This is actually part of a whole series of miracles that included prophecies, a virgin birth, angelic warnings, protection from a wicked ruler set out to kill the newborn king, and so much more. We celebrate this series of miracles each Christmas as we proclaim the birth of Jesus Christ.

Today on License to Parent we want to tell you about some more miracles. In fact, these are miracles that have happened during the past year! The Miracles of Shepherd’s Hill.

We hope that by sharing these stories you may be blessed and may also gain a better understanding of what we do here and why we do what we do on License to Parent. You’ll also get a glimpse into what God is doing day in and day out at our year-long residential therapeutic program for teens in crisis; Shepherd’s Hill Academy.

Trace Embry is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Shepherd’s Hill Academy in Martin, GA. Trace, along with his wife Beth (co-founder) has a heart and a passion for helping hurting teens and their families.

Shepherd’s Hill Academy was founded in 1994 in Martin, GA, where it has grown to serve families from virtually every state and across the world.

Along with being an entrepreneur and prominent business owner, Trace served as a Police Officer in their hometown after graduating from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in 1978. Trace and Beth felt the Lord’s prompting to full-time ministry and attended college at Toccoa Falls College, in Toccoa Falls, GA, and pursued other extensive training to prepare them for working with troubled teens. Trace is also the Host of the License to Parent radio program.

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Today’s American culture continues to marginalize the value of the nuclear family. This makes it easier for more and more fathers to abandon their God-given responsibility to help nurture their offspring. As a result, the issue of absentee fathers has become a maximum problem for a culture that has been minimizing their significance. How do we turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers?

Ryan Roy is the leader of FBI Dads. FBI Dads stands for “fathers being involved.” Ryan is the author of “Be the Dad You Wish You Had.” His father abandoned him when he was just five years old. After many years of research and trial and error Ryan has uncovered the most effective tools and methods to teach any dad how to be the dad he wishes he had.

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In 2021 Americans spent over 60 Billion dollars just to play video games. What that actually cost our nation in lost productivity and revenue is anyone’s guess. Anecdotal evidence gives rise to the notion that much of this could be used in the workforce to help balance out our economy, but instead, we have young adults in their parents’ basements watching porn and playing video games. How can you keep your family from becoming victims in a digital disaster?

Adam Brooker grew up in the Charlotte area. He graduated high school in 2010 and went to North Carolina State University for one year. He then dropped out to enlist in the Army and ended up leaving for basic training in 2012. Adam was part of the 82 Airborn Division and five years later he finished his undergrad in North Carolina. Now Adam is in his last semester at Campbell Law School in Raleigh North Carolina.

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Smartphones have this pull on us- me, you, and everyone. They are designed that way! When was the last time you left your phone somewhere and didn’t panic? Your brain and mine have developed and matured in ways that your child’s brain has not. So why do you give your child a phone? It is understandable- they need it for football practice and other activities. They need to get ahold of you and vice versa! But, how do you talk through pulling back on the phone? Let’s discuss some practical steps.

Melanie Hempe is the founder of Screen Strong and has been on our program before. One of her goals in Screen Strong is to help parents think through the double standards on phones and other devices when they’re talking with their children.

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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.

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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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.

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