October 6, 2025 • 23 mins
What if the most powerful parenting tool isn’t a system or schedule, but a life your children can watch up close? We sit down with Caroline Hawkins to talk about raising kids with a calm center—grounded in Scripture, shaped by worship, and honest about the mess. Caroline recommends reading Proverbs 31 and the daily practice of “putting on love,” as we share the moments that change the atmosphere of a home: apologizing when we blow it, praying over our kids by name, and inviting them to join us rather than forcing them to conform.
Our conversation gets real about the modern thorns: screens everywhere, comparison, and the exhaustion that comes from being “on” all the time. We unpack a sane path forward—clear tech boundaries explained as love, not control; delaying devices and social media; collecting phones at night; and training kids to make wise choices when you’re not around. The goal is to move from cop to coach to counselor as they grow, empowering them to own their faith and decisions. For the parent who’s in a dry season, we offer practical ways to meet God on the move: audio Scripture in the car, worship in the background, and five-minute resets that can steady a whole day.
Threaded through everything is a hopeful call: our greatest mission is our children’s salvation. We talk about sowing and watering seeds of faith, trusting God’s timing for prodigals, and finding strength in church and small groups where honest community feels like free therapy. If you’re longing for children or healing from loss, you’ll hear gentle encouragement to hold onto hope and embrace the season you’re in, knowing God works in the unseen.
Listen for simple practices you can try tonight, Scriptures to pray in the morning, and a vision of home that trades chaos for peace without pretending life is tidy. If this resonates, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs courage, and leave a review to help more parents find a path toward a quieter, stronger center.
For more information contact us at
rtrdestiny@gmail.com
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome to Road to Redemption, a show sharing
powerful life testimonies,giving hope to those on their
own Road to Redemption.
SPEAKER_03 (00:10):
I'm John Martin, your host, and I'm here today
with Valerie Peterson, ourco-host, and we have a very
special guest in the housetoday, Caroline Hawkins.
How are you?
SPEAKER_02 (00:23):
Thank y'all so much.
I'm so excited.
I get to talk about motherhood.
Um, yeah, I'm just blessed to behere.
SPEAKER_03 (00:28):
And first off, Caroline, we must say we have
your mom here.
Must tell y'all it's your greatmom, Val, and it's so cool to
have y'all here together.
SPEAKER_02 (00:38):
Yes, this is gonna be great.
This is so I just want to startby saying, like, I'm no um mom
guru.
I am learning as I go with thehelp of Jesus every day.
So yeah, I just want to put thatout there.
My kids humble me every day.
I do not have it all together,but by the grace of Jesus, he he
helps me.
And I'm so thankful for that.
unknown (00:58):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (00:58):
Well, I look forward to your advice today because I'm
a father of four younger kidsand I'm humbled every day.
I'm just like, I I want to hear,you know, another godly parent's
advice because it it is ourbiggest challenge, really, over
work, over anything else we'redoing is trying to bring these
kids up, you know, uh godly andunder under biblical principles.
SPEAKER_01 (01:23):
Yes, that's so true.
It's so good.
You know, I'm I'm just honoredto be your mom, Caroline.
I really am.
And I don't mean to embarrassyou on air, but I really am, and
it's it's just a blessing towatch you and Jake raise your
precious kids, and they'reyoung, and um, you know, we have
(01:46):
listeners today that have kids,you know, toddlers to tweens to
teens, and so we want to besensitive to that.
That um we we just want towelcome our listeners into this
conversation.
You know, I wanted to ask you,do you have a favorite scripture
verse that kind of keeps yougrounded?
(02:08):
There's power in the word ofGod, right?
SPEAKER_02 (02:10):
Yes, amen to that.
Um, I go back to time and timeagain, the Proverbs 31 Woman.
I feel like she just, yes, likeyou said, grounds me.
She encourages me.
Um, reading that, it just reallyputs into perspective, like God
doesn't ask for perfection ofme, but he does ask for my
excellence in all I do, likedoing everything unto the Lord,
(02:32):
right?
Um, so I love that verse.
Moms, I encourage you to readProverbs 31, verses 10 through
31 specifically.
Um, yeah, it just offers so muchencouragement.
I want to be like her.
That's yeah, she's she'samazing.
SPEAKER_01 (02:48):
She really is.
She's, you know, even at my age,she's such like, I want to be
like her.
And I love how you say, youknow, and as you were talking, I
was thinking of the wordintentional.
We need to be intentional aboutbeing good moms and good dads.
Um, and God does the rest.
You know, what I what the Lordthis morning really put on my
(03:10):
heart was his love.
When we try not to go on our onself, on um just the flesh, is
when he shows up.
When we invite him in.
And, you know, he he was sharingwith me, reminded me of the
verses in 1 Corinthians 13.
(03:30):
Love is patient, love is kind,love doesn't keep records of
wrongs, but keeps records of theright.
Um, I just was thinking that'show we need to be with our kids,
no matter what age, even adultkids, right?
Right.
Yeah, that's so good.
So good.
I love that.
What are some ways that youinclude your kids in your walk
(03:53):
with Christ?
SPEAKER_02 (03:54):
Oh, that's great.
Yes.
I really try not to like forcemy faith on my kids.
I I try to model it for them.
Um, if I'm, you know, trying topray, I'm like, come come pray
with me.
I'm just modeling like what thatlooks like to seek after God,
chase after him, um, havingworship going on in the house,
(04:15):
just inviting them in with me umwith my walk.
Like I just feel like that's soimportant for us as mothers to
invite them in any opportunitywe can.
Just yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (04:25):
That's so good.
