Character and Values

Character and Values | Imagine The End

You Should Forgive Your Kids

“I sorry.” When those words are delivered by the high-pitched voice of a child, they melt you. Of course I’ll forgive you, you think. How could I not? Even if there is a huge mess behind her. Bookcases are knocked over. The dog is barking. The cat is... Read More

Character and Values | Imagine The End

Forgiveness Rocks

I want my kids to know that when they’ve been hurt by other people’s words or actions, they have a choice to make. They can hold on to that hurt inside and chose not to forgive the person who has hurt them. However, holding onto that hurt is... Read More

Character and Values | Imagine The End | School Life

How to Help Kids Love to Learn

Albert Einstein once said, “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” It’s well known that Einstein was never one for the classroom. While he excelled in many of his studies, school left him frustrated. He eventually dropped out of school when he was fifteen. His... Read More

Character and Values

How to Teach Kids the Art of Writing Thank You Notes

We are in that sweet spot between Thanksgiving and Christmas, where it seems that everything around us takes a soft curve—or a sharp right turn—from a spirit of gratitude to over-consumption. I don’t know about your family, but at my house, there are only a few hours between... Read More

Character and Values

I’ll Show You Honor

My job, as a parent, is to slowly instill in him the values to shift the balance. Where his default setting is to look inward, I want to engage him in the struggle we already share—to look outward. To see the value, the gifts, the efforts of others.... Read More

Character and Values

Leading Your Kids to Serve

I grew up hating church. I didn’t have any theological problems with church, I was just bored. Sitting still for more than ten minutes was torture, and sometimes our services went on for two hours! The worst part is that my dad was the pastor, so we were... Read More

Character and Values

Facing the Monster Called Fear

Let me tell you a little secret my son, Tyler, and I have together to help him battle fear. We started writing Tyler’s Brave Book. He has a notebook in his room where we record brave things Tyler does. When he went to sleep with just one nightlight... Read More

Character and Values

Teach Courage Through Stories

We want our kids to understand how best to treat their neighbor, follow God, and trust Him no matter what. We could explain the facts of why they should, have them memorize the verses, or lecture them on what will happen if they don’t. Or we could tell... Read More

Character and Values

Kids Have Different Shades of Brave

People tell me all the time how much my two boys looks like. They are both blonde with blue eyes, but other than that, they couldn’t look more different—to me. Asher, my oldest, has my jawline and smile, but his father’s eyes and brow. Pace, my youngest, has... Read More

Character and Values

Making Your Children Obey – or Not

When my daughter was three years old, she hated going to her Wednesday night class at our church. I didn’t blame her; our church had a midweek program for girls that was like Girl Scouts with all the fun sucked out. The challenge was that I was the... Read More