Ron Edmondson » Parenting

The Power of 7…Popular Blog Posts

Ron Edmondson — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 12:08:02 +0000

I have found 7 to be a popular number with blog posts. This week I even did an experiment. I posted four posts in a row with 7 principles in each. It prove to be a very successful week, with more interaction than usual. Seven is a Biblical number of completion. I’m not suggesting there is something to that trivia here, but I do believe there is something at work here. What do you think?

Here are my 15 most popular “7″ posts:

7 Ways I Protect My Heart and Marriage from an Affair

7 Reasons You Need Social Media as a Christian Leader

7 Dangers of Leading in Isolation

7 Actions for the Times God is Silent

7 Pieces of Wisdom for the Disappointments of Life

7 Reactions to Fatigue (What Happens When I’m Tired)

7 Tips for Healthy Marriage Communication

7 Ways to Keep a Leader on Your Team

7 Reasons Leaders Quit Your Organization

7 Values Of Brokenness

7 Tips For Surviving The Terrible Threes Of Parenting

7 Ways To Recover After A Major Failure Or Mistake

7 Things I Should Have Taught My Sons

7 Top Needs of a Wife

7 False Beliefs of the Leadership Vacuum

The titles speak for themselves. Which do you need to read or read again?

Do you think there is any significance to the number 7 in a post?

BTW, Thanks so much for being a reader of this blog. You can always help by linking to this post on your site, adding it to your reader, or telling your friends.

Three Easy Parenting Principles

Ron Edmondson — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 12:00:16 +0000

I am asked dozens of questions about what we did or didn’t do as parents. I am amazed that God has allowed us to raise the two young men we have in our house, but there were a few principles we practiced consistently.

Here are three principles for parenting I think all parents should consider:

Be intentional – Parenting is hard work. Don’t try it without a plan. It’s amazing how we tend to plan for everything in life, but seldom for our parenting. I know men who have a plan to improve their golf game, but nothing to help them grow as a father. If you want to be a great parent, you must be intentional about that role. Have an overall plan for your parenting and an individual plan for each child, depending on their needs at the time.

Shape the heart – The Bible is clear that we should “Above all else guard the heart for it is the wellspring of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) I believe in firm discipline. I also believe in extending much grace. More than anything, however, the parent should learn to know, protect and shape their heart of their child. It is that heart, which will determine the decisions and directions the child eventually makes in life.

Enjoy the ride – Children are children for a very short time. Enjoy those days. Be a fun parent, balancing love with discipline. Laughing together with your children will help relieve the stress of your life and keep them wanting to be close to you well into the difficult teen and early adult years.

For my complete parenting philosophy see THIS POST or read other parenting posts HERE.

Which of these do you most need to improve upon as a parent?

(Speaking of principles, be sure to read my disclaimer post about them from yesterday by clicking HERE.)

The Last Song Movie: Applications

Ron Edmondson — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 12:29:13 +0000

The movie “The Last Song” has a powerful story to tell. Cheryl and I watched it at the theater when it first came out earlier this year, but I watched it again on the plane heading to Africa recently. I encourage you to watch it.

The applications for me are:

People make mistakes, even the people we love the most
Tragedy brings families together…or further apart…
Love is hard, but it’s beautiful
Life is short
Relationships are worth repairing
Forgiveness is a powerful force

Don’t watch it unless you are prepared to shed a tear.

Do any of these applications sound like issues you need to address?

Have you seen this movie? What did you think?

Happy Father’s Day Challenge: The Nurturing Dad

Ron Edmondson — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 12:18:23 +0000

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 NIV

Fathers are not usually seen as the nurturing ones in a family. When my boy’s get sick, they don’t want me, they want Cheryl. The Bible, however, tends to also place the father in a nurturing position. We are told not to “exasperate” our children, which means not to wear them out with correction, but to “bring them up”. That phrase literally means that we spend time with them on a regular basis and encourage them in the development of their character. That sounds like nurturing to me.

The Bible tends to lay responsibility on the father to help set the tone or the climate of the home. A father, who is consistently harsh or is never satisfied with his children, will tend to produce children who lack the confidence to face tough situations in life. On the other hand, a father too quiet and passive to be intimately involved in the lives of children will likely lead to adults who cannot connect well with others, either in the workplace or in their own marriages and homes.

Fathers are often one of the best determinates of a child’s future success in life. If a boy never feels he meets his father’s approval, he may become either an underachiever or an overachiever, but he will likely never feel that he “measures up” in life. A girl whose father fails to affirm her will often seek that approval from another man, often in seeking inappropriate or less than ideal relationships. She may enter marriage unrealistically expecting something from a husband that he may or may not be able to give. I haven’t even mentioned the effects of an absentee or abusive father.

The biggest impact in the life of a child whose father never nurtures is that they often have a harder time realizing the nurturing aspect found in a loving relationship with a Heavenly Father. Without the model from an earthly father, they see God more in the role of Judge than of “Abba”; which is the Hebrew term for our modern “Daddy”.

I’m thankful for the grace and mercy of God that allows so many second chances for fathers who have missed the mark, but if we desire to be Godly fathers, we will strive to nurture our children in love.

For more thoughts on parenting, click HERE.

Happy Father’s Day!

What changes do you need to make this year to be a more nurturing dad?

