Raising Children Who Love God

For six weeks, I did something I’d never done on this show: I sat down with each of my six grown children and asked them to tell the truth about what it was really like to grow up in our home, the good, the hard, and the mistakes. What I heard changed me. And when I listened to all six conversations together, the same threads ran through every single one.

In this episode of Raising Children Who Love God, Dr. Rita pulls those threads out and lays them on the table for the mom still in the thick of it. Six completely different children, and the same handful of truths underneath all of them. Studies say two out of three kids raised in Christian homes walk away from the faith. By God’s grace, all six of hers love the Lord today. This is what made the difference, and what you can start doing in your home this week.

In this episode:

• Why faith has to stop being yours and become theirs, and how to prepare the ground for that moment
• The surprising reason her kids never experienced church as a burden
• Discipline children remember as love, not punishment
• Why even the “good,” well-behaved child may be carrying hidden weight
• How God sent the right people her kids needed, answered prayer, every time
• The one thing that held through every mistake: unconditional love and God-given purpose

It was never about being a perfect mother. It’s about a foundation that holds, even through the hard years. It’s not simple, but it can be done.

🦃 This Thanksgiving, disciple your kids through the season: the BIG Family Gratitude Challenge: a month-long journey through Scripture with coloring, mazes, and journaling. Get it at 4thisgeneration.com or the Amazon link in my bio.

New episodes every Tuesday. Follow so you never miss one.
Equipping moms. Discipling children. Impacting generation

Chapters

• 00:00 The Emotional Journey of Parenting
• 02:15 Understanding the Foundation of Faith
• 07:09 The Role of Tone in Faith
• 09:51 Discipline as Growth, Not Punishment
• 11:53 Recognizing Hidden Struggles
• 13:51 The Impact of External Influences
• 15:41 The Core Truths of Unconditional Love

Some of our children are born knowing exactly who they are, and it takes the rest of us a little while to catch up. That was my Yael.

In the final episode of our family interview series, I sit down with my fourthborn, Yael, strong-willed and brilliant from the time she was a toddler, working puzzles at three and praying on her own at four. She also carried chronic illness from the time she was a baby, with eight surgeries before she was six, and years of questions no doctor could answer, until, as an adult, she was finally diagnosed with autism, and so much of her life suddenly made sense.

This is a tender, honest conversation about raising a child who doesn’t fit the mold, and the grace it takes to let her be exactly who God made her. Yael opens up about growing up feeling different, the social pressure that overwhelmed her, and how she came to a place of real acceptance: “God accepts you, and now I have to accept myself.” And I confess the ways Yael, without ever knowing it, reshaped my own understanding of prayer, grace, and faith, including the Sunday morning God stopped me and asked what mattered more: the dress she wore, or whether she’d still want to go to church at twelve.

If you’re raising a neurodivergent child, or a child who doesn’t look like the others, this one is for you. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

In this episode:

• Yael’s story: strong-willed, gifted, and different from the very start
• Chronic illness, medical trauma, and a faith that held through all of it
• A late autism diagnosis, and the freedom of finally understanding herself
• Letting go of man-made rules to protect a child’s heart (the dress story)
• The night God corrected how I was praying over my daughter
• A word of hope for parents raising neurodivergent children in the faith
• Acceptance: “God accepts you, now I can accept myself”

This is the final episode of our family interview series, and what a gift it has been to open our family table to you these past weeks. No formula, no perfect family. Just the truth about a life led by God. It’s not simple, but it can be done.

🦃 This Thanksgiving, disciple your kids through the season: the BIG Family Gratitude Challenge is a month-long journey through Scripture, coloring, mazes, and journaling that builds grateful hearts. Get it at 4thisgeneration.com or the Amazon link in my bio.

New episodes every Tuesday. Follow so you never miss one.
Equipping moms. Discipling children. Impacting generations.

