Making Biblical Family Life Practical

We all have lists - maybe we write them down, maybe they're in our heads - of the things we want our kids to know when they're all grown up. Have you ever considered how many things even in early adulthood that take an interview? Getting a job, applying for college, competing for a scholarship ... interviews for all of them. This episode, we talk about some basic tips on preparing for an interview, presenting yourself honestly and effectively, and being ready for the toughest questions they can throw! A favorite resource: Martin Yate's Knock 'Em Dead series of career development guides

We can expect life to have disappointments, setbacks, and downright failures - even the best of lives in a fallen world! Adults usually realize they have to be able to take some bad news, learn what they can, repent where they should, and move along. But how about our kids? In their flexible, family-centered, affirming world, are they equipped to handle the realities of a hostile grown-up society? Isn't it important that we teach them a God-honoring perspective on the inevitable bumps and hard knocks to come? This episode, we look at the importance of challenging our kids to learn from their mistakes -- and even, maybe, to challenge them enough to overcome early perfectionism!

"Children are a blessing of the LORD," the Psalm tells us ... yet sometimes, we wonder if that's always true. When you lose your job and then announce that you're expecting, people look at you funny. Maybe the new baby is closer to big sister than you planned. Maybe you're in the middle of a difficult relocation. There are any number of circumstances that can make you question whether this is a good time to grow your family ... or wonder what you were thinking when you started the pregnancy you've got. We've been there! And this episode, we talk about what we learned and what you can do to make an awkward pregnancy a blessing again.

This episode, we continue with John Calvin Young's experiences and observations about how to flourish as a Christian in the midst of a secular campus. He talks about choosing courses and professors, recognizing when a friendship is turning to temptation, and the importance of connecting with a church and campus ministry from your first days on campus. If you're heading to college or advising someone who is, you don't want to miss this!

Christian parents may struggle with the cost of sending their sons and daughters to a Christian college, and to be honest, some courses of studies are very hard to find among Christian schools -- even if you can afford them. Our son John Calvin received scholarships to attend two secular universities, and he found the opportunity not only to defend the faith but to grow in it. This episode is an excerpt from his recent workshop, "Christ and College," from the APACHE Convention in Peoria, Illinois!

  Every older sibling, sooner later, will say, "You never would have let me do that!" And they're likely right. The question is not, does your parenting change, but rather, why, and sometimes, why not already?  This episode we look at four very good reasons that your style might change -- and some reasons it ought to!  

Homeschooling allowed us to raise kids that were not peer-dominated, not bullied, not searching for affirmation and validation from every direction. Hooray! The problem is, we parents were not raised that way, and guess what - often we're the ones with peer group problems. This episode we take an honest look at the way we can be bullied -- or be the bullies -- when we're worrying about what other homeschool parents are thinking ...

We hear this question all the time - when we're not asking it ourselves. How do you get your kids motivated and doing what they need to? Is it all about compulsion, or is there a positive aspect to it? Coming to you "on the road" in Mystic, Connecticut, we'll be talking about some ways to help your kids get off their duff ... and you may find some encouragement for your own case of "slows"!

What do you think of Christian fiction? Jesus taught in parables and literary forms, and there is a long history of using allegory and illustration to explain doctrinal truth and bring the bare facts of history to life. This episode, we talk with our friend, Christian author Danika Cooley, about the role of fiction and storytelling in Christian teaching and history!   Subscribe on iTunes for free, and new shows will come to you automatically!   Become a supporter! Making Biblical Family Life Practical is brought to you in part by COVENANT EYES Internet Accountability and Filtering because what you do ONLINE impacts your life OFFLINE Try it for thirty days free - CLICK HERE!

One of the things which surprised Melanie as a young mom of boys is their natural inclination to rough-and-tumble play. It's normal, and some researchers say it's even helpful. As society has become more and more anxious about masculine behavior and anything which looks "physical," boys and their families may be wrestling with this idea -- so join us in this episode as we glory in the day-to-day commotion that is raising sons! ORIGINAL RELEASE - MARCH 7, 2016 PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS 1:16 - Is this normal? 6:50 - Rough play 8:08 - The importance of play 9:49 - Ideas for managing rough-housing 17:22 - Competition 23:35 - Noise 28:59 - The challenges of raising boys REFERENCES Eileen Kennedy-Moore, Ph.D, “Do Boys Need Rough-And-Tumble Play?” PsychologyToday.com 6/30/15 Hal and Melanie Young, Raising Real Men. Chapter 4, “Taking Up Arms” on violent play; Chapter 6, “Racing to Win,” on games and competition (including the Puritans' view we mentioned)   Subscribe on iTunes for free, and new shows will come to you automatically!   Become a supporter! Making Biblical Family Life Practical is brought to you in part by COVENANT EYES Internet Accountability and Filtering because what you do ONLINE impacts your life OFFLINE Try it for thirty days free - CLICK HERE!

