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264. Simple Ideas for Incorporating Art with Children and Teens with Courtney Sanford   Colossians 3:23 NLT "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people."   **Transcription Below**   Questions and Topics We Discuss: Can you give us an overview of the seven major forms of art and give an example of ways our children can engage with each? What are the best art supplies to have on hand? As our children grow, why is this helpful in the teen years to have a healthy way to express ourselves and our ideas?   Courtney Sanford is a dedicated wife, and mother who triumphantly homeschooled her three children. With one pursuing a career in orthodontics, another just finishing a master's degree while working in higher education, and the youngest studying computer science at Regent University, Courtney's commitment to their education has yielded remarkable success.   Passionate about nurturing creativity and self-expression, she guides students through captivating art classes, exploring the intersection of imagination and skill. With her background as a graphic designer and experience in studio art, Courtney embarked on a new adventure as an art teacher.    As a multitasking mom, author, artist, teacher, and adventurer, Courtney embodies the spirit of embracing life's opportunities and fostering a love for learning and artistic expression.   Beyond her love for education, Courtney has an insatiable wanderlust. She finds joy in traversing the globe, hosting art retreats, and volunteering at Spiritual Twist Productions: both painting sets, and serving on the board of directors. When time permits, Courtney indulges in spring snow skiing, hiking in exotic locations, and leisurely walks with her dog, Zoey.   Delightful Art Co. was born out of a time when life gave Courtney a handful of lemons, and she creatively transformed those lemons into refreshing lemonade. The Covid shutdown rather forcefully prompted a major shift from in-person art classes to online classes.    Courtney's Website   Thank You to Our Sponsor: WinShape Marriage   Other Episodes Mentioned: 202 Simple Ways to Connect with Our Kids And Enjoy Breaks with Beth Rosenbleeth (Days with Grey) 223 Journey and Learnings as Former Second Lady of the United States with Karen Pence   Continue the conversation with us on Facebook, Instagram or our website.   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.”   *Transcription*    Music: (0:00 – 0:09)   Laura Dugger: (0:10 - 1:36) 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.   I am thrilled to introduce you to our sponsor, WinShape Marriage.   Their weekend retreats will strengthen your marriage, and you will enjoy this gorgeous setting, delicious food, and quality time with your spouse. To find out more, visit them online at winshapemarriage.org. That's W-I-N-S-H-A-P-E marriage.org. Thanks for your sponsorship.   Courtney Sanford is my guest today, and she's an amazing artist and teacher and author, and I'm just so excited to share this conversation. If you're like me and you're ready for summer and your rhythm changes with your kids, she's going to share some super practical tips for incorporating art and beauty into our homes.   And I think that you're going to conclude this conversation by knowing where to begin and understanding why it matters. Here's our chat.    Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Courtney.   Courtney Sanford: Thanks for having me.    Laura Dugger: I'm so excited to hear more about your story, so will you share what has led you into the work that you get to do today?   Courtney Sanford: (1:37 - 4:20) I sure do like to share that story. I didn't start off as a homeschooler. I didn't imagine that that would be where my life went, but I was always a creative person.   I was a graphic designer, and I worked in the Performing Arts Center, and I got to do lots of fun design for shows. Then along came kids. I actually enjoyed dropping them off at school and going to Target, and I was okay with that.   We didn't do public school because the school near me didn't look safe, and we had lived near Columbine High School and thought it was just a beautiful, beautiful school. And when we left Colorado, we thought, oh, isn't it sad that our kids won't go to school there? And then just about a month later, the whole Columbine shooting happened, and so we were kind of traumatized by all of that.   And then when I saw the school that my precious five-year-old would go to, it didn't look safe, and so we sent them to a private school. So here we are spending a lot of money, having high expectations, and the kids were doing all worksheets all the time, and they started to dread going to school, and they didn't love learning, and the excitement of learning just kind of drained out of them. And so we looked into other options and decided that homeschooling would be the way to go, and I found the classical model and just loved the way that sounded, and we tried it, and it worked, and the little lights just came back on in their eyes, and they started to love learning again.   And I just found my people, and I just learned everything I could about homeschooling, and I just poured myself into it wholeheartedly as unto the Lord. And had a great time, and I just loved my time with my kids, and I felt like it was successful, and I encouraged other people to do it, but I wasn't really sure that it worked until they got into college and they turned out to be successful, thriving humans, and we're really proud of them. One will be a doctor in about a month.   He's about to graduate. He has a wife and a little girl, and then my second one has her MBA, and she works for a Christian college where she leads trips, and she's getting ready to take a group to Paris and London, and so she kind of ministers to students through that, and then my youngest is still in school staying to be a software developer. So now I can confidently say it was worth all the energy that I put into it.   It was hard work, probably the hardest thing I've ever done, but so worth it.   Laura Dugger: (4:21 - 4:40) That's incredible, and I love hearing the success story where your children are now, but you really also inspired them with beauty and art in their learning and growing up time, and I'm curious, are there any personal lessons that the Lord has taught you through art?   Courtney Sanford: (4:41 - 6:32) Oh, goodness. Yeah, I think my desire was to make learning interactive because I saw what they were doing in the private school, which was sit in a chair all day and do your worksheets, and it was just worksheet after worksheet after worksheet and then a quiz, and then you get graded, and so I was thinking if I'm going to pull them out, I've got to do better than that, and so that was my standard, and I was going to beat that standard every day, and so I pulled in art because that's what I knew, so if we were learning about an animal, we would draw the animal. If we were learning about a continent, we would draw the continent until we could draw it from memory, and I really learned with them. I did not have a great elementary education or even high school education, so I would learn this stuff, and then I would think of creative ways to get them involved with it, so a lot of times it was drawing.   It could be painting. It could be making things out of clay. We used to make things out of Rice Krispie Treats, and then they could take it to their co-op group.   Well, it was a classical conversations group, but they do presentations, and so we made a Mayan temple out of Rice Krispie Treats, and we would make volcanoes, and then they could take it to their friends and share it with them and tell them about it, so anything I could do that would get us out of the chair using our hands and using our senses and think, you know, how can I incorporate all five senses, and that just made learning so much more fun for them and for me, and so a lot of it was art. Some of it was science.   Anytime I could incorporate a sense of play into what they were learning, I could see that they would learn so much more.   Laura Dugger: (6:32 - 6:55) I love that, trying to incorporate all five senses, especially. That gets some ideas coming, but can you even back it up, and because you're an artist, will you give us an overview of the seven major forms of art, and can you give us examples as parents for ways that we can engage our children with each of those?   Courtney Sanford: (6:56 - 10:58) Oh, sure. Let me think. All right, so drawing, of course, you can draw what you see, so when I teach students to draw, I do a progression, so we'll draw from line art, and you can find line art anywhere.   It might be in a children's book, so using the library was key for me, so I'd get a laundry basket, and I would go to the library with an index card of what we'd be studying, and I would grab all kinds of books related to that, so when you come home, you get out a kid's book. If you see a good line drawing, say you're studying a lizard, if you see a good line drawing, draw from that. They could even trace it to start with, so you draw from the line drawing, then once they get really confident with that, you go to drawing from photos, and then you go to drawing from real life, so maybe you have a fish tank.   Maybe there's a fish in the fish tank, and you could draw from that or draw things in your yard, so that is how I break down drawing for them, and it could be years. You could draw from line art for years before you go to drawing from photos, and then to drawing from real life, and drawing's great for learning to memorize things. For painting, painting's just fun, and so I like to go to the kitchen table every afternoon and paint what you see, so you start off with the younger kids.   You could start with color and markers and fill in the areas, and then you can teach them how to shade using painting. Sculpture is also fun with kids. I like air-dry clay, and I like Sculpey clay.   I like to get a one-pound block of Sculpey clay and teach them the basic forms, like roll out a snake, do your hands together. Those of you who are listening, you can't see my hands, but I am making a sphere with imaginary clay. These are really good for developing their fine motor skills, too.   We also make the letters out of roll-out snakes and form your letters. That will really help if they're reversing letters. It takes a while to build the whole alphabet, so maybe you do three or four letters a day.   You work on it a couple times a week. It might take a month to make the whole alphabet, but that can be one goal, to get them working in three dimensions. We usually do additive sculpture, like adding on, and you can use found objects to make sculptures.   One time, my son took apart a pen. I rearranged the pieces into a human shape, and it was lovely. Getting them thinking in three dimensions is related to sculpture.   Carving, I don't like to do until they're old enough to be safe with a knife, but once they are, especially the boys love to go outside in the yard and get a log. They spend a lot of time carving spoons. Just a simple shape they can hold in their mind and then carve it is a good activity.   It keeps their little hands busy, too, if you want to read aloud to them and you don't mind a little mess in the house, they can carve. You can also carve out of a bar of soap as well. For that, that's a subtractive sculpture technique.   Let's see. That's the three main ones, drawing, painting, sculpture. I know film is one.   Film, I don't really incorporate much into my homeschool, except we will occasionally watch a movie about history. That has gotten me into trouble a few times because some of those movies that I think are going to be historic turn out to have racy scenes in them, and I'll have to jump up and get in front of the TV or cough really loud. But there are some good films that you can watch together as a family.   That's about as far as I went with film.   Laura Dugger: (10:59 - 11:19) I would, if you don't mind me interrupting there, too. I feel like that's one that our girls have actually begun to develop on their own, where our eldest daughter once wanted a video camera, so she got the old-school video camera. They're making their own movies, and I've seen that as a form of creative, artistic play.   Courtney Sanford: (11:20 - 11:49) Oh, that's fabulous. Yes, so when my kids were little, we didn't even have phones or video cameras on the phones, so that wasn't an option. When we first started homeschooling, our TV died, and so we did not even have a TV for years.   We just decided not to replace it, which forced us into audiobooks and reading aloud and then just playing outside instead and reading books. So that was a blessing.   Laura Dugger: (11:49 - 12:03) I love that because that's one of the other forms. That was new to me, that literature is an art form. Sorry, I sidetracked you because we still have literature, architecture, theater, and music.   Courtney Sanford: (12:04 - 14:20) Yeah, I think the best thing that we did for our kids, of course, I love teaching them to write using Andrew Pudewa's method with IEW. It's kind of imitative writing, so you learn to imitate good writers. But also, my husband read aloud to the kids every single night.   That was his time with him. He gave me a break, and he would read for hours. He loved it.   The kids loved it. And he would choose classics or funny things, you know, science fiction. Probably not the books that I would choose.   I would choose classics and things related to what we were studying, but he chose what he wanted to read. So I would read aloud in the afternoons, and we would do audiobooks like Story of the World and all the Jim Weiss readings. And then he would read aloud at night.   And just whatever he wanted to choose, he would read aloud. And I think hearing good language produces good speakers and good writers. So he gets about 50 percent of the credit for the success of the kids, I think, for just reading aloud every night.   It was such a great thing to do for the kids. And then the last one, architecture. I do incorporate architecture when I'm teaching about a culture.   So, if we're doing art history or history, we'll look at the buildings. So, of course, you do that with ancient Egypt. You look at the pyramids.   When you're talking Old Testament times, you look at the tents. And then as I go through art history with the high schoolers, I'll point out more and more like neoclassical, of course, comes from the ancient Greeks, but it's come to symbolize power and authority. And that's why we see it in government buildings.   So, my degree is graphic design, but it was in the School of Architecture. So, I had a lot of history of architecture and I appreciate it. And so I'm always pointing that out to my kids.   And I do that in my class, in my art history class. I always incorporate the architecture just as a part of understanding a culture.   Laura Dugger: (14:21 - 14:29) I love that. And was there anything specific that you did with your kids for encouraging music or also theater?   Courtney Sanford: (14:30 - 15:29) Oh, yeah. One thing I wish I had done more of was kinder music. I don't know why we didn't do that much kinder music, but now I'm learning more about it.   I wish I had done more of that. And I did put them in piano lessons. One wanted to do violin.   So, they had a few years of learning the basics of music, and then they really got into theater. We have a great Christian youth theater nearby. And so that was a really good experience.   In their Christian youth theater, they would sing praise and worship songs before and during and after a play. They would be praying for the audience and singing worship songs in addition to the singing on the stage. And that whole experience was really good for them.   Even my quietest kid got a big role in a play one time, and he had to memorize a lot of lines and sing in front of people. It's just such a great experience for them.   Laura Dugger: (15:30 - 15:57) I would think so. Even if they don't choose something that we would consider a very artistic career, I can see why all of this is still beneficial. That leads me to another question for you.   Regardless of the way that all of us parents listening are choosing to educate our children, why is it still beneficial for all of us to incorporate art into our homes and into our parenting?   Courtney Sanford: (15:58 - 21:59) That's a great question. So, the first line of the Bible says God created. So, the first thing we learn about God is that he was creative.   He created everything. And then just a few lines later, it says then he created man in his own image. So that tells me that we were created to be creative, to create.   Now, he doesn't let us create stuff out of nothing like him, which is probably for our own good. That would be a mess. But we can create things out of what he created.   And there is a study done by George Land. And there's a video on YouTube of George Land giving a talk about this creativity study that he did. And he created a test for NASA to help them find creative engineers when they were trying to get to the moon.   And they used it to study creativity in children. And they tested five-year-olds. So, they found a group of 1,600 five-year-olds who were in school.   And when they tested them at five years old, 98% of them tested as creative geniuses. So, their plan was to go every five years and test them again just to see what was going on. So, they went back after five years.   The kids are now 10. And it dropped down to like 27%. They went back another five years when the kids were 15, and it was down to about 17%.   And then they were so depressed, they stopped testing them because they could see they began as very creative. So, we're created creative. And a lot of moms will say, yes, I can see that in my children.   But something happens. And this was all in school. Something happened during school that taught them to not be creative.   So, the school teaches the kids to be obedient, to sit still, and to get the same outcome from every kid. Right? There's an expected answer on every test.   