In this tender conversation, I sit down with my oldest daughter, Priscila, who came into our family at fourteen after the sudden loss of her mom, my dearest friend. Together we look back on the night everything changed, the promise I made at the hospital, and the years of discipleship that followed. We talk about helping a grown-up-too-soon teenager learn to be a child, the hard conversations that built her identity in Christ, and what it means to hold joy and grief at the same time. Priscila also shares honestly about drifting from church as a young adult, how God restored her faith and marriage, and the lessons she now carries into raising her own children. This is a story of God's faithfulness through every season.

Takeaways

• In seasons of loss, children need stability and adults who point them back to God.
• Discipleship starts with observing your child closely and praying for wisdom to know their heart.
• Joy and grief can live side by side, and God uses both to shape our character.
• Staying connected to a church family protects our faith when life gets hard.
• Trusting God with some areas of our lives isn't enough. He wants all of it.
• Parenting adult children takes a new kind of wisdom, knowing when to step in and when to wait.

Chapters

• 00:09 Welcome, Priscila
• 04:22 Meet Priscila
• 08:07 The Night Everything Changed
• 10:44 A Promise at the Hospital
• 14:34 How Her Mom Came to Jesus
• 17:09 Growing Up at the School
• 18:59 Learning to Be a Child Again
• 21:53 Hard Conversations That Built Identity
• 27:15 Holding Joy and Grief Together
• 29:33 A Teenager on Fire for God
• 31:02 Called to Christian College and Counseling
• 34:49 Stepping Away from Church
• 37:00 Finding a Church Home and Restoration
• 39:13 Leaning on Our Own Understanding
• 41:41 Expectations That Weigh Women Down
• 45:10 Learning to Parent an Adult Child
• 46:23 Grandchildren, Gratitude, and Goodbye

There's something truly lovely about sitting across from a daughter who carries your own name. This week, I get to do exactly that.

In this heartfelt conversation, I sit down with my daughter Rita Mar, and we talk about the things that get passed down in a family- not the stuff, but the character. We reflect on our journey together, the challenges and the joys of motherhood, and the legacy of love and generosity that has moved through our family across the generations.

Rita Mar and I get honest about what it really means to parent on purpose and how the everyday, intentional choices shape a child's character long before they can name what's happening. We share personal stories about generosity as a way of life, the growth that comes through hard decisions, and why none of us were ever meant to walk out our faith alone; we need community.

In this episode:

• How intentional parenting quietly shapes who a child becomes
• Generosity as a family legacy, and how it builds character
• The personal stories behind our family's values
• Making faith-rooted choices in the real decisions of life
• Why community is essential to a growing faith

No formula, no perfect family, just a mother and daughter telling the truth about love, faith, and what we hope keeps getting handed down. It's not simple, but it can be done.

🦃 This Thanksgiving, disciple your kids through the season: the BIG Family Gratitude Challenge is a month-long journey through Scripture: coloring, mazes, and journaling that build grateful hearts. Get it at 4thisgeneration.com or the Amazon link in my bio.

New episodes every Tuesday. Follow so you never miss one.

Equipping moms. Discipling children. Impacting generations.

Chapters

• 00:00 A Journey of Motherhood and Growth
• 12:01 The Impact of Family Legacy
• 23:56 Generosity and Faith in Action
• 26:51 Acts of Generosity and Character Building
• 30:03 Navigating Life Decisions and Values
• 36:55 Spiritual Journey and Faith Choices
• 46:12 The Role of Community in Faith
• 49:44 Parenting with Intentionality and Faith

Some children come to us through our bodies, and some come to us through God's perfect planning. Ariel came to us at one year old, and from the very beginning, this boy has astounded us with a faith like no other.

In this week's family interview, I sit down with my youngest, Ariel, and we talk about all of it: a little bit of his adoption story, the remarkable faith he's carried since he was small, and the winding, God-guided road of figuring out who he is and what he's called to do. If you've been with me a while, you'll remember Ariel as the little boy on the parachute in Cabo who told me he had no problem trusting God; it was his daddy he wasn't so sure of. That's Ariel. Bold, funny, and sure of the Lord.

We talk about growing up in our home, the influence of his siblings and our church, and how faith shaped his identity and every major decision, including the twists and turns of career and marriage that only made sense looking back, once you could see God's hand in them.

