Parenting Advice

There are multiple sources of Christian parenting advice available to parents today including books, magazines, radio programs, and websites. These resources abound with information and guidance for parents who wish to raise their children in a Godly manner. Whether dealing with issues pertaining to infants, toddlers, children of preschool or elementary age, junior high students or teens, teaching children to retain Biblical values in today's world can be a big challenge. Seeking the advice of experts, or even other Christian parents can be a very wise step. Parents of toddlers might be concerned about such issues as tantrums, potty training, teething, and development. Creative ideas for teaching preschool and elementary age children Biblical principles are frequently offered by Christian parenting publications as well as issues that pertain specifically to teens. Once children become teenagers, a whole new set of problems can emerge. In addition to bread and brother issues such as a child's social life and dating concerns, complicated topics such as eating disorders or drug abuse may need attention as well.

The concerns of homeschooling families may be addresses by many websites and publications. These families may need advice on such issues as curriculum selection and lesson plans and many resources offer a plethora of good ideas and useful suggestions. Books and magazines that offer Christian parenting advice specifically for homeschooling families are widely available. Parents who are considering this educational option may have many questions. These publications can provide both practical and spiritual answers to such questions. Often, the authors of this information speak from experience since they have home schooled their own children and know how to avoid common pitfalls. Planning tools, learning games, and teaching templates are also available from many well known publishing houses.

Family devotional resources can be of a great service to parents of faith. Some families may be seeking Christian parenting advice on how to keep Christ at the center of the home. These resources will often address Biblical principles as they apply to such issues as discipline, church life, and dealing with the pressures of the surrounding culture. Workshops and retreats on Christian parenting present another option. These activities allow for a more concentrated focus on some of the pressing issues of raising Godly children in an ungodly world. Additionally, information on practical issues such as money and finances and marriage building are important. Practical issues such as hiring babysitters might be offset by deeper issues such as situational ethics and teens. With all of the challenges that Christian parents may face, modeling and teaching Biblical values is an added and serious responsibility.

Among the many different sources of Christian parenting advice are the multiple websites on the subject that populate the world wide web. Some of the topics that might be covered on these website could range from moral dilemmas to bed wetting. Many sites will not shy away from tackling difficult issues such as young children and salvation or recognizing the signs of abuse. Most parents need help to address all of these important concerns. Many mothers and fathers share a concern over how to make God real to their children. Others may be concerned over differences in parenting styles and expectations. Add to this economic pressures, interference from extended family members and relationship problems between siblings and it is clear that Christian parenting advice can be very valuable. Many websites allow participants to post questions to experts on specific issues that they are dealing with. There are also a number of websites that offer interactive features, enabling parents to communicate and learn from each other. Experienced mothers and fathers can mentor younger couples in this manner. Reviews of movies and television shows can also be very helpful for busy parents.

In addition to Christian parenting advice, many publications also offer a number of creative ideas and tools. Books and other publications that specialize in faith based family fun will often contain ideas for family outings and trips, as well as at home activities for the whole family. These varied resources can provide opportunities for camaraderie and connection. On the lighter side, new and expectant parents might find these publications to be great sources of creative ideas for baby shower activities or homemade birth announcements. Most Christian parents want to get an early start on teaching a child to love God. Finding ideas for activities that will help even the youngest children begin to understand and respect God can be invaluable. Traits such as kindness and gratefulness do not come naturally to a child. Family devotionals that help parents model these important traits can prove to be very important tools for concerned parents. Homework helps can be useful for families and many resources contain activities that augment skills in math, spelling, or reading. Tips and Christian parenting advice on keeping the lines of communication open with teenagers can also be very important for parents who are having a difficult time getting an older child to open up.

There are also a number of magazines that offer Christian parenting advice as well. These publications can provide timely and practical tips along with encouragement to parents who are trying to instill Biblical values in their children. Many magazines will also have extensive websites that provide additional opportunity for both information and connection among Christian parents. Some websites might offer fathers and mothers the opportunity to seek advice from each other through various online forums. The Bible describes the loving parental care that God Himself provides to believers. "As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem." (Isaiah 66:13) Whatever the particular need of a Christian family, the many sources of information that are available can help parents to meet the challenge of raising Godly children head on.

For more information: http://www.christianet.com/tips

Healty Eating Tips

Healthy eating tips are available from one's doctor in almost every magazine, newspaper articles and even television programs that run incessantly on cable stations. Medical experts are telling us that healthy eating can add five years or more to our life span. But not only does eating the right food add to our life span, but it also can reduce the amount of medical costs that we can accrue over our lifetime. Because there are so many foods out there that can actually hurt us, we need to be aware of their potential dangers and concentrate on eating the foods that are good for our bodies. There are so many healthy eating tips that are available but here are a few that are ultra important.

