Growing Roots Deeper

by Cara Martens I’ve got to be honest—I’m more of a planter and less of a water-er. Around this time of the year, I begin to get a little itch to add some color to my world. With great care and excitement, I check out all the local offerings of plants—looking for just...

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5 Ways to Build Integrity as a Parent

5 Ways to Build Integrity as a Parent

The more integrity you have as a parent, the more your kids will appreciate your leadership in their lives. Don’t get me wrong, having integrity doesn’t mean everything goes swimmingly as a parent. It’s just better for everyone in the end, and you end up becoming far more of the person God intends you to be. So, how do you build integrity? Here are five suggestions that can help you build integrity as a parent.

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Focus on This One Thing

So, let's do a quick survey: If I asked you whether you would like your child or teen to display any of the following characteristics, what would you say? Love Joy Peace Patience Goodness Kindness Faithfulness Gentleness Let me rephrase that: Is there anyone who...

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The Lesson of the Ringing Bell

The Lesson of the Ringing Bell

I’ll admit it. I battled a cynical attitude for the ringing bell. I would purposefully walk to a door on the far end of a store’s entrance just to avoid the clanking kettle and eager face petitioning my contribution. Internally, I wrestled both annoyance and guilt on...

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Parent for Life

Parent for Life

For some reason when my kids were little, I used think that I only had them until they turned 18. Like my job would suddenly end. When they were babies and I imagined the end, I imagined them graduating from high school and then I was done parenting. Boy was I wrong....

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