Podcast appearances and mentions of rob rienow

272. Pathway to Joy and Happiness in Parenting with Amy Rienow   Psalm 144:15b NKJV, "Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!"   *Transcription Below*   Questions and Topics We Cover: Will you share your story of God revealing a spirit of perfectionism was sneaking into motherhood? How can we recognize our own spirit of perfectionism and what can we do about it? What is one thing you've found every mom needs more of and how can we get it?   Thank You to Our Sponsor: MidwestFoodBank.org   Amy Rienow's first ministry is loving her husband and nurturing faith in their seven children. She and Rob founded and lead Visionary Family Ministries, a ministry created to equip parents, encourage couples, and help families live for Christ. She attended the University of Illinois, followed by Wheaton College Graduate School, where she earned her MA in Clinical Psychology. She is a licensed clinical professional counselor. Amy has her hands full as a mom, partnering with Rob, and serving in the women's and worship ministries at church.   Savvy Sauce Episodes Mentioned in Episode: Special Patreon Re-Release: Discipline that Disciples with Dr. Rob Rienow Five Love Languages with Dr. Gary Chapman 87 Visionary Parenting and Grand-Parenting with Dr. Rob Rienow 182 Things I Wish I'd Have Known Before My Child Became a Teenager with Dr. Gary Chapman 220 Cultivating Healthy Family Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman 245 Stories Series: Miracles Big and Small with Dr. Rob Rienow 230 Intentional Parenting in All Stages with Dr. Rob Rienow   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook, Instagram or Our Website    Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:09)   Laura Dugger: (0:11 - 1:43) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   Thank you to an anonymous donor to Midwest Food Bank, who paid the sponsorship fee in hopes of spreading awareness.  Learn more about this amazing nonprofit organization at MidwestFoodBank.org.   I'm thrilled to get to introduce you to my inspiring guest for today, Amy Rienow. Now, that last name may sound familiar because Amy's husband, Dr. Rob Rienow, has been a previous guest multiple times, actually. So, I'll make sure and link his previous episodes in the show notes, along with other episodes that we recommend in this conversation.   Amy and Rob are founders of Visionary Family Ministries, and they are parents to seven children. Amy is also an author, podcaster, and she's practiced as a licensed clinical professional counselor in the past, so she's going to combine all of this experience together, and her wisdom just pours out as now she's going to seek to encourage us to seek the Lord and follow His guidance, especially as parents in our parenting journey. Here's our chat.   Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Amy.   Amy Rienow: (1:44 - 1:51) Hi Laura. I'm so glad to do this with you. It's been a while since we've talked about it, and I'm excited to be here today.   Laura Dugger: (1:51 - 2:00) Well, I'm thrilled to have you join, and I'd love to just dive in and hear how did Jesus Christ become your personal Lord and Savior?   Amy Rienow: (2:01 - 3:39)  I love that you start with that question. I grew up in a home with a Christian mom and a non-Christian dad, but they had made an arrangement before they were even married. She did have the wisdom to ask her husband to give her the domain of that, like picking a church, and he was willing to go with us as a family to church, even though he was not a believer, and that was very clear.   But she led me to the Lord when I was about four years old, and I grew up going to church, and that was my first. I feel like I never kind of have a lot of memory of not knowing Jesus, but I would say that my faith increased and became even more my own. I feel like it was always my own, but in high school, I went on a missions trip to Mexico, and I will never forget the experience of being in a very poor town in Mexico, and there was this horrible storm coming in, and all of us Americans were afraid of the storm, and we ran into the church while the service kept going on, and literally none of the Mexican people that were outside in the service, the storm didn't faze them at all.   They just kept going on, and honestly, that was such a pivotal point in my life where I was like, that is the type of faith that I wanted to have. I mean, it really cemented. I feel like that's when the Holy Spirit just helped me to know that that's who I want to be.   I want to be a person of that kind of faith in the Lord that is not budging when the storms come.   Laura Dugger: (3:40 - 4:04) Love that. Thank you for sharing, and since that time, you've added some people to your family, so I'd love to get a snapshot of your family right now and then share some more about motherhood, specifically in one of your books you wrote about recognizing that you had a spirit of perfectionism. So, I'd love to hear more about that because I think it's very relatable.   Amy Rienow: (4:05 - 6:43) Well, my family right now, I've been married to my husband Rob for 30 years. I have seven children, R.W., Lissy, J.D., Lainey, Millie, Ray, and Rush.  And R.W. is turning 28 this year. He has one little boy.   His name is Cliff, so that's my grandbaby number three. My daughter Lissy is married to Bond, and she's about to have baby number three, so that will be my fourth grandbaby. She has Avey, Bondy, and then this little new one on the way. And then my son J.D. just got married to Brooke last summer, so that is exciting. We're thrilled, thrilled, thrilled to have Brooke in our family. Lainey is graduating from Olivet. She graduated in three years, which we're really proud of. Millie is a junior.   Ray is a freshman, and Rush is in fifth grade, and I still homeschool those three. They kind of do part-time at a Christian school here, and then I homeschool the rest of the time. So, that is my current family.   It's expanding. As you will find out when you get to the stage, expansions come very quickly, and it's exciting, exciting times. But about that spirit of perfectionism, actually, even before I became a mom, I was convicted of a spirit of perfectionism because I had always been very critical of myself.   I had a very critical spirit. Just I don't know if it was, you know, the peer pressure, what those components are. I'm a middle child, but I just tended to critique myself very harshly.   And after I was married, even about a year, the Lord showed me how, because of my husband and I were becoming one flesh, I was really turning that critical spirit onto him. But then there was a book called The Fly Lady. She is a home organization.   I think I mention it in my book, but that is when I really began to understand that I struggled with perfectionism, and that's often what kept me paralyzed. It often keep me with that, you know, I would say engaging with that critical spirit, communicating a lot of criticisms, whether it be to my children or to my husband. So, that was, you know, so it started early in marriage, but by the time I was well into motherhood, I was really starting to understand what this was. What the critical spirit was, and it really was a spirit of perfectionism.   Laura Dugger: (6:44 - 6:52) Well, and the Lord met you there, and there is a story that you share related to picture frames. Would you be willing to tell that?   Amy Rienow: (6:52 - 9:07) Yeah. So, my daughter, Lissy, was graduating from high school, and it was classic me. I was trying to like get this massive graduation party together, and I'm sort of a procrastinator and life is busy.   So, it's like we are, okay, I got to get this done before this big party, this big event, and had a friend who was a decorator to kind of give me an idea of what to do. And so, my husband and really the whole family was kind of working overtime to get everything ready for this big event. And he had helped my, we had this huge wall that had to be that my decorator friend suggested a gallery wall.   So, we had all of these pictures up and I was looking at it late at night, kind of exhausted. We're talking about past midnight and I know it wasn't just my husband helping. I had JD helping.   I don't remember where I was, but we were just all working hard to get this ready for this party. And I was laying there as past midnight looking at that wall and so frustrated, like so frustrated because all those pictures I kept looking at like, Oh, this is going to be a mess. Like they're all, they're not like, you know, they're not command stripped.   Right. And so they're all going to be, I just felt like, what have I done? It's looking crooked already.   And it was so frustrating to me. And that is when the Holy spirit completely convicted me with just like, Amy, you should be looking what's in those pictures and not whether they're crooked or not crooked. Like, first of all, like all the family has been helping me with this vision.   Right. And it's not really their vision. It's my vision.   They've all been supportive of me in front of me. It was a wall of all the memories of all these beautiful pictures. And here I was so focused on my right angles and having it look perfect for the crowd coming in at the graduation party, as opposed to what everything on that wall represented.   And so, it was a very convicting moment to me of just like, I have a choice. Am I going to embrace everything in those pictures and everything my family's done to help us get to this special day? Or am I going to come in and be fixated on how crooked those picture frames look to me right now?   Laura Dugger: (9:07 - 9:19)  Appreciate you sharing that. And I'm wondering for any parent, especially listening, if they find themselves identifying with that spirit of perfectionism, what can we do with that?   Amy Rienow: (9:20 - 11:11)  It's a challenging one because I think our culture promotes it. And I also think I'm on the flip side of the positive side of it. Let me just say, I believe there's a vision of perfect in our hearts because we were created for perfect.   We're created for heaven. And the Bible says that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, or no mind has even conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. So, there's this drive for perfect that I think is very good and right.   And so, we don't want to give up like excellence, or we don't want to give up that we have that drive. The problem is that the enemy, in fact, I've actually done more research on this. There's really can be a demonic spirit of perfectionism where we're trying to create heaven here.   We're trying to think in our own flesh and our own strength that we can take care of all of our sin, take care of all of our flaws. We can take care of our children's flaws. We can take care of our husband's flaws.   That is actually from the enemy in the sense that we believe in our own strength. And you can look at that through history. It's basically a form of humanism that we can fix everything in ourselves.   God makes it very clear in scripture that that is not possible. So, I think understanding this tension, that it's okay to want things to be wonderful, that's not bad. But what's bad is when we leave God out of the picture and we put this pressure on ourselves and on the people around us to accomplish what only can God can do.   And we don't accept God's timing. We don't have patience with who we are, our sinful nature and really put our trust in Christ and not in ourselves.   Laura Dugger: (11:12 - 12:56) Let's take a quick break to hear a message from our sponsor.   Midwest Food Bank exists to provide industry leading food relief to those in need while feeding them spiritually. They are a food charity with a desire to demonstrate God's love by providing help to those in need.   Unlike other parts of the world where there's not enough food in America, the resources actually do exist. That's why food pantries and food banks like Midwest Food Bank are so important. The goods that they deliver to their agency partners help to supplement the food supply for families and individuals across our country, aiding those whose resources are beyond stretched.   Midwest Food Bank also supports people globally through their locations in Haiti and East Africa, which are some of the areas hardest hit by hunger arising from poverty. This ministry reaches millions of people every year. And thanks to the Lord's provision, 99% of every donation goes directly toward providing food to people in need.   The remaining 1% of income is used for fundraising, costs of leadership, oversight, and other administrative expenses. Donations, volunteers, and prayers are always appreciated for Midwest Food Bank. To learn more, visit midwestfoodbank.org, or listen to episode 83 of The Savvy Sauce, where the founder, David Kieser, shares miracles of God that he's witnessed through this nonprofit organization. I hope you check them out today.   You also write in one of your books that there's one thing that you found every mother needs. So, what is it and how can we get it?   Amy Rienow: (12:56 - 14:56) That one thing is joy, joy, joy. And, and I like to use the word happiness, honestly, because I feel like that happiness got a bad rap, I say, in Christian world for like a while, in my opinion. I don't know if it's still that way, but so often I heard sermon saying, you know, like we don't want happiness.   We want joy. Like there's these two different major things, like, you know, almost like a rejection of happiness for this deeper spiritual joy. Well, finally, the Lord really convicted me that deep, deep inner joy that doesn't show is an oxymoron.   Like, you really should see happiness. You should feel happiness. You should feel those things.   If you ever come across someone's like, oh no, I have a deep joy, but like, there's no evidence of it. Well, that's a red flag. That's a problem.   The Lord, you know, in the King James version, it actually says happier people whose God is the Lord. And I believe every mom desires that happiness. And sometimes they don't even really know that that's the most important element that they want in their home, you know, because it's so easy to get, I don't know, sidetracked on things that feel more important that you kind of forget how important happiness is.   And, you know, we can take it for granted. I feel like very easily because often when our kids are little and we don't have not entered that world of, whether it be academic or whatever into the greater world, let's just say in your home, you can kind of have like a natural happiness and joy that's just there, but it's so easily stifled. When we start putting our self into the world of either comparing ourselves to other moms, comparing our kids to other kids, stressing about the expectations or what we think our kids need.   We can often find that happiness slipping away. And I believe we do not want that to happen in our homes and in our hearts.   Laura Dugger: (14:57 - 15:08) And so how can we get more of that, both as parents and how can we train our kids to be happy and joyful as well?   Amy Rienow: (15:09 - 17:18) It's such a good question and a hard question. Cause I don't think it's just like we can snap our fingers and just do that. I think that it's really important that we are seeking the Lord and helping him order our priorities.   You know, God gave us 10 commandments for a reason. And if you look at the first one, it says, “You know, you'll have no other gods before me, you'll keep him first.” And part of the reason why I think that commandment is both like the first and also in many ways, very abstract, like, you know what I mean?   How do you even do that? You know, it's confusing, I think, but I think that's what the Lord wants is of a seeking of helping us keep him first. Because when we help to keep God first, number one, and number two, we don't have idols that we bow down to, that we place above him. Like, let's take an example of motherhood.   Let's say the idol might be, um, I have to have super smart children. Let's put it that way. You know, your joy is going to be robbed when you keep sacrificing to that idol, because that's a trap.   Like the enemy wants to trap you there to make the wrong sacrifices. And that is why I think God knows this. Like he's telling us right in those 10 commandments, you know, you need to keep me first.   You can have no, do not worship to idols. Because when you're making the sacrifices to eternal God, who is the author of joy, the author of love, the author of peace, those are the things he gives back to you. No other idol can give you peace.   No other idol can give you joy. So, I think when we look at the lack of joy that we see in a lot of our homes in our culture, it's because we've been ensnared into an idolatry where we're making the wrong sacrifices. We're sacrificing things that we don't realize the consequence of that until we're in it.   And we're like, wait, this didn't produce the happiness and joy that I expected it to produce. Cause we were tricked.   Laura Dugger: (17:19 - 17:27) Do you have any examples from your own life or friend's stories where that really comes to life?   Amy Rienow: (17:27 - 21:22) Oh boy. There's lots of examples and lots of friends stories, but I'm going to say one that's more of a story that I'm well aware of and not, you know, personally walk hand with. But I think it's always struck with me because it was so painful story. You know, I grew up, I've raised a lot of athletes in my home and my son, especially my first born very athletic boy.   And we were kind of at the beginning of the cusp of how important travel was, you know what I mean? Travel baseball and travel, you know, sports in general. And there's that pressure.   You need to choose this. You need to do this or else you are going to, you know, ruin the advantages for your child. If you don't do this, even if choosing that is going to mean you're going to sacrifice family time, you're going to sacrifice finances.   You are going to sacrifice your Sundays. I could go on and on. The world will tell you you have to do this in order to get to the prize that you're looking for, or your son is going to be disadvantaged.   