Preview:
Dr. Marcus Warner: You can’t grow joy in your children if you don’t have any joy w- you know, in your life, so you have to find ways to build that joy relationally with your spouse, with your kids, with friends. The more joy that you create, uh, relationally in your life, the more joy you’re gonna be able to share with your kids.
End of Preview
John Fuller: That’s Dr. Marcus Warner and he’s with us today on Focus on the Family, along with his co-author, Chris Coursey. Your host is Focus president and author, Jim Daly, and I’m John Fuller.
Jim Daly: You know John, I want my boys to have happiness in whatever career they pursue, what have you. I want them to feel that happiness in what the Lord calls them to, right? That’s a normal, parental thing. But happiness can be so fleeting. Uh, circumstances change in a heartbeat. You know, there’s some downturn, there’s some negative situation and your world turns upside down. Your happiness is perhaps, lost or certainly, fleeting.
John: Mm.
Jim: Um, I am more interested in joy. Joy seems much more rooted in the core spiritual side of the human being.
John: Yeah, it seems deeper.
Jim: Deeper, right? Where you have joy, circumstances don’t persuade you to feel differently. Joy is joy and regardless of your circumstances, you’re gonna be rooted there, and I’m looking forward to today’s conversation with our guests who’ve written a great book, The Four Habits of Raising Joy-Filled Kids. So hopefully, every parent just leaned in however you’re listening, on the radio or through YouTube or what have you. Uh, having the ability to raise joy-filled kids is like job one.
John: Hmm, especially when life throws curve balls-
Jim: Right (laughs).
John: … and it always does.
Jim: Let me say joy-filled kids in Christ.
John: Ah, I think that’s a good distinction.
Jim: Yeah.
John: And, um, Dr., uh, Marcus Warner is here. He’s the president of Deeper Walk International and is married to Brenda, and they have two adult children and, uh, Chris Coursey is an ordained minister and pastoral counselor, married to Jen. They have two young boys and, uh, as you said Jim, together these men have written the book The Four Habits of Raising Joy-Filled Kids and we have that book here at the ministry. Our number’s 800, the letter A and the word FAMILY, or stop by focusonthefamily.com/broadcast.
Jim: Marcus and Chris, welcome to Focus on the Family. Good to have you back.
Chris Coursey: Thank you. It’s good to be here.
Dr. Warner: Yeah, we’re delighted to be here again.
Jim: O- okay, I gave it my best run there in the open. How do you differentiate happiness and joy and, and-
Dr. Warner: That’s a great question-
Jim: Yeah.
Dr. Warner: … ’cause that’s actually the first thing we’d probably dive into. The, um, from a … we found this stuff … This is actually a book written not from a Bible foundation but from a brain science foundation. So, our, uh-
Jim: But you are Christians.
Dr. Warner: But we are Christians-
Jim: (laughing).
Dr. Warner: Yes, we are. And so what we try to show is that the God who designed the brain also wrote the Bible and-
Jim: (laughs).
Dr. Warner: … that they’re compatible together.
Jim: Mm-hmm.
Dr. Warner: But we didn’t necessarily try to build this from the Bible up. We built it from the brain up and then showed how they’re compatible. But the book doesn’t even take that next step ’cause it’s designed to be something you can hand to a non-Christian.
Jim: You’re saying the Creator actually has his fingerprint on the brain science?
Dr. Warner: Uh (laughs), yeah, shocking as that is-
Jim: (laughing).
Dr. Warner: The, uh, uh, yeah an- and so, from the brain’s perspective, joy is not a choice. Uh, joy is relational happiness. So, like, when I see my friend show up here, I feel a, a surge of happiness that I’m not having … oh, man, my wife’s be- I’d better be happy, right? It’s not a choice I’m making, it’s just something that happens in the brain, uh, because my relational circuits have turned on and the joy juice is kinda, collecting up there and I’m feeling really happy to see you.
Jim: Te- well, let’s explore that vulnerability, though, the way-
Dr. Warner: Mm-hmm.
Jim: … that I described it. I mean, happiness does seem to be fleeting at times. You can wake up in a happy mood. But again, joy is … seems more deeply rooted that regardless of my circumstances and what I wake up to, I’m gonna have a sense of joy today. That, there’s a distinction there for me. Am I right?
Dr. Warner: There is a big distinction and I’ll let Chris jump in on this too, but it’s the, uh, uh, for example, let’s say that my wife and I are going through some hard thing. Maybe we’re having a tough time with one of our kids. Maybe we’re having a tough time with finances. We can still have joy with each other. And the joy that we share relationally with each other will actually give us a greater capacity to handle all the hard stuff that we’re dealing with in other places. So our joy isn’t coming from the circumstances, it’s coming from our relationships. So at a spiritual level, the more joy I have in my walk with God, the more I can lean into that and it becomes a source that is always available to me no matter what’s going on.
Jim: Chris, uh, fold your response into this, but I wanna keep us moving. When you look at the idea that as parents, we should try to teach our children to be joyful, I think some parents you know, they may say, well one, you know, I’m kind of, a level-headed guy. I could hear this coming from dads particularly. You know, I don’t show a lot of emotion and I don’t know that it’s really important. My kid’s gonna be wired this way or that way and is joy a wiring issue, like, a personality type or is it something that we need to be intentional about as parents to teach your children joy?
Chris: You know, it’s a little bit of both. Uh, we, we now know that there’s a area in the brain that God designed that grows every time you see someone’s face light up to see you. You hear it in their voice, you see it in their body, their mannerisms and it grows throughout the life span, so it’s one of the few areas in the brain that can grow from the moment you’re born till the moment God brings you home, that part of the brain is growing.
Jim: That’s kind of, amazing actually, you think about it.
Chris: It is. It is, and that’s where you can see that God made us for joy-
Jim: Mm.
Chris: … and so, for fathers who might not always be the high-energy joy, when your children see that, that you do light up to see them, that in a sense, you know, neural scientists say that joy is when you’re the sparkle in someone else’s eyes.
Jim: (laughs).
Chris: So, and you know that’s neat-
Jim: I like that.
Chris: … because you know, as God’s children, we’re the sparkle in His eyes.
Jim: Yeah.
Chris: And so Marcus and I really wanted to get this message out there that look, we’re designed for joy and with a little bit of practice, a little joy can go a long way.
Jim: Yeah. Let me ask you, y- you write, Chris, specifically in the book about your wife Jen, who comes from what you called a low joy family. And I’m sitting there thinking, what, what? What is he talking about? What is a low joy family and how are they equipped uniquely to provide joy to their family?
Chris: You know, when the joy levels start to drop, what happens is fear increases, so if you don’t tend the garden, weeds are going to grow, and so one of the things that as Jen learned, uh, the science and really started to read her Bible with the lens of joy, she realized that in her family, there wasn’t a lot of glad-to-be-together joy. They all loved each other deeply, but there wasn’t a lot of this high energy, glad to see you when you walk into the room. Or, another thing that happened is joy’s counterpart was rest. They didn’t really know how to rest. And so when we don’t know how to quiet, it’s hard to hold onto joy because you know, fear will grow inevitably-
Jim: Mm.
Chris: … when joy starts to drop.
Jim: Yeah. Uh, Marcus, let me turn this one to you. How- how are joy and maturity tied together? And I, I’d be interested, this wasn’t specifically in the book, but like, extroversion and introversion … uh, extroverts can show joy-
Dr. Warner: Right.