I always notice at their homethey have a big screen and they
have praise and worship going,bands, you know, and the kids
know your kids know how toworship God.
SPEAKER_02 (04:35):
And it changes, it shifts the atmosphere.
I mean, any chance you can get,worship him, have it going in
the background on the on theAlexa, it really can shift the
mood in the home.
It invites the Holy Spirit in,it invites God's presence, and
it just it changes things.
It really does.
SPEAKER_01 (04:51):
You know, we go through seasons, and we all have
dry seasons.
And I wonder what is yourstrategy, Caroline, when you are
going through a difficultseason, a dry season, maybe a
lot of situational stressorsgoing on in your life.
What do you do?
SPEAKER_02 (05:10):
Um, I I feel like there's so many seasons as like
moms were first in the newbornphase, and then all of a sudden
we're in the toddler phase, andthen early childhood, like
school years, then teenagers,and there's like we're
constantly changing, right?
I feel like before kids, I lovedto journal.
(05:30):
I would sit and just journal allmy prayers to God.
Like I had more time, right?
My my season now, I'm sohands-on that um I don't have
time to just journal.
I'm being honest, that I'mconstantly doing things on the
move.
You know, moms, like ourchecklists are so long.
Um, so this season now, I'mlistening to like the Bible on
(05:53):
audio.
Um, like I said earlier, alwayshaving worship on and listening
to podcasts, good Christian,godly people that are gonna fill
your cup up.
Um, so my season just looksdifferent.
And I feel like God meets uswhere we're at, right?
He he just wants us to invitehim in to all those moments.
And I think that's just so sweetand kind and beautiful of him,
(06:16):
just to meet us where we're at,whatever season you're in,
switch it up, change it up ifyou're you know, yeah.
That's that's my advice.
SPEAKER_01 (06:24):
You know, I remember um a woman saying to me when
when you know you all were justso young, and I was so jealous
that she was reading all thesebooks, and you know, I'll never
forget her saying, Bring yourjournal in the car, bring your
bring your Bible, and and now wecan have it on our phones.
But when the kids are at, let'ssay, soccer practice or football
(06:45):
practice, you have you have timefor maybe 10 minutes to spend it
with the Lord or listen toDestiny Radio, right?
Um doing those things even inthe car.
Right.
Just being intentional, I think,is yeah.
You know, John, I wanted to askor say to you, there's so many
men that in the work that I dothat will say to me in their own
(07:08):
words, I just long for peace inmy home.
SPEAKER_03 (07:13):
That's me.
I mean, that's me, yeah.
With four kids and we have twinboys.
Um, you know, it's it's a lot ofchaos going on in there, and we
we try to have praise music too,that helps.
Uh the biggest challenge I'mseeing, and I wanted to ask you,
Caroline, about this.
Uh, we're seeing it a littlemore with our older kids, which
(07:35):
are 10 and 13, is is the battlethe battle with technology and
you know, not only with iPadsand phones, but just any kind of
screen.
And it's it's it's such a battlebecause even if you try to put
in uh you know boundaries inplace in your own house, they're
(07:56):
going to their friends, they'regoing here, they're going there,
and just they're everywhere.
I mean, there's screens in therestaurants, in the and it just
seems to me sometimes like I'mfighting just such an uphill
battle.
Oh, yeah.
In that trying to have ourboundaries, and it's it's a
spiritual battle.
(08:17):
I I see it on a lot of thesegames.
And anyway, so you have anythoughts on that?
SPEAKER_02 (08:21):
Yeah, I mean, I feel like technology and like just
the access that kids havenowadays is I mean, they have
smartphones at a young age.
I mean, it's just totallydifferent than when I was, you
know, growing up and in highschool, I had a flip phone, like
an extel, beep beep, you know.
I'm revealing my age here.
But they just have access to somuch more.
(08:42):
And I just feel like theirlittle minds, like it's just so
much for them to process.
Those pressures that I had arenot the same, meaning like just
all the social media and thingsthey're exposed to.
Um, yeah, it's just it's such ahard thing.
Like what you're saying is, youknow, they can't set limits,
right?
Like, we need to set thoselimits for them.
(09:03):
Um, I'm not at that stage yet.
My oldest is seven, but whoo,man.
SPEAKER_03 (09:08):
I mean, I'm praying for you because Well, we we need
to pray about that because it'sit's it's the biggest battle
that I see with kids, and umit's everywhere, you know.
So it's like um, you know, so II don't have the answers on
that, but you know, we just needto pray.
SPEAKER_01 (09:27):
You know, if I could say anything too, is is
something that I see is there'sa difference between setting
boundaries and control.
Yeah.
That's now, you know, ineducating your kids as they get
older, Caroline, you know, thatand and John, that you know, we
your mom and I, your dad and Iare setting these boundaries
(09:48):
because we love you.
And we're hoping the boundariesthat we set as you head out to
go to college or the military,that you're gonna implement
them.
So at a certain time theirphones go up or their, you know,
their iPads go up.
The things that you're teachingin your home, educate them.
It's it's for a lifetime.
SPEAKER_02 (10:09):
Right.
unknown (10:10):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (10:10):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (10:11):
You know, when I see parents when their kids are
juniors and seniors in highschool and they're controlling
everything, I have to remindthem your son is gonna head out
to college next year.
He's not gonna have you tocontrol him.
Can you empower him to makehealthy decisions?
That's good.
SPEAKER_02 (10:30):
I recently read um in a book by Kiri Campakas.
She's a great just Christian,like mentor, leader, speaker,
has so much knowledge.
Um, she was saying delay thephone as much as possible.
And I can't imagine how hard itis for you because like if
friends have it, right?
