Ask Tricia

October 16, 2023 by Tricia Goyer 5 Comments

7 Prayers to Say for Your Children

These 7 prayers to say for your children can help be a springboard for your prayer life. Do you need new words to guide your heart as you seek God for your family? Let these prayers guide you.

7 Prayers to Say for Your Children

I often pray for my children…

That they are healthy.

That they are safe.

Oh, that they are obedient.

The other day I was reading the Bible, and I came upon Philippians 1:9-11:

I pray that your love will overflow more and more,
and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.
For I want you to understand what really matters,
so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.
May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—
the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—
for this will bring much glory and praise to God. (NLT)

As I read it I thought: This is a perfect Scripture to pray for my kids. And they are perfect prayers to say for your children.

I’ve broken this prayer into seven days, and I found other Scriptures to pray too. Won’t you join me?

Sunday: Pray for love that overflows

Lord, may the love of _______ increase and overflow for those in our family and for everyone else. (1 Thessalonians 3:12)

Monday: Pray for growth in knowledge

Lord, may _______ grow to love your Word. May the heart of _______ trust your commands. May _______ seek good judgment. Fill _______ with the knowledge of your will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives. (Psalm 119:66, Colossians 1:9)

Tuesday: Pray for understanding of what really matters

Lord, may _______ know your will and understand what is right because of your law. May _______ not copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be transformed into a new person through changed thoughts and through knowing your perfect and pleasing will. (Romans 2:18, Romans 12:2)

Wednesday: Pray for a pure and blameless life

Lord, may _______ keep firm in faith, staying pure and blameless, until the end. May the good work you started in _______ carry on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. May _______ hold firmly to the word of life, so life’s labor will not be in vain. (1 Corinthians 1:8, Philippians 1:6, Philippians 2:6)

Thursday: Pray for the fruit of salvation

Lord, may _______ be like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. May _______ delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. And because of your word planted deep, may whatever _______ do prosper. (Psalm 1:2-3)

Friday: Pray for righteous character and for a life in Jesus

Lord, may _____ be a peacemaker who sows in peace and reaps a harvest of righteousness. Lord, may your name be honored because of the life of _______. I know this is only possible because of your grace. May love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control flow out of the life of _______ because of your spirit within. (James 3:18 2 Thessalonians 1:12, Galatians 5:22-23)

Saturday: Pray for glory and praise to God

Lord, may _______ produce much fruit so that you may be glorified. May the life of _______ be for your praise and glory, because of hope put in you. (John 15:8, Ephesians 1:14)

As parents, it’s important to pray for our kids, and I’m so thankful that God has given us His Word as a foundation to do just that! He has given you prayers to say for your children!

Enjoy this free printable 7 Prayers to Say for Your Children:

I hope these prayers to say for your children are as helpful to you as they have been for me! Do you have any that you would like to add? Let me know!

~Tricia

More Resources from Tricia Goyer:

Prayers the Changed History (pre-order today!)

Praying for Your Future Husband (for teens girls)

Whit’s End Mealtime Devotions (for families)

Balanced (for busy moms)

October 26, 2019 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

6 Ways to Build a Positive Family

6 Ways to Build a Positive Family.

Do your kids struggle with negativity? Are you constantly having to break up fights?Do you cringe at the words coming out of your child’s mouth? Do you wish everyone could just be happy and positive?

A positive attitude at home will leak into the rest of your child’s life. The “family” is where the foundation of a positive living is built. It’s our job not just to teach being positive, but to model it. Here are 6 ways to do that. (And they spell out the word F.A.M.I.L.Y! Stay tuned to the end of this post for a free printable.)

The “family” is where the foundation of a positive living is built. @TriciaGoyer

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Faith

Our faith in God is the foundation for our attitudes. We not only represent ourselves and our families, but we also represent God. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Because of Jesus, we can trust He’ll be with us and guide us. He’s not only caring for us on this earth, but He’s also preparing a place for us for eternity.

