faith and family

Hope Abounds!

by Marcus J. Carlson

This is the 10th anniversary of Connections magazine. It is hard to believe it has been around that long, and I remain thankful for it, both as a writer and a reader. Its ministry to me as a disciple of Jesus, husband, father and pastor has been of great value. It continues to be an honor and joy to write a faith and family column. I am humbled to have had the opportunity to serve in this way and have certainly learned much along the way.

This is also the Easter edition of Connections, one of my personal favorites each year both to write for and to read.

I do not know if you have noticed or not, but the world is a bit of a mess as of late. This is not new and throughout history we have always had challenges, though the names and faces have changed over time. There is great uncertainty politically and economically. There is tremendous division and unrest all around. Fear is being used as the primary tool of government, media, marketers and others. The family is busy, frazzled and overwhelmed as the understanding of what constitutes a family is a point of disagreement and division in our culture. The Christian church is in decline in North America, with far too many consumers and far too few disciples occupying its seats. Watching the news makes one wonder how bad can it get or when Jesus might return.

It causes one to consider medication or other means of coping. These challenges are concerning and real and must be addressed, especially by those who identify themselves as Christians, followers of Jesus. That said, I think we have also lost sight of a core Christian principle and reality, one that is at the center of Easter.

The truth is that every day should be Easter, but I often forget in the midst of life to treat each day as if it were Easter. That is one of the reasons I am profoundly thankful for the yearly celebration of Easter as a much-needed reminder of an important, powerful and central message of the Gospel.

At the center of the message of Easter is hope. Easter, the resurrection and the Gospel of Jesus are centered on the principle of hope. In Jesus, we have hope, both eternally and for the here and now. So often our understanding of hope is focused on the afterlife or the eternal, but the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus gives us hope now and hope for each day.

As I have written before, the cynic sees the glass as half empty, the optimist sees the glass as half full, the realist sees a glass with water, but the disciple of Jesus sees the glass as re llable. Hope is the reality that the glass is always refillable. There is always more, there is always hope and there is always Jesus.

As a family, we have always had pets of some kind, including dogs. In the past couple years, we acquired two purebred Border Collies, a new breed to us. Our Border Collies, Oreo and Reeses, are incredible animals. They are off-the-charts intelligent (they can do over 30 tricks, including basic math) and are very loving.

They also have a lot of energy and su er from separation anxiety, a common issue for Border Collies. When I arrive home from being gone, whether I have been gone for minutes or weeks, the Border Collies greet me with an excitement, love and joy unlike anything I have ever seen. To them, I am the most wonderful thing in the world and can do no wrong. Sometimes I think to myself, I wish I could be half the person my Border Collies think I am!

They also get quite excited every time they see me grab the keys to my truck. There is a pecking order of what is important in their lives: at the top are balls, because playing fetch is the world to them. Second on the list is my truck. I cannot say or even spell the word truck without them getting excited. I am third on the list, with food being a very close fourth.

Now, my Border Collies have gured out the various things I do before I leave, and so they intuitively know and sense when I am going to leave. They notice the minute I pick up my truck keys, and if I ever use the remote starter, they can hear the horn and the engine start from anywhere in the house. They stand at immediate attention, get quite excited and move ahead of me toward the door. In fact, when I cannot get their attention, all I have to do is say the word “truck” and they stop in their tracks.

When it comes to the truck, they live in a constant state of hope. There is nothing I can do to cause them to be anything other than hopeful for even a short five minute ride in the truck. They have not and will never become cynical about the truck or their chances at riding in the truck, not matter how rare it might occur. It is both telling and convicting for me when I realize that my Border Collies have a greater sense of hope for a truck ride than I often do for the work of God in the world and in my life.

As Christians, as an Easter people, we are a people of hope. Hope abounds! The triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are constantly bringing and stirring hope in, through and around us. In Jesus, there is always potential for so much more than we see at face value. Through the continued work of the Holy Spirit, potential brews and hope abounds. I fear that when it comes to the world around us, our churches and our families we do not live as an Easter people, a people filled with hope, looking for potential and the work of Jesus and the Holy Spirit in our lives.