They feel left out, they feeldisconnected.
(10:50):
But she was saying, like, delaythe phone as long as possible
and no social media till like16, which I mean, I would even
delay longer if I could.
I don't know.
I'm not there yet, right?
That's not I'm still in thetemper tantrum stage.
So be praying for me with thatbecause that's my struggle right
now.
Um, pulling out my hair, yeah.
Anyways, so I'll I'll definitelybe praying just for wisdom and
(11:14):
discernment with that.
SPEAKER_03 (11:15):
Okay, Caroline, what advice do you have for listeners
that are feeling somewhathopeless?
I mean, we're we're in a toughworld right now.
There's a lot of people,especially with moms, with kids,
that are just struggling.
You know, they're they'rethey're depressed, they're
anxious, they're they're feellike their life's out of
(11:37):
control.
SPEAKER_00 (11:37):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (11:37):
And they're trying to seek God.
But what what advice do you havefor those?
SPEAKER_02 (11:42):
Yeah, draw close to God, draw close to him, and
he'll be near to you.
Um, cast all your cares uponhim.
There's just so much power inscripture, right?
Praying that over yourself,telling it to yourself.
Um, yeah, I know there's so muchheaviness.
There really is, with all that'sgoing on lately.
Um, things we're seeing, talkingto moms, they're just like
(12:03):
terrified of what we're raisingour kids, you know, and this
girl that was killed on thetrain, the Charlie Kirk murder.
I mean, there's just so muchheaviness lately that I prayed
to God, I was like, what is onething that I can share with
these mothers?
Just one, Lord, give mesomething.
And of course, he's so graciousand kind to to deliver.
(12:23):
And he told me, moms, ourbiggest calling, our biggest
responsibility is our kids'salvation, um, bringing them to
Christ.
So, yes, you know, we're gonnafall short, we're gonna make
mistakes, but if we can, I'mspeaking to you too as parents,
like that is just our biggestresponsibility for our kids.
God has really convicted melately.
(12:44):
Like, we can't bring our homesinto heaven, we can't bring our
cars, none of our possessions.
The only thing on this earththat we can bring is our
children.
Um, so just sowing the seeds,planting the seeds, moms, sowing
them, watering them for ourkids' salvation, it will take
off at God's appointed time,right?
His word does not return void.
Um, but yes, if I can encouragemoms and anything, you know,
(13:08):
there's so much knowledge outthere in parenting and it can be
overwhelming.
But my biggest takeaway fortoday is to sow those seeds for
your children's salvation.
SPEAKER_01 (13:17):
That's so good.
I do want to ask at this point,what is the power for you in
community and church and smallgroup?
SPEAKER_02 (13:28):
Be surrounded by like-minded mothers that are
gonna encourage you in the word.
Iron sharpens ironed, right?
Um, I am in a small group hereat Destiny that I do Thursday
mornings with other moms, andit's just uh the highlight of my
week.
I look so forward to it.
Um, it takes a village.
I feel like there's seasons inmotherhood where we can get a
(13:48):
little bit isolated, you know,like those newborn stages, even
taller stages when they'renapping so much, like it can be
a little bit isolating, but thecure to loneliness and isolation
is vulnerability, beingvulnerable.
And I'm not saying go and bearyour soul out to everybody, but
have your inner circle, haveChristian women and mothers that
are gonna encourage you, upliftyou, speak life over you.
(14:11):
I think that is just soimportant.
SPEAKER_01 (14:13):
That's so good.
You know, I'm thinking of thelisteners that are tuning in
today that maybe long to havechildren and haven't yet, or
have had a miscarriage.
What would you say to them?
SPEAKER_02 (14:28):
Don't lose hope.
Um, God's timing is perfect.
It is, and I'll have to comeback and share all the little
testimonies of my children'slife, but I can tell you, I
tried to control, I tried to doit on my timing, my way.
And like God is He's so patient.
He is so patient, but His waysare so much higher than our own.
So don't lose hope.
(14:49):
He will redeem the situation, hewill restore it.
And if I can encourage you, momor listeners, if you are
struggling, just in this seasonenjoy it.
Enjoy there's just beauty in it.
Um, you can be a spiritualmother to somebody.
Um, yeah, just enjoy the seasonyou're in.
I feel like we're always lookingfor the next thing, right?
(15:12):
The next stage of life, the nextseason.
But like what God has showed meand told me through my life is
like there is beauty in each andevery season.
So just enjoy where you're at.
He's a good God.
He has plans to prosper you andnot to harm you.
So be patient in the waiting andhe will redeem your situation.
SPEAKER_01 (15:30):
That's good.
I do want to shift and ask whatis one thing that you pray over
your children regularly?
SPEAKER_02 (15:38):
Yes, I feel like that goes back that to the
salvation, like just prayingthat they would have a
relationship with God.
Um and yeah, I just feel likethat's so important.
That's probably my number oneprayer that my kids would know
God, that they would seek afterhim and have that relationship
with him.
That's my number one prayer.
Yeah, as a mom.
SPEAKER_01 (15:58):
You know, as you were just talking, I was
thinking of the verse, you know,in Matthew 6, 33, seek ye first
the kingdom of God, andeverything else will be added to
you as well.
It's kind of like everythingfalls into place as we seek him
first.
And I'm looking at you, and whatare the benefits, Caroline, and
just seeking him like firstthing in the morning?
(16:19):
Yeah.
What how does that help you?
SPEAKER_02 (16:21):
Right.
I feel like it just grounds me,right?
It being grounded in his word.
Um I feel like it's such aspiritual battle, right?
The world we're living in thatwe have to put on the full armor
of God, right?
