Christian Parent, Crazy World

We all want to have a marriage that thrives, but one-third of Christian marriages end in divorce, a figure that is “statistically identical to that of non-born again adults” according to recent research from Barna.   What critical foundation are so many Christians missing in their marriage that leads to the demise of their primary relationship?   Josh and Katie Walters, authors of the brand new book New Marriage, Same Couple: Don’t Let Your Worst Days Be Your Last Days, identify four essential principles that will help every marriage to thrive. After a devastating season involving an affair that rocked their marriage to the core, Josh and Katie discovered four Biblical mindsets that transformed their relationship. Those mindsets form the word STAY:   S—Start with you. T—Take quitting off the table. A—Allow others to be a part of your story. Y—Yield to God’s vision for your marriage.   The true testament of these mindsets is that they were applied to a dead marriage, and now that marriage is thriving. Catherine, Josh & Katie have a refreshing, raw, and grace-filled conversation about how we allow the enemy to sew seeds of discord and destruction into our relationships, but God has a plan to redeem what the enemy has stolen.   Josh’s Bio: Josh has been on staff at Seacoast Church for the last 14 years where he currently serves as the Executive Pastor for Seacoast Experience. He is a member of the Teaching Team and helps oversee what happens in person and online each weekend.   Katie’s Bio: Katie serves on the Experience Team at Seacoast Church and teaches as well. She is the CEO of Francis and Benedict, a fashion line that creates waxprint clothing hand made by single moms and widows in Togo, Africa.   EPISODE RESOURCES:   Josh & Katie’s Website Connect with them on Instagram & Facebook New Marriage, Same Couple: Don’t Let Your Days Be Your Last Days New Marriage, Same Couple Workbook Josh’s Doppelganger   SCRIPTURE’S REFERENCED:   1 John 1:9 James 5:16 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Life has tough lessons in store for all of us. Seeing those experiences through the lens of Biblical truth is imperative if we want to thrive in these difficult seasons and grow. As parents, we want to prepare our kids for these challenges so they can flourish.   What lessons are most important for our kids to learn?   In this wildly creative episode, Catherine digs into her acting roots and shares the three most important lessons life teaches everyone by examining the foundational principals of improvisational acting. Those lessons are:   1.  You can’t choose what happens to you in life, but you can choose your response.   At some point, life throws everyone a curve ball. An anticipated promotion doesn’t happen. A beloved child has a permanent disability. A routine outing results in a tragic accident. In big ways and small ways, life disappoints us. So what do you do? Life lesson # 2 tells us.   2.  Whatever life brings you in life, accept it and build.   When life gives us a sucker punch to the gut, we must remember that God causes all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28) So we need to teach our kids to accept whatever comes our way, and build on it—expecting God to do something good with what ails us.   3.  With God, your mistake can become a masterpiece.   That excruciating loss in your life, that big mistake, that epic fail, that horrific accident… in the hands of God can become triumphant. It can become the greatest victory. It can become a new ministry that leads other people to victory—if we let God have His way.   Teaching our kids these practical principles will enable them to grow in the toughest seasons of life by trusting God to bring good out of what the enemy meant for harm.   SCRIPTURES REFERENCED:   James 1:2-4 Romans 8:28 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We think of sex trafficking as being out there somewhere in the jungles of Central America or in Thailand and Cambodia. And to be sure, it is there. But what we must understand as parents and as Christians is that human trafficking is in every zip code in the United States as well. What do we need to know as parents to help prevent our children from being sexually exploited?   In this episode, Dr. Rondy Smith shares the shocking way many young girls are being lured by sexual predators. She reads a letter from a young woman with the pseudonym “V” who was sexually exploited for all of her teenage years—and  her parents had no idea even though it was happening under their roof. “V” was lured into a sexually exploitive relationship by a distant family member in his 30s who was posing as a suicidal 12-year-old boy from a neighboring school. Once this predator got his first image, he had control which he used to manipulate “V” for 8 years.   