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A podcast for parents in the PCA system of schools, including PCA Plano, PCA North, and St. Timothy’s Christian Academy.
Episodes
Wednesday May 17, 2023
Wednesday May 17, 2023
Guest: Hillary Morgan Ferrer
Mama Bear Apologetics: Empowering Your Kids to Challenge Cultural Lies
A “Mama Bear” will do things for her children that she wouldn’t even do for herself. Moms are on the front lines for spiritual warfare - the primary person that children ask questions of - moms, you need to be equipped and prepared!
If the enemy can’t attack God directly, he’ll attack His image-bearers - that’s us!
How do we talk to our kids about sex…how about defining sex in the category of “things that need to be guarded” or “things that are valuable.”
Parents, questions are coming…if your children are not asking you their questions, they’re asking someone…the conversations around the dinner table or while driving in the car - those are the most powerful times to engage and equip your children!
R.O.A.R. Technique:
Recognize the message
Offer objective discernment
Argue for a healthy approach
Reinforce through discussion, discipleship, and prayer
Special shout out to Jared Wood for allowing us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!
Wednesday May 10, 2023
Wednesday May 10, 2023
Guest: Monek’ Smith, wife and mother of two PCA students, founder of MS. Cookie Co.
PCA mom Monek’ Smith has an interesting side hustle - she makes cookies, but that’s sort of an undersell - if we were completely honest, she crafts tiny masterpieces of culinary confections - seriously insane cookies and not only look amazing, but taste great, too! Listen as Monek’ shares her journey from Texas A&M grad to cookie queen - then check out the gallery on her website of some of her incredible creations! Monek’ loves PCA and loves making cookies - but remember this is a side hustle, so if you reach out and she says no, don’t take it personally - she said no to me as well - her family comes first!
@mscookieco.tx
Special shout out to Jared Wood for allowing us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!
Wednesday May 03, 2023
Wednesday May 03, 2023
Guests: Brittnye Schroeder and Trisha Ruzynski
PCA Prays is a parent-led organization that covers PCA students, faculty and families in prayer. Each grade level has a prayer coordinator and has monthly meetings where parents can gather together and pray for their students by name. You can also find out information on MyPCA on the PCA Spiritual Life button or on the parent-led Facebook page for each grade level. Finally, look for your weekly email from PCA Prays asking for prayer requests that can be shared and prayed for either by the leadership team, the entire grade, or all of the PCA Prays community.
Special shout out to Jared Wood for allowing us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!
Wednesday Apr 26, 2023
Wednesday Apr 26, 2023
Guest: Mark Oestreicher
MarkO is a partner in The Youth Cartel, providing services and resources for individual youth workers and organizations. He has been married to Jeannie for 30 years, and has two great kids: Riley (22) and Max (18). Here's The Youth Cartel's website. twitter: @markosbeard instagram: @whyismarko
You can listen to MarkO on Five Minutes with Marko on YouTube.
MarkO - the four years following puberty is the most important developmental period in the life of a person - the most significant changes (that a person is aware of) - and changes in several different aspects of their life - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
Educational theory - stuff you don’t talk about is called your “null curriculum” - and what you don’t talk about ends up teaching your children as much as what you do!!!
Five areas of significant change in the life of a pre-teen:
- Physical - obvious, and most teens hate this developmental process. Parents, you need to have a ministry of normalizing this experience.
- Cognitive - we move from being limited as pre-teens to having the ability to think in the abstract, gives the opportunity to speculate, the “what if” and “why” questions and adding a “third person perspective”
- Emotional
- Relational
- Spiritual
The dominant perspective of young people is that they are broken or incapable - which is why adolescence has been extended to almost 20 years long! Instead of expecting young people to mature, we make their journey easier and expect less and less of them.
MarkO - do you see teenagers as a problem to be solved or a wonder to behold?!
Birth-4 are years of discovery
Ages 5-7 are years of testing
Ages 8-11 are years of concluding (they have everything figured out!)
Ages 11-14 are years of discovery (again!)
Ages 15-20 are years are testing
Ages 20-30 are years of concluding (again)
When your child expresses a doubt, we can see that shifting in their brain, testing out new concepts and ideas, moving from literal thinking to abstract considerations. Doubt is not the enemy, but unexamined doubt can be dangerous. Parents, lean into those doubts and help your children wrestle with their doubts.
Understanding Your Young Teen: Practical Wisdom for Parents by Mark Oestreicher
A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Teenage Brains: Why They Act the Way They Do by Mark Oestreicher
Special shout out to Jared Wood for allowing us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!