To begin, the American restaurant industry has been a prime culprit in conditioning us to eat much larger portions that we are supposed to be consuming. Steak that is supposed to be the size of a credit card is the size of a spare tire and the baked potato that should look more like the size of a jumbo egg looks like an NFL football. And the advent of the all you can eat smorgasbord is a killer when it comes to waistlines. The food piled on those plates look like a miniature Mt. Everest! Study the portion sizes of the average serving on the cans and boxes that are bought in the store. Talk about small! But it's what Americans have gotten used to over the past fifty years or so and the first page of any healthy eating tips guide says that needs to change.

In fact, almost all nutritional experts are in favor of very small but more frequent meals during the day to rev up the body's metabolism. The three meals of the day that are large and loaded with calories are being shunned by nutritionists in favor of five or six tiny meals a day that respond to the body's hunger cycle. Extremely small meals that are meant to quiet hunger are the preferred eating model of many professionals who espouse healthy eating tips. The advice is to eat slowly, and eat only till the hunger subsides. This way of eating actually speeds up the fuel burning capacity of the human body, burning more calories and burning away excess fat. People who eat fast, scarfing down their food like vultures are often overweight because they are not allowing the small amount of food needed to quiet their hunger to do its job.

The time tested advice of more vegetables, grains and fruit still holds true today. Try as much as possible to stay away from processed foods if possible. They are less expensive in today's grocery world, but they are the foods that are loaded with salt and other added ingredients that are harmful to the human body. As much as possible, buy the heavy dark breads that are made from natural grains so look for stamps on the packaging that says 100% whole grain. Healthy eating tips all agree: avoid the white breads that produce lots of sugar in the body after being ingested. And because canned vegetables can often contain a lot of salt, attempt as much as possible to buy fresh vegetables and cook them without any added salt.

Healthy eating tips encourage people to, at least in the first year of eating correctly, keep a journal of everything eaten each day. This will enable the person to correctly begin to instinctively know how many calories it actually takes to maintain or lose weight. One high school math teacher once showed his class that eating five teeny tiny M and M candies each day for one year could put on three pounds if everything else remained the same in that person's diet. The neat thing about a food journal is that when a person first starts journaling before changing eating habits, it can provide a much needed shock as to how much food is actually being consumed. Many people concentrate on feeding their bodies, but ignore the nourishment their souls need. The Bible provides perfect nourishment for our soul, as Jesus said in Luke 4: 4, "It is written, that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of God."

Surprisingly, many Americans are dehydrated because they do no not drink enough water. With our bodies being 75% water to begin with, it is important that we rehydrate all during the day. Drinking eight classes of water each day is very much a part of every guide that is filled with healthy eating tips. In fact, some experts suggest that sometimes our hunger that we think we have is really thirst that could be sated easily by a tall drink of water. So visit that water cooler often!

Make sure that you get plenty of fiber in one's daily diet. This can come from fruits and vegetables that are packed with fiber to help lower blood fats. Antioxidants that help fight certain forms of cancer are in those dark green veggies that you may have gagged on as a child. Healthy eating tips always include the encouragement to power up on the bright and deeper colored fruits and to stay away from fruit juices that can have plenty of sugar added. Visit your local farmers' market for those fresh foods that are best and to get enough protein, have a small serving of meat once in a while, or if this is a strict vegan lifestyle, use nuts, seeds and beans as a source of needed protein.

For more information: http://www.christianet.com/tips

Visionary Leadership

Visionary leadership is needed in the kingdom of God in order to fulfill the outline that God that has for reaching the world. Individuals who live in obedience to His direction can implement God's vision and plan for individuals, churches, communities as well as the world. Leadership with insight is not about mighty exploits of human creativity that end in successful praise of the followers. Rather, a Christian leader with a spiritual goal is one who receives directions from God then launches out into the deep by believing that "faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it!" (1 Thessalonians 5:24) Click here for an excellent resource for any leader.

The spiritual concept of visionary leadership can sometimes collide with the human understanding of leadership plus creativity. The natural abilities or talents of many people qualify them to be born leaders who can motivate, lead as well as succeed at many tasks. The creativity as well as common sense that many people posses equips them with the innate abilities of a visionary leader. Many talented people can set a goal, implement a plan, pursue the end result then reach the finish line before anyone else. However, natural abilities are not what leadership with insight is all about in relationship to His intention for many situations.

The Word of God states that God uses the "weak things of the world to confound the mighty," implying that only God Himself can work His design through yielded human vessels. That is not to say that preparation, talent, skills along with abilities are not important in order to fulfill the design or task that God has initiated for any leader. When a leader understands however, that it's "not by might nor by power but by my Word, saith the Lord", then God's intention will succeed as He does the work through any leader. Obedience to God's will along with belief in God's Word is critical in in order to accomplish God's intentions for whatever purpose He has designed.

Leadership with insight is the skillful implementation of a plan to reach the goal that includes other people who are motivated to become involved. Most leaders who have a plan for the success of a particular task in life expend tireless energy in the pursuit of the goal and will not give up until it's accomplished. This type of insightful leadership is energized by faith in God's call, then is guided by direct willing response to Him. Learn more about God, as well as His plan for your life, take our Bible Quiz.

