Raising Godly Children in an Ungodly World

The world our children navigate today is vastly different from what many of us experienced growing up. From social media pressures to shifting cultural values, the challenges of raising children with strong faith foundations have multiplied exponentially. This powerful episode brings together five mothers from diverse backgrounds to share their strategies, struggles, and successes in raising godly children in an increasingly complex world.

Our panel includes women whose children range from toddlers to young adults, providing wisdom across the entire parenting journey. Two mothers share remarkable testimonies of their transitions from witchcraft and new age practices to Christianity, revealing how they guided their children through similar spiritual transformations. Their stories demonstrate that authentic parental faith—even when it includes detours and struggles—creates the most fertile ground for children's spiritual development.

The conversation explores practical approaches that work in everyday life, from establishing morning prayer routines with toddlers to helping teenagers navigate peer pressure. Rather than promoting a single "correct" method, these mothers emphasize discernment and relationship-building. As one mother explains, "I don't force my kids to go to church—I invite them," mirroring Christ's own approach to drawing people rather than compelling them.

Perhaps most striking is the discussion around protection versus preparation. Several mothers describe strategic decisions to temporarily remove their children from harmful environments—not merely to shelter them, but to intentionally equip them with stronger faith foundations before sending them back. "I had to pull them out, pour into them, teach them the way, so when they went back they knew exactly who they were," one mother shares.

Whether you're raising infants, teens, or young adults, this conversation offers wisdom for helping children develop authentic faith that withstands cultural pressures. Join us to discover how to help your children not just survive but thrive spiritually in today's challenging world.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introducing Today's Motherhood Panel
• 7:50 Daily Practices for Instilling Faith
• 16:44 Removing vs. Equipping Children
• 29:26 Building Strong Faith Foundations
• 41:20 Discovering Purpose in Children's Lives
• 57:27 Final Advice and Prayer Encouragement

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hello and thank you so much for joining us here today on Divine Harmony Faith. I'm your host, cliche Rice, and my co-host, carla's, here. Hello, hello. We have some awesome guests here with us today. We have three beautiful women here with us today, and today's topic is raising godly children in an ungodly world. I know it affects so many people today. With so much going on in the world, how do we keep our kids rooted and grounded in Christ? So I want to thank them so much for being here and I'm going to give an opportunity for them to introduce themselves individually and just tell us a little bit about yourself briefly, and then we'll just dive right in. But before we do, guys, don't forget to like, share and subscribe. Please, please, please. It's how we get the gospel out there to those that want to hear it and those that don't. We'll start with Colleen. Tell us a little bit about yourself, where you are and how many children you have.

Speaker 2: 0:55

Well, I'm Colleen and I live in Pennsylvania, in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania. I am a registered nurse and I work full-time in a hospital, and I have two kids. I have an 18-year-old son who is a senior in high school and getting ready to leave the nest, and I have a 13-year-old, almost 14-year-old daughter Awesome.

Speaker 3: 1:14

Hello everybody, my name is Jenye. I am in Las Vegas, nevada. I am a case manager for men and women who are in recovery from drug addiction and suffering from homelessness. I have one 10-year-old daughter, my miracle baby that the doctors told me I couldn't have, and she's 10 years old. And yeah, that's a little about me.

Speaker 1: 1:38

All right, and Miss Melissa.

Speaker 4: 1:40

I'm Melissa. I'm in North Carolina, I'm a mother of five, I am a pastor's wife and also a ordained minister as well, and my kids range from my oldest is 27 all the way down to four. I did have a baby at 42 years old, and I pride myself in that. So so yeah, it's a little bit about me Good deal, good deal.

Speaker 1: 2:07

Well, thank you so much for introducing yourselves, guys, and again, as I said before, I'm just so grateful that you guys are here. But, as women of faith with young adults and parents and ministry leaders and all of that, we all know that raising children can be really hectic, right, cause our, our, our lives are so busy. We're working, we're doing ministry, we're reaching out, we're supporting others, and it gets really busy and trying to make sure that we instill Christ in their lives, no matter what. It could be hard, right, sometimes it gets a little hectic, but I wanna ask what are some of the things that you guys have implemented in your day-to-day function, right? Just natural day-to-day functions to attempt to teach them about God.

Speaker 1: 2:54

So, for me, my daughter's two years old, and I know, every night before she goes to bed, I say a little prayer with her, nothing major, because she's only two, but just to teach her the habit of praying. And I always tease her and say, wow, elmo is really going to get in heaven, because she never wants to say any other thing, but she always wants to pray for Elmo and I'm like gosh, elmo's going to make it in heaven. You know like I always tell her that. So what are some of the things that you guys did with your children when they were younger to just instill that prayer in them? Melissa.

Speaker 4: 3:28

Same thing Prayer at night. We do music, so we're all musicians. My husband's a Christian rapper and I'm a hip hop singer, so we always implement music. Hip hop singer, so we always implement music. So, either by listening to our music or worship music, being that we're in church now, we don't drag our kids to church. We invite them. They come and we teach them through our lives, through the week and on Sunday as well.

Speaker 1: 4:00

But you know what, melissa, that's easy for you guys because you know your husband's a minister. You're a minister, so that may come easy to you. But I look at it with me and my children, because I also have a 23 and a 24 year old and I say to myself all the time I invite them. I don't force them, you know, I invite them. They don't come all the time, but they do come sometimes. And I just wonder, you know, should I be a little bit more stern? Should I be saying, no, you're going. I mean 23 and 24, that's almost grown. But they know the Lord, it's not that, it's just when you're 23 and 24, you think you have all the time in the world. You got so much, you're so busy.

Speaker 4: 4:38

Really, you're not Right, right, you're not right, and I do have an older son. He left. He left North Carolina, he's in back in Colorado, so he's doing his own thing. We raised him up. He's doing his own thing. So as mama, as minister, I'm just still praying for him and I know God is going to be faithful in that that he returns back. So I understand that portion too, and he grew up in a home with two ministers.