Jim: … more easily, maybe, than an introvert, but ho- how is all that connected, maturity and joy, extroversion, introversion?
Dr. Warner: Oh, those are great questions. So the first one is, um, that joy and maturity are actually directly related, and they … what connects them is emotional capacity. That is, maturity can be defined as my emotional capacity. It’s my capacity to handle hard things and still act like myself and remain relational. So, you look at who the most mature person is in any room, and they’re the one who have … who can handle weight, and that weight doesn’t overwhelm them, they can still live with joy in spite of all of the weight.
Jim: Uh.
Dr. Warner: And so, if I’ve got all the weight of running an organization and I’ve got all the stresses in my life of other things, but I can still be relational with you and we can still share joy together, that’s maturity. Now, in terms of ec- introvert, extrovert, the, uh, introvert feels just as deeply joy with people as extroverts, they just don’t share it with as many people at once.
Jim: (laughing). Are you slapping down the extroverts here?
Dr. Warner: No-
Jim: No, I’m kidding (laughs).
Dr. Warner: I just … Yeah, I’m just saying extroverts tend to love sharing joy with as many people as possible and they leave that full up with energy, and introverts tend to like to be with just, uh, uh, one or two really good friends that they have a lot of joy with those people, and they get more energy that way.
Jim: That’s so good. In fact, let’s get into it ’cause you talk about an acronym, A … parenting is easy as ABC and then you add a D.
Dr. Warner: Right.
Jim: So what’s the ABCD of a joy-filled family?
Dr. Warner: So, ABCD, you can think about it. It goes from the right brain over to the left brain in order in terms of how they operate. A is attunement, so the first thing is, my job as a parent is to meet my child in their emotions, not to ask my child to meet me in my emotions.
Jim: That’s big.
Dr. Warner: That’s huge.
Jim: Mm. That is big (laughs) right there.
Dr. Warner: And, uh, what-
Jim: Yeah.
Dr. Warner: … too many of us are expecting our kid to say, can’t you see how upset I am? Can’t you see you’re making me angry? Instead of-
Jim: Mm.
Dr. Warner: Oh, I see where you’re at. I see what’s going on in your heart right now.
Jim: Ca- let me ask you in that way, sorry to interrupt-
Dr. Warner: No.
Jim: … but y- y- you know, when you’re talking about a three- to five-year-old, let’s say-
Dr. Warner: Mm-hmm.
Jim: … what does that look like and a 10-year-old and a 15-year-old and a 20-something? Just cover that really quick.
Chris: Yeah. So when children are younger, it’s more of a non-verbal process. So I can remember when, um, s- one time, my son wa- had fallen down and hurt his knee, and so what basically, what children do, they look at Mom or Dad’s face and go, “Am I going to be okay?”
Jim: Right.
Chris: And so, as parents, we still say things to comfort them, but it’s actually the sound of our voice, it’s the look on our face and they think, “Okay, I’m not alone, for someone’s with me.” And that right there, basically gives our children the best ability to recover from whatever’s going on. The reality that I’m not alone. Mommy, Daddy see me, they hear me and they get comfort and they get attunement.
Jim: Yeah, kinda what I heard was, “Don’t touch it, don’t cry.” (laughing). If you touch it, you’re not a man.
Chris: Yeah.
Jim: What? Where’d that rule come from? (laughing).
Chris: Yeah.
Jim: But Marcus, let’s go back to attuning, that’s the A of ABCD-
Dr. Warner: Mm-hmm, right.
Jim: Sorry to cut you off, keep going.
Dr. Warner: So the B is building bounce, and the idea is now that I see where you’re at, if I see that where you’re up is an upset place or an upset emotion, not only do I meet you there, but I wanna help you bounce back. So that means I need to stay relationally connected, relationally engaged until this problem has gotten small enough for you to feel like you can handle it. Like, y- can you go back and play now, or you okay? Are you able to … So I’m helping them bounce back from that, that’s the B.
Jim: Resiliency would be another word-
Dr. Warner: Resiliency-
Jim: … for that?
Dr. Warner: … would be another word for it, it just didn’t spell the, uh, crossword-
Jim: (laughs) got it.
Dr. Warner: That’s the word, yeah.
Jim: It’s simpler for us guys.
Dr. Warner: Yeah, yeah.
Jim: Particularly. But this for moms too.
Dr. Warner: Yeah, absolutely.
Jim: A, B.
Dr. Warner: So C is correct with care. And the idea behind correct with care is the idea of, but do A and B first before you correct, ’cause a lot of us are problem forward parents, and that is, we walk into the room, we see a problem and we explode with our emotions about the problem and we correct them about the problem, and then when we’re all done, we’re thinking, “Oh, maybe I should attune to them.” Right? (laughs) and it’s the last thing we do instead of the first thing that we do. And then the D is develop disciplines relationally, as opposed to just saying, “Go do this, go do that, you know, this is your job,” you know, I actually spend time with them and it becomes a bonding experience between us.
Jim: Yeah, I appreciate that and we’re gonna dive into more of these. But Chris, let me come back to you on the attuning part. I’m not gonna let you off the hook-
Chris: Yeah.
Jim: … there because we talked about the boo-boo.
Chris: Yeah.
Jim: But think of the older child, the teenager. How does that attuning work when you’re, you as a parent, you’re emotionally distraught because they missed curfew. Uh, or give some example that you know, this is attuning at an older level.
Chris: You’re exactly right and often the challenge for us parents is to keep on our relational brain, basically. Keep our relational brain working. As Marcus said, we tend to focus on problems and so with older children, this is where it’s really helpful. We validate and then we, we comfort. So validation just says, “Hey, I noticed you were late. Um, you know, what time were you supposed to be home?” And so I start by basically saying, “I see you. That must have been fun staying out later but there’s a problem because you weren’t here on time.” And then we talk about consequences.
Chris: So validation just says, “I see you. I see what you’re feeling.” Comfort is, “Okay, what helps us to get back to joy here?” So for older children, it’s more of what Marcus and I call the coaching with kids. It’s just, we’re validating, we’re comforting, “I s- I see here what time is it. What would be a good consequence here? What’s going to help us learn from this so it doesn’t keep happening?”
Jim: Yeah.
Chris: So consequences just help, help older children really learn, um, you know, to correct those things that need correcting.
Jim: And you know, one thing that I’ve observed in my own parenting is, uh, that our kids at least, there’s such a difference between a 17-year-old and a 20-year-old. There’s just something in the brain development which you guys have studied-
Chris: Mm-hmm.
Jim: … that, the maturation process is so rapid at that point. You’re thinking, “Oh my goodness, my teenager … ahh,” and then all of a sudden, they’re doing the dishes or they’re saying please and thank you, all the things you’ve (laughs) told ’em for years. It’s like they turn a corner.
Dr. Warner: Yeah. It, it does take practice. So we talk about the ABCD applies to all three levels, infants, children and adults, but it looks radically different about how it’s applied. And so, after we explained the ABCD, we, we break it down chapter by chapter. This is what it looks like with this age group-
Jim: Yeah, that’s good.
Dr. Warner: … because, because if you try to do exactly the same thing with your adult kids that you did with your children, it won’t work.
Jim: Yeah.
Dr. Warner: Right, so-
Jim: And we’re not gonna cover it all here, that’s why you need a copy of the book.