And you're to try to get the answer that the teacher wants. That's not creative. So, the first thing to do to preserve their creativity is don't send them to school.   That's the safest bet. And then when you do homeschool them, which I think is the best environment for them, don't do what they do in school. To bring them home and to go to all this trouble just to do the same thing that they're doing in school is not worth the trouble.   So, you've got to not do what they're doing in school. And so, for me, that meant don't do worksheets, make the content interactive. So, I did rely on curriculum, but I didn't rely on the curriculum to be the teacher.   So, I get the content from the curriculum, and then I make it interactive using artistic, creative skills so that they can be creative. And I don't teach it out of them. So, if you have young kids, that's good news.   They're already creative. You just have to don't teach it out of them. If your kids are older and maybe they've been in school, then you might have to like undo some of that training and set up some experiences where you ask them or even like in my classes, I'll set up a challenge.   And I expect everyone's to be different because everybody's going to do it a little bit more creatively in their way. And so, at the end of class, instead of like calling out the answers to see if everybody got the same thing, they're holding up what they did and telling me what they were thinking. And everybody's is different.   And then I really praise the ones who did something different. Maybe they changed the colors. Maybe they put glasses on Mona Lisa.   You know, maybe they gave her a cat to hold. So, I reward thinking outside the box. Now to to pour in beauty, and I think I might have heard this from Charlotte Mason, beauty in, beauty out.   So, you've got to load them with beauty. Now, I think that we were naturally drawn to beauty and people will argue with me about this. They'll say, well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.   But I betcha I could find something that's beautiful and do a survey. And I betcha I could get 100% of people to say, yes, that's beautiful. And I could find something else, maybe a Hindu goddess sculpture.   And I could find something that 100% people would say that is not beautiful. And so, I think that ingrained in some of us because we're created by God, I think we have a sense of appreciating beauty. I do think that it gets taught out of a lot of people.   So, with my kids, I show them a lot of beauty. And this can be as simple as get a coffee table book from the secondhand bookstore on art and put it on your coffee table. Get books from the library and have lots of beautiful things to look at.   And so, when I now when I was teaching my own kids, this is kind of a fly by the seat of my pants. Make it up as I go. Now that they've left home and I can think about it, I'm putting together books that are a little bit more thoughtful.   So, in my books, you will see I've chosen a piece of art that is beautiful and I will pair it with the lesson. And then I'll give you an art activity. So, for example, in Into the Woods, you'll see I've chosen a beautiful piece of art and I paired it with a poem, which is another piece of beauty.   Yes. And then I'll give you an art lesson so that they can get creative with it as well. So, it is this hard to pull it together.   So that's why I'm making books to help parents. So, you have something beautiful and something to do with it. And so, that's how I pour in beauty to give a beauty in beauty out.   Laura Dugger: (21:59 - 22:36) I love that so much. And just even holding this resource, it is so beautiful. There's so much to it.   When it arrived, our daughters were delighted to go through it and to dive in and get to learn. But I'm just thinking many listeners are fellow homeschool parents and also many are not. But I don't want them to be discouraged because I'm even thinking of your courses or if they do intentional art in the evenings or on weekends or summer break and winter break.   There are still ways for all of us to incorporate this.   Courtney Sanford: (22:36 - 24:28) Yes, for sure. Yeah. Even so, my mom, I was public school.   And of course, the word hadn't been invented back then, but my mom appreciates art and poetry and she would always have art books on the coffee table. And I would just stop and, you know, in my free time, flip through the pages. And those images stuck with me my whole life.   She had one that had a Monet on the cover of the Field of Red Poppies. And that was just ingrained in my mind as a piece of beauty. So just something as simple as putting it out on your coffee table.   She also took us to museums whenever we traveled. And she didn't make a big lesson out of it, but I was exposed to beautiful buildings. You know, most museums are in beautiful buildings.   You see the beautiful architecture. And I was exposed to a lot of art that way. So, that was that totally goes with which with summer vacations and your vacations to, you know, make an effort to see a gallery or an art museum when you're traveling.   That makes a big difference. It'll make an impression on them. And of course, the books you could do in the summer.   We have summer classes and we have an art retreat that might not line up with school because it's in May. But the books you could for sure add on. Hopefully someday we'll have evening classes so that you could go to school.   We've got some this coming year that will start at four o'clock. So, hopefully some kids can go to school and come home and join an art class. So, we're working on getting it out as we as I get teachers willing to.   Most of my teachers are homeschool moms, too. And by the end of the day, they're tired. So, I've got a few.   I've got a young lady who's just graduating and she's going to do some late afternoon ones for us next year. So pretty excited about that.   Laura Dugger: (24:28 - 25:04) I love that. And then even thinking of the beauty and beauty out stepping outdoors. There's so much beauty in God's creation and so much change depending on where you live throughout the seasons.   But I love how you also brought up the library, because anytime I'm trying to learn something new, that's my first go to is put books on hold at the library. And so, if we're wanting to know what to add to our library cart just to get us started into this, can you share books that you recommend, both yours and others that you think would be good additions?   Courtney Sanford: (25:05 - 26:19) Oh, that's a good question. Yes, there are. I love to think about the biographies of artists.   And if so, if you're studying ancient history, you could look up a biography on Giotto. And they're still tell the stories in such a nice, kid friendly way. Like there's the story of Giotto.   He was actually watching the sheep. And while he was out in the fields, he would draw on the sides of rocks like big rocks. But you get another rock and you would draw on the sides of rocks.   And another artist was walking through one day and he saw these drawings on the rocks. He was like, wow, you're really talented. Come with me.   I'll make you an apprentice. And those stories are just they're fun to read together and hear those kinds of stories. And of course, the Usborne books of art are beautiful and they often have projects for the kids to do.   I can't think of any specific ones, but I do love a short paperback on the particular artists. And so, I kind of line those up along with the period in history that we're studying.   Laura Dugger: (26:20 - 26:32) That's great. And even you're making me think of picture book biographies on artists. We've always enjoyed those as well.   Obviously, the illustrations are fantastic, too, but the storylines are so interesting.   Courtney Sanford: (26:33 - 27:23) Yes. So, I just grab whatever they have. I had a big laundry basket.   And and I know card and I just grab whatever I could find and sometimes let the kids choose. And sometimes I would choose. If you're going with geography, you can find beautiful photos of the different areas.   See the landscapes or the sunsets. And that can through photography. And you can really get to know a place through beautiful photographs.   I like that part, too. And then that might inspire a pastel drawing of a landscape. Maybe it's a beautiful sunset you could recreate with pastels.   So, photography books are really inspirational, too.   Laura Dugger: (27:23 - 28:10) It's a great idea. And circling back, you had mentioned Andrew Pudewa earlier in our conversation. And I remember learning from him that with writing, the worst way we can teach our children is to say just free write, just write something down or here's a prompt to finish this sentence because better writing comes through imitating.   And so, you've even mentioned tracing is a great way to start. That's not cheating in art if you're not stealing credit from them. But if you're just practicing and tracing, this is a way to imitate.   And so, I'm wondering, do you have any other cautions for ways that may be the wrong way to introduce our kids to art?   Courtney Sanford: (28:11 - 30:50) I agree that. Yeah, you can get writer's block. What I find funny is that some people are so afraid to imitate artists.   But if I were teaching piano, I would teach your kid how to play something by Bach in which he would learn what Bach did. And nobody would say I'm stealing from Bach. You know, and you learn to play Beethoven by playing Beethoven and you you learn to reproduce those pieces of music.   I do the same thing in art. We look at what the masters did and we'll copy it in order to learn what they knew. And that way we build.   We're like standing on the shoulders of giants. So, we don't want every kid to have to start with inventing the wheel themselves. We'd never get very far.   We want to learn what the masters knew and then build on that. So, I do a lot of imitation. And then as the students ready, I let them know you are free to change this or to experiment with it.   So just last week we were drawing and painting red poppies and learning about Georgia O'Keeffe. And so, I said we can do an imitation of her poppy. And I'll show you step by step how to reproduce her poppy.   And in doing that, we're going to cause us to look more closely at it and study her blends. Like she would blend from yellow to orange to red in every petal. And we can study that technique.   And then as we do it and we practice it, we look more closely at hers and it kind of becomes a part of us. And then we'll find another flower and we'll use that same technique on a flower that we choose. Or maybe it's a flower we make up and we take that technique and we can apply it.   And it's a much better way to learn than trying to learn it yourself without looking at what the masters did. So, I think that I think I pulled a lot of that from Andrew Pudewa. The idea of I'm going to assist you until you say I got this.   I can do it from here. So, I do assist until they get it. And then I always say whenever you're ready, as soon as you're ready, change it and make it your own or do your own thing.   And because turning them loose too soon can break their confidence. So, you want to build them up until they can confidently experiment on their own.   Laura Dugger: (30:51 - 32:34) Let's take a quick break to hear a message from our sponsor. I'm so excited to share today's sponsor, WinShape Marriage, with you. WinShape Marriage is a fantastic ministry that helps couples prepare, strengthen, and if needed, even save their marriage.   WinShape Marriage is grounded on the belief that the strongest marriages are the ones that are nurtured, even if it seems like things are going smoothly. That way they'll be stronger if they do hit a bump along their marital journey. Through their weekend retreats, WinShape Marriage invites couples to enjoy time away to simply focus on each other.   These weekend retreats are hosted within the beautiful refuge of WinShape Retreat, perched in the mountains of Rome, Georgia, which is just a short drive from Atlanta, Birmingham, and Chattanooga. While you and your spouse are there, you'll be well-fed, well-nurtured, and well-cared for. During your time away in this beautiful place, you and your spouse will learn from expert speakers and explore topics related to intimacy, overcoming challenges, improving communication, and so much more.   I've stayed on site at WinShape before, and I can attest to their generosity, food, and content. You will be so grateful you went. To find an experience that's right for you and your spouse, head to their website, WinShapeMarriage.org.  That's W-I-N-S-H-A-P-E Marriage.org. Thanks for your sponsorship.    Well, and as parents, once we're past the resistance to maybe invest some of our time or our money or allow the mess into our home, but if we push past through that and we're ready to get started, I'd love to go over some practical tips.   So, Courtney, first, just what are some great art supplies to have on hand?   Courtney Sanford: (32:36 - 37:13) A number two pencil and some Crayola markers you probably already have. Those are great tools. I like to have my kids work in an art journal, and you can get these real inexpensive at Michael's.   It'll say on the cover, mixed media art Journal, and they come in different sizes. I kind of like the big ones, and that will allow you to use paint, pencil, and marker or anything you want. If it says sketchbook, it's not going to hold up to paint very well.   So that's why I get the mixed media paper. So, I start with the art journal, and then I like to make that journal be their book on a subject. So right now, I'm doing ancient history with some kids, and so they are making their own book about ancient history.   So, every week we'll do a drawing or a painting or watercolor on a lesson in ancient history. And so, each piece is not a masterpiece to hang on the wall. Each piece is a part of the story in their book.   That takes all the pressure off. So, they don't see this as, I don't know if this is going to be good enough to hang on the wall. That's not even a question.   It's a part of the story in your book. They can also take some notes. They can show their grandparents and review the topic by presenting it to their grandparents and showing off their book.   And then you can collect their books and put them on a shelf. It's not all over the house making you crazy. And then you can see from year to year how their skills have improved.   So, I kind of like every year I like pick a topic to be the subject of our art journal. So, I call it arts integrated learning. So, I'm pairing an academic subject with art for that year.   So, it could be poetry. It could be history. It could be science.   Whatever you pick. That's what you'll add to your art journal with.   Pencils. I like blending tools too. There are some people call them stompies.   For those of you who are watching. Here's one. It's just rolled up newspaper, but you can buy these at Michael's.   They're really cheap. But it takes a drawing to the next level. You can just blend things out and shade things really lovely.   Mark Kistler does some videos and teaches you how to. He'll go shade, shade, shade. And so that's a good way to start.   And it really elevates a drawing and it gives them a lot of confidence. And then of course the good eraser. The book drawing with children is a really good one for our parents to read and then teach from in that book.   They suggest you have them draw with markers so that they don't spend an hour erasing. If you have someone who's a perfectionist, they will make one mark and spend 20 minutes erasing it. And so, if you go right to drawing with markers, that's gonna teach them to make a good mark first and then keep going and not spend half an hour erasing.   When I get to age nine or 10, I like to use acrylic paints, but I only buy four colors of paint and then I make them mix all the other colors. So, we use yellow, magenta, blue, and white. Those are like the colors in your printer.   Cyan, magenta, and yellow are the ones in your printer. And those colors can make all the other colors. Now your printer has black, but I don't give kids black.   Instead of black, they could make purple or brown or dark color. So, you know, you teach them how to mix the colors that they want. They'll learn to mix it because they want green or they want purple, or they want brown.   And then they develop a sense of color theory, and you don't even have to teach it. They'll figure it out because they want those colors. If they find, if, if you don't feel confident in that, you can buy craft colors of the specific colors, especially brown.   That's a hard one to mix. But I do like the coverage of acrylic paints. I like watercolors too.   That's a little bit easier to get into. You just take it slow and practice a lot. So that's really all you need.   It's pretty simple.   Laura Dugger: (37:14 - 37:27) Well, and I'm wondering too, even with the acrylic paint at that age, once they're older, that one, I'm assuming can stain. So are there any tips that you have for containing the mess?   Courtney Sanford: (37:28 - 38:32) Yes, I get, and they're a little bit hard to find. So go to Amazon and find a, a tablecloth that is plastic on one side and felt on the other side. I forget what you call it, but there'll be like picnic tables, tablecloths.   And the plastic ones are going to drive you crazy because they're too thin. So, if it's flannel backed, it's a little bit thicker. So I get a white one at the beginning of the year.   And that comes out anytime we do clay or paint, and it goes over the kitchen table and I don't worry about cleaning it. You just let it dry, fold it up. And I put mine in the China cabinet right there by the table.   