Remind your child that faith in God gives us confidence for today and hope for tomorrow.
Ask, “If we have faith in God, what can we look forward to?” (Lots of amazing, positive things!)
Guide your child to turning any negative interactions into positive ones by pointing your child back to God. “I know this is hard right now, but because of our faith can trust that God will turn things around for good.”

Attitude

Our attitude is a megaphone of what’s happening on the inside. Is your child feel unloved, unappreciated, or disconnected? If so, his or her attitude will show it. When you see a bad attitude starting, instead of beginning with correction, start with connection.

Remind your child he or she can tell you how he or she is feeling instead of acting out.
Ask, “If I could do one thing for you right now, what would that be?”
Guide your child to reach for you instead of lashing out. “If you need me to understand, talk to me. I want to be here for you.”

Mental Goodness

Mental goodness is one way of saying, “Think about good things.” Instead of replaying what you don’t like about your home, family, and school, try to find the positives.

Remind your child that bad thoughts will lead to bad actions and good thoughts will lead to good actions.
Ask, “What is one good thing you can think about right now?”
Guide your child to ask God to help him think about good things. Pray together about this.

Head over to thebettermom.com to read the rest of this post!

Are you ready to build a positive family that faces life’s struggles without grumbling or complaining?

Maybe you’re ready for The Grumble Free Year. Join our family of 11 as we navigate a year of learning to look for God in all things and to serve Him through grateful and thankful hearts.

Pre-order now and get these great FREE gifts! Order here: www.thegrumblefreeyear.com

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Read full privacy policy here.

October 3, 2019 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

How to Stop Your Child’s Angry Cycle

The flash of anger in my tween daughter’s eyes surprised me. We’d been camping, and Maddie’s 6-year-old sister, Aly, had just burned her finger on hot ash. As I treated the wound, Maddie strode up. “I hurt myself, too,” she said, with attitude. “Last night when we were making S’mores.”

“Hold on,” I said. As Aly screamed beside me, I tried not to show my frustration. “I need to help your sister first.” This was the first I’d heard of Maddie’s burn.

Maddie’s anger flared. “You always help her first! You don’t care for me at all!” She rushed back to our cabin as I finished bandaging Aly’s hand.

I walked back to the cabin, dreading the confrontation ahead. I could see how the next few minutes would play out: pleas and demands from me, mounting anger and accusations from her. There had to be a better way to manage these cycles of anger. It was making all of us weary, especially Maddie.

How to Stop Your Child’s Angry Cycle

Once a child is angry, it’s easy for him to stay in a cycle of thoughts, emotions and physical responses that feed his rage. Here’s what the angry cycle looks like:

An event creates pain or distress that sets off the child’s anger. This event can be something another person says or does, or an unmet expectation.
The pain triggers thoughts or memories that focus the child’s angry response on another person. For example, he may think you don’t understand his life or that you care more about a sibling.
These “trigger thoughts” lead to a negative emotional response. Your child feels frustrated, rejected, fearful or enraged.
These emotions cause a physical response, such as a flushed face, tense jaw, pounding heart and clenched fists. As anger takes control, a child finds it difficult to think rationally.
Finally, a behavioral response occurs. The trigger thoughts, emotions and physical reaction evoke a fight, flight or freeze response.

Stopping the angry cycle

We often try to lecture our children or teach them a lesson in the midst of their angry cycle — right when they cannot think rationally. Our best efforts at correction will likely not get through when our child is in this highly emotional state; harsh discipline often make things worse…

Chore Charts Can Curb Complaining

When we adopted our two sweet children, we sort of went into “survival” mode. Both children had emotional issues, and they need weekly behavioral therapy. Bella was enrolled in a therapy school, and Casey had physical, occupational, and speech therapy. I was spending hours and hours each day on the road. I was happy if I could somewhat maintain the house, and assigning chores to my kids wasn’t even on my radar.

Now, things are different. My kids have graduated from all their therapy programs. They are sweet, happy children. You’d never know that a not so long ago they had major issues. (Thank you, God!) But they are still kids and they have normal daily struggles just like any other child–or adult. One thing that helps keep our order from falling into chaos is chores.

