Let's Parent on Purpose: Christian Marriage, Parenting, and Discipleship

Pastor and author Jonathan Pitts joins me once again, this time to talk about the growth and adjustments from his newly blended family. We discuss setting-but also adapting-expectations, the mix of grief and joy in a blended family, and giving one another grace with feelings and emotions.   Jonathan Pitts is an author, speaker and the executive pastor at Church of the City in Franklin, Tennessee. He previously served as the executive director at the Urban Alternative, the national ministry of Dr. Tony Evans. Jonathan has co-authored two books alongside his late wife, Wynter Pitts. He is also President and co-founder of For Girls Like You Ministries, an equipping and resourcing ministry for tween girls and their parents. Jonathan is the father of four daughters and is blessed to be newly married to his wife Pita Pitts.   Resources Mentioned: Sign Up for My Things For Thursday Email - https://bit.ly/3EDH56y Jonathon’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/pittsjr26/?hl=en The Journey Podcast - https://www.christianparenting.org/podcasts- post/rescued-from-the-fear-of-loneliness/ The Chip Dodd Eight Feelings Chart https://sagehill.co/eight-feelings/  

Parenting doesn’t stop just because your children turn 18. But it sure can be confusing! Willow Sanders joins me to talk about the transitions from boss to coach to advisor that a parent must make over the years. We share our struggles and encouragements as we seek to navigate the challenges of parenting adult children in a healthy way.   Willow Sanders is the director of Student Services and Protect the Heart Ministries for CareNet of the Treasure Coast. Willow has served the Treasure Coast for over 2 decades and has two adult sons.   Resources Mentioned: Sign Up for My Things For Thursday Email - https://bit.ly/3EDH56y https://protecttheheart.org Talking to Your Children about Sex with Willow Sanders - https://letsparentonpurpose.com/2018/03/18/talking-to-your-children-about- sex/

Family worship is one of the most transformative habits a family can have. It’s also very intimidating to most moms and dads. Dr. Rob Rienow, founder of Visionary Families, helps simplify the process of starting and continuing family worship. With a simple toolbox of prayer, Bible reading, and other elements, you can implement a healthy habit of family worship in your home no matter the age of your children.   Dr. Rob Rienow’s most important ministry is loving his wife Amy and partnering with her to lead their seven children to love God. He is the founder of Visionary Family Ministries (www.visionaryfam.com), a pastor, international conference speaker, and the author of several books including Visionary Parenting and Visionary Marriage. When Rob is not fishing for men, he enjoys fishing for fish. The Rienow family lives in West Chicago, IL.   Resources Mentioned: www.VisionaryFam.com www.Facebook.com/VisionaryFam www.Twitter.com/VisionaryFam www.YouTube.com/visionaryfamilyministries PODCAST www.VisionaryFam.com/podcast Sign Up for My Things For Thursday Email - https://bit.ly/3EDH56y

When Stacy Callender was a young mom she felt burdened as her children entered public school. This burden led her to join a Moms in Prayer group that changed the trajectory of her life, family, and mission. Stacy and I talk about the work of God through prayer, and how we grow in courage and faith by consistency praying with others. You can’t help but be encouraged as you listen to Stacy’s story and her infectious joy!   Stacy Callender is the host of the Moms in Prayer podcast. She has been involved in a Moms in Prayer group since her oldest child started kindergarten in 1999. She has served as the Southern California State Coordinator, and also in Women’s Ministry at her local church. She and her husband, Scott, live in Southern California where they have raised their four children, Megan, Bryce, Madison and Brendan. During her free time, Stacy can be found eating Mexican food, hiking, reading or bargain hunting. Resources Mentioned: • Sign Up for My Things For Thursday Email - https://bit.ly/3EDH56y • Moms in Prayer https://momsinprayer.org • Moms in Prayer Podcast https://momsinprayer.org/resources/ podcast/  