Rondy provides invaluable advice for parents to spot the signs of sexual exploitation. Moms and dads must:   *Heed that still, small voice—if something feels off, trust your instincts. *If your child panics when denied access to their devices, dig deeper. That could be a sign that they are in a sexually exploitive relationship. *Know that your child will often take the blame for their abuser and seek to shield others from the pain of what is happening. *Use extreme caution when posting pictures of children online. *Learn to think like a predator because they exist. *Not live in fear, but awareness.   Parents must be “wise as serpents but innocent as doves.” (Matt. 10:16). We must know the threats and the signs in order to prevent the spread of this evil.   Rondy’s bio: Dr. Rondy Smith is Founder & CEO of Rest Stop Ministries, which is a residential restoration program for female survivors of sex trafficking in the Nashville, TN area. Rondy is an ordained minister with a Doctorate in Education from Vanderbilt University in Human & Organizational Development, and she has served 37 years in Corporate, Academic, and Ministry professions.   EPISODE RESOURCES:   Rest Stop Ministries, Rest Stop: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter NCOSE: The National Center on Sexual Exploitation   SCRIPTURES REFERENCED: Galatians 1:5 Hebrews 10:23 Romans 4:17 Matthew 18:10-14 (the lost sheep) Psalm 40:1-3 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

January is National Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month. Joining Catherine in a vital conversation to promote awareness is an expert in the field of sexual trauma recovery. Dr. Rondy Smith is the Founder & CEO of Rest Stop Ministries,Tennessee’s first long-term residential restoration program for female survivors of sex trafficking. Rest Stop walks hand-in-hand with victims of sexual trauma through a 3-year recovery program. Graduates are able live happy, healthy, productive lives after completing this God-ordained work.   Catherine’s powerful conversation with Rondy reveals the magnitude of the problem, highlighting the shocking fact that sex trafficking exists in every zip code in the United States. Human trafficking is a world-wide, multi-billion dollar industry that is hidden in plain sight. Here is the alarming reality:   There are 27 million people enslaved in the world today, more than any time in history.   80% are female and 50% of those are children trafficked for sexual exploitation. (That is over 10 million kids.)   Sex Trafficking is a 34 billion dollar business – it is the 2nd largest criminal enterprise and fastest growing crime in the world.   Every 2 minutes a child is trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation in the United States (according to the U.S. Department of Justice).   Almost 300,000 American children are at risk annually for trafficking into the sex industry (according to the U.S. Department of State).   The average age of entry into prostitution is 13.   There are girls as young as 5 and 6 years old in the U.S. that are forced to do sexual acts for economic gain by their pimp (U.S. Department of Justice).   (Stats from Rest Stop Ministries.)   The problem is overwhelming, but Rondy points listeners toward practical ways that they can get involved in the fight against human trafficking. Proverbs 24:11 tells us to “ Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.” The imperative from Scripture is clear, and we all have a part to play.   We can’t fix a problem that we refuse to look at. God hates injustice. So we must take a long, hard look at this problem and become a part of the solution.   RONDY'S BIO: Dr. Rondy Smith is Founder & CEO of Rest Stop Ministries, which is a residential restoration program for female survivors of sex trafficking in the Nashville, TN area. Rondy is an ordained minister with a Doctorate in Education from Vanderbilt University in Human & Organizational Development, and she has served 37 years in Corporate, Academic, and Ministry professions.   EPISODE RESOURCES: Rest Stop Ministries, Rest Stop: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter The Samaritan Women: Institute for Shelter Care   SCRIPTURES REFERENCED: Isaiah 61 Proverbs 24:11 Matthew 22:39 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

