FIRST-PERSON: Don’t be silent
Staying silent may be advisable in certain social situations, Melanie Lenow writes, but "silence does not solve anything … in our relationship with the Lord."
FIRST-PERSON: From babies to teens
It's never too late to go back to the basics of parenting, Melanie Lenow writes, when children are in their pre-teen/middle school years and beyond. "[A] good hug, a good meal or nap, and a good laugh," she writes, "can be exactly what your child needs today."
FIRST-PERSON: Back-to-school prayers for our children
In the coming school year, Melanie Lenow will be praying that her children will grow in their love of God and that they will work "as to the Lord" and have opportunities to learn to love well.
FIRST-PERSON: When we complain
A complaining spirit "steals our light to the lost world," Melanie Lenow writes, noting that understanding God's call "in our innermost being" can lead to a "healthy growth of renewed purpose."
FIRST-PERSON: God gives only 2 choices
In a culture abounding with personal choices, Melanie Lenow notes that God gives only two choices: "Are we going to follow God's instructions and live in blessing or are we going to disobey and live in frustration?"
FIRST-PERSON: Anxious mom, sovereign God
Melanie Lenow realizes she can't keep her children safe 100 percent of the time, "but I know God loves them even more than I do and whatever He chooses to allow in their lives is for the purpose of His glory."
FIRST-PERSON: The idol of ease
The temptation to take it easy can become an idol, Melanie Lenow, a mother of four, writes. God intends for His followers to "work diligently and faithfully in whatever job, location or season He has for us," she notes. "When He calls you to rest, rest well. But in the meantime, work hard for the Lord, casting down any idol that stands in your way."
SANCTITY OF LIFE: Making a difference
Melanie Lenow is the mother of four children with Evan Lenow, an ethics professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. This column first appeared at the Biblical Woman website, biblicalwoman.com, a blog of Southwestern Seminary.
FIRST-PERSON: Marriage is a good thing
Melanie Lenow, a faculty wife at Southwestern Seminary, describes why marriage, as Proverbs 18:22 states it, is "a good thing."
FIRST-PERSON: ‘Naughty or nice’ shouldn’t matter
Columnist Melanie Lenow explains why it shouldn't matter whether a person has been naughty or nice in order to receive a gift at Christmas.
