Heart Of The Matter Radio

Bullies can make our children's lives miserable, but we can teach them to be proactive rather than a victim. My guest this week was Lori Wildenberg. She gave numerous tips found in Raising Big Kids with Superenatural Love which she co-authored. Lori said to prepare your child ahead of time and be a safe place where they can talk.  

As moms our hearts ache when one of our children suffer, especially when bullies have upset them. This is part one of a two part series on dealing with bullies. This week, Karen Whiting was my guest. She has a finger game and Bible stories for dealing with this uncomfortable situation. 

We just celebrated Easter, which is the resurrection of Jesus. No one wants to believe a lie, so we want to be confident about our faith and convey that to our children.  How can we be sure the resurrection actually happened? After all, many today do not believe in miracles, so it helps to know the facts that support our belief system. My husband, Ray Simmons, was my guest this week. He is a Bible scholar who loves apologetics. We covered ways we can be certain Jesus rose so you can answer your children's questions. Plus, we all have days we doubt, so let's make sure our anchor is solid.  Click here for more information.

This is a rerun of an  interview on the Shroud of Turin. While I am not ready to say this cloth was the burial garment of Christ, I want to focus on the sufferings of Christ. We can learn a lot about crucifixion from the shroud. Praise God for his sacrifice! My guest was Mark Antonacci who has tested the shroud for many years. 

When you lose sleep, you can't think clearly, your temper flares too quickly, and you drag through the day. But there's hope! My guest this week was Author Jennifer Slattery, and we discussed how to learn your body's cycle and wind down at night. 

Americans stay so busy we cut back on sleep, and that can have long-term consequences. Lack of sleep can cause you to be less focused and more vulnerable to disease. In that light, how can we get our children in bed when they are resistant? My guest this week was Author Sarah Hamaker. She has researched sleep for years and offered useful tips for you and your family.    

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, and against these things there is no law.  On the other hand, deeds of the flesh includes outbursts of anger. (paraphrase from Galatians) And it's hard to handle that toddler when he loses his cool in the grocery store. This week, Author Tina Yeager was my guest. She is a licensed counselor, and she gave useul tips on teaching self-control to our children. 

Whew! Your kids are grown. You made it. However, one of them announced a secret. You panic. What can you do. This is NOT how you raised them. Discover answers: Author Sharon Elliott wrote a book on this topic. Listen, laugh,  and relax!

I homeschooled. I remember March, and I was tired. From December to May is the longest stretch of the year. The finish line approaches, but you aren't there yet. You need a break, badly. How can you hang in there and finish well?  My guest this week was Jennifer Henn, a veteran homeschool mom. You might inform your children that when they reach a certain spot in the textbook they are finished with that subject. What a great incentive. Moms can also block off a day to work on a home project with another mother. Jennifer had great suggestions. 

This is our final segment on love for the month of Februray, and probably the hardest. How can you love people you don't agree with? Today we have such bitter divisions between people. Not being of the same political persuastion means name calling. Ugh.  My guest this week was Author Peggy Sue Wells. She said we often learn why people hold their opinions when we hear their stories, and she shared ideas for reaching out. Thought provoking!

How do you love a toddler when he defies you? What's the loving thing todo when he throws a temper tantrum? How do you love a school age child when they don't want to go to bed? When a teenager rolls his eyes, what should you do?  Author Sharon Elliott answers all these questions. She wrote Didn't See that Coming: When How They're Living's Now How You Raised Them.  Sharon also explained how she supported and celebrated each child. 

Valentine's Day is all about romance and romance belongs in marriage.  We want to have a great marriage for our kids, but it's also Biblical. Scripture teaches marriage depicts Christ's love for his church. Last week we had a wife who suffered through a tough marriage for many years. This week we have a lady who had a great marriage for almost 49 years. Terri Gillespie love all things Jewish, and she offered her best marriage tips. She also gave us a history lesson on  marriage ceremonies in the time of Christ. Very interesting and useful. 

The month of February brings Valentine's Day, and we'll be covering topics about love this entire month.  Romantic love should be in marriage, but often spouses clash, and loving feelings fade. There's hope! Author Kathy Collard Miller almost crashed her marriage because she had all the wrong ideas and started hating her husband. However, the Lord taught her some valuable lessons. She shared wisdom with us this week. 

I recently took my granddaughter to the park. I enjoyed watching as she threw herself into making friends and enjoying the equipment. She was peaceful. Unfortunately, that freedom and peace she felt disappears as we get older. All kinds of thoughts crowd our mind. We worry about what people think of us and wonder how we appear.  My guest this week was Tracy Taris. She recently wrote a book about sorting out the voices we hear. Rather than just accept what society screams at us, we need to evaluate. She gave guidance on finding peace of mind.

Last week we discussed how to handle tough conversations with your children. This week, we are going to expand. Think about what your kids will say about you after you are gone. What are your actions communicating?  My guest was Gwyen McCaslin, licensed counselor and dear friend. She overflows with grace and wisdom.

We've all put away our Christmas decorations (or most of us), and the New Year has begun. Now we must dust off those problems that came up during the year, or perhaps tough items we must discuss. Having that hard conversation with your children is nasty. I'd rather talk to my friend, my husband or even the cat rather than deal with the horrible issues our culture tosses us.  Author Lori Wildenberg was my guest this week. She has written nurmerous books like The Messy Life of Parenting. Lori gave great information on getting started. Find common ground and launch that conversation.

When my daughter was abot three years old, we took down our real Christmas tree during her nap. When she woke, she saw it outside and she said, "Christmas tree, come back." That made me sad. I hate taking down the Christmas decorations. The house seems so bare and cold. My guest this week is Dr. Michelle Bengstrom. She holds a doctorate in psychology, and she addressed how to overcome the after Christmas blues. For instance, If you go outside and expose your body to sunshine, the light lifts your mood even if you wear sunscreen. She offered this and several other suggestions to engergize you for 2023.

As the year comes to an end, we look back negatively and plan on reaching all our goals for the next year. However, let's put a positive spin on the New Year. Author Peggy Sue Wells shared great ideas: Reflect - measure the gain. Reframe - marking you progress. Refocus - plan one to three goals for the New Year. 

Cynthia offered a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of God's only begotten son, Jesus. 

Most Americans associate Santa with Christmas. Now that Thanksgiving is over, you'll see 'Santa' everywhere. However, the real Santa didn't sport a big belly or wear a red suit. He believed in Jesus, and he helped people in need. My guest this week spent hours reserching the man behind the myth. Rhonda Robinson wrote The Legend of Christmas, the Untold Story of the Real St Nicholas. under the pen name Theresa White.