Um yeah, and back to like theone thing praying over your
children, like that scriptureverse in Proverbs 22, 6, train
(16:43):
up a child in the way he shouldgo, and when he is old, he will
not depart from it.
Like that, that's a money-backguarantee, that last part.
Um, but we our job is to trainthem up in the way they should
go, right?
And they can stray, mom.
You can probably kind of talk onthat.
Yeah, but that foundation isthere.
Um reminds me of like the housethat's built on a rock, right?
(17:05):
We we as parents, as moms andfathers, John, we need to lay
that foundation for them.
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (17:12):
I sense for a lease listener that their child child
has gone astray, but they werebrought up in the foundation of
Christ.
Don't look at the natural.
You keep praying and believe.
If you have faith, a grain of amustard seed.
You can say to this mountain inMatthew 17, 20, it says this you
can move from here to there andhave to move in God's timing.
(17:35):
Remember, your child's journeymay be different than your
journey.
Allow them if they're adults andhave fallen away, keep praying,
keep believing.
God is working in the unseen,right?
All right, that's good.
That's powerful.
unknown (17:51):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (17:52):
One thing that you said, uh, Caroline, that that
spoke to me is is you know,letting your children find their
faith in Jesus on their own, notforcing it on 'em.
Like, you know, and I I knowI've seen that happen where
parents can force their faith ontheir kids and they're not
(18:15):
finding it on their own.
So that really speaks to me.
Uh and I think that that speaksto other parents that you know
we need to teach them andintroduce them, but let them
find their faith on their own.
SPEAKER_01 (18:30):
Yes, yes.
The the book, The Power of thePraying Parent by Stormy
O'Martin, was life-changing forme.
And it had creative ideas oflike literally prayer journeying
journaling with your kids.
And then writing by the youknow, margin, you know, when the
(18:51):
prayer was answered.
So, yes, that's a great book forthe for listeners if you're
looking for ways to um not onlypray for your kids, but creative
strategies to to encourage theirfaith, not control them.
The power of the praying parentis just a classic.
Yeah, that's good.
So good.
SPEAKER_03 (19:10):
So, Caroline, as we're we're coming to the end of
our show.
I know there's so much to cover.
Is there any one thing that youyou'd like to share?
SPEAKER_02 (19:18):
Yeah, like one last thing.
I feel like again, living outour faith for our kids um with
like in specific likediscipline, I feel like can be
kind of like a hot topic.
One thing I try to do with mykids is speaking to their heart,
right?
It's the matter of the heart,pointing out sin.
And I'll do this in myself.
I'll say, hey, mommy did nothave self-control.
(19:41):
Like, I am so sorry.
Can you forgive me?
Like, I confess that I waswrong.
Just showing them like whatconfession looks like, what
bringing it to the Lord lookslike, um, you know, repentance,
like turning away from right,saying, just apologizing and
asking them for forgiveness andlike, hey, can we pray for one
another?
Um, I just think there's so muchpower in that.
(20:02):
We're modeling right what thatlooks like with our Heavenly
Father.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (20:06):
That's good.
That's so good.
That's really good.
We are, we're, you know, I'mlooking at in Colossians 3.
I read it this morning, it says,put on love.
I mean, think about, you know,you get ready to go to work or
do whatever, take care of thekids and more.
Put on love, and it says, bequick to forgive.
And that I believe even meansour children.
(20:29):
Can we forgive our childrenmaybe for the temper tantrum
that I had yesterday?
SPEAKER_02 (20:34):
I'm still kind of in cop mode with some of my kids,
right?
I feel like you're like in copmode, like toddler years and you
know, early childhood years.
And then it goes to like you'rea coach in the middle school
years and then high school lifebeyond, you're kind of like a
counselor to them.
Like again, there's so manydifferent stages, and really the
Lord has told me just findbeauty in every stage, just
(20:57):
embrace it.
Um, enjoy your kids, delight inthem, look at them as blessings,
not burdens.
Yes, is just what he's beenspeaking to me.
SPEAKER_01 (21:04):
Yeah, you kind of you go from physically intensive
when they're toddlers to morewhen they get, and you can
testify the problem.
More emotionally intensive asthey become tweens and
teenagers.
Yeah, it's so true.
And adults.
Yeah, yeah, you still are aparent, even when your kids are
in their 20s and 30s and 40s.
(21:24):
It's so cool.
There's beauty in all of it.
There is.
SPEAKER_03 (21:28):
Well, this has been great.
It's been such a blessing.
So fun having the two of y'allon.
I think we need to do this moreoften.
I know.
SPEAKER_01 (21:35):
We gotta bring you back on.
Definitely.
Definitely.
This has been such a treat.
Anything you want to sayconcerning um small group?
SPEAKER_03 (21:44):
Yeah, we just always like to end our show with the
three key pillars of road toredemption is first, we want you
to know the importance of theword of God.
It is so important for you andme and all of us to read our
Bible.
That is the way that our Fatherspeaks to us primarily is
(22:06):
through his word.
So we just encourage you ifyou're listening to open your
Bible, start reading it today.
If you don't have a hardbackBible, just open.
There's so many Bible apps andjust start reading it.
We promise that God will startspeaking to you.
And then get into aChrist-centered church, a Bible
teaching, Bible-believingchurch, and just go.
(22:29):
Go to church and just it willbless you.
And then last, get into a smallgroup within that church that
you can make yourself vulnerableand just it's it's free
counseling vow.
SPEAKER_00 (22:45):
Oh, that's great.
I love that.
That's so good.
SPEAKER_03 (22:48):
It is, you know, so uh anyway, no, I'm I'm what you
do is great.