Speaker 1: 5:03

That portion too, and he grew up in a home with two ministers, harleen. What about you? What are some of the things that you implemented in your children when they were smaller, when it came to prayer and other things?

Speaker 2: 5:11

That you know, we had a children's bible for, particularly for our son, and at night we would read a story to him before he would go to bed and say a little prayer, and with our daughter as well. But we actually moved when my daughter was quite small and our son was eight years old. We moved and we became a lot more involved in a church at that point, and so it kind of became a little easier because they developed their friendships there at the church and by us getting them involved in the children's ministry there they made their little friends and we never forced them either. Of course when they're very small they have to come with us because they have to be with their parents. But it was always.

Speaker 2: 5:51

We always left them a little bit of a choice there. We want them to want to be around God, we want them to want to be in church, and you know so we never wanted to make it a punitive thing or a forced thing, because kids will rebel when you do that and we didn't want to invite that kind of thing into our home. So you know, our son has chosen a Christian college. He did that all on his own. We didn't tell him he had to go to one. We said honey, you pick where you feel the Lord's leading you. Wherever that is, we will support you. And he picked a Christian college. They're doing this on their own, with the Lord's help, and it's not be anything we did, but I think because we never shoved it down their throat, we always modeled it. Let them see us do it and then kind of let the Lord work in them after that.

Speaker 1: 6:41

But I think you said something just now, Colleen. It's nothing that we did, but it is something that you did, because you planted the seed and God watered it Right.

Speaker 1: 6:49

So so in all honesty, we we do plant that seed in our children from when they're young and, like you said, um, if you don't shove it down their throats, because that was just my question, like sometimes I wonder if I should be a little bit more stern and say no, no, no. Family that prays together stays together. We're all going to church. You know that type of thing, but as of recent, it's just been put on my heart to kind of just let them go. God's got it. God is going to do what he needs to do. He's going to bring them where they need to be. You just need to pray. So I've been taking that approach. What about you, ms Reynolds?

Speaker 3: 7:22

One thing that I have been implementing lately that my daughter absolutely loves is we do, like a mommy and me, bible study. So I have my Bible, she has her little teen girl Bible and I let her be the teacher, I let her pick where we are going to read and then I allow her, like I ask her questions like OK, what is this about? What is your interpretation, what do you understand from this? And then it, then it gives us, you know, opportunity to have that healthy rebuttal. But she loves being a teacher and she's learning at the same time nice, nice.

Speaker 1: 7:53

That's really cool. Carly, you want to get in on this?

Speaker 5: 7:56

oh so, um, I was not raised in church, um, and so my two older kids. I have a son that is 20, wait, oh goodness, 26. And then my daughter is 23, about to be 24. And then I have an 18 year old, and so my two older kids were not raised around me, even being a Christian. My son was, I want to say he had to been about 12, maybe 11 or 12, when I first even started to go to a church. I believe he was 12 then, and so he just basically got to watch me walk this walk.

Speaker 5: 8:51

I came from the background of, like new age, witchcraft and also organized religion, and so I was completely on the opposite side, and so, basically, what happened is, is he just got to watch what God did in my life, how he changed me, and from that he became curious, how he changed me, and from that became he became curious. And so we started having conversations and it got to the point, um, during his, uh, you know, 14, 15 age, he was all over the place, and so it really was me behind the scenes, like going in his room playing um, me behind the scenes, like going in his room playing um devotionals, uh, worship music, when he wasn't in there praying into his sweatshirts, his bed, anointing his bed, his door frames. I mean, I was doing the most, but he snapped out of that um, just going, you know, going to school, being around kids that are you know part of the world, and and trying to figure out where to fit in. And so now, as an 18 year old um, basically about when he was about 17, he came to me and asked me you know, if I want to know Jesus, should I start going to church? And this is might sound crazy to some people, but I told him no, I said that's not how you're going to build a relationship with Jesus, because there's plenty of people that go to church every Sunday that don't have a relationship.

Speaker 5: 10:12

And I told him if you want to build a relationship, I gave him a Bible, I gave him a journal and I showed him how to start journaling to God. And I said this is what you do you read the Bible, you journal and you talk to God and you build that relationship and when God feels you're ready, he will tell you to get into it. I basically didn't go to church. I met God in my house and he trained and sat with me for a year and a half, before I even stepped into a church.

Speaker 1: 10:53

You know you make a good point, carla. I want to touch on that a little bit, just as us all being mamas of children, young people and even you know, going to church for a long time, because a lot of times and there may be someone that's listening that is forcing their kids to go to church, thinking that that is the norm and that's what you do you take a teenager to church and you say that the God. But building a relationship. Let's talk about that for a little bit. If you have experienced it in your own lives with your children, talk about that a little bit. But if not, what do you think about that? What's your thoughts, being a mama who has already raised godly children and and and would you have ever taken that approach or what you think about that approach? I'm gonna let miss reynolds go because I saw your hand go up, so I know the the wheels are turning in there and you want you have something to say. What's, what did you have?

Speaker 3: 11:42

oh yeah, I was just really resonating with the sister. I'm so sorry, carla carla um her testimony because for me, I didn't grow up in church either and I also come from a background of like new age and witchcraft. So when I was practiced, when I was practicing and professing which my daughter was doing it with me, of course, through my ignorance and when I had my encounter with the Lord, you know, there had to be like some deprogramming that I had to go through, but also her.

Speaker 3: 12:10

And it didn't start in church, it started for me in my bedroom. That led to my living room and me going through like two years of deliverance and her you know me being that mirror for her and her being curious like, well, okay, so who is jesus? And you know what is this and what is that in me, having the knowledge, through the holy spirit, to teach her, even at her young age of 10. So, wow, well, look, it's definitely related and and and and see.

Speaker 1: 12:35

That's why I love platforms like this, because I don't know that. I was literally raised in the church. Like I was raised in the church, I've all now. I stray, I was like the prodigal son and. But I came back because once that seed is planted, it doesn't matter how far you go. Just like Melissa was saying earlier, she's praying for her children because they will come right back. My children will come right back because you just it doesn't matter because that seed has already been planted.

