Adventure Parenting- with Grace

Do you ever find yourself hiding from the truth? There are 3 people with whom we need to be truthful. without one, each of the others is affected. They are truthfulness with God, truthfulness with ourselves, and truthfulness with one another. This podcast, which was from a workshop I led a few years ago, is an introduction to growing in truthfulness in ourselves and our kids in each of these. This is the second podcast of this series. To hear the first and second, go back to podcasts #147 and #148.00:00 Self-handicapping (continuation from Podcast #36)00:15 Introduction01:59 Examples of the challenge of honesty05:43 Come clean and closer to God07:11 Ways we might lie to ourselves13:41 Honesty is important to grow and my example15:00 Effects of lying to ourselves16:05 Final words and free offer If you wany to talk with me about anything, email me at: Laurie@kidstrength4Life.com Website: https://KidStrength4Life.com

Do you ever find yourself hiding from the truth? There are 3 people with whom we need to be truthful. without one, each of the others is affected. They are truthfulness with God, truthfulness with ourselves, and truthfulness with one another. This podcast, which was from a workshop I led a few years ago, is an introduction to growing in truthfulness in ourselves and our kids in each of these. This is the second podcast of this series. To hear the first, go back to podcast #147.00:00 Self-handicapping (continuation from Podcast #147)00:15 Introduction01:59 Examples of the challenge of honesty05:43 Come clean and closer to God07:11 Ways we might lie to ourselves13:41 Honesty is important to grow and my example15:00 Effects of lying to ourselves16:05 Final words and free offer If you want to talk with me about anything, email me at: Laurie@kidstrength4Life.com Website: https://KidStrength4Life.com

Do you ever find yourself hiding from the truth? There are 3 people with whom we need to be truthful. without one, each of the others is affected. They are truthfulness with God, truthfulness with ourselves, and truthfulness with one another. This podcast, which was from a workshop I led a few years ago, is an introduction to growing in truthfulness in ourselves and our kids in each of these. 00:00 Intro02:39 Is honesty a dying character trait in our culture?03:42 A look back at the 1960s04:43 Everyone's own truth05:26 Dishonesty destroys relationships06:23 God's truth vs. man's truth07:00 The values of honesty07:50 The boy who cried wolf10:15 Dishonesty in our culture11:22 Dishonesty in the individual13:16 Lying destroys relationships14:40 Three areas where we need truthfulness15:51 Truthfulness with God18:13 First relationship fail and the hope to follow20:19 God's perfection vs. my perfectionFinal words I am excited to say there are some exciting things to come regarding this series! Stay tuned and remember to rest in the Lord this week! Any questions? email me at: Laurie@kidstrength4Life.com Website: https://KidStrength4Life.com

Moms, do you ever feel stuck? Anna Mullikin is a life coach who helps moms move from powerlessness to breakthrough, which she describes in the podcast. This podcast oozes and overflows with hope as she goes through the steps she uses in her coaching. 00:00 Introduction01:12 Components of the Breakthrough Cycle01:35 Finding Clarity02:12 Building Faith04:23 Looking inward- Dual Posture04:40 Faith and surrender06:38 Faith Plus Surrender = Hope06:53 Injured hope08:28 Scientist as a designer in problem-solving09:29 Mind-mapping11:42 Victim mentality12:32 3-Bold Actions13:41 When hope is lost16:16 How Anna can help18:03 Final WordsAnna Mullikin is a wife, mom, and life coach for moms who are stuck and feel powerless. She brings a message of hope and direction for moms to move toward a preferred or beautiful future. To hear more from Anna, she can be found on Instagram at @AnnaResolved. If you want to talk about anything, you can email me at at Laurie@KidStrength4life.com. And to find out more about what we offer, go to KidStrength4Life.com.

Moms, do you ever feel stuck? Anna Mullikin is a life coach who helps moms move from powerlessness to breakthrough, which she describes in the podcast. This podcast oozes and overflows with hope. 00:00 Introduction02:29 Anna's mission03:17 Inner healing04:26 Where does healing power come from?05:06 Role of motherhood- comfort, and breakthrough06:41 Hebrews- the faith of a mom07:42 Breakthrough defined10:24 Discouragement and powerlessness12:58 Exhaustion and overwhelm15:10 Observed changes in a mom17:23 Intro to the coaching components17:58 Next podcastAnna Millikin is a wife, mom, and life coach for moms who are stuck and feel powerless. She brings a message of hope and direction for moms to move toward a preferred or beautiful future. To hear more from Anna, she can be found on Instagram at @AnnaResolved If you want to reach me for any reason, contact me at Laurie@KidStrength4Life.com. To find out more about what we offer, go to KidStrength4Life.com.

Is your child ready for baptism? Do you understand it yourself? In this podcast series, we will talk about those things that you are wondering about. Today we will talk about God's grace and mercy and we will move into what baptism symbolizes and why we should be baptized. Then we will talk about who should be baptized. There is a lot here and it moves pretty fast so you may want to listen more than once! If you want to understand this further, the following book would be a great help! If you have questions and want to talk about this a little more, please contact me at Laurie@KidStrength4Life.com. Laurie Donahue is not new to this topic, as she has had personal experience and many years ago, wrote a book called God Should I Be Baptized? It is a children's preparation workbook that has sold over 50,000 copies and still is selling thousands yearly. It was the first of its kind and has been a standard in baptism preparation. Here is the coupon code for 20% off and free shipping: Podcast20The website is https://LifeSongPublishers.com and this coupon will apply to all available items I mentioned the possibility of re-running the parent preparation course. If we do it, it will be live, with Q&A time and a minimal cost. If you think you might be interested, contact: Laurie@Kidstrength4Life.com Also, I would like to mention that we have been running this podcast for over a year and a half. It has been fun and I pray it has been beneficial to you. As you probably know, there are costs involved in production. If you would like to come alongside us and help us with costs, you can click on this link and give any amount. On the checkout page, you will see our plan for gifting back to you, as well. To support the broadcast, click below. https://www.kidstrength4life.com/offers/GNFr7f3W Thank you for being a listener and supporting our broadcast! May you rest in the Lord in 2024! Laurie

Is your child ready for baptism? Do you understand it yourself? In this podcast series, we will talk about those things that you are wondering about. Today we will talk about God's grace and mercy and we will move into what baptism symbolizes and why we should be baptized. Then we will talk about who should be baptized. There is a lot here and it moves pretty fast so you may want to listen more than once! If you want to understand this further, the following book would be a great help! If you have questions and want to talk about this a little more, please contact me at Laurie@KidStrength4Life.com. Laurie Donahue is not new to this topic, as she has had personal experience and many years ago, wrote a book called God Should I Be Baptized? It is a children's preparation workbook that has sold over 50,000 copies and still is selling thousands yearly. It was the first of its kind and has been a standard in baptism preparation. Here is the coupon code for 20% off and free shipping: Podcast20The website is https://LifeSongPublishers.com and this coupon will apply to all available items I mentioned the possibility of re-running the parent preparation course. If we do it, it will be live, with Q&A time and a minimal cost. If you think you might be interested, contact: Laurie@Kidstrength4Life.com Also, I would like to mention that we have been running this podcast for over a year and a half. It has been fun and I pray it has been beneficial to you. As you probably know, there are costs involved in production. If you would like to come alongside us and help us with costs, you can click on this link and give any amount. On the checkout page, you will see our plan for gifting back to you, as well. To support the broadcast, click below. https://www.kidstrength4life.com/offers/GNFr7f3W Thank you for being a listener and supporting our broadcast! May you rest in the Lord in 2024! Laurie

