The Durenda Wilson Podcast

Parents who are considering homeschooling can easily become overwhelmed by all the information out there and that is why I thought it was essential to offer this resource to help parents prioritize their steps as they consider homeschooling.  Some of you haven’t done school at home until the quarantine and this is another reason I wanted to offer this conversation. You need to understand that distance learning is NOT the same thing as homeschooling. Actually, I think it’s often far more stressful in so many ways than choosing to homeschool. When we homeschool, we get to fine-tune our kids’ learning to what works best for THEM (and us). We can arrange their days to give them an opportunity to be kids, to experience a healthy childhood, to learn things in a way that works for them and AS THEY ARE READY. You don’t have to be an expert in education or other people’s kids, you simply need to be an expert in YOUR kids. It’s a commonly accepted fact that if someone spends 10,000 hours on something, they are considered an “expert” in that field.  Guess what? By the time your child is 6 years old, you will have spent an average of 16,000 hours with your child. That makes YOU an expert on your child!  With that in mind, listen in to my conversation with Vicki Bentley, another veteran homeschooling mom, and find encouragement along with simple, doable action steps you can take to start homeschooling your kids! My simple, mercifully short book on homeschooling: The Unhurried Homeschooler (To see more resources mentioned in the podcast go to https://durendawilson.com/how-to-start-homeschooling-without-getting-overwhelmed-podcast-131/)

PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH YOUR MOM FRIENDS! I’m Durenda Wilson. I’ve been a wife for almost 31 years and a mom for 29 years. I have eight children and 6 grandchildren. I have a word for moms that I think is of the utmost importance. Our world is quickly changing. There are many things that are out of our control and downright frightening, BUT I want to speak right now to your mom heart: As an older mom, I have experienced various crises in my life and learned so much from those, but I will admit that I’ve never seen anything quite like this. As I have prayed and prayed and prayed, God has made something very clear to me that I want to convey to you: In spite of everything that’s happening.... YOUR ROLE AS A MOM HAS NOT CHANGED. (You can listen or read the rest of the post here: https://durendawilson.com/an-urgent-message-of-encouragement-for-christian-moms-podcast-130/)

(You can listen to this podcast here or read it in full by going to durendawilson.com)  I want to be completely honest with you all. I have been struggling, trying to understand what my place is, what my role is in all that is going on around us.  Over the years as a mom at home with our 8 kids, God reminded me over and over again that raising and homeschooling our kids was my calling. A lot of outside activities, ministries, politics and other worthy causes all needed to be laid aside for the most part because I simply couldn’t do it all.  Have you ever heard of that saying, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should”? (read complete podcast transcript at durendawilson.com)  

Welcome to my devotional, Grace for a Mom’s Heart!  In the weeks ahead, I will be reading from my devotional Unhurried Grace for a Mom’s Heart-31 Days in God’s Word (available on Amazon *aff link)) Each devotional is less than 10 minutes long. I’ll start by reading a short scripture passage and then share some thoughts from my own heart as written in my devotional.  I will ask some questions at the end to help you dig deeper and then end in prayer.  Printed copies of this devotional are available on Amazon for just $8.99 (*aff link) What we are doing at home is of the utmost importance. We must not let the enemy distract us from our high calling. As mission-minded moms, we understand the threat we pose to the enemy’s kingdom and we stand firm in the truth of God’s Word. We don’t let culture or the voices of condemnation influence our decisions. Instead, we stay the course, setting our faces like flint.  I don’t know about you, but I have been struggling HARD. Around us, there is hatred, division, and issues that are polarizing and downright frightening. In times like these, it is essential that we are grounded daily in God’s word so we can better know HIs comfort, discern His voice, and receive the wisdom that can only come from Him! 

With all that’s going on around us, one thing has not changed...we are still moms. Some of us chose to homeschool, others have had distance learning thrust upon us, and some who have tried, but thrown in the towel for this year(and that's okay!) BUT the fact is that we are all feeling the weight of our current situation and that can greatly affect our focus. So today I want to bring some encouragement to your mom heart and hopefully help you refocus and remember why you are doing what you doing so you can stay intentional. This is part of a series I have called Mentoring Moments. There are other episodes addressing other topics on motherhood, but the reason I created this series is that, as an older mom, I feel a responsibility to mentor younger moms who might be looking for some perspective that can only come with experience and time. I am thrilled today to have Vicki Bentley joining me today, who is the mother of eight daughters, foster mom of over fifty, a grandma to 23 wonderful grandbabies so far, and great-grandma to five! You will be hearing from literally several decades of experience between the two of us.   Ways to connect with Vicki: Website: Everyday Homemaking Website: Everyday Homeschooling HSLDA Facebook: Everyday Homemaking Facebook: Homeschooling with Confidence

