In this episode of the Practically Speaking MOM podcast, my husband, Rich, joins me on the show to talk about the negative communication games that we gave up in our marriage and we give some pointers for having a communication overhaul in your family.
I also continue my introduction on Living a Lifestyle of Feasting with the Father When You Feel Like a Frazzled Mama, by addressing the fact that, as parents, we are the atmosphere-setter of our home!

Read my blog post connected to this episode:
* "Overcoming Negative Communication Habits" on my website www.PracticallySpeakingMOM.com.
Quotes from Episode 23
"The communication habits that are happening in your home today are going to impact the communication of all of your children’s relationships in their future." 
"As a parent, the condition of my heart determines the words I say & the tone with which I say things, which affects my relationships with my kids and affects literally the atmosphere of our home. We are the atmosphere setters in our family’s life... In our own strength we can maintain a good atmosphere for a little while but when my  heart is anemic for the spiritual nourishment I need from my Creator, Provider, Counselor, and Guide, I simply can’t keep up that positive atmosphere in my own strength for very long.  The atmosphere of our heart is dependent on filling from the Father."

Details about my next event: Link to register for the Moms Winter Summit retreat with Val Harrison, Roxanne Parks, and Valerie Rose, Feb 28-29, in Tulsa, OK.

RESOURCES:
Clash In Your Home: Getting a Game Plan for Cleaning Up the Conflict

Send Val your encouragement and thoughts about the show.

Support the show

Visit Val's website: PracticallySpeakingMOM.com
Join Val's Facebook Group Intentional Mom, Strong Family
Follow Val on Instagram and her Facebook Public Page Practically Speaking MOM
We're on a mission to strengthen families.
Want to help cover some of the costs of the show? click here. A few dollars a month would help so much!
Here's some other ways to give:
Cash App: $valPSM
Paypal: [email protected]
Donate with a credit card HERE
All donations will be used for the ministry. Gifts are not tax deductible.
THANK YOU for partnering in this ministry to strengthen families and encourage intentional moms.
"May the Words of my mouth and the medit...

This week's podcast has two blog posts connected to this episode:
*Read Val's post about Living a Lifestyle of Feasting with the Father
*Read Val's post about Are we going to teach our kids that sex is sacred? When a society has lost its way...
If you are wanting a complete transcript of this episode, email [email protected] and ask for episode 22.

Details about Val's next event: Link to register for the Moms Winter Summit retreat with Val, Feb 28-29, in Tulsa, OK.

Quotes from this episode:
Mom friends who listen to my podcast and read my blog,you are intentional moms who recognize that God is your source – even as multi-tasking marathon mamas, you know that God has prepared a banquet table for you all along your marathon path.
What our children need most from us is a mom who is living a lifestyle of Feasting with the Father. Our kids don’t need all the latest gadgets. They don’t need to have a hip mom who knows all the right lingo and dresses in the cutest yoga pants on the block. Your kids don’t need all the greatest entertainment or all the expensive events nearly as much as they need a mom who recognizes that God is her source – her source of strength, of wisdom, of direction, of peace in the midst of life.
This is what I'm wrestling with - do I speak up for the children and the future of our society or do I remain silent so that the Christian community is not viewed as hateful?? This dilemma will lead one Christian voice to stand for the children and another Christian voice to whisper lovingly to the lost. Both voices have merit. And I will pray for the effectiveness of both of those voices as I pray for all the rest of us to humbly, passionately, intentionally wrestle with these is

Send Val your encouragement and thoughts about the show.

Support the show

Visit Val's website: PracticallySpeakingMOM.com
Join Val's Facebook Group Intentional Mom, Strong Family
Follow Val on Instagram and her Facebook Public Page Practically Speaking MOM
We're on a mission to strengthen families.
Want to help cover some of the costs of the show? click here. A few dollars a month would help so much!
Here's some other ways to give:
Cash App: $valPSM
Paypal: [email protected]
Donate with a credit card HERE
All donations will be used for the ministry. Gifts are not tax deductible.
THANK YOU for partnering in this ministry to strengthen families and encourage intentional moms.
"May the Words of my mouth and the medit...

How do you bring HAPPY to the Dol-drums in your Days?  The last five minutes of this episode Val share's how she adds a little sunshine to the less-lovely parts of a mom's routine responsibilities.

This episode begins with Val sharing some laundry tips that were shared from her Intentional Mom, Strong Family Facebook group.
Then she shares her 8 Steps to Cut Laundry Chaos, and she ought to know since she's the mom of seven kids - four girls and three boys.
Teaching your kids how to help with the laundry in a way that increases their character development and decreases mom's workload sounds like a winning combination to me!  That's what you find in my 8 Step plan to cut laundry chaos!  I tell all about it on this week's podcast, episode 21, "8 Steps to Cut Laundry Chaos and add HAPPY to Your Have-to's, from a mom of 7. Plus listeners' laundry tips."  I also share several other mom's tips about laundry AND let you know how I bring some HAPPY to my HAVE-TO's.    I hope you'll let me know what YOU do to bring Happy to your Have-to's.

