Building A Family Legacy

Excellent resources can be an important tool in the discipleship of our children.  No matter how your family might have begun, you can still finish well.  And it can all start with Building a Family Legacy by Dr. James Dobson, America's trusted expert on the family for nearly 40 years.  As the capstone to his life's work, Dr. Dobson is re-launching the film series Building a Family Legacy. 






Dr. James Dobson takes us on a journey of the legacy that was set before him and gives us some great insight on what is most important in leaving our own legacy.  The primary focus is getting the gospel of Jesus Christ across to your children.

Start the journey.

Join thousands of others around the world in watching 

'Your Legacy' 

October 1-5, 2014 

Simply sign up for the FREE Simulcast and watch in your home, from laptop anywhere with internet access, with your small group, or use the website find local church that is hosting the event.  It might be the most significant investment of your life.

The Simulcast launches you on the journey into sever other films, Bible studies, and books to build stronger families, and ultimately build a solid legacy. Other films are Bringing Up Boys, Bringing Up Girls, The Strong-Willed Child, Dare to Discipline, Straight Talk to Men, Love For a Lifetime, and Wanting to Believe.

D6 Days are happening NOW!

The D6 Conference, which has become the premier conference for family ministry, is generously offering full-length video and audio sessions for FREE beginning today through May 4!   Whether you're a parent or ministry leader, these next four days gives you a chance to unplug and listen to some great content from last year's D6 Conference.  This content can empower your families, homes, and ministries to take generational discipleship to even deeper level.

D6 Days Content

Videos (Main Stage Sessions)

• Darrin Patrick—Walking in the Spirit From the Inside Out
• Lydia Randall—Balancing Busyness in Ministry
• Rob Rienow—A Church Philosophy for the Generations
• Dave Stone—3 Gifts for Your Kids
• Leneita Fix—Connecting with the Urban Heart
• Les and Leslie Parrott--Love Talk Fight Night

MP3s (Breakout/Lab Sessions)

• Tim Kimmel—A Grace Based Approach
• Walker Moore—The Orphan Heart
• John Trent—Where Do I Start? Finding the Plan that Works for You
• Diana Pendley—What I Wished I Knew My First Few Years in Ministry...25 Years Later
• Tim Smith—Creating Healthy Habits at Home
• Bob Davis—The Importance of a Kiss. A Model of a Healthy Marriage

To experience these inspiring free sessions, click here.

Registration is now open for the 2014 D6 Conferences in Louisville, Kentucky, and Dallas, Texas.

MORE Favorite Christian Picture Books

Photo:  Napat Chaichanasiri

Picture books that teach a spiritual lesson or share God's love are a beautiful way to incorporate faith lessons in everyday life.  What child doesn't want "just one more book" read to them at bedtime?  Children who are no longer interested in picture books themselves are usually happy to read them to a younger sibling or friend.  The timeless messages of these books are of benefit regardless of age.  (I found myself being blessed by these stories!)

I've already blogged our favorite Christian-themed picture books.  Since then we've discovered some new favorites that are absolute treasures, and I am excited to share them with you. 


Henry's Song by Kathryn Cave - Henry wakes full of the joy of life, but the other creatures don't like his singing. The Maker asks them to tell Him by the next day what their voices are for.  This is a cute story that illustrates the value God places on each person's talents and the importance of using them for His glory.




The Blessings Jar: A Story About Being Thankful by Colleen Coble - Punky Grace is having a really grumpy morning when Grammy suggests they have an adventure and fill her Blessings Jar to the top.  Punky discovers that God’s blessings are enough to outweigh any bad day.  Recognizing the blessings that God sends us every day makes such a difference.



How Big is God (Harperblessings) - In a heartwarming conversation between mother and son, the nature of God is made understandable to children.  How Big Is God?  Is he invisible?  Is he like a superhero?  Can he fly?  How can he be everywhere all at once?






