teens

September 25, 2014 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

How to Keep & Deepen Your Relationship With Your Teen Son

My 6-foot-tall son lumbers into the room and sinks onto the sofa.

“So, I’ve been thinking about Chapter Two…” he says.

I pause what I’m doing and we talk. We talk about fictional conflict, inciting incidents, and motivation—what the character wants more than anything. Nathan has just finished writing a novel and lately we’ve been chatting about that.

I have six children and my relationship with each of them is different.

They all enjoy different things, and for a while I wondered how I could best relate to my sons as teens. Yes, I cheered at their basketball games. I often found myself out to lunch with them one-on-one, or at sci-fi movies, but I wanted something more–something that could just be “ours.”

It turns out that Nathan, my third oldest, and I both enjoy writing and plotting. We relish figuring out what makes a story good…then what makes it great. After nearly every movie we watch, we talk about what worked and what didn’t. As a homeschooler this started with chapter books that I read to him during school time.

Nathan also attended homeschool writing classes that I taught. We’d chat about all the elements of fiction writing on the way home. It wasn’t a forced conversation. I didn’t read a book and try to follow it. Instead, I just opened myself up to my son. We have talked about our shared interest and I’ve watched our relationship grow. Soon talking about plots and writing became “our thing.”

[Read the rest of this post on TheMOBSociety.com]

Prayer

Thank you for my son. I look forward to spending time and sharing our lives together as a family. Give me inspiring ways to connect and deepen my relationship with him.

Moms: How do YOU deepen your relationship with your son? @TriciaGoyer

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June 24, 2014 by Tricia Goyer 2 Comments

An Unexpected Life

Growing up I liked to imagine what my future would be like. I imagined living in the small, California town that I grew up in. I pictured getting married, having a few children, and teaching elementary school. None of that came true. Not even close.

Growing up I liked to imagine what my future would be like… None of that came true. @TriciaGoyer

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Instead, I became a teen mom, having my son at age seventeen. Becoming a mom at a young age was hard, but it also drew me to God. When I was six months pregnant I turned my life over to Him, and I started praying for my future husband.   God answered that prayer quickly. John was my pastor’s son, and he came to visit me after Cory’s birth. I knew a good thing when I saw it, and I didn’t let John get away. We married when Cory was nine months old (in 1990), and we soon had two more children. We got involved in church, and I started pursuing writing, focusing on Christian books and magazine articles, but my efforts didn’t get me far. And it wasn’t for lack of effort. I worked and worked, and even though I got lots of articles published, book contracts were nonexistent.

[Click here to read the rest of this post on TheBetterMom.com]

Prayer Request…

I’m in Africa right now! Would you join me by praying for the Awana groups I’m visiting? Pray they are making a kind of difference that God desires. Pray their physical, emotional, monetary needs are met.

I have a few books on sale right now! Generation NeXt Marriage is $2.99. You can also get my four World War II novels in the Liberators Series for $13.99.

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June 13, 2014 by Tricia Goyer 1 Comment

3 Things Teens Wish Their Parents Remembered

Remember what it was like to be a kid?

Take a few minutes and think back. It may help your parenting in ways you never expected.

One of my favorite childhood memories is from Christmas when I was 12. I don’t remember many elaborate gifts. In fact I recall only one—a shiny, red tape-recorder with a microphone.

Long after the presents were put away and the wrapping paper picked up, my family and I sat around our kitchen table recording silly stories. I was a reporter and I interviewed my parents and younger brother.

Though only snatches of their crazy comments come to mind, recalling the laughter we shared warms me up faster than a hot cup of cocoa on a cold day. This memory also gives me ideas of gifts to give to my own children. No, not a red tape-recorder, but time, silliness and laughter.

Some times the best ideas about parenting don’t come from manuals. Instead they come from remembering what it was like to be a kid.

Sometimes the best ideas about parenting don’t come from manuals. @TriciaGoyer

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1. Remember That Family Activities Are Fun

Recalling the past for the purpose of gaining encouragement and receiving direction isn’t something new. In Deuteronomy 32:7, Moses urged God’s chosen people to look back and remember. “Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you.”

So why is looking back so important? Remembering is like a personal history lesson in which you examine your own life and use it as a reference to guiding your future. As writer Charles G. E. Chilton says, “Would we know the value of the present? Ask the past.”

Thinking about her favorite childhood memories, Twyla Klundt, mother of two, realized that spending time with her family meant more than anything else. “My favorite childhood event,” Twyla says, “was spending every New Years Eve bowling together. I felt part of something bigger than myself. I felt special.”

