Mark: I believe work is important and beneficial, but it isn’t a separated secular or sacred thing that our Christian community has made it out to be. However, work isn’t the end all to be all, so the balance is valuing it correctly. Tonya: Being industrious, providing for yourself and/or your family, accomplishing something is good for […]
Our conversation continues as we focus on giving ourselves permission for ‘Me Time’… Mark: I’ve become more aware of the importance of ‘Me Time’. It may be more personality driven, but I definitely need time away from the kids and my spouse. It can take various forms in order for me to recharge, reset, unplug from […]
John: Besides making decisions together and balancing giving and getting, what other commitments are there between you and your spouse? Tonya: Because of our commitment to the Lord, we also believe in a commitment to grace and forgiveness. You are going to hurt each other; it’s part of human nature. So a commitment to give […]
John Gregory, Mark Stanifer and I continue discussing balance and how it applies in the married or single life. John: It seems there are two things to consider for keeping balanced in the marriage relationship. One, what do you individually have to do to bring balance to the relationship. Second, how does the couple work […]
In a technology saturated society, how have you found balance as a family? Mark: We have taken a very conservative view. We are a homeschool family, so traditional pressures aren’t as strong for us. But I can’t say we’ve landed well on this subject. This is something that I feel like my wife and I […]
2) How have you approached spiritual formation in your family that is balanced between legalism and “letting them find their way”? Tonya: As a home school mom I was with my kids A LOT! So walking the talk was important to me. I’m FAR from perfect, but always tried to live out what I spoke […]
John, Mark & Tonya continue their discussion, turning their attention to balance in the family! 1) What are the most important areas to maintaining balance in leading your family? John: To get the ball rolling here, the three things that came to my mind when I thought over this question were discipline, communication, and values. […]
Several years ago while I was still in seminary, I listened to a traveling evangelist share this story at a conference. He said he had been doing extensive travel and was home for two days in between two, weeklong trips. This was not abnormal for him. As he was packing for this trip, his 4-year-old […]