It’s a challenge to balance boundaries and freedom, adventure and responsibility when raising a boy. My guest Monica Swanson shares here experience of raising boys who are sensitive to the things of Jesus while still being strong and capable in the face of the world’s trials. She gives examples of success and failures in her process as well as her insight into creating a “character training course” for her son when he needed extra focus.   Monica Swanson is the author of the Boy Mom book and a blogger at monicaswanson.com. She shares encouragement and inspiration for raising boys in today's world. Monica shares practical advice and biblical wisdom through honest conversations, interviews with other boy moms, and light-hearted humor.   Resources Mentioned: www.monicaswanson.com The Boy Mom Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-boy-mom-podcast-withmonica-swanson-and-friends/id1468061855 Boy Mom- What Your Son Needs Most From You - https://amzn.to/3H3d7t2 Sign Up for My Things For Thursday Email - https://bit.ly/3EDH56y  

Sometimes our worst fears in parenting do come true. When Daniel and Kelly Crawford were pregnant with their first son Abel, they learned that he had a life limiting diagnosis. Directed to find services to terminate the pregnancy, they instead chose to carry their little boy to birth. They were gifted fifteen days with their little Abel. Their experience led them to reach out and minister to other families facing similar scenarios. It also gave them perspective as they raise their other special needs children. This is an honest yet hope filled conversation about the sadness and sweetness of dying dreams and and an enduring gospel hope.   Daniel and Kelly Crawford have been married since December 2013 and reside in Dallas, Texas. They have three children (Abel, Mayfield, and Deacon) who were all born on the exact same day in 2016, 2017, and 2019. Yes, January 22 is a big day at the Crawford house! They co- founded Abel Speaks in 2018 to support families who have chosen to carry a child with a life-limiting diagnosis. After walking that road with their firstborn son, Abel, they realized the significant need that existed for parents in their position. The vision of Abel Speaks is that every family they serve will cherish their child’s life and have hope in the midst of sorrow. This ministry is but one example of the redemptive truth that God never wastes an ounce of our pain, and the Crawfords love to write and speak on the ways that God can and does use our suffering for his glory and our good. Go to AbelSpeaks.org to find out more.   Resources Mentioned: Instagram -@abelspeaks Facebook - www.facebook.com/abelspeaks.org Website - www.abelspeaks.org The vision of Abel Speaks https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=qLJrbTZpQB8 A Parent’s Guide to Sorrow & Suffering- www.abelspeaks.org/ store Sign Up for My Things For Thursday Email - https://bit.ly/3EDH56y

When Steven and Mary Beth Chapman took their 11 year old daughter Emily on a mission trip to Haiti, it changed the trajectory of their family. A burden to adopt started with Emily and spread to each family member. As the Chapmans adopted three children from China, God connected them with other families that needed support in their own adoption journeys. 8,000 children later, Show Hope is still resourcing moms and dads to enlarge their forever families. Mary Beth joins me to share their story as well as her incredible wisdom for others who are at every step of the adoption process. This is a conversation for more than just adoptive families. It takes a practical and spiritual village to adopt a child!   Steven and Mary Beth were married in October of 1984 and have six children – three biological children, Emily Chapman Richards (married to Tanner and mom to three daughters Eiley, Della, and Verity), Caleb Chapman (married to Julia and dad to son Noble and daughter Olive "Ollie"), and Will Franklin Chapman (married to indie artist Jillian Edwards and dad to daughter Willow Faye), and three daughters adopted from China, Shaohannah Hope, Stevey Joy and Maria Sue, who is now with Jesus. The Chapmans live in Franklin, Tennessee.   Resources Mentioned: • Sign Up for My Things For Thursday Email - https://bit.ly/3EDH56y • https://www.marybethchapman.com/ • www.showhope.org • howtoadopt.org