Is your child ready for baptism? Do you understand it yourself? In this podcast series, we will talk about those things that you are wondering about. Today we will talk about the best age for baptism, tips for holding their attention, and where to start in talking about their relationship with God. Laurie Donahue is not new to this topic, as she has had personal experience and many years ago, wrote a book called God Should I Be Baptized? It is a children's preparation workbook that has sold over 50,000 copies and still is selling thousands yearly. It was the first of its kind and has been a standard in baptism preparation. Here is the coupon code for 20% off and free shipping: Podcast20The website is https://LifeSongPublishers.com and this coupon will apply to all available items. (minimum purchase, $9.99) I mentioned the possibility of re-running the parent preparation course. If we do it, it will be live, with Q&A time. If you think you might be interested, contact: Laurie@Kidstrength4Life.com Also, I would like to mention that we have been running this podcast for over a year and a half. It has been fun and I pray it has been beneficial to you. As you probably know, there are costs involved in production. If you would like to come alongside us and help us with costs, you can click on this link and give any amount. On the checkout page, you will see our plan for gifting back to you, as well. To support the broadcast, click below. https://www.kidstrength4life.com/offers/GNFr7f3W Thank you for being a listener and supporting our broadcast! May you rest in the Lord in 2024! Laurie

Is your child ready for baptism? Do you understand it yourself? In this podcast series, we will talk about those things that you are wondering. Today we will introduce where we are going and talk about our goals as parents. We will talk about the objectives for our kids as we teach them. Laurie Donahue is not new to this topic, as she has had personal experience and many years ago, wrote a book called God Should I Be Baptized? It is a children's preparation workbook that has sold over 50,000 copies and still is selling thousands yearly. It was the first of its kind and has been a standard in baptism preparation. I mentioned the possibility of re-running the parent preparation course. If you think you might be interested, contact: Laurie@Kidstrength4Life.com These are just a few ideas. If you are interested in these or any topic, you can contact me at Laurie@KidStrength4life.com. Be sure to listen to several of the podcasts to get a feel for what we're looking for. Also, I would like to mention that we have been running this podcast for over a year and a half. It has been fun and I pray it has been beneficial to you. As you probably know, there are costs involved in production. If you would like to come alongside us and help us with costs, you can click on this link and give any amount. On the checkout page, you will see our plan for gifting back to you, as well. To support the broadcast, click below. https://www.kidstrength4life.com/offers/GNFr7f3W Thank you for being a listener and supporting our broadcast! May you rest in the Lord in 2024! Laurie

In this podcast, I am sharing 3 stories. The first story is the story of the Israelites as slaves in Egypt. They were made to work hard, building bricks, and their masters were cruel. But God had a plan to rescue them. Moses was chosen to be their leader. When he repeatedly went to Pharaoh and asked for him to free the Israelites, Pharaoh repeatedly said “No.” So God gave the plagues of Egypt to the Egyptians to show Pharaoh that God was in control. Although they were all powerful, the last plague was the most dramatic. God sent an angel to kill all the firstborn babies and the firstborn animals of the Egyptians. But He spared the Israelites. They were to sacrifice a lamb (Passover Lamb) and put its blood on the doorposts of their homes. When the angel came through to kill the firstborn children, he would “pass over” those houses that had the blood of the sacrificed Passover Lamb on the door posts, and spared the Israelites. Following that, God commanded the Israelites to celebrate Passover as a remembrance of God's rescuing them. Don't you just LOVE that theme of rescue throughout the Bible! Now I have another story I want to remind you of. It happened the night before Jesus was crucified on the cross. Jesus was meeting in the Upper Room with his disciples for a very special meal together. It was a very intimate time of sharing for many of them, but for Judas, it was the night he betrayed Jesus with 30 pieces silver. This is the night that Jesus gave them the wine and the bread and said “This is my body which is given for you. This is my blood which was shed for you.” Jesus was telling them that soon He would be sacrificing His life for them, so they could live forever with Him. This was the first communion and it is packed with meaning. Now, here is the reason for telling these two stories together. They are intimately connected. You see, when Jesus met with his disciples for the Last Supper, the night before His death on the cross, they were actually celebrating Passover. They were celebrating God's rescue of His people by way of the Passover Lamb's blood painted on the doorframes. So Jesus' death happened during the Passover celebration- resulting in our death being passed over because the Lamb of God shed His blood for us on the cross! All while they were celebrating the Jewish Passover. WOW! And the most intimate of all events, the Last Supper, is the vehicle for displaying God's grace and mercy on us through the sacrifice of His Son. Again given on Passover. Looking back on this, it's clear to see that Passover foreshadowed our salvation. The gift I referred to above is a worksheet that your students can use to look up Scriptures that compare the Passover rescue to our rescue through Christ. It makes our rescue so much more memorable to see that God was working throughout history, preparing for our rescue. This chart is taken from The Lord's Supper… Let's Get Ready! where this is explained on the kids' level in more detail in this workbook. Here are the links to those things I mentioned in the podcast: Free Passover Parallels Chart The Lord's Supper… Let's Get Ready! Help Me Remember the Plagues of Egypt Laurie@Kidstrength4Life.com Also, I would like to mention that we have been running this podcast for almost three years. It has been fun and I pray it has been beneficial to you. As you probably know, there are costs involved in production. If you would like to come alongside us and help us with costs, you can click on this link and give any amount. On the checkout page, you will see our plan for gifting back to you, as well. To support the broadcast, click below. https://www.kidstrength4life.com/offers/GNFr7f3W Thank you for being a listener and supporting our broadcast! May you have a blessed and peaceful Easter 2025! Laurie

Jen Thompson is a blogger, speaker, and author with a heart for sharing the raw and vulnerable pieces of her life on her Truly Yours, Jen socials and website. Her comforting and hopeful words are like a warm letter for the soul so you know you are never alone. Today begins our 4-session podcast series called The Pain of Shame and What To Do With It. First, we will introduce what pain and shame are and how we can best deal with them. We move into very candid sharing and a real look at how we can parent our kids to face guilt without carrying shame. You can find more information about Jen and her ministry at https://jenthompsonauthor.com/. Including her newest book, Return to Jesus: An Invitation to Abide with Him in Every Beautiful, Stressful or Tedious Moment. Check it out! If you have questions and want to talk more about this, please email me at Laurie@kidstrength4life.com. And of course, you can find more at https://kidstrength4life.com.

Jen Thompson is a blogger, speaker, and author with a heart for sharing the raw and vulnerable pieces of her life on her Truly Yours, Jen socials and website. Her comforting and hopeful words are like a warm letter for the soul so you know you are never alone. Today begins our 4-session podcast series called The Pain of Shame and What To Do With It. First, we will introduce what pain and shame are and how we can best deal with them. We move into very candid sharing and a real look at how we can parent our kids to face guilt without carrying shame. You can find more information about Jen and her ministry at https://jenthompsonauthor.com/. Including her newest book, Return to Jesus: An Invitation to Abide with Him in Every Beautiful, Stressful or Tedious Moment. Check it out! If you have questions and want to talk more about this, please email me at Laurie@kidstrength4life.com. And of course, you can find more at https://kidstrength4life.com.

