We want to encourage you as you seek God's wisdom and embrace His grace on your journey through the beautiful and sometimes messy dynamics of family life. Whether you are looking for encouragement in parenting, marriage, fostering spiritual growth in your child, creating a Christ-centered home, or passing on a spiritual legacy, we pray the resources provided here serve as a source of inspiration in nurturing and strengthening your family relationships. 

When we hear the word family, we tend to think of two parents and their birth-children living together. But families come in all shapes and sizes: blended families, single parents or stepparents, adopted or foster children, and unrelated or extended family members who come to stay for a while or for a lifetime.

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Recently, I was talking to a friend about what my adult children were doing. All in their 20s at the time, one was just graduating college, another was in grad school, and the third was planning to go back to school after working full-time. 

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“Wow, you sure put an emphasis on education,” my friend noted. I thought about this for a moment. We never told our children they needed to pursue graduate degrees, although we did expect them to go to college. Perhaps because my husband has a Ph.D.— and between the two of us, three of our parents had medical degrees — our family clearly values education. While I recognize that higher education isn’t necessary or even desirable for everyone, I do admit that it’s part of our family culture.

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Your culture may be formed by where you live, your socioeconomic status, your values and your own heritage. It may involve unspoken expectations (“You will go to college.”), family rules (“Everyone has chores to do.”) or standards of behavior (“We don’t call each other names.”). It should also be molded by your faith.

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How do you make faith part of your family culture? Like the old adage says, “it’s more caught than taught.” That means making faith part of your everyday life. It says in Deut. 6:6-7, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” If Scripture is a priority in your own life, it will more naturally be a part of your regular interactions with your family. 

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Families need a firm foundation of faith on which to grow. For example, if kids see you reading and studying Scripture, praying, and attending church regularly, and if you give them opportunities to do the same, they’ll know faith is important to you. That doesn’t guarantee they will always remain firm in their faith, but it gives them an anchor they know they can come back to even if they stray. 

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There will always be challenges in the messy dynamics of family life, but it’s vital to acknowledge the role of faith in nurturing and strengthening your family relationships. Strive to prioritize your family members, seek God’s wisdom in your words and actions, and always embrace His grace. He is with you, and He will help you cultivate a thriving, Christ-centered family that honors Him and blesses others.