2015: A Focus on Strengthening the Family When children are between the ages of 11 and 13, they could feel as if they do not fit into childhood or being a teenager. When this happens they could experience an identity crisis. In addition, when children experience a marital divorce they could also feel as if they are a stranger within their own family. This is how Kristin Amanda Thomas felt in, “The Summer Before”. (Martin, 2010, p. 2). When children and teens go through big changes in their life, they need all the support they can get. Broken homes and dysfunctional families can only add to the stress of self-identity, school matters, friend disappointments, and life in general. The word of God speaks of having a wise counsel. In the Hebrew, tachbûlâh (takh-boo-law’) means guidance or having good advice, thus a wise counsel. There are various forms of wise counsels that parents and children can pray about using to get help with family issues. “Notice I said pray about, first.” Pastors, Elders, & Deacons || Teachers || School Counselors || Principals || Parents or your friends parents || A family therapist || Sunday School Teacher || your primary physician || Extended Family || Church Counselor etc. Often times, children are not spiritually mature enough to ask counsel of God like Saul did concerning the Philistines. (1 Samuel 14:36, 37). Jesus is our counsellor (Isaiah 9:6) who can divinely guide us concerning any family matter. Therefore, as Christian families we can seek God and seek him for additional wise counsellors as needed. (Proverbs 24:6). Watch the following video below. One way families can get help is through licensed family therapists. These Doctorate students produced a video to show how a licensed family therapist can help families to understand and interact better with one another. Retrieved from https://youtube/watch?v=mPW0UZd9gQ4 Recall, last week we learned that the basic family unit (which God divinely structured) is the foundation for social relationships even outside the family structure. Reading Resources [Book]: The Baby-Sitters Club: The Summer Before. By Ann M. Martin. “Help your child or teen read stories (age appropriate) similar to their situation in order to help them cope with their problems.” References Adelman, D., Farwell, L., & Saathoff, A. (Producers). (2008). Family Therapy: The Reilly Family. [YouTube Video]. Retrieved from https://youtube/watch?v=mPW0UZd9gQ4 Martin, A. M. (2010). The Baby-Sitters Club: The Summer Before. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 07:12:12 +0000
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