Small Gifts in God's Hands by Max Lucado - In this re-telling of the miracle of loaves and fishes, a boy is wondering what "big" thing he can do for Jesus.  In the process, he discovers that Jesus can do big things with a small gift.






You Are Special (Tenth Anniversary Limited Edition) (Max Lucado's Wemmicks) by Max Lucado -
 Punchinello believes that he isn't good enough because of what others say about him.  Then he meets the Maker who tells him, "You are special because you are Mine. . . . I made you, and I don't make mistakes."  You Are Special is a beautiful story that reminds us that we are precious to God just the way we are.



Brave Young Knight by Karen Kingsbury - In a competition to determine who will be the price of the land, a boy wins who is not the fastest, strongest, or smartest.  The brave young knight is the winner because he doesn't follow the crowd, instead making decisions based on what is right and true and in accordance with his faith. The moral of the story is that the bravest young boys are those who exhibit the strongest character.  Karen Kingsbury has written a parallel book for girls called The Princess and the Three Knights.


Do you have a favorite Christian picture book?  Please tell us about it in the comments below.  After all, a person can never have too many good books, right?

Photo:  Ambro

Bible Bee's Local Contest Day - A Day of Worship

Photo:  Microsoft Images

 We nearly missed the Bible Bee's end-of-summer celebration.   Honestly, I hesitated to attend because I didn't want my son to feel discouraged.  He had not completed the Bible Bee Sword Study or committed all the verses to memory.  But we went--just hoping that the emphasis would be on what he did know rather than what he didn't know.

The official name for this wonderful event is Local Contest Day, but in my heart it felt like Worship Day.   Indeed, it is a day of worship, prayer, and praise.  It is a day of bringing glory to God.  Yes, someone unobtrusively records points for oral and written test rounds.  But the focus is not on the competition.  Each child is encouraged to proclaim God's word with joy--whether they know only one verse or all of their verses.  The number and the points are not emphasized.  The entire day is about God's Word being lifted up to His ears and bringing Him pleasure.



The oral test round can be a source of anxiety, especially if you aren't sure what to expect.  Let me share our experience of the oral test round.  Our family was led to a private room with a judge and one other Bible Bee volunteer.  They warmly welcomed us and explained the procedures.  Before starting, they prayed a special individualized blessing over my son who was competing.  (Is there anything more heart-warming than someone praying a special blessing over your child?  I was deeply touched.)  Then, it was time to get down to business.  They prompted my son to recite the memory verses that had been provided to us.  The only reaction from the Bible Bee volunteers was praise and encouragement.  They didn't frown or otherwise indicate disapproval when there was a verse he had not memorized.  If he missed any points on the verses he had memorized, we never knew it.  It was a very uplifting experience--very much a celebration of what he had learned.

Local Contest Day was a day of fun, fellowship, and joy.  If you participate in the Bible Bee's summer program, I hope you are able to attend this wonderful event.  It is inspiring to be surrounded by Christian families from different communities, different demographics, different denominations who are all gathered for a common purpose--to bring glory to God and bring up their children to do the same.  God's presence was evident throughout the event.

More Bible Bee posts:
The Bible Bee:  A Family Adventure
Bible Bee:  Transforming Hearts

Bible Bee: Transforming Hearts

The best part of the Bible Bee for us was seeing how God used it to influence the hearts of every member of our family.  The person most impacted was my son who was registered as a contestant.

Let me share some of the heart transformation we experienced as a result of participating in the Bible Bee.  On Day 1 after receiving our box of Bible Bee goodies, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and not sure where to start. I introduced the first memory verse to my son and which was received with . . . (what shall I say?) . . . . resistance.

By the end of that first day, he had gained a vision of the program.  The realization that thousands of children all over the country (and beyond) were participating in the same process gave him a zeal that went deeper than my greatest expectations.  Before the day was finished, he was enthusiastically reciting his memory verse over and over without prompting--quite a contrast from the grudging attitude of that morning!  He proudly announced that he had read the entire book of 2 Timothy (the focus of the 2012 summer Sword Study) on his own and that he couldn't wait to do it again tomorrow.  For weeks, he faithfully dug into his Sword Study first thing upon waking.



