What are the ten best decisions a couple can make for their family?  Bill and Pam Farrel offer some advice on how to establish a faith-filled legacy for ourselves and our children:

Bill boils it down to one main point. “What I learned is that information isn’t enough.” Just passing biblical principles on to your children won’t guarantee that they are saved.

Bill shares his own experience growing up without Christ and how God saved him from fear. “I knew how to make decisions out of fear. I was almost really good at some things but I would sabotage them right before they succeeded.” Parenting cannot be done out of fear but out of a sense of stewardship and love.

Pam shares her own revelations that came with having children:

• You are not in control

• Parenting hurts

• No one will ever be able to explain how much you love your child

Bill and Pam offer these tips for parents:

• Involve your children in choosing their discipline

• Look for your teenager’s giftedness and encourage those gifts

• Ask God for wisdom; He delights in giving us direction and creative ways to engage our children

• Start asking them – “Does this action show respect to God, People, and Self?” Pam calls this the GPS question and says it can apply both to children and adults.

• Don’t underestimate the power of a spoken blessing over your children; they will seem embarrassed but will secretly be empowered

• Model love, repentance, and forgiveness for your children within your marriage

These tips and more can be found in Bill and Pam’s book, .

Highlight : Parenting the strong-willed child

Steps to building a family legacy