Seeing things God's way is an earmark of a true leader, who makes sure that pursuit of the goal is not dampened by doubters or skeptics. The Bible says that "where there is no vision, the people perish" which provides great emphasis on the need for everyone to be open to whatever God's plan is for our lives as the plan affects others. Many times a goal is squelched by those who insist on viewing circumstances, others or God with limited understanding along with openness. Visionary leadership from anyone requires stepping out by faith into the unfamiliar and many times, against all odds.

Gideon was a fine example of insightful leadership when he defeated his enemies with just a handful of scared soldiers who relied on God's direction. Gideon's obedience to God's vision and plan for the future was activated by a strong belief when he took a little band of 500 then rallied them to defeat thousands of soldiers who were humanly more powerful than Gideon's army. The biblical story paints the picture of a man who is skilled at battle as well as a respected leader of men. Facing all odds against a task he was called upon to perform as part of God's vision and plan for Israel, Gideon displayed unshaken compliance, along with great confidence in the Lord. It was not a path that Gideon would have chosen, yet he obeyed through faith and was the victor.

God's vision and plan for that time was accomplished while Gideon's visionary leadership has gone down in history. All Christians are called upon to implement God's intentions for their lives through belief along with compliance to the Word of God. Some people are called upon to fulfill some goal through faith that will affect many people around the world. Others are called upon to follow insightful leadership as part of God's plan for the church and the world. No matter your calling or intention, whether is modest or spectacular, will only be truly successful if performed through belief along with obedience to God's will. "For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)

For more information: http://www.christianet.com/bibleverses

Kiat Sukses

For many of us start our business has come to resemble a difficult challenge. But money online is not as difficult as it sounds. Keep in mind that there are three basic rules to follow when starting your business:


1. Be unique – One of the worst things you can do when starting a business to be a copy cat. Not only the occasional surfer knows, but search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN etc etc not put "copy cat" sites in good condition.


2. Your Home – If you plan to promote a product that has all the latest information on how it works. If you want something to make money you need to understand what it is.


3. Do not give up – I'm going to sound very cliche, but when the going gets tough the tough going. There is enough dirty work to get through when creating an online business to make money, but your efforts rewarded – and if not return to Step 1!


Good luck

Tafsir Praktika Yohanes 8:1-11

Yohanes 8:1-11                                           

MENYAMBUT PENGAMPUNAN TUHAN

Menerima Firman

Seorang wanita dibawa kepada Yesus. Tujuan utama orang-orang yang mengaraknya adalah untuk mencobai Yesus. Wanita ini kedapatan berzinah. Tapi dimana si prianya? Ah.. memang tidak adil, orang-orang yang mau ‘menegakkan keadilan ini… Sebuah kalimat dari Yesus cukup untuk membuat mereka semua membubarkan diri.  Lalu Yesus bangkit berdiri dan berkata kepada wanita itu, “Hai perempuan, di manakah mereka? Tidak adakah seorang yang menghukum engkau? Jawabnya, “Tidak ada, Tuhan.” Lalu kata Yesus, “Aku pun tidak menghukum engkau. Pergilah, dan jangan berbuat dosa lagi mulai dari sekarang.” (lih. ayat 10-11).

Banyak orang beranggapan bahwa menerima pengampunan dari Tuhan berarti kita tidak perlu melakukan apapun lagi setelahnya. Kan semuanya sudah beres… benarkah demikian? Yesus memang tidak menghukum wanita itu. Puji Tuhan! Dia Tuhan yang mau mengampuni dan tidak menghukum kita yang sudah percaya kepada-Nya (band. Roma 8:1). Tetapi kalimat terakhir Yesus penting untuk dicermati, dan jangan berbuat dosa lagi mulai dari sekarang. Bagaimana mungkin? Bukanlah kita masih hidup di dunia? Wajar bila kita berbuat dosa!

Di sinilah letak permasalahannya: Bagaimana kita menilai pengampunan Tuhan. Jika kita sungguh-sungguh memahami betapa agungnya kasih dan pengampunan Tuhan, kita akan berusaha untuk hidup berkenan kepada Tuhan. Justru sikap inilah yang merupakan respon yang benar terhadap pengampunan Tuhan. Berbuat dosa lagi karena menganggap hal tersebut sebagai sebuah kewajaran manusiawi hanya akan merendahkan nilai pengampunan Tuhan. Sikap permisif demi keleluasaan pemuasan diri hanya akan melukai nurani. Kesungguhan untuk menjaga kehidupan agar seturut dengan kehendak dan hati Tuhan adalah cara untuk menyambut pengampunan Tuhan bagi hidup kita.

1.      Tuhan tidak menghukum wanita yang berbuat dosa tersebut. Renungkan betapa besar kasih Tuhan bagi hidup kita!

2.      Renungkan kata-kata Tuhan Yesus, “Pergilah dan jangan berbuat dosa lagi”. Bagaimana seharusnya meresponi pengampunan yang Tuhan berikan?

Ambillah sikap yang tegas terhadap dosa, jauhi dan tinggalkan dosa. Buatlah komitmen untuk hidup kudus di hadapan Tuhan. (dap)