Jen Thompson is a blogger, speaker, and author with a heart for sharing the raw and vulnerable pieces of her life on her Truly Yours, Jen socials and website. Her comforting and hopeful words are like a warm letter for the soul so you know you are never alone. Today begins our 4-session podcast series called The Pain of Shame and What To Do With It. First, we will introduce what pain and shame are and how we can best deal with them. We move into very candid sharing and a real look at how we can parent our kids to face guilt without carrying shame. You can find more information about Jen and her ministry at https://jenthompsonauthor.com/. Including her new book, Return to Jesus: An Invitation to Abide with Him in Every Beautiful, Stressful or Tedious Moment. Check it out! We shared some heavy things today which may have triggered some thoughts or feelings for you. At the end of the podcast, I mentioned if you would like to talk, I am available to walk through this with you! Please email me at Laurie@kidstrength4life.com and we can set up a time. And of course, you can find more at https://kidstrength4life.com.

Jen Thompson is a blogger, speaker, and author with a heart for sharing the raw and vulnerable pieces of her life on her Truly Yours, Jen socials and website. Her comforting and hopeful words are like a warm letter for the soul so you know you are never alone. Today begins our 4-session podcast series called The Pain of Shame and What To Do With Them. First, we will introduce what pain and shame are and how we can best deal with them. We move into very candid sharing and a real look at how we can parent our kids to face guilt without carrying shame. You can find more information about Jen and her ministry at https://jenthompsonauthor.com/. Including her newest book, Return to Jesus: An Invitation to Abide with Him in Every Beautiful, Stressful or Tedious Moment. Check it out! If you have questions and want to talk more about this, please email me at Laurie@kidstrength4life.com. And of course, you can find more at https://kidstrength4life.com.

Are you a caregiver for a parent or a family member? Do you know someone who is? It is an extremely tough job. Or maybe you find caregiving for your children to be difficult. If any of this fits you, our guest today has a story and a mission that will speak to your heart. Jess Rhonne is an amazing woman! Jess' inspiring journey began when she became a widow within ten years of marriage, after her husband passed away of a brain tumor in 2010. Left to raise their four children, including one with profound disabilities needing lifelong care, she joined the other 16.3 million individuals serving as caretakers to children with special needs. Jess' life took a surprising turn when she was introduced to a young widower and father of three. In 2011, they blended their families with eight children (Jess and Ryan had a child together) Drawing from her own experiences, Jess can provide advice for caregivers on the importance of being present with their loved ones, embracing your challenges as personal growth, and finding strength in faith, the support of loved ones, and sharing with other caregivers. Exhaustion from constant care-giving can affect both the caregiver and the recipient. Warning signs may include fatigue, irritability, feelings of hopelessness, and physical health issues. Caregivers should prioritize help through support groups, counseling, or taking breaks for self-care. Jessica and her husband Ryan live in Michigan with their eight children. She is also a speaker, and podcast host of Coffee with Caregivers. Her beautiful story and family have been featured on The Today Show, Daily Mail, and Huffington Post. More information can be found at www.jessplusthemess.com This 3-part podcast series will inspire compassion, and challenge you to be the person you or someone else needs. She begins with her story and in the following two weeks she shares tips and her ministry which will be very helpful to caregivers of all kinds. If you would like to get in touch with me, please email me at Laurie@KidStrength4Life.com. And, check out our website at https://KidStrength4Life.com

Are you a caregiver for a parent or a family member? Do you know someone who is? It is an extremely tough job. Or maybe you find caregiving for your children to be difficult. If any of this fits you, our guest today has a story and a mission that will speak to your heart. Jess Rhonne is an amazing woman! Jess' inspiring journey began when she became a widow within ten years of marriage, after her husband passed away of a brain tumor in 2010. Left to raise their four children, including one with profound disabilities needing lifelong care, she joined the other 16.3 million individuals serving as caretakers to children with special needs. Jess' life took a surprising turn when she was introduced to a young widower and father of three. In 2011, they blended their families with eight children (Jess and Ryan had a child together) Drawing from her own experiences, Jess can provide advice for caregivers on the importance of being present with their loved ones, embracing your challenges as personal growth, and finding strength in faith, the support of loved ones, and sharing with other caregivers. Exhaustion from constant care-giving can affect both the caregiver and the recipient. Warning signs may include fatigue, irritability, feelings of hopelessness, and physical health issues. Caregivers should prioritize help through support groups, counseling, or taking breaks for self-care. Jessica and her husband Ryan live in Michigan with their eight children. She is also a speaker, and podcast host of Coffee with Caregivers. Her beautiful story and family have been featured on The Today Show, Daily Mail, and Huffington Post. More information can be found at www.jessplusthemess.com This 3-part podcast series will inspire compassion, and challenge you to be the person you or someone else needs. She begins with her story and in the following two weeks she shares tips and her ministry which will be very helpful to caregivers of all kinds. If you would like to get in touch with me, please email me at Laurie@KidStrength4Life.com. And, check out our website at https://KidStrength4Life.com

Are you a caregiver for a parent or a family member? Do you know someone who is? It is an extremely tough job. Or maybe you find caregiving for your children to be difficult. If any of this fits you, our guest today has a story and a mission that will speak to your heart. Jess Rhonne is an amazing woman! Jess' inspiring journey began when she became a widow within ten years of marriage, after her husband passed away of a brain tumor in 2010. Left to raise their four children, including one with profound disabilities needing lifelong care, she joined the other 16.3 million individuals serving as caretakers to children with special needs. Jess' life took a surprising turn when she was introduced to a young widower and father of three. In 2011, they blended their families with eight children (Jess and Ryan had a child together) Drawing from her own experiences, Jess can provide advice for caregivers on the importance of being present with their loved ones, embracing your challenges as personal growth, and finding strength in faith, the support of loved ones, and sharing with other caregivers. Exhaustion from constant care-giving can affect both the caregiver and the recipient. Warning signs may include fatigue, irritability, feelings of hopelessness, and physical health issues. Caregivers should prioritize help through support groups, counseling, or taking breaks for self-care. Jessica and her husband Ryan live in Michigan with their eight children. She is also a speaker, and podcast host of Coffee with Caregivers. Her beautiful story and family have been featured on The Today Show, Daily Mail, and Huffington Post. More information can be found at www.jessplusthemess.com This 3-part podcast series will inspire compassion, and challenge you to be the person you or someone else needs. She begins with her story and in the following two weeks she shares tips and her ministry which will be very helpful to caregivers of all kinds. If you would like to get in touch with me, please email me at Laurie@KidStrength4Life.com. And, check out our website at https://KidStrength4Life.com

This podcast series features Amy Betters-Midtvedt talking about parenting preteens and teens. She has written parenting articles for major publications as well as the book called You'll Make It and They Will, too- Everything No One Talks About When You're Parenting Teens. She is very transparent and tells stories that will leave your eyes wide open and you will learn at the same time! This week we get to know her a little and hear of her transition to her kids' teen years. The previous podcast series was with Pastor/Dr. Ken Castor which was great because it laid out a very solid foundation for our faith and our kids' faith as we walk the teen parenting walk. I highly recommend you go back and listen before you listen to that series as it is a good preface for this one! Amy and I had a very fun, long conversation so this podcast is likely to be part of a series spanning four weeks. You can reach Amy at: @Amy Betters-Midtvedt (FB) @Amy.Betters-Midtvedt (Instagram) @amymidtvedt (X) And if you want a private response from me, contact me at Laurie@KidStrength4Life.com Until next week, when we will hear more of Amy's stories, remember to rest in the Lord!