At my son's suggestion, we started a new practice that has become a permanent fixture in our home.  He requested that an entire wall of his room be made into a scripture wall, displaying all his memory verses.  We did this by printing them out of nice decorative paper, displaying them, and will create a beautiful binder of his memory verses for him to review any time he wants.  Our family has always valued scripture, but through participating in the Bible Bee, I saw my son reach a new level of treasuring God' Word.

Photo:  Microsoft Images

My youngest child is still too young to officially participate in the Bible Bee, but we did start a scripture memory project with him as a direct result of the Bible Bee's influence on our family.  During the Bible Bee last summer, he began asking when he can learn verses also.  Of course, I can't let a request like this go without acting on it. :)  We hung free Bible verse visuals from Bible Story Printables on his wall, had him recite a verse daily, and then saved them in a keepsake binder.  A true love for scripture was instilled in the hearts of both my children. 

Enthusiasm did ebb and flow throughout the summer.  The local events provided by the Bible Bee probably would have helped with this, but unfortunately our family was unable to attend last year.  At the end of the summer, my son told me that he wants to participate in the Bible Bee every year until he's 18.  He said that he will learn a lot about the Bible through doing the Sword Studies, and he reminded me that "time spent learning scripture is not empty.  It has eternal value, even after this life is finished" (Isaiah 55:11).


More posts about the Bible Bee:
Bible Bee:  A Family Adventure 
Bible Bee's Local Contest Day - A Day of Worship

Object Lesson: Teaching Children Why Jesus' Sacrifice Was Necessary

Our family loves to use object lessons as a way to teach spiritual truths.  The benefits of activity-based object lessons are described here.

Today's post is a peek into a lesson our family did to learn more about the necessity of Jesus' sacrifice.  It is based on "Mr. Clean" and "A-Cross the Bridge" from Heritage Builders' book An Introduction To Family Nights: Family Nights Tool Chest (a favorite resource!).

We gathered outside and read Exodus 3:1-6 (Moses taking off his shoes to walk on holy ground).  We each took off our shoes and discussed about the meaning of holiness (set apart from anything unclean).  Then I used masking tape to mark a short path on our driveway and filled in the pathway with powder.  The book recommended cornstarch or baby powder, but we used baking soda since the Bible sometimes uses leaven to represent sin.  At the end of the powdered path, I taped a clean sheet of black construction paper. 

In their bare feet, my children tried to traverse the walkway and then place their feet on the construction paper without getting any powder on it.  (I was ready to sweep away powder residue with a hand-held broom so they could try again and again.)  The powder represented life on earth which always includes sin (Romans 3:23).  The black square at the end represented holy ground, being in the presence of God.  It shouldn't have even the tiniest speck of leaven on it.

As my children tried various strategies for going through the powdered path without tracking powder onto the black paper.  They leaped . . . they ran as fast as they possibly could . . . they jumped . . . they tiptoed.  Finally, they determined that there was no way to walk through the powder without tracking it onto the black paper at the end of the path.

After lots of giggles and many failed attempts, we talked about what we learned:

• Is there any way we can get to the holy ground without making it dirty with sin? 

• Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins.  He didn't deserve our punishment, but we are so thankful He took it.

Next, I took out two strips I had cut from a cheap plastic tablecloth and tucked out of sight behind a bush.  One strip went vertically down the path and had the word "JESUS" written in large letters.  The other plastic strip went across it to make the shape of a cross.  We tried again to walk the sin-covered pathway and reach God without tracking our sins.  Of course, it was easy to make it to the end since the powder had been covered by the cross.  We were able to reach holy ground without tracking any powder.

We talked again:

• How is the cross like a bridge?  How is Jesus' death like a bridge for us to reach God?  Can we become holy by ourselves? 