John: And the book is called The Four Habits of Raising Joy-Filled Kids, a simple model for developing your child’s maturity at every stage. And, uh, we would commend this to you and, uh, all the other resources we have. Stop by focusonthefamily.com/broadcast or call 800, the letter A, and the word FAMILY.
Jim: All right, we’ve hit attuning. Let’s move, uh, to a little more in-depth discussion about that building bounce, the B of ABCD. Uh, resiliency. Um, sometimes circumstances will teach a child that. Um, you know, you might have hardship-
Chris: Mm-hmm.
Jim: … and a child has to respond one way or the other. What are some intentional ways a parent living in this modern world where most of our needs are taken care of, really?
Chris: Mm-hmm.
Jim: Ho- how do we build bounce into a child when pretty much everything they need’s there?
Dr. Warner: So, at the infant stage, it’s about joy workouts and recovery workouts and, uh, we can talk about that a little bit but i- at the child level, it’s more about helping your kid learn what is satisfying to them versus what is temporarily pleasurable. And in the process, they learn how to work for and wait for what’s really satisfying.
Jim: Mm.
Dr. Warner: Um, and if they don’t know what’s satisfying, then they don’t know what’s worth working for. They don’t know what’s worth waiting for. But, and also, the more they discover that this is truly satisfying, they begin to … their identity gets more grounded, and now as they make the transition into the adult stage, they’re not still trying to find themselves. They already know what’s satisfying to them and now they’re looking for other people who also find that satisfying, and they, it becomes their group, that becomes their people.
Jim: What’s a practical way that you can do that? I, again, I’m thinking of personality type. My wife, she’s a never-open-the-wrapper-early person, so get her a birthday present, she’ll delay throughout the day to wait to open that birthday present till late as possible. I don’t get that. I’m like, up in the morning-
Chris: (laughs).
Jim: … “Where’s that birthday present? Let me rip it open.”
Chris: Yeah.
Jim: So I, you know, some of that, I don’t know if that’s a character that you’re born with or an imprint that you get. Ho- how do you teach to be, uh, you know, kind of, uh, long-suffering for those great rewards?
Chris: Uh, yeah, I mean, learning satisfaction would mean, you know, if m- if … my children loves candy, so they might-
Jim: What?
Chris: … eat a whole lot of candy, right?
Jim: (laughing).
Chris: And they’ll be very excited about that. Um, but they might learn that too much candy makes ’em feel sick. And so, part of satisfaction would be, “Hey, so what, you know, what did you learn from this? W- you know, was it fun eating the candy? What about what happened when you ate all that candy?” So as parents, we’re helping our children learn that satisfaction is not just temporary pleasures but you know what, if I stay up too late, that might be fun, but when I have to get up early to go to school, that is not fun, so I should go to bed earlier. And helping children with some chores and different things to s- to help them value hard work, so what comes with satisfaction is I learn to do hard things, even things I don’t feel like doing-
Jim: Yeah.
Chris: … so chores, my sons do a lot of chores around our house, and you know, there is a s- level of satisfaction when they can look at their handiwork and go, “Wow, look at that room you just cleaned,” and they see our faces light up. Wow, that was good. Or, if they you know, they didn’t do some of their jobs, they might see some disappointment on our faces. Say, “Well, you did this really well, but this over here … ” It’s kinda like, Jesus, um, talking to the early churches in, in the book of Revelation. You know, here’s some things you did right a- but here’s some things over here that you’re missing, and so we want our children to learn satisfaction, so they learn responsibility.
Jim: Sure. Let me ask you about the wisdom of indulging a child to excess to prove the lesson.
Chris: Hmm.
Jim: I mean, the candy one’s a good one. So, is one of the tactics possibly, that you let that child go, let ’em get sick? I mean, some people are gonna write, call, thinking, what are you talking about?
Chris: (laughs) yes.
Jim: But some parents will say, yeah. I mean, it does prove that they gotta be a little careful, but it’s risky.
Chris: It is. It is, but it is-
Jim: (laughs).
Dr. Warner: There are, there are always gonna be some kids that you can give them instructions and that’s all you need to do.
Jim: Right.
Dr. Warner: And then there’s other kids who they have to feel the pain of-
Jim: Right.
Dr. Warner: … what’s going on before that happens. And what we’re trying to do is be not, “I told you sho- so,” and shaming when that happens-
Jim: Mm-hmm.
Dr. Warner: … but to meet them in that and walk ’em back through. When we’re trying to teach satisfaction, what we’re really after here is, inspiring their creativity and finding the things that you know what, uh, it was way more satisfying to learn how to ski, to learn how to do gardening, to learn how to paint this than it was to just, you know, watch TV all day.
Jim: I think, uh, moving to C now, the correcting with care. So critical. I think most parents probably learn that over time. Some. I mean, you start probably too aggressive (laughs) in your parenting that way, then you learn to kinda, chill out a little bit and dial it back.
Dr. Warner: Mm-hmm.
Jim: But talk to that issue of correcting with care and how it relates to coaching and that being a good model.
Chris: Yeah, you know, what’s good about correcting with care is we’re actually more concerned about molding character ins- instead of simply behavior modification.
Jim: Right. That’s a good thought.
Chris: And that’s a big one, right? Because we want our children’s character to grow and be defined by joy and peace, and so a lot of the times it- in my home when we correct with care, again, we’re … we are present with our kids. They know that they’re not alone, but there are consequences to their behavior, so if they’re fighting and they’re being mean to each other, we actually let them repair, uh, wors- we’re around, we’re watching them, but we actually let them repair and say I’m sorry, and within a matter of time, they’re back to playing. But it’s, we are correcting those unwanted behaviors by staying relationally connected with them and saying, “Okay. You know, I see that you didn’t do what I asked you to do, so what needs to happen here, and what can happen here so that you learn from this and this doesn’t happen again?”
Jim: Yeah.
Chris: So we’re with our kids as they learn these things.
Jim: It’s a good, mindful thing, you know. How do I correct with care? You know, I’m concerned when you look at the Christian community particularly, we can be so focused on performance-
Chris: Yeah.
Jim: … and behavioral performance particularly, that we squelch the God-given joy in our children ’cause we’re, we’re always measuring.
Chris: Right.
Jim: Are you hitting the mark? Are you hitting the mark? Or you’re not hitting the mark, and we’re conveying that disappointment. Talk about the damage in that regard.
Dr. Warner: Well, it’s true. It’s tha … I- I’ve watched a lot of kids who go to, you know, their parents send ’em to Christian schools hoping they’re gonna get molded, they go, they go-
Jim: (laughs).
Dr. Warner: … to all this stuff and, and at the end, it’s like, the kid can’t wait to leave home. You know, like, they don’t want anything to do with their parents’ faith, they don’t want anything to do with it. And I’m like, what happened along the way?
Jim: Yeah.
Dr. Warner: And a lot of times, it isn’t that they didn’t get enough apologetics (laughs), right. It’s that they didn’t have enough joy in their relationships. There wasn’t joy with the people at church, there wasn’t joy with the people in their family, there wasn’t a joyful connection at the foundation on which to build all of the truth and the way-
Jim: Think of that. Wow.
Dr. Warner: So i- if you think about the way God designed the brain, everything happens on the right side of the brain first before it gets to the left side. We have tended to flip that in our parenting and our discipleship, to be honest, and that is that we lead with all the truth stuff on the left, and then … instead of leading with the relational bonding and joy bonding, um, processes on the right side of the brain.