There are eight critically important words that as parents we need to say to our kids, as often as necessary—and they are hard. They may be the hardest words to say in the English language. They are relationship building words, and words that model what true repentance looks like. If you don’t learn how to say these words, at some point, your relationship with your child will break. Those words are:   “I’m sorry. I was wrong. Please forgive me.”   In this episode, Catherine walks through the vital components of this critically important admission. It isn’t enough to express regret or sorrow. When we have wronged our child, as parents we must also admit culpability, which helps to free our child from the injury and begin the process of healing. Finally, we must ask for forgiveness, which helps our child to actively release the wound to God.   Also in this episode, Catherine shares:   3 key objectives that repentance accomplishes 2 crucial ways parents can be wrong 4 primary stages of parenting 8 bonus words to restore your relationship with your child   Talking about what is wrong in the world is the central theme of CPCW, but talking about what is wrong in us is much harder. We can’t effectively address what is wrong out there until we first address what is wrong in us. Expressing humility and true repentance is one of the most important spiritual disciplines we can teach our child. We must teach our kids this vital disciple not just in theory, but also in practice.   SCRIPTURE PASSAGES REFERENCED:   1 Corinthians 13:1-7 John 13:2-17 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This is one of Catherine’s most practical podcast and has been selected as a "best of" episode from 2022. In this insightful message, Catherine helps you leave behind the old and embrace the new with a “Dashboard for Life,” which is a report card containing 13 gauges on how to improve in the new year. Catherine walks you through how to examine your faith life, your marriage or dating life, your family life, and nine other areas by offering simple, everyday guidance on how to make effective and lasting change.This powerful tool for self-assessment will help all of your relationships, especially your parenting relationships. But most of all, it will help improve your relationship with God. And when that relationship is better, all of your relationships are better. To get the “Dashboard for Life” Report Card, subscribe on Catherine’s website: https://catherinesegars.com/OTHER RESOURCES MENTIONED:Chris Hodges’ Sermon, The Best Teacher, Dec. 26, 2021: https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/the-best-teacherFinancial class: Financial Peace University: https://www.ramseysolutions.com/ramseyplus/financial-peaceThe One Year Bible:Paperback: https://bit.ly/34RK7GZEbook: https://bit.ly/3A4yesOBible Reading Plans: https://bit.ly/3FzgdUMLife Application Bible: https://bit.ly/3A5iPINEpisode 17 of our show - “How To Discover Your Purpose in Life,” https://www.lifeaudio.com/christian-parent-crazy-world/how-to-discover-your-purpose-in-lifeSpiritual Gifts & Personality tests:https://giftstest.com/http://www.humanmetrics.com/personalityScriptures mentioned:Psalm 100:4; Psalm 51:10; Romans 8:28; Proverbs 29:18; 2 Corinthians 10:5 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

King David said, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)   As Believers, we know that we are supposed to hide God’s Word in our hearts, but most of have a really heard time retaining Scripture. We know that a verse is somewhere in a certain book of the Bible, and we sort of know what it says—but we can’t quote it, or even find it without an aid.   What if there were some simple techniques that helped Scripture to stick in your memory and reside in your heart?   There are.   In this special New Year’s episode of CHRISTIAN PARENT/CRAZY WORLD, Catherine shares her tried and true method for memorizing Scripture. Her secret is the power of song. And she welcomes Zac Fitzsimmons, an insanely talented singer/songwriter to share his music with the CP/CW audience.   Zac is devoted to creating powerful, anointed songs from word-for-word passages of Scripture. He sings Psalm 1 and Psalm 8 live in this episode, and Catherine sings harmony. Catherine also shares the proven method she uses for committing Scripture to memory with her kids through song and sign language.   