And then anytime we do something messy, that tablecloth comes out and, and then just fold the mess back up in it. And it works, it works really great to, and then you might, if you're, if you're a neat freak, maybe plan on buying one at the beginning of every school year so that you get clean slates. And then the paint that gets onto the tablecloth is actually lovely and it'll be pretty next time you get it out.   Laura Dugger: (38:33 - 39:11) Oh, I love that. That's a genius tip. I appreciate that for coming indoors because in the summer, I guess we could take it outside depending on where we live.   But then what about any hacks for finding the time to do this? And I guess I'm thinking back to a previous episode with Beth Rosenbleeth. She's the one who started Days with Grey and she would talk about different art prompts that she would set out for her children in the morning for a variety of ages.   But were there any things that kind of required minimal time from you, but had maximum return for your kids?   Courtney Sanford: (39:11 - 41:06) Yeah, that's a good point. I had, I wouldn't say I had a strict schedule, but I had a pattern to my days. And the time after lunch was a good time to do messy things in the kitchen because we were in the kitchen anyway.   And as I could clean up lunch and start dinner, I could be in the kitchen with them and they could be creative at the kitchen table with minimum involvement from me. One of my best afternoons was we had the microscopes out to do something specific and I left it out as I was cooking chili. And as I cut up each ingredient, I would cut a thin slice for them to look at under the microscope.   And so they were looking at a bell pepper and a red pepper and celery and tomato. And they were so, they so enjoyed that and I was able to cook dinner at the same time, which was fabulous. And that turned, it was probably like a 15-minute science lesson into like four hours of discovering things under the microscope.   So that element of play and you can do that with your art supplies too. Like I'll demonstrate a technique and then leave it out. I'll turn my attention to cooking dinner while they see what else they can do with it.   And, um, you know, I'll give them a few tips. Like, um, if you mix these three colors together, you're going to make brown and then turn your back and let them discover it for themselves. So, um, I'm a big crock pot person.   And so after lunch would be the time I need to clean up lunch and put something in the crock pot. So that would be a good time for me to get them started on art or science and, um, and then turn my back and let them have that, um, that discovery time without me hovering or telling them what to do or something.   Laura Dugger: (41:06 - 41:22) Oh, that's a great rhythm. I love these ideas. And then I kind of want to go in chunks of age.   So, thinking of little kids, how would you define the difference between a piece of art and a craft?   Courtney Sanford: (41:23 - 43:41) Yeah, a craft is going to be something where the focus is on following directions and that's important. They need to learn how to follow directions. And so we would do, especially around the holidays, I might do a craft and we all follow directions.   Um, a piece of art is going to be where they're, they all come out different. They're allowed to play and express themselves. Um, for me personally, if I'm doing a craft when I'm done, I think, oh, I could make 50 of these and sell them.   If it's an art, when I'm done with a piece of art, like one of these paintings behind me, when I'm done with that, I'm thinking I could never do that again. That took so much out of me. I'm exhausted.   A little piece of my soul is in that that's art. That's the difference. Um, so I don't sell my paintings because there's a little piece of my soul in, um, my husband makes fun of me for that.   He's like, you could just sell your paintings. They're like, what? They're, they're like my babies.   I can't, I can't part with them. It took so much out of me to create them. Um, but a craft, yeah, I'll just give away things that are, that I just followed directions for, um, in terms of kids, younger kids will enjoy crafts, but getting to high school, they recognize it as slave labor and they don't want to do that.   They are in what the classical education people call the, the, um, poetic stage, you know, they want to express themselves and they want to be unique. I think this is why they get tattoos. The tattoo is a way of saying this is who I am.   This is what it means to me. I'm unique. Um, so I think if we don't teach them to express themselves in art, they're going to get tattoos.   So that might encourage moms to, to give them the skills so that they can express themselves. You know, they need to be able to write poetry or write songs or paint a painting or do a drawing. There's that need inside of us to do that that God put in us.   And if they don't have an outlet, then they're going to find something like tattoos or something that we don't want them to be doing. Yeah. I mean, some of my kids are tattooed.   It's not bad.   Laura Dugger: (43:42 - 44:25) Well, and you've kind of answered a follow-up question I had because we talked about little kids, but I'm thinking of teens. So going back, my background is in marriage and family therapy, and we would encourage everyone that journaling is a free form of therapy. But I think of art as the same way.   And there's even studies that show when you're engaged in something artistic, the critical side of your brain goes offline. So you can't think negative thoughts while you're creating something new, but with teens, there's that added benefit of getting to express themselves. So is there anything else with art that you see as basically free therapy for adolescents?   Courtney Sanford: (44:26 - 46:54) Oh, sure. I do see it a lot. I experienced it because I started my business because of the shutdown and because I was teaching in person and then I had to switch to online teaching.   And so, the group that I had moved online and I figured out how to do it and got a little bit better at it. And then that summer I offered a class for adults. These were directors and I was in classical conversations at the time.   And so a whole bunch of teachers are expected to teach Western cultural history without a lot of background. And so some of the moms asked me if I would do my art class for them. And so I had about a group of like 50 adults and we would get on for an hour and a half every day.   And this was at the height of the shutdown when turning on the news, just stresses you out. Going to the grocery store was stressful because people were in masks or they weren't in masks or, you know, we didn't know anything. It was such a stressful time, but that hour and a half that we had together, we, our focus was on discovering a piece of art.   So, we were looking at beautiful things and then we were creating something and that changed our focus from what was going on in the world. And we would just relax, and we'd enjoy it. Having the live class kept our focus on it.   And when I don't have a live class in front of me, I'll be like, oh, I should put the laundry in or I should start dinner and I get distracted. But with that, you know, with other people on zoom, it keeps me focused. And so, we'd have this wonderful hour and a half vacation from the world.   And after it was over, I would just have this sense of peace. And then I'd come down and be like, oh yeah, that's still going on. And it was, it was so good for our mental health.   And, and I get, I hear moms tell me that the hour and a half once a week they spend with me doing art has been such a blessing. Like one student lost her father a year ago and this is helping her. She said she's finally coming out of her depression and she's finding a way to express herself and find beauty again.   And it's, it's been transformative for some students. So, it is a blessing. And I didn't, I didn't read that somewhere.   That's just from my experience. So, I'm a big believer in that.   Laura Dugger: (46:54 - 47:51) I can see why I think you're bringing up two points. I don't want to miss both with art therapy and then also art in community. So art and community first, I think for all of us at any age, what can we do as this is airing probably when everybody's getting out for summertime, how can we gather others alongside of us for whether it's our kids or us as peers to get to engage in these activities together.   And so, I want to follow up with you on that, but also before I lose my thought, I also want to link back to Karen Pence's episode. She had started art therapy for veterans, I believe, and just incredible. The healing that is possible through this.   So, do you have any thoughts Courtney on ways that we can this summer gather together community at different ages and do something artistic?   Courtney Sanford: (47:51 - 52:15) That is a good question. So, we have, I have found the online classes are the easiest for people to get to. And it's I get people ask if we can do it in person, but honestly it's hard to get people out or they're busy.   They're doing things in summer. So, we do offer a class online in the summer that's live. We have recorded classes that you could do alone or get a few people together and, do them together.   I have some sampler packs too. So, some of them are just three lessons. You could get some friends together and find, maybe you could find three, three times during the summer to do.   I have like a Vango sampler pack and a couple of short ones that you could just pay for the video and do with your friends or maybe a mother daughter event. Maybe you do the self-paced class with your daughter. And I've had some seniors, like seniors in high school, do a mother daughter class together and just say, this is such a good time for us to spend a little bit of time together, a little bonus time before they go off to college.   During the school year, we have, I have a watercolor artist friends. She lives near me and she's a professional watercolor artist and she does the class called Bible journaling. And that is a beautiful combination of a devotion and a watercolor time together.   Those are hour and a half classes too. And they meet once a week. And we sometimes we'll have grandmas, we'll have high school students, we'll have mother daughter pairs do it together.   And they actually have a little prayer time, a little study of scripture. And then then Kate teaches them step-by-step how to do a beautiful watercolor and incorporate some hand lettering in it. So that's just a beautiful fun time together.   So I highly recommend her class during the school year. If, if a mom could get away, or if you have a high school daughter to do it together, that is a great experience. And then I have a short version of art history that you could do with friends or your high school daughter.   It's called paint your way through marvelous to behold, which is just 12 lessons that goes through. And that's a variety of drawing and painting. If you wanted to do something like that.   So, lots of things, or you can check out the books. And if you feel confident following step-by-step instructions in a book, you could use the book or a combination of videos and books. If you're feeling kind of like you could lead a art group, you could get the cell page video, watch the video and then do, you know, exactly what I said, do that live with a group.   And if you have any art experience doing that, you could get, probably get, I would like invite all the homeschool moms in your co-op group to get together. And I do some, sometimes I'll go to do a mom's group, do a watercolor or I love to do the milkmaid with moms because the milkmaid is this beautiful painting from the Dutch masters of a woman cooking. She's just pouring milk.   I think she's making bread pudding and it's just so beautiful. It's like, what I think I look like homeschooling. I'm wearing like a long gold gown and those suns coming in and everything's perfect.   I'm like, this is the ideal. This is what I think homeschooling is going to look like. And then I kind of use that painting as a launch pad for painting Delft tiles from the period.   And so sometimes I'll, I'll do that with some homeschool moms because I like to encourage homeschool moms. I know it's hard. And I had some mentors when I was homeschooling that I really appreciated.   So, I'm always happy to, to be the support and be able to say it's worth it. Keep going. I know you're driving a crappy car, but it will be worth it.   And so, the sacrifices you make now totally pay off. And you know, before I know it, my son is going to be homeschooling his daughter. She's seven months now, but it's going to fly by, you know, she'll be four before you know it.   And I'll be teaching her how to paint. I suppose.   Laura Dugger: (52:16 - 53:13) 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.    I don't want to miss what website to direct everyone to. If they want to sign up for one of these classes, where's the best place to follow up?   Courtney Sanford: (53:14 - 54:27) Go to delightfulartco.com and on that page, you'll see live classes, self-paced classes, summer retreats. I've done adult retreats before. I'd be open to doing it again if people want to.   So, I have, I would call it private retreats. So, if you want to get a group of women together, maybe somebody has a beach house, I'll come and do the art. It could be a one day, two day, or three-day event.   So that's an option. And we have self-paced classes. So, lots of things to look at.   I have a lot of sample classes on the website too. If you want to drop in and see what they're like. I think there's a how to paint Monet's water lilies is on the site.   You can watch that and see what it's like. Some people are afraid to try an online art class, but we all loved Bob Ross, and we watched him. So, if you can imagine saying, Bob, stop, could you do that again?   That's what my classes are like, and I'll be happy to stop and show you again. And then you can hold up your work at the end and I can give you some feedback. So, I'm like the new Bob Ross.   Laura Dugger: (54:27 - 54:46) There you go. That's wonderful. Thank you for sharing that.   And Courtney, I just have a couple more questions for you. If let's turn it back to parenting. If we want to get started today and we just want next step to get started.   What is an art prompt that we can still try today?   Courtney Sanford: (54:47 - 57:26) I would look at what you're, what, what are you teaching your kids? So, if you're teaching them, maybe you have a library book on the coffee table that you're studying biology. Pull out one thing from that and draw what you see and reproduce that.   Just one drawing a week. And before you know it, you'll have a whole biology book. So, I like to instead of saying parents, you have to add on another course.   You have to add art to everything else you're doing. Slide it into what you're already doing and it will enhance what they remember about that. And it's not like a whole other subject.   So just use art as a tool to help them remember what you want them to learn anyway. So, anything you want them to teach, if you have a photo or a drawing, have them trace it or draw it. I actually another good way to start is if you have little kids and Bible story time, let them draw what you're reading about.   My son loved to do stick figures. So, I have the whole Bible told in stick figures from when I'm from my youngest kid. And it is fabulous, especially like Sodom and Gomorrah.   And, you know, there's a lot of violent stuff. Boys love that stuff. So, he illustrated a lot of the Old Testament because I read it every morning, and he would just draw what he heard me.   I think I was using the Children's Illustrated Bible. So, he had some things to look at. That's another great way to get started.   Just let them look at the story and draw in their own art journal. So, there's so many fun ways you can use it in every subject. I had a mom tell me she read me an email.   She said, my daughter is just blooming in your classes. I wish every subject could be taught with an art journal and a paint palette. And I replied, we're working on it.   We're we've got we've got Latin and art, science and art, literature and art. There's just so many ways to find inspiration and what you're already studying and find the beauty in that subject. So, in our site, our art and biology course, students do a beautiful watercolor of the DNA strand.   And they draw the cell in watercolor. And it's just beautiful. And it helps them remember it and practices their art skills.   So, it's like a two for one. Think of it as a two for one. Take art and put it in another subject.   Laura Dugger: (57:26 - 57:46) I love win wins. That sounds amazing. And Courtney, I just have one final question for you today.   We are called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge or insight. And so is my final question for you today. What is your savvy sauce?   Courtney Sanford: (57:47 - 58:15) The beauty, in beauty out, has been kind of my savvy sauce and also as unto the Lord. So, whatever I do, I do as unto the Lord. If I'm homeschooling, I'm teaching biology.   I'm going to do as unto the Lord. I'm not going to hand out a worksheet. I'm going to make it.   I'm going to make it a great experience. So, I would have to say whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly as unto the Lord and not for men.   Laura Dugger: (58:16 - 58:36) What a great place to end. Courtney, you are so inspiring. You've given us great ideas and kind of confidence to get to put this into practice.   Even if we're not artists like you, we're all created in God's image and therefore can be creative. So, thank you for your time and wisdom today. Thank you so much for being my guest.   Courtney Sanford: (58:37 - 58:40) You are sure welcome. I had a great time. It's good to talk to you.   Laura Dugger: (58:41 - 1:02:25) You as well. 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 is 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, would 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 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 & 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.

