The Session with Tom Russell

The Session: Foster Care, with special guest, Sherry Bouquet, from Fostering Family Ministries

Thank you Greg & Sally Kibler for their monthly support!

Ps. 68:5-5  “A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation.  God sets the solitary in families; He bring out those who are bound into prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.”

 We don’t have a lot for you as far as notes this episode.  Our conversation with Sherry Bouquet was very free-flowing and off the cuff.  

The goal of Fostering Family Ministries is to get children to a place of permanence, hopefully back with their family.  But foster care and adoption are also very important and useful.

Fostering Family Ministries is headquartered in Ashland, Oh.  But they offer training and service across the state.  Please don’t hesitate to contact them if you need assistance or have any questions about fostering or adoption!

For more information about Fostering Family Ministries:

419-496-2507

Home | Fostering Family Ministries

A devotional podcast for parents on the go! Encouragement, Scripture, & prayer in just 7 minutes. Join the journey!

To reach Tom Russell, please call 419-709-8447, email Tom at [email protected], or visit his website at https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com

Click this link to purchase Tom’s devotional, “Seeing Yourself Through the Eyes of God: A Weekly Devotional for Improving Self-Esteem.”

The Session: What to Do When Your Teen Girl is Pregnant – Or, How to Parent When Your Teen Becomes a Parent

Book update

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Psalm 139:13 says, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.”

God made that baby and loves it. He has a plan for that child’s life.

From Focus on The Family 

Process your reaction: Take time to calm down so your initial shock, anger, or disappointment does not push your teen away.

Listen actively: Let your teenager share her fears and thoughts without immediate judgment, lecturing, or harsh criticism.

Reassure love: Remind her that she is cared for and that you are there to face the situation together. 

Your daughter desperately needs your love and support

Let her know that you’re ready, willing, and available to walk alongside her. 

It is important to help your daughter work through the decisions that she has in front of her It will be important to help her study her options.

Find Professional Christian Counseling 

They can help you set boundaries, establish expectations, and clarify the consequences of your daughter’s failure to abide by them.

How Scott & Shari handled consequences with their daughter…off praise team, no teaching.

It is important to remember that our God knew this baby and knit this baby together in its mother‘s womb.

Toms thoughts?

A devotional podcast for parents on the go! Encouragement, Scripture, & prayer in just 7 minutes. Join the journey!

To reach Tom Russell, please call 419-709-8447, email Tom at [email protected], or visit his website at https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com

Click this link to purchase Tom’s devotional, “Seeing Yourself Through the Eyes of God: A Weekly Devotional for Improving Self-Esteem.”

The Session: The Celebration of Success

That each of them may eat and drink and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. Ecclesiastes 3:13.

Why Your Brain Needs Celebration

• Dopamine release: Acknowledging milestones activates the brain’s reward system, which boosts your mood, attention, and drive.
• Momentum building: Tracking small achievements breaks down overwhelming, long-term goals into manageable steps.
• Burnout prevention: Skipping acknowledgments traps you in a chronic cycle of "what's next," which research links to exhaustion and disengagement. [1, 2, 3, 

Key Scientific Findings

• Motivation and Tracking: Research by Teresa Amabile from Harvard Business School shows that daily progress tracking significantly enhances overall motivation.
• Team Success: Studies by Dr. Gert-Jan Pepping indicate that teams who convincingly celebrate wins together have a higher probability of future success.
• Relationship Bonds: According to UC Santa Barbara psychology professor Shelly Gable, how partners respond to and celebrate each other's good news strongly predicts relationship strength and intimacy.

How to Practice It

• Pause and reflect: Deliberately stop to acknowledge the effort behind a finished task, rather than instantly rushing to the next project
• Praise progress: Focus on rewarding consistent hard work and growth instead of just innate talent.