If you don't choose that. And it took a lot to be like, no, we're not going to make, we're not going to make that trade. And there was a lot of pressure.   There's a lot of pressure with our son, you know what I mean? With him feeling sometimes neglected and having to deal in that relationship. So, it's not like that's immediate happiness or immediate joy, you know, but what did it did allow us to disciple him through all that.   It allowed us to see God, you know, use him, whatever team he was on, give him a lot of joy in sports. The blessing of it is that we saw him in high school, you know, excel in baseball, always rise to the top, win character awards. He eventually did go on to play college baseball and AIA, not like D1, but he got to play, got to use that gift to pay for his education.   But most importantly, he was a joyful, happy kid. Baseball didn't control his life. And I just praise God for that.   And in contrast, he, at the same, his age, same age level, there were these two boys who were twins were very well known for being top, top, top, top players. And they were just elevated in many circles we were in. And, you know, you, when you're in the baseball world, baseball moms will understand this, you know who the top players are.   You see the name, like, you know, when your son's in the paper for something, you know, he was listed in the number of top of DuPage kids. And obviously that's a feather in your cap and you're really proud of that. These boys were top of the top D1, but I'll never forget.   They went to different D1 schools and one of them ended up taking his own life his freshman year. I believe it just the most devastating thing. I could not, I cannot speak to any of those situations.   I don't know his family background. I do not know any history of at all. All I can say is it hit me really hard in the sense that these were the boys that so many parents were envying, envying of their success and of their status.   And that was so jolting to, to know that they'd received, you know, hit so many of these incredible hurdles that every parent thinks they want their kids to achieve. But obviously there was something amiss because there was a lack of joy, lack of happiness. I don't know the whole story.   But that just strikes me again of just how important it is to again, go back to keeping God first, make sure you're making the right sacrifices.   Laura Dugger: (21:23 - 22:43) That's a good word. It's such a sobering story, but making sure we're making the right sacrifices or really listening to God's counsel. That reminds me where I was this morning, Psalm 25.   I read it in the amplified version, but it was talking specifically that some of his guidance comes from his word. Like it's amazing. It's incredible.   It's important to pray and to be around others who are godly and do other spiritual rhythms, but there's nothing like reading his word to hear from him. And let me try and find the verses. Verse 14 in the amplified version says, “The secret of the wise counsel of the Lord is for those who fear him and he will let them know his covenant and reveal to them through his word, it's deep inner meaning.”   And the next verse, just the first part goes on to say, “My eyes are continually toward the Lord.” And that was such powerful takeaway this morning, but then I'm hearing it through the way that these lives played out. Because when you look, is it my understanding correct?   That you did travel sports, but they were not, your children chose not to do Sundays.   Amy Rienow: (22:44 - 25:52) Well, we did not even do travel sports for my oldest. It was back in the day when park district actually, you could, you know, like there were enough kids. So, we, my son did only park district all the way through eighth grade, but then he kind of, because he was like young for his age, he had one sort of gap year in between high school before he started like high school sports.   And that's when he did play a travel sport. We found one that honestly was not good at all. I don't think the level was any better than park district, but they accepted the no Sunday situation.   So, that's what we did. And you know, it was a losing team. Like he was on losing teams, like most of his baseball career until he got to high school.   So, it really was you know, the opposite of what the world said he needed. And yet he was able to, to rise and, and achieve. And honestly his high school experience was being able to always, he was a starter all the time and he his teams won.   So, it was like years of like, not, you know, kind of paying these prices I would say. And that's neither here or there. The winning or the losing is really not important.   The important was keeping baseball in its proper place, enjoying the gifts that God has given you, not letting, listening to the world. I'll just throw this in because we are what you said about sound. First of all, I love the amplified version.   So, that blessed me that you read the amplified, but you know, seeking the council, you, we must be as parents in his word, like regularly listening to how he's speaking to us because we also, it's so interesting. Rob and I live in a very interesting world. We had one foot, especially back then, one foot in the homeschool world, one foot in the public school area, public school community, lots of public school friends.   And then also the Christian school is where my son played. But you know, if we'd go to homeschool conference, there were tons of messages that you should not have your kids in sports at all. Sports are wrong.   Sports are a waste of time, you know? So, that was a strong message of sort of like condemnation almost for being in sports at all. So, my point is there was no one community that said, okay, this is the way, you know what I mean?   We had to seek the Lord, you know, for ourselves, for our family, for our son, knowing this was his love and his giftedness and continue to look for wisdom and how he should grow in those gifts. You know, and how he wanted to use it in his life, but not let it take over his life. And isn't that the lesson for all of us?   So, anyway, it depended on that seeking the counsel of him, both myself with my husband and then also with our W. It wasn't like we kept him out of the picture. We were praying the three of us for wisdom and all those things.   Laura Dugger: (25:53 - 26:42) I love hearing that because you're right. It's not about black and white decision of travel sports are always wrong or always right. But the main takeaway is seek the Lord because he has wisdom for our individual unique situation.   And I want to go back and close a few other loops. Sure. Please.   One of those being that even with perfectionism or with comparison or when we're choosing godly values that may contradict worldly values, I'm hearing a theme that there's a, it's a fight and that there's a spiritual battle. And you even said you had researched some of this, Amy, how do you personally learn about that and be aware of the spiritual realm?   Amy Rienow: (26:44 - 30:42) We, we really, I can't say it enough that we do need to be so aware of the spiritual realm. I didn't understand. I didn't understand in my early years of parenting at how important that was to pay attention to.   And here's the thing there's, I feel like there's the Lord brings us on a path along the way with the knowledge we need at the time. And then he wants us to stretch and grow and learn a little bit more. So, there was a season in my life.   When especially we began homeschooling, the Lord brought us into all these new teachings that we didn't really understand was so powerful. It was so wonderful. We were very blessed by all of those teaching and the conferences that we were attending.   But what began to happen for me is that the perfectionism that I knew was there kind of gotten folded into that teaching because all of a sudden I kind of wore as a spiritual, like pride that I, I called it my noble list. Now I, when I talk about my book, Not So Perfect Mom, I, this is not in the book, but this is part of my talks. Like I kind of replaced the world's list of great athlete, great, you know, so smart, all those things with my noble list.   My child will have wonderful character. My child will read God's word. My child will know what it means to serve, but you see what I mean?   We're still dealing with a list. God had to call me out of that way of thinking back to the importance of a relationship with him, meaning for myself and meaning for my kids. Because when my oldest was 12, I was starting to see that we could be raising a Pharisee. If we keep focusing on this noble list, like if he knows all of his Proverbs, if he obeys perfectly, if he, you know what I mean?   Like life is not supposed to be, God never called us to do that. He desires a daily relationship with us. And that's what he desires for our kids.   So, that was beginning to suffocate my oldest for sure. And my, I would say, and my daughter right underneath him because they felt the weight of this, you know, we need to arise to this, this standard. So, like that perfectionism can take on this, this type of robe that makes you feel very noble about it.   Especially if you're in certain circles, like spiritual circles, where if your kids look right, dress right. You know, say yes, ma'am and yes, sir. Then we're all assuming that they're wonderful and we're not really getting to the heart underneath, but that is, there's a tension and a spiritual battle.   That's far. That's super important to pay attention to. And the way the Lord showed that to me is that I would often say the phrase in conversation.   Oh, it's a battle. Oh, it's a battle. We're in a battle.   I'm the Lord. I don't know what they gave me a vision. That's too strong word, but I had this sort of, I, I guess it's a vision.   I imagine that I was on, I was sitting in a coffee, like at a table with a friend drinking coffee. And we were just, you know, chatting and yet that coffee table was in the middle of this bloody battlefield. And the Lord was just kind of showing me, this is how your attitude is about saying that it's in a battle.   Like you're sitting here, just talking with your friends, drinking coffee and chatting and laughing. And this is the battlefield. It's all around you.   What are you doing about the battle? You know, when you are following after the Lord, you need to expect opposition. You need to understand that your kids are under spiritual attack.   And if we're not praying and putting on that full armor of God and recognizing it, we're not engaged in it.   Laura Dugger: (30:42 - 31:41) When was the first time you listened to an episode of The Savvy Sauce? How did you hear about our podcast? Did a friend share it with you?   Will you be willing to be that friend now and text five other friends or post on your socials? Anything about The Savvy Sauce that you love. If you share your favorite episodes, that is how we continue to expand our reach and get the good news of Jesus Christ in more ears across the world.   So, we need your help. Another way to help us grow is to leave a five-star review on Apple podcasts. Each of these suggestions will cost you less than a minute, but it will be a great benefit to us.   Thank you so much for being willing to be generous with your time and share. We appreciate you.   When you go back to your family of origin, did your father ever find a saving faith in Jesus Christ as well?   Amy Rienow: (31:41 - 33:11) He did. He did actually. That's such a wonderful question. And he did when my husband and I were married for about a year. And he, at Christmas day in front of our whole family, after we were sitting at the table at dinner, he kind of waited for all the gifts to be open and be at a different spot.   And he said, “Well, I opened one more gift today and it was the gift of salvation.” Wow. I still tear up thinking about it and thinking about my older brother's response, who was not an emotional person.   And I saw tears in my older brother's eyes, but I just want to even in saying that, that taught me a lot because even at the time when he accepted salvation, he even said, I don't necessarily believe all the Bible's true. He really, you know, he accepted in faith and now he doesn't, you know, the Lord took him from evolutions. Now he's probably more conservative or believes the Bible in a way that I would say many other Christians maybe wouldn't believe, but I'm saying that it was a process watching him grow.   And my kids don't even understand that, that we call him Bop Bop. He used to be a man who, you know, let the communion plate pass every week. And he was not a believer because they see him so much as a spiritual leader now, but you see how faith moves and how faith changes us.   And we need to be patient with God in ourselves, with our kids, you know, and trust in that walk with Him. Love it.   Laura Dugger: (33:12 - 33:23) Well, I'm going to change gears here a little bit. Yeah. Will you explain attachment and share why you're so passionate about this topic?   Amy Rienow: (33:24 - 37:18) That is, I do feel like I love talking about attachment. I feel like it's an underrated thing to talk about. Some of you might be familiar.   I don't know if any of these names like Mary Ainsworth or the Harlow experience, you remember the monkey Harlow experience. It's most, most kids who've had like even a high school psychology class, know that the story of the monkey who has the wire surrogate mom with the bottle. And then has like the fuzzy mom that doesn't have the bottle and the monkey goes and gets its food from the bottle of the wire mom but continues to go over to the furry surrogate mom for comfort.   That's some of the original psychology on attachment but I was started my professional job in a school with children with behavior disorders and autism. That's one of my first jobs. And, and because of that, I went to different seminars for continuing education.   And one of them was a woman who specialized in attachment. And part of the reason she specialized in attachment because she'd adopted so many children and she was sort of a professional on adoption. And that's when I really did a deeper dive into attachment and specifically something called reactive attachment disorder.   I can't go into that. It would be a long tangent. But she was such an eye-opening time.   And this is even before I had children. But she said that, you know, she couldn't say everything she wanted to about attachment and the effects specifically of daycare on children, because it wasn't politically correct. That she would lose her funding basically, if she gave her true opinion on some of the things that our culture was doing to destroy attachment among families.   And it was just very eye opening to me that, you know, when we get our baby development books, the time that I was having kids, it was What to Expect When You're Expecting and What to Expect for Your One Year Old and all these milestones that moms are looking for. And obviously moms generally love their kids. I will stand by that over and over, you know what I mean?   That's the norm. And, you know, you're told to look for all of these milestones, but really attachment is not even mentioned in this book of how important it is. What are the signs of a securely attached child?   And yet this is so significant. And it's not just in the Christian world that we can recognize this. This is universally known in the psychology world, how important attachment is.   So, let's go back to that spiritual battle. Why is it that that is not discussed? Or why is that not focused in the development book?   Or why is it that if you're going to adopt a child, you're going to learn all about attachment, but that's not something that you may necessarily come into contact with if you're just having your own children. But attachment is essential for all healthy relationships. And specifically attachment with the mother.   I mean, we can use the term primary caregiver. Yes, to other people come in and be a primary care. I'm not saying that, you know. It's not just the mom, but this relationship with the mom, this, this attachment is so significant because God created it that way.   And it, how that relationship and how that attachment happens will have this impact on all the other relationships that your child is going to have in their life. So, it's something that we need to be talking about. And I pray that it becomes more and more common for people to talk about it.   Laura Dugger: (37:18 - 37:25) Well, and I'm even curious that speaker was that Karen Purvis?   Amy Rienow: (37:25 - 38:04) Oh, I don't even remember her name. I apologize. She was not a Christian. She was not a believer.   She, well, if she was, I don't know that. Cause I was, I was listening to her in a secular setting. You know, so she might've been, I don't, so I don't know, but I, the reason why it was so curious to me that the time most of the children on my case list that I had at this school were adopted.   So, I found that so interesting, like, and that was why I went to her seminar to try to understand more that connection of the adoption. And you know, how did that play into some of the problems that these children were, were having.   Laura Dugger: (38:05 - 38:20) Well, and just to go a little bit further with attachment, let's take it from the positive side. What are some proven examples or ways that we can form that healthy attachment with our children and that bonding?   Amy Rienow: (38:21 - 40:38) Yeah, well, a lot of it is just a spending time with your child, you know, and that's why I want to be very gentle here. Cause the world that we live in, I mean, I know for a fact that there are so many moms in situations where they have to go back to work right away. There are difficult circumstances.   And I'm, I am not here to say that then you don't have an attached relationship with child. Cause that is honestly not true. But I will say that if you have any opportunity to be home with your children, please, please, please take that opportunity because your children need that contact with you to form that attachment.   I mean, the number one thing for attachment is presence, time, touch, eye contact, and smiles. I mean, like it is what the baby that interplay that's happening with the baby and the mother and, and the why babies love faces. I mean, like they, we need to have that time with our children.   