Find the show notes for this episode HERE.

Have you ever asked yourself… Why are my boys so WILD?  Why do they have so much energy? Why are they so loud and rambunctious and aggressive?  In today’s episode, we’re going to find out where this wildness comes from.

WELCOME TO THE SWORD AND STORY PODCAST! 

The Sword and Story podcast is dedicated to helping Christian parents discover exciting, faith-filled books for their boys—stories packed with courage, honor, and adventure. 

If you’re looking for books for your boys with thrilling storytelling from a Christian worldview, then you’re in the right place.

Join us as we explore books that will help our boys grow to be strong, courageous warriors for the Kingdom of God. 

I’m your host, Laurie Christine. I’m the author of the Dragon Slayer Bible Series, adventure-packed biblical fiction for 8-12 year old boys. I’m also a wife and mom to 4 wild, wonderful young men. My boys are currently 9, 10, 13, and 14.

I am busy interviewing and scheduling authors for the new episodes of the Sword and Story podcast. Those new author interviews will be airing later this summer. 

But in the meantime, I think it’s important that we take some time to understand how God created our boys. Last week we listened to an interview with Mark Hancock, CEO of Trail Life USA. If you missed that episode, go back and listen to episode 2 of the sword and story podcast and you can find that at swordandstorypodcast.com. In that episode, Mark and I discussed how we can let our boys be boys.

This week, we’re tackling the question:  Why are my boys so wild? Why are they so loud? Why do they have so much energy? 

If we want to find books that will help our boys to become strong, courageous warriors for God’s Kingdom, we need to understand some of the core desires that God has given boys. That’s what we’re going to talk about in today’s episode. 

Learn more at www.SwordandStoryPodcast.com

Read a transcript of my interview with Mark Hancock here: https://lauriechristine.com/let-boys-be-boys-with-mark-hancock/

WELCOME TO THE SWORD AND STORY PODCAST! 

The Sword and Story podcast is dedicated to helping Christian parents discover exciting, faith-filled books for their boys—stories packed with courage, honor, and adventure. 

If you’re looking for books for your boys with thrilling storytelling from a Christian worldview, then you’re in the right place.

Join us as we explore books that will help our boys grow to be strong, courageous warriors for the Kingdom of God. 

Learn more at www.SwordandStoryPodcast.com

Find the shownotes HERE.

LINKS: 

 JesusHelpMeParent.com

RedeemingTheChaos.com

LaurieChristine.com

INTRO

“What is causing the quarrels and fights among you?” How many of you have said that to your kids before? I know I have!  I would estimate about 95% of conflict and parenting challenges in our household stems from sibling conflict. 

Welcome to Redeeming the Chaos. I’m your host, Laurie Christine. I’m an author, Bible teacher, wife, and mom to four wild, wonderful boys. I would love for you to join me on this adventure of raising courageous warriors for the Kingdom of God.

As moms of young men, we know that fighting among boys often gets very physical. While girls may sulk and hold a grudge for weeks on end, boys tend to explode with big emotions and lash out physically at whichever sibling is nearest to them.  (this is a generality. I’m sure you can tell me stories of your girls who have broken out into fist fights as well)

So, what causes these fights and quarrels? 

If you didn’t pick up on it, this question is a quote from James chapter 4. I’ll read the rest of the passage here:

“What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them.”

Does that sound familiar?  Our kids have strong desires. Maybe they want the biggest piece of cake for dessert. Maybe they want the best, squishiest chair for movie night, or the front seat in the minivan. Maybe they want to be treated fairly, maybe they just want to be left alone. (Granted, not all these desires are evil… but often a big desire is the underlying cause of sibling conflict). 

And look what the verse says… you scheme and kill… you are jealous… you fight and wage war… all this in order to get what you want.  Sound familiar? Now, hopefully the conflict in our homes has not escalated  to the point of killing… however, in the book of Matthew Jesus says “hating” someone is just as bad as “murdering them” in our hearts. 

So, how do we deal with the conflict that inevitably arises between siblings? How can we teach our kids to show kindness and love to each other, rather than seeking revenge? 

We have a guest on the show today to help us answer these questions. 

