Parenting is leadership. Leaders need courage.
“Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” Elizabeth Stone, professor at Fordham University
Our two sons, Cory and Jean Marc, are the pride and joy of our lives. Jocelyn’s and my best decision was to have children and God blessed that decision. Our joy increased when Jean Marc married Angie and they had two daughters, Quinn Marie and Lena Grace. If parenting is a high calling, grandparenting is a high privilege.
For almost 35 years, Dr. James Dobson and “family” have gone hand in glove. Though Jocelyn and I never personally met Dr. Dobson, he was a parenting mentor for us. One of his principles saved us from a lot of heartache as parents. He taught, “Differentiate between childish irresponsibility and willful defiance. Give grace to irresponsibility and discipline defiance.” That wisdom helped us let our boys be boys and not miniature men. We majored on the majors, and kept our non-negotiable behaviours to a minimum as they were growing up.
Parenting is leadership and leaders need courage. We have so much respect for single parents who are out there following this courageous calling, solo. It is difficult enough to raise a child with two parents let alone one, while working full time, and being the sole influence on this little person’s life.
Who is speaking into your life? Who is a parenting mentor for you? I’m glad to be a part of a church family that provides mentoring support to every family who wants it. Our HomePointe webpage is accessible to you. All our resources are free. “Intentional Parenting,” “Raising a Child With Special Needs,” “Blending Families,” “Launching Young Adults.” Take advantage of them and pass the word on to others. http://www.northpointechurch.ca/homepointe.shtml
