“True power is not dependent upon the invented honors of earth. True power is that which guides, shapes, carves, and claims the souls of men. And the souls of men are most often won and lost at the feet of mothers.” - Kimberly Ells

Does it feel like its harder to be a parent today than ever before? There are powers arrayed against the family - powers in secular philosophies, modern politics, and even our education system. The roots of these forces are deep and have been growing for years, but we are just now seeing their ugly fruit. We would like you to take some time to comprehend how these philosophies have affected your understanding of the roles of mothers, fathers, children, and the family as a social unit. This podcast was inspired by and draws from The Invincible Family by Kimberly Ells. The world needs parents more than ever! We hope this conversation inspires you to double down on being an intentional, and therefore, invincible family.

• What is the ultimate goal of socialism, feminism, and sexual radicalism? To separate children from their parents by deceiving parents into giving up their rights to their children.

• Satan wants us to feel quaint, small, and insignificant. But the reality is that if we are going to change this world, we need to believe that what we are doing is mighty and important, and IRREPLACEABLE.

• Children are the future. Every revolutionary wants to control the children. Whoever controls the children controls the society. So the parent/child bond needs to be broken for secular forces to control our children.

• First, it started with Dad. Now they are working on unseating moms, taking her out of the home, denigrating having children, and being a mother.

• The best thing you can give your child is not education - the best you can give your child is YOU.

• Women cannot do everything men can do. And confident women are perfectly fine with this fact.

God has selected you uniquely to be the mother for these children. He will equip you for the work He wants you to do!

No one feels prepared to be a parent. Even if you were one of the oldest of 10 kids in a Catholic family (like Alicia or Katie) or a family of 7 (like Suzanne) you can never really be ready! The key to surviving, and even thriving, is stepping fully into your identity as a daughter of God. All the love that we have for our spouse and children needs to come from a deep place of confident love from our Heavenly Father. Listen in to this interview with Suzanne Bilodeau, author of She Loved: Resting in the Beauty of Motherhood, a compilation of letters from older mothers to their younger selves. In our conversation we talk about actually NOT finding our identity in our motherhood, but in our daughterhood, how fear is a liar, and the importance of compassion for yourself.

• Fear is a liar. Satan tells you that you are not enough. God says - I made you for this moment.

• We can be transformed when we recognize that before we are a wife or mommy we are a daughter. That is foundational.

• We all need to have compassion for ourselves. This is a theme found in most of the letters written for She Loved!

• Don’t be a martyr to your motherhood. Take time for yourself to reconnect with God and others.

'Cause I love you more than you could know

And your heart, it grows every time it breaks

I know that it might sound strange

But I wish you pain

- “Wish You Pain” by Andy Grammar

Every parent wants to keep their kids safe, but is it possible to keep them “too safe”? In this podcast episode we dive into the overwhelming cult of safety-ism, which makes keeping your child from all pain and suffering an idol. Children are really “antifragile” - meaning that they need to have an appropriate amount of stress physically, mentally and emotionally to be able to become resilient. Over-protecting and keeping kids from physical or emotional pain only makes them more anxious and risk-averse. We have lots of examples of giving kids freedom, and the results aren’t always what you think! Like so much of parenting, you need to keep in mind the stage of development your child is in to be able to expose them to appropriate risks. You don’t let your 12 yr old wander down a dark alley, but you should let them go into the grocery store alone. Listen in for some encouragement as well as tips and tricks to not keeping your kids safe, but making them strong!

• Do all you can to keep kids in Discover Mode. Exploring is what kids do and it will keep them curious and confident.

• Don’t keep them safe, make them strong. Children will get hurt, get sick, get disappointed, cry with frustration…. Because they are human!

• Attachment to parents is key to give kids a secure base

• Fearful parenting keeps kids close too much and for too long

• Children need play-based childhood.

1. How were we raised? Were we raised in a home that was in Discovery Mode or Defend Mode?

2. Assess our family right now in light of safety vs. appropriate risk. How are our children being raised?

3. What can we do to improve our family’s Discovery Mode for the long term benefit of our children?