Children Have Become Media Junkies

Ron Edmondson — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 12:16:12 +0000

Our children have become media junkies. The Kaiser Family Foundation recently released a study of children ages 8 to 18, which found, not surprisingly, that they are consuming a astounding amount of media entertainment each day. Children now consume an average of 7 ½ hours per day or 52 ½ hours per week of media saturation.

Consider the average daily media consumption of U.S. children according to the study:

Listening to music: 151 minutes
Watching television: 270 minutes
Playing video games: 73 minutes
Talking on cell phones: 33 minutes
Text messaging: 90 minutes
Nonschool computer use: 89 minutes

Do you find these numbers surprising?
Do they alarm you?
If the numbers are what they are, how does this impact the way we attempt to reach this generation with the Gospel?

Your thoughts? Do we run from this part of culture, ignore it or embrace it?

Source: ON MISSION magazine Summer 2010, from Kaiser Family Foundation, February 1, 2010.

4 Principles for Effective Parenting

Ron Edmondson — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 01:45:42 +0000

I said at the beginning of this message on parenting, delivered at Grace Community Church, that I could not answer the entire “how to” questions about parenting. My desire was to offer a paradigm of principles for effective parenting. I really do believe if you follow these principles you will truly live out the Biblical principle of “Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

The four principles are:

Be there

Be intentional

Be relational

Be consistent

I also shared this diagram. To understand the diagram and apply the principles, you’ll have to listen to the message.

For the audio version, go HERE

Father Influence Survey

Ron Edmondson — Sat, 22 May 2010 12:12:28 +0000

I’m working on some blog posts, messages, and eventually a book on the impact of fathering. I’m especially interested in addressing the absence of a strong father figure in a person’s life, since I see it as a huge scar in many people’s life.

You can help me with this part of my ministry. Please consider completing my survey on fathering. It’s quick and easy and all responses are anonymous. I understand in advance that just answering questions about your father may be difficult for some, but your responses may help others. Thanks!

Click HERE to access the survey. Feel free to send others here to complete it also.

Also as a part of this post, I would love for you to add your public comments on fathering and the impact it has on your life, either as a father or by your father as a comment on this post. What difference has being a dad made on your life? What influence did your father have on you? Who knows, your comment/story may make it into a book some day!

Thanks!

Life Encouragement to My Sons

Ron Edmondson — Sun, 09 May 2010 13:03:54 +0000

Here’s a quick message to my two boys. Jeremy and Nate are 21 and 18 years old. (This picture is a few years old, but it’s one of my favorites.) Jeremy just graduated from college last week. Nate finishes his first year of college next week. They are tremendous young men, but I realize they have some incredible opportunities ahead and I don’t want them to miss anything God has for them, especially not because they were unprepared. I wish someone had given me this advice when I was their age. (Perhaps you need to hear it as well.)

Boys:

I’ve messed up many times in life…

Please learn from my mistakes…

I’m not perfect now, but at least I’m headed in the right direction…

I wish I had started this path earlier in life…

Don’t wait to build your character, discover your life purpose, and chase your dreams…

Head your life early in the direction you want your life to eventually end…

Start today…

Do you need that encouragement today?

I’m curious: At what age did you start heading your life in the direction you ultimately want to go?

Read a letter I wrote to each of my boys HERE and HERE.

Free Fridays: Giving Away Five (5) Books to Shape the Family

Ron Edmondson — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:22:16 +0000

Winners of today’s Free Fridays:

John Payne – Love and Respect

Renee Garcia – That’s My Son: How Moms Can Influence Boys

Cris Pone – Love and Respect

Wilfredo Mora – Raising a Modern-Day Knight

Jennifer Janes – Love and Respect

I will attempt to email you, but if I don’t reach you, please email me with your address.

Congratulations! I’ve got another great book to give away next week.

My father passed away this week. He was so proud of my online involvement. You can read my tribute to him HERE.) He loved reading this blog. In honor of him, I decided I’d give away some of my favorite books for building the character of your children, your marriage, and your home. I have used them to better understand myself and my role as a husband and father. If I’ve learned one thing this week (and over the course of my life), building a healthy and happy home takes intentionality. If you are like me, you need all the help you can get.

This week, if you are selected, you will win one (1) book and you can pick any one of these five books:

Love and Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs by Emerson Eggerichs (The concepts in this book will radically change your marriage.)

For Men Only: A Straightforward Guide to the Inner Lives of Women by Shaunti Feldhahn and Jeff Feldhahn (If you are a man, you need to read this book sometime.)

For Women Only: What You Need to Know about the Inner Lives of Men by Shaunti Feldhahn (If you are a woman, you need to read this book sometime.)

Raising a Modern-Day Knight: A Father’s Role in Guiding His Son to Authentic Manhood by Robert Lewis (This book helped me shape the parenting of my two boys more than any other book.)

That’s My Son: How Moms Can Influence Boys to Become Men of Character by Rick Johnson (I haven’t read this, but Cheryl said it was phenomenal and contained many of the principles we used in raising our sons.)

To be clear (please read this sentence), I am giving away a total of 5 books, but each of the 5 entries chosen will receive the one (1) book they have chosen. I’m sorry there are no books specifically for raising girls, but I raised only boys. If you have girls, you may want to pick one of the first three books.

To enter simply:

1. Comment on this post with your name and/or Twitter name.

2. Tell which book you would like to receive if you are selected.

Twitter RT’s are appreciated.

You will have until 10 PM CST tonight to win. I will choose the winners using Random.org based on the total number of comments received.

Have fun and best wishes!