With such a big family, it would be impossible to accomplish all the things we need to get done every day if we didn’t share the work. We believe that’s part of being a family–everyone works together to keep things running smoothly. So we taught our children how to be responsible for themselves and others by doing household chores.

This is how we got started:

First, I found a FREE printable chore chart here.

I printed up several BLANK copies of the chart so I could tailor them for my kids.

This website also gave me great ideas of what kids could do at different ages.

How to create a chore time routine for your kids: (@TriciaGoyer #Balanced)

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Here’s a sample list we started with:

Bella

Pick up toys
Put laundry in hamper
Take dishes to sink after meal
Make bed
Set plates and cups for dinner
Match socks

Alyssa

Pick up toys
Put laundry in hamper
Sort laundry
Take dishes to sink after meal
Make bed
Set napkins and silverware for dinner

Casey

Pick up toys
Put laundry in hamper
Check mailbox
Take dishes to sink after meal
Make bed

As they have gotten older I’ve added more, but this was a great place to start!

If you’re just starting out with chores, know it might take a couple of weeks for your kids to get their chores down, but the work you put in now will be worth it. I saw this with my first round of kids. Just know that the more training you put in now will benefit your family’s teamwork later.

The more training you put in now will benefit your family’s teamwork later. @TriciaGoyer

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Teaching your children life skills doesn’t have to stop at folding laundry or picking up their things. When I realized that our family struggled with grumpiness and ungratefulness we embarked on a year-long journey to get grumble free. Find the book here and join us on the journey to gratitude and thankfulness in The Grumble Free Year!

Daily Prayer

Dear Lord,

Sometimes it’s so much easier just to do things myself than to train my children. Yet I know that so much of “today” is really about “tomorrow” and the men and women they will grow to be. Help me to be diligent, Lord, to teach them diligence. Help me to be faithful with my time, attention, home and resources, so my children will understand how to be faithful in all things you have so graciously given us.

In Jesus name, Amen.

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September 25, 2019 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

How To Find Peace in Chaos

How To Find Peace in Chaos. I know that most of the time I look encouraging to my online friends. Why? Well, I don’t want to be a complainer or a whiner. I truly believe we can do more by lifting up people than tearing people down. We can also live freer by rejoicing than complaining, BUT … (Did you see that “but” coming?) But this is something I struggle with.

Often in my day, I don’t have peace. Why? Because sometimes I do everything but ask for it. Deep down in the overwhelmingness of kids, marriage, deadlines, mentoring, homeschooling, and keeping up a house, I feel exhausted and trapped. It’s just too much, and I don’t remember to turn to God and to trust Him that everything will turn out. Instead, I attempt to work harder to “get things under control” and I rush around trying to fix things. I worry, complain (mostly in my head), and try to make things happen. I refuse to seek help and I forget how to find peace in chaos. This is so foolish!

Jesus made this clear to me today when I meditated on this verse this morning:

The Scripture tells us how to find peace in chaos:

“The Lord gives strength to his people, the Lord blesses his people with peace.” Psalm 29:11

Depending on my strength, I miss God’s. And rushing around, attempting to gain control, I miss peace. Lord, help me!

Of course, Jesus sees this, and today He reminded me (again) what I need to do. And it’s simple. All I have to do is to come to Him.

Jesus FULLY understands all you and I are going through, friend. He completely knows the situation and ALL the stressors we have in life. The best part is He is 100% capable of taking care of the situations … and taking care of me! He is all I need, and when I turn to Jesus all will be provided IN Him and FOR Him, for His glory!

Can I pray for you today? (And know I’m praying this for myself as well.)

Lord, right now my friend is so overwhelmed. You know what he/she is going through. Lord, you know the worries, fears, disappointments, and broken dreams that my friend carries deep inside. You know these internal worries are exhibited outwardly in so many ways–none of them good.