In this episode:

• Ariel's adoption story and the faith he's had since he was little
• How family, siblings, and church shaped who he became
• Raising a child with ADHD
• Discovering his gifts and calling: the God-guided, unexpected path
• Faith and identity: letting God, not fear, lead the big decisions
• Trusting God's timing when the plan doesn't look like you thought it would

There is no formula here, just a mother and her son, telling the truth about a life led by God. It's not simple, but it can be done.

🦃 This Thanksgiving, disciple your kids through the season: the BIG Family Gratitude Challenge is a month-long journey through Scripture: coloring, mazes, and journaling that build grateful hearts. Get it at 4thisgeneration.com or the Amazon link in my bio.

New episodes every Tuesday. Follow so you never miss one.
Equipping moms. Discipling children. Impacting generations.

The conversation between Dr. Rita M. Hernandez and her daughter Victoria covers the joy and laughter Victoria brought to their lives, the surprise of her arrival, the impact of growing up in a Christian family, and the intentional approach to discipline and character building. The conversation covers Vic's upbringing in a Christian home, his faith journey, and the transfer of family traditions to his own home. It also delves into a significant health scare and the impact of these experiences on his faith and parenting style.

Takeaways

• Joy and laughter in the family
• The intentional approach to discipline and character building Family traditions and faith played a significant role in Vic's upbringing and continue to influence his parenting style.
• Vic's health scare and his encounter with God had a profound impact on his faith journey and relationship with God.

Chapters

• 00:00 The Joy and Laughter Victoria Brought
• 18:18 The Surprise of Victoria's Arrival
• 26:43 Growing Up in a Christian Family
• 32:39 Intentional Approach to Discipline and Character Building
• 36:21 Upbringing in a Christian Home
• 38:27 Journey Towards Surrender to Jesus
• 43:16 Encounter with God and Health Scare
• 57:36 Parenting and Family Traditions

Summary

In this episode, I interview my son Leon about his faith journey. He is a worship pastor at Saddleback Church, and he shares insights on growing up in a Christian home, overcoming doubts, and embracing God's call. Discover how intentional parenting, spiritual experiences, and God's faithfulness shaped his path.

Key topics

Leon’s childhood and growing up in a Christian home

His spiritual doubts and journey to faith

The role of parents and spiritual mentors

Experiences that deepened his faith, including international trips

The importance of intentional discipleship and prayer

His calling to ministry and becoming a worship pastor

The impact of spiritual experiences and community

Lessons learned about faith and character development

Sound bites

"God’s faithfulness through every season"

"My faith journey was a rollercoaster"

"God used community to shape my faith"

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Leon and his faith background

00:04 Growing up in a Christian home and early memories

00:31 Spiritual warfare and childhood experiences

02:55 Leon’s doubts and struggles with faith during adolescence

03:01 His journey to accepting Jesus and baptism

03:34 The role of family and church in his faith development

03:47 International trips and spiritual growth in Australia and London

03:51 His calling to ministry and the process of becoming a pastor

03:54 The importance of prayer and community influences

03:58 Overcoming pride and internal struggles

04:07 God’s faithfulness and the journey of character building

04:12 Passing faith to the next generation and discipling children

Science recently spent decades trying to prove something the Bible said all along: older women are not meant to fade into the background, they're essential. In this episode of Raising Children Who Love God, Dr. Rita explores the "Grandmother Hypothesis" and the deep, biblical treasure of accumulated years, and sets the stage for something she's never done on the show before.

You'll hear the fascinating research from anthropologist Kristen Hawkes and the Hadza people of Tanzania, where grandmothers proved vital to their families' survival, and why God designed this hand-off of wisdom from the older generation to the younger (Titus 2). Dr. Rita shares her own four-generation story: a grandmother who lived to 97, a mother who is 82, and the wisdom she's still gleaning today. And she offers real hope to the woman who never had a mother or grandmother, because our God is a family-maker who can send the very person you need.