Speaker 1: 12:58

But I didn't experience that Right and it's not a bad or good thing, that just wasn't my experience. I was raised in a church. We had family prayer in our house. We had Friday prayer in our house. If we weren't in a church, we were at the church people's house praying. That's how I grew up. But then I left to get a taste of the world because I really thought I was missing something and very quickly God showed me that I wasn't missing anything and I ended up coming back. So that's a good perspective, because I don't have that perspective. You know, god has always been a big piece or a big part of our lives growing up me personally but yeah, that's interesting. Did you have something you were going to say, colleen?

Speaker 2: 13:37

I can kind of go with that. I was not raised in church either and my husband was His father is a pastor and still is, and my husband was, his father is a pastor and still is, and he was kind of forced into being. Anytime the church was open, they were there. If the doors were unlocked, they were in the church and he strayed.

Speaker 2: 13:54

You know, he, he was one who rebelled because he felt that he was forced and of course he came back to it and we had met in that timeframe and so it was through him that I came to know Jesus and so, yeah, and so that I think because of his upbringing and and how he was raised and the way he explains it as it was a very legalistic kind of church that he was raised in and very much rules, you know, and I think because of that he's had a very large influence on the way that we've raised our children, that we will never force them, because he knows how that felt and what it did to him and the struggles he's faced because of that.

Speaker 2: 14:39

And you know, thank the Lord he came back and everything's good. But you know, we don't ever want to see our children feel that way, and so that's why we've never forced them. They've come by it. Those seeds have been planted and, like the others have said, that curiosity is there and they ask those questions and you know, I can say, with my son in particular, he's teaching me now and I'm learning from him and his example that he's setting out there and the way he's being with his friends and the kids that he's around, that's teaching me and so that that makes me feel really good.

Speaker 1: 15:10

Yeah, that's good, and you know what you said, something that that I was going to touch on the whole forcing thing, because I also strayed away too, but I think that it's. It's very important to when, when we are dealing with our children, to remember who Christ is right. Christ wasn't walking the earth forcing anyone to do anything. He gave us a choice. And I think a lot of times, and even in our culture and I'm going to say our culture because you know, grandma gets up on Sunday morning and she beating the church in you. If you ain't sure that's, you know, that's just something that is just rooted in us as a people, and I think that you know to have conversations like this. It's really needed because you don't, you shouldn't have to beat church into someone. That's and that's what I grew up with. I grew up with church literally being beaten into me, like you. You don't. If you're not up on a certain time and you're not ready for church, you getting that tail whooped. You're not up on a certain time and you're not ready for church, you getting that tail whooped. You know, like I told you to get dressed and get ready, and it kind of makes you want to stray away from it, cause it's like, what kind of God is this Like? And and you, all of you women, are saying a very important thing you had to live it first and your kids had to see it through you.

Speaker 1: 16:20

And not everybody's raising their children like that. And again, guys, don't come for me in the comments. I'm not saying you have to raise your children like this. I need a. Don't come for me in the comments button. Me and Carla always laugh and joke about that because you say certain things and people just take it left. And I'm not saying that you should raise your children like this. I'm not saying that if you're a little stern with them and you feel like you know what, go to church. I'm not saying that that's bad, good or indifferent, but what I am saying is what did Jesus do? We are supposed to mirror what he did. And not one time in the Bible do I ever have I ever read Jesus beating church into someone, whether it was physically, mentally, verbally, whatever. So I think that that's a really good and valid point. Were you going to say something, melissa? I thought you were about to say something.

Speaker 4: 17:10

I was just going to say I was half and half. So when my parents were married we attended church. After they divorced, mother stopped going to church and I had an uncle that would take me and my siblings. So I got intrigued with Jesus at a young age. So growing up I was the one initiating church, I was the one finding rise to church, and so once I became an adult I kind of pulled my mom back into church and then she then got saved before she passed, years before she passed away. But God used me to kind of pull her back into church and the rest of my family to seek God too. So I did both. I was in and then out, and then just finding my own way and once again, once that seed is planted, because look you went full circle.

Speaker 1: 18:04

And then you got you were able to bring your mother back Just what Colleen was talking about how her son is teaching her now and she's seeing through the way he's living, and things like that and you're able to come back around and bring mom back to the church, back to where her first and true love. What an amazing testimony. All right, guys. So you know, sometimes it can feel like we're fighting against the world a little bit, like you know, because you watch TV, you watch the news, you see all this stuff going on in the high schools. How do you personally define the importance of building a solid faith foundation for your children in the midst of today's culture? You want to go first, ms Reynolds, go ahead.

Speaker 3: 18:47

Yeah, this is good because for me, I think it definitely is foundational teaching my daughter her identity, but her identity through Christ and through the word of God, based upon who God says, that she is letting her know that it's okay to be different, because that's always her argument. Well, you know, none of my friends are Christians and I try to teach them Jesus and help them be Christians, but they don't want to know Jesus and I, you know, enforce to her being that example and I think the foundational thing is definitely teaching them the identity and letting them know it's okay to be different, it's okay to stand out for the right reasons. You don't have to fit in with the world because you're set apart for a reason.

Speaker 1: 19:29

That's right and teaching her to also be that example for her friends. Always talking about is intentionality. We have to be intentional in situation in in in today's world. I mean, like I said, I have a two-year-old and I am literally teaching her things that I'm like. 24 years ago, I didn't have to teach my two-year-old this. I didn't have to talk to my two-year-old about her seeing a boy in a dress in kindergarten. You know I didn't have to have those conversations and you know so it's just it's.

Speaker 2: 20:05

it's just us know to stand firm on that and to develop their to study it and learn it for themselves and develop their own idea around what they feel god says about them, and then to stand in that truth. Yeah and um, you know to be. You can be in the world and not be of the world, and so I think it's important that they know that they can. You know, like you said, your daughter, you know, feels like she wants to tell her friends about Jesus, but you know they don't want to hear it. But she's planting those seeds and you know it might be 10 years from now, but that child may come back and say you know, I learned about Jesus from my friend when I was 10 years old, and so I think, encouraging our kids that, yeah, it can feel really, really hard to be the different one, um, but it's okay to be that as long as you stand in that truth of who you really are and, um, you know, try not to let those outside influences knock you down from that.