With all that’s been going on, I’ve sometimes had a hard time finding the words to pray. I decided to go to the scriptures and write out a prayer that would help me. I’m sharing it here with you both in a link that you can follow to print up a copy for yourself as well as an audio version of the prayer that you can play as often as you need. It is full of scripture which is such a powerful way to pray! I hope that it encourages you and deepens your faith and trust in our God who is still very much on the throne! He is moving and there is none like Him! Let's pray together and watch what God does! Link to prayer printable

I’m talking today about a few vitamins and minerals that we have found consistently important to have as part of our daily life along with some simple remedies for dealing with common illnesses. This is by no means an exhaustive resource, just some things that our family has found helpful over the last 30 years! Resources mentioned (you can use less expensive brands. I'm just sharing the ones I use. Just don't compromise on b vitamins or fish oils or iron.) *Aff links Cod Liver Oil or any kind of Fish OIl: I really like Nordic Naturals found on Amazon Sublingual B vitamins (methylated) Neurobiologix found on Amazon Iron (liquid): Floradix found on Amazon Vitamin C: Liposomal Nutrivein found on Amazon (Remember that you can use a less expensive type as well. This is just extra absorbable) Vitamin D with K2: Mountaintop found on Amazon Probiotics for kids: Probiotic Spray and Gummies (the gummies are gluten-free/dairy-free) Probiotics for adults (You can also use the spray listed above as it's for the whole family. It's plant based, so more shelf-stable and no dairy or gluten. It's nice because the whole family can use it.) (Don't forget to change up the type of probiotics periodically to get a wide variety of strains in your system) Magnesium lotion: Maggie Mo found on Amazon Magnesium capsules: Pure brand on Amazon Podcast on getting our kids outside Podcast on practicing natural family health Recipe for Elderberry Syrup Probiotic good for stomach flu: Tummy Tune-Up from beeyoutiful.com My consistently favorite supplement brands are Garden of Life, Thorne, Pure and LifeExtension(you can find all of them on Amazon) My consistently favorite herbal supplement companies are Gaia, Herb Pharm, and Starwest Botanicals This is where I get my cayenne and red raspberry leaf tea

I've learned much about building my family’s immune system over the last almost 30 years of being a mom (8 kids). What I’m sharing with you today is what I’ve found to be the most reliable and effective for our family over the years. My hope is that you will find some things that resonate with your own heart for your family's health! In this episode, I am focusing mainly on what we eat. I'm planning to talk about vitamins and ways to address common illnesses at home in the next episode and in the last one I want to talk about cleaning up our environment and things we put on our bodies. I'm not selling anything. I just want to pass on things that might be helpful to you. I don't know everything, but I've learned a fair amount over the years!

As moms, we are buckling under the weight of unmet expectations. We are bombarded with messages about what kind of mom, wife, and woman we are supposed to be. In our heart of hearts, we know we are human and that we are weak and it’s that little bit of truth that the enemy uses to sell us a lie that has the potential to do great damage to ourselves and to our families. The lie is that we will never be enough or do enough. We constantly feel like we fall short of the ideals that we believe would help us feel good about what we are doing and give us the assurance that our kids are going to be ok. You see, the enemy KNOWS we care deeply about our children. We love them more than life itself and truly want the very best for them at all costs. So he takes that God-given desire and he effectively uses it against us. Our deep love for our children often drives us to fear. We worry about all the things concerning them. When our head hits the pillow at night in hopes for some peace and rest, we instead find ourselves ruminating over all the ways we failed that day. The judge sits behind the desk, brings down the gavel and yells, “GUILTY!” Our hearts sink and tears stream down our cheeks.  As we drift off into an exhausted sleep, at best, we whisper a prayer for forgiveness and help to do better tomorrow. At worst we feel unworthy to even ask. We are engaged in a war whether we want to be or not. If you are a Christian mom you have a target on your back. The enemy knows that you have a sphere of influence that has the potential to bring down the powers of darkness. There is power in a strong, cohesive godly family and he will stop at nothing to render you as ineffective as possible. He hurls accusations to discourage you so that you will buckle under the weight of condemnation. (To read the rest of the transcript to this podcast, go to durendawilson.com)

I know there are countless moms now doing school at home for the rest of the school year due to COVID-19. They didn’t choose this, it was thrust upon them and that can be very, very stressful.   Today I’m having a conversation with a friend of mine who happens to be our pastor’s wife and also with our married daughter. They each have 3 kids. I have 8 (almost all grown). We talk about where our hearts are as moms and why that is crucial especially right now, but we also discuss practical tips and ideas on ways to make the most of this time with our kids!   Please share this with any moms you know who could use some encouragement!

