In this episode of Raising Fatherless Kids, Lori shares a powerful promise from the Word of God specifically for children growing up without an earthly father. Drawing from Proverbs 23:10–11, Lori reminds moms that God has not forgotten their children—He personally defends the field of the fatherless.

With warmth and wisdom, Lori explains the significance of ancient boundary stones and fields and what they represent today: identity, protection, provision, and purpose. This timeless truth offers encouragement as families begin a new school year—God will fight for your children, and no plan of the enemy can prevail against His promises.

Key Takeaways:

• Practical teaching and application of God's promises to defend the fatherless

• Guidance for single moms teaching this promise to fatherless children

• Family Devotion Tip
  

Scripture Focus: “Do not move the ancient boundary or go into the fields of the fatherless, for their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their case against you.” – Proverbs 23:10–11

Connect with Perspective Ministries: https://perspectiveministries.org

As the school year begins, it is the perfect time to pause and reflect on the words we speak over our children—and ourselves. In this episode, Lori shares a powerful parenting tip that helped shape the way she encouraged and corrected her children as a young mom raising eight kids.

You will be challenged to reframe phrases like “good girl” or “bad boy” and instead use language that separates identity from behavior. Lori also explores how deeply rooted identity is—in Christ, not in performance—and how this truth brings freedom, hope, and healing.

Whether you are parenting toddlers or teenagers, this episode will inspire you to choose words that build up, affirm truth, and point your children to their value in God's eyes.

Key Takeaways:

• A simple but transformative shift in the way we praise and correct

• The difference between labeling behavior and labeling identity

• Why our identity in Christ is secure, no matter our mistakes or circumstances

• Encouragement for moms to speak truth over themselves
  

Resources Mentioned:

• Lullaby Albums by Christy Nockels: Be Held: Lullabies for the Beloved The King Who Never Sleeps: Anthems for Rest

Encouragement for Moms:

"You are not defined by what you do or do not do. Your identity is rooted in Christ, and that is unchanging—even on the hard days."

For more information and helpful resources, check our website, PerspectiveMinistries.org & follow us on Instagram @PerspectiveMinistries.

What happens when your faith begins to unravel? When the solid ground beneath you suddenly shifts? In this powerful conversation, Lori welcomes author and chaplain Catherine McNeil to discuss her latest book, Mid-Faith Crisis, co-written with Jason Hague. Drawing from personal experience and spiritual insight, Catherine gently guides listeners through the stages of faith and reminds us that even in the darkest valleys, God is near.

Key Takeaways:

• The four stages of faith: Inherited, Confident, Mid-Faith Crisis, and Conscious Faith

• How to help children navigate their own crisis of faith, especially when walking through grief

• Encouragement for moms whose teens or adult children are wrestling with doubt or walking away from church

• Insights on church hurt, forgiveness, and rediscovering community

• What matters most at the end of life—and how to live with a legacy of love today

Recommended Resources:

• Mid-Faith Crisis: Finding a Path Through Doubt, Disillusionment, and Dead Ends by Catherine McNeil and Jason Hague

• Nothing is Wasted podcast episode featuring Katherine and Jason

Catherine McNeil is a chaplain, author, and speaker passionate about discovering God’s redemptive work in ordinary life. She lives near Chicago with her husband, three children, and a thriving garden. Catherine is the author of several books, including Mid-Faith Crisis, and was the project editor for The Message Women’s Devotional Bible. She holds an MA in human service counseling and is completing her Master of Divinity at North Park Theological Seminary.

Follow her for more encouraging reflections on faith, gardening, and chaplaincy life:

https://www.facebook.com/catherine.mcniel

https://www.instagram.com/catherinemcniel/

https://www.threads.com/@catherinemcniel

For more information and helpful resources, check our website, PerspectiveMinistries.org & follow us on Instagram @PerspectiveMinistries.