Make it a habit: Keep a simple daily or weekly log of your minor victories to combat negativity bias. [1, 2, 3] 

A devotional podcast for parents on the go! Encouragement, Scripture, & prayer in just 7 minutes. Join the journey!

To reach Tom Russell, please call 419-709-8447, email Tom at [email protected], or visit his website at https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com

Click this link to purchase Tom’s devotional, “Seeing Yourself Through the Eyes of God: A Weekly Devotional for Improving Self-Esteem.”

The Session: The Pastoral Grind

Proverbs 4:23: "Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life"

Stress, loneliness and political division are the three items that rise to the surface.

56% of pastors say stress of the job is the biggest issue.

(43%) of Pastor, say “I feel lonely and isolated. 

Treatment

Pastors should have a leader outside of his church

• Pastors should have a small group that they attend with their spouse outside of the church they pastor. 
• Pastors should have a support group that they can be supported in. It should be a safe place where they can vent pray and be supported. If there isn’t one that you’re aware of then maybe start one and invite a number of other pastors to a luncheon to talk about. 

The following statistics are likely a result of not feeding themselves before the Lord. Without safe people to talk about how they feel it is very difficult.

• Only 26% of the pastors said they had regular devotions.

This is very important. So, in their spiritual bank account, they are running on a negative balance, because they are always withdrawing from that account without depositing in to it.

• 70% of pastors suffer from depression

Without close relationships or a support group it is difficult to share and open up. 

• 77% of pastors believe they are not in a good marriage. 50% of pastors end up in divorce

Pastors have to prioritize their marriages.  They have to be assertive with their church to get the time and space to do it  They are a role model to their people. 

• 40% of pastors have had an extra marital affair.

Hurting people turn to the pastor who is hurting which is when needs get met outside of marriage. 

• 70% of pastors only study the word when doing sermon prep.

They are not exercising their spiritual muscles. 

• 70% of pastors do not have close friends

There has to be a personal life.  (From Scott….should those friends be outside the church the Pastor serves in?) 

• 35% of Pastors struggle with from sexual sin

This leads to loneliness and divorce. 

As Rev. Dr. Glenn Packiam—author of The Resilient Pastor—writes in Barna’s The State of Your Church, “We need sages to advise us, leaders to direct us or hold us accountable, peers to remind us that we aren’t alone, healers to dress our wounds and companions who carry us when we can’t carry on.”

A devotional podcast for parents on the go! Encouragement, Scripture, & prayer in just 7 minutes. Join the journey!

To reach Tom Russell, please call 419-709-8447, email Tom at [email protected], or visit his website at https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com

Click this link to purchase Tom’s devotional, “Seeing Yourself Through the Eyes of God: A Weekly Devotional for Improving Self-Esteem.”

The Session:  Pastor Appreciation Month

1 Thessalonians 5:12–13 (NIV): “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.”

Pick a different strategy for the week. Do it every day of the week. Do this for the entire month of October.

1 Thessalonians 5:12–13 (NIV): “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.” 

Here are some ways to bless pastors during pastor Appreciation Month

Pastor Appreciation Month:

• Pray: Pray for your pastor's spiritual vitality, protection from Satan, and the grace and love of God. You can also pray for their family.
• Give a gift card: A gift card to a restaurant or an Amazon or iTunes card can be a great gift for a pastor.
• Post pictures with the pastor: Share pictures of yourself and the pastor at church events on social media.
• Adopt a local church: Send a care package to another church in your area or serve together with another local church.
• Speak encouraging words: Let your pastor know how the Lord has changed you.
• Write a note: Write a note with encouraging feedback about their sermon.
• Set out a gift basket: Set out a gift basket in the church lobby for members to leave notes and gifts.
• Mow the pastor's lawn: Mow the pastor's lawn when their family is on vacation or ministry
• Connect with the church office manager. Find out your pastors likes and needs and organize a plan to meet them
• Encourage time off and 48 hour getaways!
• Develop assistant pastors who can carry some of the load
• Encourage the pastor to
• Plan for more than Sundays. 