We need to be the ones to know our children the best that only comes with time. But even a mom who maybe for reasons have to be away from their baby, the important thing is that when you're with them, that you are engaged. You know, I even, I don't have my phone in front of me.   Even the phone takes away attachment. You know, when you're looking at another screen, as opposed to paying attention to that communication with the baby long before they're communicating long for the communicating with words, they are interacting and communicating with you. So, God knew what he's doing when he created mothers with the ability to feed their babies.   Nursing enables attachment, you know, because the baby is dependent on the mother. So, all of these things play into why God created our system the way it is because it was designed not to just physically feed our babies, but to emotionally create this attached, secured relationship where that enables a child to feel safe, feel security.   Laura Dugger: (40:39 - 40:54) Well, that makes me think of another a word that you wisely encourage us. And that is the word affection. So, can you share why this is also important to shower on our children?   Amy Rienow: (40:55 - 43:47) Yes. You know how it is when you become a mom, there's all these new parenting styles out there, things that you get bombarded with, or should I do this? Or, you know, and I think I was really impacted by a Bible, small group where a woman was talking about her six-month-old needing disciplining her six-month-old.   And it hit me really negatively because I just heard a woman who had had like, I think she has 17 children who talked about, you know, there's, you cannot spoil and she used, you cannot spoil anybody under the age of two. I would say it's as much as under three with as far as attention and love and affection, affection, your children need your affection. Again, let's go to how this, how Satan, let's go back to that spiritual battle.   We can keep going back. Cause I often find you can see God's truth with how it's perverted in the world. So, let's look at how we have a sex education system now in so many schools, including in Illinois that tries to teach younger children horrific adult sexual behaviors, correct?   And they are manipulating what needs to, what children do need, which is positive, a non-sexual physical connection with their parents, with their siblings, with aunts and uncles. So, so in some ways I can remember early in my career and either in my development in getting my classes, my masters, you know, in some ways they demonize, you know, like parents are afraid to sometimes have too much physical touch or too much of this because it's almost like, Oh, we can't, you know, we have to make sure our children are more independent, you know, like, like for example, co-sleeping, which builds a lot of affection between parents, which is normal in most cultures and normal throughout history can be viewed as really negative. Like, you know, you gotta get your kid in another room and another, like pushing them out early and yet look at what we see from the world, which is an encroachment of inappropriate touch, inappropriate sexuality at younger and younger ages.   And obviously kids who don't have positive, strong, physical affection are more inclined to fall for Satan's counterfeit. And desire and need touch, but they, they, it's been twisted from the world's perspective.   Laura Dugger: (43:47 - 44:17) Does that make sense? Are you tracking with that? I am.   And it's even making me think of a previous guest, Dr. Gary Chapman, talking about mostly the five love languages of in marriage and how those are displayed. But we also discussed with children and the parent child. And I'm just thinking as you're giving examples of affection, it, it even goes beyond the hugs and kisses and appropriate touch to acts of service and lighting up with them and spending that quality time and all those love languages.   Amy Rienow: (44:18 - 46:16) That's right. As the kids get older, I mean, my, my, we joke about, you know, I have certain sons that, did not want to be touched at all when they were 13, 14. We laughed at my son J.D. like he would want to come give me hugs and he would want to, but it had to always be on his terms.   Like I could never come up, you know what I mean? And how can you, my affection towards him was I'll get you a double cheeseburger. I will make you a milkshake.   That was the way I communicated my affection to him, but it was also my presence in listening to him when he needed to be listening to. There's so many ways as we get older. Right.   And I love Gary Chapman's work as far as like understanding our kids love, love languages, but I'll never forget, you know, I just had JD's wedding and he surprised me with the mother son dance and he had a song ready for me. I'm going to cry again, but it was this wonderful, he had told his siblings that he was probably going to cry on his wedding day when he saw Brooke and when he danced with his mom. And I had so many, and he was really hugging me and holding on and not afraid to be affectionate with me during that dance.   And that's because affection has always been a normal part of our home and a normal part of our relationship. And so, I just want to encourage parents out there not to be afraid of both physical affection when they're young and don't push your child. If your child is needing you or wants hugs, I would say, don't hesitate to give those to them because there is a culture again that pushes kids like, Oh, you shouldn't need that now.   You shouldn't, you're too old for that. Let them determine those boundaries. You give them the hugs and the affection as long as they still want it.   Cause I promise you they're all going to come to a day and they're not gonna want it. And you don't need to worry about if they're looking for that for you, it's a need that, that you can still meet.   Laura Dugger: (46:17 - 46:34) Well, and one other piece of parenting. I know we oftentimes hear mom guilt. I don't know if dads experienced the same thing, but how can we overcome that?   And what do you see as being at the root of struggling with sometimes that false guilt?   Amy Rienow: (46:35 - 49:52) Yes. Well, that I think comes so much again. Well, for me, it came internalized.   I had, I carried some internalized guilt with me, but that's compounded by a culture that puts so many expectations and demands on us as mothers. Where we are bombarded with another ideal, another sense of where we're falling short. And again, I know I keep coming back to the spiritual attack, but the point is I want to lay it out there that sometimes, sometimes moms can feel like, especially in an area, this sounds interesting, but because so many more children have been in daycare or exposed to a lot more developmental things at young ages. If you are like home with your kids, if you feel like, well, gosh, I'm not providing a craft every day.   I'm not, you know, I'm not reading. I went to the library and it literally had this whole campaign on a thousand books before kindergarten. Like, are you kidding me?   And that's the kind of thing. It's like, you're just having a normal mom day and all of a sudden you walk into the library and you get bombarded with what? I'm supposed to read my child a thousand books before, like a new standard that's just put in front of you.   And the enemy uses that to, to make women feel that they're not enough, you know? And first of all, we have to go back to God's word. That says, “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”   And to really understand that, yes, we need to be open to be convicted to sin. But when we are convicted of something that our heavenly father wants us to change, we will experience a freedom and a lightning when we repent. And it'll be like a burden lifted up.   And as soon as you have that revenge, you feel like you've been given a gift. It's not something that's a burden. So, that is always my guide for women.   Like if you are under something that you feel like is a burden that you're carrying around, um, this sense that you're not doing enough or that you're a bad mom, that is not coming from your Heavenly Father. You need to reject that in the name of Jesus Christ, because this sense is clearly from the accuser. The Bible says Satan is an accuser and he stands accusing us, but Jesus is there to, you know, to say, no, that's my child.   They're covered by my love covered by my grace. So, we don't want to live under that over that guilt, bad mom guilt shadow for whatever, you know, God knows our faults. He doesn't expect us not to have faults, and your children are going to have faults and your husband are going to have faults.   So, if we think that the Lord is, you know, carrying around our faults, hanging over this, we need to, we need to be reminded that that's not from him and we have to reject it. And again, we're talking about a spiritual battle. You might have to reject the same lie 20 times a day until you find real freedom from falling for that guilt trap.   Laura Dugger: (49:53 - 50:12) Well, and along those lines, as you talk about engaging in the battle, you encourage us as children to woo our children in this same way that the Lord draws us close to him. So, how can we go and do likewise as the Lord does?   Amy Rienow: (50:12 - 52:09) Woo our children's hearts. Like I think it's important to know that the relationship that we have, our kids will, the more we model our relationship, our parenting off of how our heavenly father parents us, the easier it will be for our kids to kind of what I, I have a visual in my mind that I'm walking with my child's hand and I'm holding Jesus hand and I'm gradually through this parenting, trying to connect my child's hand to Jesus hands.   Like that's the picture that I want to be guiding my parenting, not I'm trying to raise you to be X, Y, Z, da, da, da, da, da. I'm trying to lead you to your Heavenly Savior. So, you're going to walk with Him.   So, Jesus is, you know, there's many components of our relationship with Jesus and the Heavenly Father and Holy spirit. But one of them is that God woos the hearts of his people. When you read scripture, He desired, He's always telling them you walk with Me.   “My burden is easy. My yoke is light.” You know what I mean?   He's, He's showing us this freedom and this love and grace. He's not coming with a sense of, see, you're doing this and this and this and this and this. And that's why. You know what I mean?   Like you see God's everlasting love for his people. And we want to woo our children with that same kind of everlasting love. You know, I always say, say you can, you can demand your kids to obey you.   You can demand your kids to respect you, but no one can demand love. Even our Heavenly Father doesn't demand love. He gives us free will and choice to choose to love him.   And so, we want to remember that with our kids to woo them. We want them to choose to love us. So, we woo our hearts.   You already mentioned Gary Chapman by understanding our kids' love languages. You know, realizing that's part of our job as a parent is to woo their hearts.   Laura Dugger: (52:10 - 53:13) So, I love how you're drawing this out as the Lord being the best parent ever and that we can learn from Him. That was something that I felt like he was really teaching me in my quiet time this week. And I wanted to take it one step further.   So, for me applying that, I just made a note on my phone and now anytime I come across a parenting scripture, I want to put it in this same list and go back and review it and be prayerful that the Lord can change me to be more like Him as a parent. So, I'm just going to share the first verse that inspired me to do this this week is Luke 6:36 and the amplified version again, “Be merciful, responsive, compassionate, tender, just as your Heavenly Father is merciful.” And so, Amy, just as He's a great parent and we can learn from Him, I appreciate you just drawing us back, pointing us to the heart of the Father.   And if we want to continue learning from you after this chat, where would you like to direct us?   Amy Rienow: (53:13 - 55:30) Well, I'd love you to come to our website at visionaryfam.com and listen to us at our podcast, Family Vision. You know, we named it Family Vision kind of like television because television really changed the American family. It did when it first introduced on to the scene and our heart is that family vision.   Our podcasts would help give your family a new vision, a vision from God's word for all that he wants to do in your family. You can also find our books well on our website, but also on Amazon. We have, I brought a couple today, but Not So Perfect Mom: Learning to Embrace What Matters Most, which is what you're talking about today.   And this book is very close to my heart because it really was wonderful. It was the easiest book I've ever written because I just felt like it was being able to talk about how God has worked in my own life and my own journey. And it just was the like culmination of so many conversations I've had with moms like all over the country, but really overseas and over the world.   And we're all battling some of the same exact things. So, I just, I would encourage you to pick up Not So Perfect Mom: Learning to Embrace What Matters Most. And then the other book that is, it's not new, it's called Shine Embracing God's Heart for You.   I'm actually leading a group of women through it on a zoom study right now. Um, but I actually wrote this, originally back in 2005 when I was a youth pastor's wife. Um, but really it's all about kind of what I talked about earlier of just, recognizing how to, to trust and believe the Lord.   I said, you know, wholeheartedly with our head and our hearts and our hands and, and really going back to, you know, keeping God first, identifying idols in our life. So, we, you know, the more that we get our own relationship with the Lord centered and we kind of figured that part out. I feel like everything flows from that in our homes, in our marriage, in our other relationships. So, I highly recommend, um, picking up this shine and there's a prayer journal to go with it.   There's a leader's guide. If you'd like to lead a group and that's all on Amazon or at our website.   Laura Dugger: (55:31 - 55:48) Wonderful. As always we'll add the links to that in the show notes for today's episode and Amy, you already know that we're called The Savvy Sauce because Savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so, as my final question for you today, what is your Savvy Sauce?   Amy Rienow: (55:48 - 57:06) I love that question. My Savvy Sauce is actually mentioned in Not So Perfect Mom, but it's when the Lord gave me that quote, “whatever is worth doing is worth doing poorly.” I feel that perfectionism kept me paralyzed so often.   If I couldn't do things exactly the way I thought that they should be in my head, then I was kind of pathetic and wasn't going to do it at all. And so, my encouragement in any area, if you know something is worth doing. Let me give you a practical example really quick on this, even when it comes to like, um, when you're struggling with your marriage. I know I had some issues in my marriage with my husband where I was getting to the point where I didn't even really want to go out on a date, you know, because it was just discouraging and whatever's worth doing is worth doing poorly. So, knowing that, you know, even when my relationships aren't living up to my expectations, or even when I'm feeling hurt, the Lord tells us to press on. Don't, don't stop doing what you know, God wants you to do, um, because you don't think it's living up to your expectations.   Do it. Just do it.   Laura Dugger: (57:07 - 57:38) That's a good word. And Amy, you have so much to share. Our family has benefited so much from the ministry and work that you and Rob do through Visionary Families.   And I am just so grateful for your time and you just to share all of this parenting wisdom. It felt like a mentoring conversation. I loved hearing all the ways that you've been intentional in what you've learned from the Lord. So, thank you for seeking Him.   Thank you for sharing with us and thank you for being my guest.   Amy Rienow: (57:39 - 57:58) Thank you, Laura, for having me. It's been a delight. I love connecting hearts with people who are like-minded.   I love what you're doing with The Savvy Sauce. In fact, my neighbor is one of your devoted followers, and she was so excited to hear about your podcast. So, thank you so much for having me and it's truly an honor and a pleasure to be here.   Laura Dugger: (57:59 - 1:01:13) One more thing before you go, have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you, but it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior, but God loved us so much. He made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life. We could never live and died in our place for our sin.   This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished. If we choose to receive what he has done for us, Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”   So, you pray with me now. Heavenly father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you.   Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus name we pray.   Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me. So, me for him, you get the opportunity to live your life for him.   And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you're ready to get started.   First, tell someone, say it out loud, get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes and Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it.   You can start by reading the book of John. Also get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you.   We want to celebrate with you too. So, feel free to leave a comment for us here. If you did make a decision to follow Christ, we also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process.   And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “in the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.   And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

