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This blog posts contains affiliate links to products mentioned in the post. For more information click here. Parents...I have a question for you. Are you happy with how your kids are growing up in this culture? Now, don't just say yes, and move on. Take a minute to think about the question.  I was listening to Focus on the Family recently on the radio. It was part 2, of a two-part show entitled, Keeping the Romance Sizzling in Your Marriage. Bill and Pam Farrel, the show's guests, we're talking about their book, Red Hot Monogamy (which Amy and I will be talking about on the blog soon). The subject matter centered on intimacy in marriage. But what caught my attention wasn't the topic, but something that Pam Farrel said in part 2. Jim, the shows host, asked the following question, "Pam and Bill, let me ask you this delicate question. Um, some in the Christian community feel that this topic is taboo, maybe even that the Lord isn’t pleased with it although He has created us in this way. What would you say to that couple that may struggle with even within the two of them, this kind of openness about their desire? Is it wrong, biblically, to have a desire for sex?" Pam responded with this answer. "I think it’s right, biblically. I mean God said, “Leave and cleave and the two shall become one.” It was like a command right at the very beginning in Genesis. And so before the church was formed, before there was a tabernacle, before there was a temple, God said there was a marriage. And the gift that he gave to solidify that marriage was the gift of intimacy. And so it really is up to us to protect and regain that gift that God so graciously gave." It was that last line of her statement the got me, it really is up to us to protect and regain that gift that God so graciously gave. (Quotes taken from the transcribed copy of the radio program titled, Keeping the Romance Sizzling in Your Marriage. You can read and/or list to both parts of the program by clicking on the links below.) The conversation continued as guests and hosts moved the discussion into areas of intimacy, struggles and issues with pornography. It all got me thinking, as a parent and a husband, what am I doing to instill God's truth into my marriage and my kids. We live in a culture that gives the freedom of life-style; and that life-styles draws us further and further away from what God originally intended for a husband and a wife. We can either sit back and watch culture continue to spill it's lies, or we can take a stand and speak about the Truth we find in scripture about the relationship between a husband and a wife. As I listened, I realized that it was up to Amy and I to not only protect our marriage, but to protect our children, and speak about what it looks like to live in agreement with God's word, especially when it comes to the most amazing gift that God gives outside of his Son; sexual intimacy. When Amy and I talked about starting a family blog, one of our goals was to create content that encouraged the family, helped the marriage, and glorified God.When Amy and I talked about starting a family blog, one of our goals was to create content that encouraged the family, helped the marriage, and glorified God. We are passionate about the family, raising our kids, and doing everything we can to strengthen and enjoy our marriage. It's what prompted Parents Talk, our web series that tackles topics such as raising kids and building healthy marriages. In the series we take questions and share our experiences. We'd love to hear from you! But, back to the original question. Are you happy with how your kids are growing up in this culture? Think about it. With cell phones and multi-media devices, social media and picture sharing apps, the internet in your pocket, TV programs that embrace the growing cultural norms, and news outlets that bend just as far right as they do left, are you okay with your kids growing up in this culture? As a parent with two adult children, one teenager and two tweens, what I once considered okay 6 to 8 years ago, I'm not sure I am okay with today. What I once thought was okay for my adult children when they were teens, I am now rethinking as my tweens approach their teen years. Things have drastically changed as technology continues to propel us into a deeper waters of temptation. I worry, more now than ever, about what my kids are viewing. I'm concerned with what they're hearing. And, it's forcing me to rethink the practices we once held with our older kids. Watch the Vlog Post... I wonder, am I the only one concerned? Am I the only one who still wants my kids to chase after God? To make His plans for their lives, THEIR plans for their lives. Am I the only one who still hopes that my kids will desire a healthy marriage and thus make the choices that lead them in that direction? I can't be. So, I'm asking, where are the parents who want more; more for their marriages and more for their kids? If your out there, what are you doing to raise your kids according to God's word and how are you strengthen your marriage so that you are experiencing the intimacy and joy that God desires for your relationship? Let's start a new conversation and let grow stronger families together! - j 
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