I'm just saying it's it'scounseling, it's therapy, right?
SPEAKER_01 (22:56):
It is, it's so therapeutic.
SPEAKER_03 (22:58):
Um, and just go to the group.
You know, I kind of sense whenCaroline was talking, people
thought about getting into agroup and are like, oh, you
know, I'm not, you know, maybeit might have already started.
You know, I say, just go, justshow up, you know, at the mom's
group, you know, just go, andyou're gonna be so welcomed.
SPEAKER_00 (23:19):
Yes, do it.
That's what we say.
Just do it.
SPEAKER_03 (23:23):
We just know, moms, you're gonna be blessed.
This was such a great um justsharing, Caroline.
It would I know it would blessme and and and dads too, you
know, but particularly moms, wereally believe y'all are gonna
be blessed from this show.
Welcome to Road to Redemption, a show sharing
powerful life testimonies,giving hope to those on their
own Road to Redemption.
SPEAKER_03 (00:10):
I'm John Martin, your host, and I'm here today
with Valerie Peterson, ourco-host, and we have a very
special guest in the housetoday, Caroline Hawkins.
How are you?
SPEAKER_02 (00:23):
Thank y'all so much.
I'm so excited.
I get to talk about motherhood.
Um, yeah, I'm just blessed to behere.
SPEAKER_03 (00:28):
And first off, Caroline, we must say we have
your mom here.
Must tell y'all it's your greatmom, Val, and it's so cool to
have y'all here together.
SPEAKER_02 (00:38):
Yes, this is gonna be great.
This is so I just want to startby saying, like, I'm no um mom
guru.
I am learning as I go with thehelp of Jesus every day.
So yeah, I just want to put thatout there.
My kids humble me every day.
I do not have it all together,but by the grace of Jesus, he he
helps me.
And I'm so thankful for that.
unknown (00:58):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (00:58):
Well, I look forward to your advice today because I'm
a father of four younger kidsand I'm humbled every day.
I'm just like, I I want to hear,you know, another godly parent's
advice because it it is ourbiggest challenge, really, over
work, over anything else we'redoing is trying to bring these
kids up, you know, uh godly andunder under biblical principles.
SPEAKER_01 (01:23):
Yes, that's so true.
It's so good.
You know, I'm I'm just honoredto be your mom, Caroline.
I really am.
And I don't mean to embarrassyou on air, but I really am, and
it's it's just a blessing towatch you and Jake raise your
precious kids, and they'reyoung, and um, you know, we have
(01:46):
listeners today that have kids,you know, toddlers to tweens to
teens, and so we want to besensitive to that.
That um we we just want towelcome our listeners into this
conversation.
You know, I wanted to ask you,do you have a favorite scripture
verse that kind of keeps yougrounded?
(02:08):
There's power in the word ofGod, right?
SPEAKER_02 (02:10):
Yes, amen to that.
Um, I go back to time and timeagain, the Proverbs 31 Woman.
I feel like she just, yes, likeyou said, grounds me.
She encourages me.
Um, reading that, it just reallyputs into perspective, like God
doesn't ask for perfection ofme, but he does ask for my
excellence in all I do, likedoing everything unto the Lord,
(02:32):
right?
Um, so I love that verse.
Moms, I encourage you to readProverbs 31, verses 10 through
31 specifically.
Um, yeah, it just offers so muchencouragement.
I want to be like her.
That's yeah, she's she'samazing.
SPEAKER_01 (02:48):
She really is.
She's, you know, even at my age,she's such like, I want to be
like her.
And I love how you say, youknow, and as you were talking, I
was thinking of the wordintentional.
We need to be intentional aboutbeing good moms and good dads.
Um, and God does the rest.
You know, what I what the Lordthis morning really put on my
(03:10):
heart was his love.
When we try not to go on our onself, on um just the flesh, is
when he shows up.
When we invite him in.
And, you know, he he was sharingwith me, reminded me of the
verses in 1 Corinthians 13.
(03:30):
Love is patient, love is kind,love doesn't keep records of
wrongs, but keeps records of theright.
Um, I just was thinking that'show we need to be with our kids,
no matter what age, even adultkids, right?
Right.
Yeah, that's so good.
So good.
I love that.
What are some ways that youinclude your kids in your walk
(03:53):
with Christ?
SPEAKER_02 (03:54):
Oh, that's great.
Yes.
I really try not to like forcemy faith on my kids.
I I try to model it for them.
Um, if I'm, you know, trying topray, I'm like, come come pray
with me.
I'm just modeling like what thatlooks like to seek after God,
chase after him, um, havingworship going on in the house,
(04:15):
just inviting them in with me umwith my walk.
Like I just feel like that's soimportant for us as mothers to
invite them in any opportunitywe can.
Just yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (04:25):
That's so good.
I always notice at their homethey have a big screen and they
have praise and worship going,bands, you know, and the kids
know your kids know how toworship God.
SPEAKER_02 (04:35):
And it changes, it shifts the atmosphere.
I mean, any chance you can get,worship him, have it going in
the background on the on theAlexa, it really can shift the
mood in the home.
It invites the Holy Spirit in,it invites God's presence, and
it just it changes things.
It really does.
SPEAKER_01 (04:51):
You know, we go through seasons, and we all have
dry seasons.
And I wonder what is yourstrategy, Caroline, when you are
going through a difficultseason, a dry season, maybe a
lot of situational stressorsgoing on in your life.
What do you do?
SPEAKER_02 (05:10):
Um, I I feel like there's so many seasons as like
moms were first in the newbornphase, and then all of a sudden
we're in the toddler phase, andthen early childhood, like
school years, then teenagers,and there's like we're
constantly changing, right?