This podcast series features Amy Betters-Midtvedt talking about parenting preteens and teens. She has written parenting articles for major publications as well as the book called You'll Make It and They Will, too- Everything No One Talks About When You're Parenting Teens. She is very transparent and tells stories that will leave your eyes wide open and you will learn at the same time! This week we get to know her a little and hear of her transition to and through her kids' teen years. The previous podcast series was with Pastor/Dr. Ken Castor which was great because it laid out a very solid foundation for our faith and our kids' faith as we walk the teen parenting walk. I highly recommend you go back and listen before you listen to that series as it is a good preface for this one! Amy and I had a very fun, long conversation so this podcast is likely to be part of a series spanning four weeks. You can reach Amy at: @Amy Betters-Midtvedt (FB) @Amy.Betters-Midtvedt (Instagram) @amymidtvedt (X) And if you want a private response from me, contact me at Laurie@KidStrength4Life.com Until next week, when we will hear more of Amy's stories, remember to rest in the Lord!

This podcast series features Amy Betters-Midtvedt talking about parenting preteens and teens. She has written parenting articles for major publications as well as the book called You'll Make It and They Will, too- Everything No One Talks About When You're Parenting Teens. She is very transparent and tells stories that will leave your eyes wide open and you will learn at the same time! This week we get to know her a little and hear of her transition to her kids' teen years. The previous podcast series was with Pastor/Dr. Ken Castor which was great because it laid out a very solid foundation for our faith and our kids' faith as we walk the teen parenting walk. I highly recommend you go back and listen before you listen to that series as it is a good preface for this one!Amy and I had a very fun, long conversation so this podcast is likely to be part of a series spanning four weeks. You can reach Amy at: @Amy Betters-Midtvedt (FB) @Amy.Betters-Midtvedt (Instagram) @amymidtvedt (X) And if you want a private response from me, contact me at Laurie@KidStrength4Life.com Until next week, when we will hear more of Amy's stories, remember to rest in the Lord!

This podcast series features Amy Betters-Midtvedt talking about parenting preteens and teens. She has written parenting articles for major publications as well as the book called You'll Make It and They Will, too- Everything No One Talks About When You're Parenting Teens. She is very transparent and tells stories that will leave your eyes wide open and you will learn at the same time! This week we get to know her a little and hear of her transition to her kids' teen years. Last week we finished up a series with Dr. Ken Castor which I really loved because it laid out a very solid foundation for our faith and our kids' faith as we walk the teen parenting walk. I highly recommend you go back and listen before you listen to this series! Amy and I had a very fun, long conversation so this podcast is likely to be part of a series spanning four weeks. You can reach Amy at: @Amy Betters-Midtvedt (FB) @Amy.Betters-Midtvedt (Instagram @amymidtvedt (X) And if you want a private response from me, contact me at Laurie@KidStrength4Life.com Until next week, when we will hear more of Amy's stories, remember to rest in the Lord!

What are your thoughts about parenting preteens and teens? Are you in the middle of it and don't know how to navigate the stormy waters? Are you looking forward to the teen years with dread? Well, today's podcast is all about this time of life for your teen and how you can understand and truly enjoy this exciting time of life for your kids and inspire them to "Make a Difference!" We are so fortunate to have Ken Castor back with us this week where he finishes talking about anxiety in our kids, how to be an example, and when is the question "why" is a good thing! If you missed the first one, be sure to go back to last week's podcast and listen! After 30+ years of next-generation ministry, Dr. Ken Castor really understands youth. He is the NextGen Pastor at Wooddale Church, a Bible teacher, and ministry trainer. Ken is the general editor of the exciting new Make a Difference Youth Bible. He worked as the “Blue Letters Editor” of the Award-winning Jesus-Centered Bible and has written numerous resources like Grow Down, and the Bible Trivia Devotional. Ken and his wife Kathy have an enjoyable life in Minnesota with their brilliantly witty and sometimes freezing family. Below are two websites where you can find out more about Ken's ministry and the books he has authored and edited. www.kencastor.com www.makeadifferencebible.com And of course, you can always reach me at Laurie@KidStrength4Life.com. For more information you can find more information about our ministry at the links below:https://KidStrength4Life.comhttps://LifeSongPublishers.com

What are your thoughts about parenting preteens and teens? Are you in the middle of it and don't know how to navigate the stormy waters? Are you looking forward to the teen years with dread? Well, today's podcast is all about this time of life for your teen and how you can understand and truly enjoy this exciting time of life for your kids and inspire them to "Make a Difference!" We are so fortunate to have Ken Castor with us for the next two weeks! After 30+ years of next-generation ministry, Dr. Ken Castor really understands youth. He is the NextGen Pastor at Wooddale Church, a Bible teacher, and ministry trainer. Ken is the general editor of the exciting new Make a Difference Youth Bible. He worked as the “Blue Letters Editor” of the Award-winning Jesus-Centered Bible and has written numerous resources like Grow Down, and the Bible Trivia Devotional. Ken and his wife Kathy have an enjoyable life in Minnesota with their brilliantly witty and sometimes freezing family. Below are two websites where you can find out more about Ken's ministry and the books he has authored and edited. www.kencastor.com www.makeadifferencebible.com And of course, you can always reach me at Laurie@KidStrength4Life.com. For more information you can find more information about our ministry at the links below:https://KidStrength4Life.comhttps://LifeSongPublishers.com

Happy New Year!!! Today we are playing parts of some of the great, more recent podcast interviews. There is so much more, so be sure to go back and listen! Here are the segments you will hear today: #58 Your Christ Identity, (part 1) with Matt Larson #62 The Christian Character and Sports, (part 2) with Kevin Bailey#66. Ditch the Mask and Trust Instead, (part 3) with Robby Angle#81. Stress, Worry, and Fear, (part 3) with Laurie Donahue#117. Adversity- When We Struggle, (part 4), with Judy Gerry#85. What if Waiting Isn't What You Thought It Was, (Part 4) with Karis Anderson Thanks for being a part of the Adventure Parenting with Grace Community! Stay tuned for some new and exciting things! May this coming year be your best year ever! Laurie@KidStrength4Life.com https://KidStrength4Life.com

Merry Christmas! If you are unable to find our Christmas podcast, especially on Spotify, Please click the link below to hear it! It is called, Christmas 2024, A Unique Musical Twist. https://www.kidstrength4life.com/podcasts/adventure-parenting-with-grace/episodes/2148922071 Have a very merry Christmas! Laurie

Merry Christmas!!! I am so happy to share with you this uniquely arranged set of Christmas music performed by Jeff and Andrea Ewing. May you have a wonderful day today and as you continue to celebrate Christ's birth! I'd love to hear by email about your Christmas and how you celebrated! Love in Christ, from my family to yours! LaurieLaurie@Kidstrength4Life.comhttps://KidStrength4Life.com

