Family Arrangement

God loves the family arrangement.  In the beginning of time, God command Adam and Eve to be fruitful and become many and fill the earth.” (Genesis 1:28) With those words to Adam and Eve, God  instituted the family arrangement. (Ephesians 3:14, 15) Looking ahead, that first couple could envision an earth filled with their progeny—an extended family of perfect individuals living joyfully on earth and worshiping God.             Adam and Eve were created in God’s image. Though now a sinner, Adam was permitted by God to have children. (Genesis 1:27; 5:1-4) Like their father, Adam’s offspring had moral capacity and could learn to distinguish between right and wrong. They could be instructed about how to worship their Creator and the importance of loving him with their whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. (Mark 12:30; John…

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Parenting

If you are the parent of a grown child, during the early years, you most likely changed a lot of dirty diapers, picked up a lot of messes and sacrificially stomached mashed peas in an attempt to set a good example. Seemingly overnight, job duties evolved from potty training and bandaging boo-boo’s, to helping with homework, baking cupcakes for the class party and giving driving lessons.            While you certainly may have struggled with how to parent in some situations, at least your child was most likely  nearby while the task was at hand.           Now, he or she may have left home, and the term “parenting” may seem more abstract. How do you parent a child who’s largely grown? How do you parent from afar? And most dauntingly, how do you parent in the face…

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