As members of a large-ish family, my kids aren’t often the center of attention. But I want them to know that they will gave a regular time when they have my full, complete, and undivided attention.

For us, this means special monthly one-on-one coffee dates on Sunday mornings before church. Listen in for why to "date" your kids and when and how to do it.

It’s by no means a requirement, but it has been a sweet way to connect one-on-one with the four kids I adore and cherish most in the world. And I really enjoy it!

Pretty soon, I will be welcoming a fifth baby, and my youngest will also be joining the date rotation. I’m sure continuing to carve out time will require creativity—but I am committed to it.

Setting year long goals can be a helpful way to stay on track with our ideals. Listen in for a very brief discussion of how and why to track fitness, reading, and outside time goals in 2026.

Parents are in the business of training --and that should include training to serve.

We train our kids not to run in the road, to put their shirt on frontwards, and to use the bathroom. During childhood these actions are challenging, but by adulthood, most of us have it figured out. We practiced these things over and over until they became ingrained and second nature.

In addition to learning to brush our teeth or make breakfast, I want to teach my kids to be kind and generous. As a parent, I can’t force my children to be servant hearted—only God can change them. But He has commanded me to train them in godliness, and training comes through repeated practice.

If I desire to raise servant-hearted kids, then I should give them lots of opportunities during their formative years to practice service both inside and outside the home.

Listen in for a discussion of why and how to do that in practical simple ways --without adding a bunch of extra tasks to our schedules.