Welcome back to Adventure Parenting with Grace Podcast, with host, Laurie Donahue. This week we are starting a new series entitled, Rest During the Holidays, Seriously? The way our culture tells us how to rest and God's desired rest for us are very different. During the next 3 weeks, we will explore the true rest that God leads us into. Erik Anderson, our featured guest this week, is a pastor, husband, and father of four delightful kids. My conversations with Erik over 3 weeks are outlined below. Week 1: What is the rest God desires for us?Week 2: Where do we go wrong in our search for true rest?Week 3: How can we best find that rest that God gives us? I would like to mention that we have been running this podcast for 2.5 years. It has been fun and I pray it has been beneficial to you. As you probably know, there are costs involved in production. If you would like to come alongside us and help defray costs, you can click on this link and give any amount. On the checkout page, you will see our plan for gifting back to you, as well. To support the broadcast, click below. https://www.kidstrength4life.com/offers/GNFr7f3W For your free coaching call, click here: https://KidStrength4Life.com Thank you for being a listener and supporting our broadcast! Laurie Laurie@KidStrength4Life.comKidStrength4Life.com

Welcome back to Adventure Parenting with Grace Podcast, with host, Laurie Donahue. This week we are starting a new series entitled, Rest During the Holidays, Seriously? The way our culture tells us how to rest and God's desired rest for us are very different. During the next 3 weeks, we will explore the true rest that God leads us into. Erik Anderson, our featured guest this week, is a pastor, husband, and father of four delightful kids. My conversations with Erik over 3 weeks are outlined below. Week 1: What is the rest God desires for us?Week 2: Where do we go wrong in our search for true rest?Week 3: How can we best find that rest that God gives us? I would like to mention that we have been running this podcast for 2.5 years. It has been fun and I pray it has been beneficial to you. As you probably know, there are costs involved in production. If you would like to come alongside us and help defray costs, you can click on this link and give any amount. On the checkout page, you will see our plan for gifting back to you, as well. To support the broadcast, click below. https://www.kidstrength4life.com/offers/GNFr7f3W For your free coaching call, click here: https://KidStrength4Life.com Thank you for being a listener and supporting our broadcast! Laurie Laurie@KidStrength4Life.comKidStrength4Life.com

Welcome back to Adventure Parenting with Grace Podcast, with host, Laurie Donahue. This week we are starting a new series entitled, Rest During the Holidays, Seriously? The way our culture tells us how to rest and God's desired rest for us are very different. During the next 3 weeks, we will explore the true rest that God leads us into. Erik Anderson, our featured guest this week, is a pastor, husband, and father of four delightful kids. My conversations with Erik over 3 weeks are outlined below. Week 1: What is the rest God desires for us?Week 2: Where do we go wrong in our search for true rest?Week 3: How can we best find that rest that God gives us? I would like to mention that we have been running this podcast for almost 2 and a half years. It has been fun and I pray it has been beneficial to you. As you probably know, there are costs involved in production. If you would like to come alongside us and help defray costs, you can click on this link and give any amount. On the checkout page, you will see our plan for gifting back to you, as well. To support the broadcast, click below. https://www.kidstrength4life.com/offers/GNFr7f3W For your free coaching call, click here: https://KidStrength4Life.com Thank you for being a listener and supporting our broadcast! Laurie Laurie@KidStrength4Life.comKidStrength4Life.com

This is the fourth episode a four-part series called Beat the Chaos With a Well-Ordered Family. Conor Gallagher is our guest. Connor is CEO of multiple businesses, he has a law degree, he has developed a Family Management System, and I think what qualifies him most is he is a father in a large family with 16 kids! Conor has written a book called The Well-Ordered Family in which he describes how you can turn chaos into order in your family! In this episode, we had a great discussion about Conor's Family Management System. We focused on how we have systems for our families whether we know it or not. And we can always make them better for efficiency and results. In this podcast, we encouraged you to get coaching from those who have experience and coaching abilities. You can schedule a free call with Conor or me. I am leaving information on how to schedule those below: You can reach Conor and his coaches to schedule a call at https://wellorderedfamily.com.You can schedule a call with me at https://www.kidstrength4life.com/ For more inspiration, you can also go back and find my podcast series on a similar topic called, Begin With the End in Mind, podcasts 52-54 and 56 on Apple or Spotify. Or You can listen here: Podcast 1: https://www.kidstrength4life.com/podcasts/adventure-parenting-with-grace/episodes/2147946752 Podcast 2: https://www.kidstrength4life.com/podcasts/adventure-parenting-with-grace/episodes/2147952730 Podcast 3: https://www.kidstrength4life.com/podcasts/adventure-parenting-with-grace/episodes/2147958781 Podcast 4: https://www.kidstrength4life.com/podcasts/adventure-parenting-with-grace/episodes/2147972958 Thanks for listening! And remember, you can contact me at https://KidStrength4Life.com or email me at Laurie@KidStrength4Life.com. And remember to rest in the Lord this week!

This is the third episode a four-part series called Beat the Chaos With a Well-Ordered Family. Conor Gallagher is our guest. Connor is CEO of multiple businesses, he has a law degree, he has developed a Family Management System, and I think what qualifies him most is he is a father in a large family with 16 kids! Conor has written a book called The Well-Ordered Family in which he describes how you can turn chaos into order in your family! Today Conor talks about six different environments that we should be surrounding our kids with for them to flourish. When he talks about environments, he shares both external and spiritual aspects. He also will talk about screens. I think we all know that screens are a problem, but he enlightens us with some things that maybe you haven't heard before. Listen with an open mind and heart, and you can evaluate if there are some areas where you can grow. If you haven't heard the first two episodes, be sure to go back and listen to the first two for context. Each episode is jampacked with good information about how to organize your family so expectations are clear and your parenting will be far less frustrating. With order, the chaos will evaporate, You can reach Conor and get his book at https://wellorderedfamily.com. For more inspiration, you can also go back and find my podcast series on a similar topic called, Begin With the End in Mind, podcasts 52-54 and 56 on Apple or Spotify. Or You can listen here: Podcast 1: https://www.kidstrength4life.com/podcasts/adventure-parenting-with-grace/episodes/2147946752 Podcast 2: https://www.kidstrength4life.com/podcasts/adventure-parenting-with-grace/episodes/2147952730 Podcast 3: https://www.kidstrength4life.com/podcasts/adventure-parenting-with-grace/episodes/2147958781 Podcast 4: https://www.kidstrength4life.com/podcasts/adventure-parenting-with-grace/episodes/2147972958 Thanks for listening! And remember, you can contact me at https://KidStrength4Life.com or email me at Laurie@KidStrength4Life.com. And remember to rest in the Lord this week!

This is the second episode a four-part series called Beat the Chaos With a Well-Ordered Family. Conor Gallagher is our guest. Connor is CEO of multiple businesses, he has a law degree, he has developed a Family Management System, and I think what qualifies him most is he is a father in a large family with 16 kids! Conor has written a book called The Well-Ordered Family in which he describes how you can turn chaos into order in your family! In this episode, we had a great discussion about Conor's Family Management System. We focused on setting vision goals and talked about the goal of no scorekeeping. Each episode is jampacked with good information about how to organize your family so expectations are clear and your parenting will be far less frustrating. With order, the chaos will evaporate, You can reach Conor and get his book at https://wellorderedfamily.com. For more inspiration, you can also go back and find my podcast series on a similar topic called, Begin With the End in Mind, podcasts 52-54 and 56 on Apple or Spotify. Or You can listen here: Podcast 1: https://www.kidstrength4life.com/podcasts/adventure-parenting-with-grace/episodes/2147946752 Podcast 2: https://www.kidstrength4life.com/podcasts/adventure-parenting-with-grace/episodes/2147952730 Podcast 3: https://www.kidstrength4life.com/podcasts/adventure-parenting-with-grace/episodes/2147958781 Podcast 4: https://www.kidstrength4life.com/podcasts/adventure-parenting-with-grace/episodes/2147972958 Thanks for listening! And remember, you can contact me at https://KidStrength4Life.com or email me at Laurie@KidStrength4Life.com. And remember to rest in the Lord this week!

