Making Biblical Family Life Practical

School's out and the summer movies are releasing! The music and the special effects are amazing, the story lines are gripping -- but where are they heading? How can you find the true message woven into the cinema experience? Do your kids know what to look for? This episode, we'll talk about how we teach our young people to watch and listen with discernment, whether it's a three-movie epic or a 30-second commercial. We'll talk about some of our favorite movies, and we'll share some of the lively discussion we actually have in our family over the popcorn. Plus we have a special limited-time offer to share with our listeners ... so join us!

Continuing last episode's discussion about preparing to enjoy the summer safely, this time we'll share a surprising discovery we made last summer - and a change in attitude we've made concerning a common pest. The times have changed for some insect-borne illnesses, and we'll share some of our hard-won experience to encourage you to avoid a similiar fate!

Summer's here again, and the great outdoors beckon! Our family spends a lot of time in the water, on the road, in campgrounds and forests ... so we've had our share of "adventures." This episode we talk about practical things we all need to remember as we take our families off for our own treks of summer -- and we'll share a serious one you may not have heard about!

Is sibling rivalry an issue at your house? The Bible often speaks of love among brothers - it's used as an example of how we should get along in the church, for instance. Yet that image doesn't have much meaning if our relationship with our earthly brothers is marked by anger, resentment, and hurt feelings, does it? And too often, that's the kind of relationship which seems to be growing in our families. This episode, we talk about some practical things we've discovered that help our kids grow in trust and appreciation of each other. We're finding these ideas have wider application to other relationships, too, and we talk about that aspect as well!

Homeschoolers think about academic excellence a great deal - it's one of the most common reasons people undertake home education at all! But are we losing a Biblical balance when we make schoolwork our focus? What if Scripture gave a different priority for our educational efforts? This episode we open up the concept of homeschooling as discipleship - and what we can learn from Jesus' example as a teacher!  

The written word gives us to power to reach across distances and even through time, to hear from writers long departed and to speak to unborn generations! Yet writing well is a skill that many of us struggle to learn, or give up as something for professionals and teachers. Say it isn't so! This episode, we talk with David Vogel of Living The Answer - he's in the business of teaching young writers how to use words with excellence and persuasion, and we'll share our viewpoints and ideas on the matter as a homeschool graduate, published authors, and as teachers of the next generation of wordsmiths!

Are your children brilliant? Precocious readers? Showing signs of early genius? Or do you just wonder when it's time to start homeschooling a curious youngster? This episode, we talk about the idea of early homeschooling - is it a good idea? What's reasonable to expect? Are there any pitfalls or cautions? If you or your child are anxious to start homeschooling even before "school age," you'll find this discussion seriously helpful. Recorded from Oak Mountain State Park, just outside Birmingham, Alabama, in our new mobile studio!

So you're going to a homeschool convention, but you've heard stories (and warnings) from friends - some are so big, they're overwhelming. There's so much walking! And what will you do with the kids? This episode, we talk about practical ways to get the most enjoyment, encouragement, and help from any homeschool convention. Recorded in our mobile studio at the Dreamland Drive-In in Tuscaloosa, Alabama!

This is the season of homeschool conventions - from small, intimate convocations in rural areas, to megaconferences with more attendees than our hometown. They're the boon and the bane of many homeschoolers' year. Are they really necessary, with all the information and resources on the Internet? Is there a benefit to the crowds, the travel, the time away from home? You bet!  We'd been to nearly thirty conferences in nine different states before we started doing this for a living ... and we can tell you why they're more than worthwhile - almost indispensable - to us as homeschooling parents! [ CLICK HERE to see part 2 - How To Get The Most From A Convention! ]

We're just back from a 3600-mile trip to North Dakota and back. It wasn't our longest trip but it was certainly one of our most eventful ... When we lost oil pressure in Wisconsin, we wondered if God was sending us a message. When the engine seized in the middle of an Iowa intersection, we didn't know the outcome. But when we returned home with a "new" low mileage van, thanks to a providential God and the generosity of His people, we realized the message was - KEEP GOING! Hear the whole story in this special edition of Making Biblical Family Life Practical!

Are you satisfied with a Christianity that stays safe and unthreatening in its Sunday box, or do you believe Jesus is even Lord of math and science, politics and history, philosophy and ethics too? Your framework and lens for understanding things around you forms the basis of your worldview, and it's important not only to know what you believe and why, but to teach it to your kids. It's a basic part of being and training a disciple. This episode, we talk about worldview training with David Vogel of Living The Answer. Resources We Mentioned: Living The Answer More Than A Carpenter by Josh McDowell The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis Mathematics: Is God Silent? by James Nichols Upcoming Events: April 9-11 - Teach Them Diligently Convention, Atlanta, Ga. April 17-18 - Christian Home Educators Fellowship of Louisiana Convention, Baton Rouge, La.

We all know the passage about Jesus and the children - "Let them come to Me, and do not forbid them ..." - but what more can we learn about loving our children like Jesus does? What can He teach us about discipline? Or about mercy? Or about loving someone who really isn't loveable at all, right then? Join us for some serious consideration about parenting in the steps of Christ!

When the Parent Child Relationship Cools... We all have those moments - when we sense a distance or coolness from our child, when something has gone wrong in your relationship. It may be a young kid or an adult son or daughter, it may be in the middle of conflict or a gradual drift, but it's important and you can lose sleep over it. This episode we talk about taking positive steps to mend or rebuild a breaking relationship, no matter who's "at fault."

Every parent has moments of wonder about just how much energy children have. Then ... there are kids who are more than just the average "busy" children. Carol Barnier, the author of How To Get Your Child Off The Refrigerator And On To Learning, calls these kids "Sizzlers", and in this fun interview, we talk with Carol about how parents can better understand their sizzling, distractible progeny - and enjoy them!

When we were teens, we couldn't wait to get our driver's license -- it was a rite of passage! But we hear over and over in homeschooling circles a refrain that leaves us puzzled - and concerned: Families reluctant to help their young men and young women take this step toward adulthood, and in some cases, actively discouraging them. Is it too expensive to insure them? Is it because the family can't afford another car? Or is there something else going on? We've trained four young drivers and are starting with number five, and we're opening up the question in Episode No. 68 - When Should You Get Your Kids Their Driver's License?