As a parent, I often nd myself worrying about my kids. I worry about their safety, I wonder and worry about their future. When they are sad or stressed, or have had a bad day, I nd myself worrying about them and wanting to fix their pain and problems. As a parent, it can often be easier to worry about my children than to be lled with hope. It can be easier to think about what can go wrong than to look for all the potential. It is easy to fear the world in which our children and grandchildren will grow up than it is to look forward with hope to what God can do.

While all real hope comes from God, it is not accidental. We get to choose our perspective. We have the ability and opportunity to instill, share and bring hope to our children, families and churches. The choice is ours.

Happy Easter. Hope Abounds!

For more on this topic, contact Marcus at:

marcusjcarlson@me.com
or visit his website at:www.revdrorange.com

Faith and family

Connections Magazine, January/February 2018

Four Dangers We Might Be Missing

by Marcus J. Carlson

The world has changed and continues to change rapidly. While there are many things that are no di erent from decades or generations before, there are also many things that have changed dramatically from one generation to the next. In our globalized, technology-rich culture, the rate of change seems to be ever increasing. The burden of following Jesus and raising kids in today’s world is often understated. I have yet to meet anyone who does not have some fear about the world in which their children and grandchildren will grow up in. While we can point to many specific cultural and institutional challenges, there are several underlying challenges I nd most people miss, and they are far more dangerous than many of the external issues we fear as followers of Jesus in a broken world.

There are four specific words I think highlight some of the most signi cant, dangerous and toxic elements of the world today: division, fear, guilt and shame. These are not new concepts or dangers, but their in uence in the church and world today are of great concern.

Division

Currently, the entire purpose of government and media seems to be to distract and divide. We spend hours ghting over insigni cant issues that we have been manipulated into thinking are significant issues. We no longer seem to know how to agree to disagree, and often evaluate people based entirely on their political viewpoints and perspectives. We draw lines in the sand as we assume those who think di erently than we do are the enemy. We have bought into the mindset that there are only two ways to think, and our current view is right while the other is wrong.

Guilt

Guilt is also a toxic force in our culture and our churches. Guilt, though it may seem Biblical, is not. Guilt is not of God and is a tool of the evil one. It is neither Biblical nor healthy. In my work across the country and the world as a pastor, speaker and educator, I have found guilt and shame to be some of the most powerful and destructive forces in the world today. This is true both among those who are Christian and those who are not. It is true among every generation and every age group.

The real problem with guilt and the feeling it elicits is that it seeks to continue to punish people for their shortcomings, mistakes, failures or o enses. Guilt allows us to dwell in our sins instead of embracing forgiveness in Jesus and living in the grace of God. Most people confuse guilt and remorse. Remorse is the recognition that something wrong has been done and should not have been done; it is a call to live di erently. Remorse is Biblical and healthy. Guilt is the idea that we must continue to live in and punish ourselves for our sins. This, of course, is a blatant denial of what Jesus did for us on the cross, dying for those very sins. Remorse is a value of discipleship; guilt is a rejection of God’s grace.

Fear

We react to the news story of the day out of complete and utter fear. The media, government, marketers and even many leaders in the church create a great sense of fear in us in an attempt to motivate and sometimes manipulate. We are a divided people, but unnecessarily so. We can value, love and be in relationship with someone who disagrees with us.

The opposite of fear is love, but fear is easy, sells well and is something that is a powerful motivator. If we are honest with ourselves, many of our reactions, especially negative and divisive ones, are rooted in fear. The only fear we have ever been called to have is of God, and many argue that fear is more about respect than it is being scared.

If the opposite of fear is love, the antidote to fear is trust. At the core of our faith is the principle that we are called to trust God in all things, and the practice of faith in everyday living is to grow in that trust of God. In fact, many of the uses of the word “faith” in the Bible refer to trust. Consider this as well — in almost every instance in the Bible where God appears, the first words God offers are “do not be afraid.” From Moses to the shepherds in Bethlehem, we see a God, we see a God who sees fear as a primary issue to address.