And Catherine issues a challenge to memorize one verse a week this year using a Scripture song—just one verse a week. Even if you fall short of 52 verses in 2024, you will have memorized quite a few and you will have soaked in God’s Word intently and intentionally, and that meditation will bear a lot of fruit in your life and in your family.   So join Catherine’s challenge to learn more Scripture in 2024 than you ever have before!   You can email Catherine to offer feedback and tell her about your Bible memory plan for the new year at catherine@catherinesegars.com.   Zac Fitzsimmons Bio: Zac is a Christian singer/songwriter from Minnesota, USA. He has led various congregations in musical worship for over twenty years and is most known for his ongoing endeavor of writing music and melodies to the Psalms word for word from the English Standard Version of the Bible. These songs are being discovered by people worldwide as valuable tools for soaking in the scriptures in a new way and aiding in scripture memorization. You can find links to the audio, lyric videos and chord charts at www.psalmsongswordforword.com   You can also find Zac on YouTube and Instagram.   To receive downloads of Zac & Catherine’s live perform of Psalm 8, Zac’s performance of Psalm 1, and all of Catherine’s Scripture songs, and pro tips for memorizing the Bible, subscribe at Catherine’s website: https://catherinesegars.com/resources   EPISODE RESOURCES:   See Catherine’s complimentary article on Crosswalk: “Learn More Scripture This Year with This #1 Proven Method”   SCRIPTURE SONG ARTISTS:   The Corner Room Seeds Family Worship King Things Esther Mui Benjamin NG The Bigsby Show (for the books of the Bible and the 12 Disciples)   SIGN LANGUAGE RESOURCES:   Hands Speak,  Signs Savvy, ASL Dictionary   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Keeping Christ at the center of Christmas is a huge challenge. Busy parents are constantly pushed and pulled a hundred different directions, especially at the holidays. Our event calendar in December can look like a flow-chart from an international airport with constant departures and arrivals. It is easy to forget Christ in the hustle and bustle of baking, shopping, wrapping, and party-hopping.   How do we keep our families focused on Christ during the hectic holiday season? Bethany Kimsey, host of the Warrior Mama Podcast, joins Catherine again to discuss how to keep our hearts and our families concentrated on Christ during the Christmas season. These two moms have over 40 years of parenting experience, and in this episode, they share their favorite Christ-centered family traditions. These traditions are:   *Don’t compare yourself to other families. *Study the names of Jesus. *Celebrate Advent. *Watch Christ-centered entertainment. *Create a Jesse Tree. *Assign Scripture passages to each family member for Christmas. *Educate your kids and give to a Christ-centered mission. *Celebrate Jolaboklaflod (an evening of book-giving) with Christ-centered books.   Employing some of these wonderful family traditions will help counteract the busyness, the commercialism and materialism, and the overall stress of Christmas. Bethany’s bio: As a mother to 8 children, Bethany Kimsey has seen God radically change her messy motherhood from weary, anxious, and frantic to peaceful, joyful, and triumphant. She helps weary mothers win the battle against worry and fatigue as they understand their identity in Christ and rest in the hope of the Gospel in community with other moms.   Bethany recently authored A Warrior Mama’s Prayer Journal to help mothers pray intentionally over their children and anchor in gospel truths. This can be purchased at  www.Bethanykimsey.co.    She would love to connect at her website bethanykimsey.com or her Warrior Mama podcast https://whengodbreaksthrough.libsyn.com found on your favorite podcast platform. You can connect with Bethany on Instagram or Facebook as well.  Get Catherine's original Scripture songs by subscribing HERE.    OTHER EPISODES MENTIONED:   EPISODE 83: What Huge Lie Does Culture Teach Our Kids at Christmas? (w/ Bethany Kimsey) EPISODE 81: How Can Celebrating Advent Enrich Your Christmas Season (w/ Laurie Christine) EPISODE 51: 5 Family-Centered Films for Christmas Advent Devotional Guide with information on the Jesse Tree (by Laurie Christine)   5 Heartwarming Films You Should Watch This Christmas (article by Catherine Segars)   World Vision’s Gift Catalog   Jolaboklaflod</a

