The Session with Tom Russell

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.”

The Session: Help for Bullying

Psalm 138:7, “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me.” 

First, let’s define bullying. Tom, how do you feel about this, from www.stopbullying.gov:  Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior by one person or group toward another, involving a real or perceived power imbalance, and repeated over time.

In today’s world, bullying is not just physical, but psychological, and on-line.  Links to some of what we share are included in the notes below.

2019 statistics

Between 1 in 4 and 1 in 3 U.S. students say they have been bullied at school. Many fewer have been cyberbullied. 

• In one large study, about 49% of children in grades 4–12 reported being bullied by other students at school at least once during the past month, whereas 30.8% reported bullying others during that time.
• Defining "frequent" involvement in bullying as occurring two or more times within the past month, 40.6% of students reported some type of frequent involvement in bullying, with 23.2% being the youth frequently bullied, 8.0% being the youth who frequently bullied others, and 9.4% playing both roles frequently.

2024 statistics WHERE ARE THEY?

The Monique Burr Foundation for Children is an organization that offers evidence-based bullying prevention and education programs.  They report:

About 19.2% of students aged 12-18 enrolled in grades 6-12 experienced bullying nationwide during the 2021-2022 school year.

• 13 million students will be bullied in the US this year.  1 in 3 will be victims of cyber bullying.
• 160,000 students miss school daily for fear of being bullied
• 1 out of 4 children are bullied over their lifetime (US Dept. of Justice)
• Every 7 minutes a child is bullied on a playground
• Between 50% and 77% of students report having been bullied
•  Of teachers, 25% see nothing wrong with bullying and consequently intervene in only 4% of bullying incidents
• 85% of bullying is not responded to appropriately or at all

For more info, go to https://mbfpreventioneducation.org 

WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF BULLYING?

• Victims often suffer academically and from long-term psychological effects
• Bullies often go on to commit crimes – former bullies have a 4-fold increase in criminal behavior by age 24
• Both victims and bullies may later become depressed or even become suicidal
• After interviewing 41 school shooters in 37 incidents, the Secret Service found that 2/3 had been bullied, and their attacks were motivated by a will to seek revenge.

Core Biblical Principles

• Inherent Worth: Recognizing that every person is made in the image of God and deserves respect.
• Defending Others: Encouraging children to step in safely, as standing up for the vulnerable reflects biblical justice.
• Healthy Boundaries: Balancing grace and forgiveness with clear limits against abusive behavior.  

 Practical Steps for Prevention

• Establish Safe Environments: Teach youth groups and schools to prioritize healthy relationships over mere rule-compliance.
• Empower Bystanders: Train youth to refuse to give a bully an audience, include isolated peers, and notify a trusted adult.
• Use Structured Programs: Implement dedicated frameworks like The Protectors Faith-Based Anti-Bullying Program or explore advice from Christian Bullying Prevention by Jeff Veley.  
• Do you need help addressing a specific type of bullying (verbal, physical, or cyberbullying)?

How do I protect my kids from school bullies?

Jeff and Terra Mattson are Christian Parenting spokespeople, and cohosts of the Living Wholehearted Podcast.  They suggest parents use the green light, yellow light and red light method.

More info is at https://www.christianparenting.org

Teach that friends or people are greenlight are very safe. 

Yellow light just like on the highway are questionable and not totally safe. Use with caution. They are people that would be questionable.

Red light would be people who are absolutely not safe and you should stop immediately.

Parents should check after school if something has changed, if you can open that door, you can ask them an important question, “Is this a relationship? Is this a situation where you need some help?

Scott’s “rubber meets the road” question:  What are some things parents should look for in their children to raise concerns that they might be a victim of bullying?

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: Help for Bullying

Psalm 138:7, “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me.” 

First, let’s define bullying. Tom, how do you feel about this, from www.stopbullying.gov:  Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior by one person or group toward another, involving a real or perceived power imbalance, and repeated over time.

In today’s world, bullying is not just physical, but psychological, and on-line.  Links to some of what we share are included in the notes below.

2019 statistics

Between 1 in 4 and 1 in 3 U.S. students say they have been bullied at school. Many fewer have been cyberbullied. 

• In one large study, about 49% of children in grades 4–12 reported being bullied by other students at school at least once during the past month, whereas 30.8% reported bullying others during that time.
• Defining "frequent" involvement in bullying as occurring two or more times within the past month, 40.6% of students reported some type of frequent involvement in bullying, with 23.2% being the youth frequently bullied, 8.0% being the youth who frequently bullied others, and 9.4% playing both roles frequently.

2024 statistics WHERE ARE THEY?

The Monique Burr Foundation for Children is an organization that offers evidence-based bullying prevention and education programs.  They report:

About 19.2% of students aged 12-18 enrolled in grades 6-12 experienced bullying nationwide during the 2021-2022 school year.