Jim: No, that’s it. I mean, that’s the concrete thing. It’s easy to follow rules or point out when people aren’t following ’em. It’s the Pharisaism in our heart, right?
Dr. Warner: Yeah.
Jim: Then the Lord saying no, it’s relationship, relationship. Love your neighbor-
Dr. Warner: Mm-hmm.
Jim: Don’t judge your neighbor.
Dr. Warner: Right.
Chris: Yes.
Jim: And it’s so hard, especially in the parenting realm. I wanna get to the, uh, the analogy you use about an oxygen mask and, uh, I do have the experience of being in a aircraft that was decompressed and we had to put the masks on.
Dr. Warner: Hmm.
Jim: And can you believe it? After hearing the mask will not inflate a thousand times, the first thing I said is, “My bag’s not inflating.” (laughs). So (laughs).
Dr. Warner: Yeah, that’ll give you a little PTSD, won’t it?
Chris: Yeah, it’s a (laughing)-
Jim: We got down fine, but-
Chris: Oh, that’s good.
Jim: … it was a little scary.
Chris: Yeah, it would be.
Dr. Warner: Wow. Uh, well this … Chris, your analogy, why don’t you join in?
Chris: Yeah, you know what? I mean, Marcus and I, yeah, we do spend a lot of times on airplanes and as parents, um, we tend to just think we can ha- keep giving and giving out of we don’t have, and so what Marcus and I are hoping parents will walk away with in this book l- is, look, when you grow your own joy, that means inevitably, you will have more joy to give your children. And so we really hope this is also a good wake up call for parents that look, get your mo- oxygen mask on, start taking better care of yourself, start growing your joy with your family, with your community, and then that’s going to actually give you more of the good stuff to pass on to your kids-
Jim: Yeah.
Chris: … which is a win-win.
Jim: Put it on first and then help your child-
Chris: Yeah.
Jim: … next to you.
Dr. Warner: Right.
Chris: (laughs).
Dr. Warner: And, uh, you can’t grow joy in your children if you don’t have any joy w- you know, in your life, so you have to find ways to build that joy relationally with your spouse, with your kids, with friends. The more joy that you create, uh, relationally in your life, the more joy you’re gonna be able to share with your kids.
Jim: Yeah, that’s so good. I wanna make sure we cover your acronym PLAN-
Dr. Warner: Mm-hmm.
Jim: UH, How can we PLAN, P-L-A-N joy?
Dr. Warner: Yeah, this is actually a, call out to our other book, uh, The Four Habits of Joy-Filled Marriages (laughs) which uses the PLAN idea here, that is, uh, we grow joy by playing together. Uh, if, when you think about it when your friends with somebody, you play together. That’s one of the things you do. Um, you listen for emotions and not just problems. The main problem we run into into communication is that we listen and as soon as we hear the problem, we think we have them all figured out and we quit listening.
Jim: Mm.
Dr. Warner: Instead of actually taking the time to listen for the emotion, validate that emotion and then deal with the problem. Then the A is we appreciate. Every day, we’re finding something authentic to appreciate about, uh, the people in our lives, our spouses, our kids, and then nurturing a rhythm. Uh, that’s part of making sure that everybody gets a chance to rest, that we’re not just going, going, going all the time, that we are protecting the people in our environment from overdoing it, and so we- we’re creating a rhythm that makes this sustainable over time.
Jim: Hmm. Lastly, uh, let’s speak to the mom or dad, uh, listening or viewing today who is from that low joy family perhaps, and it produced, guess what? A low joy person, and they don’t value joy, uh, especially in the context of what it provides the household, the family. What do you say to them? How do they shake that off and try to do things differently?
Chris: Yeah, you know what’s good about this is a little bit of effort goes a long way here. So as parents, you know, go have coffee with a friend. Um, one of the great practical ways we can grow joy as parents is just sharing joyful stories, so with other parents, “Hey, what are some highlights of, uh, your parenting? What are some great things that, lessons and wisdom that you’ve learned?” And so, just really connecting with people, spending time with God. We ha- we have a God who’s glad to be with us-
Jim: Yeah.
Chris: Spending time in His word, but connecting with people that we genuinely feel they are glad to be with us and every time we do that, that’s actually investing in joy for you that will come across-
Jim: Yeah.
Chris: … and come down to your children.
Jim: Uh, Chris, Marcus, uh, I know that parent is out there, probably (laughs) by the thousands. I hear you, and you’re saying, you don’t understand the frustration that my teenager is causing in our home. It’s hard to come home and, and create an atmosphere of joy because this teenager is not behaving the way they need to behave, and they disrespect us and all those things. So there’s this tension and I’m still, this is like a, a major speed bump in your joy freeway.
Chris: Mm-hmm.
Jim: So how does a parent b- stay the adult and exhibit joy when their kids, one or more of them, is in a not as good a place as you’d want them to be in? Your frustration is coming out as a parent. How do you get that all corrected? In the next 30 seconds?
Dr. Warner: (laughs). Well, uh, 30 seconds is the key there (laughing). I think that, um, (laughs) the important thing here is you gotta one, take care of your own joy levels, make sure that you- they don’t deplete. Two, practice attunement with your kids even if they’re causing all kinds of problems. Find out, uh, what it is that they are feeling and validate that. You don’t have to agree that they should be feeling something in order to validate it. You’re simply acknowledging that that is, in fact, what they’re feeling. And the more often that happens, and the more authentic it is, the more trust you will begin to rebuild in that relationship. There are some relationships you can’t save.
Jim: Mm.
Dr. Warner: And so, you keep praying for them. You know, those are the classic prodigal situations and you pray for them, and you keep … you have to really keep your own joy levels high at that point and, uh-
Jim: Sure.
Dr. Warner: … keep the doors open.
Jim: Now that is really good and I didn’t- hadn’t even thought about that one where you have the deep prodigal child situation where it’s just angst when-
Dr. Warner: Yeah.
Jim: … if you’re talking, and when you talk.
Dr. Warner: Right.
Jim: So, uh, Marcus and Chris, this has been so good. Uh, there’s so much more and of course, when we’re doing an interview in 30 minutes, we’re never gonna be able to get to all the content, so this is one of those resources that you really need as a parent because it’s filled with approaches that you will benefit from, and your family and most importantly, your children. And, uh, we have your book available, The Four Habits of Raising Joy-Filled Kids right here at Focus on the Family, so (laughs) don’t hesitate. Uh, we’d love to send it to you if you can become a, a monthly partner or one-time gift we’ll send it as our way of saying thank you and if you can’t afford it, we’ll get it out to you and we’ll trust that those in the Christian community will take care of the cost of that.
John: And if you’re struggling with joy, maybe you feel like you don’t have it or, um, as we’ve talked today, we’ve touched on something that is really a trouble for you, uh, give us a call. We have caring Christian counselors here. They’d be happy to talk with you and maybe, uh, direct you to more resources and help. Our number, 800, the letter A, and the word FAMILY, or stop by focusonthefamily.com/broadcast.
Jim: Marcus, Chris, great to have you with us. Thank you.
Chris: Thank you. It was good to be here.
Dr. Warner: Yeah. We’ve really enjoyed it.
John: Yeah. And I hope you can join us again next time as we hear from Shaunti Feldhahn. She has tips on how you can change your relationships through the power of kindness.