“He sees you when you’re sleeping. He knows when you’re awake. He knows when you’ve been bad or good So be good for goodness sake.”   Our culture tells us that Jolly ole St. Nicholas is keeping a list, and he’s checking it twice. He’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice. So the gifts under our tree at Christmas are a direct result of how good or bad we’ve been throughout the year.   Is that how our faith works?   Did God give the great gift of Christ to the world because we were good? Because we deserved Him?   No.   The Christian faith tells us that a very good God sent the gift of his Son to a broken humanity, to a hopeless people who have fallen short of His glory. We don’t deserve the gift of Jesus, but God gave this gift because of His overwhelming love for us.   Likewise, the gifts under our tree for our kids must not be attached to their behavior. Unlike Santa Clause, our gifts must not have strings attached. They should be a result of our love, not a manipulative ploy to garner a good performance from our kids.   Joining Catherine as a co-host for this vital conversation about what our culture gets wrong about Christmas is Bethany Kimsey, a mother of 8 and host of The Warrior Mama Podcast, a show that is devoted to applying the Gospel to the daily details of parenting our children. Together, Bethany and Catherine tackle one of the greatest cultural lies about Christmas—the lie that your Christmas gifts are attached to your goodness.   Bethany's bio: As a mother to 8 children, Bethany Kimsey has seen God radically change her messy motherhood from weary, anxious, and frantic to peaceful, joyful, and triumphant. She helps weary mothers win the battle against worry and fatigue as they understand their identity in Christ and rest in the hope of the Gospel in community with other moms. As a writer, speaker, and encourager of mothers, she wants to see a generation of moms who can connect their motherhood to the love of Jesus in real and practical ways so that they can be confident.    Bethany recently authored A Warrior Mama’s Prayer Journal to help mothers pray intentionally over their children and anchor in gospel truths. This can be purchased at  www.Bethanykimsey.co.    She would love to connect at her website bethanykimsey.com or her Warrior Mama podcast https://whengodbreaksthrough.libsyn.com found on your favorite podcast platform. You can connect with Bethany on Instagram or Facebook as well.      EPISODE LINKS:   Bethany’s website: https://bethanykimsey.com/ The Warrior Mama Podcast Collaborated episode: The Hope of Christmas and Ways to Walk It Well w/ Catherine Segars   PODCASTS &amp; RESOURCES REFERENCED:   Episode 4: Is Christianity Just a Religion of Do’s and Don’ts The St. Nicholas Center Song facts about “Santa Claus is Coming To Town” Matthew 22:37 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

There is a powerful and pervasive cultural myth being piped into our kids these days, and you are a bad parent if you don’t buy into it. The myth says that our kids can be whoever they want to be in life.   Is this idea BIBLICAL?   Is it TRUE or even REALISTIC?   In this solo episode, Catherine tackles this topic head on to establish what is Biblical and what is cultural when it comes to the dreams that our children pursue in life.   The idea that you can be whoever you want to be is the central theme in countless books, movies, and television shows. If you can dream it, you can be it. So the pressure is on for parents to support our child’s dream no matter what it is. After all, one of the most popular verses in the Bible tells us that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13)   We often fail to note that this verse is cherry-picked out of a section where Paul talks about his countless struggles, sharing how he has learned contentment with little or with much, in hunger or well fed. This verse is often used to promote the pursuit of a glorious dream yielding material success. It is seldom used to console someone whose dream has been crushed. And yet Paul said that in Christ, we can be content in both of those realities.   Can our kid be whoever they want to be in life?   No.   Nor do we want them to be.   But our kids can be who God created them to be in life. And who God has created them to be is the most exciting and fulfilling dream that our kids can pursue. God’s plan is what we should all be aiming for in life. As parents, we should let our kids see us aim for that mark, and hopefully they will learn to do the same.   RESOURCES MENTIONED:   World Magazine   “The Hill: Sports film inspires but falls into familiar prosperity Gospel trap” by Collin Garbarino   The Hill (2023)   SCRIPTURES REFERENCED:   Philippians 4:6   Philippians 4:8   Philippians 4:11-13 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.