The Faughn Family Podcast | family, marriage, parents, parenting, Christianity

(Trouble playing the episode? Click here to listen on the site.) As 2013 begins to wind down, many individuals are starting to consider their New Year's Resolutions for 2014. In this month's podcast, we want to help you think not only of yourself, but of your family. What are some resolutions that a family might consider having? That's our discussion this month. Goals must be S.M.A.R.T. We share our "un-smart" goals, that we hope to round into form before the beginning of 2014. To learn what "smart" stands for, click here. 1. Resolve to simplify and organize life. As you will see, this is really the overall theme for all our goals! 2. Resolve to be regular in holding family devotionals. These do not have to be nightly meetings, but make it part of your weekly routine as a family to center the thoughts of the home on God. 3. Resolve to help children deepen their personal prayer life. Teach them to understand not only how to keep a prayer list, but also the various types of prayer. 4. Resolve to work on a major financial goal as a family. We are out of debt, but that might serve as an example for your family. Be sure to communicate about this goal as a family. 5. Resolve to give children ways to understand and participate in worship. This is not easy with smaller children, but we must start then! Help them find ways to stay engaged during the sermons and songs. 6. Resolve to connect with and support a missionary or local ministry as a family. You could choose a missionary your congregation supports, or a local ministry like a soup kitchen or rescue mission. Do something each month to support this work. The Announcement "Simplify" was very much the theme of our resolutions. One way we are going to do that is to take a hiatus from the podcast. We enjoy producing these programs, but they take a tremendous amount of time, and we are going to take a break. We talk about this at the end of the program. We look forward to re-starting in the future, but for now, this is the last program for awhile. Info/Subscribe To learn more about the Faughn Family Podcast, and how to subscribe for free, go here. --------- Background photo credit: David Amsler on Creative Commons Music credit: Kevin McLoud via Incompetech

(trouble playing episode? Click here to listen on the site.) Welcome to the November episode of the Faughn Family Podcast. Since Thanksgiving is a very special time, we take this month's program to share some thoughts on how to make the day--and the time leading up to the day--more meaningful and memorable. Three Suggestions 1. Talk about Thanksgiving before the day. 2. Slow down (which will help with making traditions). 3. Spend time sharing memories. Resources: "Family Thankfulness Ideas to Bless Others {and You!}" (For the Family blog) Quotes of Faith and Life (Pinterest board with Thanksgiving quotes) Newsletter Our monthly newsletter is going away at the end of 2013,but we still want you to subscribe and get your free eBook! Go here to learn more and to subscribe for free. Info/Subscribe To learn more about the Faughn Family Podcast, and how to subscribe for free, go here. ---------------- Background photo credit: vxla on Creative Commons Music credit: Kevin McLoud via Incompetech

(Trouble with player? Click here to listen.) Welcome to our October podcast! This month, we are discussing a mother's relationship with her little girl. While some of the principles discussed are true for girls of any age, we try to keep our conversation on what little girls need from their mother. Enjoy the program, and check out the show notes below! I. She Needs to See the Bible Lived Out. A. Agape Love (best described in 1 Corinthians 13) serves as the umbrella for everything else. B. Rules, but also grace C. Compassion (in how we treat others and step out of our comfort zone) D. The joy of Christian living (especially when things are not going well) II. She Needs to See Her Father Respected by Her Mother. A. Little girls adore their father. She needs to see him treated with respect. B. That includes how a mother talks to her husband, but also about her husband. It also includes both good times and difficult, stressful times. III. She Needs to See Lady-hood Exemplified. A. Manners B. Modest dress (Leah gives some important reminders here!) C. Proper speech D. Respect for others *She must see all these in her mother if she is to know best how to have them in her own life! IV. She Needs Time Alone with Her Mother in Conversation. A. As a little girl, the conversation may not be about anything of great importance (in the grand scheme of things), but one day it will be. B. So, mom needs to be willing to let her little girl talk, and needs to intentionally make time for them to be alone to talk. Resources "To My Daughter on Her 8th Birthday" [blog post] Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs [paperback book] Newsletter To learn more about, and sign up for, our free monthly email newsletter, visit this page. Subscribe To subscribe on iTunes, go here. To subscribe via rss, go here. Feedback: What are some other things that a little girl needs from her mother? Share your thoughts in the comments! ------------ All music from Kevin MacLeod

