Hello friends and happy new year! This is the first episode of 2025 and it is a wonderful one. Before we get to it though, I want to be sure to remind you to pre-order my upcoming book, It's Time to Talk to Your Kids About Porn: A Parent's Guide to Helping Children and Teens Develop Sexual Integrity. You can place your pre-order here . When you pre-order, you won’t pay until the book is sent to you,, you’ll get the lowest price on the book, and best of all, you’ll be helping get this book and it’s vitally important message out into the world! Pre-orders really can do that. The book will release on March 4th, so please get those preorders in today!| 

Now about today’s episode. 

I loved talking with my friend, Sue Lee, or Madame Lee, as her French students call her. Sue is a real life friend of mine, a home schooling mom to 3 and a home school French teacher to students all over the US. She is wise and funny, smart and cultured, motivational and kind. She’s just great! 

Sue shares her story of learning 4 languages, and ultimately landing on French as her absolute favorite. She also shares why she believes it is so important for everyone to learn a new language and how doing so opens up worlds of culture, art, food and culture. You will come away from this episode inspired to learn French alongside your kids with Sue’s new course, French Feast with Madame Lee. I know you’ll love this episode! Find all the info about Sue and her courses below. 

Where to find Madame Lee: 

On her website here 

On Instagram here 

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

Find French Feast here 

Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry here 

The Greta Eskridge Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Hello friends and Happy New Year! Or happy New Years Eve, depending on when you listen to this. Whenever it is, I am so glad you are here. Thank you for being a part of my community in 2024 and I pray you continue in 2025. 

For this last episode of the year I decided to do a Q & A. It was a lot of fun! And I promise that if I didn’t get to your question this time, I will in the future since I am going to be adding these to my podcast line up every month or so. Thank you for sending in such great questions. You make my job easy! 

And this is your last reminder of 2024 to you to grab your copy of my upcoming book, It's Time to Talk to Your Kids About Porn: a Parent’s Guide to Helping Children and Teens Develop Sexual Integrity. If you pre-order now you’ll get it as soon as it releases, won’t get charged until the book ships, and your orders get the book out into more book stores and retailers. It truly helps more people see this book and get the message they need so much! Pre order info below! 

I am already looking forward to all that 2025 holds and I can’t wait to share it with you. 

God bless you! 

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

Pre-order your copy of It’s Time to Talk to Your Kids About Porn here 

The Greta Eskridge Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Merry Christmas all! Whether you are up late wrapping presents, up early making breakfast, or on a long drive to visit family and friends, I am glad to spend a little bit of Christmas with you. 

In this episode I am so excited to share one of our family’s favorite Christmas stories with you. It is a true story from WWI, and happened on Christmas eve and Christmas day in 1914. There are numerous places where you can read about the real life event. There are even pictures, taken by soldiers who were there experiencing it. 

This is a heartwarming tale and I hope it fills your heart with hope. And that it will remind you that even in the darkest times, the light still shines!  

God bless you all. 

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

Get your copy of Shooting at the Stars here 

Read more about the Christmas truce of 1914 here 

See pictures and watch a video about the Christmas truce of 1914 here 

See James and Lilly’s original coloring sheets here 

In this episode I got to talk with the wonderful Lyndsey Mimnagh of Treehouse Schoolhouse. Lyndsey and I talk for a bit about home schooling and then we get to the heart of the episode, celebrating Christmas with our families in meaningful and intentional ways. This episode is full of inspiration and ideas, but also there is a lot of grace for the mom who might feel overwhelmed by Christmas when she’s in a tough season. Lindsey offers fun and creative ideas, but she’s also great at providing simple and practical ways for any family to have fun at Christmas. 

There are so many ideas for Christmas this year and next. I came away inspired and I bet you will too. 

