License to Parent with Trace Embry

Wrecking Ball

During the course of almost every mom and dad’s 18-year parenting journey, you will encounter conflict with your children. Guaranteed. But what happens when the conflicts become routine and magnify into combat in the teen years? How should parents proceed when you can no longer restrain your teenage wrecking ball from wrecking your home and the loved ones inside it? There are options if you run out of ideas for keeping your home a sanctuary of sanity and safety. These options are provided by a professional who helps families for a living.

Discussing Recovery with Holly Hunter

Holly Hunter has been transporting troubled teens to therapeutic schools and programs across the country through Safe Passage Global which she founded. Holly has been a private investigator for more than 20 years, holds certifications in crisis manager intervention, and has been a Christian life coach. Holly is a certified mental health coach, first responder, and much much more. Holly is good at what she does and cares deeply about people. When Holly has some downtime you can find her singing, taking photos, or writing books.

Episode Highlights:

How many parents are aware that long-term treatment programs actually exist?

What feelings do parents struggle with when seeking outside help?

According to Holly what is residential care?

What words may help a parent choose residential care?

What is the importance of not pointing fingers?

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Defending Faith

In our previous episode, our guest Alex McFarland helped parents understand what they need to do to help start changing our culture for the good. The early church prevailed because the gospel is true and because they were willing to die for their faith. What happened was that Christians built great families, Christians gave an honest days work, and men married women and had children and adopted children. Christianity turned the world upside down on the strength of family, morals, and personal excellence. We can do this again. Learn how to defend your faith.

Discussing Truth with Alex McFarland

Alex McFarland speaks worldwide and is known as a Christian Apologist, author, evangelist, religion and culture analyst, and defender of truth. Alex has written 18 books on apologetics and the Christian faith, one of which is “100 Bible Questions and Answers.” He is the host of the Alex McFarland Show which can be heard on American Family Radio and other outlets. He and his wife live in North Carolina.

Episode Highlights:

What are two common questions kids today ask about religion?

How can we know that the Bible is what it claims to be?

What is Bible inerrancy? 

What is the Chicago Council on Biblical Inerrancy?

What are the autographa and how do they relate to inerrancy?

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Apologetics

Take a moment and stop to think. How many of our child-rearing woes might actually stem from the fact that our kids don’t truly know God and His word? Or maybe they have lost faith in what they once claimed to believe. Many Christian families are losing their kids to the secular way of doing life. We hope to bring clarity to some of the most common sticking points that today’s kids are struggling with from Scripture and world events. Learn how to defend your faith.

Discussing Truth with Alex McFarland

Alex McFarland speaks worldwide and is known as a Christian Apologist, author, evangelist, religion and culture analyst, and defender of truth. Alex has written 18 books on apologetics and the Christian faith, one of which is “100 Bible Questions and Answers.” He is the host of the Alex McFarland Show which can be heard on American Family Radio and other outlets. He and his wife live in North Carolina.

Episode Highlights:

What two main points are being taught to help parents argue concerning their faith?

How does trusting God help children trust their parents?

What does Trace mean by “honoring the fifth?”

What makes Alex’s book "100 Biblical Questions and Answers" a book which should be in all homes?

How have the biblical questions people ask shifted over the last 20 years?

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Shepherds Hill

If you are a regular listener you know that our goal is to equip parents with the knowledge and authority to be the parent God has ordained for all families. We are here to both challenge and embolden you. In a sense, we want to re-issue you a license to parent your own children as you deem best. However, as faithful listeners, you also know that our perspectives and insights here at License to Parent come straight from the word of God and the proving ground here at Shepherds Hill Academy.

Discussing Miracles with Allison Wallace

For the last 17 years, Allison has been serving families and adolescence in crisis. Allison is a main part of what happens at Shepherds Hill. She is the Director of Program Development and has been a part of residential care since 2006. Allison studied counseling and psychology and developmental psychology at Toccoa Falls College. Allison works along with her husband Joshua who is the Chief Operations Officer. Together they have a beautiful little girl, Lilliana.

Episode Highlights:

What kept Allison at Shepherds Hill?

How does Trace speak about his daughter?

What was Allison’s experience of the miracles that grew Shepherds Hill?

What did Allison see God do in 2022 at Shepherds Hill?

What has amazed Trace in 2022?

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Real Miracles

Have you ever stepped out in faith? Feeling led to do what some would consider impossible, but believing that God was directing you and knowing that He would do just that? Trace and Beth Embry saw a need in our world and they knew God was calling them to be the answer and to bring healing. Step by step, brick by brick, child by child, and through God they are breathing life into our next generation. They are watching God build something incredible. The Miracles of Shepherd's Hill.

Discussing Beginnings with Trace Embry

Trace is the founder and executive director of Shepherd's Hill. Trace and his wife Beth have a heart and passion for the parents and youth of today's culture. Trace was a former business owner and police officer in the Chicago area, but God lead them on a journey. The Embrys gave up almost everything to move to Georgia and begin Shepherd’s Hill Academy. Trace is the author of the book “The Miracles of Shepherd's Hill: An Extraordinary Odyssey of Divine Interventions” Trace and Beth have five kids and eight grandchildren.

Episode Highlights:

How does Trace define miracles?

What is the purpose of the book?

Where did Shepherd’s Hill start?

How long did Trace and his wife wrestle with the calling on their life?