(Trouble playing in rss or email? Click here to listen.) Subscribe in iTunes Before marriage, most couples spend tons of time on dates. But far too few continue to date once the rings are exchanged and "real life" sets in. In this month's episode of the Faughn Family Podcast, we talk about some reasons why husbands and wives need to continue to court one another, then we share some tips for a memorable date. Show Notes Part I: Five Reasons Why Continuing to Date is Important for Married Couples 1. Dating gets you out of the day-to-day routine. 2. Dating connects you to earlier times in your marriage, and to the joy of courting before marriage. 3. Dating provides opportunities for deeper communication. 4. Dating gives ways to experience new things (restaurants, sports teams, etc.) together. 5. Dating shows affection, because each is giving of their time. Part II: Five Suggestions for Making Your Dates Helpful to Your Relationship 1. Go places that allow for communication (parks, quiet restaurants, walks, etc.) often. 2. Have a budget. Even if it is a tiny budget, it is an investment in your marriage. Babysitting: Co-op with other couples. Start a babysitting night at your local church. Food: Have a picnic, or try a new dish at home. Other entertainment: It does not have to be expensive to be memorable! Redbox a movie, or just go for a romantic walk in the park. 3. Turn off the gadgets. Do not spend time on your date communicating with everyone else in the world. 4. Know how much each other likes or dislikes surprises vs. plans. 5. Ask questions that lead to deeper communication. Don't just ask "yes" and "no" questions. Resources 148 Romantic Date Night Ideas for Married Couples (TipJunkie). You may like some of these more than others, but you can't say you have no ideas! 40 Unforgettable Dates with Your Mate (Kindle edition). Has some of the "deeper communication" questions we spoke about. Our new book: Consider Jesus: The Epistle to the Hebrews Newsletter Each month, our free email newsletter deals with the same topic as our podcast. To subscribe for free and get a FREE eBook called Understanding the Love Chapter, click here. Subscribe To subscribe on iTunes, go here. To subscribe via rss, go here. FEEDBACK: What are your best tips for dating as a married couple on a budget? Share your best tips and memories in the comments! ------------------------------ Background photo from Dan Terzian on Creative Commons All music from Kevin McLeod

Our August podcast encourages parents as they send their children back to school. Buying school supplies is just par for the course, but the most important "supplies" you can give your children cannot be purchased or put in a backpack. Using real school supplies as our examples, we share four traits to instill in your children as they head back to school.   Show Notes: Supplies Your Kids Need for School #1: A Ruler Reminds us to Measure Our Words Ephesians 4:29, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Colossians 4:6, "Let your speech be always gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." Proverbs 10:19, "When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent." #2: Glue Reminds us to Stick to the Word of God Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Scripture contains "all things that pertain to life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3) #3: Scissors Remind us to Cut Out Harmful Influences 1 Corinthians 10:13 teaches us that God provides a way of escape Do we take that way? #4: Paper and Pencil Remind us to Communicate with God 2 Timothy 2:15 "study," "rightly handle the Word of truth" Do I pray regularly? Newsletter In the August email newsletter, we will reveal a 5th supply that you need to instill in your children as they head back to school. Go here to sign up for our FREE email newsletter (and get a free eBook just for signing up). Subscribe The Faughn Family Podcast is now available on iTunes! Please visit here to subscribe on iTunes (for free, of course), and while you are there, take a moment to rate the program and leave a comment. If you prefer to subscribe via rss, you may do that here. Comments What are some other school supplies you think children need to take with them? Leave your ideas in the comments! ------------------------- Photo credit: The photo used in the background of the picture above can be found here. Music: Podcast music is from Kevin MacLeod

Welcome to the Faughn Family Podcast! We are so thrilled to finally have this program up and running. We planned for a long time, made a few changes along the way, but somehow still launched on time. In this first episode, we simply take the time to tell you a little more about ourselves and our goal for this podcast. So scroll back up to the top of the post, hit the play button, and enjoy our first episode! [Trouble seeing the player in rss or email? Click here to go to the post and play the show.] Links Mentioned on Program Lebanon Road Church of Christ Freed-Hardeman University 9th Avenue Church of Christ About the Faughn Family Email Newsletter On the show, we mention that our program is connected to our monthly email newsletter, which is free. You can find out a little more about our newsletter and join our mailing list for free here. Subscribe to the Show Rss is the only way to subscribe currently. We hope to have iTunes and Stitcher subscriptions ready by next week's program. If you wish to subscribe to our podcast via rss, click here. COMMENTS: So, what do you think? Are you excited? Share your thoughts in the comments. ------------- Note: Podcast intro and outro music from Kevin MacCleod