Lord, today I’m praying for your child who is reading this. I am praying that you will meet him/her at THIS moment. I pray Your presence will flood like a shower. I pray Your peace will fall like a gentle rain and my friend will surrender to You in the moment and throughout the day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Friend, don’t just read this and be inspired … take time to go before God today and pray. Know that I’m getting on my knees today for my peace and yours. Jesus desires to come to you and wrap you in His arms of peace. Know that. Trust it.

When you turn to Jesus all will be provided IN Him & FOR Him, for His glory! @TriciaGoyer

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How To Find Peace in Chaos

Peace isn’t found in a place, it’s found in a person–the person of Jesus Christ. His peace trumps everything else. But we can make choices every day that make His peace easier to find and take ahold of. That’s one reason I wrote The Grumble Free Year. I realized that when I am grumbling and complaining, I am not focusing on the goodness of God and the truth that in Him we have all that we need to be joy-filled.

My family agreed to join me on a year-long journey to stop complaining and to allow God to show up in our circumstances. What we found was amazing and I can’t wait to share it with you. Our journey is available in our book The Grumble Free Year.

Join my 30-Day Grumble Free Challenge!

If you would like more peace and less grumbling, I have a 30-day challenge for YOU! CLICK HERE to sign up and you’ll get 30 daily emails with tips, ideas, prayers, and free printables to use with your family!

I would love to have you join me, and we can find peace together!

September 20, 2019 by Pamela Black Leave a Comment

Calming Angry Kids With A Million Praying Moms

Today’s episode of the Million Praying Moms podcast is for every mom who has been in the whirlwind of dealing with an angry child.

You’ve asked yourself so many questions, but in the end, you just need relief…something to help turn the tide toward a more peaceful home.

Friend, today’s episode is for you.

Calming Angry Kids With A Million Praying Moms

On today’s episode of the Million Praying Moms Podcast I spoke with Erin and Brooke at Million Praying Moms. I hope you’ll find hope and help through this conversation.

Click here to tune in and listen to Calming Angry Kids With A Million Praying Moms!

Did you get your bonus? Only a few days remain!

These prints are yours FREE as a digital download (frames not included) when you become a quarterly subscriber to Pray the Word Journal on or before September 6th!

Details here!

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September 20, 2019 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

God’s Heart for Adoption

I first thought about adoption around 1999 when I was reading an article about orphanages in China filled with baby girls. At the time, John and I had three young kids ages 10, 7, and 5. Around that time I had also just gotten my first book contract.

I talked to John about adopting an orphan, but he didn’t think it was a good idea. The idea of adding more kids into our chaotic life wasn’t appealing to him. Not to mention the cost, which was $20,000+. Oh, and I should mention my propensity to take on more than I can chew. One of John’s roles in life is to protect me from my good intentions.

Years later the kids grew up, and John was the one to bring up the idea of adoption with me. I jumped on the chance. I was SO excited about adopting a baby girl from China, but just as we turned in our paperwork, in 2008, things changed. They slowed down the number of adoptions. It looked like a 4-5 year process. I was heartbroken.

God’s Heart for Adoption

I clearly remember one day when I was crying out to God, “Why did you even put this on my heart if it’s not going to happen?” (And by “happen” I meant in the way I wanted, with the beautiful, Chinese baby girl that I imagined.)

I mentioned children from the Heart Gallery a few times in passing, but I didn’t think much more about it until I read a book called Kisses for Katie. It was about a young woman who adopted thirteen children in Uganda. I read the book on the way to a MomLife retreat, and I was moved.

I felt God speaking to me, “If she can adopt thirteen children in a third-world country, can’t you open your home to a few more?” That night I asked a few friends to pray that John’s heart would be open to adopting from the foster care system.

Later, when I called home, these were the first words out of John’s mouth, “Did you know that adopting from the foster care system is free?” As I heard my husband’s words, my faith grew. Adoption wasn’t “my” thing that I needed to “talk my husband into.” Adoption was on God’s heart. God’s Heart for Adoption was penetrating John’s heart.