• 13 million students will be bullied in the US this year.  1 in 3 will be victims of cyber bullying.
• 160,000 students miss school daily for fear of being bullied
• 1 out of 4 children are bullied over their lifetime (US Dept. of Justice)
• Every 7 minutes a child is bullied on a playground
• Between 50% and 77% of students report having been bullied
•  Of teachers, 25% see nothing wrong with bullying and consequently intervene in only 4% of bullying incidents
• 85% of bullying is not responded to appropriately or at all

For more info, go to https://mbfpreventioneducation.org 

WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF BULLYING?

• Victims often suffer academically and from long-term psychological effects
• Bullies often go on to commit crimes – former bullies have a 4-fold increase in criminal behavior by age 24
• Both victims and bullies may later become depressed or even become suicidal
• After interviewing 41 school shooters in 37 incidents, the Secret Service found that 2/3 had been bullied, and their attacks were motivated by a will to seek revenge.

Core Biblical Principles

• Inherent Worth: Recognizing that every person is made in the image of God and deserves respect.
• Defending Others: Encouraging children to step in safely, as standing up for the vulnerable reflects biblical justice.
• Healthy Boundaries: Balancing grace and forgiveness with clear limits against abusive behavior.  

 Practical Steps for Prevention

• Establish Safe Environments: Teach youth groups and schools to prioritize healthy relationships over mere rule-compliance.
• Empower Bystanders: Train youth to refuse to give a bully an audience, include isolated peers, and notify a trusted adult.
• Use Structured Programs: Implement dedicated frameworks like The Protectors Faith-Based Anti-Bullying Program or explore advice from Christian Bullying Prevention by Jeff Veley.  
• Do you need help addressing a specific type of bullying (verbal, physical, or cyberbullying)?

How do I protect my kids from school bullies?

Jeff and Terra Mattson are Christian Parenting spokespeople, and cohosts of the Living Wholehearted Podcast.  They suggest parents use the green light, yellow light and red light method.

More info is at https://www.christianparenting.org

Teach that friends or people are greenlight are very safe. 

Yellow light just like on the highway are questionable and not totally safe. Use with caution. They are people that would be questionable.

Red light would be people who are absolutely not safe and you should stop immediately.

Parents should check after school if something has changed, if you can open that door, you can ask them an important question, “Is this a relationship? Is this a situation where you need some help?

Scott’s “rubber meets the road” question:  What are some things parents should look for in their children to raise concerns that they might be a victim of bullying?

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 Session: Helping Children Adjust to the Stress of a New Teacher or School.

Joshua 1:9 (NIV) "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God."

Take Time to Talk to Them

As you help them prepare for a season of change, take time to talk with them about how messy change can be. This most certainly includes grieving the loss of past relationships. Often called peer priority, children struggle because their peers are a priority and they are losing them.

Be Prepared

Plan ahead some fun things they can invite others to do or talk about in order to make friends. But as they arrive at school, they may find that everyone else already seems to know each other. They might find they feel shy in the moment. Or maybe, they try to be friendly but the kids around them are shy.

Tom’s Important Suggestions:

• Take your child to school and have them tour it if that’s possible. Or tour it as soon as it is possible.
• Find out if there are summer activities or extracurricular, activities like soccer, swimming, a local church, where your child can make friends before they enter the classroom
• Pray with your child and help your children feel comforted about the change

Scott’s thought:

·       Celebrate every success in the transition!

Monitor Your Child’s Feeling Level

Major changes like a new school can leave our children, fearful, disappointed, sad, and concerned.

Coping with the new school can also cause them to be wiped out physically.

 Normalize for Them This Experience

Point them to Christ.  As you do so will require more patience than usual. Being willing to hear them and extend grace will reassure them you’re present, God is present, and they are loved even if they’re struggling to feel it.

Normalizing it also includes telling your children when you may have struggled with a new situation when you were a child

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: 8 Simple Steps to a Lifelong Marriage 

Genesis 2:24 “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”

Housekeeping: How to become a Friend of the Session, book release update

     ·  Build and maintain a solid foundation in Christ

A recent Harvard study shows that attending worship weekly reduces the likelihood of divorce by 57%

     ·  Spend Regular Time in Prayer

Research by David Stoops found couples who pray together have less than 1 percent chance of divorce.

     ·  Speak Highly of Each Other

Make a regular habit of saying positive things about each other. Also avoid negative comments about each other.

     ·  Enjoy Regular Time Together 

Spending time together causes a natural byproduct of closeness

     ·  Forge an Unrelenting Commitment to Each Other

From day one, realize that divorce is not an option. A Christian marriage is a covenant between a husband, a wife, and God.

     ·  Keep strong boundaries

Keeping marriage intact often means needing to protect it from outside influences. This means both spouses avoid situations where integrity could be compromised.

     ·  Humbly Serve Each Other

Employ the “others first mentality!”

     ·  Own your struggles and get help

Go before the Lord asking Him for help. Help to be what He has called you to.

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.”