Speaker 1: 21:18

So knowing who you are and who's you are, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 5: 21:21

Right, I have an interesting story, um, especially for my 18 year old. So when he was um a freshman in high school, he did his first year in high in an actual high school and, um, by the time the next year was rolling around his sophomore year he just came to me and said, like I don't, I don't have a place in this in high school. He was like I don't want to do what the kids do. He was like it's not for me. And I actually had a friend in my church who was a teacher for a charter school and so he ended up doing school online.

Speaker 5: 21:59

And it was interesting to me because he really just was telling me the different things that he experienced in high school, the different things that the kids were doing, and he just was like I don't want to be in this environment and I don't want to be surrounded by this, and I thought that was like really interesting for him at that age to really be like you know what?

Speaker 5: 22:20

This isn't where I want to be. I don't want to be influenced by what's going on, and I mean the stories that he was telling me were quite crazy, like you know, anything from drugs to kids having intercourse in the bathroom, wow, and just all kinds of like stuff that he just was like I don't want anything to do with this. And so I feel kind of blessed in a sense, because when he wanted to take himself out of that environment it kind of sheltered him from a lot of different things. And, mind you, he still has, you know, friends that he grew up with, that he you know hangs out with and stuff like that. But I just really kind of respected him for that making that choice, because he just really didn't want to go down a bad path and so he just decided that he'd rather, you know, be at, be at home, and in that time he was able to, you know, start to build that relationship with Jesus, and so I thought that was pretty awesome.

Speaker 1: 23:17

Well, here's the thing, and then I'm going to let Melissa go, because what you're saying and what you talked about just now is going to tie into my next question, so maybe I'll let Melissa go first. Go ahead, melissa.

Speaker 4: 23:28

Okay, same thing. I have two kids that were homeschooled. Middle school for my kids that was the rough point, because elementary okay, you're starting to get familiar with things fifth grade, but sixth, seventh, eighth grade, those are vital years. They're not babies anymore, but they're not growing up, they're not big teenagers. They're in that middle and I feel like that's where the enemy really attacks our children is that sixth, seventh, eighth grade year, because they're still trying to find themselves. And so we pulled ours out.

Speaker 4: 24:03

We have two daughters that we pulled out. The oldest one, she went through middle school all the way up until her senior year because we moved so they didn't offer a program here at that time. But we ended up having to homeschool our third daughter and she's excelling really well. God has really blessed her. But I had to pull them out, pour into them, teach them the way, so when they went back they knew exactly who they were and what they were supposed to do, because they got bullied. Um, my, my fourth child. She has been threatened by a child just because of who she is, her life, just being her. One of her friends threatened to kill her. So they had to do what they had to do. But it's getting that bad. She's in the fourth grade, see and that's what I was talking about, attack her like that.

Speaker 4: 24:57

So I'm praying. I'm like God, do you need me to pull her out? I got a lot of transitions going on. She's going to the fifth grade and then I have a baby that's going to start kindergarten at that same school. So now we're in prayer. I'm like God. What do you have me to do?

Speaker 1: 25:12

It's getting tough out there, yeah, and that's exactly what I was just touching on. It's like I shouldn't have to explain some of the things I'm explaining to a two-year-old. But we have recently decided and said we were going to homeschool my daughter as well, my kids, thank God. They just missed the cup. They just missed the cup. They just my kids who are. They've been out of high school for six years, so they just missed like everything. It just seems like it just started going downhill real fast and in our area and I said, thank God. But then we have a two year old, now that we're just like you, miss Melissa. I am proud to be 46 with a two year old. I'm proud of that. God is good, he does not make mistakes and when I tell you this girl is like the light of my eye, you can definitely tell and we had that conversation, melissa, in our one-on-one that she's definitely touched. God definitely has his hand on her, so I pray that she stays like that. She's two, so of course she's the apple of my eye, right.

Speaker 1: 26:17

But I pray that God keeps his hand on her. But yeah, and to touch on what you were saying, carla, also, my next question is what are some of the practical things that we do to make sure that our children know how to stand firm in their faith? Because, think about it, you, carla and again they don't come with manuals. So no right or wrong, you got to do what God tells you to do. So I don't want this to sound like I'm getting on you, because I'm not, but you, carla, removed your son from that situation.

Speaker 1: 26:48

Melissa, you are removing your children from that situation, but what are some practical things that we can do to train them to stand firm in their faith? And I totally would have removed my kids too. So I understand why you're not threatening my child, we're not harming, right. So I get it. But what can we do to really instill a firmness in faith? Because at the end of the day, they're going to grow up and we can't remove all the dangers away from them, and they have to know to trust and have faith in God that anything that he takes them through is for the betterment of his kingdom, right? What are some practical things that you think, melissa, if she does go back. That you can do to help her to understand, to stand firm in that faith. So when things come up against her, she's ready, she has her armor right and same thing.

Speaker 4: 27:35

Like I said with my oldest two, I had to do that. I had their home school. They're with me, we're praying, I'm encouraging um. All of their insecurities, doubts, all of that stuff is coming out at home because you're with me all day long. So now these things are coming up and I'm there to tear down the lie. No, that's not what the Lord said. This is not what God is saying about you. This is what he's saying and I'm building up their confidence in God and showing them no, this is the way. This is the way. And then, when they went back in there, they're a force to be reckoned with got that armor on, they're ready, they're ready now you know, kids bullied my daughter.

Speaker 4: 28:17

They talked about her because she was different, she's smart, she loves school. Now this girl is excelling. Okay, she's a full ride at uc chapel hill. I mean she's going into their honors program. I mean god is just really, really moving. And they're snarling at her and she's like, oh well, you know, this is who I am taking her, leave it. And now she can be confident in that where before they could have ruined her character and broke her down so much that she wouldn't even believe who God said she was Right, Right.