In this episode:

• The Grandmother Hypothesis: how science confirms the value of accumulated years
• Why wisdom is accumulated, not downloaded, and why your mistakes are never wasted
• Learning first from the Word of God, unabridged, not the "itching ears" version (2 Timothy 4:3)
• God's design for older women to pour into younger ones (Titus 2)
• Hope for the mom who never had a mother or grandmother; God can fill that void
• A look ahead: a six-part series interviewing Dr. Rita's grown children, starting next week

Scriptures: 2 Timothy 4:3 • Titus 2:3–5 • Psalm 92:14

The treasure was never in having arrived, it's in the years, and a teachable heart. It's not simple, but it can be done.

Free gift: Download ROOTED: 7 Scriptures Your Child Needs to Know The Word-first foundation everything in this episode is built on. (Comment or text ROOTED, or visit 4thisgeneration.com.)

New episodes every Tuesday. Follow so you never miss one; the family interviews start next week.

Equipping moms. Discipling children. Impacting generations.

Discipling your children doesn't only happen in the scheduled family devotional; it happens in the car, at the sink, in the checkout line, and on vacation. In this episode of Raising Children Who Love God, Dr. Rita shares how to weave God into the ordinary moments of everyday family life, straight out of Deuteronomy 6.

From a grandmother who asks God where her keys are, to a little prayer framed on a childhood bedroom wall, to Scripture painted around the borders of her kids' rooms.

Dr. Rita shows how the smallest everyday habits plant faith that lasts a lifetime. And she tells the now-famous family story of her youngest son, Ariel, a terrified little boy talked into parasailing in Cabo, and the hilarious, heart-melting thing he said on the way back to shore that revealed a faith deeper than anyone knew.

In this episode:

• Why most discipleship happens in the unscheduled moment, not the planned one (Deuteronomy 6:6–9)
• How to make God a natural part of ordinary conversation, the good days and the hard ones
• "When you rise": the power of putting God's Word where your children can't help but see it
• "Write them on your doorposts": a simple idea for surrounding your kids with Scripture at home
• The Cabo parasailing story, and what it taught Dr. Rita about seizing everyday moments
• Why you don't need a curriculum to disciple your children, you need a conversation

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:6–9

Put God in the everyday, and don't be surprised by what He lets you discover in your children's hearts. It's not simple, but it can be done.

🌱 Free gift: Download ROOTED: 7 Scriptures Your Child Needs to Know. A simple way to "write them on your doorposts" and put God's Word in front of your children every day.

visit 4thisgeneration.com

New episodes every Tuesday. Follow so you never miss one.
Equipping moms. Discipling children. Impacting generations.

No two children come to God the same way. If you have more than one child, you already know it in your gut — one talks your ear off while you coax three words from the other; one feels everything, the other shrugs and moves on. So why do we keep trying to disciple them all the same way?

In this episode of Raising Children Who Love God, Dr. Rita unpacks one of the most freeing truths in Christian parenting: God didn't make your children the same, so you're not meant to reach them the same. Rooted in Proverbs 22:6 — training a child according to his bent — she walks through the different ways children come to faith, the mother's real job (getting to know each one), and the three non-negotiables every child needs, no matter their design.

In this episode:

• Why one-size-fits-all discipleship isn't a failure — it's a mismatch with how God made your child
• The difference between a label you impose and a bent God wove in (Proverbs 22:6)
• Five ways children come to God: the reflector, the matter-of-fact believer, the questioner, the feeler, and the doer
• Your real job: getting to know each child — and why you must stop comparing
• The three non-negotiables every child needs: knowing God, anchoring on His Word, and building a prayer life
• Same destination, different roads: freedom in the how, firmness in the what
• Praying for wisdom for the specific child in front of you (James 1:5)

Scriptures: Psalm 139:13–14 • Proverbs 22:6 • James 1:5

Get to know the child God actually gave you. It's not simple, but it can be done.

🌱 Free gift: Download ROOTED: 7 Scriptures Your Child Needs to Know.

The same foundation for every child, and each one will make it their own. (Comment or text ROOTED, or visit 4thisgeneration.com.)

New episodes every Tuesday. Follow so you never miss one.
Equipping moms. Discipling children. Impacting generations.