I feel like before kids, I lovedto journal.
(05:30):
I would sit and just journal allmy prayers to God.
Like I had more time, right?
My my season now, I'm sohands-on that um I don't have
time to just journal.
I'm being honest, that I'mconstantly doing things on the
move.
You know, moms, like ourchecklists are so long.
Um, so this season now, I'mlistening to like the Bible on
(05:53):
audio.
Um, like I said earlier, alwayshaving worship on and listening
to podcasts, good Christian,godly people that are gonna fill
your cup up.
Um, so my season just looksdifferent.
And I feel like God meets uswhere we're at, right?
He he just wants us to invitehim in to all those moments.
And I think that's just so sweetand kind and beautiful of him,
(06:16):
just to meet us where we're at,whatever season you're in,
switch it up, change it up ifyou're you know, yeah.
That's that's my advice.
SPEAKER_01 (06:24):
You know, I remember um a woman saying to me when
when you know you all were justso young, and I was so jealous
that she was reading all thesebooks, and you know, I'll never
forget her saying, Bring yourjournal in the car, bring your
bring your Bible, and and now wecan have it on our phones.
But when the kids are at, let'ssay, soccer practice or football
(06:45):
practice, you have you have timefor maybe 10 minutes to spend it
with the Lord or listen toDestiny Radio, right?
Um doing those things even inthe car.
Right.
Just being intentional, I think,is yeah.
You know, John, I wanted to askor say to you, there's so many
men that in the work that I dothat will say to me in their own
(07:08):
words, I just long for peace inmy home.
SPEAKER_03 (07:13):
That's me.
I mean, that's me, yeah.
With four kids and we have twinboys.
Um, you know, it's it's a lot ofchaos going on in there, and we
we try to have praise music too,that helps.
Uh the biggest challenge I'mseeing, and I wanted to ask you,
Caroline, about this.
Uh, we're seeing it a littlemore with our older kids, which
(07:35):
are 10 and 13, is is the battlethe battle with technology and
you know, not only with iPadsand phones, but just any kind of
screen.
And it's it's it's such a battlebecause even if you try to put
in uh you know boundaries inplace in your own house, they're
(07:56):
going to their friends, they'regoing here, they're going there,
and just they're everywhere.
I mean, there's screens in therestaurants, in the and it just
seems to me sometimes like I'mfighting just such an uphill
battle.
Oh, yeah.
In that trying to have ourboundaries, and it's it's a
spiritual battle.
(08:17):
I I see it on a lot of thesegames.
And anyway, so you have anythoughts on that?
SPEAKER_02 (08:21):
Yeah, I mean, I feel like technology and like just
the access that kids havenowadays is I mean, they have
smartphones at a young age.
I mean, it's just totallydifferent than when I was, you
know, growing up and in highschool, I had a flip phone, like
an extel, beep beep, you know.
I'm revealing my age here.
But they just have access to somuch more.
(08:42):
And I just feel like theirlittle minds, like it's just so
much for them to process.
Those pressures that I had arenot the same, meaning like just
all the social media and thingsthey're exposed to.
Um, yeah, it's just it's such ahard thing.
Like what you're saying is, youknow, they can't set limits,
right?
Like, we need to set thoselimits for them.
(09:03):
Um, I'm not at that stage yet.
My oldest is seven, but whoo,man.
SPEAKER_03 (09:08):
I mean, I'm praying for you because Well, we we need
to pray about that because it'sit's it's the biggest battle
that I see with kids, and umit's everywhere, you know.
So it's like um, you know, so II don't have the answers on
that, but you know, we just needto pray.
SPEAKER_01 (09:27):
You know, if I could say anything too, is is
something that I see is there'sa difference between setting
boundaries and control.
Yeah.
That's now, you know, ineducating your kids as they get
older, Caroline, you know, thatand and John, that you know, we
your mom and I, your dad and Iare setting these boundaries
(09:48):
because we love you.
And we're hoping the boundariesthat we set as you head out to
go to college or the military,that you're gonna implement
them.
So at a certain time theirphones go up or their, you know,
their iPads go up.
The things that you're teachingin your home, educate them.
It's it's for a lifetime.
SPEAKER_02 (10:09):
Right.
unknown (10:10):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (10:10):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (10:11):
You know, when I see parents when their kids are
juniors and seniors in highschool and they're controlling
everything, I have to remindthem your son is gonna head out
to college next year.
He's not gonna have you tocontrol him.
Can you empower him to makehealthy decisions?
That's good.
SPEAKER_02 (10:30):
I recently read um in a book by Kiri Campakas.
She's a great just Christian,like mentor, leader, speaker,
has so much knowledge.
Um, she was saying delay thephone as much as possible.
And I can't imagine how hard itis for you because like if
friends have it, right?
They feel left out, they feeldisconnected.
(10:50):
But she was saying, like, delaythe phone as long as possible
and no social media till like16, which I mean, I would even
delay longer if I could.
I don't know.
I'm not there yet, right?
That's not I'm still in thetemper tantrum stage.
So be praying for me with thatbecause that's my struggle right
now.
Um, pulling out my hair, yeah.
Anyways, so I'll I'll definitelybe praying just for wisdom and
(11:14):
discernment with that.
SPEAKER_03 (11:15):
Okay, Caroline, what advice do you have for listeners
that are feeling somewhathopeless?
I mean, we're we're in a toughworld right now.
There's a lot of people,especially with moms, with kids,
that are just struggling.
You know, they're they'rethey're depressed, they're
anxious, they're they're feellike their life's out of
(11:37):
control.
