by Susan Barnes | 19 Feb 2024 | Spiritual Lessons from Children
“Why keep my body for one person?” “Why commit to spending my life with one person?” “Why spend time at church when I get so little from it?” My teenagers grow up in a world where love has been reduced to ten minutes in bed with someone you like. Marriage has...
by Susan Barnes | 29 Jan 2024 | Spiritual Lessons from Children
The unexpected downpour, followed by sunny days, caused my teenager to look at our garden and exclaim, “Look at all those weeds!” However, the revelation wasn’t enough to motivate him to take action! He wasn’t a true gardener. While we may enjoy a beautiful garden,...
by Susan Barnes | 4 Dec 2023 | Spiritual Lessons from Children
“They haven’t replied.” The mother sighed as she looked at her phone. We ache over a fractured relationship with our child, regardless if they’re a teenager or middle-aged. Resolving conflict is never easy especially if our children choose to reject our values and...
by Susan Barnes | 20 Nov 2023 | Spiritual Lessons from Children
“Who is it?” asked the teacher, showing a picture of a notable person from history. Students are often encouraged to read the autobiographies of famous people or study their self-portraits. Though they have never met them, they have the opportunity to read about them...
by Susan Barnes | 6 Nov 2023 | Spiritual Lessons from Children
“But I only mowed it last week,” complained my teenager. “Why do I have to mow it again?” Healthy lawns need sun and rain. Too much sun and too little rain create little growth. But too much rain and too little sun doesn’t create growth either. Sun and rain are both...
by Susan Barnes | 23 Oct 2023 | Spiritual Lessons from Children
“Mum, I’m home.” One of my goals as a parent is to provide a safe home for my children. A place where they can relax and be accepted without having to prove anything. A place where the adults will love, care and protect them. A place where they’re free to express...
by Susan Barnes | 9 Oct 2023 | Spiritual Lessons from Children
“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” said my teenager with a wink, after announcing his selection as captain of the basketball team. It’s a phrase often quoted when someone clinches a good job, gains an early promotion, or beats a...
by Susan Barnes | 25 Sep 2023 | Spiritual Lessons from Children
“I can explain everything,” said my teenager the night after an impromptu party. Surveying the kitchen—the broken glass, empty chip packets, the half-eaten cake and the muddy footprints—I doubted that they would be able to explain any of the mess in a way...
