Ask Trace In today's societal landscape parents are faced with tough decisions. Raising their children in a manner that aligns with their faith often requires a denial of certain activities that their peers might enjoy. During our co-host, Michelle Hill's own childhood this meant not being allowed to go to movie theaters, a source of disagreement within her household. Navigating cultural norms and effective parenting can lead to some tough questions. Discussing Parenting with Trace Embry Trace Embry is the Founder of Shepherd’s Hill Academy, a Christ-centered, outdoor-focused, year-long, therapeutic boarding academy for troubled youth. Trace and his wife Beth started Shepherd’s Hill Academy in 2001 to bring healing to hurting families. They came to Christ after becoming parents and learned a lot through that process as well as in their leadership roles at Shepherd’s Hill. Trace is also the author of “The Miracles of Shepherd’s Hill: An Extraordinary Odyssey of Divine Interventions” which accounts for the full journey of how Trace and Beth came to where they are now. Episode Highlights: Trace sheds light on the most misguided statement any parent might make. The importance of parental guidance: "If you don’t train your children, who will?" Identifying the "right ways" to effectively raise children, as highlighted by Trace. An exploration of whether God truly holds sway within American households. The potential outcomes when parenting adheres strictly to prevailing cultural norms. Image from Canva

Five Lies Perhaps we need to look to our society for answers. Discussing Our Society with Rosaria Butterfield Rosaria Butterfield is a pastor’s wife, homeschool mom, author, and speaker. She is a former tenured professor of English and Women’s Studies at Syracuse University. Rosaria converted to Christ in 1999 in what she describes as a ‘train wreck.’ Today we are discussing her book, Five Lies Of Our Anti-Christian Age. Episode Highlights: Why can society be considered another parent to our kids? When and why did American society begin turning away from a biblical worldview? What is the definition of culture? How does unfettered access to social media and digital outlets affect our kids? What are the five lies that our society promotes? Image from Canva

Raising the Unshakable When raising kids, it’s important that parents raise them to be unshakeable. But what exactly does that mean? Today, we are continuing our discussion with author Lauren Gaines about instilling an unshakable spirit into our kids and teens, and what that looks like. Discussing Resilience with Lauren Gaines. Lauren is an author, speaker, teacher, and mother. She is the creator of Inspired Motherhood, an online community for moms, and author of Unshakeable Kids. Today, Lauren is a busy mom of three, and her unique approach to parenthood can be credited to her masters degree in school psychology. Episode Highlights: Is there a void of ‘grit’ in today’s kids? Why is it important to not be too gentle when raising kids in today’s society? How can parents create a loving bond without constantly pacifying their kids? Can discipline be an act of love? Are parents prioritizing the right things? Is society pressuring women to do too much? Image from Canva

Building Strong Marriages It has been commonly understood that stronger marriages have always helped to produce healthier and more well-adjusted children. There are many studies on this topic. Today we will talk with Bob Lepine about his most recent book, “Build A Stronger Marriage”. Discussing Marriage with Bob Lepine Bob Lepine is best known to radio and podcast listeners as the long-time co-host of Family Life Today. Now you can hear him on Truth For Life with Alistair Begg. Bob is a pastor and he serves in various other ministries. In his spare time, he writes books. Bob and his wife Mary Ann live in Little Rock, Arkansas. They have five children and 10 grandchildren. Episode Highlights: What sense does a strong marriage give to the children? What fundamental, when addressed, helps secure marriages? What has happened to marriage in America? First and foremost- what kind of relationship is marriage? In what way is marriage emblematic of the godhead? Image from Canva

Raising Conservative Kids Throughout history, parents in every country around the globe have been given the right to exercise final authority over their own children. This includes how they raise their kids. Teaching them things like values, religion, and worldview along with reading, writing, and arithmetic. However, these days political correctness, the “woke” police, public schools, the media, government, and more appear to have teamed up to create something on par with Hitler's Youth. Today we will be talking with Stacy Manning, co-author of “Raising Conservative Kids in a Woke City”. This book will help you preserve your right to be the final authority over your own children. Discussing Woke Culture with Stacy Manning Stacy Manning is senior Editor for the organization Them Before Us which advocates children over adult desires and helps to give children a voice. Stacy is a stay-at-home suburban mom, author, and a side hustle professional. She and her husband have over 20 years of experience raising their 3 children behind enemy lines in a suburb just outside of Seattle. When Stacy does not have her hands in another writer's work she is barefoot in the kitchen making her husband a sandwich. Episode Highlights: When did the slippery slope start? What does it mean to be “woke”? What does Trace say about systemic racism? What tool do the “woke” use to dismantle society? What two questions do conservative kids need to be able to answer so they can defend their worldview? Image from Canva

