Building Strong Families

The conditions are right for Christ’s return to judge the world 🌎 What are those conditions? Do you know for certain where you will spend eternity? These are just a couple things that will be covered in this Bible study beginning in January. Two studies are offered: In person on Wednesday mornings or via Zoom on Monday evenings. Let me know if you are interested in either, and I will send you more information ℹ️

To Professing Christians:
Today, will your life bring honor or dishonor to the name of Christ?

Let’s keep our lives in perspective 🥰

Something to think about ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

Love and respect is taught. What a better place than the home to begin. This article is a great place to begin. Let's apply some of these and pass them on to our next generation.

https://familychristian.com/mind-heart/cool-school-teaching-etiquette-to-my-teenage-sons-in-a-relevant-way

"Cool School": Teaching Etiquette to My Teenage Sons in a Relevant Way. Mind & Heart Parenting

With the elections drawing near, we must remember that we are not voting for a person; we are voting for issues and how they will affect our families and our country in the years to come. Below is a link to show the different institutions that God put in place and the roles each one plays. Let's not allow our love for all people to be swayed based on who they voted for. We will all answer to God, not each other. Let your voice be heard in this election as to the direction you would like your country to go.

https://livingforhimllc.wordpress.com/2020/10/19/roles-of-the-family-church-and-government/

Roles of the Family, Church, and Government God is a God of great design and order. Nature itself shows us His order, power, and attributes (Romans 1:20). He created people to love, worship, and serve Him and to live in peace and harmony wit…

For those who are at home together with the whole family during this time of isolation, now like never before is the perfect opportunity to have meaningful conversations as a family. You don't know where to start? Well, here is a link to some great conversation starters. These are awesom!!

https://growingleaders.com/HomeChats/?fbclid=IwAR1LZewQBmG4JB1gdlCsF87Fm3N1wvVbAsb5TStdAGVL1DVjx2XPVjADWZY

Emotionally Healthy Kids Have Parents Who Ask These 5 Questions Daily-Word From The Bird

wordfromthebird.blog Here are 5 simple questions to ask that will help your child navigate through their emotions, as well as foster a health emotional relationship between you and your child. Your child's emotional and mental well-being is made better when you as the parent can better understand who they are, and how t

Her View From Home

This is a MUST read. My cousin is a foster parent with five children. She and her husband recently adopted four out of the five siblings! It has been a joy to watch her in this journey—just like it was a joy watching her grow up. I love how she "keeps it real" when it comes to living the life of fostering and adoption. She shared this on her personal page and I reached out to her to share it here because it is just that good and so very relevant.

Edited for privacy:

"Tonight, after 2.5 years of living here, my oldest son sat down at the table with this. He was about to chow down when I stopped him and asked what in the world he was doing.

He said, “I made myself dinner.”

“But it isn’t cooked. I can cook that you know.” (she said)

“Well, I wanted to eat something I used to eat a lot with my old family.”

So we sat down, and I asked him to tell me about it. He said that they wouldn’t feed him due to being passed out (you can guess why) and he would have to make dinner for himself and his brothers (two years old and four months old when they came to us). He said that all the money they had would be spent on ci******es and other fun things (😬) and so he would find change in their van and would buy Ramen packets at the store down the street (at age six!!!!).

He said he didn’t know how to boil water, so he would eat it like this. And, he actually grew to like it. So, he would break it up for his sibling, and would try to make bottles for the baby (at age six!!!!!!).

Guys. I asked him to make me some. And, I sat there beside him and crunched it down with lots of water because it’s not great—and he just started talking about how the first time I made them Ramen, he wouldn’t eat it, and I told him I remembered. He said it’s because it reminded him of his Ramen packets and he didn’t trust me (big thoughts for nine!).

He said he isn’t sad he’s not with his “old family” (his words) anymore, but that sometimes HE LIKES TO REMEMBER HOW STRONG HE HAD TO BE.

I write this so everyone knows, trauma isn’t healed quickly (sometimes never), an adoption doesn’t erase the past or the memories, kids can change, they will change with love, and to never give up on a kid because “they are hard”.

And then, I walked away in shock, in sadness, and so, so, so proud of how strong my baby is. He’s so wonderful. And, we love him so much."

Friends, THIS is the life experience of kids who come from hard places. THIS is living a trauma-informed life. We can't imagine what kids from hard places have lived through. It is not just about one act of abuse or neglect, it is about living in survival mode and doing it day in and day out. It is about making sure younger siblings are also surviving, even at the expense of childhood.

Trauma infuses itself into every pore. Kids just don't forget it. Their brains and bodies won't let them. Those of us privileged enough (yes, I said privileged) to enter into the lives of children with hard life experiences must be willing to sit down, eat uncooked Ramen noodles and listen. We must not give up.

Our kids didn't.

*via Barren to Blessed

To Save a Life

"In a world full of mean girls, let’s teach our children to be kind."
October is ! Together we can !

What Parents Need to Know About Grooming and Sexual Abuse

Important information! Well written article! Please share!

fatherly.com Here's what parents need to know to protect their children both online and in-person.

Sincerely, School Psychologist

tips from nationalonlinesafety.com

Prairie View Elementary

Reposted from

Support Building Strong Families Inc by shopping at AmazonSmile.

We would like to take a minute to thank everyone who uses Smile amazon to make all their amazon purchases. Amazon just deposited another donation. It does not cost you a dime and you are part of allowing Building Strong Families offer free services to many. If you currently do not use Smile amazon, follow this link and Amazon will donate a portion to us. Thank you again for being part of making families stronger!!

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smile.amazon.com When you shop at AmazonSmile, Amazon will donate to Building Strong Families Inc. Support us every time you shop.

To Save a Life

PERIOD.
Read this one to your daughters. Out LOUD.

So many great ideas!
Never forget our number one coping skill: remembering our God is right here with us. He is listening. He will never leave or forsake us. He understands our pain. He loves us.
Find Scriptures that combat fear and memorize them with your children. They will take those promises with them throughout their life struggles.

Support Building Strong Families Inc by shopping at AmazonSmile.

With Christmas shopping right around the corner, now is a good time to support Building Strong Families with NO cost to you. If you shop on Amazon, you can go through Smileamazon and they will donate .05 percent to us to help continue to offer free classes and counseling. Here is the link to sign up for Amazon to donate to us. Thank you in advance. https://www.amazon.com/gp/f.html?C=YHPN87VVYJ79&K=34XY1KE45FVQL&M=urn:rtn:msg:2018110715042588e1ee3c9687400a9590bc769b10p0na&R=223I2KJ6RFYY8&T=C&U=http%3A%2F%2Fsmile.amazon.com%2Fch%2F27-3944483&H=V7PV73SCDHA4VHE0AH0O6SDVNVUA

smile.amazon.com When you shop at AmazonSmile, Amazon will donate to Building Strong Families Inc. Support us every time you shop.

With teen mental health deteriorating over five years, there's a likely culprit

theconversation.com According to a new analysis, the number of US teens who felt "useless" and "joyless" grew 33 percent between 2010 and 2015, and there was a 23 percent increase in su***de attempts.

The Silent Tragedy Affecting Today’s Children

faithit.com "How much more evidence do we need before we wake up?"