Today we're starting a four-part series called Beat the Chaos With a Well-Ordered Family. Conor Gallagher is our guest. Connor is CEO of multiple businesses, he has a law degree, he has developed a Family Management System, and I think what qualifies him most is he is a father in a large family with 16 kids! Conor has written a book called The Well-Ordered Family in which he describes how you can turn chaos into order in your family! We had a great discussion about how to have a family meeting that is productive and beneficial for everybody. I think you'll get a lot out of this podcast. Each episode is jampacked with good information about how to organize your family so expectations are clear and your parenting will be far less frustrating. With order, the chaos will evaporate, You can reach Conor and get his book at https://wellorderedfamily.com. For more inspiration, you can also go back and find my podcast series on a similar topic called, Begin With the End in Mind, podcasts 52-54 and 56 on Apple or Spotify. Or You can listen here: Podcast 1: https://www.kidstrength4life.com/podcasts/adventure-parenting-with-grace/episodes/2147946752 Podcast 2: https://www.kidstrength4life.com/podcasts/adventure-parenting-with-grace/episodes/2147952730 Podcast 3: https://www.kidstrength4life.com/podcasts/adventure-parenting-with-grace/episodes/2147958781 Podcast 4: https://www.kidstrength4life.com/podcasts/adventure-parenting-with-grace/episodes/2147972958 Thanks for listening! And remember, you can contact me at https://KidStrength4Life.com or email me at Laurie@KidStrength4Life.com. And remember to rest in the Lord this week!

If we look around, we see so many examples of trouble... everywhere! This election year is extreme! Adversity abounds! The Bible has a lot to say about how we approach our adversity. Judy Gerry says it can make you bitter or it can make you better. This podcast series is really challenging but so worth it! I am interviewing Judy Gerry, a speaker and author of over 20 Bible studies. She has written a study called, Facing Adversity, which we will be talking about in this series. Today, Judy will talk about adversity overwhelm and how we teach the principles she has talked about to our kids. If you are questioning why or how to cope on any level: parenting, health, relationships, or one of a myriad of others, this is for you! If you are interested in her book, Facing Adversity, you can get it Click here for Facing Adversity. Be sure to come back next week for more of this fabulous topic!

If we look around, we see so many examples of trouble... everywhere! This election year is extreme! Adversity abounds! The Bible has a lot to say about how we approach our adversity. Judy Gerry says it can make you bitter or it can make you better. This podcast series is really challenging but so worth it! I am interviewing Judy Gerry, a speaker and author of over 20 Bible studies. She has written a study called, Facing Adversity, which we will be talking about in this series. Today, Judy will give us an idea of what to say when someone is going through a trial, how we can get more faith, how can adversity re-align our thinking and how can it change us. If you are questioning why or how to cope on any level: parenting, health, relationships, or one of a myriad of others, this is for you! If you are interested in her book, Facing Adversity, you can get it Click here for Facing Adversity. Be sure to come back next week for more of this fabulous topic!

If we look around, we see so many examples of trouble... everywhere! This election year is extreme! Adversity abounds! The Bible has a lot to say about how we approach our adversity. Judy Gerry says it can make you bitter or it can make you better. This podcast series is really challenging but so worth it! I am interviewing Judy Gerry, a speaker and author of over 20 Bible studies. She has written a study called, Facing Adversity, which we will be talking about in this series. Today, we continue talking about what God might be accomplishing through our adversity and the attributes of God that get us through the hard times If you are questioning why or how to cope on any level: parenting, health, relationships, or one of a myriad of others, this is for you! If you are interested in her book, Facing Adversity, you can get it Click here for Facing Adversity. Be sure to come back next week for more of this fabulous topic!

If we look around, we see so many examples of trouble... everywhere! This election year is extreme! Adversity abounds! The Bible has a lot to say about how we approach our adversity. Judy Gerry says it can make you bitter or it can make you better. This podcast series is really challenging but so worth it! I am interviewing Judy Gerry, a speaker and author of over 20 Bible studies. She has written a study called Facing Adversity, which we will be talking about in this series. Today we will be talking about what adversity is, our questions, why God doesn't fix it, and begin exploring what God might be accomplishing through our adversity. If you are questioning why or how to cope on any level, parenting, health, relationships, or one of a myriad of others, this is for you! If you are interested in her book, Facing Adversity, you can get it Click here for Facing Adversity. Be sure to come back for more of this fabulous topic!

This episode is the third of three in our Lessons from the Cozy Critters series and features Mike and Nicole Collazo. Mike and Nicole have a passion to come alongside people who need friendship, support, and someone to care. Their free time is often spent consoling the hurting, feeding the hungry, and helping kids with homework. Mike is an assistant pastor and during this podcast they will share a bit about how they minister to the marginalized. Mike and Nicole have written and illustrated a picture book called Cozy Critters on the Ark. We will meet the Critters this morning and watch what they learn. As the critters learn, so will your kids! Lessons from this book are caught, not taught and provide good conversation starters. Some of the lessons are: How do I embrace change when it happens? How can I accomplish big things when I am small? To have a pal you have to be a pal. What does a good friendship look like? How can we be a good leader? This is a fun interview and there is more to come! Are you struggling with any frustration you are feeling in parenting? Do you want to talk about it? I can meet you on Zoom. Click this link for more info. I would like to talk!

This episode is the second of three in our Lessons from the Cozy Critters series and features Mike and Nicole Collazo. Mike and Nicole have a passion to come alongside people who need friendship, support, and someone to care. Their free time is often spent consoling the hurting, feeding the hungry, and helping kids with homework. Mike is an assistant pastor and during this podcast they will share a bit about how they minister to the marginalized. Mike and Nicole have written and illustrated a picture book called Cozy Critters on the Ark. We will meet the Critters this morning and watch what they learn. As the critters learn, so will your kids! Lessons from this book are caught, not taught and provide good conversation starters. Some of the lessons are: How do I embrace change when it happens? How can I accomplish big things when I am small? To have a pal you have to be a pal. What does a good friendship look like? How can we be a good leader? This is a fun interview and there is more to come! Are you struggling with any frustration you are feeling in parenting? Do you want to talk about it? I can meet you on Zoom. Click this link for more info. I would like to talk!

This episode features Mike and Nicole Collazo. Mike and Nicole have a passion to come alongside people who need friendship, support, and someone to care. Their free time is often spent consoling the hurting, feeding the hungry, and helping kids with homework. Mike is an assistant pastor and during this podcast they will share a bit about how they minister to the marginalized. Mike and Nicole have written and illustrated a picture book called Cozy Critters on the Ark. We will meet the Critters this morning and watch what they learn. As the critters learn, so will your kids! Lessons from this book are caught, not taught and provide good conversation starters. Some of the lessons are: How do I embrace change when it happens? How can I accomplish big things when I am small? To have a pal you have to be a pal. What does a good friendship look like? How can we be a good leader? This is a fun interview and there is more to come! Are you struggling with any frustration you are feeling in parenting? Do you want to talk about it? I can meet you on Zoom. Click this link for more info. I would like to talk!

