Miss Teacher Mom

On this week's episode, the final episode of the Miss Teacher Mom podcast, our host Katlynne Mirabal shares how the Lord has used the podcast over this past year to shape her understanding of what it means to be a Christian mom. She reminds us that the call of the Christian is to take up our cross and follow Christ. For a mother, that may not look like martyrdom for God's Kingdom but rather a thousand deaths for His Glory and the good of her children. She exhorts us to be the best mothers we can be and gives practical examples of Christ's sanctifying work in her own life as a mom. She closes by sharing her desire for sister-moms, to surpass many excellent women by fearing God, loving your husband and children, and taking care of your home. This is missional motherhood. 

On this week's episode of the Miss Teacher Mom podcast Dr. Mohler sheds light on the fight that we're in for the souls of our children. He portrays our culture as a cloud that we're living in and describes its unprecedented influence on our generation and all of those who will come after us. But there is hope for the Christian mother! Dr. Mohler describes the purpose behind our calling to nurture and admonish our children in the Lord. He shares lessons from his own childhood, his wife, children, and grandchildren, and even his mother's recent passing. Dr. Mohler reminds us that God has thoughtfully tasked us with the most important job in the world and he blesses us for our unwavering commitment to raise our children with eternity in mind. Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr. serves as president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. He also hosts two programs: “The Briefing,” a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview; and “Thinking in Public,” a series of conversations with the day’s leading thinkers. He is married to Mary, and they have two children and three grandchildren.

On this week's episode I get to talk to Aimee Gould about training our children to love who and how the Lord has made them. It's so important that we intentionally raise children to love the skin they're in before they enter a world that will tear them down, cast them out, and make them question God's good design. Aimee graciously shares wisdom from over two decades of parenting and shows us how we can point our kids to God's Word to help them fight envy and pride while celebrating their strengths, recognizing their weaknesses and rejoicing in how the Lord has made them and others. In this episode you'll be encouraged and equipped to think through what it looks like to truly love the skin you're in even as you teach your children to do the same.Aimee Gould is the mother of four amazing (young adult) children and wife of a hardworking man.  She loves to teach and this final year of homeschooling is certainly bittersweet.  On the horizon is an encore year of directing Challenge III with Classical Conversations and looking forward to how God will continue to guide her steps.

The temptation to control every aspect of our children’s lives is strong especially when it comes to their salvation. We long for nothing more than that they would begin walking with God at a young age and mature in their faith from that day forward, but the path is not always that smooth. So, how do we entrust them to the Lord despite our fears?My guest today, Pastor Robert Krumrey, offers us the sweet reassurance that saving sinners is what our God is most concerned with! Robert’s own children, one of whom was especially resistant and skeptical, came to faith at different times and in different ways and he will share how to avoid comparison with other parents as well as how to resist the temptations to either give up on a child or clamp down with more control. I know you’ll be encouraged by Robert’s reminder that God is working on multiple fronts in parenting - the child’s heart and our own.Robert has a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Seminary and is the church planter and pastor of MERCYhouse in Amherst, MA. He has been married to his wife Melanie for twenty-eight years and they have three grown kids: Kory, Cooper, and Kayla.

Growing up, my church taught me all about God’s love and mercy, but neglected to teach me about the sin that separated me from God and which required Jesus’s death on my behalf. It resulted in me falsely believing I was a Christian while actively engaging in sin at age 19. I’m so thankful for my best friend who helped me understand the true gospel which includes the bad news of our sin that separates us from a holy God and the good news of Jesus’s forgiveness.My guest this week, Joanne Parks, will help us get the gospel right as we seek to share it with our kids. In this episode, Joanne will share the gospel beautifully and honestly as well as caution us against four potentially harmful tendencies as we shape our children’s lives toward God. Joanne Parks is married to Brian, who serves as senior pastor of Covenant Hope Church in Dubai.  She and her family have enjoyed living in the Middle East for the last 19 years.  Joanne has four daughters, four great sons-in-law, and three grandchildren. 

Jesus, in his Great Commission, tells us to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20) Making disciples of our own kids is our first priority, of course, but how do we raise them with a vision for making disciples of others? How do we cultivate an understanding of God's missionary heart into the hearts of our children?My guest this week, Betsy Baglow, has a great love for and devotion to the Great Commision. Sharing the gospel with people near and far has been her life-long passion - instilled in her heart by the Lord as a young woman, and currently overflowing into the lives of her five adult children. I hope you'll be inspired as you listen to the practical ways Betsy cultivated a love for the nations in her children. From helpful books and prayer guides, to the encouragement to courageously load up your young kids to help out with local mission opportunities, Betsy has so much wisdom and insight to share.Operation World WebsiteOperation World BookMissionary Biographies for Kids

