Raising Christian Kids Lee Ann Mancini

“But to make our home a reflection of heaven on earth, we also need to be thinking about God's characteristics, who he is, and how we can demonstrate that in our homes. How can we ultimately have a sense of security, a sense of peace and protection, a sense of order?” – Lori Wildenberg.
Once a month, Lori and Lee Ann will discuss complex topics regarding parenting and disciplining. Lori Wildenberg is a national speaker, a licensed parent-family educator of over 25 years, and an award-winning author of six Christian parenting books. Lori also leads the popular Moms Together Facebook Community Page and Group.
During this episode of MOMents with Lori and LeeAnn, both ladies discuss how you can make your home a reflection of heaven on earth. They explore spiritual, emotional, and physical aspects, emphasizing the importance of prayer, meditation, and modeling virtuous behavior for our children.
Key Takeaways:


Demonstrating God's characteristics and encouraging the Fruits of the Spirit.
Modeling a close relationship with God and including children in spiritual practices like singing praise and praying.
Being able to manage fear, anger, and sadness.
Reflecting God's holiness in emotional responses.
Building trust in God during challenging situations.
Physically, room by room, anointing oil and praying over each room.
Incorporating scripture and crosses in the home.
Placing plaques and Bible verses throughout the home to create visual reminders of Jesus.
Emphasizing the importance of forgiveness in the home environment.

“I do believe the reason that God has given us the emotion of anger is so that we can understand what perhaps injustice looks like for someone else, see that we can stand up to that bully. Things like that, those are good things. That's a good way to express anger. That's a holy way.” – Lori Wildenberg.
Lori’s Website, Facebook, Moms Together Facebook, Moms Together Facebook Group, and Instagram.

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Mary DeMuth is an international speaker, podcaster, and author of nearly 50 books, fiction and nonfiction. As an avid Bible reader, she has guided many people into the Scriptures to supercharge their faith. Through God’s healing, Mary has overcome a difficult past to become an authentic example of what it means to live a brand-new story. She loves to help others “re-story” their lives through the books she writes. Mary lives in Texas with her husband of 33 years and is mom to three adult children.
During this episode, Mary talks about the vital role of impactful communication and how to empower adult children while maintaining a strong, supportive relationship. Mary shares insights from her book, Love, Pray, Listen: Parenting Your Wayward Adult Kids with Joy, offering practical advice, biblical perspectives, and even a free resource of personalized prayers. She addresses the complexities of modern parenting, covering topics such as differing political views, approaching concerns about adult children, and leveraging scriptures like 1 Corinthians 13 to guide parenting at any age.
Key Takeaways:


Discussion about the challenges of establishing healthy boundaries and managing expectations with adult children.
The shift in the parental role from control to support and advisory.
Misconceptions about perfect parenting and the need for adapting to changing dynamics.
Importance of impactful communication at different stages of parenting.
Advice for setting up healthy communication patterns with young children to carry into adulthood.
Emphasizing the shift from control to relationship-based parenting as children grow older.
Navigating differing political views within the family.
Dealing with adult children heading down the wrong path and how to approach the situation. How Scripture can help navigate parenting adult children.
The application of love as the most important virtue in parenting.

Mary’s website, free resources, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, & Podcast.

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“Can we just be challenged enough to say, "It's going be dirty and messy and hard, but at the same time, would we want to go to heaven any other way?" And if we want to raise kids, I pray for my kids every day that they chase after the God-sized dreams. But if we want that, then we have to do that ourselves - we have to model it. And so, my challenge for myself and my family and for all of us is to envision that.” – Cynthia Yanof.
Cynthia is a wife, mother, podcaster, blogger, and everyday girl who is committed to not taking herself too seriously. She hosts the popular MESSmerized podcast and spends her days laughing, parenting, and praying for her family to chase after their God-sized dreams. Her first book, Life is Messy, God is Good, is available now on Amazon.
During this episode, Cynthia discusses the impact of adoption on family dynamics, the importance of living with the end in mind, and the transformative power of faith. Cynthia shares personal stories of parenting struggles and triumphs, highlighting the need to challenge oneself and live life unafraid of getting messy.
Key Takeaways:


The lies parents believe, such as being defined by their kids' successes and failures, feeling inadequate, or seeking universal acceptance.
Navigating the messy moments of parenting with faith and humor.
Empowering parents to align their beliefs with God's truth.
Encouragement for parents to help their children envision their future through exposure and support.
An anecdote about Cynthia's son's struggles with reading in first grade and how it led to unexpected positive qualities in him as a teenager.
Emphasizing the importance of believing in God's plan for children, even in difficult times.
Cynthia's experience with foster care and the transformation it brought to her and her family.
The impact of adoption on the family's dynamics and the spiritual growth resulting from stepping out in faith.
The inspirational story of a secret service agent during the 9/11 attacks, emphasizing the idea of not going to heaven in a clean suit.
Encouragement for parents to live each day with the end in mind, embracing the call to do the hard things and model godly perseverance for our children.

