Jon Gosselin: A man of many women and many faiths

Jon Gosselin has rediscovered his Jewish roots. In a recent interview with ParentDish.com, Jon discussed his girlfriend Hailey Glassman and claimed to be half Jewish. "Hailey is Jewish. Everyone in my life now is Jewish, my attorney. I love it. I am now half Jewish and half Korean."

As a fan of Jon and Kate Plus Eight, I can't help but remember the many references on the show by the Gosselins to their Christian faith. There were the bible verses taped to the walls of their home and the episodes chronicling them attending church as a family. Several of their daughter's middle names are even fruits of the Holy Spirit. 

Throughout the first four seasons, Jon and Kate appeared to be committed Christians. Their marriage wasn't perfect (anyone could see that) and their life wasn't perfect. It was full of stress and tension, but also joy and happiness, which is part of what made Jon and Kate so popular. They seemed to be like the rest of us...

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Laboring in Prayer

There is nothing thrilling about a laboring person's work, but it is the laboring person who makes the ideas of the genius possible. And it is the laboring saint who makes the ideas of his Master possible. When you labor at prayer, from God's perspective there are always results. What an astonishment it will be to see, once the veil is finally lifted, all the souls that have been reaped by you, simply because you have been in the habit of taking your orders from Jesus Christ.

My Utmost For His Highest, October 17

Dare To Discipline

Dare to Discipline, the famous parenting book by James Dobson, is a book I have avoided reading for the past few years. Many other parent friends even highly recommended it and yet I still did not want to read it. Because it was written by a such a well-known conservative christian leader, I imagined it would be extremely conservative in message with a strong emphasis on strict disciple and corporal punishment and I simply did not want to read another christian parenting book like that.

But then Dare to Discipline was recommended to me again recently by a dear friend who I trust about parenting issues. Since I owned a copy of the book already, I figured I should at least skim it. After reading the first two chapters, I was hooked. Turns out, Dare to Discipline is one of the best parenting books I have read so far.

Dare to Discipline is full of common sense advice and emphasizes discipline with grace instead of punishment. Filled with real life stories, Dr. Dobson explains his parenting philosophy formulated from years of working in the medical field with families and children. Each chapter addresses a specific parenting issue and contains a question and answer section to help readers better understand what they are learning. As a result, parents can easily adopt Dr. Dobson's methods and create a plan for their own home. 

With over 3.5 million copies sold, Dare to Discipline is an excellent resource that teaches practical parenting tips and helps families to create solid foundations in their relationships, so they can face the future with joy and anticipation instead of fear or dread. 

 

The Importance Of Allowing A Child To Say No, At Times

"No." A child's favorite word. It may not be their first word, but eventually it becomes their most frequently used word. From the time a child learns to speak, it seems as though the word no is uttered more than any other.

All parents deal with hearing the word no differently. In some homes, it is not allowed to be spoken and results in a scolding. Some parents overlook the word no and try to negotiate a child into compliance. Other parents try to evaluate the child's tone of voice that accompanies the no being spoken in order to discern their child's attitude and the appropriate parental response.

Whatever a parent's philosophy about the word no, it is important to allow a child to say no at times...

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Jesus and Friendship

When Jesus talked to his disciples, he didn't give long discourses on friendship. He demonstrated friendship by being available, compassionate, self - sacrificing, and tender. His chosen friends responded! Yes, he called them to accountability; He rebuked them when they were wrong. But when He was finished, they still felt cherished by him. What a picture - another of His gifts to us - to be treasured, to be emulated.

We need not set out in search of a friend. Rather, we must simply set out to be the friend Christ modeled - anticipating the needs of others, wearing ourselves out at giving. Jesus dies doing it. The rewards are infinite and joyous!

A Gentle Spirit, September 28

Book Review: The Gentle Spirit Devotional

I was browsing in a christian bookstore one day and found a book entitled A Gentle Spirit. A 365 day devotional book, I was surprised to see it only cost $4.99. I scanned the description on the back and recognized some of the names of the contributing writers. Why not buy it, I thought? It only cost five dollars. If I didn't like it, I would not be out much money.

Turns out that was one of the best five dollars I have ever spent. A Gentle Spirit is a lovely book that seeks to help christian women grow deeper in their faith in Christ. It also shows them, in an encouraging and simple way, how to imitate Christ and understand how living connected to him can impact all the areas of their lives for good.

A Gentle Spirit is an excellent devotional book, with contributions from Ruth Bell, Patsy Clairmont, Sheila Walsh, Joni Erickson Tada, Elisabeth Elliot, Corrie Ten Boom, and many other well known christian women. I have read it for several years, and even now it still continues to challenge and change me. If you are looking for a great devotional book, A Gentle Spirit will not disappoint.