SPEAKER_00 (11:37):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (11:37):
And they're trying to seek God.
But what what advice do you havefor those?
SPEAKER_02 (11:42):
Yeah, draw close to God, draw close to him, and
he'll be near to you.
Um, cast all your cares uponhim.
There's just so much power inscripture, right?
Praying that over yourself,telling it to yourself.
Um, yeah, I know there's so muchheaviness.
There really is, with all that'sgoing on lately.
Um, things we're seeing, talkingto moms, they're just like
(12:03):
terrified of what we're raisingour kids, you know, and this
girl that was killed on thetrain, the Charlie Kirk murder.
I mean, there's just so muchheaviness lately that I prayed
to God, I was like, what is onething that I can share with
these mothers?
Just one, Lord, give mesomething.
And of course, he's so graciousand kind to to deliver.
(12:23):
And he told me, moms, ourbiggest calling, our biggest
responsibility is our kids'salvation, um, bringing them to
Christ.
So, yes, you know, we're gonnafall short, we're gonna make
mistakes, but if we can, I'mspeaking to you too as parents,
like that is just our biggestresponsibility for our kids.
God has really convicted melately.
(12:44):
Like, we can't bring our homesinto heaven, we can't bring our
cars, none of our possessions.
The only thing on this earththat we can bring is our
children.
Um, so just sowing the seeds,planting the seeds, moms, sowing
them, watering them for ourkids' salvation, it will take
off at God's appointed time,right?
His word does not return void.
Um, but yes, if I can encouragemoms and anything, you know,
(13:08):
there's so much knowledge outthere in parenting and it can be
overwhelming.
But my biggest takeaway fortoday is to sow those seeds for
your children's salvation.
SPEAKER_01 (13:17):
That's so good.
I do want to ask at this point,what is the power for you in
community and church and smallgroup?
SPEAKER_02 (13:28):
Be surrounded by like-minded mothers that are
gonna encourage you in the word.
Iron sharpens ironed, right?
Um, I am in a small group hereat Destiny that I do Thursday
mornings with other moms, andit's just uh the highlight of my
week.
I look so forward to it.
Um, it takes a village.
I feel like there's seasons inmotherhood where we can get a
(13:48):
little bit isolated, you know,like those newborn stages, even
taller stages when they'renapping so much, like it can be
a little bit isolating, but thecure to loneliness and isolation
is vulnerability, beingvulnerable.
And I'm not saying go and bearyour soul out to everybody, but
have your inner circle, haveChristian women and mothers that
are gonna encourage you, upliftyou, speak life over you.
(14:11):
I think that is just soimportant.
SPEAKER_01 (14:13):
That's so good.
You know, I'm thinking of thelisteners that are tuning in
today that maybe long to havechildren and haven't yet, or
have had a miscarriage.
What would you say to them?
SPEAKER_02 (14:28):
Don't lose hope.
Um, God's timing is perfect.
It is, and I'll have to comeback and share all the little
testimonies of my children'slife, but I can tell you, I
tried to control, I tried to doit on my timing, my way.
And like God is He's so patient.
He is so patient, but His waysare so much higher than our own.
So don't lose hope.
(14:49):
He will redeem the situation, hewill restore it.
And if I can encourage you, momor listeners, if you are
struggling, just in this seasonenjoy it.
Enjoy there's just beauty in it.
Um, you can be a spiritualmother to somebody.
Um, yeah, just enjoy the seasonyou're in.
I feel like we're always lookingfor the next thing, right?
(15:12):
The next stage of life, the nextseason.
But like what God has showed meand told me through my life is
like there is beauty in each andevery season.
So just enjoy where you're at.
He's a good God.
He has plans to prosper you andnot to harm you.
So be patient in the waiting andhe will redeem your situation.
SPEAKER_01 (15:30):
That's good.
I do want to shift and ask whatis one thing that you pray over
your children regularly?
SPEAKER_02 (15:38):
Yes, I feel like that goes back that to the
salvation, like just prayingthat they would have a
relationship with God.
Um and yeah, I just feel likethat's so important.
That's probably my number oneprayer that my kids would know
God, that they would seek afterhim and have that relationship
with him.
That's my number one prayer.
Yeah, as a mom.
SPEAKER_01 (15:58):
You know, as you were just talking, I was
thinking of the verse, you know,in Matthew 6, 33, seek ye first
the kingdom of God, andeverything else will be added to
you as well.
It's kind of like everythingfalls into place as we seek him
first.
And I'm looking at you, and whatare the benefits, Caroline, and
just seeking him like firstthing in the morning?
(16:19):
Yeah.
What how does that help you?
SPEAKER_02 (16:21):
Right.
I feel like it just grounds me,right?
It being grounded in his word.
Um I feel like it's such aspiritual battle, right?
The world we're living in thatwe have to put on the full armor
of God, right?
Um yeah, and back to like theone thing praying over your
children, like that scriptureverse in Proverbs 22, 6, train
(16:43):
up a child in the way he shouldgo, and when he is old, he will
not depart from it.
Like that, that's a money-backguarantee, that last part.
Um, but we our job is to trainthem up in the way they should
go, right?
And they can stray, mom.
You can probably kind of talk onthat.
Yeah, but that foundation isthere.
Um reminds me of like the housethat's built on a rock, right?
(17:05):
We we as parents, as moms andfathers, John, we need to lay
that foundation for them.
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (17:12):
I sense for a lease listener that their child child
has gone astray, but they werebrought up in the foundation of
Christ.
Don't look at the natural.
You keep praying and believe.
If you have faith, a grain of amustard seed.