Preview:
Shaunti Feldhahn: And I think that’s something that we often miss as Christians, is that yes, His truth is crucial, but if we can’t speak it in His love and His kindness, it’s far better in most cases, to stay silent, because we can often do more damage to His way- … and not bring glory to Him.
Since 2006, Dr. Marcus Warner has served as the president of Deeper Walk International, an organization dedicated to helping people develop a stronger faith and a more intimate relationship with God. Dr. Warner has authored several books including Understanding the Wounded Heart and Rare Leadership. (Learn more about his latest release, The 4 Habits of Joy-Filled Marriages, at joyfilledmarriages.com.) In addition to writing, Marcus speaks for both ministry and corporate groups around the world. One of his greatest passions is teaching the Bible and making complex topics practical and accessible for everyone.
Receive our guests' book The 4 Habits of Raising Joy-Filled Kids for your donation of any amount! Plus, receive member-exclusive benefits when you make a recurring gift today. Your monthly support helps families thrive.
Through his own faith journey and the context of his police-work analogies, J. Warner Wallace will provide a compelling evangelistic message that will challenge nonbelievers and inspire Christians to be bolder in their faith. (Part 2 of 2)
Through his own faith journey and the context of his police-work analogies, J. Warner Wallace will provide a compelling evangelistic message that will challenge nonbelievers and inspire Christians to be bolder in their faith. (Part 1 of 2)
The Bulmans’ marriage almost shattered when Rick discovered his wife Tiffany, was having an affair. The day after the revelation, Rick remembered a conversation from their premarital counseling where the minister said if adultery necessitates divorce, then God is not big enough to fix a broken relationship. In this interview, Rick and Tiffany will share how their marriage was restored and offer hope to other couples.
Popular Christian vocalist Larnelle Harris reflects on his five-decade music career, sharing the valuable life lessons he’s learned about putting his family first, allowing God to redeem a troubled past, recognizing those who’ve sacrificed for his benefit, and faithfully adhering to biblical principles amidst all the opportunities that have come his way.
Amy Carroll shares how her perfectionism led to her being discontent in her marriage for over a decade, how she learned to find value in who Christ is, not in what she does, and practical ways everyone can accept the messiness of marriage and of life.
Psychologist Dr. Kelly Flanagan discusses the origins of shame, the search for self-worth in all the wrong places, and the importance of extending grace to ourselves. He also explains how parents can help their kids find their own sense of self-worth, belonging and purpose.
As a pediatrician, Dr. Meg Meeker has seen thousands of girls come through her office through the years. They struggle with eating issues, sexual identity, social media…and many other challenges in this toxic culture. Dr. Meeker will encourage parents to invest love and time in their daughters and develop their character to give them the best opportunity for a bright future, all rooted in a spiritual foundation. The discussion also includes healthy feminism vs. toxic feminism
Dr. Meg Meeker is a pediatrician who is widely recognized as one of the country’s leading authorities on parenting, teens and children’s health. With appearances on numerous nationally syndicated radio and TV programs, her popularity as a an expert on key issues confronting families has created a strong following across America. Her work with countless families over the years served as the inspiration behind her best-selling books which include Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters, Strong Mothers, Strong Sons and The Ten Habits of Happy Mothers.
Meg Meeker has been a pediatrician for more than thirty years, is a mother and a grandmother, and has seen it all. She knows what makes for strong, happy, healthy young women–and what puts our daughters at risk. Combining that experience with her famous common sense, she explains the eleven steps that will help your daughter–whether she’s a toddler or a troubled teen–to achieve her full human potential.
Do you love your spouse, or do you truly cherish them? Gary Thomas encourages couples to make a daily effort to go beyond the ‘duty’ of love, and combat the natural inclination to drift apart, by choosing to see the best in their spouse.
Gary Thomas is an international speaker and best-selling, award-winning author whose books include Married Sex, Sacred Marriage and Sacred Parenting. He has also written numerous articles for several prominent national magazines. Gary and his wife, Lisa, reside in Texas and have three children. You can learn more about Gary by visiting his website, www.garythomas.com.
“Most marriages survive by gritting teeth and holding on. But marriages can and will not only survive but thrive when husbands and wives learn to cherish one another.” Those are the powerful words of bestselling author Gary Thomas in his newest book–Cherish. And in a world desperate for marriage redemption, it is needed now more than ever. Thomas shows that although there are a countless number of marriages consisting of two people just going through the motions, there are real ways this pattern can be reversed: when husbands and wives learn to cherish one another in proven, loving, and everyday actions and words.
Discover the amazing work our PRC’s Directors, Nurses, and Volunteers are making in their communities! You’ll see firsthand testimonies of a PRC in action, and that there are other options outside of abortions! You’ll also discover how your family can support your local PRC!
Will you pray for the pre-born and moms that are facing unexpected pregnancies? We will send you a 7-day prayer guide that will help guide you along this journey with us!! You can even choose to receive this great resource by text!
Hear real life stories of parents who have made the decision to choose life even though the circumstances were overwhelming. You’ll see why “ALL” life is precious to God and why choosing life is always the right decision!
Will you pray for the pre-born and moms that are facing unexpected pregnancies? We will send you a 7-day prayer guide that will help guide you along this journey with us!! You can even choose to receive this great resource by text!
Have you ever wondered what a baby looked like in the womb? With today’s technology, Moms and Dads can see the baby’s heartbeat, facial expressions, and movements! You’ll find out why more women choose life once they hear their baby’s heartbeat and realize it’s a real living human!
Will you pray for the pre-born and moms that are facing unexpected pregnancies? We will send you a 7-day prayer guide that will help guide you along this journey with us!! You can even choose to receive this great resource by text!
After a couple has chosen life, hear the heartwarming stories of children that culture would have cast aside, yet are making tremendous impacts in their communities. Whether the diagnosis was adverse or the circumstances were difficult, these stories will inspire you to come along side of families who have chosen life!
Will you pray for the pre-born and moms that are facing unexpected pregnancies? We will send you a 7-day prayer guide that will help guide you along this journey with us!! You can even choose to receive this great resource by text!
So, after all you’ve seen through the SeeLife ‘21 Episodic journey; what can you do now? We’ll share how you can partner with some amazing organizations that are making significant impacts in the pro-life movement! You want to Celebrate Life!
Will you pray for the pre-born and moms that are facing unexpected pregnancies? We will send you a 7-day prayer guide that will help guide you along this journey with us!! You can even choose to receive this great resource by text!
Jodie Berndt loves to pray for her children. She’s been doing that for the past thirty years. Now she helps other parents to talk to God, asking for the salvation of their kids, and for wisdom, self-discipline, purpose, a future and much more. She offers fun and practical encouragement that moms and dads can put to work immediately in their daily lives as they prepare their children for a life in Christ.
Jodie Berndt is a public speaker, a Bible teacher, and the the author of 10 books. Find out more about Jodie and get some free resources (including printable prayer cards and calendars) at her website, jodieberndt.com.
You will discover how using the Bible to shape your desires and requests opens the door to God’s provision—and frees us from things like worry and fear in our parenting! This expanded edition of the bestseller features updated content on issues like technology and identity, and comes with new material designed to invite children into the family prayer circle. Purchase now and receive 10% off your product.