There is no doubt in my mind that adoption is on the heart of God. In Ephesians 1:5 the Bible says,

“In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will . . . “

God sees us all as worthy and gave His son that we might be adopted into His family. In Psalms 68:5-6a it says,

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families…”

God’s heart is to heal and restore. His desire is to show His love to this world through us. The adoption story is the story of all who have come to know Christ and become part of the family of God.

Maybe adoption has been on your mind as well, but you have questions. How can we manage the financial component of adoption? What would the process look like? Are we enough to help a child in need of a family? Believe me, everyone has asked the hard questions. And for good reason–adoption is a commitment to be a forever family.

But don’t be afraid. There are answers. And I know that God will guide your decisions and your family as you seek His will for adopting. And there is a place to get many of your questions answered–the Adoption Summit. It’s completely online and a perfect way to access the information you need to make any decision regarding adoption.

As an adoptive mom, I know how important it is to be as prepared as you possibly can. The Adoption Summit is a great opportunity for you to take the next step and learn more about adoption. And right now you can get a FREE ticket here: www.adoptionsummit.com

For more posts and information on adoption, check out my adoption directory!

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September 19, 2019 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Sometimes Love Grows {Adoption Hope}

Sometimes Love Grows

In my 25 years as a mom there have been many homecomings as I brought my children home for the first times. When Cory was born, I was a 17-year-old single mom, and we returned to my parents’ house. With Leslie and Nathan, John and I lived in low-income housing while he was in school. There was no designer nursery, but I did have room for a bassinet next to our bed.

We adopted Alyssa as a baby. She was six days old, and we knew for two and a half months that she’d be coming. Yet again there was no nursery, no crib set, nor any wall hangings. We brought Alyssa home just a few days before our family moved 2,000 miles from Montana to Arkansas. The first days of getting acquainted with our new daughter were spent in the front of a U-Haul.

In 2013, we had another homecoming. We adopted five-year-old “Sissy” and two-year-old “Buddy” from the foster care system. Instead of two months of preparation, we had two days. Bunk beds were set up, and dresser drawers were filled with clothes, but how can you really prepare for two children who’ve faced trauma, lived in numerous homes, and have already set up walls around their hurting hearts? John and I had gone through months of training, but then there was the moment when there were two kids sitting in car seats in the back seat. Could we really do this? Would love come?

I’d like to say the love was instantaneous, but that’s the thing of fairy tales. When it comes to welcoming in new foster or adoptive kids sometimes love grows one day at a time. Love is a choice—a choice that’s made even in the middle of fits, or crying in the night, or anger that flows from gazes. Anger that other people caused, and anger that is now my job to ease.

Sometimes, love grows one day at a time #adoption @TriciaGoyer

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With my newborns, the love seemed to be instantaneous. With these older ones, it’s something that builds and grows. And that’s OK. Love is a verb. And a love that grows is just as beautiful as love that emerges.

Have you thought about adopting but question if you’ll be able to love them as much as your biological children? It’s a good question to ask.

Love may not happen within minutes or days, but when you give of your home, your family, and your heart . . . love finds its way in ordinary times and on ordinary days.

Sometimes Love Grows

Maybe you’ve been reading and wondering, could love grow in our hearts for another child? Maybe right now you’re feeling the whisper in your heart to learn more. I know that whisper. I know that feeling. That’s why I’m excited to be a speaker in the upcoming Adoption Summit. The Adoption Summit is completely online and a great way to get all your questions answered and more. Learn from educators, guest speakers, and parents just like you who wondered–is adoption for me?

Click HERE to get your FREE ticket!

Here are other blogs I’ve written about our adoption journey:

How to Adopt for {Almost} Free

Choosing to Adopt: One Couple’s Story

Adoption {She Said}

Adoption {He Said}

The Sad News About Adoption in Our World

Meet the New Goyer Children (our announcement in 2013!)

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September 16, 2019 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

How to Enjoy Motherhood Without the Mom Guilt

Recently I had the opportunity to chat with Jennifer Blossom of Blossoming Mom & Baby about how to enjoy motherhood without the mom guilt. It was a great conversation full of help and hope for moms in the trenches.

