The Journey: PCA Parent Podcast

Meet Andy Pearson, Prestonwood NextGen Choirs and Creative Arts!

Guest: Andy Pearson, Director of NextGen Choirs and Creative Arts, Prestonwood Baptist Church

A product of Prestonwood, Andy cut his proverbial acting and dancing teeth in Branson, MO doing shows and then beginning to produce shows while in high school! He’s literally been working with Prestonwood for over 20 years…and he’s only 40 years old now!

Andy and his wife Lauren are proud PCA parents of their little lion Beckett. Andy is slated to lead a PCA Minimester trip to Athens, Greece this spring.

To learn more about the Prestonwood Student Choir, visit their website at Prestonwood Student Worship or check out their Instagram page @student_worship. Here is some information about important dates from their website:

CHOIR KICKOFF 2022
Date: Aug 28, Sunday, 1-2 pm
Location: North Campus – NC SMB / Plano Campus – Choir Rehearsal Hall
Register now to avoid long lines at the check-in
Door opens at 12:30 pm
Free Lunch and T-shirt
Fall Follies and The Gift of Christmas Dance Audition immediately after the Kickoff
Fall Vocal Audition: Prepare a 30-45 second A Capella audition video (one song per student, please) and e-mail it to studentworship@prestonwood.org by Sunday, Aug 28th, 11pm.

STUDENT WORSHIP MINISTRY UPDATES 
UPCOMING DATES 
Aug 28: Fall Kickoff and Fall Dance Audition
Sept 4: No Choir Rehearsal. HAPPY LABOR DAY WEEKEND!
Sept 11: Regular Choir Rehearsal. Follies Rehearsal Kickoff
Sept 18: No Choir Rehearsal. Have fun at the Student Ministry Block Party!
Sept 25: Regular Choir Rehearsal

REGISTRATION FOR 2022-2023 IS NOW OPEN! 
Register now and start receiving all the news and updates! If you have any questions, e-mail studentworship@prestonwood.org.

PCA US Retreat 2022

Dr. Jeremiah Johnston, retreat speaker

Parents, we had an incredible time at our PCA Upper School retreat at Sky Ranch last week. The atmosphere was electric and the teaching and training time with our students was epic! This episode will hopefully give you a little taste of what our US students experienced at retreat - lots of activities, grade level meetings, incredible worship and solid Biblical teaching. After some highlights from retreat, I sat down with Dr. Jeremiah Johnston and took a moment to reflect on what he shared with our students and his perspective as a first time dad and faculty member at PCA.

A special shout out to Jared Wood who not only was our worship leader once again at retreat, but he also allows us to use his incredible talents and music for our intro and outro for The Journey - check out his music at JaredWoodMusic.

How Casual Sex Is Affecting Our Children [MATURE THEME]

Guest: Dr. Joe McIlhaney [Mature Theme]

Joe McIlhaney, MD is the Founder and Chairman of The Medical Institute for Sexual Health. He founded this organization in 1992, and left his medical practice of twenty-four years to become President of the organization in 1995. He is from Lubbock, TX and graduated from Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University) in 1957. He graduated from Baylor University School of Medicine with an MD degree in 1991. Following an internship at Jefferson Davis Hospital in Houston he entered the USAF as a general medical officer, serving for two years. He returned to Baylor to do nine months of residency in Pediatrics and then to complete a three year residency in Ob-Gyn. He and his wife and three daughters then moved to Austin, TX where he practiced Obstetrics and Gynecology with an emphasis on care of infertile couples. During that time he was an innovator, bringing gynecologic laparoscopy, gynecologic microsurgery, gynecologic laser and, with three other doctors, IVF to the Central Texas area.

Hooked: New Science on How Casual Sex is Affecting Our Children by Dr. Joe McIlhaney and Freda McKissic Bush

Hooked: The Consequences of Casual Sex - Part 1 with Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, 2019 (VIDEO)

If girls understand that they are “worthy” then they are more likely to act in a way that demonstrates their worth and expect others to treat them with respect.

If a girl is touched in an intimate way for twenty seconds or more, her body releases a chemical called oxytocin, which helps to bond her to that other person and builds a level of trust between them.

God has designed us for intimate relationships - and the chemicals that God has designed to help build those important relationships! That’s why God designed marriage as the proper place for sexual activity - within the bounds and covenant of a life-long relationship between one man and one woman. God’s guidelines are to “limit” us, but to empower us to have meaningful and lasting relationships!