To be an effective parent, you must be a leader in your child’s life, guiding with a gentle hand and setting a solid example. Dr. Randy Schroeder provides the insight you need to be a leader-parent. As he explores the foundational Rs—relationship, routines, responsibilities, and rules—you’ll better understand the role you play in your child’s life. You’ll learn great phrases to employ such as “Either/Or/You Decide” and “When You/Then You”. While there is no perfect parent, this nuts-and-bolts material will equip you to lead your child in a loving, confident manner.
Dr. Randy Schroeder has spent more than four decades writing, counseling, speaking, and teaching. For nearly 25 years, he was Vice President of Student Personnel Services, Dean of Students, and a professor of pastoral counseling at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Ind. He’s also led a successful counseling practice helping individuals, couples, and families to thrive in their lives and relationships.
Effective parenting is now within your grasp! With this inspiring how-to comprehensive book, achieve extraordinary results in raising a child to be self-assured, self-reliant, and responsible! You will be able to successfully lead and lovingly encourage your child toward a Godly life!
God designed marriage to reflect His love to the world; and because of this, the enemy wants to destroy God’s beautiful design. Based on his book, Defending Your Marriage, Dr. Tim and Noreen Muehlhoff share about the reality of spiritual warfare against marriages, and how to combat the enemy’s lies with the truth of God. Couples will be encouraged that they’re not alone in the fight for a godly marriage and better equipped to be a shining example for the world around them.
Dr. Tim Muehlhoff is a professor of communication at Biola University in La Mirada, California where he teaches classes in family communication, interpersonal communication, apologetics, gender, and conflict resolution. Tim and his wife, Noreen, are both on staff with Biola’s Center for Marriage and Relationships where he is a co-host of The Art of Relationship podcast.
Is your marriage under attack? Sometimes it can feel like the world is trying to tear your marriage apart. Internal conflicts or external pressures might make you wonder if something sinister is going on. How can you tell if you’re facing spiritual opposition? And what can you do about it? Tim Muehlhoff provides a straightforward resource for protecting your marriage from the threats of the evil one. He looks at what Scripture says about spiritual warfare and how our everyday struggles have deeper spiritual realities. And he provides practical steps for guarding our marriages with the whole armor of God.
For those of faith whose passion has waned over time, Kim Meeder will reinspire you in your relationship with Jesus Christ as she tells powerful, true stories about God that will spark renewed joy in your heart and encourage you to share the Gospel with others.
Kim Meeder and her husband, Troy, are the co-founders of Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch, a non-profit organization in Bend, Oregon, that rescues abused horses and pairs them with hurting kids for mutual healing. Kim is a popular motivational speaker and the author of a half dozen books including Hope Rising and Bridge Called Hope, which feature inspirational stories from her ranch.
With enthusiasm that will set ablaze your passion to reach the hurting, Kim Meeder encourages you to let the holy fire of God’s presence fill your heart, soul, mind and strength. As your fear and pride melt away, those around you who are losing their battle for hope will be transformed by encountering His redeeming love in you. This–this is revival rising.
For those of faith whose passion has waned over time, Kim Meeder will reinspire you in your relationship with Jesus Christ as she tells powerful, true stories about God that will spark renewed joy in your heart and encourage you to share the Gospel with others.
Kim Meeder and her husband, Troy, are the co-founders of Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch, a non-profit organization in Bend, Oregon, that rescues abused horses and pairs them with hurting kids for mutual healing. Kim is a popular motivational speaker and the author of a half dozen books including Hope Rising and Bridge Called Hope, which feature inspirational stories from her ranch.
With enthusiasm that will set ablaze your passion to reach the hurting, Kim Meeder encourages you to let the holy fire of God’s presence fill your heart, soul, mind and strength. As your fear and pride melt away, those around you who are losing their battle for hope will be transformed by encountering His redeeming love in you. This–this is revival rising.
Rhonda Stoppe describes her early motherhood challenges of raising a son, which was intimidating to her. She found help through group of older women mentors. She urges moms to see their role as ministry in shaping sons to be good and godly men. Rhonda outlines several practical suggestions to moms about spiritual training, how to communicate with boys, and supporting the father-son relationship as a wife.
Drawing upon 35 years of experience as a mentor, pastor’s wife, and homeschool mom, Rhonda Stoppe offers encouragement and guidance to women as an author and public speaker. She is popularly known as the “No Regrets Woman,” as she is especially passionate about helping women live life without regrets. Rhonda’s books include Moms Raising Sons to Be Men, Real Life Romance, and The Marriage Mentor, which she co-authored with her husband, Steve.
Mothers of boys have the special calling to shape future men of God. Popular speaker Rhonda Stoppe, mom to two sons, knows this opportunity is a challenge, a joy, and probably the most important work of a woman’s life. Drawing from years of experience, this inspirational resource will revive the faithfulness and fortitude a woman needs to partner with God as they shape the character and heart of a future godly man.
They were both convinced they had married the wrong person. From almost the very beginning of their marriage, Amber and Guy Lia experienced various tensions and personality clashes related to house cleaning, backseat driving, workaholism, and intimacy. In this two-day Focus on the Family broadcast, Amber and Guy discuss how they bravely faced the triggers head-on, and committed to working on their own relationships with Jesus. As you listen to the Lia’s story, you’ll feel hope that you, too, can see real marriage transformation!
Amber Lia is a work-at-home mom, blogger, public speaker, and co-author of two best-selling books. Her husband, Guy, is a former TV, feature film, and VFX development and production executive who has worked on popular TV shows and films. Guy and Amber own Storehouse Media Group, a faith- and family-friendly TV and film production company based in Los Angeles,
A husband-wife team offers practical advice for married couples to end the cycle of reactionary arguments by examining the most common issues that trigger disagreements and apply God’s Word to radically transform relationships.
Life can be pretty stressful. Between work, relationships, and other obligations, the pressure builds, and we lose sight of who we are. Counselor Debra Fileta helps you better understand your emotions, assess your mental, physical, and spiritual health, and intentionally pursue a path to wellbeing. In dealing with anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, Debra understands the importance of self-examination as well as the benefits of seeking professional help. She offers biblically-based advice, tools, and encouragement to help you get on a path toward healing and wholeness.
Debra Fileta is a licensed professional counselor specializing in relationship and marital issues. She is also a public speaker and the author of multiple books, including Married Sex, Choosing Marriage: Why It Has to Start With We > Me, Love in Every Season, and Are You Really OK: Getting Real About Who You Are, How You’re Doing, and Why It Matters. Debra’s popular relationship advice blog, TrueLoveDates.com, and her Love + Relationships podcast reach millions of people each year offering guidance on topics including love, sex, and marriage. Debra resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, John, and their four children.
In Are You Really OK? author and licensed counselor Debra Fileta challenges you to get real with who you are and how you’re doing spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically so you can recognize where you need growth and healing.
As a spouse, you have three roles to play—a friend, a partner, and a lover. On this one-day Focus on the Family broadcast, Pastor Kevin A. Thompson explores those different roles and challenges you to live them out by investing emotionally, physically, and mentally in your relationship. As friends, he suggests we learn to play and laugh together. As partners, he equips us with solid ways to handle conflict and communication. As lovers, he offers some thoughts on how to bring back the sizzle. He shares five keys to saving your marriage: humility, respect, mercy, communication, and resilience. You’ll be encouraged to intentionally invest in your marriage.