Entertainment Roles In the past, by and large, Christian parents in America raised their kids to assimilate into the culture, but that was when American culture had, for the most part, accepted and lived by Judeo-Christian moral values. Today the cultural pendulum has swung far from any semblance of the biblical standard that once shaped it. So now we have to raise our kids in a more intentional way. One that prepares them to swim against the flow of our culture. Today we will be talking with Focus on the Family’s Adam Holz about the role entertainment might play not only in shaping our culture but in our homes and churches as well. Discussing Entertainment with Adam Holz Adam Holz served as an Associate Editor at NavPress Discipleship Journal and consulting Editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s Reviews. These are reviews of movies, games, books, and music. Adam is the site's director. He and his wife Jennifer have three children. In their free time the Holz’s enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming, and of course- watching movies. Episode Highlights: How do SHA students come to understand the emptiness of the world’s promises? What two things draw the students to Jesus? What is Plugged In? What specifically is Plugged In trying to provide? What is the site's hope? Image from Canva

The Miracles of Shepherd's Hill Have you ever taken a step of faith believing that God was directing you and knowing that He would do just that? Trace and Beth Embry saw a need in our world and knew God was calling them to be the answer and to bring healing. So step by step, brick by brick, child by child, through God they are breathing life into our next generation. And they are watching God build something incredible. Discussing Miracles with Trace Embry Trace and his wife Beth have a heart and a passion for the parents of the youth of today’s culture. Trace was a former business owner and police officer in the Chicago area, but God led them on a journey. The Embry family basically gave up everything to move to Georgia and begin Shepherd’s Hill Academy. Trace is the author of "The Miracles of Shepherd’s Hill". Trace and Beth have 5 kids and 9 grandchildren. Episode Highlights: How do you define miracles? What is the story of Shepherd’s Hill? How did you know this was from the Lord? How was the land of SHA a miracle? What is it like to keep stepping out in faith one step at a time? Image from Canva

Intentional Parenting Open the Bible to Proverbs 22 and you will find these words, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” As parents you know you have 18 years to guide, direct, discipline, coach, and train your child “in the way he should go.” Those 18 years set them on a path for success in the world and hopefully eternity. That is what you hope for, right? You’re probably realizing that it takes time! Time and intentionality. Both time and intentionality take work. Being intentional with our time as we prepare our children for what lies ahead. Discussing Intentionality with Dave Glander Dave Glander was formerly a devout atheist and is now a deeply committed believer in Jesus Christ, and a Speaker for Reasons for Hope. Dave teaches Christians how to know what they believe and how to defend their faith. He is a pastor and founder of an apologetics youth camp called Equip Retreat and is the author of “How, Why, Where” and “The Faith Survival Guide." Episode Highlights: What does Deuteronomy 6:6-7 say? What does the “as you go” concept mean? What do our kids need to see in us all the time? What does Colossians 3:23 say? What is the average time a parent spends face-to-face with their child? Image from Canva

Faith Still Moves Whether in raising our children or in life in general, we exercise faith. The object of our faith makes all of the difference. If you and your family have been blessed by Trace Embry’s book, “The Miracles of Shepherd's Hill,” then stay tuned. Today we will be speaking with Fox News’ Harris Faulker who has also broached the realities and benefits of faith, prayer, healing, and miracles in the face of adversity. It is all in her New York Times Best Selling book, “Faith Still Moves Mountains: Miraculous Stories of the Healing Power of Prayer.” Discussing Prayer with Harris Faulkner Harris Faulkner is the author of the New York Times Best Seller “Faith Still Moves Mountains: Miraculous Stories of the Healing Power of Prayer.” She is a six-time Emmy Award-winning journalist. Harris currently anchors two daily daytime programs on Fox News; The Faulkner Focus and she is the co-host of Outnumbered. Outside of her work as a journalist Harris is a motivational speaker, writer, and philanthropist. She is involved in the Green Beret Foundation as well as the Navy Seal Foundation. She helps funds breast cancer research and has received an award for her humanitarian efforts.  Harris and her husband have two daughters. Episode Highlights: What was Shepherd’s Hill when Trace bought it? What was Harris’ motivation for writing her book? What statistics surprised Harris during her research for her book? What does Harris say about facing the unknown? Where does truth come from? Image from Canva

