Gospel Matrescence

This episode is a throwback from last year, where we looked into the history and origins of the Christmas celebrations and answer the question, does Christmas have pagan roots? Listen again to brush up on the history of Christmas and enjoy the free gift below!

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As Christmas approaches, as believers, it is important that we understand the meaning and origins behind some of the traditions we celebrate.  In this episode, Andie digs into some of the myths of the pagan origins of Christmas, the history of the practice of the Twelve Days of Christmas, and offers a free gift for your family!

Here is the link to the article that explains how the early church fathers attempted to calculate the date of the birth of Christ -  https://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=16-10-012-v

Link to Free Gift Mentioned Here:  "The Twelve Days of Christmas Study.pdf" for your review.
https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:e978a080-4cce-4bc0-8433-8d465f29d1b0

In this episode, Andie gives an overview of the first half of the book, The Collapse of Parenting by Leonard Sax. If you want to get a bird's-eye view of how parenting has changed in the last 40 years and how it has impacted our view of development, virtue formation, and mental health for children and adolescence, consider reading this book!  

Colossians 3 gives some really practical advise to us as parents.  In verses 12-21, we are charged to live as those alive in Christ, and we are warned not to 'provoke' our children.  In this episode, Andie digs into the concept of provoking our children and explores eight very specific ways we tend to discourage our children.  Listed below are the eight ways, spend some time self-evaluating to see if any of these describe you.  

1. The Proud Parent

This parent sees their child’s behavior as a direct reflection of themselves. Their child’s successes or failures become a statement about their worth or competence as a parent. Pride can creep in subtly — through competition, comparison, or needing to “look good” in front of others.
 Result: The child feels pressure to perform rather than freedom to grow.
 Reflection: Do I find my value in how my child behaves rather than in who God says I am?

2. The Despairing Parent

This parent lives under the weight of discouragement and defeat, often saying things like, “I’ve tried everything — nothing works.” They may stop shepherding their child’s heart because they’ve lost hope of change.
 Result: The child often feels emotionally abandoned or unseen.
 Reflection: Do I believe that God can work in my child’s heart, even when I can’t see it yet?

3. The Controlling & Angry Parent

This parent rules through fear, force, or intensity. Control often masquerades as “strong leadership,” but it is rooted in anxiety and a desire to manage outcomes. Anger erupts when children disobey because disobedience feels like a threat to control.
 Result: The child learns to comply out of fear, not conviction, or rebels to regain autonomy.
 Reflection: Do I lead with gentleness and consistency, or do I react in anger when I lose control?

4. The “Guess What the Rules Are Today” Parent

This parent is unpredictable — sometimes strict, sometimes lenient, sometimes disengaged. Their moods or stress levels dictate the household tone.
 Result: The child learns to walk on eggshells, never sure what version of their parent they’ll get.
 Reflection: Am I consistent in my expectations and follow-through, or do my emotions lead the way?

5. The Exaggerating Parent

This parent often blows situations out of proportion — using dramatic language or sweeping generalizations like “You always” or “You never.” The goal may be to make a point, but it undermines credibility and trust.
Result: The child tunes out or becomes defensive, feeling unfairly judged.
Reflection: Do my words build up truthfully, or do I exaggerate to get a reaction?

6. The “Must Be Perfect” Parent

This parent holds themselves and their children to impossible standards. They confuse excellence with perfectionism, and their home becomes performance-driven. Mistakes feel catastrophic rather than teachable.
 Result: The child struggles with shame, anxiety, or a fear of failure.
 Reflection: Am I showing my child that grace applies to both of us?

7. The “Fear of What Others Think” Parent

This parent’s decisions are shaped by appearances — “What will people think?” rather than “What honors the Lord?” Their parenting becomes reactive to public opinion instead of responsive to biblical truth.
 Result: The child learns that image matters more than integrity.
 Reflection: Do I parent to impress others or to please God?

8. The “Easily Manipulated” Parent

This parent gives in to whining, guilt, or emotional outbursts to keep the peace. They want harmony more than holiness, so boundaries blur.
 Result: The child learns to control through emotion rather than submission.
 Reflection: Do I stand firm with love, or do I give

Imagine those everyday moments when motherhood feels like juggling glass balls—getting kids out the door, managing emotions (theirs and yours), and trying to stay one step ahead of the day. What we often don’t realize is that behind every one of those moments are the executive function skills—the brain’s mental muscles that help us plan, focus, regulate, and follow through. In this episode, we’re talking about how moms can strengthen these 12 skills in their own lives first—because the more we grow in self-awareness, emotional regulation, flexibility, and focus, the more naturally our kids will learn to do the same. 

Here is the link Andie mentions to serve as a prayer & training guide as you seek to grow these skills for yourself and your children!  

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FTRFTll6nAFrIOTzVkJBH7iMnzJLRmKLXl0oNHRk_o8/edit?usp=sharing

In Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder, physician Gabor Maté offers a compassionate, in-depth exploration of ADHD—not as a genetic defect or fixed disorder, but as a developmental response to stress, disconnection, and unmet emotional needs in early childhood. Drawing on both neuroscience and personal experience (he himself has ADHD), Maté argues that the condition stems from disruptions in attachment and attunement between parent and child during crucial developmental periods.

Andie digs into some of the concepts presented in this book!  

Today, Andie builds on the previous two episodes about the two types of bonding.  She defines accountability bonding and discusses reasons modern parents are afraid to engage in this type of bonding.  She discusses the benefits that children experience when a wise parent provides this type of steady leadership for children and the malfunctions that occur when they do not receive it.  

In this episode, Andie further explains the two types of bonding (oxytocin bonding and vasopressin bonding) and how they can be applied to our relationship with our children.  

Every thoughtful parent deeply desires to bond in a healthy way with their children and spouse.  We all know that building connected relationships is a vital part of a strong family.  Did you know that there are two distinct bonding systems that God created within each of us? These are oxytocin bonding and vasopressin bonding.  In this episode, Andie defines each of these systems and explains how they function in men and women.  She then takes this concept and applies it to bonding in marriage.  Take a listen!  

Do you have a confident practice of bringing God's Word to your children regularly?  Do you struggle to know the 'right way' to expose them to the life-giving truths found in Scripture?  

In this episode, Andie interviews Lauran Fee from ChildrensFeast.com on the topic of family devotions and how to offer a feast from God's Word to the children under our care.  They share ideas for starting a practice of reading God's Word together as a family and provide warnings regarding the ditches we, as Christian parents, tend to fall into in this area.  

Lauren has created a fabulous resource to help bring God's Word to our children.  These guides are designed to help parents, teachers, and church leaders teach the Bible to children using Charlotte Mason’s method for Bible lessons. For more information, please visit her website for more information at www.ChildrensFeast.com 

If you’re a mom like me, you’ve probably felt the sting of watching your child disregard your carefully chosen wisdom, your heart-felt encouragements, your earnest attempts to shape their character or tell them an interesting fact. But what if we looked at that through the lens Charlotte Mason offers us—not as failure, but as faithfulness?

In this episode, Andie discussed the "Nine Tenths Rejection Rule" as an encouragement to help us reshape the way we lead our children.  Let this quote from Charlotte Mason lift a burden off your shoulders. You are not responsible for the harvest. You are simply called to be a faithful sower of ideas—trusting that God, in His time, will bring the growth.