Twyla’s husband, Kenny agrees. Shared moments were what mattered most when he was a child. He says, “My favorite time was riding horses with my dad.”

Thinking back on what they enjoyed as kids gives the Klundts ideas for things to do with their own family. But they admit that following through requires sacrifice. “Even though time is what matters most, it’s the hardest thing to give,” Twyla admits.

2. Remember The Things You Wanted To Do Differently

Looking back not only helps us know what to do, but what not to do. “My husband and I both felt our parents were so busy with life that they didn’t have time for parenting,” says Crystal Andrews, mother of three. “They did their thing and we children did ours. So, Mark and I decided early on that we wanted things to be different with our kids.”

Determined to build strong relationships, Mark and Crystal work hard to be available. “We focus on spending time with our children whether it’s taking long car trips or just reading together in the evenings.” Today, when the Andrew’s children share their own favorite memories, they talk about times spent with Mom and Dad. Making family a priority is paying off.

3. Remember To Be Creative In Showing Your Love

In his book, “How to Win Grins and Influence Little People” (Honor Books), author Clint Kelly says that children and teens need to be shown how much you love them. “These memories can outweigh the fears in life and keep hope in sight.”

Some ideas from Kelly’s book include:

Have a candlelight dinner for your child. Say, ‘This is a rare event only reserved for a special guest.”
Write up a resume of all your child’s accomplishments, both big and small. Look it over thoughtfully and say, ‘I’d hire you in a second!”
Put a note of praise in a bottle and float it in your child’s bath water.

When you work to create special times for your kids, you’re fashioning a lifetime of memories in the process—memories that will make your children look back and smile. In my case, the red tape recorder was misplaced long ago, but the memory of the laughter my family shared will never be lost.

What are some unique ways you show your children love?

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April 28, 2014 by Tricia Goyer 12 Comments

Why Your Older Kids Fight Your Teaching (And How To Fix That)

I’m a mom of six children. I’ve been homeschooling eighteen years, and with three preschoolers, I have another eighteen years of homeschooling to go! Three of my children are adults. Cory is twenty-three years old, married, and he and Katie have a baby boy and one on the way. He’s a working man and a caring husband and father. Leslie is twenty and graduated from the University of Arkansas, Little Rock, this year. She’s a stellar student who’s living in Europe as a missionary right out of college. Nathan is twenty years old and a college freshman. After one semester of college, he was asked to work as a writing coach in the university’s writing center. Even more important than how well they’re doing in life, my three older kids love God and have a deep, growing relationship with him.

We also have three more kids ages five, three, and two who’ve been added to our family through adoption. As a forty-one-year-old mom, sometimes I’m overwhelmed with thinking of doing it ALL again, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s to focus on one day at a time. And focus on one heart at a time.

I started off by telling you of my older kids’ successes in education and life because I want you to know it is possible. If you would have told me three years, five years, or seven years ago where my kids would end up, I would have been relieved — but confused. I often fought with my kids on getting their work done. They seemed unmotivated at times. Some (most?!) of their work was done half-heartedly, and there was one child who just could not “get” the read the book and answer the questions model.

When Older Kids aren’t Motivated

There were many homeschooling days I found myself in tears. I prayed for God to give me the answer, and when it came it wasn’t what I expected. “Throw out the lesson plans and stop trying to force learning. Look at each child individually. Focus on that child’s heart, and teach to that child.”
“But what about geography and geometry and all those other critical subjects?” I prayed (and fretted.) Still, God kept the answer that He spoke to my heart the same.
What did it look like?

Truthfully, it looked completely different for each kid. I signed one up for co-op classes, one for some college classes, and one did hardly any traditional work at all. Trying to get my youngest son to answer a worksheet was futile, but I did discover he loved watching DVD courses of college lectures. Except for some math and language computer programs, for three years this kid watched DVDs for homeschool — classes about history and science and notable people. And the he told me about what he learned.

He also like to write fictional stories on the side. Stories I never edited, never graded. Stories that were focused more on his imagination than on his education.

This child hadn’t written one essay at the time he started at our local university. Yet this was also the kid who got an A on every university paper he’s ever written and was asked to be an intern at the writing center as a freshman.
Looking back, what God was asking me to do was to coach my children to grow into godly people who loved to learn.

Looking back, I can see this is far more important that learning the periodic table — but at the time I was so overwhelmed and stressed that all I focused on was what my kids weren’t learning.