Kids and teens are more stressed than ever. As our world bombards them with social media, bad news, and inescapable connectedness, researchers are finding depression and anxiety rates are higher than ever. Author and counselor Eliza Huie joins me once again with great practical advice for moms and dads on fostering emotional health in every stage of their children’s lives. We talk about the importance of nurture, understanding your child’s capacity, regarding their feelings, cultivating hope, and knowing when and how to get help.   Eliza is a counselor, author, speaker, and trainer committed to providing care and resources for the whole person. Trained both biblically and clinically, she understands the complexities people face in their spiritual, emotional, and physical lives.   She holds a Master of Arts in Counseling and has advanced certificates in biblical counseling from The Christian Counseling Educational Foundation (CCEF) and The Association of Biblical Counselors (ABC). She is also a licensed clinical professional counselor.   Eliza is the director of counseling at McLean Bible Church located in the Washington D.C. metro area. She is the Dean of Biblical Counseling for Metro Baltimore Seminary in Maryland. She and her husband Ken have been married for almost 30 years and they have 3 grown children and a lovely daughter-in-law.   Resources Mentioned: Raising Emotionally Healthy Kids - https://us.10ofthose.com/raising- emotionally-healthy-kids-help-for-parents-paperback/ Eliza’s other books - https://us.10ofthose.com/search.php? search_query=eliza Sign Up for My Things For Thursday Email - https://bit.ly/3EDH56y

Our culture is obsessed with influencers and leadership, but parents often forget that their primary opportunity for leadership and influence is in their own household. My guests Jeff and Terra Mattson talk with me about the distance between what we say and what we do in our families, and how that damages our credibility. We discuss the necessity to recognize the influence of our own childhood families, the importance of grieving trauma and loss, and empathizing even when we don’t agree with the other side.   Jeff and Terra are a husband and wife team who co-founder of Living Wholehearted, LLC, a professional counseling and organizational consulting firm outside of Portland, Oregon and a global movement for moms and daughters called Courageous Girls. Terra is a licensed marriage & family therapist and executive coach with over twenty years of clinical and ministry experience. She is the author of Courageous: Being Daughters Rooted in Grace and the visionary and curriculum developer for Courageous Girls. Jeff serves as president of their organizations and leads the executive coaching and organizational development arm of the practice. Together they are the co-hosts of the weekly Living Wholehearted Podcast and Dear Mattsons YouTube series produced by Christian Parenting and the co-authors of Shrinking the Integrity Gap: Between What Leaders Preach and Live. Married just over twenty years and raising their two teen daughters, they integrate biblical, clinical, and relational wisdom to help leaders live and lead with integrity in the home, work and community.   Resources Mentioned: www.livingwholehearted.com www.mycourageousgirls.com www.terramattson.com   FB: wearelivingwholehearted mycourageousgirls jeffterramattson   IG: @terramattson @living_wholehearted @mycourageousgirls   Shrinking the Integrity Gap: Between What Leaders Preach and Live - https://amzn.to/3CA5qsF

What if you could go back in a time machine and give your young parenting self some advice?  My guest Cynthia Yanof and I talk about this very idea on today’s episode. As Cynthia watched her little one play on the playground, she thought about the lessons she could teach her younger self based on how the children were playing. We talk through her excellent advice and how we are still in the process of growing, learning, and fumbling forward on our parenting journey.   Cynthia Yanof is a wife, mom, blogger, and the host of the Pardon the Mess podcast. She has a relaxed style of interviewing, combining her quick wit and sense of humor with a firm commitment to never taking herself too seriously.   She loves Jesus, her family, foster care, and having lots of friends around her as often as possible. Cynthia is relatable, real, and a friend to all of us just trying to walk the parenting road in a meaningful way that’s pleasing to the Lord.   Resources Mentioned:  Sign Up for My Things For Thursday Email - https://bit.ly/3EDH56y The Pardon the Mess Podcast: https://www.christianparenting.org/podcasts-post/praying-for-our-kids-praying-accountability/ www.cynthiayanof.com www.pardonthemess.org