And... we are now entering into Season 3 of Adventure Parenting with Grace. On today's podcast, I am sharing a little of what is coming in the next few months. I think what is most exciting is the FREE small groups (cohorts) of parents and experts we are setting up to talk about the struggles and the wins we are experiencing in parenting. The group will meet on Zoom and be 4-8 people so everyone can be heard. I will lead out and help to keep us on track but I will also encourage your participation. It will be fun and hopefully helpful for everyone who comes. I will try to find the best times for most people. We will begin next week, Thursday, Sept 19. You can sign up here. Then I'll give you a preview of upcoming guests. Here is an overview: Mike and Nicole Collazo are authors who will talk about several points, such as walking kids through embracing change, small beginnings with big results, good friendships, leadership, and loving the unlovable. They have written a children's picture book, Cozy Critters on the Ark, that can be a springboard to discuss these topics. Dr. Ken Castor is an author and youth pastor who will talk about helping teens and preteens with anxiety and helping to deal with those who are "swept up by the Swifties." He Has written Grow Down: How to Build a Jesus-Centered Faith and is the editor of the Make a Difference Youth Bible (NLT). Judy Gerry is a Bible Study leader and has written numerous Bible Studies, including Ancient Paths for Modern Women. In this podcast, we will talk about how we can best deal with all kinds of adversity. Today's culture is full of it! Her biblical perspective is laid out in the study, Facing Adversity. Conor Gallagher is a lawyer-turned-businessman and multiple CEO who will introduce us to the Well-Ordered Family System to help parents lead their families reduce chaos and bring clarity and order, both in the present and in the future. I am so looking forward to these episodes and also meeting you on September 19th, in our Zoom group cohorts. Please click to sign up and tell me which time is best for you. See you soon!

This podcast is all about a special kind of communication, that is Communication for Connection. This communication spills out into many other forms of communication but the main focus of this communication is to build trust and a bond with your child. This series explores the tools of this communication and in this episode, we give a few ideas for conversation starters. IntroductionUse their language, but be understandableCommunicate God's characterTell storiesBest time for a connectionConnection time is not a teaching timeHow to react when you hear something you don't likeAffirm them and validate their identityClose of connection timeDon't repeat your conversationsConversation starters- EmojisBuild a storyTell the story of the dayFinal words Laurie Donahue has written/co-written 6 books for children. Five of them were published by Lifesong Publishers. (Laurie's publishing company) She has a lifetime California Community College teaching credential. She has been a conference speaker and blogger and has taught in children's programs most of her life. But her best education of all is raising 4 daughters and enjoying 8 wonderful grandchildren. She has been married to Tim for almost 45 years and has accompanied him on many international medical mission trips as a translator and pharmacy assistant.Laurie has written and recorded a parenting video course called Discipline with Dignity. It is available for purchase for less than the cost of a book. And with it comes 2 meetings on Zoom, lasting 45 minutes each, to discuss the strategies further. You can get that course here. Laurie talks about the 10 Tips to Lead Gently pdf download. You can get that pdf here. The hub for both free and paid products is https://kidstrength4life.com. Thank you for being part of the KidStrength4Life family and remember to rest in the Lord this week!

This podcast is about a special kind of communication, that is communication for connection. This communication spills out into many other forms of communication and the main focus of communication is to build trust and a bond with your child. This series explores the tools of this communication and then next week I will share a few conversation starters you can use with your kids. IntroductionTypes of communication Tools for communicationBest time for connectionNon-verbal communicationDon't ask yes or no questionsWhat about feelings/emotionsBe a listenerUse words carefullyHow to affirm them in honestyFinal words Laurie Donahue has written/co-written 6 books for children. Five of them were published by Lifesong Publishers. (Laurie's publishing company) She has a lifetime California Community College teaching credential. She has been a conference speaker and blogger and has taught in children's programs most of her life. But her best education of all is raising 4 daughters and enjoying 8 wonderful grandchildren. She has been married to Tim for 46 years and has accompanied him on many international medical mission trips as a translator and pharmacy assistant. Laurie enjoys coaching parents in the manner of the love and kindness that we receive from the Lord Laurie talks about the 10 Tips to Lead Gently pdf download. You can get that pdf here. The hub for both free and paid products is https://kidstrength4life.com. Thank you for being part of the KidStrength4Life family and remember to rest in the Lord this week!

The single parent can be very difficult with special needs and concerns. Jenn Thompson gives us a very transparent look at her parenting journey as a single parent. She shares the joys, the difficulties, the challenges, her coping tips, and how people can best come alongside a single parent. She shares the joys, the difficulties, the challenges, her coping tips, and how people can best come alongside a single parent. This week Jenn talks about Her identity as a single mom, her role as sole provider, role models for her sons, conflicts with her son's father, and community as a single parent. 00:00 Introduction01:10 Identity as a single mom03:13 Role as the sole provider/ single mothers are not fathers04:12 Role models05:27 Dealing with conflicts with son's father10:56 Unique frustrations and emotions11:53 It takes a village- finding community12:40 Teach your kids to be involved13:20 Social media and comparison13:55 Find humor17:01 Your learning moments and chaos18:33 Final words I shared two opportunities here. If you are looking for more community, and/or coaching, I hope you will consider joining our twice-a-month Zoom group where we will talk about the ideas that the podcasts stimulate, or whatever parenting topic is on your mind. The group will last 45 minutes and we will alternate between Thursday evening at 6:00 pm Pacific time and 10:00 am Pacific time on Friday morning. We will see how those times work out. Also, I am offering a course in gospel parenting, called Discipline with Dignity (both yours and your kids). I break down steps of discipline without shouting or anger. You can find that here: Discipline with Dignity I hope you will decide to join me in the zoom discussions. You can find more information here. Remember to rest in the Lord this week!Lauriehttps://kidstrength4life.com

The single parent can be very difficult with special needs and concerns. Jenn Thompson gives us a very transparent look at her parenting journey as a single parent. She shares the joys, the difficulties, the challenges, her coping tips, and how people can best come alongside a single parent. 00:00 Introduction01:31 The single parent and discipline04:24 A word about gospel discipline05:00 The lost dream for the single parent06:23 Kids will see what matters08:01 Losses and gains09:58 Unhelpful conversations and words that are better12:28 Balancing work and fun16:15 Training your kids spiritually19:49 Final words and opportunities This week, Jenn focused on the single parenting mindset and how you can come alongside a single parent. I share two opportunities here. If you are looking for more community, and/or coaching, I hope you will consider joining our Zoom group where we will talk about discipline, the ideas that the podcasts stimulate, or whatever parenting topic is on your mind. The group will last 45 minutes and we will alternate between Thursday evening at 6:00 pm Pacific time and 10:00 am Pacific time on Friday morning. We will see how those times work out. Also, I am offering a course in gospel parenting, called Discipline with Dignity (both yours and your kids). I break down steps of discipline without shouting or anger. You can find that here: Discipline with Dignity I hope you will decide to join me in the zoom discussions. You can find more information here. Remember to rest in the Lord this week!Lauriehttps://kidstrength4life.com