The mission of parenting doesn't end after your kids become adults. As our children fly the family nest, we may feel like our influence as parents has passed, but that's not what the Bible teaches. Your influence may actually be stronger than ever! Don't miss pastor and father Rob Rienow's advice on encouraging the faith of your adult children on Equipped with Chris Brooks. Featured resource:Never Too Late: Encouraging Faith in Your Adult Children by Rob Rienow October thank you gift:Dangerous Virtues by John Koessler Equipped with Chris Brooks is made possible through your support. To donate now, click here.

Were David and Jonathan more than friends? In today's episode of Family Vision, Dr. Rob Rienow addresses a growing cultural accusation that their biblical relationship was romantic. With clarity, grace, and a commitment to Scripture, Rob walks through the key texts that describe their friendship and explains why the Bible celebrates their bond as a model of godly loyalty, not romance. This is a critical conversation for families to hear, especially as confusion about gender, sexuality, and biblical manhood continues to grow. Learn how to respond with truth and love, and help your children understand the beauty of God's design for friendship and relationships. What You'll Learn in This Episode: - Why the Bible never describes David and Jonathan's friendship as romantic - How cultural assumptions distort the meaning of godly friendship - What Scripture actually says about love between friends - How to talk to your kids about biblical sexuality and God's good design Featured Resources: Helping Families Navigate the World of Sexuality — Watch now on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5213ToFkONg Upcoming Events — Join us for live Visionary Family Conferences, Sundays, and special events. Full schedule: https://visionaryfam.com/events Visionary Family Mission: Rwanda — Support our October mission trip equipping church leaders and families in Rwanda: https://visionaryfam.com/rwanda Love this episode? We'd love to hear from you! Share your questions or prayer requests at podcast@visionaryfam.com. If this episode encouraged you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts and share it with a friend. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. Next Episode Preview: Next week, we return to the Old Testament for a fresh look at how Christian parents can help their children discern wise friendships—especially in today's digital world.