You can say to this mountain inMatthew 17, 20, it says this you
can move from here to there andhave to move in God's timing.
(17:35):
Remember, your child's journeymay be different than your
journey.
Allow them if they're adults andhave fallen away, keep praying,
keep believing.
God is working in the unseen,right?
All right, that's good.
That's powerful.
unknown (17:51):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (17:52):
One thing that you said, uh, Caroline, that that
spoke to me is is you know,letting your children find their
faith in Jesus on their own, notforcing it on 'em.
Like, you know, and I I knowI've seen that happen where
parents can force their faith ontheir kids and they're not
(18:15):
finding it on their own.
So that really speaks to me.
Uh and I think that that speaksto other parents that you know
we need to teach them andintroduce them, but let them
find their faith on their own.
SPEAKER_01 (18:30):
Yes, yes.
The the book, The Power of thePraying Parent by Stormy
O'Martin, was life-changing forme.
And it had creative ideas oflike literally prayer journeying
journaling with your kids.
And then writing by the youknow, margin, you know, when the
(18:51):
prayer was answered.
So, yes, that's a great book forthe for listeners if you're
looking for ways to um not onlypray for your kids, but creative
strategies to to encourage theirfaith, not control them.
The power of the praying parentis just a classic.
Yeah, that's good.
So good.
SPEAKER_03 (19:10):
So, Caroline, as we're we're coming to the end of
our show.
I know there's so much to cover.
Is there any one thing that youyou'd like to share?
SPEAKER_02 (19:18):
Yeah, like one last thing.
I feel like again, living outour faith for our kids um with
like in specific likediscipline, I feel like can be
kind of like a hot topic.
One thing I try to do with mykids is speaking to their heart,
right?
It's the matter of the heart,pointing out sin.
And I'll do this in myself.
I'll say, hey, mommy did nothave self-control.
(19:41):
Like, I am so sorry.
Can you forgive me?
Like, I confess that I waswrong.
Just showing them like whatconfession looks like, what
bringing it to the Lord lookslike, um, you know, repentance,
like turning away from right,saying, just apologizing and
asking them for forgiveness andlike, hey, can we pray for one
another?
Um, I just think there's so muchpower in that.
(20:02):
We're modeling right what thatlooks like with our Heavenly
Father.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (20:06):
That's good.
That's so good.
That's really good.
We are, we're, you know, I'mlooking at in Colossians 3.
I read it this morning, it says,put on love.
I mean, think about, you know,you get ready to go to work or
do whatever, take care of thekids and more.
Put on love, and it says, bequick to forgive.
And that I believe even meansour children.
(20:29):
Can we forgive our childrenmaybe for the temper tantrum
that I had yesterday?
SPEAKER_02 (20:34):
I'm still kind of in cop mode with some of my kids,
right?
I feel like you're like in copmode, like toddler years and you
know, early childhood years.
And then it goes to like you'rea coach in the middle school
years and then high school lifebeyond, you're kind of like a
counselor to them.
Like again, there's so manydifferent stages, and really the
Lord has told me just findbeauty in every stage, just
(20:57):
embrace it.
Um, enjoy your kids, delight inthem, look at them as blessings,
not burdens.
Yes, is just what he's beenspeaking to me.
SPEAKER_01 (21:04):
Yeah, you kind of you go from physically intensive
when they're toddlers to morewhen they get, and you can
testify the problem.
More emotionally intensive asthey become tweens and
teenagers.
Yeah, it's so true.
And adults.
Yeah, yeah, you still are aparent, even when your kids are
in their 20s and 30s and 40s.
(21:24):
It's so cool.
There's beauty in all of it.
There is.
SPEAKER_03 (21:28):
Well, this has been great.
It's been such a blessing.
So fun having the two of y'allon.
I think we need to do this moreoften.
I know.
SPEAKER_01 (21:35):
We gotta bring you back on.
Definitely.
Definitely.
This has been such a treat.
Anything you want to sayconcerning um small group?
SPEAKER_03 (21:44):
Yeah, we just always like to end our show with the
three key pillars of road toredemption is first, we want you
to know the importance of theword of God.
It is so important for you andme and all of us to read our
Bible.
That is the way that our Fatherspeaks to us primarily is
(22:06):
through his word.
So we just encourage you ifyou're listening to open your
Bible, start reading it today.
If you don't have a hardbackBible, just open.
There's so many Bible apps andjust start reading it.
We promise that God will startspeaking to you.
And then get into aChrist-centered church, a Bible
teaching, Bible-believingchurch, and just go.
(22:29):
Go to church and just it willbless you.
And then last, get into a smallgroup within that church that
you can make yourself vulnerableand just it's it's free
counseling vow.
SPEAKER_00 (22:45):
Oh, that's great.
I love that.
That's so good.
SPEAKER_03 (22:48):
It is, you know, so uh anyway, no, I'm I'm what you
do is great.
I'm just saying it's it'scounseling, it's therapy, right?
SPEAKER_01 (22:56):
It is, it's so therapeutic.
SPEAKER_03 (22:58):
Um, and just go to the group.
You know, I kind of sense whenCaroline was talking, people
thought about getting into agroup and are like, oh, you
know, I'm not, you know, maybeit might have already started.
You know, I say, just go, justshow up, you know, at the mom's
group, you know, just go, andyou're gonna be so welcomed.
SPEAKER_00 (23:19):
Yes, do it.
That's what we say.
Just do it.
SPEAKER_03 (23:23):
We just know, moms, you're gonna be blessed.
This was such a great um justsharing, Caroline.
It would I know it would blessme and and and dads too, you
know, but particularly moms, wereally believe y'all are gonna
be blessed from this show.
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