Parenting today can feel more challenging than ever before. Research shows that anxiety is increasing at an alarming rate, and there seems to be a decrease in kindness happening at the same time. That's where some Biblical truth can help us as parents. In this episode, Sara and Amy sit down with Ammie Akin — a wife, mom of three boys, and career educator with a background spanning all levels of administration, from elementary to high school and college. Ammie shares about being authentic as a parent, utilizing the Bible to help guide you, finding joy in whatever stage of parenting you're in, and being intentional in everyday moments.Book: The Anxious Generation--Question of the Week: Who is the kindest person you encounter at school (or you can pick a different location)? What specific things do they do that made you think of them as kind?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesGuests: Ammie AkinProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

When we walk through something hard, our instinct is often to take control, fix it ourselves, or hold everything together for the people we love. But what if healing comes not from holding on—but from letting go? And what does letting go look like?In this episode, Amy and Marissa sit down with Kylie White—wife, mom of four teens, philanthropist, and a servant-leader in her family's business, Chick-fil-A. Kylie shares how God met her in the midst of a life-changing diagnosis and a pivotal moment of surrender. She opens up about her journey of letting go, discovering the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit, and finding a depth to her faith she never knew before.Kylie's story reveals how her letting go of control led to profound spiritual transformation, and how these lessons are shaping her life as a wife, mom, and leader. We hope this episode will inspire you to loosen your grip, find peace in God's presence, and trust in His faithfulness—even when the path ahead feels uncertain.Kylie White's Blog--Question of the Week: First, tell your kid(s) a story about a time when you stepped out in bold faith. What did that look like—whether big or small? Then ask them: Are there any areas where you need to take steps of bold faith?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Marissa RayGuests: Kylie WhiteProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

