The other night at bedtime, I was about to pray for my youngest daughter, but I stopped myself.
Category: Parenthood
The Way I Want to Deal with My Child’s Brokenness
I have some dear Christian friends whose eight-year-old son profoundly struggles with doubting God. Although my heart aches for them as they parent him through unbelief, I’m not worried about him.
Thanks So Much, Mom
Dear Mom, The other day, someone came into my office and asked me why I have an old typewriter in there. I said, “My mom gave me that for my birthday back when I was in the sixth grade. She said I was a writer, so she wanted me to have a typewriter to help me do it right. I always appreciated it because it showed me how much she believed in me.”
What Happens When You Yell at Child Who Prays
I am not known for raising my voice in frustration – at least not by my coworkers and friends. Apparently, it’s a different story with my family.
Every Child Needs a “Miss Anne”
We’re in the middle of packing our things to move to Washington, DC, and as you can imagine, doing that with a two and four-year-old is pretty challenging. But yesterday, a lady whom I only know as “Miss Anne” made life a whole lot easier for us and the kids.
What Makes My Dad an Amazing Grandparent
This week, my dad is visiting my brother and me, and I was a little concerned that it would take a while for my daughters to get comfortable with him – I mean, they very rarely get to see him, so he’s not familiar to them. However, the minute my dad walked into the room, my most bashful daughter went straight to him, and they started playing together.
Something to Consider Before You Judge
This weekend, my family and I were at a restaurant when my four-year-old started having a meltdown at the table because she couldn’t cut her sausage. I recognized that it had the potential of becoming a prolonged cry-fest, so I went over, picked her up, and took her over by the bar, where there were fewer people.
Feeling Guilty for Being a Needy Child of God
I get carsick very easily. I always have. A few months ago, I was in the passenger’s seat of our car and my three-year-old daughter said, “Daddy, I can’t find it.” She was talking about this little plastic Cinderella figure her mom gave her.
Answer to the Cry of an Abandoned Son
Most of my childhood and teenage years, I grew up without a father. My dad left our family a handful of times, and even when he was home, he usually had a job as a truck driver, which meant he was on the road most of the time.
God Wants to Color With You
Today, my four-year-old daughter and I colored a house that I drew. Our work of art isn’t perfect – in fact, we did the clouds in such a way that it looks like the back of the house is on fire. But whatever – we made it together. And when we finished, I think I caught a glimpse into how God interacts with His children.
The Reason Why God is Proud of You
This week, I was rushing to get out of the house to go to work, and my two-year-old daughter asked me to draw her a house. I took a green crayon and quickly scrawled a house on a blank sheet of paper. “Alright, now color it for me,” I said to her before running upstairs.
I’m Taking Too Many Pictures of My Kids
If my parents had owned smartphones in the 1980s, I’d probably have more photos of my childhood – but as it stands, there are about 37 of them (including school pictures). Sometimes I feel a little sorry for myself, but lately, I’ve been feeling more sorry for my own children.
A Major Reason I Listened to My Mom
One day when I was 11 years old, my mother taught me a lesson I still remember. I was loading the dishwasher, and as I placed the utensils in the basket, I had a stroke of genius. I decided to place all the spoons in one section of the basket, all the forks in another section, and so on. That way, when I unloaded the dishwasher, I wouldn’t have to organize the utensils. I could just put them in their place in the drawer.
What it’s Like When I Panic
“What is wrong with you?” my wife asked. I was cranky, snippy, and easily annoyed – by her, by my daughters, by the universe. I knew why, but I didn’t want to talk about it. “I’m fine,” I snapped back. I wasn’t fine. I was panicking inside.
Confessions of a Pregnant Teenager
“When I was 17 years old, I had sex on the first day of my senior year of high school and got pregnant.” If that were the first line of your story, could you tell it? This is, in fact, the story of my old friend, singer/songwriter Rachel Wilhelm, and she’s telling it here today on my blog. If you are wrestling with shame because you’ve conceived a child out of wedlock or you were conceived out of wedlock, please read this post. Thanks, Rachel, for your fearless vulnerability.
Joshua Rogers 