Resources

• Remember the pastor's role is 24-7; assign a person or persons to be on-call to help in emergencies. Identify people within the church who can counsel or advise others whether that means listening to problems or pointing them to a professional. Also, before your pastor hits the beach, determine the type of events about which he or she would like to be contacted. (Resource UMC) 
• The Gravity Community is an online community of practice for Christians to stay connected and learn together in an environment that's safe for questions and doubts. Join the Gravity Community for connection and support for struggling pastors.

A devotional podcast for parents on the go! Encouragement, Scripture, & prayer in just 7 minutes. Join the journey!

To reach Tom Russell, please call 419-709-8447, email Tom at [email protected], or visit his website at https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com

Click this link to purchase Tom’s devotional, “Seeing Yourself Through the Eyes of God: A Weekly Devotional for Improving Self-Esteem.”

The Session - Parenting Today’s Teenager

Mark Gregston, Parenting Today’s Teens

Parenting Today's Teens with Mark Gregston

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 

Christian parenting today involves guiding teens through cultural pressures by replacing lectures with meaningful conversation, grace, and relational connection.

Core Strategies for Christian Parents

• Ask questions instead of lecturing: Modeled after Jesus, asking open-ended questions invites reflection and reduces teen defensiveness. 
• Shift from control to training: Move away from micromanagement and allow teens age-appropriate responsibilities and ownership of their faith. 
• Lead with grace and authenticity: Admit your own imperfections to create a safe space where teens know mistakes do not define them. 
• Balance boundaries and resilience: Avoid overparenting by letting teens experience healthy trials and natural consequences to build lasting character. 

For daily faith-based advice and resources, explore Parenting Today's Teens (A Great resource)

Teen Issues. (Gallup Pole 2006).

The results show that 3 in 10 teenagers (31%) mention consumption of drugs, tobacco, or alcohol as the most important problem. This issue is followed by peer pressure, fitting in, personal appearance, or popularity (17%); sexual issues like teen pregnancy, abortion, or STDs (14%); education (14%); ignorance or lack of youth being involved (10%); and careers, employment, money, or the future (10%). 

Fewer than 1 in 10 teenagers mention morality, lack of respect, violence or gangs, or world politics as the top problems.

2024 to 2026 Met Teen Issues (National Institute of Health)

• Anxiety and Depression: Millions of adolescents experience clinical anxiety or major depressive episodes, with rates significantly higher among teen girls and LGBTQ+ youth.  
• Persistent Sadness: Roughly 40% of high school students report ongoing feelings of hopelessness or sadness. 
• Suicidal Ideation: High rates of serious psychological distress have led to alarming numbers of reported suicidal thoughts and self-harm incidents. 

Social Media and Digital Pressures

• Constant Comparison: Platforms like Instagram and TikTok fuel unrealistic body image standards, envy, and low self-esteem.
• Tom:  What difference do you think the settlement between the Government and Meta will have on social media’s impact on our kids?

Indicators of positive mental health are present in most children. National U.S. data from 2023-2024 show that:

• Nearly 4 out of 5 children ages 6 months to 5 years (79%) exhibit all of 4 indicators of flourishing:1
   
  • 96% usually or always are affectionate and tender with parents or caregivers. 
• 83% usually or always bounce back quickly when things do not go their way. 
• 96% usually or always show interest and curiosity in learning new things. 
• 99% usually or always smile and laugh. 
• 3 out of 5 children ages 6 to 17 (61%) exhibit all of 3 indicators of flourishing
   
  • 84% usually or always show interest and curiosity in learning new things. 
• 72% usually or always stay calm and in control when faced with a challenge. 
• 81% usually or always work to finish tasks they start.