Sound Minds It is no secret that grit is something that seems to be lacking in many of our kids today. This even includes some of our 30-something-age kids. So how can we impart a sturdier constitution in our children while they are still at home? Not only for the sake of our children’s future but for our sanity and success as parents. After all, we may likely need the help of an emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually strong offspring to take care of us someday. Find out how to raise kids with sound minds and whole hearts who stand firm in their God-given identities. Discussing Parenting with Lauren Gaines Lauren Gaines is an author, speaker, teacher, and mom. She is the creator of Inspired Motherhood which is an online community for moms. Today Lauren is a busy mom of 3 whose unique approach to parenthood can be credited to her Master's Degree in School Psychology. She worked in the public school system and taught Human Development as an Adjunct Professor. Lauren understands the mental overload that families are experiencing today. Episode Highlights: What phrase has led to our cultural decline? What is the best gift we can give our kids? What does overload do to our kids? What vital skill do young children not have? Where does the problem start? Image from Canva

Supermoms Activated Throughout all of history, from Bible times until now, it seems that when leadership fails among the male population God has always brought forth brave women to stand in the gap. Today it seems that fewer American males are taking the leadership that they need to, which means that once again men aren't standing up and speaking out to protect their kids and society from the insanity that is infecting our nation. Jacqueline Toboroff wrote the book "Supermoms: Activated" to discuss just this topic. It explains what we can do to stem the tide of government-sponsored child abuse. Discussing Action with Jacqueline Toboroff Jacqueline Toboroff is a power hitting mom who is leading a nation wide revival. She has taken a stand for her two kids and also for you. Jacqueline is a private citizen from Manhattan who ran for city counsel and was appointed VP of the Manhattan GOP. Jacqueline is a speaker and author of the book "Supermoms: Activated."  She is providing a platform for mothers who are fed up with having their parental rights challenged by the government. Episode Highlights: What does Isaiah 5:20 say? How does our knowledge of history impact our ability to be effective leaders today? Psalm 14:1 says what? How does Jacqueline describe her book? What 3 things do we need to know about Jacqueline's book? Image from Canva

Vertical Marriage One of the keys to success for just about any endeavor in life is setting proper priorities. Proper priorities are important for having a healthy marriage, bringing up healthy kids, and for managing a healthy family. Dave and Ann Wilson will be talking with us about proper priorities for keeping families upright amidst the chaos of a world that has gone sideways. It is what they call vertical marriage. Find the book here. Discussing Priorities with Dave and Ann Wilson Dave and Ann Wilson are speakers, authors, and co-founders of Kensington Church which is a national multicampus church based in the Detroit area. They are also hosts of the radio program Family Life Today. Dave and Ann have been married for more than 42 years and have spent the last 37 teaching and mentoring couples and parents across the country. They are featured speakers at Family Life’s Weekend To Remember, and they also host their own marriage conferences across the county. Dave and Ann have three grown sons and a growing number of grandchildren. Episode Highlights: Why is a child-centric parenting paradigm not good for children? What is Vertical Marriage about? Where do our eyes go when they are not on Jesus? What is the first step to re-prioritizing your family dynamic? How can the unprioritized spouse confront the "offending" spouse on their priorities? Image from Canva