• Even though we made this plastic cross and can use it to get to the clean area, we can never really make a way to get to God.  We read John 14:6 which states that Jesus is the only way to God.  No matter how hard we try, we will always have a little sin in our lives.  That's why Jesus needed to die to rescue us.

We ended with a prayer of thanks for Christ's sacrifice.  We asked God to make us holy and help us to not sin. Start-to-finish, the lesson took less than 20 minutes, but my children gained a deeper understanding of why Jesus' death was necessary.   This object lesson might become annual tradition for us each spring, the season of redemption.

Photo:  Christianphotos.net

The Bible Bee: A Family Adventure

During the summer of 2012, our family participated in the Bible Bee summer program.  Two things about the organization attracted me:

1. Focus on family discipleship
This is not a children's program where you drop off your kids and pick them up later.  The Bible Bee is a commitment for the entire family--a commitment to study God's word together.  This article in The Christian Post describes how the Bible Bee is a program of family discipleship.  One of the mottos of the Bible Bee is

The Bible Bee encourages family discipleship . . . one verse at a time.

We found this to be very true.  The Bible Bee provides the tools and structure to teach your children in God's truth and ways.  It can bond you in a new and meaningful way and set your family on a rewarding path of spiritual growth.

2. Flexibility  
There are enough pressures on families today already, and mine is certainly no different in that regard.  The Bible Bee is an appealing summer program because our family didn't need to conform to the program.  The Bible Bee offers monthly local events, indepth Sword Study (focused on one book of the Bible), memory scriptures, opportunities for social interaction and support, as well as local and national competition.  We experienced no pressure to do it all.  Instead, we customized the program in the way that would best serve our family.   For example, we slowed down the Sword Study and will completed it in the winter, and we memorized the number of verses that we could comfortably manage.

The best part of our experience with the Bible Bee was 

seeing the heart changes in our children!

Photo:  Microsoft Images

More Bible Bee posts:

Bible Bee:  Transforming Hearts
Bible Bee's Local Contest Day - A Day of Worship

Where Does Family Ministry Fit In The Big Picture?

Photo:  Microsoft Images

 Let's explore some big questions about Family Ministry.

• What is the role of Family Ministry? 
• Where does it fit into the overall theme of the Bible?  
• What does Family Ministry have to do with God's plan for the world?  
• How does Family Ministry relate to the Great Commission of the church?
• How can the church be more effective in missions, small group ministry, and children's ministry?
• Is Family Ministry anything more than just the newest trend in the Christian community?
• Does Family Ministry apply to singles or people who are not parents?

These questions and many more are answered in Dr. Rob Rienow's FREE audio presentation The Essential Role of the Family for World Evangelism.

The Essential Role of the Family for World Evangelism

Click on the link above to listen today.  Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Photo:  Microsoft Images

How Resources Can Help Christian Parents Disciple Their Children

If you are a reader of my blog, you've probably noticed that I use a lot of resources.  Many of my ideas come from books, websites, or other blogs.  I love these resources!

Instilling God's truth, His character, and His love, in our children is no small task.  As parents and grandparents, God has given us a mission that will continually challenge us.  Yet it is a mission of utmost importance.

Many of us (myself included) struggle with how to effectively lead our children and grandchildren spiritually.  Whether we grew up in a Christian home or not, most likely we have never seen family discipleship modeled .  How do we go about impressing a child's heart with a love for God?  

Photo: Camilla Hoel

When we are in unfamiliar terrain--grappling with a perplexing new developmental stage our child is entering, making God central in our daily lives, finding a systematic approach to Biblical instruction, leading our children into a close relationship with God--resources have much to teach us.

Resources give me new ideas.  They inspire me.  They can provide step-by-step instruction.  Just seeing the book sitting on my desk reminds me to make the spiritual training of my children a priority.  The bottom line is that it's more likely to get done if I use a resource of some kind.