Parenting can feel heavy—especially when we carry around the weight of how our kids will turn out on our shoulders. But what if we weren't meant to carry that pressure? In this episode, Amy and Sara sit down with bestselling author and mom of five boys, Jeannie Cunnion, to talk about parenting in freedom rather than fear.Jeannie shares encouragement for moms and dads who are weary from trying to do it all perfectly. She dives into what it looks like to trade our performance mindset for a grace-filled approach to both parenting and our relationship with God. Whether you're raising toddlers or teenagers, you'll walk away from this episode feeling lighter, more equipped, and reminded that you're not in this alone.--Jeannie Cunnion WebsiteThe 509 FoundationMom Set Free Bible Study by Jeannie Cunnion--Question of the Week: Where are you feeling stress or pressure in your life?  And then – As your mom/dad where do I stress/worry too much in our relationship?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesGuest: Jeannie CunnionProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

Guest: Amy LoweOrganizations: WinShape Camps for Girls, WinShape Camps for FamiliesPosition: DirectorTopic: teaching children about the true meaning of Easter, based on a Crosswalk.com piece, How to Talk to Your Child About EasterWebsite: winshapecamps.org

Today, Amy Lowe and Emily Alters sit down with two incredible parents who have launched their kids into adulthood and are now navigating the empty nest season—Jeff Stryker and Lynn Alters. Between them, Jeff and Lynn bring decades of parenting wisdom to the table. Both of their families have deep roots at WinShape Camps, with kids who spent summers growing up at camp and are now faithfully following Jesus in their own unique callings. These two empty nesters reflect on their parenting journeys—sharing both meaningful wins and honest missteps—and offer practical advice and encouragement for moms and dads still in the thick of it. Whether you're raising little ones or teenagers, their insight brings encouragement and perspective for the road ahead.Parenting truth we're holding onto today: You won't do everything perfectly—but being intentional, present, and Christ-centered matters more than you think.Plus: Don't miss what Jeff and Lynn are still learning—even after raising kids into adulthood.--Question of the Week: What is something I'm doing well (as a parent)? What is something I could work on (as a parent)?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Emily AltersGuest: Lynn Alters, Jeff StrykerProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

A summer job is just a job—right? Not when it's working at camp. Today, Amy and Marissa dive into the transformative experience of serving as Summer Camp Staff. Working at camp helps young adults grow in their faith, develop leadership skills, and prepare for life beyond college. Longtime WinShape Camps staffers Alex Scales and Grace Kilgore share the lessons they've learned, why they kept coming back, and how their summers on staff shaped their futures. Whether your kids are still little or heading toward their college years, this conversation offers a powerful glimpse into how camp can impact both campers and the incredible college students who invest in them. Plus, if you know a college student looking for a meaningful summer, we'll share how they can get involved!Want to learn more about working at WinShape Camps? --Question of the Week: What is your dream job? What skills do you need if you had that job? --Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesGuests: Alex Scales & Grace KilgoreProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

What makes summer camp more than just s'mores and singalongs? In this inspiring episode of the Raising Godly Girls Podcast, host Patti Garibay sits down with Amy Lowe, Director of WinShape Camps for Girls, to explore how the camp experience uniquely shapes young girls into confident, Christ-like women. From building resilience to deepening faith, camp offers so much more than a break from the routine.  Amy shares compelling stories and practical insights about how outdoor adventures and meaningful friendships help girls navigate challenges, overcome fears, and develop a lasting identity rooted in Christ. Patti and Amy also discuss the surprising health benefits of time in God's creation, highlighting how fresh air and outdoor play can reduce stress and restore joy.  For moms wondering how camp might help their daughters thrive, this episode is packed with wisdom. You'll hear about strategies to combat homesickness, the spiritual growth that blossoms at camp, and how intentional relationships with peers and counselors guide girls toward healthier, faith-filled friendships.  Whether you're exploring day camps or overnight options, Amy offers tips on preparing your daughter—and yourself—for an unforgettable summer experience. Learn how camps like WinShape lower financial barriers through scholarships and creative fundraising opportunities, making camp accessible for all families.  Tune in for encouragement, heartfelt stories, and practical advice on raising resilient, Christ-following girls who are prepared to shine in the world beyond the campfire glow. Don't miss this insightful conversation about the power of camp to build strong girls and even stronger faith.  Learn more about Amy and her work with WinShape Camps at camps.winshape.com  Find an American Heritage Girls Troop near you, visit americanheritagegirls.org       Add even more Biblical wisdom to your parenting quiver, visit raisinggodlygirls.com