The Power of the Success Sequence

By W. Bradford Wilcox and Wendy Wang

American Enterprise Institute

May 26, 2022

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US. Learn more about it and how it is transferred.

Understanding the effects of pornography - it doesn’t appear to “cost” much at the time, but the long-term effects are far more significant than most people can imagine - sin takes you farther than you wanted to go, keeps you longer than you wanted to stay, and costs you more than you wanted to pay!

Parents, start talking to your children when they’re young about God’s design for relationships and sexuality at an age-appropriate level. Talk to your children about the incredible things that God has planned for them - if they are aiming for a goal, it’s easier to say no to small distractions that would keep us from our ultimate goal!

“We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” C.S. Lewis

A Life Well Spent: The Eternal Rewards of Investing Yourself and Your Money in Your Family by Russ Crosson

Parents, we are modeling how to do life as we live and make decisions in front of our children!

The Road Less Traveled, Timeless Edition: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth by M. Scott Peck

Shout out to Jared Wood who allows us to use his music - check him out at JaredWoodMusic!

Importance of a Christian Liberal Arts Education

Guest: Dan Panetti, PCA Worldview Director

New Staff Presentation 2022

First, we need to address what the goal of education really is:

A liberal-arts education is supposed to provide you with a value system, a standard, a set of ideas, not a job.  Caroline Bird

The great end of education is to discipline rather than to furnish the mind; to train it to the use of its own powers, rather than fill it with the accumulation of others.  Tyron Edwards

Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.  Socrates

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

''Call me Ishmael,'' Herman Melville, Moby-Dick

“The wounds received in battle bestow honor, they do not take it away.” Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The Gospel of John, Chapter 1:1-5

Therefore, the Christian student has the ability to ask and answer important questions of life…

If you see a problem, what can I do to make it better?

If you see a void, what can I do to fill it?

If you see beauty, how can I best appreciate it?

If you see wonder, how can I best understand it?

MOVIE - Top Gun Maverick

Enemy-occupied territory – that is what this world is.  Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed.  You might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.  When you go to church you are really listening in to the secret wireless from our friends: that is why the enemy is so anxious to prevent us from going. C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

 

Thanks to Jared Wood for the use of his music.

Dr. Mike Goddard ”ALL IN” School-wide Theme

Guest: Dr. Mike Goddard, Superintendent, Prestonwood Christian Academy School System

“ALL IN” School-wide Theme for 2022-23

Jesus answered, “The most important is, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Mark 12:29-30

Dr. Goddard decided to look at his life and every aspect of what he’s putting into his mind and body - and he’s down 35 pounds in weight! The goal for our Christian teachers and leaders is to MODEL the way for our students!

Objective for every classroom - love Jesus and love others enough to share Him!

When we feed the flesh, the flesh grows. When we feed the spirit, the spirit grows. What are you feeding in your life? Choose what is right, good, and true and feed those thoughts and ideas.

PCA adding about 500 students across the PCA System - incredible opportunities for those students and families for a Biblically-solid Christian education to train them to make a difference in the world for Christ!

A “strand of three cords” - the church, school, and home - together we are stronger as we train our students to be strong lights in a dark world!

Check Out the Incredible Levi’s Locker!

Levi’s Locker

Special thanks to Toby Graham and Kelly Walsh - our directors for Levi’s Locker, the PCA Spirit Store! And a huge shout out to Katie McDonald PCA’s Director of Communications and Web - who is the biggest fan of all the incredible work that Toby and Kelly are doing!

To learn more about Levi’s Locker and check out all the incredible things they offer, visit their website and social media offerings:

Levi’s Locker online: https://the-hub-prestonwood-christian-academy.square.site/

To volunteer and find out the hours of operation: prestonwoodchristian.org/spiritstore

Facebook: @LevisLockerPCA

Instagram: @LevisLockerPCA

Twitter: @LevisLockerPCA

Levi’s Locker will be announcing their MOBILE opportunities soon - to “take spirit to the people.” So be on the lookout for Levi’s Locker coming to a variety of PCA events near you! There is an online store where you can order your materials and get them even before the long lines form at Back to School Day!

Levi’s Locker equips us to present to the watching world a message of love and truth by presenting the hope that is in us as children of the light. Just as the word should be written on our hearts so that we might not sin against God, we can also write His word on our lives so that the world can see the difference that Christ has made in our lives - when we promote PCA, we promote Christ who is at the center of all that PCA is and does.