Where to find Lyndsey: 

Find Lyndsey on her website here 

Find Lyndsey on Instagram here 

Find Lyndsey on You tube here 

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

Get 15% off all products from the Treehouse Schoolhouse shop here  

*Use the code GRETAESKRIDGE15 

Find Greta’s cinnamon roll recipe here 

Find The Legend of the Candy Cane book here 

Find An Orange for Frankie book here 

Find The Christmas Miracle of Jonathon Toomey here 

Find the “Favorite Things” party details here 

Find the “If You’re Sad at Christmas” post here 

Some of my favorite quotes from this episode: 

“We need to see something pretty that helps us strive toward something and at the same time we need to know how to do it. I want to be a place that provides both.” Lyndsey Mimnagh 

“We can see who God has designed our children to be when they play.” Lyndsey Mimnagh 

“School doesn’t have to be in a classroom. School doesn’t even need to be in a home. School can be outside!” Lyndsey Mimnagh 

“If you missed the start date of advent, you can start on whatever day of December you’re on! This is the freedom we need as we celebrate Christmas.” Greta Eskridge 

“Wherever you are at this moment in December, it’s OK to say, I am going to put some of these ideas into practice this week. It’s not too late!” Greta Eskridge  

“If you are in a season where it feels heavy and hard, and you have circumstances that don’t lend themselves to doing all the Christmas things, that is OK. But also, if you are in a season where you can, or you are a person who finds doing all the crafts and Christmas activities life giving, that is OK too. We can be in both places at different times.” Greta Eskridge 

“What kids want and need is a calm and peaceful mom.” Lyndsey Mimnagh 

“Even if I want to be the Pinterest Christmas mom, if that comes at the expense of my peace, then it is not worth it for me.” Lyndsey Mimnagh 

“You have the freedom to do as much or as little as you can mange this Christmas because the focus of Christmas is Jesus and that is what we want to bring our kids back to over and over again.” Greta Eskridge 

The Greta Eskridge Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org 

Don’t forget to pre-order my new book, It’s Time to Talk to Your Kids About Porn: A Parent’s Guide to Helping Children and Teens Develop Sexual Integrity. This is the book you need to give you all the tips and tools for keeping your kids safe from the danger and damage pornography can cause. And most importantly, this book will help you feel confident and comfortable having some of the most challenging conversations with your kids. Pre-order it today, right here! 

What a perfect time to talk to my friend Alyssa Bethke about her new book, When Doing it All is Undoing You: Meeting God in Your Unmet Expectations. The Christmas season feels so full of to-do lists and activities and many, many expectations that are impossible for us to meet and that leaves us feeling like we’re letting down others and often feel let down ourselves. Alyssa shares her own journey of coming to a place of being undone and what it looked like to draw near to Jesus and His care for her when she began to tend her heart. 

We also talk about the importance of travel, having novelty and wonder in our lives, and peeing in the woods! So take a deep breath and settle in to be encouraged by this episode. I know you’ll come away from this episode feeling refreshed. 

Where to find Alyssa: 

Find her and her husband Jeff’s website here 

Find Alyssa on Instagram here 

Find Alyssa’s book here 

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

Matt 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

Ann Voskcamp’s gratitude journal here 

Some of my favorite quotes from this episode: 

“When I go for my walks, I try to notice one thing that is different or new. It helps me be less distracted and more present, to put away my phone and to ask myself what do I see and what do I feel?” Alyssa Bethke 

“Being an observant person, a curious person, a person who finds joy in your every day are powerful and important things to make a part of our everyday life.” Greta Eskridge 

“I felt like it was my responsibility to make sure everyone around me was OK.” Alyssa Bethke 

“I think you need a season of caring for your heart.” Alyssa Bethke 

“The goal of life is not to be free of pain but to be more and more intimate with the Lord, and letting Him see us through the pain rather than keep us from the pain.” Alyssa Bethke 

“It’s OK to come undone and come to the end of ourselves because that is where God does His best work in our lives.” Alyssa Bethke 

“I wanted to live in my ideal life not my reality, but when we are honest with God He will meet us in our reality.” Alyssa Bethke 

“God always meets us with such grace and kindness. It’s His kindness that leads us to repentance.” Alyssa Bethke 