Why are your #teens fighting your teaching? @TriciaGoyer shares her #parenting tips:

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Why are your older kids fighting your teaching?

It doesn’t fit their style.
It doesn’t fit their interests.
You’re more focused on the lesson plan than him (or her).
You are comparing him to others — other students, other siblings.
You are thinking of this semester — this year — instead of who God designed your child to be and God’s plan for his life.

Keep reading to find out why your older kids are fighting your teaching and to find out a solution!

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January 27, 2014 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Teens’ Bad Raps (And What You Can Do About It)

A few years ago I helped a family member purchase a money order to mail to her daughter who lives out-of-state. It seems her boyfriend kicked her out, and she’d been staying in a hotel. Unfortunately, she ran out of money, and her boss from the local diner had already fronted all he could. This person needed money quickly, and she didn’t know where else to turn.

Around the same time a friend of mine related the story of being startled awake by her son. It was 3:30 a.m. when the phone rang. Her son had been partying and needed a ride home. Though my friend had to work the next morning, she jumped out of bed and hurried to her son’s aid.

Does this sound unusual? Maybe not. People find themselves in binds like this all the time.

Well, what if I told you that these people in trouble were fifty and fifty-five years old? That’s right. They experienced adolescence in the 1960s, yet here they were not straying far from their old ways.

Many times teens get a bad rap for being irresponsible. Teens drive too fast. Party too hard. And don’t make wise choices about their future.

Teen have bad raps. So what can you do about it? @TriciaGoyer

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Well, as far as I’m concerned, wise decision-making has more to do with a right heart-attitude than with age. I’ve seen teens make very wise choices . . . ones that their older acquaintances should try to copy!

Proverbs 1:15 and 18 says, “Don’t go along with [sinners], my child! Stay far away from their paths . . . they set an ambush for themselves; they booby-trap their own lives! Such is the fate of all who are greedy for gain. It ends up robbing them of life” (NLT).

For the past few weeks, I’ve been wearing a white wristband similar to Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong. It says these words: “Choose Life.” On the surface the meaning is pro-life, of course. But to me this bracelet also reminds me to choose life in all the decisions I make.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 says, “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him” (NIV).

Choosing life means choosing God’s way. #teens #life @TriciaGoyer

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Choosing life means choosing God’s way. It’s choosing to seek Him instead of the world’s answers. It’s choosing hope, peace, abundance, and faith. It means serving God and loving people, instead of attempting to find happiness through live-in boyfriends and all-night parties. It means not booby-trapping your own life by making bad choices over and over again.

Each of us messes up. I have too many times to count! But being “grown up” means realizing those mistakes and deciding to take a better way. As Psalms 119:30 says, “I have chosen the way of truth” (NIV). Truth as Jesus gives it—not as Hollywood tries to display.

So the next time someone tries to give teens a bad rap, be sure to tell them differently. Let them know you’re choosing life. You’re choosing not to bobby-trap your future. Choosing blessings instead of curses.

After all, your choices are good choices when you choose God’s choices for your days!

Did you hear the good news? My new book Balanced is available now via Amazon and Barnes & Noble for only $2.99 (digital only)!

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January 8, 2014 by Tricia Goyer 1 Comment

Four Tips to Stay on Top of Things with Your Teens | Guest Post by Nicole O’Dell

As I was preparing this post for Tricia’s blog, I considered what you all might like to hear about. You see, Tricia and I, in a lot of ways, are very similar. I have six kids, I’m a busy author, I’m running a busy ministry, and I’m parenting littles and teens at the same time. Tricia has been there, done that, and is doing it again . . . in circles around me. Which I’d never have thought possible, had I not met Tricia. And it only annoys me a little bit! 😉

As a busy work-at-home’ish*** mom, I know just how important it is to stay on guard when approaching the teen years. It’s easy to miss the cues of impending disaster if you’re not watching closely. Here are the top four questions you need to ask yourself on a weekly (preferably daily) basis to ensure you’re on top of things with your teens:

Can I confidently describe where my teens and pre-teens were every night of the past week.
When is the last time my teens confided in me about something personal?
When was the last time I said no to something big?
When is the last time I prayed for my teens?

In quick-fire answer to the questions above, I’d say:

1. At no age, as long as your kids are living in your home, do I think it’s OK to offer up a curfew with no accountability for whereabouts. Not only is it asking for temptation and trouble to put that much freedom in the hands of a teenager or (heaven forbid) a pre-teen, but it’s also just illogical. Why would we not err on the side of safety by keeping track of our kids’ location? We owe it to them to able to help them in moment’s notice.