Kevin A. Thompson (MDiv, Beeson Divinity School) is lead pastor at Community Bible Church, a growing multi-site church with four locations in western Arkansas. Every year he meets with nearly one hundred couples with a range of needs, from pre-marital counseling to navigating the most serious betrayals. A marriage and parenting conference speaker, he and his wife, Jenny, have two children and live in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He blogs at kevinathompson.com.
With engaging stories and clear, simple language, pastor Kevin Thompson shows how to live out three distinct roles in marraige. Using solid biblical principles, he helps you and your spouse grow your friendship, be supportive partners through the good times and the bad, and develop a healthy and satisfying sex life.
You can confidently and lovingly share your faith—you just need to learn some new tactics to do so! In this Focus on the Family Daily Broadcast, apologist Greg Koukl outlines the “Columbo” tactic of asking questions, the “self-defeating argument” tactic to find holes in your opponent’s arguments, and other specific methods for engaging in faith-building conversations with others. Greg pulls from his over 30 years of experience debating atheists and agnostics to help you share your faith with grace and truth.
Greg Koukl is a writer, public speaker and talk show host who’s spent 30 years advocating for and defending the Christian worldview. Greg has written or contributed to 15 books, including The Story of Reality, Tactics, and Precious Unborn Human Persons. Greg has published nearly 230 articles and has spoken on 80 college and university campuses in the U.S. and abroad.
In a world increasingly indifferent to Christian truth, followers of Christ need to be equipped to communicate with those who do not speak their language or accept their source of authority. In Tactics, 10th Anniversary Edition, Gregory Koukl demonstrates how to artfully regain control of conversations, keeping them moving forward in constructive ways through thoughtful diplomacy. You’ll learn how to stop challengers in their tracks and how to turn the tables on questions or provocative statements. Most important, you’ll learn how to get people thinking about Jesus.
Debra Fileta has identified the four seasons of marriage that correspond with our natural seasons – spring (new life and new love), summer (things get hot!), fall (showing our true colors), and winter (long days ahead). In this interview, she will help couples better understand the four seasons of healthy relationships, what to expect during each one, and how to carefully navigate them for a stronger marriage.
Debra Fileta is a licensed professional counselor specializing in relationship and marital issues. She is also a public speaker and the author of multiple books, including Married Sex, Choosing Marriage: Why It Has to Start With We > Me, Love in Every Season, and Are You Really OK: Getting Real About Who You Are, How You’re Doing, and Why It Matters. Debra’s popular relationship advice blog, TrueLoveDates.com, and her Love + Relationships podcast reach millions of people each year offering guidance on topics including love, sex, and marriage.
Every relationship goes through four life-changing seasons: Spring. Summer. Fall. Winter. Each season plays an important role in taking your relationship to the next level. And depending on how you navigate each season, your relationship will either flourish and grow, or it will slowly die. Whether you’re single, dating, engaged or married, join licensed professional counselor and relationship expert, Debra Fileta as she takes you on an eye-opening psychological and spiritual journey through the four seasons that she has observed in every healthy relationship.
As an abortion doctor at Planned Parenthood, Dr. Patti Giebink believed she was helping women. Later, she began reading scripture and God gradually changed her heart on the abortion issue. Patti tells the story of her long journey from abortion doctor to pro-life and encourages listeners to share the message of life with compassion.
Dr. Patti Giebink is an OB-GYN who serves on the board of the Alpha Center, a well-known pregnancy center located in Sioux Falls, S.D. She also travels intermittently to work in mission hospitals in Pakistan and other countries. After completing her medical training, Dr. Giebink worked for Planned Parenthood from 1995-1997, during which she was the only abortion-provider in the state of South Dakota. She eventually experienced a radical change of heart on the issue of abortion after receiving God’s grace, forgiveness, and love, and she is now a passionate advocate for the pro-life movement.
Unexpected Choice is told from the perspective of a doctor who actually performed abortions through Planned Parenthood. The book chronicles her journey from being a pro-choice physician to someone speaking on behalf of the pro-life movement.
As a latchkey kid, Wendy Speake turned to sugar for comfort. Every Friday, she would pedal to the candy show and use her allowance to fill her bag with candy. And one day, when she was older and a mom of three young boys, she came to realize that she was still “pedaling” away from her stress and using sugar as comfort, instead of turning to Jesus. She was joyless, worn out, tired, and in need of a change. In this interview, Wendy will challenge Christians to take 40 days to focus on fasting from something they turn to instead of Jesus for comfort. She invited people to break free from a dependence on sugar and taste the goodness of God.
With a background in Hollywood as a trained actress, Wendy Speake ministers to women as a bible teacher by applying the power of drama, poetry and comedy to the study of Scripture and real-life application of biblical truths. She has co-authored two books with Amber Lia titled Triggers: Exchanging Parents’ Angry Reactions for Gentle Biblical Responses and their latest, Parenting Scripts: When What You’re Saying Isn’t Working, Say Something New. Wendy is also the co-author (with Kelli Stuart) of Life Creative: Inspiration for Today’s Renaissance Mom.
Welcome to the 40-Day Sugar Fast, a fast that begins with us giving Jesus our sugar and ends with Jesus giving us himself–the only thing that can ever truly satisfy our soul’s deep hunger. On this 40-day journey you’ll learn how to stop fixating on food and other things you use to fill the voids in life and instead fix your eyes on Christ. Anyone who runs to sugar for comfort or a reward, who eats mindlessly or out of boredom, who feels physically and spiritually lethargic, or who struggles with self-control will discover here not only freedom from their cravings but an entirely new appetite for the good things God has for us.
Often, children act out because they are used to getting attention through bad behavior. Dr. Kevin Leman offers advice to help parents transform their child’s behavior. He discusses the benefits of allowing your kids to learn from real-life consequences and describes the importance of understanding your child’s temperament based on his birth order.
Dr. Kevin Leman is an internationally known family psychologist and an award-winning, New York Times best-selling author. He is also a popular public speaker and media personality who has made countless guest appearances on numerous radio and TV programs. Dr. Leman has written more than 50 books including The Birth Order Book, Have a New Kid by Friday and Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours.
Tantrums. Talking back. Throwing toys or food. Meltdowns. Slamming doors. Kids know just how to push your buttons. You’ve tried all sorts of methods, but nothing seems to work. In this book, Dr. Kevin Leman reveals exactly why kids misbehave and how you can turn that behavior around with practical, no-nonsense strategies that really work . . . and are a long-term win for both of you.
Often, children act out because they are used to getting attention through bad behavior. Dr. Kevin Leman offers advice to help parents transform their child’s behavior. He discusses the benefits of allowing your kids to learn from real-life consequences and describes the importance of understanding your child’s temperament based on his birth order.
Dr. Kevin Leman is an internationally known family psychologist and an award-winning, New York Times best-selling author. He is also a popular public speaker and media personality who has made countless guest appearances on numerous radio and TV programs. Dr. Leman has written more than 50 books including The Birth Order Book, Have a New Kid by Friday and Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours.
Tantrums. Talking back. Throwing toys or food. Meltdowns. Slamming doors. Kids know just how to push your buttons. You’ve tried all sorts of methods, but nothing seems to work. In this book, Dr. Kevin Leman reveals exactly why kids misbehave and how you can turn that behavior around with practical, no-nonsense strategies that really work . . . and are a long-term win for both of you.
