Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the daunting responsibilities of parenthood or struggled to balance your faith journey with raising children? Today’s episode of Holly's Highlights will leave you feeling inspired and equipped with heartfelt wisdom. Drawing from the invaluable advice of my dad, we explore a five-step guide to parenting that has profoundly impacted my life. Starting with the importance of living a godly life, we'll navigate the complexities of setting boundaries, instilling values, and creating a nurturing environment for our children. You'll come away with practical tips and a renewed sense of purpose in your parenting journey.
In this intimate conversation, I open up about my personal experiences, including the profound loss of my mom and how my dad's guidance has been a bedrock of support. We reflect on the importance of passing on your faith, praying together, and seeking counsel from fellow believers to lighten the parenting load. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, or just in need of a little encouragement, this episode promises to offer wisdom and support to help you tackle the challenges of life with faith and intentionality. Join me for a heartwarming discussion that reminds us all of the powerful legacy we can build through love and faith.
Visit www.hollycurby.com for more information and to sign up for the monthly Holly's Happenings e-newsletter. Holly's Highlights podcast and the opinions and ideas shared within it are for entertainment purposes only. The advice should be confirmed with a qualified professional.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the daunting responsibilities of parenthood or struggled to balance your faith journey with raising children? Today’s episode of Holly's Highlights will leave you feeling inspired and equipped with heartfelt wisdom. Drawing from the invaluable advice of my dad, we explore a five-step guide to parenting that has profoundly impacted my life. Starting with the importance of living a godly life, we'll navigate the complexities of setting boundaries, instilling values, and creating a nurturing environment for our children. You'll come away with practical tips and a renewed sense of purpose in your parenting journey.
In this intimate conversation, I open up about my personal experiences, including the profound loss of my mom and how my dad's guidance has been a bedrock of support. We reflect on the importance of passing on your faith, praying together, and seeking counsel from fellow believers to lighten the parenting load. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, or just in need of a little encouragement, this episode promises to offer wisdom and support to help you tackle the challenges of life with faith and intentionality. Join me for a heartwarming discussion that reminds us all of the powerful legacy we can build through love and faith.
Visit www.hollycurby.com for more information and to sign up for the monthly Holly's Happenings e-newsletter. Holly's Highlights podcast and the opinions and ideas shared within it are for entertainment purposes only. The advice should be confirmed with a qualified professional.
Speaker 1:
Hi friends, welcome to Holly's Highlights, a podcast designed to encourage, inspire and equip you to intentionally live your life full of purpose. I'm your host, holly Kirby, motivational speaker, leadership cultivator, marketing strategist and personal cheerleader. Let's check out today's highlights. A special thank you to the Best of State in Utah committee, who recently awarded Facelift Embracing Hope Through your Heartaches as the nonfiction book of the year. Many have experienced heartbreak and hardships, whether from broken relationships, illnesses, financial strains, even loss of loved ones, but Facelift can help us embrace hope in the midst of our circumstances. Embrace hope in the midst of our circumstances. In celebration, all proceeds from any purchase of Facelift book during the month of June in 2024 will be donated to Huntsman Cancer Foundation. Purchase Facelift through your local bookstore or even online retailers such as Barnes, noble, walmart, target and Amazon, whether looking for the next book for your book club or women's Bible study group, or to read by yourself, or even to give to someone to bring a lifting of their face. Check out Facelift Embracing Hope Through your Heartaches. Award winning best of state. For more information, visit wwwhollykirbycom.
Speaker 1:
Well, I hope you enjoyed your Father's Day weekend. My dad was pretty simple this year. He just wanted us to come over to his house and make one of his favorite meals that my mom used to make. I enjoy such simplicities of life though, just being together in one another's homes and sharing a meal and good conversation. As our family continues to be intentional at pressing into spending time together and making memories, I have prayed long and hard throughout the years that our children will carry on the heritage with each other and, as they have children of their own, in the future. I'm so grateful for my children Now. They both were recently gone over a weekend and although I'll admit, the house stayed perfectly spotless well, I'd rather have a messy home filled with the presence, love and laughter of my kiddos any day over a model-looking house.
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My parents have been such great examples to me in parenting. Let's face it, parenting can be hard the challenges, the doubts, the insecurities, the worries, the guilt, the decisions. Since my mom passed away nearly five years ago, there have been so many times I've wanted to ask her her advice or how she would have handled the situation. So I've tried to be intentional in opportunities to ask my dad for parenting tips, and he recently shared with me his five-step guide he's used while raising children. The first one live a godly life yourself Every day, in all circumstances, from the choices we make, the words we use, the things we watch, the friends we surround ourselves with, where we go, even such things as admitting our mess-ups and asking our children for forgiveness. You know being humble, being a good steward of how we use and treat and even maintain what God has entrusted to us, our character, our integrity, having a servant heart, living in peace, trusting God in all things yes, living a godly life ourself.
