In this episode, we dive into the pros and cons (and dos and don'ts) of having children AT your wedding, IN your wedding, or being the parent of a child in a wedding party or on a guest list. From simple etiquette know-how to things to consider whether you're a guest or a host, this fun conversation covers it all.

Just before her 40th birthday, Jamie Jackson received a shocking diagnosis. A mom of 3 daughters, Jamie's first concern was wanting to be there to see her kids grow up. Seven years down the road, the future is promising, and Jamie shares with us lessons she's learned about faith, fortitude, and fragility. And also that holing up under your bathroom vanity is maybe not the most solid life plan.

We may spend a lot of time praying on behalf of our children. We've noticed over the years that our prayers have changed from those for blessings and success to those for resilience and transformation. When our children face the hardest things, sometimes God wants us to pray them through that instead of out of it. In this episode we chew on what that looks like and get curious about why we as parents have a hard time doing that.

The word "respect" gets tossed around a lot when kids reach the tweens & teenage years. What does respect look like and how do we raise respectful kids? What if we model and mirror respect with our marriages? Respect is reciprocal. Chances are, if we're feeling disrespected, it might be because we aren't as respectful as we could be ourselves.

Prayer is a two-way conversation, but we often struggle with helping our children to connect with and tune in to a God. This is especially true if it's something we struggle with in our own prayer life. Guest Sara Bryson joins us for a conversation about drawing near to God, hearing from Him, and some ways to help our children do that.

If you'd like to sign up for facilitated prayer in person or via Zoom or learn more about today's conversation:

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Freedom Prayer

The book we mentioned by Andy Reese and Jennifer Barnett: Freedom Tools

Over 6 million parents in the US use day cares for their childcare. What should parents look for and expect in a day care center? Special guest, BJ Smith, owner of several day cares in the middle Tennessee area, gives us the lowdown on what kids are doing in day cares and how they're faring. We learned a lot in this episode and hope you will, too!

Tot's Spot Academyis the day care business BJ owns and operates.

Part 2 of 2: Guest Kelly McCasland offers some suggestions and observations about what makes young women feel confident and what parents could do to bolster that. We talk feminism, finances, and flat tires and a whole host of other things that #girlmoms need to be tuned into.

Part 1 of 2: Guest Kelly McCasland offers some suggestions and observations about what makes young women feel confident and what parents could do to bolster that. We talk feminism, finances, and flat tires and a whole host of other things that #girlmoms need to be tuned into.

Life with kids is busy, and when you can't find anything and your home's a wreck, that can push a lot of us over the edge. Professional organizer, Gabri Goodwyn, weighs in on tips and methods to take back the reins of your home. From clever ways to deal with items on the spot to better ways to think about how you use your space, this episode will inspire you to finally tackle that junk drawer!

A Fresh Space

For this episode, we interviewed a seasoned public high school teacher who raised the question of what exactly IS or SHOULD BE our expectation of safety on school campuses where we send our children for 7-8 hours a day. Schools of today do not look like the ones you as a parent may remember even 10-15 years ago. If you don't yet have school-aged children, this may well be a factor when deciding where and how to educate your kids.

**warning: some content may not be appropriate with young listeners in the room** Check out our website for stats & more in-depth articles about this subject.

https://projects.sun-sentinel.com/teenage-time-bombs/how-schools-manage-violent-kids/