Blossoming Mom and Baby is all about supporting moms through the journey of motherhood.

Their belief is that you were created to THRIVE in your motherhood journey and not just going through the motions or mundane. No more complaining your way through motherhood. And no more fueling your body and mind with things that have zero (or negative) value. They believe it’s time to get on the right path for your life and motherhood. AND it’s never (EVER!) too late to start. They’re there right now with a fresh cup of coffee and a welcoming hand to invite you into the most supportive motherhood community in the world.

Jennifer and her team want you to remember, the way you show up and care for yourself MATTERS. When you learn how to take care of yourself mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, and within your home~ your life (and the life of those around you) will forever change.

Listen in here:

https://www.blossomingmommyandbaby.com/podcast/2019/8/12/416-motherhood-without-the-mom-guilt-with-tricia-goyer

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September 12, 2019 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

How to Go From Grumbly to Grateful

If I want to see change in my kids, it has to start with me. Today let’s look at 6 tips on how to go from grumbly to grateful.

How to Go From Grumbly to Grateful

Sometimes my kids drive me crazy. They are too negative, too cranky, and too quick to point out ways their siblings fall short. They get frustrated with the dog and they don’t often pick up after themselves. Grumble. Grumble. Grumble.

One day, as I was going through a list of all the ways my kids were falling short, God pointed my finger back at me. It’s easy to tell my kids what to do and more difficult to model what needs to be done. Sometimes, I tell my kids to be nice, to be kind, while at the same time having a stinky attitude. However, if I’m picky with my kids, yet offer myself grace, I’m being double-minded.

I am negative, cranky, and I don’t always pick up after myself … yet I expect so much more from my kids! Hmm… Deep down, I know that this parenting style won’t get any of us very far.

If I want my kids to change, it all starts with me.

I have to model kindness and gentleness. I have to clean up after myself. If I want to model gratefulness, I have to pray, asking God to help me and help them. And be patient with the dog! (Even when she chews up my books!) This is how to go from grumbly to grateful.

So how does real change—in you and your kids—happen? Where do we start?

1. Write down your kids’ weaknesses. Then ask yourself, “Which ones are my own?” Seek God. Ask Him to show you the core issues that need to be rooted out. Pray for God’s wisdom and grace.

2. Realize your change isn’t up to you alone. Romans 12:1-2 says, “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him … fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out” (The Message). When you give everything you do to God, then He has the chance to work!

3. Confess your weaknesses to your kids. Point out areas that you struggle with. Ask your children to pray for you, too. I don’t know why we as parents pretend to be perfect. It’s obvious to our kids that we’re not!

However, in 1 John 1:19 the Bible says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Being honest with our kids and ourselves is how we go from grumbly to grateful.

4. Be grateful for small changes. Praise your kids for every small step they take toward change. The more praise, the more kids are encouraged. It’s amazing how well this works.

5. Rejoice in your changes, too. Tell your husband or a cherished friend about the changes you are making. Ask that person to rejoice with you.

6. Don’t stop with easy, outward fixes. Even as change comes, don’t be content with being “good enough.” I often pray Psalms 139:23-34, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (NIV). God knows our hearts best. He knows us the inner issues that are hurting us more than we think. He knows how these will impact our kids.

Allow God to reveal deep flaws that you might not even be aware of and turn to Him for healing.

The changes you make will forever impact your children. When you are healed, you’ll be able to offer guidance to them. Don’t let your unwillingness to allow God to work negatively impact your children. God can help you to change, but it must start with, “Lord, I am willing.”

As you turn to God for change in yourself, you’ll be amazed how much your kids will change, too. Children do what we do, not what we say. When we do all we can for the glory of God they’ll learn to do that, too!

How to go from grumbly to grateful.

You might enjoy my book The Grumble Free year. I hope it will be a blessing to you as you move towards a life of gratitude and thanksgiving. You can read the first chapter for FREE here: https://triciagoyer.com/grumblefreeyear/

In The Grumble-Free Year, the Goyers invite readers into their journey as they go complaint-free and discover what it looks like to develop hearts of gratitude. They share their plans, successes, failures, and all the lessons they learn along the way, offering real-life action steps based in scripture so that readers get not just a front-row seat to the action but also an opportunity to take the challenge themselves and uncover hearts that are truly thankful.