"B.J. Meurer has worked with families for over 25 years as an elementary educator, biblical parenting coach & presenter, and digital course creator. He has coached families with children of all ages and stages facing a wide variety of emotional, mental, and biological challenges and helped them discover and personalize the practical heart-based tools and strategies that bring about positive change in their families. You can find many more of B.J.’s parenting resources and videos at JesusHelpMeParent.com. 

This is an episode of Redeeming the Chaos. The newer episodes in this podcast feed are part of The Sword and Story Podcast.

This is an episode of Redeeming the Chaos. The newer episodes in this podcast feed are part of The Sword and Story Podcast.

View the shownotes at https://lauriechristine.com/why-i-dont-make-new-years-resolution/

This is an episode of Redeeming the Chaos. The newer episodes in this podcast feed are part of The Sword and Story Podcast.

Boys are different. From the moment they burst into your life, they bring a whirlwind of energy, noise, and adventure that never seems to slow down. If you’re a mom of boys, you know it’s not just a parenting style—it’s a lifestyle. And I wouldn't trade it for the world! 

Whether it’s the endless supply of dirt in their pockets, the creative use of furniture as a jungle gym, or the unspoken rule that socks never stay on feet, raising boys comes with its own unique (and often hilarious) set of challenges. Here are 50 telltale signs you might be a boy mom—prepare to laugh, nod along, and maybe even roll your eyes in solidarity! 

This is an episode of Redeeming the Chaos. The newer episodes in this podcast feed are part of The Sword and Story Podcast.

Find the shownotes for this episode HERE.

RESOURCES

1. Go Bible
2. Average Boy Podcast
3. Average Boy Books
4. Clubhouse Magazine

This is an episode of Redeeming the Chaos. The newer episodes in this podcast feed are part of The Sword and Story Podcast.

Find the shownotes for this episode HERE.

Many boys tend to be drawn to books about evil monsters, epic battles in space, fire-breathing dragons, and planets exploding into smithereens. Our kids are drawn to magical stories about fantastical creatures and worlds beyond our own.

Are stories about fantastical creatures and magical places safe for our kids to read? Do they have value in the lives of our children? 

Find out in this episode of Redeeming the Chaos.

We have a special guest on the show today who is a bit of an expert on fantastical stories.

E. Stephen Burnett explores fantastical stories for God’s glory as publisher of Lorehaven.com and its weekly Fantastical Truth podcast. He coauthored The Pop Culture Parent and creates other resources for fans and families, serving with his wife, Lacy, in their central Texas church. Stephen’s first novel, Above the Circle of Earth, a science-fiction adventure, launches in 2025 from Enclave Publishing.

This is an episode of Redeeming the Chaos. The newer episodes in this podcast feed are part of The Sword and Story Podcast.

In this episode of Redeeming the Chaos, Laurie talks with Elizabeth Urbanowicz of Foundation Worldview, about God's design for gender.

Find the full show notes HERE.

There’s a lot of confusion in our society about sexuality and gender identity. A lot of voices are telling our kids that same-sex relationships are normal, or that you get to decide if you’re a boy or a girl. Our kids are confronted with these issues at younger and younger ages.

And we’re not just talking about homosexuality anymore. Our kids are faced with vocabulary like transgender, non-binary, and genderfluid. They’re being asked in public schools what their preferred pronouns are. 

As parents, we need to be prepared to have conversations with our kids about these issues. And we need to be proactive about discussions we have with our kids. You want to be the first one having these types of conversations with your kids, rather than waiting until your child comes home from a birthday party wondering what “trans” means.

You may be thinking: hold on, my kids are way too young to talk about these topics. Besides, I homeschool my kids so they don’t have to deal with these issues right away. 

Well, there may be some truth to that, but as parents we want to be intentional about teaching our kids about God’s design for gender, sexuality and marriage from an early age. That way, when our kids are confronted with an ideology that opposes the teaching of the Bible, they immediately recognize it as false. 

But how do we talk to our kids about these sensitive topics? How do you know what to say? Are there any resources available to help us do so? 

This is an episode of Redeeming the Chaos. The newer episodes in this podcast feed are part of The Sword and Story Podcast.