Shame

If guilt is a feeling, then shame is an identity. Guilt tells us we must focus on where and what we have done wrong, where we have fallen short of our expectations, the expectations of others and the expectations of the culture as well as our perceived expectations from God. If guilt tells us we must focus on our sins, failures and shortcomings, shame tells us that our sins, failures and shortcomings are our identity. Guilt is about what we have done; shame speaks to who we are.

The message of shame is this: our identity is found in what we do wrong, nothing more, nothing less. But our identity is found in Jesus, not in our sins and shortcomings. Shame is a favorite tool of the evil one, as it forces us to live in our sin instead of living in God’s grace. The Gospel value that is the antidote to shame is repentance. Repentance is a healthy, Biblical approach that means to turn. It means with the help of God, we turn from the ways that are not of God to the ways of God found in the life, ministry and teachings of Jesus and in the Scriptures.

Embrace the Gospel of Jesus

Rather than embrace the lie being sold to us, this gospel of division, fear, guilt and shame, we must instead embrace the Gospel of Jesus. We must embrace the truth of God’s love and grace, the promise that is God’s covenant with us. We must not forget some of the most important tenants of our Lutheran faith: Word alone, faith alone, grace alone. Instead of this gospel of division, fear, guilt and shame, we must embrace the opposite of these ideas found in the Gospel. We must embrace unity, love and faith, remorse and repentance.

We have in front of us an incredible opportunity to change the narrative of the church and the world. The harvest is ripe for God to work in mighty ways in the midst of some of the most uncertain and challenging times we have ever faced in the church and the world. The choice is ours.

One thing is certain, our children do not stand a chance in this world if we pass on to them this false gospel of fear, division, guilt and shame. We believe in a God who has and who will conquer all. As parents and other signi cant adults in the lives of the children and youth of our homes, churches and communities, we are called to be leaders. We are called to pass our faith on to them and to equip them to be disciples in the church and the world in which they live. If we want them to have a healthy, life and world changing faith, we must ght and reject the toxic mindsets of division, fear, guilt and shame that have permeated our world and our faith today.

For more on this topic, contact Marcus at:

marcusjcarlson@me.com
or visit his website at:www.revdrorange.com

faith and family

Reclaiming Thankfulness

Nov/Dec 2017 Connections

by Marcus J. Carlson

If you are reading this article, you are already someone who has much to be thankful for. You can read, you get mail, you have enough income to get a magazine and of course the many other things that make you blessed. The truth is, that as a culture and in the church, we have lost sight of thankfulness.

I know this is also true when it comes to parenting and to our families. We live in a world that constantly sells fear and focuses our attention on what is not going right, what we do not have, what we need, where we fail and where we do not measure up. Sadly, the church of Jesus Christ has bought into this as has the family.

As a parent, I want the best for my children. I want to give them the best chance at having a Christ-centered, ful lling, happy life with many opportunities and resources. As a parent I am also someone who worries about how my kids behave, how others see them, our family and the two of us as parents. When our kids get in trouble, do something wrong, misbehave, upset church members or hurt someone else, I struggle in many ways. I struggle with how we might look to others. I struggle with wondering if I caused it. I struggle as I wonder if there is something going on with my kid that I do not know about. I can say this, because I know that I am not alone in that.

We are also consumed by the ways that we do not measure up: to God, the ideal image of family, the ideal body image, our possessions and accomplishments and so much more. In the church we are no better. We often talk about what we do not like, what person is doing this thing or that thing wrong, who is upset about what, who is not showing up right now and why, the decline of our membership and attendance, and the decrease in people under 40 in our churches. We are a people who get stuck on what is going wrong and what we do not have instead of being thankful.

The truth is that this is not only unhealthy, it is not the way of Christ, and the devil has a eld day with this. While it may be human tendency to focus on the negative, the way of the disciple is to start with a posture of thankfulness.

