Moments Matter

The small moments add up. Today, Julia reminisces about some of the moments that really stood out to her as a child... whether she knew the reason for why it stood out or not! She talks about the moments that really shaped her, encouraged her, and gave her confidence. What does it look like to to be faithful to your children and how can you implement that now? 

Middle school can be a huge transition, how do you prepare your child for something like that? Changes can be hard, and not every child reacts the same way. Sonja thinks back to yesteryear when she was caring for three elementary girls and gives us 5 simple ways to help your kids make smooth transitions. We talk about how to have productive conversations with your child about their thoughts and expectations surrounding middle school and high school and what it looks like to have a good listener as a mom. 

"Pray for rain in a season of rain. The Lord makes the rainclouds and He will give them showers of rain..." What does it look like to pray for rain in a season of rain? Sonja and Julia discuss a different way to look at being thankful for what you have in a season of blessing. We talk about what it looks like to take things for granted and how easily we can be apathetic towards what we have. Join us in the conversation and consider what it might look like for you to pray for rain in the rainy season. 

Lisa Jo-Baker Books: https://lisajobaker.com/books/

If you don’t already have good communication in your family it is difficult to start, but for the sake of your family and future generations it is vital. Sonja talks about how her and Kevin communicated the big things to their girls when the time was right and how they shared what they did. What does it look like to say the things we know we need to tell our children? We talk about how secrets can eventually lead to trust issues with your adult kids, and how to handle that before it gets to a point of contention. 

"You can't marry a man you just met."... or can you?

Every mom will have that day when her adult child comes to her and tells her they made a decision–a decision she did not see coming. Have you had that day yet? Sometimes it's just laughable, but other times it can be painfully life changing when your adult child makes a decision you do not agree with... or a decision that seems crazy. Julia tells the story of when she met Caleb and their rapid romance that surprised Sonja and Kevin and left them with a lot of questions. We discuss the 5 steps Sonja went through to process this outrageous request and how you can be prepared to respond well... not just react. 

The word "modesty" seems old-fashioned and cringe-worthy now, doesn't it? It almost feels like an overused, abused word to mean: "rules matter most." We're here to take a different approach. 

We welcome Sonja's two other daughters back on the show today to finish our "Dear Mom" discussion on what we think of modesty today. What is modesty really, and should we be pursuing it? Who's body is it, anyway? What does it look like when you're married? Some quick highlights include:

- Moms who already have kids grown up, what should we do as we look back on how we raised our girls?

- Modesty is just a facet of being a Godly woman. 

- The definition of modesty and what truly matters (hint: it's not a list of rules!)

- The balance of being humble in what you wear vs. making sure you take care of yourself

All 3 of Sonja's daughters get on the podcast with her today to talk about their experience with all-things modesty growing up. We deep dive on a rollercoaster (laden with tension AND humor) into some good memories, some not-so-great memories, and some memories we'd rather forget! See the up-close dynamics of what 3 sisters went through growing up in a great Christian church that had its flaws and living in a Christian family (that also had its flaws!). Part 1 of this conversation includes a lot about the growing up years and what the 3 daughters thought about how we dressed vs. Sonja's perspective of how she brought up her girls. What was it like growing up in "purity" culture and was it all bad?

Listen to next week's episode (part 2) to find out what they all think now about how they grew up and what their opinions on "modesty" are now. 

What are tweens and teens actually responsible for? As they get older, should we give them consequences, or should we just let them deal with the natural consequences of their choices? We talk about how bad Julia and her sisters' attitudes were when it came to doing chores around the house and how Sonja's battle was uphill the entire way. Tune in to hear us talk about questions like: how much do we interfere with homework, do you let their poor choices affect the whole family? 

Join us as Sonja brings us on a ride of the many places she and Kevin visited while in Israel. Have you ever experienced walking where Jesus walked? She talks about her time there, what God taught her, and gives us an amazing reminder of faith and assurance as we talk about the many things she experienced. From riding camels to watching travelers of all sorts trying to find the truth in a modernized, historic place, her adventure was worth every minute and she's excited to encourage all of you in YOUR walk with Jesus. 

Julia gets on by herself to talk about feminism, femininity, and what it looks like to be fruitful in every season of life. She talks about what her mom taught her about being feminine and what the obvious differences between being a man and a woman look like. But what about feminism? Are we, as Christians, supposed to be feminists? Does “being fruitful” always mean having children? She gives examples from women in her life that are extremely fruitful–married, unmarried, mothers, wives, grandmas, and mentors.