Bonus question: Do I have phone numbers of the parents of those involved? This step will annoy your older teens especially, but they’ll treasure the thought that you care that much. They’ll also notice that their friend’s parents don’t.

How can you stay on top of things w/your #teens? @nicole_odell shares her tips:

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2. Do your kids feel comfortable coming to you with their BFF troubles and dating woes? Are they open to you about the peer pressure they encounter and the struggles their friends are having at home? Do they tell you their worries, their dreams, their fears? If not, you can do two very important things about it: Ask questions and listen. No, it won’t change things right away. Trust me, your teens will make you work for this one. But when they believe you’re not backing down, that you’re going to keep at it because they are worth it, they’ll soften toward you.

Bonus question: How available have you been this week? Does your teenager have to fight for minutes between your activities or have every conversation with you over your laptop screen? Consider that your perceived availability might be a turn-off.

3. Yes is fun. It’s awesome to see your teens excited and happy. It’s a lot easier to say yes than it is to say no. But the yes is rarely where the teaching happens. It’s in the no that our kids learn about disappointment, respect, patience, and trust. Be sure you’re willing to say no to your teenager in order to teach those important, godly traits.

Bonus question: Can you think of a yes that you regret? Do you need to pull back and turn your yes into a no? It’s OK to do that. In fact, as difficult as it is, it will be a great teaching moment. Let your teen know that even you make mistakes, but that you love him/her so much that you’re willing to take the heat in order to do what’s right.

4. Do you pray for your kids daily? It’s so important, not only that you do it, but that they know about it. Whether they admit it or not, it means so much to them to know you’re taking them before the throne of God every single day.

Bonus question: When’s the last time you prayed together? And even deeper, when’s the last time your teenager prayed in front of you? Are you creating a culture of prayer in your home? This is vital in order to set an atmosphere of faith and surrender.

A challenge for you and your #teens (plus a #giveaway) from @nicole_odell:

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I’m Nicole O’Dell, author, founder of Choose NOW Ministries, and mom of six. I believe that preparation is the number-one thing when it comes to raising teens who will make good choices even when you’re not looking. And, in order to help with that, I and my team at Choose NOW Publishing have just launched an incredible set of resources that hits right in the heart of your need. Powerline365 is just the companion you need to prepare now to victoriously power through this next year and beyond.

Powerline365
Plugging Parents of Teens into the Source

Powerline365 is a high-voltage, multi-format daily devotional to help parents raise Christian teens without losing connection.

Tap into the power you need to lead your teens into a vibrant personal relationship with Jesus. Many teens, even those from Christian homes, fail to connect with Him on a personal level. They forge on alone, searching for identity as the enemy pelts them with temptations and doubts. As parents, we’re left reeling, wondering where we went wrong.

Powerline365 offers daily insight to ground you in truth as you plug into the Source. It’s time for you to power-parent from a place of confidence and surrender, believing God’s Word is true, and His promises will never go unfulfilled.

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within [your teenager], will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. (Philippians 1:6, NLT)

Now for the fun part!

Crowdfunding is a super-risky (for me!), but potentially awesome (for you!) way to make products available to the public. It allows Powerline365 users or those who believe in the project and want to support the raising up of a godly generation of teens to fund at various levels. And it means EARLY ACCESS for you! Would you pop over to our campaign page and see what we have going on? There’s a lot of great opportunity and interesting things you’ll only have access to through this campaign. Plus it’s the ONLY way to get ahold of these resources now, in time for 2014.

GIVEAWAY: And all who participate in the campaign and leave a comment here will be entered to win a Spark30 devotional subscription. We’ll give away one for every ten participants. This can also be gifted!

My heartfelt prayer is that you’ll find victory in your relationship with your teens as you lead them to good choices and a strong faith in Jesus.

Nicole O’Dell is the founder of Choose NOW Ministries, bringing a message of hope for today’s families through daily articles, weekly radio shows, and the printed word. A mother of six herself, she has authored 23 books for parents and teens, both fiction and nonfiction, all with the goal of helping the reader make good choices NOW.

***work-at-home’ish: adj. A working mom who does a lot of it at home, but, thanks to he wonderful church who built her an office, has a great place to go, offsite, to really get ‘er done. Tune in back here later in January to see pics of my church work space!

