On Life at Home
This issue centers around common issues that parents face at home and in their marriage. We also deal with some topics that no one thinks about, but are of incredible importance! Interviews include Neverclaim, Matt Price, Hugh Halter, and Finding Favor.
This issue centers around common issues that parents face at home and in their marriage. We also deal with some topics that no one thinks about, but are of incredible importance!
Interviews include Neverclaim, Matt Price, Hugh Halter, and Finding Favor.
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Parents who raised their children<br />
in a Christian home expect<br />
to see th<strong>at</strong> faith continue into<br />
their children’s families. How this<br />
appears now might be different<br />
than when you were kids. Music<br />
has changed during your parents’<br />
gener<strong>at</strong>ion from singing hymns<br />
with an organ to Gaither tunes<br />
and old Hillsong praise choruses<br />
with lyrics projected from slides,<br />
singing with midi-files and track<br />
tapes blended in. Their church<br />
dress ranged from suits and ties<br />
on men and women in dresses<br />
to nice casual clothing. For you<br />
and your family, worship music<br />
now has praise bands with guitars,<br />
drums and synthesizers<br />
while the praise songs are projected<br />
on PowerPoint <strong>at</strong> the front<br />
lead by a worship team. You<br />
can come in jeans, t-shirts and<br />
flip flips, if you wish. These are<br />
not important issues to deb<strong>at</strong>e<br />
but to celebr<strong>at</strong>e. So, wh<strong>at</strong> can<br />
you agree on? Jesus is Savior<br />
and Lord. Children should learn<br />
about faith and life from God’s<br />
Word in a readable transl<strong>at</strong>ion.<br />
Kids should be encouraged to<br />
live for God. Grandparents have<br />
a rich faith story to share with<br />
grandchildren. Focus there.<br />
Invite Grandma and Grandpa<br />
to see the kids’ special events<br />
<strong>at</strong> church. They may<br />
even want to volunteer<br />
help <strong>at</strong> Vac<strong>at</strong>ion Bible<br />
school or in the church<br />
nursery. Your children<br />
need Grandma’s and<br />
Grandpa’s approval<br />
for their young faith<br />
journeys. As they support<br />
wh<strong>at</strong> you and your<br />
church are instilling into<br />
your kids’ lives, you will<br />
see your children flourish.<br />
Not all grandparents are Christians.<br />
Unfortun<strong>at</strong>ely, this situ<strong>at</strong>ion<br />
can be difficult. You certainly do<br />
not want a wall to grow between<br />
them and your family. In this<br />
case, focus on common values<br />
such as honesty, a good work<br />
ethic, respect and being a good<br />
citizen. Find common ground<br />
with values th<strong>at</strong> are grounded<br />
in the Bible to pave the way for<br />
good rel<strong>at</strong>ionships. The unbelieving<br />
grandparents may never<br />
agree with your faith, but your<br />
quiet, loving witness will not be<br />
lost. They will notice.<br />
3. Grandparents are a wonderful<br />
bridge to the past.<br />
Proverbs 10:7 “The name of the<br />
righteous is used in blessings,<br />
but the name of the wicked will<br />
rot.”<br />
Your children will be awestruck<br />
with their grandparents’ stories<br />
about growing up in an earlier<br />
time. Wh<strong>at</strong> your parents experienced,<br />
historical events they<br />
experienced, and inventions th<strong>at</strong><br />
came along during your parents’<br />
lives, which your children take<br />
for granted now, make history<br />
comes to life. Real people make<br />
history real.<br />
Your cultural heritage is also<br />
made real through your parents<br />
and in-laws to your children.<br />
Rich ethnic traditions have been<br />
passed down for gener<strong>at</strong>ions.<br />
These wonderful traditions can<br />
be passed down to your kids.<br />
It does not have to be old and<br />
stuffy. Grandma and Grandpa<br />
can help you teach these traditions<br />
and experiences.<br />
4. Grandparents help you with<br />
leading, guiding and directing<br />
your children to m<strong>at</strong>urity.<br />
Psalm 92:12, 14-15 “The righteous<br />
will flourish like a palm<br />
tree, they will grow like a cedar<br />
of Lebanon… They will still bear<br />
fruit in old age, they will stay<br />
fresh and green, proclaiming,<br />
‘The Lord is upright; he is my<br />
Rock, and there is no wickedness<br />
in him.’”<br />
When you tell your child to do<br />
or not to do something in their<br />
grandparents’ view, Grandma<br />
and Grandpa learn wh<strong>at</strong> you<br />
expect from your children. It<br />
will not be long before you hear<br />
them tell your children the same<br />
things. They sincerely want to<br />
help.<br />
Sometimes, children will talk to<br />
Grandma or Grandpa instead<br />
of you, asking them for advice.<br />
Trust them to have your child’s<br />
best interest <strong>at</strong> heart. Although<br />
some of the advice may seem<br />
outd<strong>at</strong>ed, the timeless truth of<br />
wh<strong>at</strong> they say will be a valuable<br />
gem.<br />
When your parents or in-laws<br />
meddle, then you will need to<br />
talk with them about your concern.<br />
Do they spoil the kids and<br />
send them home with an “I’m<br />
entitled” <strong>at</strong>titude? Let them know<br />
wh<strong>at</strong> trouble this causes. It is the<br />
first step to correcting the problem.<br />
Doing so with respectful<br />
firmness goes a long way. If you<br />
are not able to get cooper<strong>at</strong>ion,<br />
reducing and monitoring your<br />
children’s time spent with doting<br />
grandparents may be necessary.<br />
Intervention should be done<br />
away from your children. Talking<br />
with your children separ<strong>at</strong>ely<br />
about the issue may need to<br />
happen. Handling a troublesome
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