The single parent can be very difficult with special needs and concerns. Jenn Thompson gives us a very transparent look at her parenting journey as a single parent. She shares the joys, the difficulties, the challenges, her coping tips, and how people can best come alongside a single parent. 00:00 Introduction03:14. Parenting joys06:38 Single parenting struggles09:05 Shame and guilt11:25. Finding mentors16:04 When you're overwhelmed17:57 Ask kids and others for help20:20 Everyone needs community20:40. Join our Zoom community- Final words This week, Jenn focused on the importance of community in her life. I believe it is important for all of us! If you are looking for more community, and/or coaching, I hope you will consider joining our Zoom group in September where we will talk about discipline and other ideas that this podcasts stimulate The group will last 45 minutes and we will alternate between Thursday evening at 6:00 pm Pacific time and 10:00 am Pacific time on Friday morning. We will see how those times work out. I hope you will decide to join me. Contact me at Laurie@KidStrength4Life.com Remember to rest in the Lord this week!Lauriehttps://kidstrength4life.com

In this week's podcast, we will talk about how to discipline your kids with dignity- both yours and theirs. Laurie Donahue brings excerpts from a video course she has written called, Discipline with Dignity. This is an overview of the anger and frustration of parents, the "leading gently" strategy, and the "stronger discipline" strategy. She talks about advantages of one strategy over the other. 0:00 Intro2:22 You are a divine gift3:24 Our gut reaction vs speaking life into our kids4:12 The reactive parent8:07 Leading gently strategy11:43 Discipline is not punishment12:25 When leading gently doesn't work13:00 Learning authority 14:58 Using stronger discipline17:06 Where to start18:07 Steps of discipline18:35 Final wordsLaurie Donahue has written/co-written 6 books for children. Five of them were published by Lifesong Publishers. (Laurie's publishing company) She has a lifetime California Community College teaching credential. She has been a conference speaker and blogger and has taught in children's programs most of her life. But her best education of all is raising 4 daughters and enjoying 8 wonderful grandchildren. She has been married to Tim for 46 years and has accompanied him on many international medical mission trips as a translator and pharmacy assistant. If you are interested in more private coaching, please contact me at Laurie@KidStrength4Life.com.Laurie has written and recorded a parenting video course called Discipline with Dignity. It is available for purchase for less than the cost of a book. And with it comes 2 meetings on Zoom, lasting 45 minutes each, to discuss the strategies further. You can get that course here. Laurie talks about the 10 Tips to Lead Gently pdf download. You can get that pdf here. The hub for both free and paid products is https://kidstrength4life.com. Thank you for being part of the KidStrength4Life family and remember to rest in the Lord this week!

I am happy to replay this wonderful podcast (part 2) from August of 2022. This is part 2 of my interview with Lauren Amaro which brings a unique blend of research, spiritual wisdom, and practicality to this podcast. This week she shares about our frustration- why we get frustrated and practical tips to relieve frustration. She talks about the input-output model and also, how to deal with difficult situations such as an ADHD diagnosis. 0:00 Introduction1:15 Why do we get so frustrated?2:58 Dealing with our kids' humanity4:18 Emotional regulation skills6:46 What does God say to the frustrated parent?9:52 Input/output model unraveled13:08 More secrets for highly frustrated parents15:07 When is comparison healthy?18:56 Labeling our kid's health diagnosis (ADHD)24:19 When there are gaps in our parenting26:05 Final words Lauren Amaro is an associate professor of Communication at Pepperdine University. As a Ph.D. professor, she researches, studies, and teaches topics such as: Communication and Conflict Communication Research Methods Family Communication Interpersonal Communication During this interview, Lauren recommends 2 books. Here are the links to those books. The Whole Brain ChildNo Drama Discipline Be sure to subscribe by hitting the "subscribe" button where you listen to your podcasts. That way you will find your way back easily for next week's interview when I will be sharing about Gospel Discipline. You won't want to miss it! For more opportunities, check out https://kidstrength4life.com

I am happy to replay this wonderful podcast from August of 2022. My interview with Lauren Amaro brings a unique blend of research, spiritual wisdom, and practicality to this podcast. She looks at herself and encourages us to look at ourselves in the areas of control, comparison, healthy and unhealthy goals, what gets in the way of our kids' progress and teaching our kids purpose. 0:00 Introduction 4:20 A look at control and comparison 7:35 Goals for our kids from infancy to adulthood 10:44 What gets in the way of our goals? 16:01 Our kids' differences and delaying adulthood 16:50 Teaching our kids purpose 20:40 Closing Lauren Amaro is an associate professor of Communication at Pepperdine University. As a Ph.D. professor, she researches, studies, and teaches topics such as Communication and Conflict Communication, Research Methods, Family Communication, and Interpersonal Communication. During this interview, she talks about the damage that comparison can do and how to help our kids find purpose, both of which are themes of my picture book, Mr. Blue- a Job for You. I am offering a free video reading of this book by me (the author) at https://www.kidstrength4life.com/mr-blue-reading. Be sure to subscribe by hitting the "subscribe" button where you listen to your podcasts. That way you will find your way back easily for the second half of this interview. You won't want to miss it! For more opportunities, check out https://kidstrength4life.com

Summer is a great time to potty train your child! The weather is nice so their clothes won't be cumbersome and your schedule is a little more flexible. For anyone who needs a little help with potty training, this is your podcast! Michelle discusses Elimination Communication, classic potty training, and potty training tips for the special-needs child. This podcast is the second of 2 podcasts. Be sure to go back and listen to the first podcast. Introduction What about other caregivers? What about travel and potty training? Sticking with potty training and backsliding The frustrated mom Potty training special needs kids Resources ClosingMichelle is CEO of The Potty School, consultant, speaker, and teacher. She has written The Complete Guide to Potty Training Your Child- Expert Solutions for Any Mess. You can get her book here. She has also appeared on KTLA, Channel 5 out of Los Angeles, OC Parenting, and MSN. The Website for The Potty School is Thepottyschool.com. If you have any response to this or other podcasts, please reach out to me. Also, if you have a topic you would love to hear about on Adventure Parenting with Grace, please let me know! My email address is Laurie@kidstrength4life.com Thanks for listening and remember to rest in the Lord this week!

Summer is a great time to potty train your child! The weather is nice so their clothes won't be cumbersome and your schedule is a little more flexible. For anyone who needs a little help with potty training, this is your podcast! Michelle discusses Elimination Communication, classic potty training, and potty training tips for the special-needs child. This podcast is the first of 2 podcasts. Introduction When should I start potty training my child? Elimination Communication Toilet Independence Potty training process Night-time training Toileting fears Importance of being on the same page Closing Michelle is CEO of The Potty School, consultant, speaker, and teacher. She has written The Complete Guide to Potty Training Your Child- Expert Solutions for Any Mess. You can get her book here. She has also appeared on KTLA, Channel 5 out of Los Angeles, OC Parenting, and MSN. The Website for The Potty School is Thepottyschool.com. If you have any response to this or other podcasts, please reach out to me. Also, if you have a topic you would love to hear about on Adventure Parenting with Grace, please let me know! My email address is Laurie@kidstrength4life.com Thanks for listening and remember to rest in the Lord this week!