As parents, we all have strengths and limitations.  Resources enable me to compensate for those areas that don't come naturally to me.  For a quick example, one of my parenting strengths is providing structure.  You want me to be spontaneous?  Give me detailed instructions of exactly how to do that, and I’ll be as spontaneous as anyone. :)   I find resources that help me fill in for this weakness.  I find lists of questions, openings for spiritual discussions, “spontaneous” object lessons, and so on.  If you want to be more structured in your parenting, there are plenty of resources that can help with that also.

You are God's most important resource for your children's spiritual development.  It is not a chance occurrence that your child is in your family.  Perfect divine thought and intention is the reason you are together.  You have exactly what they need to prepare them for the Kingdom of God.  Let's trust God's amazing plans for our own lives and the lives of our children.  Let's equip ourselves so we can fulfill the wonderful purpose He has in mind for our families.

Interested in finding some quality resources and not sure where to start?  Be sure to check out my Resources page to see some of my favorites!  Looking for even more resources?  Click on the Resources and Reviews categories on the righthand sidebar.

Photo: D6 Family

Nurturing Your Child's Heart Connection with God

Photo: Microsoft Images

Recently, I wrote a post about teaching my children to pray.  This is something we have made a priority in our family.  What I've learned in this process is that it's simple to teach the mechanics of prayer.  It is more challenging--yet incredibly important--to foster a heart connection between my children and God.

My children don't need to follow a specific formula to pray "correctly."  What I truly want is for my children to want to talk with God.  Sally Clarkson says it so eloquently in her book The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity, "I want [my kids] to leave my home with a hunger and passion to know God personally and to be used by him to accomplish great things for his kingdom."  This is what I want for my children.  And you know what?  It's what God wants for them too.  There will be times in his life when my son will feel distant from God.  At those times, I want him to feel that some vital part of him--something at the very core of his being--is missing.  I want him to fervently search for that missing piece and not rest until his relationship with God is deepened.

I am always striving to cultivate a stronger heart connection between my children and God.  Here are a few ideas I've tried:

Emphasize Common Traits and Interests

Photo: Chrisianphotos.net

My oldest son has a tendency toward intense enthusiasm.  When he expresses fervor for his latest lego building project or his passion for something new he has learned in science, I try to use those events to connect him with God.  We talk about how much God loves creating and all the wonderful things He has made.  We discuss the Author of science and wonder at God's incredible mind.  I want him to know that God is eager to hear about the things that are important to him.


Silent Prayers with Prompts
Occasionally, we do silent bedtime prayers.  I prompt my son to talk with God about various things that he might tell a friend (even sharing a funny joke).  When he has finished his silent response, he taps my hand to indicate that he's ready for another prompt.  Silent prayers remove feelings of self-consciousness as our children explore new ways of talking with God.

His Mighty Warrior & His Little Princess books
His Mighty Warrior: A Treasure Map from Your King and His Little Princess: Treasured Letters from Your King (His Princess) are beautiful collections of intimate letters from God to a boy or a girl. You can read my full description and review here.

Creative Prayer Journal
Kay Arthur's book Lord, Teach Me to Pray for Kids (Discover 4 Yourself® Inductive Bible Studies for Kids) inspired us to start a creative prayer journal (or "logbook").  This a great idea for children who are artistically inclined or who have a difficulty putting their thoughts into words.  Here are a couple of the pages from my son's prayer journal.

Short Spontaneous Prayers Throughout the Day
We have a routine of praying at specific times--meals and bedtime.  Instead of telling my children that they can talk with God about anything at any time, I've made a real effort to model this for them.  When we see a particularly beautiful sunset, we say a quick prayer to of praise.  If we encounter an obstacle, we turn to the One who is ready to help at all times.  When we encounter a small blessing, we immediately share our appreciation with God.  We are striving to "pray without ceasing" (I Thessalonians 5:17) on a day-to-day basis.


Nurturing my children's heart connections with God is something I am actively working on.  Please share your thoughts and ideas!

