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Review: Spiritual Parenting & BIG GOD!

Not since Parenting is HEART Work has there been another parenting book that I really liked. Most parenting books annoy me. Why? Because I find them gimmicky or filled with tricks and cliche’s that don’t treat children as unique creations of God wired by Him for a purpose. I’m passionate about this because as a boy I was one of those boys that drove my teachers crazy – I wasn’t rebellious, disrespectful, mean or insubordinate – but they might have called me a “bad boy” when I was out of ear shot. Because I didn’t come out of a cookie cutter. But if they could see me now, they’d understand, I’m a leader, a visionary, a creative innovator, inventor and initiator. An entrepreneur. A mover-and-shaker. I still can’t sit still. That is why I was hesitant when I was offered a free copy of Spiritual Parenting to review, because it was a new “parenting” book, and I hate parenting books! Parenting books teach parents how to get their kids to behave, and if you’ve been to any of my discipline workshops, you’ve heard me say, “I have absolutely NO interest in children behaving.” After the shocked faces recover, I assure…

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Are You On Track For My Fast Track?

Are you coming to San Diego in March? (previous blog post) Let me invite you to my ALL DAY Kidology Training! I’m looking forward to spending an entire day in sunny San Diego with a select group of folks talking about children’s ministry and enjoying some sweet fellowship. It will be a fun intimate setting with great practical training! GET MORE INFO! REGISTER NOW! TWEET IT: http://tinyurl.com/regCPC2011 TWEET IT: http://tinyurl.com/cpc11sdprecon

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A Balloon for God

Dear God, I love you! Luke. It’s not uncommon for a restaurant to offer my son a balloon. But I didn’t expect my son to say, “Dad, can I give the balloon to God?” My immediate instinct was to say no – thinking “That’s politically incorrect today!” You know, some bird might choke on it. It’s liter! But then the Holy Spirit whispered, “Your son is wanting to give a gift to God”, and suddenly I realized that wasn’t something I wanted to squelch. Sorry bird, but you choking is a risk I’m willing to take – at least once. So I went and found a marker at the host’s station, wrote a note to God on the balloon, explained to Luke this might be a one-time thing, and then we went outside and sent his Gift up to God. What fun it was to watch it drift up into the sky. After several minutes it was impossible to see, and then Luke said, “And now God has it. I wonder where He will put it? I hope He thinks of me when He sees it in His house.” If you ask me, God just might have plucked it out…

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Social Media Bad for Kids?

Social Media and Kids from a Conflicted Social Media Junky by Karl Bastian (a.k.a. Kidologist) See at the bottom how to WIN A FREE BOOK and Download the Complete Kidology Report on Social Media and Kids that includes additional authors. I both love social media and fear it. I can’t attack it too much or I’d be a hypocrite I have over 10,000 “tweets” so far, and nearing 1000 friends on Facebook, but why do I still feel so lonely? Social networking is a part of my daily – O.K., let’s be honest, moment by moment, life! I do not, not, think it is an addiction or bad for me! (I could quit any time I wanted to, right? I just don’t want to!) Quite to the contrary, it has given me yet another avenue to amplify the message God has given me to share. Unlike many who live their lives like a pin-ball game bouncing through life from one opportunity to another with no clear game plan, I sought God for a very specific Life Mission at age nineteen and have had a laser focus on that Mission ever since. It is written and defined and has enabled me…

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Dad School – In the Snow?

CONTEST UPDATE AT END OF POST Today it was pretty cold… and snowy, and when it came time for Dad School, I could tell my son would rather be outside playing in the snow than working on his alphabet. So what’s a Dad to do? Combine School and Snow together, of course! I had to shovel the driveway eventually today anyway – might as well use it as an educational opportunity, and as I like to say, “Kill two stones with one bird!” We bundled up and headed outside and worked on our letters, in the snow. Granted, we wouldn’t last long in the cold – but we had a great time. (My back might argue that last statement!) (Contest is over, but it was FUN!) Can you name the letters we worked on today? See how many of the letters you can name in COMMENTS. First person to name ALL FOUR correctly, WINS! Letter 1: Letter 2: Letter 3: Letter 4: NAME ALL FOUR LETTERS in Comments… you just might get a PRIZE! CONTEST UPDATE: This was a blast! (and quite crazy!) I had no idea I would get such a response, and it was very confusing to go…

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