Thankfulness starts with the simple and obvious. It also helps us to see God in every moment and every little detail of our life. The God who created the universe cares about every little detail in our lives. Thanking God — for a new day, for food, for family, for a job, for life, for friends, for a home, for a vehicle, for good weather and a laundry list of items — is something we take for granted or forget about every singe day of our lives.

We assume that somehow they do not matter because everyone around us has these things. We assume that somehow we are entitled to these things. We get so focused on how much better the neighbor’s family, job, car or house is than ours that we completely neglect to be thankful for what we have. When it comes to being thankful for the things we are used to having, complacency is a tool of the evil one.

Anyone who has traveled to a second or third world country has learned to appreciate what we often take for granted, such as indoor plumbing, electricity, doors, clothing, health care, etc. While our thankfulness starts with the simple things, we are called to be thankful in the bigger things. Times where God answers prayer for some relational,financial or health challenge. Thankfulness for something that has happened in our faith, our family, our work or some other area of our life. Thankfulness for when God answers prayers in a way that is different from we hoped or expected, such as relieving the suffering of someone we love by calling them home or providing a challenging, but manageable resolution to an issue we are facing.

Thankfulness is not just an idea, a prayer or a habit, it is a posture of our heart. We are to give God thanks in all things, knowing there are always worse alternatives. We give God thanks knowing we are loved and that there is nothing we do or face alone. We give God thanks that we are called and chosen as His children, adopted into His family, saved by His grace.

Thankfulness is a matter of perspective and trust. The cynic sees the glass as half empty, the optimist sees the glass as half full, the disciple of Jesus sees the glass as re llable. There is always hope, there is always something to be thankful for. Anything we face, we do not face alone. No matter how di cult and ugly life becomes in our family, work, church and world, we already know the ending to the story. Jesus wins. Jesus has already won.

Until that day we come face to face with Jesus in our death or His return, we live on this earth as a people of hope, trust and thankfulness until that day where we will live in glory with Jesus where being thankful will be the only possible choice.

We must create space for thankfulness in our worship and our churches. This year, in our own church we have as one of our priorities to focus more on thankfulness and gratitude, to infuse our church culture with a posture of thankfulness. We are challenging each other as pastors, sta and lay leaders to share more often the things we are thankful for. We are taking time to focus on what we have to be thankful for over the challenges we face.

When we talk about the challenges we face, we then take time to give thanks in the midst of those challenges. We are sharing stories of how God has moved in our midst so that everyone can join in thankfulness. We have added time during our prayer time to share prayers of thanks, both corporately and individually.

Thankfulness is not the natural response or posture in our hearts and lives, that is a part of our sinful nature. We must be intentional in our thankfulness and culture, a spirit of thankfulness in our hearts, our families and our churches.

Thankfulness is something we must do better as Christians, as the church of Jesus Christ and as families. We must model thankfulness to our children. We must have thankfulness be a part of our everyday lives.

Our children need to have the message of the Gospel imprinted on their minds, hearts and lives. Thankfulness is part of the message of the Gospel of Jesus. Our children will continue to grow up in a world focused on negativity and fear, a world where our attention is drawn to what we don’t have rather than being focused on giving thanks for what we do have.

One of the best ways to give our children a better world and a better life is to teach and model a posture of thanksgiving. May God give us the courage, wisdom and strength to be thankful in all things.

For more on this topic, contact Marcus at:

marcusjcarlson@me.com
or visit his website at:www.revdrorange.com

Faith and family

Connections Magazine Sept/Oct 2017

Reform!

by Marcus J. Carlson

This year we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Refor- mation. While the Reformation occurred over many years, we mark 1517 as its primary year. We also, in the Christian church, mark October as the month of the Reformation cel- ebration. This year, I had the privilege of leading a Reforma- tion tour in Germany where we visited many of the sites of the Reformation. We saw Luther’s home, went to Wittenberg where the 95 Theses were nailed to the door, and went to the church where Luther did most of his preaching. It was a fun, powerful and meaningful experience.

The Reformation tour also opened my eyes in a new and deeper way to the true power of this movement in history. We forget that we have our church because of this movement. We forget that we have the Scriptures in our hands because of this movement. The abuses, brokenness and corruption in the church leading up to the reformation are well documented; however, we do not always recognize the tremendous negative impact that they had on the people.

