We desire for our children to have the same childhood experiences that we had growing up. We remember the magic and joy of being a child, of seeing the world differently through innocent and curious minds, and we want to encourage and preserve that magic for our children. A grave reality of our times, however, is that our children can encounter something damaging so much more easily than we did...
Oxygen for Parents
If you’re a mom or dad, there’s little that impacts you more than your kids. When they’re doing well, there’s nothing better. When they’re struggling or suffering, it can tear you up inside. As one mom put it, having children is like watching your heart walking around outside your body. Our team at Regeneration talks regularly with hurting parents who have just found out one of their children is...
Five Tips for Parents of Digital Natives
“Hi Daddy, it’s me.” My daughter had been saving all summer for a new iPod Touch. Those four words were her way of letting me know she’d gotten it. Just four words, but I could see her standing in the Apple store, smiling ear to ear with excitement. When she got home, she spent the evening updating her contacts, syncing music, and installing apps recommended by her older sister. I know a good bit...
A Sexual Vision for Your Kids (and You, too)
Do you have a vision for your kids—a vision of the men and women you hope they become? What about a vision for them sexually? I know, I know. We don’t want to think of our kids that way. But our discomfort is more a result of our own unhealed experiences and distorted views of sex than in any kind of “purity” on our part. Jesus created our kids—and each one of us—to be sexual creatures. It’s an...
Men, Your Courage Is Needed
Recently, I was hiking with three of my kids when we came upon a stream we needed to cross. It was a particularly muddy and slippery area and the water was somewhat fast, so I hatched a plan: I’d jump over and then drag a log back to use as a bridge for my kids to walk across. I readied myself on the driest rock I could find, bent my knees, counted, “One, two, three,” and…didn’t jump. I...
Beautiful
When I was young, I would beg my dad to pull over whenever we’d drive by a beautiful sunset. I didn’t know why, I just knew it was something too good to miss. I had to see it, had to take it in. As a teenager, I became captivated by pornography. I didn’t know why, I just knew the images were intoxicating, and I wanted to see more. As human beings, we long for beauty. To do so is in our DNA. But...