UPDATE: My wife, Denise, has added a post on how talking played a major role in turning out great kid.

The two most important determining factors in raising well-adjusted children are if they have religious training and if the family eats dinner together. -From the Touchstone Magazine website

The greatest compliment Denise and I receive is how well our children have turned out. Noel and Clay are amazing young adults and we have more grateful joy in them than we do in anything we’ve done or accomplished.

Often, we are asked to write down “how” we raised such great kids. I’m sure we both answer that request the same way: “God did it!” Whatever we (and others) did right, God gave the grace and providence that made our kids what they are. We continue to see the work of God in their lives, even as adults who are living their own lives and making their own choices. From DNA to sparing us particular kinds of problems to the kinds of people that surround us in our community to the on-going work of the Holy Spirit, the “God” part of parenting is far, far beyond any choices we made as parents. [Continue reading]