Heart Of The Matter Radio

August is a special month. Mom and Dad married on August 24th. This year they would have been married 71 years.  In their memory, I am going to highlight keeping love in marriage for several weeks.  Mom died a couple months shy of their 56th wedding anniversary. Later, I found a box in the bottom of her cedar chest. She had wrapped up her wedding suit and her night gown in tissue papeer for protection.  Obviously, she treasured that memory, just like she treasured my father and his love. I share some of their history this week. Cynthia

When I was a little girl, I found a magazine in our yard with inappropriate pictures, and the photos upset me.  Today children can find pornography much more easily when they are on the internet or phone. Author Kristen Jenson was my guest this week. She said we need to give our children a plan in case they do come across offensive pictures. In addition, she suggested teaching them how to put aside the photos they might have seen, replacing them with pleasant images. You'll find lots of useful information on her website too.

A couple weeks ago, author John Girolamo spoke with us about dangers from online predators. Today, we have the second segment of that interview.    Mr. Girolamo gave suggestions for protecting our children from his new book It's All About the Predator. For instance, he warned us about passing out personal information online, and he suggested we give our kids dumb phones that only do calls. We should also examine our children's phones from time to time to see what apps they might have added. He said parents need to active and involved with their childrent to protect them.

We have just celebrated the birth of our country on July 4. Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence 247 years ago, and men fought for our freedom. But that was a long time ago. Who were these patriots who risked their lives? This week, Cynthia shared about two patriots from her family. Daniel McKinney's father had immigrated from Scotland but died when Daniel was nine years old.  Daniel owned land and worked as a farmer and carpenter. He signed up to fight., but he didn't serve long since there was no mention of a pension. His son, William, substituted for him in 1782 and went to Charleston South, Carolina. He occupied the city the day the British left. They left fires burning as the pulled out. When he returned home, he married and had nine children. He applied for a pension and the government granted him $36.66 for serving.

We live in a fantastic country, and we need to share our incredible heritage with our family. Not only can we glean lessons from history, but we can also learn about the men who gave their lives for our freedom. This week award-winning author Author Rebecca Price Janney was my guest. She has written the Easton series about her patriot ancestor. The latest book, which just came out, is Easton at Sunset. Rebecca offered wonderful suggestions, like look up your ancestry. You may discover you have a patriot who fought in the war too. That would make July 4th extra special. 

Technology has made our lives easier but has also brought serious risks. Today predators attempt to get to your children and entice them into hurtful relationships. How can we protect our children? Parents need to be informed. John DiGirolamo has researched internet safety and has published several books.  He gave information from his book, It is Not About the Predator.

Whenever I need to get my husband's attention, I have to call his name. Otherwise, I can talk all day and he won't hear. A man tends to focus on one thing whereas, I can juggle lots of jobs. One way to  improve your marriage is to understand how God made your spouse. My guests this week were Bill and Pam Farrell, and they wrote the best-selling book, Men are Like Waffles and Women are Like Spaghetti. We enjoyed lots of laughter as we discussed male and female differences, but we also demonstrated how God intended for us to work together.  And... Women, for Father's day, you can wow your husband. 

How do you meld two very different lives and stay happy in marriage? That can be difficult, especially if you marry late in life. Author and publisher, Athena Dean Holz married a busy pastor. She shared tips on how they managed the transition and how they keep the relationship strong.

We all long for a rich relationship with our family, however, we have to compete with technology. Movies, social media and chat rooms can steal your family's time. There's hope! My guest this week was author and coach Linda Goldfarb. She offered new and exciting ideas for interacing with your children. Make some memories you'll treasure!

When I had my first child, I had a list of things I would not do. I certainly would not make the same mistakes as my mother. However, I discovered I tended to lecture when I should listen and get angry when I should be patient. How can you overcome mom guilt? Author Jennifer Slattery spoke from her experiences as a mother and foster mother. 

Our children tend to misbehave in uncomfortable situations, like the grocery store. What are the best ways to handle a wayward child? My guest this week was Linda Goldfarb who is an author and coach. She gave great tactics for staying engaged rather than coming unglued.   You might want to check out her podcast or her Facebook group on parenting. You can also access Cynthia L Simmons' tips on creating a peaceful home here.  

Mother's Day can be very fun. I can remember when my kids were little, and they planned surprises for me. I would hear mumbling and whispers around me. However, Mother's Day isn't always happy. If you just lost your mom or if you have a prodigal the day can be so painful. Author Angela Breidenbach was my guest this week, and her mother was mentally ill, making it difficult to have a relationship. She shared about her past and offered ideas for mothers who are grieving.

Mother's Day isn't always happy. Today we remember those ladies who would like to be mothers but cannot get pregnant. Author Betsy Hermon told her story and offered encouragment to women in the same situation. She wrote When Infertility Books Are Not Enough. Let's be senstive to that childless mother this year.

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.