As we experience that God's love is ever present and independent of our successes or shortcomings, we learn much about loving our children. And as we grow in our understanding of what it means to love children, we learn more about the amazing nature of God's endless love. Yes, peers influence children's lives. But neither peers nor parents can control or predict how children will choose to live their lives. What parents can do is to love with enough joy and laughter sprinkled in so that their children will choose to maintain a relationship with them throughout their adult years.
Parents can also expand love for their children by showing hospitality to their children's peers.
Surrounded by such love and faith, both our children and their friends will have the opportunity to discover a loving relationship with their Creator. If they do so, we can once more be amazed by grace and filled with gratitude. Christian Reformed Church. She lives in Kitchener, Ontario. The following are some practices that families choose to meet their needs for connection, meaning, and community.