I’m married to a pretty fabulous man.

Bruce is kind, positive, loving, intelligent, wise and successful. From the time we were dating I’ve also been impressed with how well he gets along with his sisters and how his family loves one another well. Not only do they love each other well, they all love to serve and care for those around them.

Now I’m telling you all that not to brag, but to give you credentials for today’s podcast guest, Rosemary MacFadyen, my mother-in-law.

Married to a successful general surgeon, mother to 4 (3 girls, 1 boy), grandmother to 12 (9 boys, 3 girls) and minister to many, Rosemary lives a full and godly life.

Over the past 18 years of knowing the MacFadyen family I’ve tried to ask as many questions as possible about growing up in their home, about how they did things and what makes them special.

In today’s episode we all benefit from Rosemary’s wise approach to mothering. She shares the principles that led her parenting decisions and daily actions. We also discuss the benefits of serving internationally as a family, including their time in Liberia, years ago.

(I’ve titled the episode with “5” principles but really I think we surpass that number. . .).

• The use of logical consequences instead of nagging.
• Letting children work out their own disagreements.
• Staying emotionally uninvolved from your children’s bad behavior.
• The importance of morning time of prayer and Bible reading.
• Never talking about one child to another, or even talking about your children’s decisions to a friend.
• Realizing once you say something it’s out there and can’t be taken back.
• Importance of telling your husband what is important to you.
• If you aren’t part of a problem, then you won’t be a part of the solution.
• Getting involved in a another person’s problem, the problem can sometimes escalate.
• To grow like Jesus grew in 4 different areas: wisdom, stature, favor with God, favor with man (Luke 2).
• The importance of helping your children develop a personal relationship with God.
• Helping your children hide God’s word in their hearts.
• How your love for God’s Word can transfer to your children.
• Praying with and for your children.

You have God, the Creator of the whole universe, ready to listen to you, why would we not pray?

• The Bible gives principles for living, boundaries you can use in parenting.
• Parents involving your children in ministry sets a standard for your kids of life including service.
• Observing your child’s skills and plugging them into your family ministry.
• An experience they had with two of her daughters running a guest house in Liberia.

If perfect was what was required in having people in our homes then none of us would do anything, because none of us could do it perfectly.

 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Luke 2:52