Speaker 1: 28:49

Thank God that you had that opportunity to do that. Thank the Lord. You know I'm that's such a thankfulness to God because, let's be honest, a lot of people don't have that. When you talk about bullying in schools, I mean this is a huge thing that's going on in the schools right now, Bullying children. Some of them are committing suicide, Some of them are doing, you know, doing all kinds of stuff.

Speaker 4: 29:17

I had a 10 year old bully three weeks ago. He's 10 years old in a neighborhood from where.

Speaker 1: 29:19

I used to live in. 10. Got bullied, killed himself. Oh my goodness.

Speaker 1: 29:21

I'm so sorry to hear that. I'm so sorry to hear that because it's serious and it's real. The enemy is running rampant right, I feel like, because there's a shift in the atmosphere. I don't know if anyone else has felt it, but I felt that there's a shift right now in the atmosphere where men and women of God are coming forth. They're starting to walk in their righteousness. I've sensed that in the atmosphere and the enemy cannot, because we've been through it's been too long right His tricks. It's been too long for the seasoned person in their walk. So I think that the only thing he can do is go after the children. They are the ones that are pure, because when you hear a child being so bullied that you want to take your life and being so bullied that nothing that your parents are saying to you can cure that, I mean, come on, that is the enemy at his finest, leading them to believe these lies. So it's just interesting that you say that, but we definitely need to have our children rooted and guarded in faith Every morning.

Speaker 1: 30:26

I do this with my two-year-old daughter every morning without fail. After she brushes her teeth and I wash her face, we put lotion on her face. After she brushes her teeth and I wash her face. We put lotion on her face. So I said hold your head up high. Why? And she says because I'm a child of God. And I said that's right. Who loves you? Jesus loves me. Elmo, elmo. Again. I told you Elmo's getting in heaven, okay, Elmo loves me, mommy loves me, daddy loves me.

Speaker 1: 30:54

I make her say it every day without fail. And if I, she's been doing it for so long that if I even put lotion on and don't say it, she'll say Mommy, I got to say Jesus loves me Like she she'll, she'll remind me, like I have to do it because I've started it as a trend. So that's one of the ways that I am trying to build that faith in her and from small to know that you are a child of God, you have purpose. You were placed here, you are God's handiwork. He created you on purpose to do a good work. So that's one of the things because my fear is someone comes and chirps in her little ears and just twists her whole thought process and I'm so grateful to God that I'm able to stay home with her chirps in her little ears and just twist her whole thought process on.

Speaker 1: 31:34

You know, and I and I, I'm so grateful to God that I'm able to stay home with her because I didn't have that with my other children, so there were things that they went through that I that I, if I knew what I knew now back then they wouldn't have had to go through a lot of that peer pressure and, you know, puberty and and and bullying and things like that, and I'm, I'm, I'm just, you know, I'm just grateful to God, so, yeah, so let me ask Colleen real quick, because in our one-on-one, colleen, I know that you said that you're in, you're in a smaller area, and even you said it today. So there may not be and you can correct me, there may not be that that many things coming at your children. Was there anything that you had to deal with? Or how? How did you, you know, get them to stand firm in their faith in in school?

Speaker 2: 32:19

I think you're right. I thought that, as you guys were talking about that, you know the area we live in is is very rural. You know my, my kids' school where they go right now is junior and senior high seven through 12. And I think there's 400 kids, okay, so you know it's. It's a very small town. We all know each other. Um, my kids have gone to school right through with the same kids. My son has been best friends with the same group of boys since fourth grade. You know, and we all know everybody's families and so we're very fortunate we don't see some of those other things that I know you see elsewhere in our country. We're a little sheltered here.

Speaker 2: 32:56

Now, social media changes that, of course, because they're exposed to things, and we have allowed our kids to be on social media and be online, with guardrails, of course, but what we've always done is encouraged and told our kids we are here, you come to us, you talk to us. If you know my daughter's in eighth grade, so you talked about the middle school years and how hard they are those junior high years, and they are girls especially girls are vicious, and so we're dealing with some of that with my daughter right now, and you know she knows you get in the car with mom. It is a safe place, you can tell mom anything, and then I just remind her of that. What does Jesus say about this? You know who, what is the truth and you know this is Satan attacking and what are the truths here and what are the lies? And let's get that straightened back out. And you know, thankfully we found that works really really well and thankfully we found that works really, really well.

Speaker 2: 33:54

And my son, our whole world right now is athletics. My kids are athletes and my son is going to college for athletics and he's a pole vaulter and so we're in that right now. We're in track season and he's been blessed with a wonderful season. But Satan is attacking him in that because he uses his pole vault as his ministry. He is talking to the other kids pole vaulting from other schools about Jesus, you know, and he's gathering them in prayer before they start competing and he's using this as his ministry and so Satan is attacking him there in that.

Speaker 2: 34:25

And we just had that conversation with him yesterday after a meet that you know you're facing some struggles because Satan doesn't like what you're doing right now. He doesn't want to see you be successful in this because you are using this to further the gospel. You are teaching these boys, who you don't know at all from schools all over the place, who Jesus is. I mean, he went to a kid yesterday who was angry after his performance and he said to him Jesus loves you. I just want you to know that and you know so he's facing those attacks and so it's those conversations with with both my kids. You know that when you are following what the Lord wants for you, you're going to face those challenges and mom and dad are here for you and we may not have all the answers. We don't have all the answers, but you know we're going to help you find them and we're going to pray you through it, and they know that.

Speaker 1: 35:12

Yeah, that's, that's really good.

Speaker 1: 35:14

That's really good.

Speaker 1: 35:15

Um, I want to ask Ms Reynolds, because we had a conversation, um, about your daughter and I wanted to ask you because, like, like, your story is so similar to Carla's so I got to get both of you guys on for testimony.