Wednesday Apr 19, 2023
Wednesday Apr 19, 2023
Guest: Jamie Cantrell
How do we train our children to have a healthy lifestyle of good, nutritious food and an active lifestyle?
- First, assess what you are currently doing in terms of food decisions - look for simple “wins” and adjustments you can make.
- Second, audit your own eating and exercise habits. What do you currently have in your pantry and refrigerator? What is one thing you can begin to replace with a better option?
- Pay attention to the 4 Ps:
- Packaged
- Preserved
- Processed
- Prepared
- Lack of preparation will end up costing you more - eating out is expensive!
- Check your SUGAR intake - you want to pay attention to “added grams of sugar” - aim to stay 25 grams of added sugar per day or below
- SAGE dining provides delicious varieties for students that are healthy and nutritious - don’t let your students tell you they “don’t like SAGE” if they aren’t willing to try the food!
- Parents - why are we so willing to go the extra mile to help our students in so many different areas, but unwilling to address their nutritional needs?
- Parents - don’t just “take away” things your kids like, add in good, healthy alternatives and begin to train their taste buds for something other than sugary snacks
- Jamie - “if it’s made from a plant, eat it; if it’s developed from a plant, don’t”
Recommended recipe resources:
@fedandfit
@thedefineddish
@halfbakedharvest
@healthygirlkitchen
Special shout out to Jared Wood for allowing us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!
Wednesday Apr 12, 2023
Wednesday Apr 12, 2023
Guest: Dr. Pam Merryman, PCA US English teacher
Pam and her sister were the first two students enrolled in First Baptist Academy in Dallas, TX. She not only graduated from First Academy, she became the first alumni to return and teach there as well.
“I never demand any more of my students than I’m willing to give myself.” Dr. Merryman
Dr. Merryman was the force behind bringing Capstone to PCA. Capstone is a senior project of three different papers around one particular literary piece. Seniors write a philosophical paper, an historical paper, and a literary analysis of a book that they choose. Then, the final piece, is looking at the book through a Biblical worldview, the lens of God’s Word, and in light of the five pillars of the Portrait of a PCA Graduate and what they’ve learned in their time at PCA.
Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:19-23
Special shout out to Jared Wood for allowing us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!
Wednesday Apr 05, 2023
Wednesday Apr 05, 2023
Guest: Christine Callander, MSN, APRN, FNP-C
From the earliest age, NP Callander loved playing doctor with her dolls and stuffed animals. However, after looking at many career opportunities, Christine felt called into the healthcare field. She first graduated as a paramedic and then graduated from the University of Texas in Arlington with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Following an exemplary career as an emergency room pediatric nurse at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, TX, she graduated with honors with her Master of Science in Nursing as a Nurse Practitioner from Texas Tech. Throughout her career as a Nurse and Nurse Practitioner, she has always sought to provide the care she expects for her own family. It's this highly individualized treatment and evidence-based medicine with a holistic focus that NP Callander offers to each patient at Pure Health Texas.
In addition to her calling as a healthcare provider, NP Callander is a loving wife to her husband, Shawn, and a devoted mother to their three wonderful children, Brenna, Case, and Ainsley. When not in the office caring for patients, you can find her exercising, watching her kids participate in numerous sports, attending church, or volunteering at Young Life & Sky Ranch Summer Camps.
Office number: 972-332-1930
“Gut health” is a huge component of our physical and emotional well being - many issues that manifest themselves in other areas - including acne - are tied to our gut issues! In addition, some of our food allergies can be traced back to our gut health.
Chef Shaun with Sage Dining does a great job of taking several dietary issues and food allergies into consideration in preparing all the selections for the PCA cafeteria.
How do we know if our students are struggling with gluten or dairy? You might see a difference in their temperament/behavior or it might be a physical outbreak. Food allergies can change as we age or different situations can alter the way we absorb foods.
Stress and anxiety are issues affecting a large percentage of our students - one out of three students struggle with anxiety. Mental health is such an important attribute of our lives - everything flows from the brain downward. How can we better protect the mental health of our children?! Look for your kids being overly tired, sleeplessness, snippy attitudes - is this hormonally related or stress activated?
Bedtime routines are important to help get the best sleep possible. Blue light from iPads or cell phones actually keep us awake even when we’re tired! Don’t let your child use their mobile phone as their alarm clock! Don’t plug your phones to charge near your head at night!
Try to protect “family dinner time” and use that time for good conversations. Car rides are also great places to engage in meaningful conversation! Ask questions about their day, about how they feel about things and different situations, etc.
Special shout out to Jared Wood for allowing us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!
