Here are two articles for you to read and contemplate this week. One is about parenting and other about reading.
In the article Three Areas in Which Parents Must Persevere, Pastor Scott Slayton reminds us to stay the course in 1) Quality Time, 2) Teaching and Discipline, and 3) Prayer. Most parents know what to do in raising their children. They know the basics of being good parents. They have wisdom and love. The problem comes in the day-to-day follow through and the consistency week-in and week-out. He says, “The hardest aspect of parenting is often not our lack of understanding, but our failure to persevere. As parents, what we need the most is to continue doing the little things every single day.” This article is a wise and gentle admonition to all parents. Happy persevering!
I have written many times about the value and importance of reading. I so desire that our families would be reading families –that our parents would set the example for their children by being active readers in their homes. This article presents a helpful argument for an important benefit of reading –loving others. Tim Challies in Reading Out of Love for Others argues that reading helps you to love and serve others more fully. While reading is typically perceived as a solitary act with great personal/individual benefits, it can make you more understanding of others and a better encourager of your family and friends. In my own reading, I often sense that reading deepens my empathy for the suffering and struggles of others. Challies discusses four practical ways reading helps us love others more effectively. Happy reading!

Scott Taylor, Headmaster