Moments Matter

You can't force your kids or your teens or even your adult children to love God, but can you teach them and train them how to do love God? Sonja and Julia talk about the practical ways Julia was trained as a child and teenager to love the Lord and to read her Bible. 

We are not perfect and we don't know all the answers, but people ask how Sonja and Kevin raised girls that love the Lord and desire to do His will. Each of them were taught to read the Bible and to love what Scripture says, but how? We're going to try to answer that question with 5 ways Julia remembers that Sonja and Kevin trained their daughters in the way they should go. 

FREE GUIDE: go to bigmomentmentor.com/victory 

Or click on this link: Everyday Victory Over Conflict: 4 Steps for a Powerful Pivot from Surviving to Thriving

How do I honor my parents as an adult? I have my own life, my own family, my own opinions about what is best... and they have opinions about what is best, too! We're all children of someone, which means that the command in Ephesians 6 is still applicable to us who are over the age of 21 (we'll just go with the age that society acknowledges you are an adult). 

We are told in the Bible to honor our father and our mother, but what does that look like for me as an adult who makes my own decisions and doesn't always agree with my parents?

In this episode, we discuss 3 ways we can honor our parents as adults even when we disagree with one another. We even give you an honest and vulnerable peek into our relationship over a specific topic that we disagree on that's happening right now in Sonja's life! 

These 3 ways are practical for daily life, and they're critical to obeying the command in Scripture: "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” (Ephesians 6:1-3).

When you have kids in the house, it's easy to get sucked into doing all the things–being a wife, mom, and the many jobs that come along with those roles–and to stop growing in Christ because you're too busy. But when this happens and we become empty nesters, we find ourselves at a loss for what our purpose truly is. We've been a mom all our lives, and now that our kids are out of the house, do we really have an identity anymore? 

Sonja faced all these questions when her girls left the house and she became an empty nester. She didn't know who she was without her girls, and it was a struggle. If you feel you might be looking for identity in the wrong places and coming up empty, this episode is for you. 

Resources: 

https://www.bigmomentmentor.com/packages

GUIDE: go to bigmomentmentor.com/victory 

Or click on this link: Everyday Victory Over Conflict: 4 Steps for a Powerful Pivot from Surviving to Thriving

Friendship is hard no matter what age you are. We all want friends, and for a lot of women, it can be hard to find good, Godly friends who encourage you and lift you up. Sonja has gone through multiple "friendship breakups" and has been hurt (and has hurt others) multiple times. We talk about the fact that yes–friends hurt us and we hurt our friends. What do we do then? And what about the seasons of life when we feel alone? Here's what we discuss: 

- The difference between "serving" and "people-pleasing" 

- Do you try to "fit in" or do you truly belong? 

- Tips for being a good friend and finding friends that encourage, uplift, and love you

- What to do when you feel so alone (and don't have any close friends)

Resources: 

FREE GUIDE: go to bigmomentmentor.com/victory 

Or click on this link: Everyday Victory Over Conflict: 4 Steps for a Powerful Pivot from Surviving to Thriving

I'll Be There (But I’ll Be Wearing Sweatpants) by Amy Weatherly and Jess Johnston

Find Your People by Jennie Allen

What do we do with our emotions when we take our kids to college? Do you have those feelings of letting your little child (who probably isn't little now) head off to college without you? It could be the first time or the last time, but it's still hard (Sonja knows, she's been there). We talk about how to handle the big emotions that come with this Big Moment and answer these questions:

- What if I just want it all to be over with already?

- How do I handle the deep sadness I'm feeling?

- When is it okay for me to check up on my kid after I leave them in their dorm?

- Can I cry about all of this? 

There are so many questions about this season of life, especially if you're new to it. We want you to rest in knowing that God was there when you brought that little baby home from the hospital, and He is there when you watch them from the rearview mirror on your way out of their college campus.

The Super Mom's Ultimate College Dorm Room Checklist: go to bigmomentmentor.com/checklist

or click this link: https://www.bigmomentmentor.com/checklist

Having Everyday Victory Over Conflict: bigmomentmentor.com/victory 

Or click on this link: Everyday Victory Over Conflict: 4 Steps for a Powerful Pivot from Surviving to Thriving

Have you ever disobeyed the Lord's leading? Sonja has, and she talks about specific times in her life when listening to the Lord's voice meant doing the hard thing. She grapples with the idea of "partial obedience" and what that truly means... is it really a thing?

