At the end of every year I sit down, review the goals I made for the previous year, and think about goals for the coming year. I don’t always accomplish my goals, but making goals provides direction and opportunity for growth. Parenting is one area in which I like to set a few goals. Parenting...

Family Shepherds Honor

December 24, 2011

4 Resolutions to Transform Your Family This Year

by John Salmon

I hope you had a great Christmas enjoying your family and recalling the birth of Christ. With 2012 fast approaching, you may be thinking about New Year’s resolutions. Many people establish goals and resolutions with the intent of making their lives better. As you consider resolutions, consider that research suggests a happy family will add...

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Grace Honor

compliment encouragement family relationships listen priorities

December 17, 2011

Christmas, Materialism, and Family

by John Salmon

With Christmas just around the corner, a recent study suggests that materialistic attitudes reduce happiness in marriage. With a plethora of advertisers spouting the “one with the most toys wins,” this study suggests the opposite. The researchers looked at over 1,700 couples and discovered that a focus on getting or spending money was associated with lower...

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Celebration

christmas generosity gratitude holiday priorities

December 17, 2011

Christmas Gifts Kids Will Love All Year Long

by John Salmon

I’ve been thinking about what to get my children for Christmas. As I thought, my mind wandered to last year. My daughter snuck downstairs after everyone was in bed and gave me a stocking gift. The gift was a handmade coupon book filled with coupons I could “cash in” for help “taking the garbage out,”...

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Celebration Family Shepherds Honor

attention availability christmas creativity encouragement holiday

December 10, 2011

What the Manger Teaches Me About Family

by John Salmon

Every Christmas we arrange a manger scene in our house. A few shepherds, three “wise men from afar,” and an angel or two all look adoringly toward the baby Jesus in a manger. Of course, we also have a few barn animals milling about. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of Christmas, this...

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Grace Honor

availability christmas holiday memories sacrifice traditions

December 10, 2011

Making Christmas Great for the Whole Family

by John Salmon

Christmas time can pull a family together or tear them apart. It can draw family ties tighter or drive a wedge deeper between family members. Christmas brings great joy or deep sorrow. What makes the difference? Is it the number of gifts under the tree? No, that leads to competition (“He got more than...

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Celebration Family Shepherds

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December 4, 2011

3 Things Grace-Filled Parents Give Up

by John Salmon

Grace–the unmerited and generous giving of ourselves to another with no expectation of repayment. In many ways, effective parenting flows out of grace. We give things up so our children might have more. We give of our time, our resources and our energy knowing that, if we do this successfully, our children will leave us...

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Family Shepherds

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Family by God's Design

Family by God's Design

Family by God's Design

6 Resources to Revolutionize Your Parenting Skills in 2012

4 Resolutions to Transform Your Family This Year

Christmas, Materialism, and Family

Christmas Gifts Kids Will Love All Year Long

What the Manger Teaches Me About Family

Making Christmas Great for the Whole Family

3 Things Grace-Filled Parents Give Up