In His Image We learned from the creation story that God didn’t do anything random. Day One God created the light, Day Two was the sky, and so forth. Then we come to Day Six. After God created the animals He made humans. Here are the words from Genesis 1:27, “So God created mankind in His own image. In the image of God, He created them. Male and Female, He created them.” What it means to be male and female is really coming into question today. Or rather, it is coming under hard scrutiny today. The government, doctors, counselors, teachers, and more are telling our children that they get to decide “What is a woman?” Today we will be talking to the director and producer of a film called “In His Image”. Discussing Gender Identity with Tim Wildmon and Kendra White Tim Wildmon is the executive director of “In His Image”. He is also president American Family Association and American Family Radio. American Family Association is a national organization that advocates for Biblical teaching on morality and values. Tim also hosts a daily program on Amercian Family Radios 180+ stations. Tim and his wife Alison have three children and seven grandchildren. Kendra White is the producer for American Family Studios which is the film division of American Family Association. She co-wrote and directed American Family Studio’s first feature film “Summer Snow” with her brother Jeremy White. Kendra is passionately pursuing Christ and loves to encourage other women to fall in love with the Savior who has stolen her heart. Kendra is married and has one daughter. Episode Highlights: What was the inspiration behind the making of "In His Image"? What are the proposed reasons for the astronomical growth in women transitioning? What is the difference between gender dysphoria and gender confusion? What was the simple reality that the 11-year-old girl was struggling with which had her convinced she was gay? Who does the LGBTQ+ community want to be to your children? Image from Canva

Loving Our Children For most parents loving our kids is as natural as breathing. It’s hardwired into us. And though they would usually agree that we really do love them, our kids may not necessarily always agree that we always make them feel loved. At least not in a way that fosters security and emotional well-being. How can you foster that security and emotional well-being in your children? Dr. Gary Chapman is the 5 Love Languages guy and today we will be talking about his book “The 5 Love Languages of Children”. Discussing Love with Dr. Gary Chapman Dr. Gary Chapman is best known for working to improve or heal our most important relationships. Since the success of his first book, Dr. Chapman has expanded the Love Language series to specifically reach out to teens, singles, men, children, and military families. Dr. Chapman is a pastor, marriage counselor, conference speaker, and author. His book "The Five Love Languages of Children" can be found here. Episode Highlights: What are the 5 love languages? What is your primary love language? What is/are your child(ren)'s primary love language(s)? Do you know for certain that your children feel loved? What is the value of affirming effort? Do gifts always have to cost money? Image from Canva

Father Figure Though you wouldn’t think anyone would have to make an argument for it, fathers are a big plus toward healthy emotional and spiritual development in their kids. While no family functions optimally without a father, fatherlessness still compromises 80% of American households in some areas of the country. Not surprisingly these are also the most crime-ridden areas. Is that a coincidence or is there a link between fatherlessness and lawlessness? Both in our homes and in our society at large? Today we will be talking to Dr. Meg Meeker as she argues for the importance of every household having a strong father. Discussing Fathers with Dr. Meg Meeker Dr. Meg Meeker is one of the global leading experts on child-father relationships. She has over 30 years of experience as a pediatrician, is the author of the best-selling book, and now movie, "Strong Fathers Strong Daughters". As an expert in the field, Dr. Meg equips Dads with tools and training built through extensive practical experience and research. Dr. Meg says that "hero dads are game changers". Episode Highlights: Why should a woman be teaching men about fatherhood issues? What helps dads become who they need to be? What is the hard yet simple thing that Dr. Meg references? What answer do the students of Shepherd's Hill give to the question, "What can we never stop doing?" What do parents believe about conflict? What two things do children need? Image from Canva

Family Life A parent's love for their children is immeasurable. For most of us, this love seems to be wired into us from the moment our first child is born. But is it possible that this unconditional love, despite good intentions, could be misdirected? Something that can block God’s design for a healthy family? Dennis Rainey talks to us about choosing a life that matters and about loving our kids, our spouse, and our God in ways that can help make family life the good life. Loving Your Kids, Spouse, and God Effectively with Dennis Rainey Dennis Rainey and his wife Barbara Rainey are founders of the family and marriage ministry Family Life. They have devoted their lives to seeing marriages thrive and individuals grow in their relationship with God. Dennis is a pastor, a popular author and speaker, and for over 25 years he was the host of the radio program Family Life Today. Dennis longs to empower people to live in courageous faith as they parent their kids and love their spouses well. Episode Highlights: What is God’s ecosystem? What are the three most important relationships in life? How is true success measured? What is a life that “matters?" What is the quote that brought Dennis freedom? Image from Canva