October 14, 2013 by Tricia Goyer 1 Comment

Podcast: Living Inspired: Peyton Jones | Ginger Ciminello

Living Inspired ~ Thursday 3CT (10/17/13)

To listen to the interview: go here and click on the player in the upper right corner of the screen.

This week on Living Inspired, please welcome Peyton Jones, author of book Church Zero (David C. Cook, 2013) and Ginger Ciminello, author of book Forget the Corsage (Westbow Press, 2013).

If you’re reading this after 10/17/13 you’ll be able to find this show . . . and all my shows in the archive section.

For your chance to win a copy of Peyton’s Church Zero or Ginger’s Forget the Corsage leave a comment below. Winner will be announced on Friday on the winner page.

Due to shipping cost, giveaway open to US residents only

More about Peyton: Peyton Jones is founding coach of New Breed Church Planting UK/USA. A serial church planter, Jones is currently planting multiple churches stateside starting in urban Long Beach, California. Involved in international planting since age 24, he’s engaged in tentmaking mission work as a firefighter, factory worker, and psychiatric nurse, bringing all of these experiences to the table. Jones received his MA Theology Pastoral Studies from Wales Evangelical School of Theology and served as the evangelist for Lloyd-Jones’s legendary Sandfields church, Aberavon.

Connect with Peyton: Twitter Website

More about Church Zero: A radical call to reform, Church Zero is a punk-rock approach to the pressing issue of gaining ground as rapidly as the early church.

With a fresh perspective forged in the dirty trenches of international post-Christian societies, Peyton Jones pulls no punches as he brings this message to the American Church: We have lost our way.

The church is losing ground fast: losing the generation under age 30 and drawing few nonbelievers toward Christ.

Christ gave us a leadership model for commando outreach, and the church has ignored it for too long. Will we continue down the path of self-preservation, defending our stalled church structures? Or will we follow the blueprint Jesus lays out?

Church Zero challenges readers to once again become a radical, dangerous people who cannot be ignored. It’s time to break out!

Purchase your copy here.

More about Ginger: Texas-born Ginger Ciminello is a passionate writer and speaker who communicates through story-telling and dramatic narrative. Her awkward middle school phase lasted almost ten years, allowing her to connect with students in a humorous and personal way. Ginger holds a deep desire to reach her audiences and encourage them to laugh, learn from her mistakes, and look up to the Father. Her own story contains embarrassing moments, a two-year bout with an eating disorder, being abandoned at the prom, and finally finding contentment in knowing whom God has made her to be. In September of 2013 she released her first book, Forget the Corsage. Ginger holds a bachelor’s degree in theatre ministry from Abilene Christian University and has over ten years of speaking experience at various churches, camps, and educational groups. She worked for six years in camping ministry with Pine Cove Christian Camps in Tyler, Texas before making her way to the desert of Arizona. Ginger is currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her eHarmony matched husband, David, and their daughter. Ginger writes a weekly blog to continue the conversations that start every time she walks into an auditorium, classroom, or sanctuary.

Connect with Ginger: Twitter Website Facebook

The story behind Forget the Corsage: July 13th I delivered my firstborn daughter. She was exactly one week past her due date, but God’s timing was of course, perfect. Everyone is right. This is the hardest yet most joy-inducing adventure of my life. Norah was the first labor of the summer. Forget the Corsage was the second. I’ve been working on a manuscript for almost three years. Who knew it would take so long? I’ve been thinking about writing a book since I was maybe 23 years old. I’ve always known it would be addressed to young women, a sort of spiritual memoir, and a way to greater connect with the audiences that I speak to. The title comes from my unique prom story. I lived my entire high school journey in expectation of my senior prom. I had the dress, the heels, and the perfect hair but I didn’t have the date. At the last-minute, I recruited a friend to accompany me. He was to pick me up at the house, escort me to dinner, and drive me to the dance. He was supposed to bring me a corsage. Instead my date arrived to the dance after 10:30pm. (He had a good reason.) He rushed in to find me standing at the bottom of the escalator that had already delivered my entire senior class to their “Night to Remember.” (I did not have a good reason.) I had waited by myself for over an hour because I was convinced that I couldn’t enter the dance until I had my date and my corsage. I danced to only three songs that night and spent most of my prom thinking, “No one will ever want me.” Since that time God has laid those words heavily upon my heart. If I truly am a daughter of the King, then I know the response to my own lament. Not only does Christ want me, but also He has given me an abundant and exciting life. His love provides the courage to live adventurously regardless of any dating status. Forget the Corsage is a reminder to stop waiting for life to happen to us, but instead to go and live life to the full right now. It can be tempting to buy into the lie that real living starts when we graduate, get the perfect body, find Mr. Right, and land our dream job. But the truth is that we are waiting for something that has already been given to us from God: life to the full. The target audience of this little book is young women. Each chapter begins with a letter to myself at different stages of my life. “Dear fifteen year old Ginger …” “Dear eighteen year old Ginger …” “Dear twenty-seven year old Ginger …” (You get the idea.) The letters span from 12 years of age until 27. That’s about the target. If I could go back in time and give myself a pep talk or kick in the pants, this book is what I would say. So which labor was harder? Giving birth to Norah was definitely quicker! I don’t know. It’s going to be a while before I consider repeating either again, but I am so, so proud of both. And lest you think this was just one delightful day after another, let me tell you that more tears have been shed from May through September than you can imagine. My husband gets the Red Badge of Courage, the Purple Heart, and THE BEST OF ALL THE THINGS EVER Award for going through these two labors with me. Really, who decides to do both of these things at the same time? If nothing else, I’ve learned to let my friends and family see my tears. I am REALLY getting good at apologizing, and slightly better at asking for help.