Parenting Wisdom for Today’s Issues

Guest: Dr. Karla Hale Gerdes

www.drhalegerdes.com

972-248-4673

Office location: 5168 Village Creek Dr., Suite 200, Plano, TX 75093

Karla Hale Gerdes, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist, specializing in psychotherapy for individuals and couples. She is dual licensed as a marriage/family therapist and has been in private practice for almost 30 years, with extensive experience working with adolescents, adults, couples, and families. Dr. Gerdes is qualified to deal with a wide range of psychological, behavioral, relational, and spiritual issues with warmth, wisdom, competency, and compassion.

Dr. Gerdes’ specialty interests include marriage and family relationships, depression and anxiety, women's issues, life transitions, grief and loss, divorce recovery, blended families, and faith/spirituality issues.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, Texas Tech University; emphasis in marriage/family therapy

• Internship in Clinical Psychology, UT Health Sciences Center, Houston

• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Harding University, summa cum laude

Dr. Gerdes is trained in a variety of evidence-based approaches to therapy, including: 

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Family Systems and Family of Origin
• Imago and Gottman Marital Therapies
• Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
• Solution-Focused, short-term therapy
• Acceptance-Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Mindfulness techniques

Understanding the Anxiety and Stress Our Kids Are Under

Guest: Dr. Karla Hale Gerdes

www.drhalegerdes.com

972-248-4673

Office location: 5168 Village Creek Dr., Suite 200, Plano, TX 75093

Karla Hale Gerdes, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist, specializing in psychotherapy for individuals and couples. She is dual licensed as a marriage/family therapist and has been in private practice for almost 30 years, with extensive experience working with adolescents, adults, couples, and families. Dr. Gerdes is qualified to deal with a wide range of psychological, behavioral, relational, and spiritual issues with warmth, wisdom, competency, and compassion.

Dr. Gerdes’ specialty interests include marriage and family relationships, depression and anxiety, women's issues, life transitions, grief and loss, divorce recovery, blended families, and faith/spirituality issues.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, Texas Tech University; emphasis in marriage/family therapy

• Internship in Clinical Psychology, UT Health Sciences Center, Houston

• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Harding University, summa cum laude

Dr. Gerdes is trained in a variety of evidence-based approaches to therapy, including: 

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Family Systems and Family of Origin
• Imago and Gottman Marital Therapies
• Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
• Solution-Focused, short-term therapy
• Acceptance-Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Mindfulness techniques

Understanding the Importance of the Dobbs Decision

Guest: Ryan Bangert, Alliance Defending Freedom

Hope y’all have a wonderful 4th of July! On July 4th, Americans celebrate the passage of the Declaration of Independence, which reads in part:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Recently, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) handed down a monumental decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (Dobbs) case that effectively overturned the infamous 1973 Roe v. Wade decision where the Court had found a woman’s right to an abortion was a Constitutionally protected right. Overturning Roe means that the “right to an abortion” is now no longer secured by the federal courts and is subject to the determination of the governed - just as the Framers had intended our governmental process to work. So whether you’re “pro-abortion” or “pro-life,” Dobbs returns the power to influence the legislative process back to the citizens of each state to decide through their elected representatives, a right which the Court had usurped from citizens in the Roe decision.

As Christians, what does the Dobbs decision mean?

• A large percentage of women seeking abortions are single women who already have other children, but because of financial or other considerations, feel that they are unable to support another child. Men should be part of this consideration and equation and not leave the burden and responsibility to raise children entirely on the shoulders of the mothers of their children. Before abortion becomes a legislative or legal issue, it is a personal responsibility issue and men need to be personally responsible for their children.

• Women facing the decision over abortion or birth are looking for wisdom and guidance and men have an opportunity to support pregnancy centers in their community to give women the needed support to choose life. If you’re in the DFW area, look to support the Prestonwood Pregnancy Center. If you live in other areas of the country, visit the resource list made available from The Heidi Group. The Human Coalition is also a great organization to know about and support.

• As more women look to give birth to their children, there may be an increased opportunity for men to step up in terms of adoption and foster care. Even if you’re not looking to bring a child into your family, you can support others who are willing. Learn more from CHOSEN: Christ’s Hope for Orphans: Supporting, Embracing, Nurturing.

• Don’t forget about post-abortive resources for women struggling with the trauma and anxiety that often comes from having an abortion. Check out the resources available from Focus on the Family for post-abortive care.

 

Meet PCA Head Football Coach Donnie Yantis

Continuing with our summer theme for the past few weeks, we spend some time getting to know the new head football coach for PCA Donnie Yantis.