August 2025 Newsletter

August 2025 Newsletter

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Faith and Busyness

We live in a culture that glorifies busyness. Everywhere we look, everyone is busy. We wear it like a badge of honor so everyone can see it. We’re so busy that we pass it on to our kids so that they learn to be busy, too. But they’re also learning other things. As a society, we’ve come to believe two myths:

MYTH #1: If you’re busy, you’re important, productive, and will be successful.

Being or appearing busy does not mean any of those things. Being busy is just being busy; often too busy. It also does not bring peace. Choosing fewer activities does not mean your child will be more or less successful than anybody else. It will, perhaps, give them more breathing room to relax and think about their faith and life.

MYTH #2: If you’re not busy, you’re lazy, unproductive, and won’t be successful.

Choosing not to overschedule your kids in no way means they won’t be successful. There is no certainty that a busy child will be in professional sports, get into the best college, become successful, or live a happy, contented life. On the other hand, perhaps your child could benefit from an activity or two.

This is one more place where balance is important. Extracurricular activities (dance, taekwondo, sports, art classes, theater, etc.) can increase social skills, leadership skills, self-esteem, confidence, and improve mental health. Kids also get to explore some of the interests unavailable in academic classes. The problem comes when they’re in so many that they have too little time for free-play, and for faith-related activities.

Faith does not grow through busyness. It grows through reflection or pondering God, spending time with His Word, thinking about it, talking about it, and in prayer. Balance comes when we make priorities and wise choices, provide opportunities for faith-growing activities for our families, and for our kids to do them on their own as they grow and make their own life choices.

  • Jesus said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. (Mark 6:31)
  • But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. (Luke 2:19)
  • I will ponder all your work and meditate on your mighty deeds. (Psalm 77:12)
  • Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or the left; turn your foot away from evil. (Proverbs 4:26-27)

It is hard to do these things when there is no time to relax and do them. Kids are a gift from God that each of us has been given to raise as God’s children. Parents are stewards of their kids’ childhood to prepare them to live Christian lives. Just as their brains grow, kids' faith grows and matures. If they're too busy doing earthly activities, we may find that they develop an immature faith that doesn't prepare them to face life's challenges, and brings less peace, contentment, and the confidence that, as long as God is in heaven, they will be fine.

What to do?

  • Pray that you prioritize activities according to what you think is most important for their lives, and that you live according to those priorities.
  • Young kids need their activities managed for them. Know what they can and cannot handle. If you ask, they will say they love it all, even if they’re behavior screams I’m tired and frustrated. They trust you for that in the same way that they trust you to give them food.
  • Teach your kids to make wise choices. They can do another activity if they let one go.
  • Teens need guidance. They are so concerned about fitting in and FoMO (Fear of Missing Out) so much that they will overschedule themselves. They need to learn to make wise, not emotional, choices.
  • Stop comparing your life and your kids to everything you see on social media, TV, or in movies. Set yourself and your kids free from comparison. It’s the thief of joy!

Make Choices Through Questions

  • What is your definition of success for yourself?
  • What is your definition of success for your child(ren)?
  • What is the benefit of each of the activities you choose for your child(ren)?
  • What motivates your teens to choose to do what they do? What do they love about it? Who else is doing it?
  • How often do you eat together as a family? Do you need more time together?
  • Where do faith activities fit into your child(ren)’s busy schedule? How many Wednesdays or Sundays are they not in church? Are they getting the biblical foundation they need?
  • How much time do you as a family have for talking, reflecting on your lives and God’s place in them, and praying together?

Remember, it’s okay to JUST SAY NO! to any activity for you or your kids that is not faith value added or takes away from the time you find valuable for your kids (even teens) to play outside, lie in the grass, look at the clouds, and think, “Wow. God is so cool.”

Laura Langhoff Arndt is an author and teacher of the faith with an MA in Classroom Instruction, and Director of Christian Education certification in the LCMS. She is the founder of the blog, Carpenter’s Ministry Toolbox.

Here it comes - Another School Year!

What will yours be like? Some kids love school and look forward to it each fall, but for others, it can be a time of struggle socially, academically, or both. Even kids who look forward to school can have challenging days, or even weeks. School years are fraught with ups and downs for teachers, parents, and students.

Balance of Time

Parents are a big part of whether or not a child enjoys or does not enjoy school. My mom loved the social part of school, but struggled with many of her classes. As a result, she didn’t want to push us too hard, but sometimes didn’t push enough. As parents, making sure we know when to push and when to let things go can be a game of balance. We want our kids to grow up to be good, God-loving, and God-fearing people who try their best and are successful, keeping in mind that every child's best is not the same. Sometimes our lives become out of balance, and sometimes our expectations push our child’s life out of balance, or let our child slide away from doing their best. Balance between free time, study, activities, and faith is what we strive for. An appropriate time for all of these is important for our child’s physical and mental well-being.