True friendship is in rare supply today. In this episode of Family Vision, Dr. Rob Rienow begins a powerful two-part series on Christian friendship, diving into the remarkable bond between David and Jonathan in 1 Samuel 18. What does their covenant friendship teach us about loyalty, humility, and joy in the success of others? Rob shares how Jonathan's radical loyalty to David—and joy in his rise—reveals what it means to be a true friend. You'll also hear biblical principles to help your kids build lasting, Christ-centered friendships in a culture that often misunderstands or distorts real connection. What You'll Learn in This Episode: - Why loyalty is a lost but essential quality in true friendship - How rejoicing in a friend's success fights against jealousy and comparison - What David and Jonathan's friendship reveals about Christian unity - How to help your children build godly friendships from a young age Featured Resources: Upcoming Events — Meet us at a Visionary Family Conference near you. Full event schedule: https://visionaryfam.com/events Visionary Family Rwanda Mission — Help us bring marriage and family ministry to churches across Rwanda. Learn more and support the trip: https://visionaryfam.com/rwanda Love this episode? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts or prayer requests to podcast@visionaryfam.com. If this episode encouraged you, please take a moment to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your feedback helps more families discover the show and grow in faith. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. Next Episode Preview: Next week, we'll continue our study of David and Jonathan's friendship and address a challenging modern accusation—were they more than friends? Join us as we respond biblically and equip families to stand on God's truth.

How do we talk to our children and teens about tragedy, persecution, and the spiritual battles happening in our culture? In this powerful episode of Family Vision, Dr. Rob Rienow responds to the heartbreaking assassination of Christian leader Charlie Kirk and helps families process the event from a biblical worldview. Rob explores how foundational truths from Genesis 1–3 are at the heart of today's cultural, moral, and political conflicts. He addresses the rejection of God's design for gender, marriage, and the sanctity of life—and challenges Christian families not to shy away from these hard conversations but to lean in with grace and truth. Media referred to in this episode - Should Christian's Vote? https://youtu.be/M7460NMA0z8?si=zdygPVsckTqAKfF8 Message from Erika Kirk: https://www.youtube.com/live/e5SHpvRYg_o?si=iN-2DK51f6t9UZ9h What You'll Learn in This Episode: - Why Charlie Kirk's public ministry was both courageous and controversial - How the spiritual battle in our culture ties directly to Genesis 1–3 - How to talk to your kids about persecution, truth, and courage - Why now is the time for families to stand firm in the Gospel Featured Resources: Upcoming Events — Join us at a Visionary Family Conference near you. Full event schedule: https://visionaryfam.com/events Visionary Family Community — Get prayer support, live teaching, and exclusive resources: https://visionaryfam.com/community Love this episode? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts or prayer requests to podcast@visionaryfam.com. If this episode encouraged you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your support helps other families find the show and grow in faith. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. Next Episode Preview: In our next episode, we'll look at what it means to raise children who are unashamed of the gospel in a world that increasingly rejects biblical truth. Don't miss this essential conversation for your family.

When your family is walking through grief or feeling the weight of spiritual warfare, how can you hold on to faith and stick together? In this episode of Family Vision, Rob Rienow shares biblical wisdom and practical encouragement from Part 2 of his message Facing Storms Together as a Family, recorded live at Gull Lake Family Camp. Storms not only test our circumstances—they test our relationships and our faith. Grief, loss, or even everyday stress can tempt us toward anger, division, or despair. But God calls us to extend grace, walk with one another patiently, and resist giving the Enemy a foothold. No matter what your family is facing, His Word gives us strength and hope. What You'll Learn in This Episode: - Why it's critical to accept one another's differences in how we process conflict and stress - How to walk patiently with children through grief and loss - The danger of giving the devil a foothold through anger - Why temptation always promises “Texas de Brazil” but delivers “bowling alley pizza” - A powerful reminder from Psalm 130: God has not brought us this far to abandon us now Featured Resources: Upcoming Events — Parenting & Grandparenting Seminar in West Chicago, IL (Sept 13), Visionary Family Weekend in Dallas, TX (Sept 20–21), and more. Learn more and register: https://visionaryfam.com/events Visionary Family Community — Join a global network of families committed to helping one another follow Jesus. Access prayer support, live teachings, and exclusive resources. Learn more: https://visionaryfam.com/community Love this episode? We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts and prayer requests at podcast@visionaryfam.com. If this episode encouraged you, please take a moment to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your review helps more families discover the show and grow in their faith. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. Next Episode Preview: Next week we'll continue our journey with a brand new conversation on family discipleship. You'll discover how to keep God's Word at the center of your home and help your children follow Jesus every day.

Is your family in the middle of a storm? In this episode of Family Vision, Rob Rienow shares powerful biblical encouragement to help families face life's storms together. Recorded live at Gull Lake Family Camp (with a broken rib!), Rob brings practical, hope-filled principles straight from God's Word. Storms in life are unavoidable, but how we face them makes all the difference. Jesus reminds us that the wise build their house on the rock—hearing His words and putting them into practice. Whether your storm is illness, financial struggle, or relational conflict, God has a plan to strengthen your family and draw you closer together. What You'll Learn in This Episode: - Four biblical action steps for families in the midst of storms - Why prayer is more than just saying “we should pray” - How messy, needy, childlike prayers are powerful to God - The importance of choosing to “stick together” and not turn on each other - How to extend grace when family members respond differently to stress Featured Resources: Upcoming Events — Parenting & Grandparenting Seminar in West Chicago, IL (Sept 13) and Visionary Family Weekend in Dallas, TX (Sept 20–21). Learn more and register: https://visionaryfam.com/events Visionary Family Community — Join a global movement of families dedicated to helping each other follow Jesus. Get prayer support, live teachings, and exclusive resources. Learn more: https://visionaryfam.com/community Love this episode? We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts and prayer requests at podcast@visionaryfam.com. If this episode encouraged you, please take a moment to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your review helps more families discover the show and grow in their faith. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. Next Episode Preview: Next week we'll continue with Part 2 of “Facing Storms Together as a Family.” You'll discover more biblical action steps to help your family walk through trials with faith, unity, and hope in Christ.

Is it reasonable to believe that the Bible is truly the Word of God? In this second part of our two-part series, Rob Rienow continues the powerful message on the miracle of the Bible—exploring how Scripture has been miraculously confirmed throughout history. From archaeological evidence supporting biblical accounts like the Tower of Babel, to ancient writings and scientific insights that align with God's Word, Rob shares compelling reasons why Christians can trust the Bible as true in every detail. You'll also be encouraged with practical ways to make God's Word a daily source of spiritual food for yourself and your family. What You'll Learn in This Episode: - How archaeology supports, rather than disproves, the Bible - The historical and geographical evidence behind the Tower of Babel - Why biblical truth must be accurate in all it claims - How to treat the Bible as daily spiritual food for your soul - Practical encouragement for parents and grandparents to feed their children God's Word Featured Resources: Visionary Family Conference — Join us for a live event near you: https://visionaryfam.com/events Visionary Family Community — Connect with Christian families worldwide for encouragement, prayer, and discipleship resources: https://visionaryfam.com/community Love this episode? We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts and prayer requests at podcast@visionaryfam.com. If you were encouraged, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts—it helps more families discover biblical encouragement. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. Next Episode Preview: In our next conversation, we will share the power of families being intentional about service and missions. You don't want ot miss it. 

When life gives you lemons… Jesus can make LEMONADE! In this uplifting episode of Family Vision, Rob Rienow welcomes special guests Micah Yoder and Bailey Gillen—worship leaders from Gull Lake Ministries and members of the band The Figs—to share the inspiring story behind their hit song “Lemonade” with artist Forrest Frank. Recorded fresh off a week of family camp, this conversation begins with the heart of worship: helping entire families sing together and experience God's presence across generations. Micah and Bailey share how seeing parents and children worship side-by-side can transform a family's spiritual culture. Then, you'll hear the miracle story of “Lemonade”—how a playful songwriting project, a skateboarding accident, and an unexpected Instagram connection turned into a #1 song on iTunes, encouraging millions to trust Jesus in hard times. The lyrics carry a deep message of Romans 8 hope: God works all things for good for those who love Him. What You'll Learn in This Episode: - How worshiping together impacts the faith life of the entire family - Why engaging dads and granddads in worship changes the atmosphere - The surprising way God connected The Figs with Forrest Frank - How the song “Lemonade” became a viral hit with a powerful biblical message - Practical encouragement for trusting God through trials Featured Resources: Visionary Family Conference — Join us for a live event near you: https://visionaryfam.com/events Visionary Family Community — Connect with Christian families worldwide for encouragement, prayer, and discipleship resources: https://visionaryfam.com/community Follow The Figs on Instagram, Spotify, and Apple Music to hear “Lemonade” and more music that points families to Jesus. Love this episode? We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts and prayer requests at podcast@visionaryfam.com. If you were encouraged, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts—it helps more families discover biblical encouragement. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. Next Episode Preview: Next time, we explore practical ways to strengthen your family's faith when cultural pressures are high and biblical truth is under attack.

Is the Bible really the Word of God, or just another religious book? In this episode of Family Vision, Rob Rienow begins a powerful two-part message on the miracle of the Bible—exploring why it is reasonable to believe the Scriptures are truly inspired by God and not merely human ideas. Rob shares compelling evidence that the Bible tells one unified story from Genesis to Revelation, written by 40 different authors over 1,800 years, yet perfectly consistent in its message. You'll also discover how the Scriptures have been miraculously preserved through the centuries, with meticulous care taken to ensure accuracy. Whether you're confident in your faith or still asking questions, this conversation will strengthen your trust in God's Word and inspire you to treasure the Bible as His unchanging truth for your life and family. What You'll Learn in This Episode: - Why the Bible's unity over 66 books is a miracle in itself - How Scripture has been preserved with extraordinary accuracy - The difference between minor copy variations and core doctrine - Why it matters that the Bible is truly God's Word for your life Featured Resources: Visionary Family Conference — Join us for a live event near you: https://visionaryfam.com/events Visionary Family Community — Connect with Christian families worldwide for encouragement, prayer, and discipleship resources: https://visionaryfam.com/community Love this episode? Share your thoughts and prayer requests at podcast@visionaryfam.com. If you were encouraged, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts—it helps more families find biblical encouragement. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. Next Episode Preview: Next week in Part Two, we continue exploring the miraculous preservation of the Bible and see stunning examples of its accuracy over thousands of years.

Dr. Rob Rienow's most important ministry is loving his wife, Amy, and partnering with her to help their seven children follow Jesus. He and Amy are co-founders of Visionary Family Ministries. Through their conferences, books, and online ministry, VFM brings hope and help from God's Word to families around the world. When Rob is not fishing for men, he enjoys fishing for fish. The Rienow family lives in the suburbs of Chicago. Learn more at www.VisionaryFam.com.