As a part of this tour, we also went to Italy, including Rome. There I got to see the Sistine chapel, one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring sites I have ever seen. Ten minutes in that room was worth the entire trip across the ocean. As a part of that time, we also saw St. Peter’s, one of the most elaborate, largest and most beautiful churches I have ever seen. That said, as I was walking through this church, I could not help thinking about where the money to build it came from. I remembered how the indulgences or “guilt money” from mostly the poor people built this massive structure. I say this not to be critical, but to point out that history is something we have to be aware of, but more importantly, revisit.

In this church and others we visited, we found many kneelers where people could pray. Something was di erent about these kneelers though. They each had a coin slot. Perhaps they were just there to give people a chance to give to the upkeep of the church, but the message they sent was that one had to pay to pray. It was a stark reminder to me that while the Reformation changed much in the church of Jesus Christ, we still need reform.

Sometimes I wonder if the church needs a good reformation every 500 years or so. We have lost our way in many ways — from straying from Scripture to trying to ght a culture war instead of reaching people with the Good News of Jesus, to focusing on self-preservation and the perpetuation of our traditions instead of bringing the Gospel to our communities and the world.

Today, in most churches, the people with the most money carry the most power. Today, in most churches, we expect outsiders to come to us and to quickly behave and act like us. While these are not exactly the corruptions of 500 years ago, they are things that could use a bit of reform. The truth is that the church of Jesus Christ — including the Lutheran Church — has lost its focus, particularly in North America and Europe.

The church is not the only American institution that could use a bit of reform today; the family is another institution that could use reform as well. We all recognize the family faces many challenges in our world and culture. In most cases, I nd people focused on casting blame for this problem rather than looking for, naming and being part of solutions to bring health and reformation to our families. Some blame the government for the woes of the family, while others blame culture, the media, technology, parents or a variety of other factors for the challenges the family faces as an institution today.

As a researcher, pastor and parent, I can tell you that not one of these things is responsible for the challenges the family faces in American today. I can also share with con dence that focusing on whom to blame for our problems will not help us bring the change we all yearn and pray for.

I had the honor and great privilege of being a part of a project with Sola, the NALC and Thrivent that is a celebration of the Reformation and a resource for all churches and families for the reform of our families in our churches and communities. This project is called Holy Families (learn more at holyfamilytime.com). This resource is not the reason for this article; however I have found that if I highlight problems, I should also share solutions and resources for the problem to the best of my ability.

What is needed most in our families today is support and encouragement from the church and from all adults who follow Jesus. Our children and youth need many more healthy adult relationships today than ever. Sadly, the trend is heading in the other direction as most children and youth have far fewer adults invested in their lives than any generation in history. So often, the most complex problems have the simplest solutions. As is always the case, the solution to any problem is found in the Scriptures.

From the very beginning, God created us to be in relationship with Him, with the world and with one another. From the beginning, God gave parents a special role and a unique calling when He created the family. It is also clear throughout Scripture that parents are not the only ones who solely in uence children. The church was created to be in part a community of faith and a family. The church and its people have an obligation and calling to care for and minister to the children and youth of their church AND their community.

You see, we are all in this together, whether we are happy about it or not. We need each other. The parents in your churches and communities need you. The children and youth in your churches and communities need you. Together, by the grace of God, we can bring the healthy reform to our churches, communities and families we yearn for, the reform they need, and the reform God desires for them. In order to do that we must be committed to doing it together.

God gave us a gift in the Reformation, but it was a gift not meant to be celebrated as only a historical moment. It was a gift to be embraced as a mindset and posture. Anyone who is a disciple is one who is continually becoming more like Jesus, continually being transformed and continually reforming.

We found reform in the Reformation, but we were also given a vision to be a people of God who are reformed and always reforming.

Marcus J. Carlson

is an ordained pastor (LCMC & NALC), with a Doctor of Ministry focused in family ministry. He currently serves as Senior Pastor at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Auburn, IN. He and his wife, Jessica, have two children.