Teen issues in the 1990s

• Drugs and alcohol
• Teen pregnancy
• Violence 

Teen problems in the 1960s (prayer was removed in 1962 from the schools)

• Strict Control: Adults imposed rigid dress codes, curfews, and bans on items like jeans or long hair for boys, viewing them as rebellious. 
• Conformity vs. Rebellion: Teens navigated a massive divide from their parents, famously popularized by the phrase "Never trust anyone over 30". 
• Music and Media: Rock and roll, Beatlemania, and loud transistor radios served as symbols of youth identity that clashed with traditional adult values. 

A devotional podcast for parents on the go! Encouragement, Scripture, & prayer in just 7 minutes. Join the journey!

To reach Tom Russell, please call 419-709-8447, email Tom at [email protected], or visit his website at https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com

Click this link to purchase Tom’s devotional, “Seeing Yourself Through the Eyes of God: A Weekly Devotional for Improving Self-Esteem.”

The Session: Parenting Today’s Teenager - Part 1

Mark Gregston, Parenting Today’s Teen 

"Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4

Christian parenting today involves guiding teens through cultural pressures by replacing lectures with meaningful conversation, grace, and relational connection.

Core Strategies for Christian Parents

• Ask questions instead of lecturing: Modeled after Jesus, asking open-ended questions invites reflection and reduces teen defensiveness. 
• Shift from control to training: Move away from micromanagement and allow teens age-appropriate responsibilities and ownership of their faith. 
• Lead with grace and authenticity: Admit your own imperfections to create a safe space where teens know mistakes do not define them. 
• Balance boundaries and resilience: Avoid overparenting by letting teens experience healthy trials and natural consequences to build lasting character. 

For daily faith-based advice and resources, explore Parenting Today's Teens (A Great resource)

Teen Issues. (Gallup Pole 2006).

The results show that 3 in 10 teenagers (31%) mention consumption of drugs, tobacco, or alcohol as the most important problem. This issue is followed by peer pressure, fitting in, personal appearance, or popularity (17%); sexual issues like teen pregnancy, abortion, or STDs (14%); education (14%); ignorance or lack of youth being involved (10%); and careers, employment, money, or the future (10%). 

Fewer than 1 in 10 teenagers mention morality, lack of respect, violence or gangs, or world politics as the top problems.

2024 to 2026 Met Teen Issues (National Institute of Health)

• Anxiety and Depression: Millions of adolescents experience clinical anxiety or major depressive episodes, with rates significantly higher among teen girls and LGBTQ+ youth.
• Persistent Sadness: Roughly 40% of high school students report ongoing feelings of hopelessness or sadness. 
• Suicidal Ideation: High rates of serious psychological distress have led to alarming numbers of reported suicidal thoughts and self-harm incidents. 

Social Media and Digital Pressures

• Constant Comparison: Platforms like Instagram and TikTok fuel unrealistic body image standards, envy, and low self-esteem.
• Tom:  What difference do you think the settlement between the Government and Meta will have on social media’s impact on our kids?

Indicators of positive mental health are present in most children. National U.S. data from 2023-2024 show that:

• Nearly 4 out of 5 children ages 6 months to 5 years (79%) exhibit all of 4 indicators of flourishing
   
  • 96% usually or always are affectionate and tender with parents or caregivers.
  • 83% usually or always bounce back quickly when things do not go their way.
  • 96% usually or always show interest and curiosity in learning new things.
  • 99% usually or always smile and laugh.
  • 3 out of 5 children ages 6 to 17 (61%) exhibit all of 3 indicators of flourishing.
  • 84% usually or always show interest and curiosity in learning new things.
  • 72% usually or always stay calm and in control when faced with a challenge.
  • 81% usually or always work to finish tasks they start.

Teen issues in the 1990s

• Drugs and alcohol
• Teen pregnancy
• Violence

 Teen problems in the 1960s (prayer was removed in 1962 from the schools)

• Strict Control: Adults imposed rigid dress codes, curfews, and bans on items like jeans or long hair for boys, viewing them as rebellious. 
• Conformity vs. Rebellion: Teens navigated a massive divide from their parents, famously popularized by the phrase "Never trust anyone over 30". 