Talking About Electronics…

We’re learning more and more that electronics, social media, and time spent online have a greater negative impact on our kids' lives than we might have realized. This school year, we need to be aware of a few more electronic possibilities, such as AI (Artificial Intelligence). When kids become stressed about their grades or may not want to write a paper, they may turn to AI for help.

Did you know that kids, especially teens, know how to access AI to not only give them the answer to their math problems, but also show them the work? It can not only check their paper, but also tell them how to fix it or write it for them? This can be both good and bad. Using AI to learn is one possibility; the other is to use it to do the work for them, and get the high score without the learning. Before school starts is a good time to talk to your kids about the ethics and dangers of not putting in the work it takes to learn, even when it gets hard. It might not hurt to help them know what to say to their friends who may be encouraging them to do this, thinking it's not a big deal. Not learning is a big deal.

Life today is not like it used to be. There are many issues that most of us have never had to deal with. Here are some ideas to help you get ready for the year, in the hope that your child has a smooth entry at any grade.

  1. Start praying now. (There’s a prayer for this at the end of the newsletter.) Be sure not only to pray that your child has a good year, but that they will be able to cope with the challenges they face, that they find good friends, and that they will be kind, respectful people to their peers and their teachers. Don’t forget to pray for yourself as a parent. Pray that you deal with issues that arise concerning your children, other parents, and their teachers with a calm head, patience, and wisdom.
  2. Start routines early. Especially if your child hasn’t been getting up early enough, get them up and going before the first day of school. This applies to teens, too. Many may have been staying up later than they usually do during the school year. They need their sleep, and the answer isn’t getting up later, but going to bed at a more reasonable time.
  3. Start reading back-to-school books and devotions now. (See the list below.) It’s time to get them in the school zone, especially if they are prone to stress concerning school.
  4. Let them pick some of their own back-to-school items or clothes. This helps them get excited. Choices are always a good idea for younger kids, but boundaries are good for older kids.
  5. Ask about and listen to concerns your child might have about this year. Both elementary, middle, and high school kids have concerns. They may be about the work they'll have to do, but teens may have more social concerns. There are mean kids in every grade, but social media bullying more commonly affects teens than kids in elementary school. Please talk about their social media use.
  6. Attend your school’s open house to meet the teacher. Most middle and high schools don’t have back-to-school open houses, but most elementary schools do. Meeting their teacher and seeing their classroom is a good way to get them comfortable with going back to school.
  7. Talk about coping strategies. What if this happens…? Some crazy things happen in schools today. Be sure to teach all of your kids coping skills. It's not that nothing bad happens in schools; it's that we want our kids to have the skills to deal with it. This includes issues with teachers. Not every teacher is fantastic, but kids also spin what happens in school in their favor. Your kids need to know what to do when something seems unfair or if the teacher is unfair. The older your kids become, the more respectfully they should approach the teacher to talk about a situation. Please encourage them to talk to their teachers before they talk about their teachers to friends and family members.

Below is a list of back-to-school books and devotions that might help your kids, no matter what their age. Some will and some won’t be what your child needs. Always check them out yourself to be sure. It’s always good to start on a positive, encouraging note. From a former teacher, the first days of school were always some of my favorites. I wish you all a happy and successful re-entry!!

Elementary

Middle/High School

Submitted by Laura Langhoff Arndt

Encouraging Faith: REST

The first thing we learn about God is that he worked, and then he rested. After God created everything, he rested. He thought rest was so important for us that he blessed the seventh day, setting it aside as a day of rest. In Hebrew, Sabbath means stop or cease. God wants us to stop our usual activities and give time to worship, reflect, and renew. This is what God wants because he knows we need it; you need it, your family needs it, and your kids need it. Being constantly on the go with our earthly activities does not give true rest; true rest is not just rest for the body, but rest for the soul. Spend time with your Creator.

In Every Issue

Family Ministry Idea: Sonshine Notes

Sonshine notes are simple notes that you can drop into your kids’ notebooks, backpacks, or lunch boxes/bags to remind them of how much they’re loved by God (an encouraging Bible verse) and you, that you’re thinking about them if you know they’re having a tough day, that they’ll do fine on their test as long as they do their best, or just how cool you think they are. Sonshine notes can be Post-it notes, cards, or anything you want them to be.

Parent's Prayer

Heavenly Father,
You have created all of us, and you know us inside out. Only you know the joys and challenges (child) will face this year in school. Only you know the best way to deal with these things. You love our children even more than we do. Lord, I ask that you encourage (child) to turn to you when they are hurt, confused, or troubled. Help (him/her) to remember what you and we have taught them so that they can cope with whatever arises with grace and integrity. Help them to be good friends, and kind, respectful people to their peers and their teachers. Lord, I also ask that you work in me so that I make wise parenting choices when concerns arise. Give me a calm head, patience, and wisdom as I deal with issues concerning teachers, other students, and parents. Amen.