Speaker 1: 35:31

But they both come from a background, as they've mentioned, with witchcraft and new age religion and structured religion and non-religion and all this other mixed up stuff in the I don't know the terms for it. So I apologize, but, um, with your daughter coming from, teaching her how to, you know, be in the midst of the witchcraft and and doing that with her to now being a Christian, has have you seen a change in her with her peers in school? Cause I know you said right now you're really gearing her up and building that confidence and building all that, but has has she herself come to you? Because I mean, what a stronghold to break off of a child. A child is so pure, so to come from that to Christianity, I know there has to be some changes in the midst of that. You know what I'm saying. Talk a little bit about that and then, carla, I'm sure you can talk about that as well.

Speaker 3: 36:21

Yeah, absolutely so. When we were in witchcraft and I just want to preface this by saying that I was a practicing and professing witch for about six years, so my daughter's 10 now, so you do the math. She started when she was very young and so when it comes to her periods at school like, I used to always get calls from school about my daughter having the crystals in her pocket and you know, doing her little oh lord, and this is something I'm not proud of and I'm gonna try to get through this, look you.

Speaker 1: 36:49

You've been delivered. There's no judgment here. Let me be very clear you've been delivered. There's no judgment here. Let me be very clear You've been delivered. That is a good thing. There's no judgment here. You don't have to worry about it. You don't have to say I'm not proud of it. The moment you accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, all of that went away. So don't feel bad. This is a safe place, okay.

Speaker 3: 37:10

Yeah, amen, thank you. Okay, yeah, amen, thank you. So you know I would always get calls of like my daughter, taking her crystals in her backpack and in her pocket and doing her little rituals with her friends at the school. And now you know she's praying with her friends, she's talking to them about jesus. She even tells me if she walks in the classroom and she sees a crystal or a little evil eye pendant thing, she'll take it and throw it away and tell them you can't have this, because you're going to go to hell. You need, you need to accept jesus and live for jesus. So now she's wow, look at that. She's so excited, like when she talks to her friends, and like she's like she'll come on. She'll tell me like mom, I got my friend to believe in jesus or I got my friend to throw away her crystals or already making an impact, even at 10 years old, in the fourth grade.

Speaker 3: 37:59

So it is beautiful. And then one more thing that I also would like to add like, even when it comes to like her teachers, because we don't celebrate Halloween and we don't do any of those things, and you know, you have people who are Christians that do, and I'm not judging either way but like, even with her teacher, she's able to identify like mom. You know, my teacher says they're Christian, but they do this and they live like this and I don't think they're real Christians. So I'm gonna keep talking to them about God and why is that?

Speaker 3: 38:24

wow, you know, so she's very bold about it, which I thank God for like. So definitely has been a change and I definitely see the impact that she's having on her friends even if they don't fully understand bring that light, but look at that from.

Speaker 1: 38:43

I mean, what an amazing testimony that she is going to have herself when she gets older. That is an amazing testimony. My mother raised me. I don't even know what you call them when they're little. Are they witches, little witches, what do you call them? My mother raised me. I don't even know what you call them when they're little. Are they witches, little witches, what do you call them Like? My mother raised me as a little little mini person, which I guess I don't know, and then I went to Christ and I am winning souls back.

Speaker 1: 39:06

Imagine her standing in front of the masses talking about that, because God has a plan and a purpose for her life, whatever it is. She's going to speak to people, she's going to minister to people. She's going to win souls to Christ because you're seeing the fruits of it. Now, that's not going to change. If she's bold and confident in her faith and you keep her prayed up and you keep her with that relationship with God, that ain't going to change. It's going to just get stronger. Right, it's not going to change. Well, we, we, we we'd hope and like to pray that it doesn't change, because it can. I'm not saying it cannot. You, you know you gotta be real picky with your words on here, but you know so. But that's, that's amazing. I'm getting fired up and I'm not even.

Speaker 2: 39:48

I don't even know, but you know.

Speaker 1: 39:51

That's just an amazing testimony for her. I could see her being 20s, in her 20s and saying look, I used to walk around with Crystal. She was old enough to remember that you said that she was going to school and casting spells with the other children. But this is why and I'm so glad God delivered you from this, because this is why we have to be very careful what we show our children, what we teach our children, because imagine this you showed it to your daughter. She went to school and showed it to 10 people. Those 10 people went to their, their cousin's house, their aunt's house, their whatever house, and showed it to four more people. That thing could spread like wildfire. So I am so glad that God had his hand on you and he turned that around and she went back to those kids and said, look, and she was bold enough to be able to do it. You know we have to see the greatness in that and the wonderfulness of.

Speaker 1: 40:45

God in that, because that could have been real tricky, right, Carla? I know you have some stories to add, because Carla also has a background like that and has it affected your children in any way? Same like in school or anything like that, or no?

Speaker 5: 41:01

So what's interesting is my two oldest kids I. So when they were younger, I didn't practice in front of them and I hadn't gotten into new age.

Speaker 5: 41:14

So I was just practicing behind the scenes, um, but I was talking to my daughter, like last year, we were cooking in the kitchen and I forgot what she did and I said I was like you need to, uh, don't do that. I was like it's witchcraft and she brought up like that even though I didn't practice in front of them, like she would run into my stuff. So I, I um, back in the day, uh, my thing was I practiced um candle magic and so she would run into like the objects that I used and different things, and so she, while I never did it in front of her, she knew that something that I was doing something.

Speaker 5: 41:51

she knew that I was into something. But now with my youngest one, um, he, I did, he saw me doing, uh, practicing new age. So he, I was the same thing, crystals, uh, chakra balancing, and I would have I taught him how to meditate. Um, I have a picture, if I think I still might have it or I might have erased it, but it was him laying on our living room floor covered in the chakra, the crystals that match each chakra, and meditating, and I had a picture of it. Get rid of that.

Speaker 5: 42:25

And I was taking him to like ceremonies and all kinds of stuff, and so, not to mention you know, other people around me. And so when I got saved, instantly, I knew I was like, oh no, I have to break this off of him too. And so, very right away, early in my walk, we had a conversation and I told him you know why it was bad, how I, you know why did this, why how I, you know why, why was I even curious as far as the new agent stuff? And I explained to him my generational witchcraft, starting with my great grandmother who practiced full on voodoo. And so it was just, I explained what that was. It wasn't like one day I just was like I'm going to just practice. It was almost like it was already built in me as a child.