Resources:
Val has put some pics of her laundry room in a short blog to coincide with this podcast episode  (The podcast episode publishes at midnight every Monday morning and her blog posts at noon every Monday).

Val's Podcast Episodes on Household Management Topics
Episode 1: The Six Rooms of the Intentional Mom's Home.  (Also, go to my website to see all the ways to help intentional moms to get their six rooms to be, well, more intentional!)

Episode 2,5, 10 make up the series on Time Saving Strategies for busy moms.  Those episodes are:
Episode 2: Mom is Master Gardener & "Manager of the Monkeys (and I don't mean your kids)"

Send Val your encouragement and thoughts about the show.

Support the show

Visit Val's website: PracticallySpeakingMOM.com
Join Val's Facebook Group Intentional Mom, Strong Family
Follow Val on Instagram and her Facebook Public Page Practically Speaking MOM
We're on a mission to strengthen families.
Want to help cover some of the costs of the show? click here. A few dollars a month would help so much!
Here's some other ways to give:
Cash App: $valPSM
Paypal: [email protected]
Donate with a credit card HERE
All donations will be used for the ministry. Gifts are not tax deductible.
THANK YOU for partnering in this ministry to strengthen families and encourage intentional moms.
"May the Words of my mouth and the medit...

#FamilySpontaneousFriday was God’s solution to our family’s heartache.
 This week you're going to learn all about the Family bonding plan that became a big hit!

Want to read the BLOG POST about #FamilySpontaneousFriday and #FamilySketchySaturday?  Read it here.

In the first half of this week's episode of the Practically Speaking MOM podcast, Val Harrison, The Practically Speaking MOM, shares about  one of the recent #FamilySpoontaneousFriday nights that the Harrison had. Then Val interviews two of her daughters on recent goals they've set and helps them get a ROAD MAP for MEASURING how to reach their goals without getting discouraged.

The second half of this week's episode tells you what #FamilySpontaneousFriday and #FamilySketchySaturday is all about!  After all, you just might want to begin this tradition in your family.

Resources Mentioned in this episode:
The Bible Recap with Tara Leigh Cobble  - a podcast and on Youversion Bible app
Here's the blog post Val mentioned, What to do with the Sad Little Sisters: Seasons of Change
To connect with Val Harrison, The Practically Speaking MOM:
*Go to her website www.PracticallySpeakingMOM.com
*Follow her on Instagram and Facebook PracticallySpeakingMOM
*Join her private Facebook community for Intentional Mom, Strong Family

Send Val your encouragement and thoughts about the show.

Support the show

Visit Val's website: PracticallySpeakingMOM.com
Join Val's Facebook Group Intentional Mom, Strong Family
Follow Val on Instagram and her Facebook Public Page Practically Speaking MOM
We're on a mission to strengthen families.
Want to help cover some of the costs of the show? click here. A few dollars a month would help so much!
Here's some other ways to give:
Cash App: $valPSM
Paypal: [email protected]
Donate with a credit card HERE
All donations will be used for the ministry. Gifts are not tax deductible.
THANK YOU for partnering in this ministry to strengthen families and encourage intentional moms.
"May the Words of my mouth and the medit...

When Littles are Loud:A routine that fosters growth, reduces chaos & whining, Episode 19.

Resources for Today's episode:
Today's episode is PART 2 of a series, When Littles are Loud.  Here's the blog post that coincides with today's episode, here.  Each part of the series stands alone, so no need to start with part 1.
I hope you'll also listen to Part 1 Showing Love to Your Child from Toddler to Teen as an important part of your child's routine as well.
Here's the blog post Part 3, The Little Imitator Lives Here. Part 3 is only a blog post for now.
Also see Val's book, When Littles are Loud: Maximizing the Moments without Drowning in Chaos.  Or as an E-book, here.

 Reduce chaos, whining, & the “I’m bored” attitudes.Today just may provide some fresh solutions for your family! Help children feel safer and more confident about their days while giving moms less stress and chaos to deal with. THIS ROUTINE will reduce decision-making for mom and reduce mom’s role of making sure that children’s minds are occupied. It focuses on growing your child’s manners & people skills, their physical ability, and even the beginning stages of academic skills, and most importantly of all, today we’ll be talking about some ways to grow their knowledge of God and the Bible and how to get them in a lifelong habit of spending daily time wi

Send Val your encouragement and thoughts about the show.