Want to change your family history forever? Implement family worship! My guest this week, William Boekestein, heartily recommends the practice of family worship in our homes, encouraging parents to take the bulk of responsibility for the spiritual shepherding of their children. In this episode William will share what he sees as the great benefits of family worship - things like making your way through the Bible together, having time to talk about the important things in life, the preparation of children for corporate worship, and learning to pray aloud.Worried you'll just get eye rolls from kids who might think family worship time is silly or a waste of time? William speaks to that as well, reminding parents that resistance is normal, but that faithfulness to worship together as a family, even for a few minutes a day, will create a routine with a lasting and significant impact on the hearts of your children.  Take it from Elisabeth Elliot who wrote in her book, The Shaping of a Christian Family, "How thankful I have been in the dark hours that my parents saw to it that hymns became fixed in our minds and hearts through what was to us at the time merely a family routine." What will we as parents see to it that our children have fixed in their hearts? Family worship is a simple way to fix biblical truth, real hope, and gospel grace into the hearts of our children.William Boekestein is pastor of Immanuel Fellowship Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He received his B.A. at Kuyper College and his M.Div. at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. He is also the author of several books and he writes for various publications such as Ligonier and TGC. William and his wife, Amy, have four children.Resources:The Shaping of a Christian Family by Elisabeth ElliotFamily Worship by Joel  R. BeekeThe Neglected Grace by Jason HelopoiulosTell God How You Feel by Christina FoxForms and PrayersHymnary.orgReformation Heritage BooksTitus 2:11-14 (emphasis on grace over severity!)

What's the right age for a smartphone? It's a question all parents will wrestle with while raising children with eternity in mind. We're already seeing a decline in joy and resilience among children and teens, and research shows that this generation is facing a social and emotional crisis with direct links to the online world. My guest this week, Krista Boan, says "We're swimming upstream against a cultural tsumani," in regard to parenting in the digital age. How do we fight the wave of technology's negative side effects while enjoying and appreciating its benefits? Krista offers an important follow up to last week's episode by Drew Dyck and encourages parents to be proactive about expectations and rhythms regarding phones and screens at home. Her organization, START, is a non-profit that offers parents all sorts of tools, resources, and tips that will help equip parents to navigate our current digital culture. I especially loved Krista's words about showering our children with scriptural truth and grounding them in their identities as they enter the online world.Krista is the co-founder of Start: Stand Together and Rethink Technology, where her team endeavors to help families pursue digital health so that kids grow up captivated by life, not screens. She lives in Kansas City with her husband and four children.  Resources: Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today's Young KidsGood Pictures Bad Pictures Jr.: A Simple Plan to Protect Young Minds

Modern day technology poses challenges unique to parents of our generation. From portable computers (think ipads, cell phones, laptops, etc.) to unlimited shows (think netflix, disney+, etc.) and social media, the fight for our attention abounds. Add to that the easy distraction that technology is for feisty toddlers and frustrated teenagers and you have the perfect recipe for tech-obsessed families. In today's episode, Drew provides warnings, wisdom, and words of encouragement for moms seeking to raise their kids in the digital age with eternity in mind.Drew Dyck is the author of several books including Your Future Self Will Thank You and Generation Ex-Christian. He's also an acquisitions editor at Moody Publishers. Drew and his wife Grace have two children.

Personal time management is such a common struggle. Adding a spouse and children to the mix only heightens the challenge. How can we steward the time God has given us well as we parent our children and establish family life? What things should have priority? How do we decide what to put on the calendar and what to leave off? My guest this week, Kara Miller, will help us take a step back and evaluate God's gift of time. She'll point us to its original intention, its challenges due to sin, and remind us of the hope of the gospel in redeeming our time. Kara will also share a gospel perspective on the stewardship of our children as they interact with their peers, coaches, and instructors in extra-curricular activities. Rather than shelter our children from all worldly influences, Kara will encourage us to equip our children with gospel truths as they encounter them.Kara Miller has been married for twenty-two years and they have three kids who are 19, 16 and 8 years old. Kara devotes herself to serving her family, their church community and neighbors, as well as a local Christian school. She loves studying apologetics and finding gospel principles in all areas of life.

What is your relationship with the Bible like? Do you struggle to read and delight in it? Does it seem like an outdated book of rules and guidelines for life? If so, it may be partly due to a misunderstanding of exactly what the Bible is: God's very word to us. My guest this week, Keri Folmar, spent years neglecting God's Word, because she had misconceptions about its purpose. Now, her life and relationship with God have been completely transformed by spending regular time reading it, studying it, and meditating on it. In this episode, Keri will remind us that we were created to know God and that the Bible is the place where he speaks and reveals himself to us. She'll share six practical tips for how to begin delighting in God's Word as well as how to help our children understand the treasure that God's Word is. I especially loved Keri's encouragement to moms to not only teach Bible stories to their children, but to also teach them about the Bible itself and how to use it in their own lives.Keri Folmar is a member of the United Christian Church of Dubai, where her husband has been the senior pastor for the last fifteen years. She has three children and is the author of The Good Portion: The Doctrine of Scripture for Every Woman and the Delighting in the Word Bible study series.