In today's episode, Amy and Sara sit down with Capri and Jason Brooks to talk all about prayer—how to model it, practice it as a family, and specific prayers to pray over your kids. Capri and Jason share practical ways to make prayer part of everyday life, along with the "S's" they pray over their children: salvation, safety, and spouse. Whether you're looking to grow your own prayer life or help your kids posture their hearts towards prayer, this conversation is full of encouragement and practical real-life tips!--Question of the Week: What is something that you are worried about that we could pray about together?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesGuests: Capri and Jason BrooksProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

What's the secret to connecting with your boys in meaningful ways? In today's episode, Amy and Sara are joined by Sara's husband, Chase Jones—a Licensed Professional Counselor and Marriage & Family Therapist—to unpack how parents can build strong connections with their sons. Drawing from his years of counseling experience, Chase shares insights on common struggles boys face, the key ingredients for meaningful connection, and practical ways parents can encourage, support, and lead their boys. From pulling them out of the digital world to cultivating leadership and resilience, this episode is packed with expert advice, real-life wisdom, and a reflective question to spark meaningful conversations in your family.The 5 Love Languages QuizBook: The Anxious GenerationArticle: 5 Ways to Shore up Boys' Social SkillsBlog: A Father's Devotion: The Question of Abundant Living--Question of the Week: What makes it hard to be a boy in today's world? What makes it hard to be a girl in today's world?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesGuest: Chase JonesProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

How can we help our kids feel safe and secure in an uncertain world? In today's episode, Amy and Sara are joined by Alexis Basik, a Licensed Master Social Worker and trauma-focused care expert, to discuss how parents can help their kids build security and trust in today's uncertain world. Alexis walks us through key developmental stages for kids —unpacking the lies kids often believe about trust, their unique developmental needs, and practical ways parents can support them. As WinShape Camps prepares for this summer's theme, UNCHARTED, Alexis connects the dots between navigating life's uncertainties and trusting in a faithful God. Tune in for expert advice, encouragement, and a reflective question to spark meaningful conversations with your family.Resources:WinShape Camps Theme Preview - Uncharted--Questions of the Week: Has there ever been a moment when someone broke your trust? How did it feel/what did you do about it? --Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesGuest: Alexis BasikProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun

Every parent dreams of their kids developing a deep love for God's Word, but where do you start? In this episode, Amy and Sara sit down with Margaret Sharpe—Manager of WinShape Camps International and a passionate follower of Jesus—to explore how parents can inspire a love for Scripture in their children. Drawing from her experience with WinShape's international projects and and her own faith journey, Margaret shares practical steps like modeling a personal love for the Bible, embracing its rich narratives, and helping kids connect its overarching story to their everyday lives. From accessible Bible study methods to creating meaningful family habits, Margaret's wisdom and tips will equip and encourage you to lead your kids deeper into God's Word. Don't miss this inspiring conversation packed with practical takeaways for your family's faith journey!--Questions of the Week: What is your favorite Bible story, and why? If you could choose to be one character in the Bible, who would you want to be, and why?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesGuest: Margaret SharpeProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun

In this episode, Amy and Sara sit down with David Blanchard, Director of Fellows at Impact 360, to explore practical ways parents can help Generation Z develop a lasting faith. Drawing from over 15 years of experience in discipleship and drawing insights from the latest Barna research, David shares strategies for equipping kids to know God deeply, build strong character, and live out their faith with kingdom influence. He emphasizes the importance of moving from a consumer mindset to a multiplier mindset in discipleship and offers actionable tips for fostering meaningful faith conversations at home. Tune in for encouragement and actionable advice on raising faith-filled kids in today's world.Research: 5 Things You Need to Know About Gen Z in 2024 by Barna ResearchBook: Know. Be. Live. by John D. BasieImpact 360 Institution--Questions of the Week: How is your generation different from my generation?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesGuest: David BlanchardProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps 

Living out family values takes intentionality—and in today's episode, Angela Fielder joins us to share how her family does just that. Angela, a member of the Cathy family and a proud WinShape Camps parent, talks about identifying our family values, passing them down to our kids, and weaving them into everyday life. From mission trips to family worship nights, Angela shares practical examples and heartfelt stories that will inspire you to make your family values more than just words on the wall.Podcast: Identifying your Family Values--Questions of the Week: What do you think is most important to our family, and why? How have you seen our family grow this year? Where do you think we still need to grow? --Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesGuest: Angela FielderProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

People tend to assume the worst about Gen Z. Some of those assumptions include that Gen Z are lazy, tech-addicted, or coddled due to weakness. But there is so much more to this generation than those assumptions. Jordan Nations, Program Manager at WinShape Camps, works day in and day out with Gen-Z and knows firsthand the strengths they possess, as well as the fire they have for God's Kingdom. He believes our job as the Church is to encourage and equip Gen Z to fulfill their God-given mission. Learn more about working for Winshape as a camp counselor  Follow Katie on Instagram and TikTok Katie's new online course. Use promo code truth to save $20 Join the Truth for your Twenties Facebook group My favorite rice shampoo/conditioner bars code KatieB

Welcome to the Drive Thru Mom's Podcast!  The twelve summers we spend with our children as priceless! And go by so fast! But what shapes their time out of school? Friends, vacation, time at home?  What about camp?  Do they go to sleep-away camp?  Are there other options?  And what about opportunities for college students? Today's guest, Stephen Moore, serves as the Director of WinShape Camps for Communities — a traveling day camp program that brings camp all over the country. Having served with WinShape Camps for over 17 years, a camp founded by S. Truett Cathy, Founder of Chick Fil - A, Stephen recruits thousands of 'Summer Staffers' while bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to even more campers and families. Stephen is passionate about the local church and serves as a leader in the youth group and as an elder for his local congregation. Congrats WinShape on your 40th years pouring into Campers & Staffers! ENJOY friends and HAPPY WEDNESDAY! CONNECT WITH US: Email: lynn@drivethrumoms.com Website: https://www.drivethrumoms.com Book: Faithful Before, Faithful Again: Finding God Faithful in An Anxious World  https://a.co/d/ernpYJS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drivethrumoms Linktree: https://linktr.ee/drivethrumoms?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

How do we, as parents, instill the joy of Christ in our children so that it resonates throughout their lives? It starts in our homes, but it truly takes a village. In today's episode, we are joined by friend and colleague Emily Alters—a long-time WinShape Camps camper, former summer staffer, and now a member of our full-time Marketing team. Emily reflects on how her parents and community influenced her faith journey over the years. She also shares personal stories and practical tips for surrounding kids with a Christ-centered community that nurtures their faith. Whether you're looking for new ideas or affirmation in your parenting journey, this episode offers encouragement for building a faith-filled village around your family.Research: What is Sticky Faith? - Fuller Youth Institute--Question of the Week: Who are some people outside of our family that you can look up to, and why?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesGuest: Emily AltersProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

In this week's episode of The Redeemed Marriage podcast, Rusty and Heather share their incredible journey from a marriage in crisis to a ministry to other marriages. They reflect on their first experience at WinShape Marriage nearly 20 years ago, back it was still under construction and part of a dream to help broken marriages. Fast forward to 2011, after Heather's confession of an affair, they returned to WinShape for a life-changing marriage intensive that helped save their relationship. Now, as part of the Marriage Collective, Rusty and Heather have come full circle with their latest trip to WinShape. Join them as they recount their powerful testimony of redemption and offer hope to couples in every season of marriage. WinShape Marriage Hope Restored Marriage Intensive - Focus on the Family

In today's episode, we are joined by our friend and colleague Jeremy Marshall. Jeremy is a father of three and the Senior Manager of Learning and Development for the WinShape Foundation. He leads this conversation with Amy Lowe and Sara Jones on helping your kids navigate both the planned and unplanned changes that life brings. Listen in as Jeremy shares practical examples and steps you can take to help your kids feel more comfortable and confident while handling changes. --Question of the Week: What is a change that might be on the horizon for you (or our family) and how can we reframe that change from being scary to exciting? How can we get ready for that upcoming change? --Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

We are thrilled to feature today's guest, Andre' Kennebrew! Andre' is currently the Director of Relationships for LifeShape, which is one of Chick-fil-A's charitable arms. Before LifeShape, Andre' spent 11 years working at the Chick-fil-A Support Center selecting Operators and staff members. You won't want to miss his advice on recruiting, mentoring, and connecting with others.Learn more about Cooper Connect, here: www.cooperconnect.co

No matter their age or stage,  kids today encounter peer pressure in various forms, both positive and negative. In today's episode, Amy and Sara discuss effective strategies for coaching kids through these challenging experiences, kicking things off with a few interesting research findings and a few light-hearted personal anecdotes. Then, they offer practical advice on starting Christ-centered conversations that empower kids to navigate peer pressure with confidence and faith.Research: Psychology Today ArticleBlog: Raising Joyful Kids--Question of the Week: Where have you seen a friend give in to peer pressure? What would you have done if that had happened to you?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

Whether you are a stay-at-home parent, a working parent, a mom, or a dad - we all have experienced feelings of “parent guilt” from time to time. The term "Parent Guilt" is a name we often give to the feelings of guilt or shame that arise when we don't live up to our own or others expectations as parents. In today's episode, Amy and Sara address this feeling of parent guilt and share some of the ways they have overcome and dealt with these uncomfortable feelings. We hope you leave this conversation feeling more empowered to handle the feelings of parent guilt when they surface.Research: Mom GuiltArticle: Shame vs. Guilt--Question of the Week: What am I doing well as a parent that you want me to keep doing? --Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