Support the show

Visit Val's website: PracticallySpeakingMOM.com
Join Val's Facebook Group Intentional Mom, Strong Family
Follow Val on Instagram and her Facebook Public Page Practically Speaking MOM
We're on a mission to strengthen families.
Want to help cover some of the costs of the show? click here. A few dollars a month would help so much!
Here's some other ways to give:
Cash App: $valPSM
Paypal: [email protected]
Donate with a credit card HERE
All donations will be used for the ministry. Gifts are not tax deductible.
THANK YOU for partnering in this ministry to strengthen families and encourage intentional moms.
"May the Words of my mouth and the medit...

In this episode, Val asks her four youngest kids - Josh, Andrew, Abby, and Emma a question about choosing God's way over their way.  Then Val shares her 2020 goals for the six main areas of intentional motherhood and she encourages you to do the same.
Read Blog Post Here
Resources Mentioned:
Val's Book: Wearing All Your Hats without Wearing Out: Finding Focus for Your Family to be the Masterpiece God Intended       Ebook Click here

Episode 18, God's Ways Over Our Ways:
On my more tiring and hectic days of motherhood, I have described my day to my husband Rich, and said that I feel like a pinball being bounced from obstacle to problem to squabble between kids. Motherhood - I know it's not one giant pinball game, though it feels like it sometimes. While we're definitely going to have days like that, no matter how well-planned we might be, at the same time we don't want our mothering to only be reacting and bouncing from one issue to the next. Intentional motherhood means that we've got a long-term vision. We know where we're striving toward. We can see our goal in our mind, and we've set our feet on a particular path that leads to a particular place.

But, here's the thing, I don't want to be heading toward my own goals and agenda. I don't want my vision to have come from me. I want to be heading towards GOD's vision for my family. I believe that His ways are 

1. better than my ways 

2. bigger than I could have imagined

3. more blessed than my own ways could have been

Isaiah 55:8 Says,

Send Val your encouragement and thoughts about the show.

Support the show

Visit Val's website: PracticallySpeakingMOM.com
Join Val's Facebook Group Intentional Mom, Strong Family
Follow Val on Instagram and her Facebook Public Page Practically Speaking MOM
We're on a mission to strengthen families.
Want to help cover some of the costs of the show? click here. A few dollars a month would help so much!
Here's some other ways to give:
Cash App: $valPSM
Paypal: [email protected]
Donate with a credit card HERE
All donations will be used for the ministry. Gifts are not tax deductible.
THANK YOU for partnering in this ministry to strengthen families and encourage intentional moms.
"May the Words of my mouth and the medit...

Teach Your Kids Goal-Setting. Plus, Rich & Val on the Value of Dreaming & Goal-Setting in Marriage, Episode 17.
2020 brings 52 opportunities for you and I to get more intentional together every Monday on the Practically Speaking MOM podcast. The podcast for an Intentional Mom to build a Strong Family.
****Val's BLOG POST on GIVING YOUR KIDS THE GIFT OF GOAL-SETTING****
"Our kids need to know that SUCCESS IS IN THE JOURNEY AS MUCH AS IN THE END ACHIEVEMENT." Val Harrison, The Practically Speaking MOM

Three Steps to Teaching Your Kids the Success Habit of Goal Setting - Goal-setting and Goal-mapping Skills.
1. Pray over your goal-setting before, after, and during the process.
We want God to be our partner in life.  He knows us; he knows our circumstances; he knows our future.  He knows all of those things better than we do.  Having Him as our partner in all of these decisions and all o f these plans is so critical.  Ultimately we want His will.  We don't want our will.   He can do this so much better than we can.  I need him to direct my life and I want to teach my children to allow Him to direct their lives also.  We shouldn't expect that for their future behavior if we don't teach them how today. 
"His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. As far as the heavens are above the earth, so far are His thoughts above our thoughts and His ways above our ways."  Isaiah 55:8.
2. Teach them to WRITE DOWN their goals and place them around the house where they can see them regularly.
3. Include a TIMELINE for  achievable little steps as a roadmap to the big goal. If you only have the big end goal, it may stay too unattainable.  You and your kids need some little successes to celebrate along the way!

Quotes from the episode:
"Even if we never reach the end goal, we have succeeded by making progress." Val Harrison 

"It's bonding to set goals together, to map them out together, and to watch God do great things." Val Harris

Send Val your encouragement and thoughts about the show.

Support the show

Visit Val's website: PracticallySpeakingMOM.com
Join Val's Facebook Group Intentional Mom, Strong Family
Follow Val on Instagram and her Facebook Public Page Practically Speaking MOM
We're on a mission to strengthen families.
Want to help cover some of the costs of the show? click here. A few dollars a month would help so much!
Here's some other ways to give:
Cash App: $valPSM
Paypal: [email protected]
Donate with a credit card HERE
All donations will be used for the ministry. Gifts are not tax deductible.
THANK YOU for partnering in this ministry to strengthen families and encourage intentional moms.
"May the Words of my mouth and the medit...