Debra Fileta has identified the four seasons of marriage that correspond with our natural seasons – spring (new life and new love), summer (things get hot!), fall (showing our true colors), and winter (long days ahead). In this interview, she will help couples better understand the four seasons of healthy relationships, what to expect during each one, and how to carefully navigate them for a stronger marriage.
Debra Fileta is a licensed professional counselor specializing in relationship and marital issues. She is also a public speaker and the author of multiple books, including Married Sex, Choosing Marriage: Why It Has to Start With We > Me, Love in Every Season, and Are You Really OK: Getting Real About Who You Are, How You’re Doing, and Why It Matters. Debra’s popular relationship advice blog, TrueLoveDates.com, and her Love + Relationships podcast reach millions of people each year offering guidance on topics including love, sex, and marriage.
Every relationship goes through four life-changing seasons: Spring. Summer. Fall. Winter. Each season plays an important role in taking your relationship to the next level. And depending on how you navigate each season, your relationship will either flourish and grow, or it will slowly die. Whether you’re single, dating, engaged or married, join licensed professional counselor and relationship expert, Debra Fileta as she takes you on an eye-opening psychological and spiritual journey through the four seasons that she has observed in every healthy relationship.
Dr. Lee Warren is a neurosurgeon who has faced many heavy challenges in his life – from serving in the Iraq War to removing deadly brain tumors to experiencing the loss of a teenage son. He’ll share about his difficult quest to find answers to some of life’s toughest questions, while holding onto his faith in God and the sure hope of heaven
W. Lee Warren, M.D., is a brain surgeon , inventor, Iraq War veteran, and author of I’ve Seen the End of You: A Neurosurgeon’s Look at Faith, Doubt, and the Things We Think We Know, winner of the Christian Book Award®. His previous book, No Place to Hide, was included on the 2015 U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff’s Recommended Reading List. Dr. Warren has appeared on The 700 Club and the CBS Evening News, and his writings have been featured in Guideposts magazine. His Dr. Lee Warren Podcast, which is heard in more than 60 countries, helps listeners use the power of neuroscience, faith, and common sense to change their lives.
This gripping inspirational memoir grapples with the tension between faith and science—and between death and hope—as a seasoned neurosurgeon faces insurmountable odds and grief both in the office and at home.
Jodie Berndt loves to pray for her children. She’s been doing that for the past thirty years. Now she helps other parents to talk to God, asking for the salvation of their kids, and for wisdom, self-discipline, purpose, a future and much more. She offers fun and practical encouragement that moms and dads can put to work immediately in their daily lives as they prepare their children for a life in Christ.
Jodie Berndt is a public speaker, a Bible teacher, and the the author of 10 books. Find out more about Jodie and get some free resources (including printable prayer cards and calendars) at her website, jodieberndt.com.
You will discover how using the Bible to shape your desires and requests opens the door to God’s provision—and frees us from things like worry and fear in our parenting! This expanded edition of the bestseller features updated content on issues like technology and identity, and comes with new material designed to invite children into the family prayer circle. Purchase now and receive 10% off your product.
Rhonda Stoppe describes her early motherhood challenges of raising a son, which was intimidating to her. She found help through group of older women mentors. She urges moms to see their role as ministry in shaping sons to be good and godly men. Rhonda outlines several practical suggestions to moms about spiritual training, how to communicate with boys, and supporting the father-son relationship as a wife.
Drawing upon 35 years of experience as a mentor, pastor’s wife, and homeschool mom, Rhonda Stoppe offers encouragement and guidance to women as an author and public speaker. She is popularly known as the “No Regrets Woman,” as she is especially passionate about helping women live life without regrets. Rhonda’s books include Moms Raising Sons to Be Men, Real Life Romance, and The Marriage Mentor, which she co-authored with her husband, Steve.
Mothers of boys have the special calling to shape future men of God. Popular speaker Rhonda Stoppe, mom to two sons, knows this opportunity is a challenge, a joy, and probably the most important work of a woman’s life. Drawing from years of experience, this inspirational resource will revive the faithfulness and fortitude a woman needs to partner with God as they shape the character and heart of a future godly man.
They were both convinced they had married the wrong person. From almost the very beginning of their marriage, Amber and Guy Lia experienced various tensions and personality clashes related to house cleaning, backseat driving, workaholism, and intimacy. In this two-day Focus on the Family broadcast, Amber and Guy discuss how they bravely faced the triggers head-on, and committed to working on their own relationships with Jesus. As you listen to the Lia’s story, you’ll feel hope that you, too, can see real marriage transformation!
Amber Lia is a work-at-home mom, blogger, public speaker, and co-author of two best-selling books. Her husband, Guy, is a former TV, feature film, and VFX development and production executive who has worked on popular TV shows and films. Guy and Amber own Storehouse Media Group, a faith- and family-friendly TV and film production company based in Los Angeles,
A husband-wife team offers practical advice for married couples to end the cycle of reactionary arguments by examining the most common issues that trigger disagreements and apply God’s Word to radically transform relationships.
Life can be pretty stressful. Between work, relationships, and other obligations, the pressure builds, and we lose sight of who we are. Counselor Debra Fileta helps you better understand your emotions, assess your mental, physical, and spiritual health, and intentionally pursue a path to wellbeing. In dealing with anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, Debra understands the importance of self-examination as well as the benefits of seeking professional help. She offers biblically-based advice, tools, and encouragement to help you get on a path toward healing and wholeness.
Debra Fileta is a licensed professional counselor specializing in relationship and marital issues. She is also a public speaker and the author of multiple books, including Married Sex, Choosing Marriage: Why It Has to Start With We > Me, Love in Every Season, and Are You Really OK: Getting Real About Who You Are, How You’re Doing, and Why It Matters. Debra’s popular relationship advice blog, TrueLoveDates.com, and her Love + Relationships podcast reach millions of people each year offering guidance on topics including love, sex, and marriage. Debra resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, John, and their four children.
In Are You Really OK? author and licensed counselor Debra Fileta challenges you to get real with who you are and how you’re doing spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically so you can recognize where you need growth and healing.
As a pediatrician, Dr. Meg Meeker has seen thousands of girls come through her office through the years. They struggle with eating issues, sexual identity, social media…and many other challenges in this toxic culture. Dr. Meeker will encourage parents to invest love and time in their daughters and develop their character to give them the best opportunity for a bright future, all rooted in a spiritual foundation. The discussion also includes healthy feminism vs. toxic feminism
Dr. Meg Meeker is a pediatrician who is widely recognized as one of the country’s leading authorities on parenting, teens and children’s health. With appearances on numerous nationally syndicated radio and TV programs, her popularity as a an expert on key issues confronting families has created a strong following across America. Her work with countless families over the years served as the inspiration behind her best-selling books which include Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters, Strong Mothers, Strong Sons and The Ten Habits of Happy Mothers.
Meg Meeker has been a pediatrician for more than thirty years, is a mother and a grandmother, and has seen it all. She knows what makes for strong, happy, healthy young women–and what puts our daughters at risk. Combining that experience with her famous common sense, she explains the eleven steps that will help your daughter–whether she’s a toddler or a troubled teen–to achieve her full human potential.
Will you pray for the pre-born and moms that are facing unexpected pregnancies? We will send you a 7-day prayer guide that will help guide you along this journey with us!! You can even choose to receive this great resource by text!
Sign up below for your free seven-day prayer guide. This daily guide will help give direction to your prayers for the pro-life movement. We will be praying with you!