In this heartfelt episode, Lori encourages single and widowed moms navigating the heat of summer—and the heat of life—to do hard things. Through personal stories, from childbirth to cutting the grass after her husband's death, Lori shares how God used difficult moments to shape her, strengthen her, and reveal His presence in the midst of pain. Whether you are embracing a new reality after loss or facing daily challenges of single parenting, this episode reminds you that you are not alone—and there is purpose in the hard things.

Key Takeaways:

• Your perspective shapes your experience.

• God speaks in pain.

• Practical Encouragement to do hard things

Next Week’s Guest: Catherine McNeil, discussing her newest book and the concept of a mid-faith crisis.

Connect: If this episode encouraged you, please consider leaving a review. Questions or topic suggestions? Email: [email protected] Learn more at www.perspectiveministries.org

In this heartfelt episode, Lori welcomes long-time friend Stacie Kersey to share her powerful story of contentment in singleness and how God led her to adopt two daughters later in life. Stacey offers encouragement for women navigating unexpected seasons, including singleness, loneliness, and motherhood without a husband.

Raised in a conservative Christian home, Stacey was deeply influenced by the legacy of her godly grandmother. She shares how her relationship with Jesus became real after college and how God has faithfully guided every chapter of her life, even when it looked very different from what she imagined.

Now in her sixties, Stacey reflects on the joys and challenges of singleness, the beauty of spiritual motherhood, and how God used a small act of obedience years earlier to prepare her heart and home for adoption. Her journey reminds us that God sees, God knows, and He always goes before us.

• Contentment is possible: Singleness is not second best. Stacie shares how God gave her peace and purpose in remaining single.

• God sees and prepares: Stacie talks about God’s faithfulness in connecting her, a woman without children, with daughters who needed a mother’s love.

• Loneliness is real — but so is God's presence.

Scripture Highlight:

“The Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord gives grace and glory. No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” — Psalm 84:11

Key Takeaways:
For more information and helpful resources, check our website, PerspectiveMinistries.org and follow us on Instagram @PerspectiveMinistries.

In this heartfelt episode, Lori gently guides mothers through one of the hardest truths to navigate as parents: how to teach their children that God is good, even when life feels anything but. Drawing from personal experience and Scripture, Lori shares practical wisdom for walking with your children through seasons of suffering, loss, and deep questions about God's character.

Key Takeaways:

• Helping children with their crisis of faith at a young age. 

• Gentle advice for when children express anger at God or doubt His love

• Creative ways to reinforce trust in God through music, testimony, and everyday gratitude

• Practical steps to lay a foundation of God's Character vs life’s circumstances

Resources and Related Episodes:

• How a Mom Can Help Her Angry, Grieving Daughter Podcast Episode 69 with Erica and Jennifer Bolding

• Talking with Your Child About Anger Podcast Episode 71

Music:

• You’re Gonna Be Okay - Bethel Music

• Into the Sea - Tasha Layton
  

Subscribe to Raising Fatherless Kids and share this episode with a friend walking through hard questions about God's goodness.

Connect with Perspective Ministries: https://perspectiveministries.org

In this timely episode of Raising Fatherless Kids, Lori sits down with Dr. Leonard Sax—author, psychologist, and family physician—for a conversation every mom needs to hear. Drawing from his book Why Gender Matters, Dr. Sax presents groundbreaking research on the biological differences between boys and girls and how those truths can guide moms as they respond to children experiencing gender confusion.

This episode equips single and widowed mothers with wisdom, scientific insight, and biblical truth to lovingly and confidently affirm the identity God has given their children.

Key Topics:

• Stanford's research on male and female brain structure

• How to respond when your child questions their gender

• Biblical perspective on male and female identity (Genesis 1:27)
  

Resources:

Related Podcast:

• Intentional Mothering: Parenting Insights with Dr. Leonard Sax (Part One) Podcast Episode 170

Books and Articles by Dr. Leonard Sax:

• Why Gender Matters

• The Collapse of Parenting

• How Common is Intersex?