May 27, 2019 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Giving Your Children a Heart for the World {Guestpost}

Our Life

I felt like the worst homeschooling mom ever. While other parents were taking their kids on nature walks and art classes, I was dragging my three children along with me to the pregnancy resource center that I just helped to start. Cory, Leslie and Nathan—all in elementary school—helped me to fold baby clothes and sort diapers. As we remodeled the new center, they helped rip up carpet. They held babies while I talked with teen moms. They sat on the porch and read while I met with the other leaders to plan and to pray.

Our Impact

It wasn’t until years later that I realized the impact of this time. During the morning my kids and I read many books in our homeschool, including missionary stories. And in the afternoon my children were walking with me, learning how to serve. I just wish I would have realized one important truth sooner: I was giving my children a heart for the world by teaching them about it and serving others with them by my side.

The Result

Now those three kids are all adults and each of them loves God and serves Him in amazing ways. My oldest son is teaching his own kids about Jesus, and he also leads children’s church. My oldest daughter is a missionary and teaches college in Europe, and my third oldest child had his first Christian novel published. They are an amazing example for their seven younger adopted siblings.

So how do you give your children a heart for the world? Read the rest of this post on A Reason For Homeschool!

Homeschooling is more than just an educational choice, it’s an opportunity to instill your love for God and the ways you walk that out in serving the world for Him.

Would you like more help and advice for your homeschooling journey? Pick up a copy of Homeschool Basics. Receive tried-and-true homeschool advice from veteran homeschooling moms Tricia Goyer and Kristi Clover. We dish out practical help on getting started and staying the course. Homeschool Basics will remind you that the best homeschooling starts with the heart. Packed with ideas to help you push aside your fears and raise kids who will grow to be life-long learners and fully devoted followers of Christ.

Kristi and I believe that homeschooling can transform your life, your home, and your family. Mostly, we believe homeschool can truly prepare your children for the life God’s called them to live.

Don’t let doubts hold you back any longer. Hope and refreshment await.

Find out more about Homeschool Basics and get your copy HERE.

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Ask Tricia

7 Prayers to Say for Your Children

As I read it I thought: This is a perfect Scripture to pray for my kids. And they are perfect prayers to say for your children.

Sunday: Pray for love that overflows

Monday: Pray for growth in knowledge

Wednesday: Pray for a pure and blameless life

Thursday: Pray for the fruit of salvation

Friday: Pray for righteous character and for a life in Jesus

Saturday: Pray for glory and praise to God

More Resources from Tricia Goyer:

Faith

Attitude

Mental Goodness

Head over to thebettermom.com to read the rest of this post!

How to Stop Your Child’s Angry Cycle

Stopping the angry cycle

Read more at Focus On The Family here: https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/how-to-stop-your-childs-angry-cycle/

Here’s a sample list we started with:

Daily Prayer

The Scripture tells us how to find peace in chaos:

“The Lord gives strength to his people, the Lord blesses his people with peace.” Psalm 29:11

Can I pray for you today? (And know I’m praying this for myself as well.)

How To Find Peace in Chaos

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Calming Angry Kids With A Million Praying Moms

Click here to tune in and listen to Calming Angry Kids With A Million Praying Moms!

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God’s Heart for Adoption

“In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will . . . “

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families…”

For more posts and information on adoption, check out my adoption directory!

Sometimes Love Grows

Click HERE to get your FREE ticket!

Here are other blogs I’ve written about our adoption journey:

Blossoming Mom and Baby is all about supporting moms through the journey of motherhood.

Listen in here:

If I want my kids to change, it all starts with me.

So how does real change—in you and your kids—happen? Where do we start?

Allow God to reveal deep flaws that you might not even be aware of and turn to Him for healing.

How to go from grumbly to grateful.

Our Life

Our Impact

The Result