Guest: Stephen MooreOrganization: WinShape Camps for CommunitiesPosition: DirectorTopic: discussion of sharing the love of Christ, in light of new State of the Bible research from the American Bible Society tying regular Bible reading to a belief in loving one's neighborWebsite: winshapecamps.org

Guest: Stephen MooreOrganization: WinShape Camps for CommunitiesPosition: DirectorTopic: discussion of sharing the love of Christ, in light of new State of the Bible research from the American Bible Society tying regular Bible reading to a belief in loving one's neighborWebsite: winshapecamps.org

In this episode, we sit down with Rusty Chadwick, the Director of WinShape Teams, to explore the transformative concept of viewing your family as a team. He shares several practical tips on how to lead and serve our family with a team-first mindset, highlighting that the success of the family unit hinges on the health and teamwork of all its members. Rusty uses the three concepts of "Look In, Look Up, and Step Out" when thinking about serving and leading his family well. When we lead and unite our family around a common purpose and goal, we can unlock a new level of fulfillment, performance, and engagement in our family unit. Book: Team Work - Russ Sarratt and Rusty Chadwick--Question of the Week: What do you want to be known for?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

Ever wondered what middle and high schoolers are worried about these days? Are their conversations at church similar to the ones we had as kids? Are their fears and worries the same, or how are they different? In today's episode, we sit down with Anna Aaron Harvey, a mom and the Minister to Middle and High School Girls at Hebron Church, to get a look behind the curtain of student ministry. Anna shares the latest trends she's seeing among these age groups and how they're currently navigating their faith journeys. She also offers advice for parents on how we can support student ministers and reinforce church teachings at home. And for parents of younger kids, Anna gives us advice on how we can prepare our elementary school kids for middle school if they aren't there yet. Questions of the Week: What are the topics of discussion in your small group at church?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

Catherine Lidstone plays the role of Mary, sister of Martha, in the highly acclaimed video series "THE CHOSEN." Catherine shares about her journey to Hollywood, and how that her relationship with the Lord was cemented after her move. She also shares about the soon-to-be released DVD project that was in theatres over Easter, called "Forty Seven Days With Jesus." Plus, Alec Jessee is the son of Metro Life Church's lead pastor, and he has spent a couple of years on the WinShape Camps team.

Kids are constantly learning lessons, and most of the time it's not even in the classroom. As they grow, they learn through relationships, discovering new abilities, and quite often they learn through failure! As parents, we get to come alongside them and help them understand that taking risks, and failing is OK! It's hard to watch our kids take risks when our instincts are telling us to protect and to rescue. But it's also important to look for opportunities where our kids can feel the freedom to choose, to take risks, and to fail in a controlled setting. In today's episode we'll be talking about the "why" of allowing our kids to take controlled risks, and sharing some tips we've discovered for helping our kids learn through risk-taking and mistake-making.Book: Parenting with Love & Logic--Questions of the Week: What was the last risk you took or new thing you tried? How did it work out?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

As parents, we put on many hats, and one of those is the "coach" hat. In today's episode Amy and Sara will be talking about the art of question-asking and the impact it has on our effectiveness in coaching our kids. Did you know that Jesus asked his disciples over 307 documented questions, and He was undoubtedly the world's greatest Teacher and Coach! A coach is someone that pushes you to new heights, calls out your potential, and picks you up when you fall. In this episode we discuss several practical tips for asking your kids great questions, and helping their young minds learn crucial problem-solving skills. With better questions in your tool belt, you'll be an even better coach for your kids! Book: The Coaching Habit - Michael Bungay Stanier Book: Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It - Chris VossQuestion of the Week: How do you like to be encouraged when you're learning something new or struggling with overcoming something difficult?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesGuest: Mike McGuireProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

Winshape Camps were the vision of the founders of Chick-fil-a, who wanted to help shape the lives of young people and introduce them to the Gospel. This June, residents in Central Florida can send their young people to this summer camp at Metro Life Church in Casselberry. An all-day camp, there is fun for everyone at Winshape. TruthQuest Director Heather Mellichamp and her assistant Leigh Ann Needham share the details.

Sending your kids to overnight camp for the first time can be scary for parents. How do you know if your kids are ready for camp? How do you know if YOU are ready? In today's episode we will be talking about the benefits of camp, and how you can prepare your kid's for their first overnight camp experience. We'll also be talking about some of the things to consider when selecting an overnight camp. This episode is jam-packed with great information on all things camper safety, staff training, camp nurses, camp benefits, and how to prep your future campers (and yourself) for their first overnight camp experience.  WinShape Camps Safety PoliciesVideo: An Introduction to WinShape Camps for Girls at Young HarrisVideo: An Introduction to WinShape Camps for Boys at Cleveland-- Questions of the Week: What are the things that would get you excited about going to camp?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

In this episode, Amy Lowe and Sara Jones are joined by Mike McGuire who works with WinShape Camps for Families and is a father of 2. Today we are talking about creating meaningful and memorable family experiences. Mike dives into the significance of creating memorable family experiences to help disciple and engage our kids, and point them to Jesus. And if you're interested in finding a Family Camp experience, we are going to give you a glimpse of what you can expect at a WinShape Camps for Families experience.Learn more about Family Camp!Blog: How Intentional Experiences Can Impact Your FamilyQuestion of the Week: What is a regular thing we do in our house that you are glad we do? And why?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesGuest: Mike McGuireProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

Explore the joys of cultivating a culture of fun and intentional play within your family! In this episode, Amy and Sara uncover the "why" of fun, drawing insights from scientific research and Biblical truths. These insights lay the groundwork for an exciting discussion featuring laughter-filled anecdotes and practical tips for how we can infuse our family time with more play and intentional fun! We hope this episode encourages and inspires you. Let's unlock the power of play together!Psalm 118:24 - This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.Book: HappinessArticle: The Power of Play: 6 Benefits for Child DevelopmentQuestions of the Week: How can we play more together as a family?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

Get ready to laugh and get ready to up your plans for Summer 2025! I am excited to introduce you to my friend Aaron from WinShape Camps. We talk all about WinShape's Summer Day Camp program that comes right to your church. I learned so much throughout this interview and I am so excited to see how God works through WinShape this summer and maybe at your church in the coming years. Learn more about Kids Ministry Circle Coaching: Next Gen Ministry Coaching Connect with Aaron Collier: @collieraaron acollier@winshape.org Learn More About WinShape: WinShape Day Camps @winshapecamps

As parents, it is our job to be the primary discipler of our kids. But what exactly is discipleship? It is actually really simple - Discipleship is the process by which we help someone else in their walk with Jesus. In this episode, Amy and Sara discuss the vital role parents play in family discipleship, emphasizing the integration of faith into daily life. They share personal experiences and practical insights, encouraging parents to prioritize their own spiritual growth and to have regular conversations about God with their family. Offering tools and resources, they highlight the journey toward Christ-likeness and the importance of consistency in family discipleship.PDF: How Do I Apply the Bible?Book: Tea Time Discipleship Book: Indescribable - Louie GiglioThe Bible Made Easy for KidsA kids bible that links together bible stories and helps it make sense to kidsDevotional: Dinner Table DevotionsQuestions of the Week: How do you think our family can grow in our faith together?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesProducers: Emily Alters & Cody Braun--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

On this episode of the Going Places Podcast, Camden sits down with Brian “Zig” Zigelheafer. Zig is a businessman, entrepreneur, and community leader. He has owned and operated several businesses, is on the board of Jerusalem Project and Winshape, owner of Zig Creative (Photography), and the Founder and Operator of the BGEN business generator in Gaffney. As he introduced himself to the audience we talk about his life growing up, starting his own businesses and the journey that has set him on. We talk about the work he has done in the community and how BGEN operates and the work they do. We also talk about some of the struggles that come with starting your own business and he gives some advice for up and coming entrepreneurs. We also have a conversation about education, the importance of faith and ministry, and we close as he gives Camden some incredible advice.

Teaching your kids to serve can be a powerful tool for your kids' development and it actually comes with some added benefits too!  In this episode, Amy and Sara share the big "why" of serving and give you some practical tips to easily incorporate serving into your family's routine.Book: Love Does for Kids - Bob GoffBook: Raising Emotionally Strong BoysArticle: Health Benefits of ServingSpiritual Gifts AssessmentQuestions of the Week: What are some ways we can work together as a family to give back to others in need?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesProducers: Emily Alters & Cody BraunAudio Engineer: Michael Cardillo--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

In this episode, we dive into mom tactics that nurture open, honest, and vulnerable conversations with kids. Amy Lowe, a mom of two and director of Winshape Camps shares her top strategies and the 3 words you need to use to break down barriers and encourage kids to open up.-----Connect with Amy and learn more about Winshape Camps - https://camps.winshape.org/-----Related EpisodesChrist-centered Daily Rhythms for Moms and Kids - https://www.momsgrabcoffee.com/christ-centered-daily-rhythms-for-moms-and-kids-guest-amy-lowe-of-winshape-camps/- Rate or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen -- (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moms-grab-coffee-christian-motherhood-faith-based-parenting/id1603505929)- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsgrabcoffee- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/momsgrabcoffee - The Joy Daily Planner: combined prayer journal + task planning notebook (https://bit.ly/JoyDailyPlanner) - Growing Closer to God Journal: strengthen your faith by tracking God's presence in your life (https://bit.ly/GodJournal)