Dr. Rob Rienow's most important ministry is loving his wife, Amy, and partnering with her to help their seven children follow Jesus. He and Amy are co-founders of Visionary Family Ministries. Through their conferences, books, and online ministry, VFM brings hope and help from God's Word to families around the world. When Rob is not fishing for men, he enjoys fishing for fish. The Rienow family lives in the suburbs of Chicago. Learn more at www.VisionaryFam.com.

Dr. Rob Rienow's most important ministry is loving his wife, Amy, and partnering with her to help their seven children follow Jesus. He and Amy are co-founders of Visionary Family Ministries. Through their conferences, books, and online ministry, VFM brings hope and help from God's Word to families around the world. When Rob is not fishing for men, he enjoys fishing for fish. The Rienow family lives in the suburbs of Chicago. Learn more at www.VisionaryFam.com.

Dr. Rob Rienow's most important ministry is loving his wife, Amy, and partnering with her to help their seven children follow Jesus. He and Amy are co-founders of Visionary Family Ministries. Through their conferences, books, and online ministry, VFM brings hope and help from God's Word to families around the world. When Rob is not fishing for men, he enjoys fishing for fish. The Rienow family lives in the suburbs of Chicago. Learn more at www.VisionaryFam.com.

Dr. Rob Rienow's most important ministry is loving his wife, Amy, and partnering with her to help their seven children follow Jesus. He and Amy are co-founders of Visionary Family Ministries. Through their conferences, books, and online ministry, VFM brings hope and help from God's Word to families around the world. When Rob is not fishing for men, he enjoys fishing for fish. The Rienow family lives in the suburbs of Chicago. Learn more at www.VisionaryFam.com.

Dr. Rob Rienow's most important ministry is loving his wife Amy and partnering with her to help their seven children follow Jesus. He and Amy are co-founders of Visionary Family Ministries. Through their conferences, books, and online ministry, VFM brings hope and help from God's Word to families around the world. When Rob is not fishing for men, he enjoys fishing for fish. The Rienow family lives in the suburbs of Chicago. Learn more at www.VisionaryFam.com.

Chris Brooks and Rob Rienow of Visionary Family Ministreis will to delve into the value of a father.  What’s he worth to a family, to his church, and community? Probably a lot more than he knows!  It’s an hour of encouragement and practical wisdom for Dads. Today's Resource: Overcoming Obstacles to Spiritual Leadership in the Home - teaching video Equipped with Chris Brooks is made possible through your support.  To donate now, click here. This month's featured resource: Still Standing

Top Ten from 2024: #8 Intentional Parenting in All Stages with Dr. Rob Rienow   Matthew 18:3 (NIV) "And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."   **Transcription of original episode**  230. Intentional Parenting in All Stages with Dr. Rob Rienow   Questions and Topics We Discuss: As our children grow up, what wisdom can you share for both participating in and refraining from sports in childhood? Do you have any counsel for us as we navigate the teen years, especially as it relates to technology and friendships or relationships? If we do find ourselves in a child-centered family today, what are a few practical steps to move us in the direction of God's actual vision for our family and our marriage?   Dr. Rob Rienow married Amy in 1994 and they have been blessed with 7 children. His most important ministry is loving his wife and leading his children to know God and love Him. Rob's mom came to Christ shortly after he was born so he was blessed to be introduced to Jesus at an early age. His parents divorced when he was in high school and God used that painful time in his life to give him a heart for young people and families going through dark times. He attended Wheaton College, then completed an MA in theology at Wheaton College Graduate School, an MDiv from Trinity International Divinity School, and a Doctor of Ministry in Christian Leadership from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary.    Rob's life dramatically changed in 2004. God brought him to a place of deep repentance over the fact that he was disciplining other people's children, but not his own. He was a spiritual leader at church, but passive with his family. Through that time of repentance, God turned his heart to the ministry of his children and his wife. God then led He and Amy to launch Visionary Family Ministries, a ministry designed to inspire parents and grandparents to disciple their children, to help couples create mission driven-marriages, and equip churches to build Bible-driven ministries. Their mission is to build the church through a global reformation of family discipleship.   He shares the biblical message of family discipleship at national and international conferences for parents, couples, and church leaders. He partners and consults with numerous churches, encouraging them to accelerate evangelism and discipleship through families.   Continue Learning from Dr. Rob Rienow: Visionary Family Website Family Vision Podcast Books and Resources by Dr. Rob Rienow   Other Episodes on The Savvy Sauce with Dr. Rob Rienow: 87 Visionary Parenting and Grand-Parenting with Dr. Rob Rienow Special Patreon Release: Discipline that Disciples with Dr. Rob Rienow   Other Episode Recommended from The Savvy Sauce: 228 Stewarding Technology for More Intentional Relationships with Joey Odom   (When you get your Aro Box, use code SAVVY for 1 month off a prepaid annual membership & 2 months off a two year membership)   Thank You to Our Sponsor: BELAY (Text SAVVY to 55123 before June 30th, 2025 to receive your amazing, limited-time, special offer!!!)   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

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Our most important mission as parents is to do all in our power to help our children safely Home to Heaven. In this episode of Family Vision, Rob Rienow is joined by special guest Lee Ann Mancini—author of Raising Kids to Follow Christ—for an honest conversation about parenting, discipleship, and eternal priorities. Lee Ann shares powerful biblical wisdom, personal stories, and practical encouragement to help you lead your children toward a lifelong relationship with Jesus. From spiritual training in the womb to guiding adult children with prayer instead of pressure, this episode will inspire you to parent with eternity in mind. What You'll Learn in This Episode: - Why spiritual discipleship begins before birth and continues for life - The difference between discipline and discipleship in parenting - How to lead older children and teens even if you “missed” the early years - Encouragement for parents struggling with fear, guilt, or regret Featured Resources: Raising Kids to Follow Christ by Lee Ann Mancini — A powerful resource to help parents and grandparents instill lasting faith in the next generation. Available wherever books are sold or at: https://raisingchristiankids.com Visionary Family Community — Join families around the world committed to passing faith to the next generation: https://visionaryfam.com/community Support the Family Mission to the Dominican Republic — Partner with us in July 2025 to provide clean water and the gospel to families in need: https://visionaryfam.com/support Love this episode? We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts and prayer requests at podcast@visionaryfam.com. If this episode encouraged you, please take a moment to leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Your review helps more families discover the show and grow in their faith. Next Episode Preview: Join us next time as we return to our 10 Commandments series with part two of “Do Not Steal”—focusing on practical parenting tips to cultivate honesty, contentment, and a heart of generosity in your home.

What does it look like to “honor your father and your mother” in today’s culture?  How can Christ-followers keep the 5th commandment and encourage our children to do the same?  Rob Rienow of Visionary Family Ministries will challenge us to examine our hearts as parents and as children on these questions and teach us to create a home of honor! This month's featured resource: Pilgrim's Progress in Today's English Today's resource: Living for Christ at Home Equipped with Chris Brooks is made possible through your support.  To donate now, click here.

Your church has a biblical calling and responsibility to equip and strengthen families. Does your church have a family ministry action plan? In this special edition of Family Vision, Rob Rienow shares a powerful conversation from the D6 Podcast. Whether your church is just catching the vision for family discipleship or looking to go deeper, this episode will give you practical tools and theological clarity to build a family-equipping culture. Rob unpacks why family ministry is not just a parenting program—but a biblical call to equip every believer to live out their faith first in the home. You'll also learn how to start strong, how to avoid burnout, and how to make family discipleship more than just a trend. From pastors struggling with their own families to parents overwhelmed by family worship, this is an encouraging, hope-filled conversation you don't want to miss. What You'll Learn in This Episode: - How to build your church's theology of family ministry - Why family ministry is about more than parenting programs - Practical ways to equip parents, grandparents, singles, and empty nesters - Why repetition is key in equipping parents and church leaders - How to make family worship simple and effective—even if you're not a Bible expert - Encouragement for pastors and leaders who feel like they've “failed” at home Featured Resources: D6 Conference — Learn more about the leading family ministry conference: https://d6family.com Visionary Church Book — Cast vision and equip your team with Visionary Church: How Your Church Can Strengthen Families. Available at: https://visionaryfam.com/visionary-church/ or on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1614841187  Family Worship Free Guide — Download our Genesis Family Worship Guide: https://visionaryfam.com/grace Join the Visionary Family Community Become a part of a growing, global movement of families committed to following Jesus and helping their children do the same. Learn more and join here: https://visionaryfam.com/community Need Prayer? We'd love to pray with you. Send your prayer needs to podcast@visionaryfam.com. Help Spread the Word Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube, and share this episode with a pastor, church leader, or parent who needs this message.

What does it mean to be bold for Christ as a student-athlete? In this episode of Family Vision, University of Iowa quarterback Hank Brown joins Rob Rienow to share his faith journey through football. From starting at Auburn to transferring to Iowa, Hank shares how he lives out his faith on and off the field, the challenges of being a Christian athlete, and why courage and intentionality are essential for using sports as a platform for the gospel. If you or your kids are involved in sports, don't miss this inspiring conversation about faith, identity, and boldness for Christ in athletics. What You'll Learn in This Episode: - How to be intentional about sharing your faith as a student-athlete - Why boldness and courage are essential for witnessing in sports - The importance of keeping Christ above sports in family life - How to navigate church and sports conflicts with biblical priorities Featured Resources: Visionary Family Conference — Join us in Atlanta, and other locations for a life-changing event focused on biblical family discipleship. Learn more at: https://visionaryfam.com/events Visionary Family Community — Join families worldwide who are committed to faith and discipleship. Connect with us at: https://visionaryfam.com/community Follow Hank Brown — Stay connected with Hank's football journey and faith updates on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hankbrown17 Love this episode? We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts and prayer requests at podcast@visionaryfam.com If this episode encouraged you, please take a moment to leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review helps more families discover Family Vision and grow in their faith. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. Next Episode Preview: Next week, we continue our 10 Commandments Series by discussing the Fourth Commandment: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” How can families honor the Sabbath in today's busy world? Don't miss it!

The light of the gospel is shining in Scotland! In this episode of Family Vision, Rob Rienow sits down with Robert Bell from Herald's Trust to discuss the spiritual climate in Scotland, the urgency of evangelism, and how families can equip their children to share their faith. Learn how open-air evangelism, youth discipleship, and church planting are making an impact, and discover practical ways your family can get involved in missions. What You'll Learn in This Episode: - The current spiritual climate in Scotland and why it's now an unreached people group - How evangelism has changed and why it's disappearing from many churches - Stories of open-air evangelism and street ministry in Edinburgh - How families can prioritize missions and take practical steps to share their faith Featured Resources: Herald's Trust Ministry — Learn more about Herald's Trust, their evangelism initiatives, and how your family can serve in Scotland. Visit: https://theheraldstrust.org Visionary Family Mission Trips — Join us for a family mission trip to the Dominican Republic or Rwanda this year. Details at: https://visionaryfam.com/missions Visionary Family Community — Connect with families around the world who are committed to faith and discipleship. Join here: https://visionaryfam.com/community Love this episode? We'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts and prayer requests at podcast@visionaryfam.com If this episode encouraged you, please take a moment to leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your review helps more families discover Family Vision and grow in their faith. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube so you never miss an episode. Next Episode Preview: How can families balance sports, school, and spiritual priorities? Next week, we'll dive into the challenges of modern family life and how to keep faith at the center. Don't miss it!