“We have to ask ourselves, ‘who or what are we doing all this for? What is my legacy? What do I want to leave behind?’” Greta Eskridge 

“Every day I go for a 30 minute walk, without my phone, and I’m going to talk to God. And I ask myself, ‘where have I felt God’s presence and where have I not felt God’s presence’? This was such a time for me to tend to my heart and commune with Jesus.” Alyssa Bethke 

“The world is telling you all these things you need to be and do and that is going to leave you disappointed. But instead, by tending your heart and going to Jesus you’re going to find the antidote to that anxiety and stress and disappointment.” Greta Eskridge 

“There is always wonder to behold so go on a wonder hunt!” Alyssa Bethke 

The Greta Eskridge Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Where to Find Corrie: 

Find her website here 

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

Find Corrie Ten Boom’s book, The Hiding Place here 

Find out about visiting Corrie’s grave here 

Read about when Davy and I visited Corrie Ten Boom’s grave here 

Find the graphic novel Corrie ten Boom’ story here 

Find Good Book Mom’s reviews and book lists here 

Find the Christmas Mice book here 

Find the Promises Made, Promises Kept book here 

Find the Manger in Danger book here 

Find the A Wonderous Mystery book here 

Find the Little Pilgrims Progress book here 

Find the Little Christmas Carol book here 

Find The Best News of All book here 

Find the Shooting Stars book here 

Happy Thanksgiving my friends! I am delighted to share a Thanksgiving tradition I’ve had for the past 6 years with you today. Every year the day or 2 before Thanksgiving I share a post I wrote years ago detailing a Thanksgiving misadventure I had with my kiddos that involved an overturned Trader Joe’s grocery cart and myself and two of my kids sitting in the middle of the grocery aisle crying. 

It was rough. 

And it felt so symbolic of the weary season of motherhood I was in at the time. I wrote the piece to remember that moment, but even more to remember that weariness. I don’t ever want to be smug towards a mom of littles who is stretched so thin and just needs to be seen and heard. 

So this essay is for you if you are in that season now, or if you need to remember it. I am with you in both those places. 

I hope you enjoy hearing me read it! 

And if you’d like to read it yourself, you’ll find it right here. 

Thanks for listening and sharing! 

The Greta Eskridge Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

I truly loved this conversation with my long time internet friend, Elizabeth Ensor. Elizabeth is so inspiring to me. She is intentional in her role as a wife, mother, home educator, a creative and as a woman. She wants to make the most and the best with what she has, and she is doing it! In this episode Elizabeth shares with us about the guide she created to glean wisdom from mothers farther along the path than we are. After Elizabeth’s mom passed away, Elizabeth missed being able to talk to her mom with questions and really she had a yearning for godly wisdom from seasoned mothers. So she made what she was looking for! Learn all about this resource she made. She tells us more in today’s episode. 

Where to find Elizabeth: 

Find her website here 

Find her Seasoned Moms guide here 

Find her on Instagram here 

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

Find the Seasoned Moms Interview Guide here 

Some favorite quotes from this episode: 

“My mom was always right there and very intentional about what we did.” Elizabeth Ensor 

“Her approach to motherhood and life has inspired me and every good part of me is from her!” Elizabeth Ensor 

“There is this idea in the business world, this 3 percent rule that if you invest back into yourself, you set money aside, then you are going to grow as a person and a leader. So even as a mom and home educator, we may not be bringing in a lot, but our emotional health and wisdom runs the home.” Elizabeth Ensor 

“Every seasoned mom just tells me to enjoy it. Enjoy your kids.” Elizabeth Ensor 

“Wisdom is mentioned in the Bible over 200 times and we are commanded to seek it.” Elizabeth Ensor 

“We need to have the humility to say, ‘I don’t have this all figured out and I need some help and wisdom from someone farther along than me and someone whose children I admire. Those are the people I want to learn from.” Greta Eskridge 

“The investment you make, not just in your children but in yourself as a mom, to raise your children well is valuable.” Greta Eskridge  

“Whatever season I am in, I want to fully enjoy it.” Greta Eskridge  

“We need to be heard in the moments when it’s hard and then we need to be reminded to really celebrate, even when it’s hard, because the seasons don’t last forever.” Greta Eskridge 

I am thrilled to introduce today’s guest to you. Barrett Johnson is the founder of a ministry called Imperfect Normal Families Only. Barrett is just like the title of his ministry, so real and so approachable. I loved talking with him. 