• How Common Is Intersex? And Why Does It Matter?

Subscribe to Raising Fatherless Kids and share this episode with a friend walking through hard questions about God's goodness.

Connect with Perspective Ministries: https://perspectiveministries.org

In this thought-provoking second part of the conversation with Dr. Leonard Sax, Lori Apon dives deeper into important challenges facing single and widowed moms raising children without fathers: overdiagnosis, unnecessary medication, and the critical role of sleep and structure.

Dr. Sax, a renowned family physician, psychologist, and author of The Collapse of Parenting, Boys Adrift, and Girls on the Edge, sheds light on cultural trends in the United States that lead to children—especially boys—being quickly labeled and medicated for behavior that may actually stem from poor sleep or lack of structure.

Lori and Dr. Sax explore:

• Why ADHD is often misdiagnosed in American children, and the alarming trend of prescribing medication as a first resort
  

• Why developing self-control in children is more predictive of success than school grades
  

• The vital distinction between normal behavior and behavior influenced by grief
  

Dr. Sax offers practical advice and encouragement to moms, emphasizing that children thrive when parents provide clear rules, consistent boundaries, and compassionate leadership.

• The Collapse of Parenting – Dr. Leonard Sax
  

• Boys Adrift – Dr. Leonard Sax
  

• Girls on the Edge:  Why So Many Girls Are Anxious, Wired, and Obsessed and What Parents Can Do – Dr. Leonard Sax
  

• Episode Part One: The Collapse of Parenting – Why Authority Matters
  

Helpful Resources:For more information and helpful resources, check our website, PerspectiveMinistries.org & follow us on Instagram @PerspectiveMinistries.

In this powerful first part of a multi-episode series, Lori Apon sits down with renowned author and family physician Dr. Leonard Sax to discuss the essential role of parental authority, intentionality, and connection in the lives of children, especially for single and widowed mothers. Drawing from his book The Collapse of Parenting, Dr. Sax challenges cultural trends and encourages moms to reclaim their God-given leadership in the home.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Why children need parental attachment over peer attachment
  

• The medicalization of misbehavior and the overuse of psychiatric labels
  

• A biblicalBiblical Perspective on Proverbs 22:6 and Deuteronomy 6
  

Notable Quotes:

“Parenting only works if parents exercise authority.” – Dr. Leonard Sax “You’ve greatly improved the odds if you train up your child in the way they should go.” “Chisel these words into the hearts of your children.” (Deuteronomy 6:7)

Other Resources:

The Collapse of Parenting by Dr. Leonard Sax

Why Gender Matters by Dr. Leonard Sax (to be featured in a future episode)

Time Around the Table Podcast Episode 100 with Christina Brummel and Kayla Whittinghill

For more information and helpful resources, check our website, PerspectiveMinistries.org & follow us on Instagram @PerspectiveMinistries.

When a child loses their father, the question “Where’s Daddy?” can come at any time—and for a grieving mom, answering it can feel emotional and more challenging than the simple question asked. In this episode of Raising Fatherless Kids, we talk about how to navigate this tender moment with grace, wisdom, and biblical truth.

If you are a mom navigating deep grief while helping your child understand the loss of their father, this conversation offers biblical guidance and emotional support to remind you that you are not alone. God is near. He is a Father to the fatherless and will equip you in every hard moment.

You will learn:

• Why this question is often repeated, and how to prepare your heart to respond compassionately.
  

• How to communicate with young children about death.
  

• How to talk about heaven in a way a young heart can understand.
  

• What to do if your child’s father died by suicide or violence.
  

• How to share the hope of the gospel without oversimplifying eternal truths.

Other Resources:

Someday Heaven by Larry Libby

Hope Comes to Stay by Clarissa Moll

Helping Children Grieving Loss by Suicide Podcast Episode 129 with Lori Apon

For more information and helpful resources, check our website, PerspectiveMinistries.org & follow us on Instagram @PerspectiveMinistries.