Every place has its own culture - intentionally created or not.  During the years of raising their children, Doug and Nancy Wilson realized that the liturgy they were practicing in their own home was creating a unique culture, and it caused them to be even more intentional about what kind of a culture they were creating for their family. I learned so much from what Nancy shared about the components of the culture in their home - things like, Christian education, saying lots of "yesses" and fewer "no's", weekly worship, foods, holidays, and especially "jammie rides"!In this episode, Nancy will talk about the temptation to take the path of least resistance and little effort in raising children versus the fruitfulness of hard work on behalf of your children. She'll also encourage us to put away sentimentality and encourage our boys to be "stand up men" and our girls to be "courageous and virtuous women."Nancy Wilson is a pastor’s wife and homemaker in Moscow, Idaho, who has written several books including The Silver Lining: A Practical Guide for Christian Grandmothers and Learning Contentment. She is the host of the Femina podcast. She and her husband, Douglas, have three children and seventeen grandkids.Resources:Family Culture Femina podcast episode

We live in a culture that increasingly devalues children and the work of raising them. The corresponding messages we hear as moms can be discouraging and leave us looking out the window longing for life beyond the walls of our homes. My guest today, Ryan Fullerton, reminds us that the work of nurturing children is important, biblical, good for society, good for the church, and good for our own sanctification. Moms, I think you’ll be so refreshed by his words of truth and encouragement to you!Pastor Ryan became deeply concerned by the rate of abortion in our country about a decade ago and knew he could not remain silent on the issue, since God delights in all human life. His church has a wonderful adoption ministry, and encourages Snowflake adoption in which embryos left frozen from the IVF process can be adopted. Ryan Fullerton is the Lead Pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Louisville, KY where he serves the Lord with his wife Christy and their four children. Resources:Ryan's Sermon: Carefully and Consistently Pro-life  https://vimeo.com/117432429Nightlight Embryo Adoption https://nightlight.org/snowflakes-embryo-adoption-donation/

Sunday mornings can be such a challenge! Why do bad attitudes, chaotic breakfasts, and missing shoes seem to abound just before heading out the door to church? Are our efforts to join with other believers in worship even worth it? My guest this week, Jani Ortlund, says yes, it's worth every effort. Jani has decades of experience with taking a brood of children to church every week and instilling a love for the church in them. She has a lot of wisdom to share with those of us battling to say along with the Psalmist "I was glad when they said to me 'Let us go to the house of the Lord!' " By using practical and prayerful preparation, Jani will help us keep the fourth commandment to "Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy." She'll emphasize the word remember as well as the strategic use of cinnamon rolls to help us cultivate the attitude that participation in the local church is not only vital, but also incredibly joyful.Jani Ortlund is the Executive Vice President of Renewal Ministries. Serving Jesus Christ through writing, speaking and discipling are her chief passions in life. Jani and Ray, Pastor of Immanuel Church, have four married children and twelve grandchildren, and minister in Nashville, Tennessee. Resources:Help! I'm Married to My Pastor by Jani OrtlundPsalm 122:1Exodus 20:8-11

"There's a lot of noise out there, but only one voice that matters." That's how Reagan Reynolds summed up her newfound freedom from the goal of being well-known and leaving a visible legacy in the world in this week's episode. From the pursuit of feminist literary studies and academia to landing a job in a large tech corporation, Reagan prioritized wordly achievement until Christ changed her perspective on success. I loved hearing Reagan's perspective on being yoked to Jesus and focusing on the assignments He gives her, most of which are now private and hidden from the world. Reagan also shares about her new relationship with social media and the effect she's seen it have on the hidden work of motherhood and homemaking.Regan Reynolds lives in North Carolina and has been married to Jeremy for 10 years. They have two boys, ages 4 and 2. Reagan and Jeremy love sharing the gospel and equipping others in the area of evangelism. They especially enjoy serving in their church together, and Reagan delights in the work of discipling younger women. She recently went from full-time to part-time work at a large tech corporation to focus more on the work of mothering and homemaking and is about to embark on the journey of homeschooling.Resources:Devoted: Great Men and Their Godly Moms by Tim Challies