Speaker 5: 43:15

And so I knew how to do these things without. I didn't go, get a point. Nobody had to show me. It was like already built into me, and so I explained that to him and I explained that I went through a deliverance on myself and I broke all of that off of me and then I explained that we need, you know, eventually he'll need to do the same, but prior to that we've been praying and stuff and like he's not into that at all.

Speaker 1: 43:41

But let me ask you a question real quick, carla, and I'm sorry to cut you off, but let me ask you a question, because what just came to my mind was you were saying that you had like he was doing whatever and you were praying in his room and praying in his sweatshirts and praying. Do you think that that? Because my, my thought process on this is these are young children, so we could say all day long that we've broken something off of them, but they also have to open their mouth and confess something as well. Do you think that that behavior had to do with that? And if you didn't do what you did, you know being intentional and fighting because you got to fight for him. You have to fight to get him back from what you guys were dabbling in or whatever. Do you think that that behavior had to do with that a little bit or no?

Speaker 5: 44:25

um, possibly, but I think it the behavior was more like trying to find yourself in the world, okay, and um, like, I guess, let me, I guess, if I explain it like this, so me coming from organized religion, uh, when I was a teenager I went all the way left like there was. No, let me see if you know, is there something else out there? Who's this? Jesus? I was like I'm free and I'm out. So I went all the way into the world and did everything that I wanted to do in that time. You know that I thought was fun, and so, you know, I was like I'm free. I think that was part of it. Was, you know, my, I guess my own like way that I lived my life was coming back to bite me because he saw that lifestyle Okay, and so it was.

Speaker 5: 45:20

I think a lot of it was that also trying to find himself and trying to fit in. You know you go as a kid, you're trying to fit in. You know you go as a kid, you're trying to fit in somewhere and you it and it. It's really about who accepts you into that group and for some people, you know, you might be blessed enough to find a great group of friends who support each other and and you know, and and you're able to to um not be influenced to do crazy things. Where then there's other kids who get you know you might get in with the in crowd and these kids are drinking, they're smoking, they're having sex and next thing you know, you're sucked into that.

Speaker 5: 45:56

And so I think that that was really what it was, was him trying to find his way and he was, you know, finding where he fit in, and sometimes it was people going down wrong paths. And so because by then I was a full-on follower of Jesus, I knew and and immediately I was like, yeah, not my kid, you're not getting him one way or another. And that's why I started like literally praying over him. I would plead the blood over him on a regular basis. It's to the point now that my son knows I don't play about prayer that like when he was looking for a job, he was like mom, can you pray?

Speaker 5: 46:47

for me right, right, and so yeah, that's good, yeah, that's what um came out of it, but yeah, it was a struggle. You know nothing and and a lot of it, you know. And then I had the um. You know you have satan, especially coming from a background like mine, you know basically trying to guilt, trip me like it's your fault. You know, and so that was a you know a struggle. It's like you know, all of this stuff that I did, you know, this is your fault, you could, you know, look what you did.

Speaker 1: 47:20

But then, of course, I had God saying like, like, look at you now look at what you're doing you know what comes to mind when you say that, the scripture in the bible and I'm paraphrasing because I don't know it, but it comes to mind when, when, when someone was asking jesus what did his parents do for him to be blind? Help me out, ladies.

Speaker 4: 47:44

You remember that scripture or I don't remember what the background of it was.

Speaker 1: 47:48

But he was asked. Somebody was asking jesus what did his parents do to make him to why he's blind? And jesus response was just like and I'm paraphrasing again because I do not know verbatim the scripture but his response was more like nothing, yeah, nothing you know. So it's so funny how the enemy I, when I hear people talking about the guilt trips and the doubt it's in affairs and all this it's always the opposite of what jesus is saying. Right, it's always the total opposite. And then we have to remember the scripture. While you were saying that, that popped in my head and I'm like there's that enemy again, always trying to twist and flip what god says, to make you think that it's something else, to just trip you up. But what an amazing story. So, guys, we've spoken about making sure our kids are rooted. We've spoken about making sure that our kids understand the place that faith plays in their lives, as well as some of the practical strategies that we've used with our children to raise them up.

Speaker 1: 48:48

But what role does purpose play in your children? Now? How do you encourage them to live out their purpose in everything that they do? Because a lot of times we put a lot of pressure on our children, unconsciously, basically molding their purpose, when only God can do that. And we don't do purposely. We do it unconsciously by saying you're going to be a lawyer, you're going to be a doctor, no, you're going to live here and you're going to do this. And you're going to do that when really only God knows what they're going to do, because each one of our children were born with purpose. So I guess the question is let me ask it a little better how do you help your children understand what role purpose has and how do you explain to them so that they understand what God's purpose is for them in their lives? We'll start with Colleen.

Speaker 2: 49:42

Well, I think it's kind of the modeling thing again, because I know there's times where I still struggle to know what my purpose is. You know, being honest, and I'm honest with them about that, you know. And so I remind them that our purpose is building throughout our whole life. You know it's not like, well, I'm 45. And so I'm stuck where I am now. You know this is it? No, you know, my purpose is still growing and changing and, like you said, only God knows. And it's the same for my kids, and so I explain that to them.

Speaker 2: 50:11

I'm honest with them. When I struggle, I tell them, and they come to me when they struggle and we just we work through it, and I remind them that you know I am going to love them, no matter what they do. You know, wherever God leads them, whether I think it's right or wrong doesn't matter. It matters what God says about them and what God is telling them to do. And if so they feel they're being led into a purpose, then I want them to follow that, no matter what that looks like. And so it's just encouraging them to be listening, always listening. You know, whether you turn to the right or the left, you'll hear the voice saying this is the way you walk in it, and it's just reminding them of that and, and that we are there for them, to support them, no matter what yeah, amen to that, miss reynolds.