Music and Media: Rock and roll, Beatlemania, and loud transistor radios served as symbols of youth identity that clashed with traditional adult values. 

To reach Tom Russell, please call 419-709-8447, email Tom at [email protected], or visit his website at https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com

Click this link to purchase Tom’s devotional, “Seeing Yourself Through the Eyes of God: A Weekly Devotional for Improving Self-Esteem.”

The Session: The META Settlement

META settlement-up to $17.1 billion to 29 states, including Ohio, alleging META’s social media policies contributed to depression and other mental health issues in young people.  META is accused of knowing about the addictive issues, but doing nothing about it, and hiding the information from the public.  They are also accused of breaking state consumer protection laws and violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting data about children under the age of 13.  Even though kids under 13 aren’t supposed to be allowed on the platforms.

More time on-line is directly related to depression, body image issues, and susceptibility to addiction.  

From Fox News: Settlement includes default 2-hour combined daily time limit for Facebook and Instagram users under 18.  Time spent scrolling on either app counts toward the total. In addition, Meta says it will count usage across multiple accounts when it detects that one teen operates more than one account.

Direct messaging, time spent in settings and qualifying long-form audio or video are excluded from the two-hour limit. Under the agreement, qualifying long-form content generally means audio or video that lasts at least 22 minutes and has not been artificially extended.

A teen can only turn off the two-hour limit with a parent's permission. That creates a much firmer stopping point than another reminder that can be dismissed.

Night Mode will block most Facebook and Instagram activity from midnight to 6 a.m. During that window, teens will no longer be able to view or post to areas such as Feed, Stories, Explore or Reels.

Direct messaging will remain available. That exception lets teens continue communicating with friends and family. For families dealing with late-night scrolling, this could create a clearer boundary without requiring someone to change the setting every evening.

Meta will also disable push notifications by default from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., except for urgent account security or platform integrity alerts. Parents using supervision can change that setting.

School Mode focuses on daytime distractions. From 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday between Aug. 15 and June 15, Meta will mute most push notifications by default.

However, teens will still be able to receive direct messages. Meta will also allow account security and safety alerts during those hours. The idea is simple. A school day should come with fewer reasons to keep checking Instagram or Facebook.

Meta will also add more frequent reminders. Teens will receive a prompt after every 15 minutes of continuous screen time on Facebook or Instagram. In addition, Meta will send prompts when total daily use reaches 60 minutes and again at 90 minutes.

The settlement requires these prompts and pauses to be implemented within four months of the agreement's effective date.

Those alerts arrive before a teen reaches the two-hour limit. As a result, the hard cap becomes the final boundary rather than the first warning.

The agreement also changes parts of the viewing experience. Teens will be able to choose a non-personalized feed as their default. That feed will avoid Meta's recommendation systems when deciding what to show next.

Meta will hide like and reaction totals by default for teen accounts. That applies to a teen's own posts as well as content posted by other people.

The company is also expanding its restrictions on appearance filters. Meta already blocks teens from using cosmetic surgery filters. Under the agreement, teens will also lose access to what Meta calls extreme makeup filters. These changes target parts of the social media experience that can keep attention focused on appearance and social feedback.

Age verification sits at the center of these protections. A teen limit only works if the platform correctly identifies the person behind the account.

Meta says it will invest in stronger technology to find accounts that may belong to children under 13. The company also plans to improve systems that identify users ages 13 to 17 who enter an adult birthday. Once Meta identifies those accounts, it can place them into experiences designed for teens.

Meta also plans to expand its parental supervision tools. For example, parents will receive a notification when a teen links a secondary account. The company also plans alerts involving interactions with accounts it considers potentially suspicious.