Is God calling you to do something you've been pushing against or have you ignored Him before? Life only gets harder when we start going our own way. Sonja talks about what it looked like her for when she disobeyed, and then when she finally listened to what God was leading her to do (even if it meant moving from the newly renovated home in Michigan to Tennessee, 12 hours away from the home they've had for almost 20 years). 

Doing hard things is, well, hard. And it hurts. BUT GOD blesses in obedience. 

Julia dated a guy Sonja and Kevin did NOT like (actually two guys, but that's not the point). What do YOU do when your adult child is dating someone you don't like? What if they are married to someone you don't like? We're diving into some of these tough questions today. We discuss:

- Julia and Sonja's experience with Julia dating someone her parents didn't like

- How to respond to your adult child when they are dating that person you dislike

- What to do and what NOT to do

- Specific questions you can ask your adult children when they are dating someone you don't like

FREE GUIDE: go to bigmomentmentor.com/victory 

Or click on this link: Everyday Victory Over Conflict: 4 Steps for a Powerful Pivot from Surviving to Thriving

Why is it SO hard to ask for help? As women, we're told to be strong and we're told we can do it all... but can we really do it all? Why do we HAVE to do it all? Is that really biblical? Sonja teaches about what happens when you fall into "Survivor Mode," and what that looks like whether you are a head, heart, or gut person. 

We talk about vulnerability, asking for help, community, and what being strong REALLY means as a Godly woman. 

FREE GUIDE: go to bigmomentmentor.com/victory to learn the SNAP tool

Or click on this link: Everyday Victory Over Conflict: 4 Steps for a Powerful Pivot from Surviving to Thriving

Big Moment Membership:

https://www.bigmomentmentor.com/big-moment-membership

Sonja's Services to Help Other Women: https://www.bigmomentmentor.com/packages

Are strict rules really necessary for dating? What about talking to your kids about sex? What about your adult kids dating? Sonja's 3 daughters, Julia, Ashli Prieskorn, and Jenna Dalton, overtake the podcast today to spill all about what Sonja and Kevin did during their high school years all the way up until all 3 of them them got married. We get to tell some of our horror stories as well as some of our great experiences on the rollercoaster (or really, battle ground!) that is American dating.

I (Julia) remember when my girl friends used to say, "You talk to your dad about your crush?" and I couldn't help but be thankful that I had the kind of relationship with my dad (and my mom) that I had with them growing up. We could ask them anything (not that we always took them up on that offer, though!).

But what did it take for Sonja and Kevin to cultivate healthy relationships between their kid and their kid's significant other where they were involved only as much as they needed to be (they weren't always perfect, and we'll tell you all about it)? 

We talk about all the rules, mistakes, and differences between our 3 lives as sisters under the same roof, and what we think of it all now. 

FREE GUIDE: go to bigmomentmentor.com/victory 

Or click on this link: Everyday Victory Over Conflict: 4 Steps for a Powerful Pivot from Surviving to Thriving

Other Episodes We Talk About Dating in High School:

Episode 19: My Teenager Wants to Date, What Do I Do?

Episode 8: Good Luck With the Teenage Years, Other Self-Fulfilling Prophecies, + Should We Really Leave Our Teens Alone?

It’s so hard to NOT have an opinion when you become a grandparent–and Sonja gets real honest about what a grandparent should really be focusing on (hint: and it ISN'T their own opinion). Have you ever wondered what your role is now that you’re the parent of parents? All grandparents struggle with what to say, when to say it, or if to say it at all when they disagree with their kids’ parenting styles. . So what SHOULD we do as grandparents? We discuss:

• The truth about having an opinion and what to do about it
• Realizing that it’s your kids’ turn to parent
• The best timing to talk about “concerning” issues you see in your kids

FREE GUIDE: go to bigmomentmentor.com/victory 

Or click on this link: Everyday Victory Over Conflict: 4 Steps for a Powerful Pivot from Surviving to Thriving