Salvation Has Come To Your House

Every Christmas, most of us get together with family and celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. Therefore, it’s at this time of year when we’re thinking of both family and Jesus at the same time. We can’t help but think and pray about those in our families who do not know Jesus. Do you have members of your immediate or extended family that need to know Jesus? I was eighteen when I became a Christian. I celebrated Christmas for the first time shortly after that at nineteen. I was raised in a church that did not allow Christmas. My mother was led to the truth and accepted Jesus as her savior shortly after I had left home at eighteen.

When she started attending a Christian church every Sunday, her husband (my step dad), her six children (ranging from toddler to adult), many of her extended family, and the majority of her social circle were still attending the church she just left. A church that not only didn’t celebrate Christmas but also didn’t believe in the doctrine of salvation. A church that would tell its members to not have anything to do with anyone who left the church. She was understandably worried about how her new Faith would be viewed and if everyone would reject it and her.

One evening, not too long after her decision to live her life for Christ, no matter what the cost, she attended a Gospel banquet. The speaker prayed for her and while he was praying (even though he did not know her or her situation) said, “Don’t worry, today salvation has come to your house.”

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More about Rick on the Personal Side

As you know when God calls us to do a work, he trains us for that work and often takes us through things that prepare us for the task. Real life is a really great teacher. I do not believe that God authors all of our difficulties. For example James tells us that God does not tempt us with evil. (James 1:13)

However God will teach us and strengthen us while he guides us through whatever comes our way and he will work everything out when we are walking with him. (Romans 8:28)

Having said that, I believe that God has wonderfully (and by his grace) taken me through some big and small storms and through it all he has prepared me to help and encourage and equip other parents and families. Here is the brief story.

• I was raised in a religious home without knowing Jesus as my savior.
• My parents separated when I was six. My Mom (a single mother on social assistance) raised my three siblings and me.
• I stopped listening to anyone at the age of thirteen and became a rebellious worldly teenager.
• My mother married my stepfather when I was thirteen.
• My father had remarried earlier and I have two half brothers and a half sister.
• My mother committed her life to Christ when I was about 17 and started praying for her family.
• I gave my life to Christ and my life was changed forever just before my 19th birthday.
• Shortly after this I married my high school girlfriend when I was 20.
• We had three children.
• When the kids were still quite young, my wife left. (This was the most difficult time of my life.)
• Although the children’s mother saw them, they lived with me full time and I experience what it’s like to be a single parent.
• Even though I was free to remarry, I told God that I was willing to stay single and devote more time to my children and helping other parents.
• God had another plan.
• A friend of mine who also was friends with the owner of eHarmony was insistent that I should give eHarmony a try. Even though I ignored him, he kept it up.
• When others started telling me the same thing I started to wonder. Then when the owner of eHarmony emailed me personally (in response to a request from our mutual friend) and invited me to join, I felt that God was in it.
• Through a wonderful series of Godincidences I met Luba and five months after our first date we were married.

Although in the beginning I promised myself that my family would never break apart, I now have a second wife and my children have a stepmother.

These are the personal family details in a nutshell. I have shared this with you to show that I am just a normal guy walking through a bumpy life trusting God. All the while doing my best to parent God’s way, allowing him to strengthen, teach and guide me through all life’s ups and downs.

And through it all, I believe one of the reasons he has taught me (and that I have gone through some of what I have gone through) is so that I could with grace, turn and help, strengthen, encourage and equip others who are facing the same and similar bumps.

My oldest daughter is now married to my awesome son-in-law and my first grandchild is providing me with more life experience to pass on. My second daughter is attending college and my teenage son (my inspiration for my books for boys) is still at home.

The Legend of the Christmas Stocking

THE LEGEND OF THE CHRISTMAS STOCKING

Many Christian parents feel torn at Christmas time. Torn between allowing their kids to enjoy all of the colorful cultural fun and gift giving and instilling in them the importance of the real meaning of Christmas day.

The books in this series were designed to give Christian parents the tools they need to strike the balance by digging up the true Christian origin and meaning of some of the more fun and colorful traditions of the season.

Millions of families have successfully used these books, with their fun stories and classic illustrations, to promote both the celebration and meaning of Christmas.

Christian Parenting Daily did a great article called the Legends of Christmas – click here to read about the Christian origins of the Christmas Tree, Christmas Stocking and the Candy Cane.

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The Legend of the Christmas Tree

 THE LEGEND OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE

Many Christian parents feel torn at Christmas time. Torn between allowing their kids to enjoy all of the colorful cultural fun and gift giving and instilling in them the importance of the real meaning of Christmas day.