How can parents teach their children to love life and value babies? Why is abortion so hotly defended by so many in our culture? Is the church being effective in honoring life and saving babies? In this episode, Rob Rienow welcomes Abby Johnson, author and pro-life advocate, to share her incredible journey from working in the abortion industry to becoming a champion for life. Abby shares how her faith transformed her life and how families can teach their children the beauty of life from conception. Rob and Abby dive into the spiritual battle surrounding abortion, the importance of the church's voice, and the joy of embracing family life. Featured Resources: What's in Mommy's Tummy? Teach your kids the beauty of life in the womb with this engaging children's book. Available at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1646071565/  Visionary Family Community: Join families worldwide committed to raising children to follow Christ. Learn more at https://visionaryfam.com/community.

In this vital episode of Family Vision, Rob Rienow welcomes Chris McKenna, founder of Protect Young Eyes, to discuss the hidden dangers of technology for children. From unexpected risks with devices like Apple Watches to the pervasive influence of social media algorithms, Chris shares practical strategies for creating safer digital spaces and guiding children through the complexities of the tech world. Whether you're a parent grappling with screen time or seeking tools to protect your child's innocence, this conversation is filled with actionable wisdom. Featured Resources: Protect Young Eyes Website: Explore tools, courses, and resources to safeguard your family in the digital age: https://protectyoungeyes.com  Visionary Family Community: Join families worldwide committed to raising children to follow Christ. Learn more at https://visionaryfam.com/community.

Discover the story of Simeon, a man who waited his entire life for Christmas—the coming of the Messiah. In this episode, Rob Rienow explores Luke 2 and Simeon's faith-filled anticipation of the Savior. Rob also shares how the birth of Jesus represents God's ultimate gift and invites families to make Jesus the center of their Christmas celebration. Featured Resources. Featured Resources Download your free family worship guide: https://www.visionaryfam.com/grace Join the Visionary Family Community: https://www.visionaryfam.com/community

Discover the profound significance of two names given to the Messiah: Jesus and Emmanuel. In this Christmas episode, Rob Rienow unpacks the biblical meanings behind these names, revealing how they define Christ's mission to save us from our sins and the promise of “God with us.” Explore how these truths shape our lives, offer eternal hope, and call us to live in light of eternity. Featured Resources: Visionary Family Community: Join a global network of families committed to following Christ at https://VisionaryFam.com/community/ Visionary Family Camp (Summer 2025): An unforgettable family retreat at Cedar Bay, Michigan. Learn more at https://VisionaryFam.com/Camp

On this special Christmas episode of Family Vision, Rob Rienow explores the significance of the word "behold" in the Christmas story and throughout Scripture. From the angel Gabriel's message to Mary to the prophecies of Isaiah, this simple word carries a profound message: to stop, look, and reflect on the incredible work of God. Discover how "beholding" Christ transforms our understanding of Christmas and deepens our faith in God's promises. Featured Resources: Visionary Family Community: Join a global network of families committed to following Christ and passing faith through the generations. Visit https://visionaryfam.com/community Visionary Family Ministries Events: Learn about live family worship night on Dec. 8 in Chicagoland and more at https://visionaryfam.com/events.

On this special Thanksgiving episode of Family Vision, Rob Rienow shares the incredible story of the Pilgrims and their journey to the New World in 1620. Discover why this small church relocated from England, to Holland, and ultimately to the New World.  But what compelled them to come? In Bradford's book, Of Plymouth Plantation, he explains how their love for God, their love for their children, and their love for the Gospel motivated them to risk everything.  Gather your family to learn how the Pilgrims' faith, courage, and vision continue to shape our understanding of Thanksgiving and God's providence today. Featured Resources: Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0075542811 What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? by D. James Kennedy: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0849920795/ The Value of Every Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmQjQIdtkfw  Visionary Family Ministries Conferences – Learn how to host an event at: https://visionaryfam.com/host-a-conference/ 

Continuing the conversation on blended families, Ron Deal joins Rob Rienow to address complex topics, including favoritism, step-parenting roles, and co-parenting with a non-believer. With biblical wisdom and practical advice, this episode equips families to tackle challenges like unjust courts, strained relationships, and creating a culture of belonging. Learn how to deepen connections within your stepfamily while growing in Christ. Featured Resource: Preparing to Blend: A comprehensive premarital book for couples forming blended families. Perfect for individual use or group counseling. Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GD14T22 Dating and the Single Parent: Guidance for navigating dating and blending families. Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09S1DKZ36 Family Life: To explore these tools and learn more, visit https://www.familylife.com/blended 

Blended families and stepfamilies face unique challenges on their journey of faith. In this episode of Family Vision, Rob Rienow welcomes Ron Deal, founder of FamilyLife Blended, to share insights, resources, and encouragement for stepfamilies seeking to grow in unity and Christ-centered love. Topics include essential steps for thriving as a blended family, how to approach remarriage conversations with children, and creating emotional safety in the home. This heartfelt conversation will equip you with wisdom and practical tools for navigating the complexities of stepfamily life. Featured Resource: Preparing to Blend: A comprehensive premarital book for couples forming blended families. Perfect for individual use or group counseling. Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GD14T22 Dating and the Single Parent: Guidance for navigating dating and blending families. Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09S1DKZ36 Family Life: To explore these tools and learn more, visit https://www.familylife.com/blended 

Today, we welcome Rob Rienow, founder of Visionary Family Ministries, a ministry that empowers families to actively engage in their children's faith development. He'll discuss the vital role of Scripture memory in Christian parenting. Tune in to this insightful episode of The Scripture Memory Podcast!Click here to learn more about Visionary Family Ministries.Want to start memorizing with your family? Click here to explore the 14:6 series.Thanks for listening to The Scripture Memory Podcast! This episode is made possible by the generous support of listeners like you. To learn more about how to help further this mission, click here.

245. Stories Series: Miracles Big and Small with Dr. Rob Rienow   Matthew 18:3 (NIV) "And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."   Questions and Topics We Discuss: You have experienced some special miracle stories of God's provision in your life. Will you take us back to your childhood and share some of your early experiences with God? What were significant ways God showed up in your teenage and young adult years? How have you preserved these stories and passed them along to the next generation?   Dr. Rob Rienow married Amy in 1994 and they have been blessed with 7 children. His most important ministry is loving his wife and leading his children to know God and love Him. Rob's mom came to Christ shortly after he was born so he was blessed to be introduced to Jesus at an early age. His parents divorced when he was in high school and God used that painful time in his life to give him a heart for young people and families going through dark times. He attended Wheaton College, then completed an MA in theology at Wheaton College Graduate School, an MDiv from Trinity International Divinity School, and a Doctor of Ministry in Christian Leadership from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary.    Rob's life dramatically changed in 2004. God brought him to a place of deep repentance over the fact that he was disciplining other people's children, but not his own. He was a spiritual leader at church, but passive with his family. Through that time of repentance, God turned his heart to the ministry of his children and his wife. God then led He and Amy to launch Visionary Family Ministries, a ministry designed to inspire parents and grandparents to disciple their children, to help couples create mission driven-marriages, and equip churches to build Bible-driven ministries. Their mission is to build the church through a global reformation of family discipleship.   He shares the biblical message of family discipleship at national and international conferences for parents, couples, and church leaders. He partners and consults with numerous churches, encouraging them to accelerate evangelism and discipleship through families.   Continue Learning from Dr. Rob Rienow: Visionary Family Website Family Vision Podcast Books and Resources by Dr. Rob Rienow   Other Episodes on The Savvy Sauce with Dr. Rob Rienow: 87 Visionary Parenting and Grand-Parenting with Dr. Rob Rienow Special Patreon Release: Discipline that Disciples with Dr. Rob Rienow 230 Intentional Parenting in All Stages with Dr. Rob Rienow   Thank You to Our Sponsor: WinShape Marriage   Connect with The Savvy Sauce through our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

In this special episode of Family Vision, Rob Rienow explores the question of life's purpose through a biblical lens. Drawing from Genesis 1, Rob explains how being made in God's image defines our nature, value, and purpose. He challenges listeners to reflect Christ in their daily lives, especially at home. Through scripture and personal insights, this episode encourages believers to shine God's light and glorify Him in all aspects of life. Featured Resources: Visionary Parenting: This resource dives deeper into managing behavior versus discipline and offers insights on discipline strategies for toddlers and teenagers: https://visionaryfam.com/visionary-parenting/  Living for Christ at Home by Lisey Bailey. Download this FREE teen devotional at: https://visionaryfam.com/shop/living-for-christ-at-home/  Email your questions and prayer requersts to: podcast@visionaryfam.com 

In this bonus episode of Family Vision, Rob Rienow explores crucial questions about the role of Christians in politics. Should Christians vote or engage in political issues? Should churches speak out on government matters? Drawing from Scripture, Rob discusses God's sovereignty over nations, the biblical mandate for citizens in a democracy, and the responsibility Christians have to influence their society toward righteousness. Featured Resources: Visionary Church: How Your Church Can Strengthen Families – Explore the biblical relationship between families, churches, and governments: https://visionaryfam.com/churches  Family Worship Guides – Equip your family to engage with Scripture on important cultural issues: https://visionaryfam.com/family-worship-genesis/  For prayer requests or questions, email Rob and Amy Rienow at podcast@visionaryfam.com 

In this special episode of Family Vision, Rob Rienow dives into the life-changing truth that every person is made in the image of God. Focusing on Genesis 1:26-27, Rob unpacks how this biblical truth answers three essential questions for teens: What is our nature? What is our value? And what is our purpose? This episode is perfect for families - and especially kids and teens - looking to find their true identity and worth in Christ. Featured Resources: Free Teen Devotional: Living for Christ at Home by Lisey Bailey. Download it FREE at: https://visionaryfam.com/shop/living-for-christ-at-home/  Email your questions and prayer requersts to: podcast@visionaryfam.com 

In this episode of Family Vision, Rob Rienow welcomes his friend Steve Leitch, an adventure swimmer and a man of deep faith. Steve shares his incredible story of swimming the 28-mile Molokai Channel in Hawaii—an intense journey filled with shark shields, stingrays, jellyfish, and 13 hours of open water. Beyond the physical challenges, Steve dives into the spiritual lessons he's learned through swimming and life, including his battle with addiction, his relationship with his father, and how his faith has been central in his journey of recovery and adventure. The conversation also touches on Steve's documentary Beyond the Shoreline: The Channel of Bones, which captures his epic swim and the personal stories that shaped his life. Steve's wife, Kelly, played a vital role in supporting him throughout the swim and continues to be a cornerstone in his faith and family life. Join this inspiring conversation about faith, family, and pushing the limits of what's possible. Don't miss this incredible adventure, both in the water and in following Jesus. To watch Beyond the Shoreline: The Channel of Bones, visit: https://beyondtheshoreline.org  For prayer requests or questions, email Rob and Amy Rienow at podcast@visionaryfam.com.