Today we're talking about Christ-centered daily rituals for moms and kids. Our guest, a passionate mother, wife and director of faith-based Winshape Camps, shares her insights and experiences on maintaining spiritual connection amidst the challenges of parenting. We delve into effective methods to guide children on the path of Christ, including the choice of Bibles suitable for young minds, and the importance of engaging reading practices. The discussion also covers the 'Head, Heart, Hands' method, a unique approach to Bible reading that fosters deeper understanding for both kids and moms. Additionally, we tackle the crucial topic of self-care for mothers, emphasizing the need to replenish one's well-being for effective parenting. - Rate or review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen -- (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moms-grab-coffee-christian-motherhood-faith-based-parenting/id1603505929)- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsgrabcoffee- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/momsgrabcoffee - The Joy Daily Planner: combined prayer journal + task planning notebook (https://bit.ly/JoyDailyPlanner) - Growing Closer to God Journal: strengthen your faith by tracking God's presence in your life (https://bit.ly/GodJournal)

As our kids grow older, we often find ourselves pondering if our parenting actions now are laying the groundwork for their future success.  In this episode, Amy Lowe and Sara Jones are joined by Katie Bulmer, a motivational speaker & host of the "Truth for your Twenties" podcast. As a mom to two teenage daughters and a mentor to twenty-something-aged girls, she shares valuable insights on preparing our kids for that next stage of life. Katie discusses the importance of introducing controlled failure moments within the home and offers practical tips for enabling our children to navigate failure within a supportive environment. She also sheds light on the significance of initiating discussions about dating & relationships with our kids before that stage begins. Finally, she emphasizes the significance of instilling faith values early on, allowing them to discover their faith for themselves before leaving the nest.Podcast: Truth for Your TwentiesQuestion of the Week: What do you think I was like as a teenager or a young adult? After their answer, share a bit about what you were actually like as a young adult, and some things you experienced.--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesGuest: Katie BulmerProducers: Emily Alters & Cody BraunAudio Engineer: Michael Cardillo--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

Jesse Parrish, who serves as Senior Manager of Programming for WinShape Teams, discussed the concept of the documentary film, Chasing Faster: The Next Gen Pit Crew, and some of the principles that are communicated through it. The WinShape Teams website isteams.winshape.org. A Christian Post article that correlates with the documentary can be found here. 

Jesse Parrish, who serves as Senior Manager of Programming for WinShape Teams, discussed the concept of the documentary film, Chasing Faster: The Next Gen Pit Crew, and some of the principles that are communicated through it. The WinShape Teams website isteams.winshape.org. A Christian Post article that correlates with the documentary can be found here. 

We all share the desire to glimpse into our kids' futures, seeking guidance on how to be better parents today and equip them for tomorrow. While we will never have all the answers, this episode brings together three accomplished and faith-driven young adults —former WinShape Camps summer staff— offering invaluable insights into the impactful role their parents played in shaping their development. Amy and Sara chat with guests Nicole, Coleman, and Gavin, to discuss what they believe their parents did well to help them become the wonderful people they are today. They touch on several topics including their families' guidelines around technology, serving as a family, work-ethic, and confidence.Question of the Week: What is a characteristic or quality that you wish you had more of?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesGuests: Coleman Pethel, Nicole Willis, Gavin AdamsProducers: Emily Alters & Cody BraunAudio Engineer: Michael Cardillo--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

 In this episode, Amy Lowe and Sara Jones explore the transformative impact of speaking spiritual truths and encouragement over our kids. Then, they share some practical examples of how we can shine a light on milestone moments in our kids lives to make them feel special. When life gets busy, these ideas can often get innocently lost in the wake of our packed schedules. Pulling from resources and personal experience, Amy and Sara  share how we can practically build these rhythms of intentionality into our everyday parenting.Book: The BlessingJournal: My Mommy and Me: A Keepsake and Activity BookJournal: Parent Child Connection JournalPDF: Powerful Blessings to Give Your KidsQuestions of the Week: What is something you have been wanting us to do as a family that we haven't done yet?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesProducers: Emily Alters & Cody BraunAudio Engineer: Michael Cardillo--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

Screen time is a difficult subject to navigate when it comes to raising our kids in today's technology-reliant world. Research tells us that kids need much more than what screens can provide. In this episode, Amy Lowe and Sara Jones start by sharing some interesting research on the subject. Then, they share some practical tips that they use for managing their kids screen time, and encouraging experiences beyond technology. Book: Taming the Technology MonsterBook: Good Pictures Bad Pictures Jr.Book: Good Pictures Bad PicturesArticle: How Much Screen Time is Too Much for Your KidsQuestions of the Week: If technology didn't exist, what would be some of your favorite things to do?--Hosts: Amy Lowe & Sara JonesProducers: Emily Alters & Cody BraunAudio Engineer: Michael Cardillo--Learn more about WinShape Camps at WinShapeCamps.org!Instagram: @WinShapeCampsTikTok: @WinShapeCampsFacebook: @WinShapeCamps

Our guest is Rusty Chadwick, director of WinShape Teams and co-author of the book Team Work. Rusty has been part of the team at WinShape for 13 years, and spent several years in Colorado in the guest ranch industry at Lost Valley Ranch and Vista Verde Ranch. We discuss teamwork today, discovering your calling, what makes a great team, how leaders can thrive, and much more. Plus check out the November Top Ten Leadership List. Make sure to visit http://h3leadership.com to access the list and all the show notes. Thanks again to our partners for this episode: KINSMEN JOURNAL – Kinsmen Journal is a one of a kind publication, content hub, and community for men at http://kinsmenjournal.com. Centered on Faith, Fatherhood, and Work, Kinsmen is a leading voice in the conversation surrounding spiritual formation and marketplace integration for men. Visit http://kinsmenjournal.com. Check out the FREE weekly newsletter as well as the FREE podcast on Faith, Fatherhood and Work with publisher and founder Peter Ostapko. Again, visit http://kinsmenjournal.com to subscribe for FREE to the weekly newsletter and access the incredible content and community. And WINSHAPE TEAMS – the WinShape Teams experience will grow you as a leader and help you build purpose-driven culture and find deeper cohesion within your team. Visit http://winshapeteams.org/h3 to get started. Game changing retreats, transformative coaching and insightful content. Enter to Win a FREE Leadership Retreat exclusively for H3 listeners. Register to win at http://winshapeteams.org/h3. Team and leadership guidance at every level from WinShape Teams at http://winshapeteams.org/h3.

Jesse Parish, manager of programming of WinShape Teams, wrote this column for the Christian Post: Loud laborers, quiet quitters –Let's bring healing to work relationship. Jesse works with business leaders and teams across the country, and too often, men and women who come to him often struggle with who they are and their purpose—leading to disconnect and burnout.  Jesse writes, "These men and women don't know their purpose, their mission or their specific goals — so they make noise to compensate. They try to make themselves seem more impressive in order to counteract what is fundamentally an unhealthy, disorganized approach to their own careers. They don't know what they want, so they seek the highest possible status. But status can't replace real, mission-driven competence and insight. It can't replace passion. It can't replace balance, happiness, and a holistic vision of your life's mission."  Follow The Common Good on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Hosted by Aubrey Sampson and Brian From Produced by Laura Finch and Keith ConradSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A recent New York Times report revealed that 22.3% of workers, around the age of 20, left their jobs after just a year or less. 83% of employed Gen Z are now referred to as perpetual job hoppers in a new report from ResumeLab, and #JobHopping is even trending on TikTok with 74.8 million views!  Rusty Chadwick of WinShape Teams shares with Brian and Aubrey about two things: What are people looking for that is causing them to leave their current job?  What can employers do to create an environment where people want to stay? Follow The Common Good on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Hosted by Aubrey Sampson and Brian From Produced by Laura Finch and Keith ConradSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My real-life marriage hero is on the podcast today! Julie Baumgardner is the senior director of winshape marriage, a ministry that has truly impacted Bryan and me for the better. Winshape was founded by Truett Cathy (founder of Chick-fil-A) and their marriage ministry is a place for couples to grow, relax, and even provide resources for couples in crisis. Julie has helped hundreds of couples and it is my honor to hear her debunk marriage myths today on the podcast!    Sign up for a retreat with winshape marriage Bryan and I are host couples so who knows, maybe we will meet you there!  Follow Katie on Instagram and TikTok Katie's new online course. Use promo code truth to save $20 Join the Truth for your Twenties Facebook group Liquid IV use promo code truth to save 20% My favorite rice shampoo/conditioner bars

Join Jerrad Lopes on the Dad Tired Podcast for an incredibly moving and insightful episode, featuring Chris Witt, the Senior Director of Camps at Winshape. The podcast's mission is to help listeners and their families deepen their love for Jesus, and this episode truly embodies that purpose.As they sit down together, Chris Witt opens up about his journey as an intentional father, sharing practical wisdom on raising children who find their secure identity in Christ and confidently step into manhood. Drawing from his own experiences as a father of adult children, who genuinely love Jesus, and as a new grandfather, Chris's heartfelt and vulnerable stories are sure to resonate with young dads seeking encouragement and guidance.Prepare for a rollercoaster of emotions as Jerrad and Chris engage in a profoundly moving conversation filled with wisdom and powerful insights. Whether you're a seasoned parent or just starting on the fatherhood journey, this episode will leave you feeling inspired and equipped with the tools to lead your family toward Jesus.Don't miss this truly special episode of the Dad Tired Podcast, where Chris Witt's authentic storytelling and Jerrad Lopes' engaging hosting style come together to create an unforgettable listening experience. Get ready to be touched and motivated to be an intentional father, leading your family to a deeper love for Jesus!