For more on this topic, contact Marcus at:

marcusjcarlson@me.com
or visit his website at:www.revdrorange.com

faith and family

The Challenge of Parenting

by Marcus J. Carlson

Being a parent is a great joy; in fact, it is one of the greatest joys life has to o er. It also is one of the most challenging tasks we are ever asked to do as human beings. I often tell expecting or new parents that parenting is one of the greatest and most meaningful things you will ever get to do, but it is also one of the hardest.

Like many things in our world, there is a lot about parenting that has not changed over the years, yet there are also many aspects of parenting that have changed dramatically and over a very short period of time. Over the past decade in particular, as I have worked with parents and made my best attempt at this thing called parenting, I have made some observations I believe can be helpful to us all, even those of us who are not currently parents.

The truth is the world is busier, messier, more dangerous, more divisive and uncertain than it has been at almost any other time in history. This adds to the challenge for parents as their children have greater access to resources and information, both good and bad. Many children face higher levels of pressure and anxiety than previous generations, while experiencing greater levels of resource and entitlement. This makes for a challenging and toxic combination.

Most parents today feel particularly alone. Though we have more tools and opportunities to connect in the world today, we have become more isolated as a society. In our busy world today, many parents feel very alone. Few parents I know or have ever spoken to feel as though they have friends who are also parents they can journey with in an honest and authentic way. For those who do have connections, they are far too few and far too often insufficient.

Many parents also feel judged by other parents, grandparents and adults in their lives. I could not begin to count the number of parents who see other families around them as so much better and as perfect, while I know full well that those very families face some of the same and perhaps even greater challenges. The grass is always greener on the other side, and many of our families have felt a need to pretend or put on an image of being more put together than they are — especially in churches and around other church members.

At one church I served, I often had the opportunity to see this dynamic in action every Sunday. From certain windows in the office area I could see a vast majority of the parking lot. Each Sunday I could look out the windows, and based on where a family would park in the lot I could tell which families were having a harder morning than others. I could easily discern which families were still nishing their argument before they walked into church to put their perfect image on display.

Parents today are simply overwhelmed. While this may have been true throughout all of history, it is more widespread than ever before. I have been blessed to have been surrounded by many wise people. My kids are gifted with many adults in their lives who care about them. We have been privileged to work with many kids and families, even before we had our own. We have had careers in education that have given us access to great tools and information.

So often in talking with and working with other parents, I nd myself frequently doing two things: letting them know that what they are experiencing is normal and giving them permission to struggle.

Any good parent wants to be the best parent possible, and also wants to be better parents than the ones before and around them. We love our children and want to give them our best, but there are plenty of times where, for whatever reason, that does not happen. Most parents need to know that what they are feeling, experiencing and going through is normal. Many parents feel as though they are the only ones facing a particular challenge when in reality it is a common problem.

I also nd I often need to give parents permission to struggle. Parenting can be a scary adventure, and so often we doubt ourselves. Not only do we doubt ourselves, but many parents worry about how others view them. More times than not, we simply need permission to trust our instincts.

All this said, we are all in this together, and we need each other. No two parents can raise a child alone. It takes a village, Christ’s village, to raise a healthy, Christ-following child. Above all else — and perhaps more than ever, parents need each other. We need to learn from one another, support one another, encourage one another and pray, cry and laugh with one another.

I have found that gathering parents together is a gift to all. The beauty of the body of Christ, the church, is that God knew that while we each have a relationship of our own with Jesus, we need each other and faith is best expressed and lived in community. Every parent needs a community of parents alongside of them as they journey together through this gift, this adventure and calling we know as parenting.

In working with educators, social workers, pastors and other leaders who work with parents, I often remind them their job is to support and encourage parents, even if they do not agree with their parenting approach and even when their parenting falls short. We are meant to be a complement to parents, not a supplement. Those of us who have in uence in the lives of children and youth must build up, support, complement and partner with parents. We are all in this together, and our children and our youth need us all.