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Number two be the parent. You, the parent, are to be in charge of your home. I think we've all seen examples of where the child obviously was used to being in charge. Parenting is a role entrusted by God to lead the home, not for the children to do so. Yes, we value being our children's friend, but our role is that of the parent. They aren't always going to agree with us or even like us, but research shows children do better with boundaries and structure, as it makes them feel safe and feel secure. Have those tough conversations, make those tough decisions. Be the parent.
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Number three intentionally pass along your faith, from what you believe and the importance of having a prayer life to how to handle life situations and growing in your personal relationship with the Lord. Pray with your children, study God's word with your children. Attend church together, worship together, serve together. Have the deep conversations together. Serve together. Have the deep conversations. As one of my mom's favorite verses 3 John 1, 4 says, I have no greater joy than to hear my children are walking in the truth, intentionally pass along your faith.
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Number four seek Christian counsel. Now you don't have to do it all on your own. Turn to fellow believers for their help or input. Listen to their wisdom in your parenting. This may be through books I recommend the Baby Wise books as well as the Strong Willed Child by Dr James Dobson. I may have some experience using those or it could be through parenting classes or groups. Focus on the Family has a great series broken down by topic, which is a great option with groups. Maybe it's having some mentors who have gone through the stage you're entering and they can help provide insight and wise counsel, or even a shoulder to cry on. And, yes, even if needed, an actual counselor. You aren't expected to know it all, to figure it all out, or even do it all on your own. Seek Christian counsel.
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And number five bathe your children in prayer. Their safety, their health, who they'll marry, the choices they'll make, decisions to be had and, above all, that they'll have a personal relationship with the Lord and continue to grow and walk with Him all the days of their life. With the Lord, and continue to grow and walk with Him all the days of their life. After all, as James 5.16 tells us, that prayer is powerful and effective. I have no doubt my parents have been my biggest and strongest prayer warriors, something I've tried to be for my children too, praying such things for my children since in the womb and praying over them as they sleep, alongside them at meals, with them on the way to school, for them throughout their day.
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Bathe your children in prayer. See, in a world where there seems to be an app for everything, there's not necessarily one for raising our kids. Two tools that still help me as a parent include the website called Plugged In, which provides insights into movies and TVs, music, games, books, youtube channels, blogs, podcasts you name it. This is often my go-to to check out what my kids want to see or listen to, as it provides positive and spiritual elements, any sexual or violent content, lets you know of any language or other negative elements, and just helps me make a more wise decision on what to allow or not to allow for my kids. And then another tool is signing up for Focus on the Family's weekly email, where you'll receive information that fits your child's age and stage and even an annual email of content to help in that child's year ahead. That's at focusonthefamilycom.
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And yes, we may have just celebrated Father's Day, but I believe every mom needs to watch Mom's Night Out movie. If you have not seen it, it is hilarious. I think we can all relate with that movie and, if nothing else, it'll just provide you with a really good laugh. Yes, parenting my friends is hard. Parenting my friends is hard, but it is so important, whether parenting littles, teenagers or even adult grown and with families of their own. My dad is living proof that a parent's job while here on earth doesn't end. It just morphs a little as you not only continue to parent your children, but even as a grandparent, while they raise littles of their own and those whom you'll mentor along the way. So as we reflect on the recent holiday of Father's Day, may we be inspired to live a godly life. Be the parent intentionally, pass along our faith, seek Christian counsel and bathe our children in prayer. Enjoy the journey, my friend.
Speaker 1:
You can check out related episodes on parenting here on Holly's Highlights, such as Valentine's Day in Relationships with Focus on the Family. That's Season 2, episode 3. Hey Mamas, which is Season 2, episode 12. Lessons Learned from my Dad, which is Seasons 2, episode 14. Parenting Kids Screen Time, which is Season 2, episode 29,. The Language of Love, season three, episode three. Thank you for joining me on this journey of life. I hope today's highlight has been encouraging, inspiring and equipping so you can go out and live your life full of purpose. I'd be honored if you'd take a moment to leave a review or, better yet, subscribe. Honored if you'd take a moment to leave a review or, better yet, subscribe. We can also stay in touch by joining my email list at hollykirbycom. That's H-O-L-L-Y-C-U-R-B-Ycom. Until next time, make it a great day for a great day.