The books in this series were designed to give Christian parents the tools they need to strike the balance by digging up the true Christian origin and meaning of some of the more fun and colorful traditions of the season.

Millions of families have successfully used these books, with their fun stories and classic illustrations, to promote both the celebration and meaning of Christmas.

Christian Parenting Daily did a great article called the Legends of Christmas – click here to read about the Christian origins of the Christmas Tree, Christmas Stocking and the Candy Cane.

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801 Questions Kids Ask about God

801 QUESTIONS CHLDREN ASK ABOUT GOD

The best time to teach anyone anything is when he or she asks a question. Why? Because that is the time when the questioner has a desire to learn. Unfortunately, when our children ask us questions about God, Heaven, the Bible etc. we are often not prepared with the answers and the moment passes. Or worse yet we do our best to answer without really knowing for sure what the Bible says.

This book is a compilation of the original 8 books in the ‘101 Questions Kids Ask’ series. It was put together to provide parents with a handy reference for help answering their children’s questions when they arise.

The big difference between this compilation and the original books is that only a small amount of the over 800 illustrations have been included and the ones that are included are very small. This is ideal if you want the handy reference but if you are looking for a family devotional for your young children (ages 4 – 8 ) or a personal devotional for your older children (ages 7 – 12) it is best to use the original individual titles. The illustrations draw the children in and keep them wanting more.

Ideal as a ready reference for families with children of all ages.  Buy Now

Fun & Active Devotions for Kids

THE ONE YEAR BOOK OF FUN & ACTIVE DEVOTIONS FOR KIDS

This One Year devotional was specifically designed for parents of elementary school-age children who want their devotional time to be a little more interactive.

This resource gives you simple related activities that will help the kids stay focused and help make the lesson more memorable.

Each day’s devotional also has an illustration, a reading and a key Bible verse.

This book is ideal for home-schoolers and/or families who like to have their Bible learning or devotions during the day or in the early evening. Buy Now

Amazing Questions Kids Ask Series

AMAZING QUESTIONS SERIES

The best time to teach anyone anything is when they ask a question. Why? Because that is the time when the questioner has a desire to learn. Unfortunately, when our children ask us questions about God, Heaven, the Bible etc. we are often not prepared with the answers and the moment passes. Or worse yet we do our best to answer without really knowing for sure what the Bible says. This series of books was created to help with this need and help parents give their children great answers when they are the most curious. In order to really make the book authentic every question we used was actually asked by a real kid. Millions of families have not only used these books for a handy reference but also as family and children’s devotionals to inspire more curiosity. Can be read with 4 – 8 year olds and is also ideal for use as a personal devotional for 7 – 12 year olds to use on their own.

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What Rick is currently working on

In addition to writing his weekly blogs at Christian Parenting Daily, Rick has also begun work on his next full length book ‘Putting The “Sweet” Back In Home Sweet Home.’ This book will focus on family strife issues like sibling rivalry, teenage rebellion, blended families and parental strife. It will walk families through the seven practical and Biblical steps for creating and maintaining a peaceful, loving home and strong growing relationships. Rick’s books have sold close to ten million copies worldwide. The felt need for this book is great and we’re looking forward to the positive impact that it will have on families. If you’d like to be put on our list to be notified when the book is made available, please email us and enter ‘Book List Request’ in the subject line.

Finally, Rick is continuing work on the first ever Sunday School program that will unite church and home in a Biblical partnership for the progressive and intentional spiritual and moral development of children. Stay tuned to this site for more news on the Partnering With Parents program.

Parenting at the Speed of Life

PARENTING AT THE SPEED OF LIFE

Most of us struggle to find blocks of time to spend with our children. Time that we feel will help us strengthen our bond and relationship with them. However the truth is that it’s what we do with the many everyday moments we have with our children that more powerfully effect our relationships. I wrote this book to give parents easy to read, simple to implement ways of using those small reoccurring moments to build their relationships and make their homes a more peaceful place to be. Readers have expressed their amazement about how doing such simple things consistently can make such big changes in their families!

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Mealtime Moments

MEALTIME MOMENTS

The idea behind this resource was to provide mealtime conversation starters for those parents who feel that the conversation around the dinner table could be used more constructively and possibly as a family devotion time. (It is a nice alternative to those long prayers that let the food get cold.)

I would recommend it for families with children between the ages of five and early teen. It is ideal for those that would like to capture this time and spur on conversation about our Faith on a daily bases. But it is also beneficial for diving into from time to time and finding the topic that is your family’s current hot potato and use it to get the discussion rolling.  Buy Now

 

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