It is not just our children and youth that need us, however, it is all of the parents in our midst. In order to give our kids our best, we must start with building up and partnering with parents. Parenting is a calling and a gift, but is also a challenge. It is a challenge in which God walks with us, but it is also a challenge that should never be experienced alone. After all, we are all in this together.

For more on this topic, contact Marcus at:

marcusjcarlson@me.com
or visit his website at:www.revdrorange.com

Holy Families “On the Same Page” – Topical Parent Resource

Dealing With Money

How do we live as “Holy Families” when it comes to handling money?

Living as holy families means we should live as God intended for us to live in every aspect of our lives. We should model our lives after Jesus, imitating him as his disciples. One of the areas many Christians and families struggle to understand is in the area of money or nances. As parents, grandparents and other in uen- tial adults in the lives of our children, we must teach them about money, model stewardship, and give them a Biblical perspective on money. He reminds us that all we have comes from him and that it is to be used wisely in a Godly way. God calls us to be good stewards, to give and to be generous in all we do. We must teach and model this for our children as well.

In Luke 16, Jesus spent some time talking to his followers about money, wealth, generosity, and indebtedness. First he told a par- able about a dishonest manager who was in trouble with his mas- ter for wasting the master’s money and resources. We are called to be wise managers of what we have been given so that we neither squander our resources nor hoard them. At the end of the story Jesus warns his disciples, “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be de- voted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Luke 16:13)

Here are some practical ways to teach and model stewardship for our children:

1. Give them a weekly allowance that is age appropriate.

2. Teach them about spending, saving and giving with their allowance.

3. Create ways for them to earn extra money for extra work.

Allowance is a wonderful way to teach stewardship and how we are to live in ac- cordance with God’s word. We can begin by simply teaching our children how to set aside a portion of their weekly allow- ance for spending, saving and giving. As we model this for them, they learn about managing money, spending wisely, saving for the future and giving to the church all at the same time.

The key is to teach our children that all we have comes from God. We need to model stewardship in a way that is consistent with what God intended us to do. Living as holy families re ects our love for God and all He has done for us. It also re ects the love and hope we have for our children.

Holy Families “On the Same Page” – Topical Parent Resource

Dealing With Change

How do we live as “Holy Families” when dealing with change?

Change is difficult for us all and often gets more di cult as we get older. Even our children have di culty handling change. The truth is that the only one who really enjoys change is a baby with a dirty diaper!

Change can be hard and unnerving even for the strongest of fami- lies. Regardless of whether the change is good, bad or indi erent, change has a tremendous impact on us. So how do Holy Families deal with change?

The first and most important thing is to look to God as the source of constancy in our lives. God is the one constant in our lives and in the world. Malachi 3:6a reminds us, “I the Lord do not change.” In a world that is ever changing, our God remains the same. Look- ing to God as the source and giver of life, remembering that he is the one who gives all good gifts, reminds us that we are not alone. He is our sure foundation as we weather any kind of change in our lives and in our families.

Secondly, we look for God in the midst of the thing that is actually changing. Whether it is good change or di cult change, change we have chosen or change that we did not choose, we look for God in the midst of the circumstances. The Holy Spirit is constantly pres- ent and at work in our families and in the details of our lives. God has something for each of us in every situation, season and tran- sition. God can and will do a good work in us. We must look for where the Holy Spirit might be moving in the midst of the change we face and ask God to reveal that work to us.

Thirdly, we ask God for help in the midst of change. So often when we face change, we try to handle it on our own or we wait to go to God as the last resort. God is always with us and cares about every aspect of our lives. It is in seasons of transition and change that we often need God the most. Prayer is essential to our lives, and it is essential in times of transi- tion, uncertainty and change. We can go to God with any thought, feeling, joy, worry or fear we have. God hears us, understands us and cares about us. He embraces us in love without condition.

Finally, we must trust God because he can be trusted in all things. Trust is our one great act and God does the rest.

Change can be good, it can be hard or it can sometimes be indif- ferent, but it is a reality of life. Regardless of the type of change we face, God is with us in the midst of it and in every season of life.