About

When we became parents we were pretty cocky and convinced that we knew what we were doing. But one by one they came, “gifts from God,” cleverly disguised as “aliens”… six of ‘em in ten years, who took over! What a privilege and what a challenge! Those six couldn’t have done a better job if they had conspired together and hatched a “plan,” but they convinced us we didn’t have a clue about what we were doing.

We were desperate for guidance, not the kind you find on Google, or FB, but we NEEDED Divine guidance and the owners manual. So we decided to dig in to the best seller of all time and find out what the Scriptures had to say about US…and how we should go about raising the children that God gave us. We discovered the Divine “essence” of raising children … the fundamentals … the irreduceable elements of what the bible says a child needs.

Well, that “bible study” has lasted over three decades and still continues...BUT we found ‘em THE FOUR ABSOLUTE ESSENTIALS, the “reading, writing and ‘rithmatic of what every child needs. We’ve: • Spoken on these four around the world … • Written a book that we’ve put off writing until recently called “The Art of Parenting,” • Been a part of producing a video series by the same name, and • We’ve recorded a 14 episode podcast series that talks honestly about what you need as a parent, what your child needs, and unpacks “The Four Biblical Essentials in Raising Children.” • Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Nope. Trying to do it according to His blueprints is the second most challenging assignment we’ve ever been given. The first? Fulfilling our covenant and loving one another for a lifetime.

So if you are weary of Google searches and you are looking for THE authority on raising children—you’ve found it … and it’s NOT us. It’s God and the B…I…B…L…E.

So if you are looking for a pair of parents who did it perfectly and raised perfect children, you need to go try find that on a Google search because you won’t find that here. What you will discover is that there are time proven Blueprints to guide you in one of the most grand, sacred privileges in life—loving, training, and shaping the character of God’s generational messengers that you send to a time you will not see. (adapted “slightly” from novelist Neil Postman)

And, if we may, could we suggest that you buy our book at familylife.com and read along as you listen to these 14 episodes.

YE-HAA!!! Dennis and Barbara Psalm 127:3-5 Psalm 112:1-2