Wednesday Mar 29, 2023
Wednesday Mar 29, 2023
Guest: Rick Green
Find out more about the incredible work of Rick Green at the Patriot Academy website.
This episode examines the recent events at Stanford Law School where students rudely refused to listen to a presentation by federal District Judge Kyle Duncan. Judge Duncan was invited to speak to students at Stanford Law by students at The Federalist Society, a student group at most major law schools. Judge Duncan was unable to deliver his comments and the administration of Stanford Law School used this opportunity to berate Judge Duncan saying that his very presence took away students’ rights and his speech denied the humanity of others. To watch a person's phone recording of some of what transpired that evening, watch this video. To hear an exclusive interview with Congressman Mike Johnson on his Truth Be Told podcast with federal District Judge Kyle Duncan, check out the episode here.
The lack of civility in society today should be a concern to all liberty-loving individuals - regardless of your political positions or attitudes, the freedom to disagree is at the very heart of liberty in this country.
PCA’s Biblical Worldview Institute (BWi) examined the lack of civility two years ago - check out some of the incredible speakers and the wisdom they shared with our students at the 2021 BWi conference titled Civility.
Sorry about the strange ending to this episode - instead of editing it out, I left it to allow you to hear our exchange as Rick jumped from our interview to his live Patriot Academy show!
Special shout out to Jared Wood for allowing us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!
Wednesday Mar 22, 2023
Wednesday Mar 22, 2023
Guest: Kailee Lockette, North Dallas Christian Counseling
(214) 577-8334
info@NDCcounseling.com
Kailee holds the following certificates from the American School Counselor Association:
- Mental Health Specialist Training
- Students with Special Needs Training
- Trauma and Crisis Management Specialist Training
And Kailee is a member of:
- TCA - Texas Counselors Association
- ABC - Association of Biblical Counselors
Kailee likes to think through our life as a tree and we often examine the fruit of our lives, but she is also interested in the external factors that affect your life and the quality of the soil in which you’re living.
What are your desires that have turned into demands? Positive things that God wants to give you can become something negative in your life.
“Mistakes” in parenting can be opportunities to show your children your need for God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness. This can be used as a connection instead of a condemnation.
Saint, sufferer, sinner - we are at various times all of these.
Kailee often talks about our limits and our capacities. And while God is unlimited, we are NOT…a lot of stress and anxiety is because people are operating outside of their capacity! This may be why we see adults who are “stuck” in the developmental stages because of the trauma that people experience and they haven’t been able to “work through” tremendously difficult aspects of their lives.
Between Two Worlds: The Inner Lives of Children of Divorce by Elizabeth Marquardt
Our culture isn’t comfortable with suffering and the “long hard road” of healing, which is why so many people short circuit the journey to the help that God offers as one goes through the painful process of true healing, forgiveness, and redemption.
Even parenting today is short circuiting the training and development of our children - the hard road of learning patience, self-control, perseverance, etc…today so many parents are medicating their children with prescriptions or technology that bring about a temporary sense of calm and tranquility, but don’t help train a child to learn how to self-regulate their emotions.
Attachment theory - according to Kailee, the way that your parents attached to you trained and modeled a way for you to understand yourself and the world around you. Scripture tells us that our primary job as parents is to “attach” our children to God Himself, which is made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who lived the life we couldn’t and died the death we deserved, to give us the opportunity to be reconciled to God.
Special shout out to Jared Wood for allowing us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!
Wednesday Mar 15, 2023
Wednesday Mar 15, 2023
Guest: Johnny Farr, Minister to MA2 and Marriage and Families
ONE Marriage Workshop - “How to Biblically Manage Your Finances”
Friday, April 14, 5:30–8:00 pm, Plano Campus
Saturday, April 15, 5:30–8:00 pm, North Campus
Prestonwood - all things “Marriage and Family”
Marriage tips and encouragement - text Marriage to 74788
HomeLife is a resource to help families build faith at home. Whether you’re single or married, have young children or are an empty-nester, you will find practical resources and step-by-step guidance to help nurture faith at home—tailored to meet the unique needs of today’s family.
Mentors4Couples combines Christ-centered, biblical marriage principles with applied training that helps to strengthen marriages. Couples desiring marriage discipleship (mentees) are paired with one of our godly and vulnerable, trustworthy mentor couples. Together, you walk through a curriculum to enrich your marriage. Your mentors will help you build the marriage you’ve always wanted through a six-to-nine-month discipleship process.
Between Two Worlds: The Inner Lives of Children of Divorce by Elizabeth Marquardt
Special shout out to Jared Wood for allowing us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!