Home is an active place. Your 18-month-old scatters his toys everywhere. He is an expert climber, opens doors with child locks, and moves fast. Safety is your biggest concern for this curiosity stage. This is not the time to strive for an award for good housekeeping.
Transition and adjustments. In this time of transition while your baby adjusts to life outside the womb, you and your family are adjusting to life with a newborn. As in all times of transition, give each other a little more consideration and lots of encouragement. [Read more…]
Since we celebrate Father’s Day in June, I thought I’d write my tale of three fathers for Your Child’s Journey and First Steps bulletins.
The Message Bible translates Paul’s comment in 1 Corinthians 4:15, “There are a lot of people around who can’t wait to tell you what you’ve done wrong, but there aren’t many fathers willing to take the time and effort to help you grow up.”
That describes well the three fathers I have in mind to tell about. These three fathers willingly took the time and effort to help their children grow up well.
The first of these three fathers is my own father. He is father to four girls and two boys. I am the first of his children.
A nicely dressed husband and wife walked into our condo one afternoon. They were in their mid-forties, have two teenagers, and good jobs. They looked successful and like they should have everything necessary for a good life.
After some chit-chat, we asked what they would like to talk about; how we could help them. The wife started by saying, “He has been cheating on me.”
The husband sat with his head down, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone. He admitted he had been unfaithful. When we asked, “Why?” He said, “I’ve been so lonely in our marriage. The girl at work took time to talk to me and showed me she thought I was special.”
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