Distractions can keep our children from loving and following God with all their hearts. The first type includes things that are good but that can become idols. For example, when our kids are more focused on their peer-group or favorite activities than on God, it is easy to let these “good things” become number one in their life and take the place of God.
The second type of distractions include negative influences that can lead our children into sin or believing things contrary to God’s truth. If our children are around these type of influences, the enemy can use them to pull our kids away from their growing relationship with Christ.





When the school year starts, a lot of transitions happen, and it’s easy to loose site of what is most important for our kids-their growing relationship with the Lord. It’s good to take a step back as the school year begins and proactively set the stage for the year, so our children continue to grow in their faith, relationship with God, and character.
5 Goals For the School Year Every Child Needs
Rather than taking more of a passive role and worrying but not taking steps to help them along the way, if we are INTENTIONAL to guide them in making good choices from the beginning, I believe they will have a greater chance at doing well and following God’s ways.
I’m excited to interview author Janice Thompson! She got her start in the industry writing screenplays and musical comedies for the stage. Janice has published over 150 books for the Christian market, crossing genre lines to write cozy mysteries, historicals, romances, nonfiction books, devotionals, children’s books and more. Janice is passionate about her faith and does all she can to share the joy of the Lord with others, which is why she particularly enjoys writing.
Parenting isn’t easy. Teaching our kids to show respect, be kind to their siblings, live a life of contentment, and demonstrate a heart to serve others can feel like an uphill battle. There are so many distractions warring for our children’s hearts, but it is our goal as parents to lead their hearts away from those distractions and straight to the Lord. Only Jesus, by His saving grace and Holy Spirit can make a true heart change happen with our children. With that being said, here are five practices to help lead your children’s hearts to Christ.
Some of my favorite Christian chapter books for kids (and for myself) are allegories. There is something special about a good allegorical story with a hidden message that not only draws the reader into the adventure, but also teaches Biblical truths in powerful ways. Jesus used parables (similar to allegories) as one of His primary ways of teaching, and look at the impact the stories have made on so many! I don’t think I would appreciate Jesus’ heart for “the lost” if it wasn’t for the story of The Lost Sheep, or God’s overwhelming forgiveness if it wasn’t for The Prodigal Son, or even our call to truly serve others without hearing the story of The Good Samaritan. These stories help us understand and connect on an emotional level with the heart of God. Similarly, there are also many great chapter books written as allegories to help our children understand God and His ways.
I love connecting parents with great resources, and recently I had the privilege of getting to know Beth Meverden who has a similar heart for encouraging parents on their journey to raise their kids to know and follow the Lord! You are going to love hearing from her and learning from her wisdom, experiences, and great resources!
Keeping God First While On Vacation:
A Family Vacation Devotional
Recently we had the opportunity to take a family vacation with some friends on a cruise to the Bahamas! We had such a wonderful time with our family and friends and enjoyed God’s beautiful creation all around us. There was only one thing missing… we wished we had a family vacation devotional to do with our kids over the trip to encourage us to keep our hearts more focused on the Lord and His ways!
Teaching Our Kids How To Get Along:
How To Really Love Each Other
“I had it first!” “He pushed me!” “I hate my brother!” “Why won’t she ever be nice to me?!” Don’t these comments make you want to pull your hair out as a parent? Do you ever think, “Why can’t my kids just get along?!”
As part of the preschool curriculum I am developing, A Heart Like Jesus, I am creating Character Calendars to encourage our children’s character development in fun and simple ways! Each month I will have a character calendar available for you on a specific virtue that includes ways to practice the character trait, a Bible verse to memorize, and Bible stories to read, and other fun games to encourage your kids!