For most of us, homeschooling is something we feel called to, but it doesn't change the fact that we sometimes feel weary. That weariness can come from a lot of things, but often unnecessary expectations are one of them. When it comes to how we live our lives, are we seeking praise from people or from God? It's worthwhile to take some time to ask ourselves this question. How about homeschooling? Are we pouring our time and energy into what amounts to people-pleasing or have we really taken the time to seek the heart of God for us and for our kids? And if we have in the past, are we continuing to do that? So here’s the thing: when we remain faithful to God’s calling on our lives we are proclaiming Christ. We are saying that HE is God and we are not and even though this journey is unconventional and misunderstood by the majority of the people in our lives, we WILL continue to be faithful to HIS calling. Today's podcast is filled with encouragement to remain faithful to the call! Resources mentioned in the podcast: The Unhurried Homeschooler Places I will be speaking in 2020 The Unhurried Homeschooler Mentoring Course I'm sharing a few recent bonus podcasts:

What If I told you that you could spend far less time at the doctor's office and prevent/treat many physical ailments at home? What if you could root out some chronic conditions safely, spending far less money on treatments that often have concerning long term effects? Given the recent epidemic of Covid-19, more moms than ever are searching for ways to keep their families healthy. We already had this particular podcast scheduled long before the crisis hit and we know that can only be a God thing! Today Melissa Crenshaw is here to share why she believes it's so important and beneficial to take charge of your family's health and ways we can do that! She will tell her personal story as well. and I believe her heart will resonate with yours! Melissa is an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) and C-Hom (Certified Homeopath) Melissa's website Homeopathy Classes Find Melissa on FB: FB Page FB Group Instagram: @mmc_homeopathy Some of my favorite recipe and wellness sites: Wellness Mama Paleo Running Mama The Gracious Pantry

I love to bring relevant, and sometimes difficult topics to the podcast, not because I think parents are unaware, but to help them look at them through the lens of the gospel and scripture. We are inundated with information and much of it perpetuates fear which is NOT of God. He calls us to wisdom and discernment, but never to fear. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power of love and of a sound mind. 1 Timothy 1:7 The topic of sexual abuse can be a difficult one to process and discuss. If you've experienced sexual abuse you likely have very strong/deeply painful feelings about it. It can also be very emotional. If you've never experienced sexual abuse, you may not be sure how to best protect your kids. Either way, our experiences can cause us to overreact or under-react. Today Kelly Winkler, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Christian mom shares from her many years of experience working with women who have been sexually abused. She gives timely and biblical counsel on how to protect our kids without coming from a place of fear. Even better, she guides us into ways to take what Satan means for evil and allow God to use it for good! Kelly is generously offering a coupon code to give you her online course for $20 instead of the regular price of $50! The code is DURENDA20 Resources mentioned in the podcast: The Unhurried Homeschooler(*aff link) The Wounded Heart (*aff link) Ways to connect with Kelly: Website: Shielding Innocence Counseling page: https://allthingscounseling.com   Email address: kelly.allthings@gmail.com   Additionally, Kelly would love to bring Shielding Innocence to churches and schools or co-ops. Her live conferences bring intimacy and a feeling of community to the material that can be so encouraging to parents!

Children are a blessing. God wants us to enjoy them. Homeschooling is a gift. I believe He wants us to enjoy that as well. Does it take some discipline and fortitude to parent well and to homeschool? Absolutely. However, I don't believe for one minute that God ever meant it to be what many of us are trying to make it. In His goodness, God often allows it to be frustrating and overwhelming because He really does have something better for us. Today I'm sharing my 24 years of experience as a homeschooling mom. I believe that children are a blessing. I was also determined to keep our kids home, but that meant I had to let God direct us and not chain myself to something that wasn't a good fit for us or I would have given up a long time ago. I am here to tell you that if God leads you to homeschool, He WILL make a way for it to work for your family. I am sharing three things that will help make homeschooling doable. It's what worked for our family.  I'm hoping that these are ideas you can work with, use as inspiration to find your own way or, at the very least, be encouraged! Resources mentioned in the podcast: Article on the benefits of an unhurried approach in the early years Podcast on Why Our Kids Need to Spend Time Outside Where I will be speaking in 2020 The Unhurried Homeschooler (*aff link)  

Our perspective on motherhood deeply affects how we approach it and ultimately how we walk the journey over the long haul. It also deeply affects how our children view themselves. If we mother them as though they are a blessing (like God says they are), they grow up feeling valued and become confident in who they are. It's essential that we understand the mission God has given us in motherhood and place the value on it that it deserves. We have the opportunity of a lifetime to invest wisely and intentionally. Today Marisa, from Called to Mothering, is sharing her heart in this very encouraging conversation that will inspire and motivate you to enjoy motherhood and enjoy your kids! Places I will be speaking in 2020 Ways to connect with Marisa: Called to Mothering Website Marisa's book: Bucking the System FB page: Called to Mothering Raising Kids You Enjoy Parenting Course