Enough is Enough 2 Last week we heard from an expert in making the internet safe for your family. She said, “Let me just share the story of John Doe who was a convicted sex offender in a high-security prison. I talked to him for three hours. He would look for kids online that he was interested in. He was talking to a 13-year-old girl. That 13-year-old girl liked boys who were around 15 and played soccer. He would find pictures of boys that looked like that and he would send it and pretend to be that boy and engage that girl. Often times these lead to sexual encounters and situations where he would get nudes of them and back and forth and then used [those same pictures] to keep that child silent.” Donna Rice Hughes is the CEO and president of Enough is Enough. Discussing the Internet with Donna Rice Hughes Donna Rice Hughes works hard to protect our children from internet predators. She is the President and CEO of Enough is Enough and also is an internationally known internet safety expert, author, speaker, and producer. Donna’s vision, expertise, and advocacy have helped to birth the internet safety movement in America at the advent of the digital age. For 30 years Donna has been working hard to make the internet safe for your kids and family. She has developed and spearheaded the National Safe Wifi Campaign which is calling on corporate America to filter pornography and child sex abuse images off of public wifi. As a result of these efforts, two major companies that own stores all across America are now filtering wifi in their stores. Episode Highlights: How did the internet help close the gap between boys and girls and pornography use? What dangers are girls more prone to over the internet than boys? What percentage of 8-12-year-olds are using social media (regardless of “age restrictions")? How many pro-eating disorder accounts does Instagram have? What is the most important thing that Christian parents need to do about this issue? Image from Canva

Enough is Enough It is obvious that we are raising our kids in a nation that has veered from the Christian morals and moreens that helped make America a global superpower. Consequently, our children are now being abused as a logical outworking of this moral veering. So what is a wise and godly parent to do for today? We will be talking with Donna Rice Hughes about how we can bring a semblance of sanity and spiritual grounding back into our homes and hopefully back into our nation as well. Discussing the Internet with Donna Rice Hughes Donna Rice Hughes works hard to protect our children from internet predators. She is the President and CEO of Enough is Enough and also is an internationally known internet safety expert, author, speaker, and producer. Donna’s vision, expertise, and advocacy have helped to birth the internet safety movement in America at the advent of the digital age. For 30 years Donna has been working hard to make the internet safe for your kids and family. She has developed and spearheaded the National Safe Wifi Campaign which is calling on corporate America to filter pornography and child sex abuse images off of public wifi. As a result of these efforts, two major companies that own stores all across America are now filtering wifi in their stores. Episode Highlights: What word does Trace say some people argue that started America’s loss of morality? What hypocrisy and cognitive dissonance does Trace point out? How did the redefinition of “freedom” lead to many of our problems today? What is Enough is Enough? What happened to the underground black market crimes when the internet debuted? Image from Canva

Feelings Pt. 2 Last time on License to Parent we talked with John Rosemond about the mental health crisis and how it is affecting our teens. Mr. Rosemond said, “My contention is that it all goes back to the fact that we followed the herd in the early 1970s and we radically overhauled our parenting practices and we “fixed” something that wasn’t broken and we are paying a terrible price for that.” Today we continue this conversation. Discussing Mental Health with John Rosemond John is a family psychologist, best-selling author, and a popular speaker on parenting issues. He is husband to his wife, Wilma, of 55 years, father to two successful adults, and grandfather to seven well-behaved grandchildren. John’s goal is to help you parent with love and leadership and to raise responsible adults. You can find his website here. Episode Highlights: What difference has Trace seen in parents and kids since smartphones came out in the early 2000s? What does John say about the statistical data that the mental health field is helping reduce the mental health problem in America? What does Trace say about epigenetics? What is one of the most popular questions in psychology from a psychologist to their client? What does John have to say about that question? Image from Canva

Feelings It used to be that when a parent needed advice for parenting they would go to a trusted and seasoned family member like a grandparent, an aunt, or an uncle - even if the child had behavioral problems. And if that didn't help, then the parent usually went to their pastor or clergy. But today we see that behavioral issues are viewed many times as clinical issues and this has given birth to what many refer to as the mental health industrial complex. John Rosemond is going to help us think through what modern mental health has become and the role it should or shouldn’t play in your family's well-being. Discussing Mental Health with John Rosemond John is a family psychologist, best-selling author, and a popular speaker on parenting issues. He is husband to his wife, Wilma, of 55 years, father to two successful adults, and grandfather to seven well-behaved grandchildren. John’s goal is to help you parent with love and leadership and to raise responsible adults. You can find his website here. Episode Highlights: What does John call psychology? Why have people tried various times to take John’s license away? What does John say is the truth about the mental health profession in America? Emotions are not more important than what? The more you talk to your child about their feelings the more - what? Image from Canva