In addition, parents will get periodic updates about their teen's usage and attempts to change protective settings. Those alerts could make it easier to catch changes without constantly checking a teen's account.

META now wants other companies to do the same, including TikTok and YouTube.  Participation from Snap, TikTok and YouTube could trigger stricter Meta limits under the agreement's broader industry-adoption framework. The agreement requires most of its provisions to remain in place for 10 years. However, Meta's Time Limit and Night Mode commitments initially run for five years.

If industry peers join the agreement, those commitments extend to 10 years. The defaults would get tougher too.

The agreement also creates outside oversight. An independent auditor will test Meta's compliance and report to participating states. Those reviews will happen annually for five years.

Meta says the agreement will also establish an independent social media research foundation. The company says it will provide consented user data to the foundation for research into teens well-being. That outside review could help show whether the protections work once they reach millions of accounts.

 Fox called this the big tobacco moment for big tech.  When we looked back and saw the results of big tobacco’s marketing to kids come back to haunt them decades later.  

US News & World Report said, “Governments around the world are trying to ‌curb children's access to harmful online content, including a world-first ban in Australia late last year on social media for children under 16.

Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells said in an email to Reuters that social ⁠media companies "have the tools ⁠at their disposal to protect young people from their addictive features but have chosen not to use them".

Meta agreed ​to pay up to $18 billion over a decade and limit how teenagers use Facebook and Instagram under an agreement with nearly all U.S. states to resolve claims that it designed those platforms to addict children. Meta denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle.

The deal brings sweeping changes to Meta's Facebook and Instagram platforms in the United States, including imposing a default two-hour limit on its apps for users under the age of 18.

   In South Korea, the media regulator ​said some of Meta's measures should be applied to young users worldwide, rather than just in specific markets. Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum said, “the government needed to review its ⁠potential ⁠impact for Mexico.”

A devotional podcast for parents on the go! Encouragement, Scripture, & prayer in just 7 minutes. Join the journey!

To reach Tom Russell, please call 419-709-8447, email Tom at [email protected], or visit his website at https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com

Click this link to purchase Tom’s devotional, “Seeing Yourself Through the Eyes of God: A Weekly Devotional for Improving Self-Esteem.”

The Session: The 5 Love Languages, by Dr. Gary Chapman

 Resources (includes quiz for how to learn your love language)

What are The 5 Love Languages?

The 5 Love Languages:

Words of Affirmation: Encourage, affirm, appreciate and listen actively

Physical Touch: Non-verbal use of body language and touch to show love

Receiving Gifts: Thoughtfulness, make your spouse a priority

Quality Time: Uninterrupted and focused conversations. One on one time

Acts of Service: Let them know you are wanting to help, to lighten their load 

A devotional podcast for parents on the go! Encouragement, Scripture, & prayer in just 7 minutes. Join the journey!

To reach Tom Russell, please call 419-709-8447, email Tom at [email protected], or visit his website at https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com

Click this link to purchase Tom’s devotional, “Seeing Yourself Through the Eyes of God: A Weekly Devotional for Improving Self-Esteem.”

The Session: The 5 Love Languages, by Dr. Gary Chapman

 Resources (includes quiz for how to learn your love language)

What are The 5 Love Languages?

The 5 Love Languages:

Words of Affirmation: Encourage, affirm, appreciate and listen actively

Physical Touch: Non-verbal use of body language and touch to show love

Receiving Gifts: Thoughtfulness, make your spouse a priority

Quality Time: Uninterrupted and focused conversations. One on one time

Acts of Service: Let them know you are wanting to help, to lighten their load 

A devotional podcast for parents on the go! Encouragement, Scripture, & prayer in just 7 minutes. Join the journey!

To reach Tom Russell, please call 419-709-8447, email Tom at [email protected], or visit his website at https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com

Click this link to purchase Tom’s devotional, “Seeing Yourself Through the Eyes of God: A Weekly Devotional for Improving Self-Esteem.”