 As someone not naturally inclined to tidiness and organization, I really loved talking with my friend, Candace York, about housekeeping and hospitality this week. Candace shares a biblical vision for the work and call of housekeeping especially as it pertains to women. In Proverbs 31, the wife is praised for “looking well to the ways of her household” which is something often undervalued in our current culture. How can we cultivate a heart attitude that values the seemingly monotonous task of housekeeping? How can we reject the idol of perfection but maintain a home that blesses our family and others? We’ll also talk about the connection between housekeeping and hospitality and how inviting others into your home offers a special blessing to your children.Candace York has been married to Seth for 13 years and they have four children between the ages of 2 and 10. They serve the Lord through their local church and also at Crossings - a camp ministry for kids and teens in Kentucky. Candace delights in the work of housekeeping and uses her gift at Routine Refresh to help women clean their homes in a more efficient way. Valentine's Day Giveaway: https://www.instagram.com/missteachermom/Resources Candace mentions:Proverbs 31:27Titus 2:3-5The Gospel Comes With a Housekey by Rosaria ButterfieldRoutine Refresh

With about 18 years to work with, what do I want my children to learn? The stewardship mandate in Genesis 1 calls us to rule and subdue our domains as well as to be fruitful and multiply. How does this apply to my child's education? If you homeschool, you can tailor your child's education based on an educational method you trust and even choose the subjects you want to emphasize. If you've chosen public or private school, you can still be involved in their learning and supplement it with books, subjects, and experiences that you think will enrich and sharpen their minds. In this last episode in the Creating a Family Vision series, Mel and I look back on her 20+ years of homeschooling and talk about being imperfectly purposeful in our motherhood in the area of education and how the gospel sustains us in this tremendous endeavor.Melanie Krumrey is mom to three adult children whom she homeschooled K-12 grade. She is also a pastor's wife in Amherst, Massachusetts and serves her church as the Director of Women's Ministry.  She loves to read, run, teach, write and practice hospitality. She blogs at Dwell Abide Adorn and you can find her on Instagram.Resources Melanie mentions:Teaching the Trivium by Harvey and Laurie BluedornThe Mission of Motherhood by Sally ClarksonEducating the Wholehearted Child by Clay and Sally ClarksonThe Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise BauerThe Core:  Teaching Your Child the Foundations of Classical Education by Lee BortinsRecovering the Lost Tools of Learning by Douglas WilsonFuture Men: Raising Men to Fight Giants by Douglas Wilson

I Corinthians reveals the amazing reality that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and intended for God's glory. With this in mind, how can we create a vision for the care of our children's bodies? What knowledge and healthy habits will help our children understand the importance of honoring God with their bodies? What will we do when our children struggle with body image? In part 4 of this series on creating a vision for your family, Mel shares some of the ways she and her husband implemented a vision for physical health in her family. She'll also talk about the tendency, for girls especially, to have a negative body image and how dads can play a crucial role in nurturing a daughter's beautiful identity in Christ.Melanie Krumrey is mom to three adult children whom she homeschooled K-12 grade. She is also a pastor's wife in Amherst, Massachusetts and serves her church as the Director of Women's Ministry.  She loves to read, run, teach, write and practice hospitality. She blogs at Dwell Abide Adorn and you can find her on Instagram.Resources Melanie mentions:Cookbook for Girls by D.K.Danielle Walker on Instagram

James 4:1 asks “What causes quarrels and fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? The heart is deceitful above all things yet our emotions are also gifts from God. As parents, we have the opportunity and responsibility to shepherd our children's hearts and overflowing emotions. Mel provides wisdom and insight regarding submitting her own passions and emotions to Christ as she helped her children to the same. It's insight you'll want to hear as we seek to raise our kids with eternity (and adulthood) in mind. Melanie Krumrey is mom to three adult children whom she homeschooled K-12 grade. She is also a pastor's wife in Amherst, Massachusetts and serves her church as the Director of Women's Ministry.  She loves to read, run, teach, write and practice hospitality. She blogs at Dwell Abide Adorn and you can find her on Instagram.Resources Melanie mentions:Shepherding a Child's Heart by Ted TrippAge of Opportunity by Paul David Tripp

As Christians, our greatest desire for our children is that they love the Lord. During the second part of our series on "Creating a Family Vision" Melanie Krumrey shares some ways we can nurture faith in our children.  Mel will also discuss what she thinks is the most crucial way to encourage faith in Christ, as well as share a bit about the faith of her own children.Melanie Krumrey is mom to three adult children whom she homeschooled K-12 grade. She is also a pastor's wife in Amherst, Massachusetts and serves her church as the Director of Women's Ministry.  She loves to read, run, teach, write and practice hospitality. She blogs at Dwell Abide Adorn and you can find her on Instagram.Resources Melanie mentions in the episode:The Case for Christ for Kids by Lee StrobelThe Case for Faith for Kids by Lee StrobelThe Case for a Creator by Lee Strobel