Speaker 1: 50:55

What about you? How do you help your daughter identify?

Speaker 3: 50:59

yeah, I think, yeah, I think I'm gonna mirror what the sister stated as well. For me, I I don't try to put anything on my daughter based on what I feel she should be, because I mean, she's 10 and today she might want to be a lawyer, tomorrow she might want to be a flight attendant, you know, and I am not governing her life.

Speaker 3: 51:21

I'm just in charge to take care of her while she's here, you know, with me on earth, and so, yeah, making room for her to be able to hear the holy spirit, to be able to know the voice of god, to be able to be her like guiding post, like making sure you know you check in with. What did god say? Like don't ask me my opinion, because I can give you, but I think that is a good one yeah, directing her to god.

Speaker 1: 51:44

What did God say to?

Speaker 2: 51:45

you Teaching her at?

Speaker 1: 51:46

this young age to, to, to to hear God's voice Really good.

Speaker 5: 51:51

Yes.

Speaker 3: 51:52

Yes so that's what I would say for sure and just you know, affirming her that whatever you do, wherever you go, I'm going to be there to support you, to walk you through it, offer any support. If I don't have the answers, I will find the answers, I will find the solutions, but all roads lead back to God and His will will be done ultimately.

Speaker 1: 52:14

Yeah, what about you, melissa? Are you experiencing that now or are you having those?

Speaker 4: 52:19

conversations. I'm very blessed to be able to. We raise our children prophetically and so as parents. God gives us visuals and he allows us to peep into his book concerning our children.

Speaker 1: 52:34

Nice.

Speaker 4: 52:35

So he's already given us like what they're going to do. We don't enforce it, but we declare it and then they choose on what that looks like for them. So it makes it a little harder for them because we tell them you basically got the blueprint right. And sometimes you would think how easy is that? You already have the answer. But it's really not that easy because again, you see the world, you see other people doing things. You have your own things that you want to do. So it does make it a little bit difficult to stay on that path right, but at least you have a blueprint because god has already laid it out for you. So it's up to them to walk in faith and believe and trust god that they'll get there yeah, amen to that.

Speaker 1: 53:23

Carla, did you have anything you wanted to add to that?

Speaker 5: 53:27

Yeah. So what's interesting for me is that, like two and a half years ago, I was doing a fast and during that fast I had was journaling and I had asked God what was going to happen to my children and he gave me kind of a message of everything that was going to happen, and not necessarily he didn't tell me like what they were going to do, like as like professions, but it was like basically their journey to finding him. And one of the things I remember doing is telling my son like I got, I like literally had this conversation with God, and this is what he told me and I read it to my son. Like I got, I like literally had this conversation with God and this is what he told me and I read it to my son and I show, and it opened up that door of him understanding like how God can really talk to you. And so then what happened?

Speaker 5: 54:21

Is he? Once he started journaling, he he decided like he was interested in designing um clothing, clothing and he wanted to start a clothing line. And I told him you should pray to God and ask him what he wants you to do with it. So every time my son has ever gotten an idea like now he's looking into going to barber barber school. I was like pray to God and ask him if that's the direction to go.

Speaker 5: 54:45

So basically for me, I, my son, mirrors what he sees, and I am a pray. I'll be praying about everything. So, like he sees that and like I stand on prayer, I'm like, don't play with, like I'm. I'm like you don't want to see me with the prayer. And so because he sees that like every little thing thing I'm always like oh, I'm gonna go pray about it right um because he sees that now he's starting to do that in his own life, where he's praying about everything.

Speaker 5: 55:18

So he's now starting to pray whenever you know he needs to have to make a decision. He's starting to um correlate that together and that is, for me, as a mom, that's the best thing ever to watch, because I am a person who don't I stand on prayer and so I want him to be able to. You know, as he journeys out and gets his own family, has his own kids. I want him to have that. That one thing be rooted in prayer.

Speaker 1: 55:47

Yes, Wow, wow, wow that's all I have to say. What a powerful conversation, guys. I mean raising children it's not the easiest thing. God has blessed us with these lives that we are here, that we are supposed to be molding and shaping, and I'm just so excited to hear all of the strategies and all of the things that we, as godly women, are doing, because guess what? It is not easy to do as women. God never said that it would be easy, but he did say that he would equip us and give us the strength to get through it, because we have so much other stuff going on.

Speaker 1: 56:24

So I just hope that our listeners were able to gain something from this conversation. If you have little ones and you're struggling to know how far you should go, what you should say, how to talk to them, let what these beautiful women have spoken about today be the guide, right, if you're listening and the Lord has placed on your heart to just tune in today. That is why, if you're struggling with that, so use it as a guide. Raising godly children in an ungodly world is tough in itself, so definitely take heed to the strategies, definitely take heed to the conversation and the different things that we've spoken about All right. So, before we wrap up, I'd love to hear from each of you what's one piece of advice you would give our listeners who are navigating this challenge of raising children. Go ahead, colleen. Never stop praying for them. Never stop praying for them. Good Ms.

Speaker 3: 57:17

Reynolds, always be yielded to the Holy Spirit and trust his way over yours.

Speaker 1: 57:22

Nice Melissa.

Speaker 4: 57:25

Same thing Always pray and be spirit led. He won't lead you wrong.

Speaker 5: 57:32

Carla Mine would be actions speak louder than words. So walk your walk with faith and boldness, because your children are watching, right.

Speaker 1: 57:41

And mine would just be to stay rooted in God's word, right? Because I truthfully believe if you're always connected to God, everything else falls in line. That's how I look at it. For me, if you stay close to God, if you stay rooted in his word, if you stay rooted and just seek him in all that you do, everything else falls in line. So thank you so much, ladies, for sharing your wisdom today. I appreciate it. I know this conversation will resonate deeply with our listeners and the audience. Remember, guys, that you are not alone in your journey, guys, that if you continue to trust in God, if you continue to put in personal that you do all will work out in the end. So, thank you, thank you so much, guys. Again, don't forget to like, share, subscribe, so we can get this out to as many people that need it.