2016 Presidential Election - the eve of Super Tuesday - and you might be feeling some dismay. Only four small states into the primary season, and the field which started with 23 serious candidates has already narrowed to 7. Maybe you look at the choices left and wonder, is it even worth bothering? Am I just choosing the lesser of bad alternatives? Can you trust any of them? This episode, we talk about the importance of making a choice even if the best candidate suspended already! ORIGINAL RELEASE - FEBRUARY 29, 2016 PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS 2:53 – What does the Bible tell us about a democratic election? 5:22 – Understanding “original sin” as a governmental process 8:15 – Constitutional erosion and the modern presidency 12:34 – Voting in anger 13:54 – Three factors for making your choice 16:08 – The history and risk of third-party candidates 18:24 – Protest voting 20:06 – What's a Christian voter to do? 26:00 – Some principles in summary REFERENCES McKay Caston, "How To Choose a Candidate: Three Simple Principles" Compare Presidential candidates at InsideGov.com Frederich Hayek, The Road To Serfdom (read the condensation here!) The Buckley Rule (William F. Buckley) Subscribe on iTunes for free, and new shows will come to you automatically! Become a supporter! Making Biblical Family Life Practical is brought to you in part by COVENANT EYES Internet Accountability and Filtering because what you do ONLINE impacts your life OFFLINE Try it for thirty days free - CLICK HERE!

  Every parent hates it - that particular sound. WHINING. What can you do about whining before you go stark raving about it? We'll talk about some practical things you can do to help train your whiner ... but beware - sometimes we parents may be doing the same thing, grown-up style! ORIGINAL RELEASE FEBRUARY 22, 2016 Subscribe on iTunes for free, and new shows will come to you automatically! Check out the article on our blog, Raising Real Men! Making Biblical Family Life Practical is brought to you in part by COVENANT EYES Internet Accountability and Filtering because what you do ONLINE impacts your life OFFLINE Try it for thirty days free - CLICK HERE! PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS 1:05 - Whining - the universal parenting experience! 5:45 - It's a behavior - how can we train it? 17:20 - Behavior is often a symptom of the underlying heart issue 22:37 - Do we really trust God enough not to complain against Him? BIBLE REFERENCES Philippians 2:14 - Do all things without grumbling or disputing ... Galatians 5:22-23 - the fruit of the Spirit include joy, patience, and self-control! 1 Timothy 6:6-8 - Godliness with contentment is great gain Philippians 4:11-13 - Learning contentment in all circumstances OTHER RESOURCES J.C. Ryle on the subject of contentment Where you can find the Pollyanna and Five Little Peppers audiobooks

The Beatles claimed that "All you need is love!" but any married couple will tell you love or not, there are bills to pay. The Biblical pattern would say that a man considering marriage has to be considering how he'll provide for it financially - and if you have a teen in love, he needs to come back to earth and answer that question for himself ... soon! ORIGINAL RELEASE FEBRUARY 16

  What do you when you find your teenager (or even your pre-teen) has romantic feelings for another young person? How to you address this Biblically? In spite of what some teachers say, the answer is not cut-and-dried, and a lot of parents (and their kids) struggle with it. This episode, we dive in to try and find what the Bible does say and what it doesn't ... but more urgently, what do we do about it? PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS 01:05 - Romance is an issue sooner than you may think 03:20 - Parenting needs to change as our teens transition toward adulthood 04:18 - The critical thing to remember about older teens 05:04 - Take them seriously! 08:17 - Rules don't control the heart 09:26 - What the Bible says about romance 11:24 - What the Bible IS clear about 12:10 - Don't underestimate friendship 15:22 - How this conversation might begin 17:32 - Keeping realistic and balanced expectations 22:18 - Building a relationship of trust and respect early 23:56 - God's plan for your child may surprise you - and your child, too

The New Testament talks a lot about the power of examples for teaching believers the Christian walk. Paul talked about it, Peter talked about it, James talked about it, and most of all, Jesus talked about it. This episode, we take a look at how incredibly important it is to have good examples in a believer's life - and to become the example for others. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 03:05 - The Bible talks about examples frequently 04:43 - Our own lives should be exemplary 05:34 - Examples demonstrate how to apply principles to real life 06:45 - Our children need examples for their own understanding 07:46 - "Do as I say, do not as I do!" 10:41 - Kids need to see examples beyond just their parents' 12:57 - The greatest Example of them all 15:28 - How this can effect sibling rivalry 18:13 - Schooling, discipleship, and Jesus' method 20:00 - Our kids need opportunities to actually apply the examples we give them 21:42 - Don't overlook good examples outside of Scripture, too 23:58 - The need to explain, not just show