Character and Values

Character and Values | Fight For The Heart | Middle School (6th-8th) | Self Care

How We View Our Own Beauty Shapes How Our Daughters View Theirs

Jingly bracelets and gardenia perfume—I must’ve been about eight as Mom got ready for an evening out. I don’t know where they went, or how late they stayed out, but I do remember the mean things she said to herself in the mirror, which stood in stark contrast... Read More

Character and Values | Middle School (6th-8th)

Helping Preteens Discover Courage

Preteens are feeling caught in their schedule, their access to culture, and the pressure to succeed. And the expectations placed on them are often too unrealistic for them to handle. As preteens figure out how to navigate these expectations, they face unprecedented anxiety. We can help them discover... Read More

Character and Values | Imagine The End

Stories That Teach Forgiveness

Forgiveness can be hard. We all have this tendency to our hurt and carry it around like a weight in a backpack. We just keep piling in those hurts, until we bend and break beneath the weight of our bitterness. Even as adults, this is something we’re prone... Read More

Character and Values | Fight For The Heart

Empathy is Tonic

Spooked My daughter spends most of her free time at the stables where she rides horses. She will happily muck stalls (aka shovel poop), wash horses, and hand pick fungus off their legs. Now, will she clean her bathroom, hang up a wet towel, or care to not... Read More

Celebrations | Character and Values | Fight For The Heart

Joy in the Chaos

Yes, joy is gratitude. We can be grateful that regardless of how we feel over the coming weeks, the unshakable reality is God showed up 2,000 years ago. Read More

Character and Values

3 Ways to Help Your Kid Push Past Fear

I’m going to guess you wish you had a little more courage as an adult, and maybe even as a parent. We all do. Fear isn’t just an emotion, it’s also a habit. Same with courage. Courage is a habit, and habits start young. Very young. So how... Read More

Character and Values | High School (9th-12th) | Imagine The End

Developing Character and Responsibility in Your Teen

We must go through the process of releasing control over our teens so they can move toward responsibility. A person who never learns to take full responsibility for their own life and actions will never have the chance to develop healthy character, or to be fully alive, and... Read More

Character and Values

The Truth About Trust

My daughter revealed that when it comes to my ability to keep my word on projects, she has her doubts. That’s a trust issue and there are three things we parents need to remember… Read More

Character and Values

Choosing to Trust in the Moment

One of the things I admire the most about kids is the way they live in the moment. They don’t have to be responsible for things like retirement plans . . . coordinating the calendar . . . or figuring out what’s for dinner. Can I be honest... Read More

Character and Values

We’re All a Work in Progress

As our kids grow from toddlers to kindergarteners to preteens and teens, a funny thing happens. Our focus shifts. We no longer worry so much about just keeping them alive. Instead, as they slowly but surely become more independent, we think about what kind of people they’ll become.... Read More