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“Inconvenient parenting is a willingness to lay down our comforts and our conveniences for the sake of our children to help them become who God created them to be.” – Melissa Hannigan.
Melissa Hannigan holds a Master of Arts degree in counseling from Midwestern Theological Seminary. She is married to John Hannigan, and they have three daughters and a son who recently went to be with the Lord. Before becoming a full-time homeschool mom, Melissa worked with teen girls to overcome abuse, addictions, and trauma. She is passionate about helping people discover God’s best for their lives and families. Together, John and Melissa co-founded Ignite the Family, and she released her first book, Inconvenient Parenting, in August of 2023.
During this episode, Melissa discusses the profound impact of parenting and how to approach it with faith and grace. She shares her personal journey of grief and resilience, diving into the concept of "inconvenient parenting" and the 12 God-given traits that can shape a positive parenting journey. She explores the challenges of modern parenting, the significance of nurturing children's unique gifts, and the delicate balance between meeting a child's needs and instilling a sense of wonder and humility.
Melissa discusses her book, Inconvenient Parenting, and elaborates on the following 12 God-given parenting traits: wisdom, wonder, vitality, sensitivity, flexibility, curiosity, creativity, imagination, inventiveness, playfulness, humor, and joy. She mentions that these aren’t used as a checklist to see if your family has all these qualities; instead, they serve as traits to incorporate organically into everyday life and relationships. She is passionate about helping families unlock the potential that lies within every child and offers practical strategies to nurture and activate God-given traits.

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“We teach our children biblical character, not so that they're better than others, not so that they perform better than others, but because it glorifies God when we put him on display in that way.” – Dr. Kathy Koch.
Kathy Koch, PhD, is the founder and president of Celebrate Kids, Inc., and a child development specialist. She is also the author of seven bestselling parent-child enrichment books. In her latest book, Parent Differently, Raise Kids with Biblical Character That Changes Culture (Moody Publishers), Dr. Kathy reminds parents that if they want to see their children adopt positive attitudes, act righteously, and develop healthy habits, then they must lead by example in understanding and demonstrating biblical character. Dr. Kathy offers practical, relatable, and spiritual-centered insights and strategies for parents and educators, instructing them on how to guide children to develop biblical character so they flourish in life. She further encourages readers that there is “no shame or blame for yesterday and great hope for tomorrow.”
During this episode, Dr. Kathy shares insights on her latest book, emphasizes the importance of instilling biblical character in children, and how parents can guide their kids to develop these values early on. She discusses the importance of gratitude and the connection between a child's beliefs and their character choices.
“I wrote this book because if children don't have character, they will not develop into the people that God intended for them to be.” – Dr. Kathy Koch.
Key Takeaways:


Emphasis on leading by example, understanding biblical character, and the significance of character in children's development.
The impact of negative character traits on children's ability to influence and contribute positively to society.
It's never too early or too late to teach biblical character traits.
Utilization of biblical stories and figures to teach children about character and the importance of redemption and second chances in character development.
The three indicators of maturity in character: completeness, consistency, and automaticity.
The importance of teaching gratitude as a foundational character virtue.
The disconnection between chronological age and maturity in character.
Jesus' belief in the importance of children and their influence, highlighting how Jesus valued and prioritized spending time with children.
Emphasizing the critical role of children as the future and the importance of investing in them.
Encouraging parents to prioritize character development over rule-following and obedience.

Celebrate Kids Website, Facebook, and Instagram.

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“We love because he first loved us. And it's the same with kids. Kids need to feel love in order to be able to love others. Love can change the world; that starts with us and our kids.” – Jill Roman Lord.
Jill Roman Lord is an award-winning author of over 30 Christian children's books. She and her husband have raised three Jesus-loving kids who have flown the coop, leaving them to navigate the empty nest on their own.
During this episode, Jill discusses the impact of children's literature on developing a personal relationship with God. She delves into her latest books that focus on teaching children how to love well and incorporate God's teachings into their lives. She also explores the significance of board books in shaping young minds and shares parental advice on navigating the challenges of raising children in today's world.
Jill talks about a few of her children’s books and what children can learn from them:


Love Well My Precious One – addressing the theme of love and sharing with others; this book teaches children that little acts of love can make a big impact in the world.
Noah’s Joyful Ark – a board book for kids exploring the joyful aspect of being on Noah’s ark; this book encourages readers to roar, bark, and hee-haw along with all of God’s creatures, reminding children that even on gloomy days, they can look for God’s love in a rainbow.
If Jesus Lived Inside my Heart – a board book for babies that explores the presence of Jesus in our lives; this story helps toddlers learn how to be kind and generous in different situations, while being introduced to Jesus.
The Noisy Night – a new twist to the Christmas story of Jesus’s birth, exploring what the night might have been like if all the creatures and people celebrated the birth of Jesus in their own God-given ways.

“There have actually been multiple studies done to show that generosity improves the emotion of the person receiving and the emotion of the person giving. It's actually a 3-fold that helps the receiver, the giver, and then the receiver also wants to pay it forward and love also and be generous.” – Jill Roman Lord.
Jill’s Website, Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter.

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