 Let’s Not Waste This Moment; it’s the perfect time to do something very difficult but very good.  We’re going to look at our regrets for just a moment, but it is for a purpose.  The important purpose of growing. A powerful part of living well is taking time to reflect, even on the tough stuff, be willing to be honest with ourselves about the messes we may see and do what it takes to clean them up and grow from them!

See the full transcript and blog post by clicking here: https://www.practicallyspeakingmom.com/post/podcast-blog-ending-the-decade-well-let-s-not-waste-this-moment-it-s-the-perfect-time-to

Contact Val in her Facebook Group: Intentional Mom, Strong Family or through her website www.PracticallySpeakingMOM.com
If you found this podcast helpful, would you please consider leaving a review and sharing this with other moms who are seeking to be more intentional.

Send Val your encouragement and thoughts about the show.

Support the show

Visit Val's website: PracticallySpeakingMOM.com
Join Val's Facebook Group Intentional Mom, Strong Family
Follow Val on Instagram and her Facebook Public Page Practically Speaking MOM
We're on a mission to strengthen families.
Want to help cover some of the costs of the show? click here. A few dollars a month would help so much!
Here's some other ways to give:
Cash App: $valPSM
Paypal: [email protected]
Donate with a credit card HERE
All donations will be used for the ministry. Gifts are not tax deductible.
THANK YOU for partnering in this ministry to strengthen families and encourage intentional moms.
"May the Words of my mouth and the medit...

Christmas with Val's Friends. Plus, The Life of Saint Nicholas that Inspired some of Today's Most Popular Christmas Traditions, Episode 15.

Meet some of Val's friends and her daughters' friends who share quick thoughts about Christmas at their houses.

Plus, Val spends the last seven minutes of this episode sharing some of the inspiring history of the real Saint Nicolas and the heroic things he did that began many of today's popular Christmas traditions.  This would be a great episode to have your children listen to as well.  Let them learn about the true meaning of Christmas, the great Christian hero, Saint Nicholas who is the true origin of Santa Claus, the reason why Christ's birth is worth celebrating each year, and hear Val's heartfelt message to each of you, her beloved listeners and friends.

Resources
The Plan Bible
The Faith of St. Nick
The Legend of St. Nicolas: A Story of Christmas Giving
Recipes
Contact Val in her Facebook Group: Intentional Mom, Strong Family or through her website www.PracticallySpeakingMOM.com
If you found this podcast helpful, would you please consider leaving a review and sharing this with other moms who are seeking to be more intentional.

Send Val your encouragement and thoughts about the show.

Support the show

Visit Val's website: PracticallySpeakingMOM.com
Join Val's Facebook Group Intentional Mom, Strong Family
Follow Val on Instagram and her Facebook Public Page Practically Speaking MOM
We're on a mission to strengthen families.
Want to help cover some of the costs of the show? click here. A few dollars a month would help so much!
Here's some other ways to give:
Cash App: $valPSM
Paypal: [email protected]
Donate with a credit card HERE
All donations will be used for the ministry. Gifts are not tax deductible.
THANK YOU for partnering in this ministry to strengthen families and encourage intentional moms.
"May the Words of my mouth and the medit...

What if there was a SIMPLE PLAN for helping your child GROW in CHARACTER, WISDOM, HEALTH, and RELATIONSHIPS on a regular basis?  Here's your road map to more intentional parenting!

Luke 2:52 says, referring to when Jesus was a child, “And Jesus grew in WISDOM, STATURE, FAVOR with GOD, and FAVOR with MAN."  (NIV)     I’ve used this verse for many years to set goals twice a year regarding my kids in the following four categories: "Wisdom is the application of knowledge"     "Stature refers ro physical skill and health"           "Favor with Man means manners and relationships"       "Favor with God refers to a growing relationship with God"   
Read the corresponding BLOG POST by clicking HERE.
Val's "Raising a Luke 2:52" Resource:  Laminated Poster $7   OR  download $2

Send Val your encouragement and thoughts about the show.

Support the show

Visit Val's website: PracticallySpeakingMOM.com
Join Val's Facebook Group Intentional Mom, Strong Family
Follow Val on Instagram and her Facebook Public Page Practically Speaking MOM
We're on a mission to strengthen families.
Want to help cover some of the costs of the show? click here. A few dollars a month would help so much!
Here's some other ways to give:
Cash App: $valPSM
Paypal: [email protected]
Donate with a credit card HERE
All donations will be used for the ministry. Gifts are not tax deductible.
THANK YOU for partnering in this ministry to strengthen families and encourage intentional moms.
"May the Words of my mouth and the medit...