Purchase your copy here.

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October 14, 2013 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

How to Deal with Disappointment

disappointment copy — Teach your children how to deal with disappointment by setting a good example.

Dealing with disappointment is one of the hard things that comes from life. Seeing our kids deal with disappointment is even harder. Yet we know that in every person’s life there will be struggles, and the older our kids get, the bigger the problems. Ugh!

John and I have always felt that one of the best things we can do to help our teens cope with life’s setbacks is to handle them well ourselves. We know that what we say is only 10% of what our kids pick up. The other 90% comes from them seeing how we live. They watch and learn. (Whether we like that idea or not!)

Want to help your teen cope with setbacks? Be the example! @TriciaGoyer

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So how do we handle unexpected problems?

During our personal setbacks, we voice the problem with our kids, and we ask them to pray with us. We talk about solutions (finding wisdom from God’s Word), and we look positively at steps we can take.

We also try to prepare our kids ahead of time for the challenges they will have in life. When it comes to talking about our time on this earth, we remind our kids that things will not be perfect—ever. There is no such thing as reaching perfection on earth. Rather, we tell them it’s what’s on the inside that counts. It’s character and honor and resilience that will pull each of them through. It’s having faith in God and moving forward even when you want to give up.

Another thing I do is talk to my kids about “scripting” their lives. They are the screenwriters of their own life stories. Instead of getting caught up in the drama of everyday circumstances, I’ve encouraged them to think through their emotions and responses BEFORE those things happen.

How should you deal with disappointment? Here are some tips from @TriciaGoyer:

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For example, if Leslie’s friend accuses her of something, how should she respond? By thinking ahead of this type of conflict and Leslie’s responses, it will help her know how to deal with the situation, instead of being caught off guard–and allowing the emotions to flow.

Or what if Nathan doesn’t do well in the science fair? What’s next? I try to talk through different scenarios to help him prepare mentally for what is to come. This makes adversity easier to deal with when the situation arises.

Disappointment will come, but a positive attitude, trust in God, and a focus on others will always pull us through.

Don’t forget! Chasing Mona Lisa is free! Today’s the last day to pick up a copy for that price!

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Did this post speak to you? Here are some similar ones you might want to read:

teens

How to Keep & Deepen Your Relationship With Your Teen Son

Prayer

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Prayer Request…

3 Things Teens Wish Their Parents Remembered

Remember what it was like to be a kid?

1. Remember That Family Activities Are Fun

2. Remember The Things You Wanted To Do Differently

3. Remember To Be Creative In Showing Your Love

Some ideas from Kelly’s book include:

What are some unique ways you show your children love?

Why Your Older Kids Fight Your Teaching (And How To Fix That)

When Older Kids aren’t Motivated

Why are your older kids fighting your teaching?

Teens’ Bad Raps (And What You Can Do About It)

Living Inspired ~ Thursday 3CT (10/17/13)

To listen to the interview: go here and click on the player in the upper right corner of the screen.

**Due to shipping cost, giveaway open to US residents only**

So how do we handle unexpected problems?

Don’t forget! Chasing Mona Lisa is free! Today’s the last day to pick up a copy for that price!

Due to shipping cost, giveaway open to US residents only