In this episode we talk about Barrett’s newest book, Disciple Them Like Jesus: Leading Your Kids the Way Christ Led the Twelve. We discussed what discipleship is and how we can disciple our kids. As a dad to 5 and grandparent to 8, Barrett is full of practical and Godly wisdom for raising our kids to know and love Jesus better. I found his book and our conversation so helpful. 

Please be sure to listen to the end of this episode as Barrett shares a current battle he’s facing and yet manages to encourage mightily. I’d be so grateful if you’d join me in praying for him. 

Resources: 

His website here 

His Instagram here 

His book here 

His courses here 

My new book here 

“We’re all imperfect, normal families and we serve a God who loves us that way!” Barrett Johnson 

“The Bible is full of principles, guidelines, directives and stories about what is important to God. And that is training people up to know who Jesus is and join Him on His big agenda to redeem humanity. The Great Commission says to ‘go and make disciples’.” Barret Johnson 

“If making disciples is important to God, why wouldn’t we be doing that in our homes?” Barrett Johnson 

“Discipleship fundamentally is learning to walk in the ways of Jesus and join Him in His plan. Live out Ephesians 5:1. Be imitators of God.” Barrett Johnson 

“Since our kids imitate us, we need to imitate God.” Greta Eskridge 

“When we walk with God, He helps us discern and see what is really going on in the heart of our child. Not just their behavior, but what is happening in their heart.” Barrett Johnson 

“We need to model to our kids how to pursue relationship with Christ.” Greta Eskridge 

“When your kid comes to you and confesses something you can say to him, ‘we’re going to run together to the arms of God’.” Barrett Johnson 

“Deeply connected relationships with our kids do not happen automatically or accidentally.” Greta Eskridge 

“I am finding joy and wonder in lots of little things that I would have neglected before my current circumstance. I am saying, ‘God, show me the good things in this day that you’ve given me.” Barrett Johnson  

The Greta Eskridge Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org

*Don’t forget to pre-order my new book, It’s Time to Talk to Your Kids About Porn: A Parent’s Guide to Helping Children and Teens Develop Sexual Integrity. You can get your copy here! 

And would you consider leaving this podcast a rating and writing a quick little review? A sentence or two would be so great and helpful. You can leave one here. 

Both of these things would be so helpful to me in spreading the word about my mission to help families create connection in a disconnected world. Join me! 

Today I am so excited to welcome homeschool grad and young author, the wonderful Millie Florence! This was my first time meeting Millie, but we share some friends and life experiences, so it felt like we were old friends right away. Millie has multiple middle grade novels out in the world, and her newest novel, Beyond Mulberry Glen comes out in January of 2025. I loved talking to Millie about this new book, about home schooling, about creativity, writing, publishing and more! I know you’ll love this conversation too. Enjoy! 

Where to find Millie: 

Her website here 

Her newest book here 

Her Instagram here 

Resources mentioned in this episode: 

Pre-order goodies here 

Brave Writer (a home school writing program) here 

Honey Butter (Millie’s first book) here 

Ingram Spark (self-publishing book distributor) here 

Waxwing Books (Millie’s publisher) here 

Some favorite quotes from this episode: 

“Home school is customizable.” Millie Florence 

“My mom wanted our home school to be directed by the things we delighted in.” Millie Florence 

“There was never a time in my life when I didn’t want to be a writer.” Millie Florence 

“You’re never going to be ready. You just have to do it.” Sarah Mackensie 

“Look at what you have and use that to the best of your ability.” Millie Florence