What examples of miracles does Trace give?

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Bible Parenting

What happens when all of the things we have been taught about parenting turn out to be wrong? When our children are disrespectful, lazy, or even making dangerous choices? Reevaluating your parenting method is difficult and can be scary, so how do you get back to God’s parenting ecosystem? The first step- dig into the Bible.

Discussing Parenting with John Rosemond

John Rosemond has worked with families, children, and parents since 1971 in the field of psychology. John is a writer and speaker and his work is syndicated in a couple of hundred newspapers nationwide. He has written over 20 best-selling parenting books and he is also one of America's most popular speakers in the field of parenting. John’s website is www.rosemond.com where his book “The Bible Parenting Code: Revealing God’s Perfect Parenting Plan” can be found. John and his wife live in North Carolina.

Episode Highlights:

What is the proof of psychology being a lie?

The raising of a child is fundamentally what?

Why are parents not on the same page?

What is the motto of co-dependency?

What does psychology say good parenting is about? How is this wrong?

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Parenting Code

We can never love our kids too much when we love them in the right way. The right way is when we love them congruent to God’s ecosystem. However, God’s ecosystem seems to have gotten distorted in recent decades. This is why it is important to discuss some of the fundamentals of God’s parenting ecosystem by diving into His parenting playbook; the Bible.

Discussing Parenting with John Rosemond

John Rosemond has worked with families, children, and parents since 1971 in the field of psychology. John is a writer and speaker and his work is syndicated on a couple hundred newspapers nationwide. He has written over 20 best-selling parenting books and he is also one of America's most popular speakers in the field of parenting. John’s website is www.rosemond.com where his book “The Bible Parenting Code: Revealing God’s Perfect Parenting Plan” can be found. John and his wife live in North Carolina and his favorite grocery store is Trader Joe’s!

Episode Highlights:

What happens when you buy into a false premise?

What has the field of psychology done to the raising of children?

What does the new psychological paradigm emphasize?

What happened to John’s family when he followed new parenting guidelines?

What was the first step to correct their parenting?

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Stump Living

There are scripture verses that speak about the sins of the fathers and many would agree that these verses also apply to the sins of the mothers. Whether you are a mom or a dad, even Godly parents are not immune from the shame, grief, and guilt, that can often accompany the secret sins of our past. These past sins and the emotions that stem from them can adversely affect the way that we raise our kids. They can even do damage to our parent-child relationships in the process. Adding insult to injury, the children of shame and guilt-ridden parents find themselves struggling with many of the same traits and issues that they did not know about their self-loathing parents. We need to get past the past for the sake of our kids today because you can’t live on a stump.

Discussing Mistakes with Dr. Harold Rhoades

Dr. Harold Rhoades is a counseling psychologist. He was an intelligence officer in the US Army and he was also the head of counseling programs at Emmanuel College and Reagent University. He is the founder and director of Healing Springs Retreat Ministry. Dr. Rhoades is the author of the book “You Can’t Live on a Stump.” Dr. Rhoades and his wife live just down the road from Shepherd's Hill Academy.

Episode Highlights:

How does your past life negatively impact your child-rearing?

How does your past life positively impact your child-rearing?

What is one of the main things people struggle with in regard to their pasts?

Why did Dr. Rhoades decide to reveal his own past mistakes in his book?

What is the most important thing you can communicate to your children about mistakes?

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Assassination Generation

It's been said that practice makes perfect. This is true in sports, music, and in all entertainment arts. Video gaming is no exception either- including violent games. With that said have you ever thought about what might be getting perfected in your children with respect to the video games that they regularly play? Is it possible that we could perhaps be a party to some serious issues brewing right in our own homes?

Discussing Gaming with Dave Grossman

Dave Grossman is an internationally recognized scholar, author, soldier, and speaker. He is one of the world's foremost experts in the field of human aggression and the roots of violence and violent crime. Dave is also a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army. Dave founded the Killogy Research Group and he speaks on ways to reduce violence in society and deal with the aftermath of violent events such as school shootings. 

Episode Highlights:

What examples show that this issue truly is a big thing?

Is this issue entirely the fault of violent video games?

What is a key factor in suicides and traffic deaths?

Why are tech advances today not to be compared to advances in the past parenting-wise?

How does sleep deprivation affect children and adults?

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Screen Strong

When we think of addiction or any activity that can damage human emotions, bodies, and brain matter we often think only in terms of drug addiction. But what if our kids are regularly engaging in other things? Things that bring about the same kind of damage? Do you realize that our children’s screen time could be doing just that? The fact is digital abuse does affect the brain in the exact way that it is affected by cocaine and heroin. Digital abuse may also be affecting your child’s body and emotions in a similar way.

Discussing Digital Use with Melanie Hempe

Melanie is the founder and director of Screen Strong. Melanie helps families avoid the problematic use of screens. She does this from the heart of a parent who has had to walk her own children through some hard screen addiction. Through Screen Strong, Melanie provides easy education on brain development and the effects of screen use on kids. She also provides solutions for parents. Melanie does not just tell parents to take away the devices, she helps them think through it so they can reconnect their family.

Episode Highlights:

What are some things smartphones give your child access to?

What is the purpose of the Screen Strong organization?

What “accreditation” does Screen Strong have that others may not?

Medically speaking what effects do screens have on our children?

What is the biggest issue screen use causes?

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