Photo:  Christianphotos.net

D6 Days starts TODAY!

The D6 Conference, which has become a hub of family ministry, is generously offering full-length video sessions for FREE beginning today through March 6!  In addition, free MP3's of lab sessions will be made available.

Watch the video session "Abide" based on John 15: 4-5.  Also listen to the free MP3 download of Michelle Anthony speaking with honesty and conviction about "Awakening Spiritual Parenting in Today's Families."

To experience these inspiring free sessions, click here.

D6 Days are are also scheduled for April 17 and July 24!  

Early Bird discounts are still available now for the 2012 D6 Conference in Frisco, Texas, on September 26-28.  Click here to register.

Teaching Our Children to Pray

Christianity is about living in relationship with God.  Can any relationship be strong if there is not good communication?  Prayer is an integral part of being a Christian.  Some children naturally share their hearts with God.  For others, prayer is not instinctive so we need to be intentional about teaching prayer as a way of life.

In our family, we've used a variety of materials to teach prayer.

Teaching Your Child How to Pray is a wonderfully thorough resource.  It contains practical ideas for helping your child develop a habit of prayer as well as enriching your own prayer life.  There are some really beautiful analogies here that helped me explain the purpose of prayer to my son.  Probably the most unique aspect of this book is the developmental stages of prayer based on the lives of Samuel and Jesus. Explanations for each of these 6 stages includes scriptural context, examples of what is involved in each stage, approximate ages, suggestions for teaching and for transitioning to the next stage, cautions, and key Bible verses.


Faith Begins @ Home Prayer is one of the companion books for Faith @ Home.  This slim book is a very quick read.  Despite its small size, it is a treasure trove of creative (and fun!) approaches to incorporating prayer into family life. Below are some of our favorites, but there are twenty four kid-friendly, innovative prayer ideas presented in the book.

• circle prayer (holding hands and praying around the circle, squeezing the next person's hand to signal when you are finished)
• popcorn prayer (complete-the-sentence prayers with an exciting twist)
• prayer calendar (assigning specific topics that need regular prayer to a particular date each month)
• prayer maps (support for missions and peoples in need)
• characteristics of God ( completing the phrase "God is  . . . " and turning it into praise)
• prayer walks (praying about things or people you see as you walk along).  

Lord, Teach Me to Pray for Kids (Discover 4 Yourself® Inductive Bible Studies for Kids) is a fun educational tool that uses inductive study to learn what the Bible says about prayer.  The book has a fun military theme to captivate the attention of children.  My son really enjoyed the puzzles.  The activities throughout the book weren't just busywork.  They were carefully designed to increase understanding.  Because the book contains eight chapters of the Bible in their entirety as an appendix, there is no need to have a separate Bible to use it.  This made it a convenient portable activity book. The target age for this book is 8-12 years old.  We introduced it at a younger age, but the vocabulary presented a bit of a challenge.  (The lessons rely heavily on words such as allegiance, submission, petition, and intercession.)  It can be challenging to find Bible study books that are especially interesting to boys.  This one definitely fits the bill!

This prayer poster is another resource we have used in our family.  It took me a grand total of 5 minutes to create it.  I just taped 5 envelopes to a piece of posterboard.  The top envelope can hold a pen and some index cards.  On the other four envelopes, I wrote the words:  "Praise," "Thanks," "Sorry," and "Please help."  The poster was hung in a high traffic area of the house where we see it often.  If a prayer idea occurs to us, we can write it on an index card and slip it in the appropriate envelope.  This really helps us remember what we want to pray about.

I recently printed, laminated, and attached magnets to the free prayer printables at When You Rise.  (Fantastic blog, by the way!)  I love the idea of praying scripture over my children and am looking forward to giving this a try. 



Other prayer ideas I love:

Prayer Pail by Lu Bird Baby.

Children's Prayer Books by Our Family for His Glory.



I love hearing new ideas!  How do you teach your children to pray?

Photo: Microsoft Images