Reason for God, Timothy Keller

God’s Smuggler, Brother Andrew

Through Gates of Splendor, Elisabeth Elliot

The Cross and the Switchblade, David Wilkerson

Bruchko, Bruce Olson

Peace Child, Don Richardson

PURITY

I Kissed Dating Goodbye, Joshua Harris

Passport to Purity, Campuscrusade.com; Familylife.com

  An excellent do-it-yourself, audio-guided weekend

  for parent and young teen

The 10 Commandments of Dating, Ben Young

Pure Excitement, Joe White

Boy Meets Girl, Say Hello to Courtship, Joshua Harris

DEVOTIONALS

Faith Alone, Martin Luther

Jesus Calling, Sarah Young

Face to Face: Praying the Scriptures for Intimate Worship, Kenneth Boa

Family Devotions, Josh McDowell

Moments With You; Daily Connections for Couples,

  Dennis and Barbara Rainey

The Love Dare Day by Day, Stephen Kendrick

The One Year Mother Daughter Devo, Dannah Gresh with Janet Mylin

DVDs TO WATCH WITH YOUR TEENS

No Greater Love

The Second Chance

Faith Like Potatoes

Fireproof

End of the Spear

Facing the Giants

Flywheel

Remember the Titans

Radio

The River Within

Gifted Hands

Last Flight Out

Come What May

The Climb

To Save a Life

The Lost and Found Family

Amazing Grace

The Nativity Story

Love Finds a Home

Set Apart

The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry

The Grace Card—new in theaters

Courage—coming September 2011 in theaters 

CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW

The Truth Project, Focus on the Family

Crazy Love, Francis Chan

Experiencing God, Henry Blackaby

The Holiness of God, R.C.Sproul

BIBLES   

New Living Translation (NLT), Tyndale Publishers

  (Easier to understand)  

New International Version (NIV), Zondervan 

  Life Application Study Bible 

  (Very popular translation, great study Bible) 

New American Standard Bible (NASB), Zondervan 

  (Accurate to original text, Pastors use at BFC) 

 

MOVIE REVIEWS   

www.pluggedin.com

BIBLICAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

The Total Money Makeover, Dave Ramsey

Financial Peace Revisited, Dave Ramsey

TRUE STORIES OF MISSIONARIES

God’s Smuggler, Brother Andrew

Through Gates of Splendor, Elisabeth Elliot

The Cross and the Switchblade, David Wilkerson

Bruchko, Bruce Olson

Peace Child, Don Richardson

TRUE STORIES OF FAITH and FORGIVENESS

The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom

Led by Faith, Immaculee Ilibagiza

Amish Grace, Donald Kraybill

Mother Teresa: A Complete Auth. Biography, Kathryn Spink

Into the Deep, Robert Rogers

SPONSOR A CHILD   

Compassion International, Compassion.com

EVANGELISM

Share Jesus Without Fear, William Fay

Share Jesus Without Fear Students Reaching Students,

  William Fay

COUPLES RETREAT 

Sandy Cove Ministries, Maryland, Sandycove.org 

Weekend to Remember, Familylife.com