In this episode of Family Vision, Rob Rienow welcomes back Barrett Johnson, author of Disciple Them Like Jesus, for part two of their discussion. They explore how parents can follow the five key principles Jesus used to disciple His followers—abiding, modeling, teaching, applying, and connecting. Together, they unpack practical ways to lead children to follow Jesus, emphasizing the importance of starting with our own relationship with God and modeling a life of faith for our children. Don't miss this powerful conversation, and be sure to pick up a copy of Barrett's new book, Disciple Them Like Jesus, available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0764243829  Join us for the VFM Thanksgiving Ball, November 10, 2024 - www.VisionaryFam.com/ball  

In this episode of Family Vision, Rob Rienow welcomes back special guest Barrett Johnson, a longtime friend and ministry partner. Barrett shares an update on his ongoing battle with cancer and discusses his latest book, Disciple Them Like Jesus. Together, they dive into how Jesus' approach to discipling can be applied to parenting and raising children to follow Christ. They explore how the Great Commission and Acts 1:8 reveal that making disciples begins right at home, with our own families. If you are a parent seeking to lead your children in their spiritual walk or have older children who may have strayed from the faith, this episode offers hope and practical wisdom for engaging them in meaningful ways. Don't miss this powerful conversation, and be sure to pick up a copy of Barrett's new book, Disciple Them Like Jesus, available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0764243829 

The mission of parenting doesn’t end after your kids become adults.  As our children fly the family nest, we may feel like our influence as parents has passed, but that’s not what the Bible teaches! Your influence may actually be stronger than ever!  Don’t miss pastor and father Rob Rienow’s advice on encouraging the faith of your adult children!

In this episode of Family Vision, Rob Rienow continues his conversation with special guest Elizabeth Urbanowicz from Foundation Worldview. They dive into the importance of teaching young children about manhood, womanhood, and gender from a biblical perspective. Elizabeth shares practical tips on how to introduce these topics to preschool and early elementary-aged kids in a way that is both age-appropriate and grounded in Scripture. They also discuss the curriculum from Foundation Worldview, God's Good Design, which aims to equip parents with tools to guide their children through these sensitive subjects. The episode emphasizes the need for ongoing, positive conversations to help children understand and embrace God's good design for their lives. Featured Resources Foundation Worldview YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/FoundationWorldview  Foundation Worldview Podcast: https://foundationworldview.com/podcast  Visionary Parenting: Get a bible-driven game plan for Christian parenting: https://visionaryfam.com/shop/visionary-parenting Prayer Support: Email Visionary Family Ministries for prayer support and top share feedback about this episide: podcast@visionaryfam.com Watch or Listen & Subscribe on your favorite podcasting service: YouTube: http://youtube.visionaryfam.com Rumble: http://rumble.visionaryfam.com  Apple Podcasts: http://apple.visionaryfam.com Website: http://podcast.visionaryfam.com More Resources to Help Your Family: Website: http://visionaryfam.com Parenting: http://parenting.visionaryfam.com Marriage: http://marriage.visionaryfam.com Family: http://family.visionaryfam.com Family Ministry: http://churches.visionaryfam.com Books & Resources: http://shop.visionaryfam.com

In today's episode of Family Vision, Rob Rienow from Visionary Family Ministries is joined by special guest Elizabeth Urbanowicz from Foundation Worldview. Together, they explore the importance of starting conversations about manhood, womanhood, and gender at an early age, well before the teenage years. Elizabeth shares insights on why it's crucial for parents to introduce these topics to their children first, ensuring they receive a biblical understanding of gender and family before encountering confusion and falsehoods from the world. They also discuss Foundation Worldview's new curriculum, God's Good Design, which aims to help parents instill a Christian worldview in their young children. Their conversation emphasizes the need for proactive parenting in today's culture, where children are exposed to various messages at increasingly younger ages. Featured Resources Foundation Worldview: https://foundationworldview.com  God's Good Design: https://foundationworldview.com/curriculum/gods-good-design  Foundation Worldview YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/FoundationWorldview Foundation Worldview Podcast: https://foundationworldview.com/podcast  Visionary Parenting: Get a bible-driven game plan for Christian parenting: https://visionaryfam.com/shop/visionary-parenting Prayer Support: Email Visionary Family Ministries for prayer support and top share feedback about this episide: podcast@visionaryfam.com Watch or Listen & Subscribe on your favorite podcasting service: YouTube: http://youtube.visionaryfam.com Rumble: http://rumble.visionaryfam.com  Apple Podcasts: http://apple.visionaryfam.com Website: http://podcast.visionaryfam.com More Resources to Help Your Family: Website: http://visionaryfam.com Parenting: http://parenting.visionaryfam.com Marriage: http://marriage.visionaryfam.com Family: http://family.visionaryfam.com Family Ministry: http://churches.visionaryfam.com Books & Resources: http://shop.visionaryfam.com

In this episode of Family Vision, Dr. Rob Rienow is joined once again by Tim Chaffey from Answers in Genesis, the producer of the TV show, Tilt Shift, which helps families engage with media from a biblical perspective. Together, they explore how movies can be a powerful tool for sparking spiritual conversations with children of all ages. They discuss the importance of guiding media choices and how different films, like Free Guy and The Bad Guys, contain gospel themes that can lead to deeper discussions about our faith. Tim also shares examples of how even the most unexpected films, such as Kung Fu Panda and The Lord of the Rings, mirror the gospel's story arc, offering opportunities for parents to connect with their kids on a spiritual level. Tune in to discover how you can use popular media to foster meaningful conversations with your family, equipping them to see the world through the lens of Scripture. Featured Resources Books from Tim Chaffey - Amazon Page Tilt Shift TV - https://www.answers.tv/tilt-shift Visionary Parenting: Get a bible-driven game plan for Christian parenting: https://visionaryfam.com/shop/visionary-parenting Prayer Support: Email Visionary Family Ministries for prayer support and top share feedback about this episide: podcast@visionaryfam.com Parents, get equipping to build a stronger relationship with your teen with Lissy's book “The Heart of Your Teen”: https://visionaryfam.com/shop/the-heart-of-your-teen/ Download Lissy Bailey's free devotional for kids and teens, “Living For Christ at Home”: https://visionaryfam.com/honor/ Watch or Listen & Subscribe on your favorite podcasting service: YouTube: http://youtube.visionaryfam.com Rumble: http://rumble.visionaryfam.com  Apple Podcasts: http://apple.visionaryfam.com Website: http://podcast.visionaryfam.com More Resources to Help Your Family: Website: http://visionaryfam.com Parenting: http://parenting.visionaryfam.com Marriage: http://marriage.visionaryfam.com Family: http://family.visionaryfam.com Family Ministry: http://churches.visionaryfam.com Books & Resources: http://shop.visionaryfam.com  

In this episode of Family Vision, Dr. Rob Rienow is joined by Tim Chaffee from Answers in Genesis to discuss the importance of being discerning when it comes to movies and media. They explore the concept of "watching what we watch," emphasizing the need for Christians to compare everything they consume with truth from God's Word. The conversation touches on the challenges parents face in guiding their children through media choices and the value of discussing both the positive and negative elements of films. They also delve into the presence of gospel themes in popular media, offering practical advice for sparking meaningful conversations with kids. Tim shares insights from his new TV show, Tilt Shift, which is designed to help families navigate media with a biblical worldview. Tune in to learn how to engage with media thoughtfully and intentionally, equipping your family to make wise choices. Featured Resources Books from Tim Chaffey - Amazon Page Tilt Shift TV - https://www.answers.tv/tilt-shift Visionary Parenting: Get a bible-driven game plan for Christian parenting: https://visionaryfam.com/shop/visionary-parenting Prayer Support: Email Visionary Family Ministries for prayer support and top share feedback about this episide: podcast@visionaryfam.com

In this episode of Family Vision, Rob Rienow is back in the studio with Dr. Daniel and Anya Story, continuing their inspiring journey as a family called to medical missions in Togo, Africa. The Storey family, with seven children, share how their kids are handling this significant transition, their experiences with the challenging health care landscape in Togo, and the spiritual mission awaiting them in a region deeply influenced by animism and voodoo. Daniel and Anya recount their personal calling, the profound experiences that strengthened their resolve, and their plans to integrate medical care with evangelism in local villages.As they prepare for their move, they invite the Family Vision community to support their mission through prayer and financial contributions. Support the Storey family:  https://give.abwe.org/workers/daniel-and-anna-storey Email Daniel to personally connect with him and Anya and learn more about their calling: daniel.story@abwe.org  Featured Resources Visionary Parenting: Get a bible-driven game plan for Christian parenting: https://visionaryfam.com/shop/visionary-parenting Prayer Support: Email Visionary Family Ministries for prayer support and top share feedback about this episide: podcast@visionaryfam.com

Dr. Rob Rienow from Visionary Family Ministries continues his conversation with special guest Drew Dyck, author of Just Show Up: How Small Acts of Faithfulness Change Everything. Drew shares insights on how adults and kids can apply the principle of "just showing up" in their daily lives. He highlights the importance of forming good habits early on and how these small steps can shape their future. For parents and grandparents, Drew discusses the challenges of staying present in the age of technology and the critical role of being physically and emotionally available for their children.  Drew also explores the power of showing up in person for friends and family in need, sharing personal stories and emphasizing the example of Jesus.  Featured Resources: Just Show Up: How Small Acts of Faithfulness Change Everything: Drew Dyck's book emphasizes the power of ordinary faithfulness and is available on Amazon and through his website at https://www.drewdyck.com or on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0802428584  Book Giveaway: Visionary Family Ministries is giving away five copies of Just Show Up. Email podcast@visionaryfam.com with your mailing address to receive a free copy.

Dr. Rob Rienow from Visionary Family Ministries welcomes Drew Dyck, author of Just Show Up: How Small Acts of Faithfulness Change Everything. Together, they discuss the profound impact of simple, consistent faithfulness in our daily lives and relationships. Drew shares personal stories and biblical insights that reveal how "just showing up" and being present enables us to be used by God to impact the lives of others. Drew highlights the example of his father, whose steady dedication and persistence in ministry made a lasting impact despite initial struggles. Rob and Drew also explore the stories of biblical figures like Moses, whose years of tending sheep prepared him for leadership, and the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, who exemplified steadfastness even without seeing immediate results.  Featured Resources: Just Show Up: How Small Acts of Faithfulness Change Everything: Drew Dyck's book emphasizes the power of ordinary faithfulness and is available on Amazon and through his website at https://www.drewdyck.com or on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0802428584  Book Giveaway: Visionary Family Ministries is giving away five copies of Just Show Up. Email podcast@visionaryfam.com with your mailing address to receive a free copy.

Wow... That's all I can say about this episode. What a powerful interview with guest Rob Rienow. Listen in and take notes.