In the very first episode of Playfully Faith Parenting, I introduce you to myself and answer the question “What is Spiritual Parenting?”.
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Show Notes
Episode Summary:
In this very first episode of Playfully Faithful Parenting, I share my testimony and tell you my journey so far to becoming a Playfully Faithful Parent.
Stops on the journey include:
- Young Life
- Failed Mission Work
- Being a full-time Nanny
- Children’s and Youth Ministry Director
- Fuller Theological Seminary
- Running an In-home Daycare
- Family Ministry and Opening a Preschool
- Transitioning to SAHM
You will also learn what Spiritual Parenting is and what the Bible says about it.
Verses from the episode:
- Deuteronomy 6:4-9
- 3 John 1:4
- Proverbs 22:6
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Transcript
Here is a rough transcript with timestamps of Playfully Faithful Parenting Episode 001: What is Spiritual Parenting? This isn’t meant to be pretty and perfect but is here as a resource for those who want it.
00:00:00
Friends, Mamas, I am so excited that you are here. You are listening to Playfully Faithful Parenting. I’m your host, Joy Wendling.
00:00:09
and this is our first episode, WHOO and I hope you are excited to start this journey with me as we just grow.
00:00:20
In spiritual parenting. Today, we’re going to talk about what that is, what the Bible says about it.
00:00:33
Before we start talking about spiritual parenting and getting to the good stuff, you are probably wondering who I am.
00:00:39
My name is Joy Wendling and I run the blog Created to Play. I’m a friend of Jesus. I have an awesome husband who is a Special Ed teacher in our local high school and I have five amazing daughters. My oldest is Hollings.
00:00:59
She is 8 then we have our twins poppy and Violet who are 4.
00:01:05
We have a 2 year old Selah and our newest just turned one and her name is Eden. They keep me busy and very playful.
00:01:14
I grew up in the South and in the South. Jesus is just a part of the culture. I don’t remember a time when I did not know about Jesus, however.
00:01:25
It was not until college that I learned that Jesus wanted to have a daily relationship with me, like a personal friendship with Jesus. And when I found that out.
00:01:40
I felt like I had.
00:01:42
Been missing so much. There were so many times in my childhood and teen years that I could have used Jesus.
00:01:52
I really could have used him as my best friend, walking by me and he was there and I just didn’t know it.
00:02:00
And so from that point on, it became my goal and my passion to make sure that kids.
00:02:06
And teenagers knew that they had this amazing man who wanted to be their best friend who had died for them and wanted to live with them.
00:02:18
Now my ministry experience started with Young Life during my freshman year. Just a couple of months after beginning this.
00:02:26
Really intimate daily walk with Jesus and it changed everything. Young Life is so fun y’all and it really taught me that.
00:02:41
Jesus and fun go together that they are not supposed to be mutually exclusive. The founder of Young Life, Jim Rayburn has this awesome quote.
00:02:52
He says “It is a sin to bore a kid with the Gospel.” How powerful is that and that has
00:03:01
kind of become my motto in that.
00:03:04
But Jesus is not boring and so the way we present him to kids should not be boring either.
00:03:13
It is young. Life was so instrumental for me in college, just even serving as a leader that after college I had planned to move to Sweden to serve with Young Life guys.
00:03:26
I am not a fundraiser. I’ve failed big time. I’ve worked so hard for a year and a half.
00:03:33
And still never made it there. And then I knew that I needed a year of just something fun. I needed healing.
00:03:42
Play, I didn’t realize it in that in those words yet, but that’s what it was. I knew I just needed a year of no stress where I wasn’t striving, it was just something fun.
00:03:55
And so I decided to become a nanny and that is what brought me out to the Pacific Northwest from the South and.
00:04:02
Again, changed the entire course of my life.
00:04:06
If you’ve never been to the Pacific Northwest, it is amazing and I fell in love with it. So after my year of nannying, I decided I wanted to stay here full time and found a job at a church as the children and Youth ministry director. I also began working for Young Life part time.
00:04:27
And I just loved it. It was a really great place for me while I was there, I started at Fuller Theological Seminary, working on my Masters and youth, family and culture.
00:04:41
Learned so much and God refined so many things in my colleague and my passion during my time at at that church and at Fuller I began to shift my ministry passion from children to their parents.
00:05:03
Specifically moms, because I am a mom, but
00:05:06
I knew that.
00:05:07
But that would have the greater impact mama, as you are with your kids for so many more hours than any Sunday school teacher than any youth group leader.
00:05:19
And you are the ones who need to be equipped as amazing as church staff are. They are not.
00:05:27
The ones God designed to teach your kids about him. He designed family.
00:05:34
Ways to be the main place of your child discipleship and that is what spiritual parenting is. And so I went from this.
00:05:45
Kid who just barely knew Jesus and it was only some my Sunday school teachers and a lot of teachers who someone who loved being with kids and teens to tell them personally about Jesus, which I loved at the time. But God wasn’t done.
00:06:05
Then he showed me.
00:06:07
Who the really powerful player in this whole picture is for kids and youth, and it’s the parents that is spiritual parenting.
00:06:18
You are the ones who have the influence in your kids lives. You are the one who has the time devoted to your kids.
00:06:28
You are the.
00:06:29
Expert in your kids and God designed that relationship to be the most pivotal place for your kids to be disciples.
00:06:42
God loves the church. God created the church. God wants your children to have a place and to feel a sense.
00:06:50
Of belonging in the church, but God doesn’t want to only meet your kids at church, he will.
00:06:57
Wants to be a part of the fabric of your family’s life. He wants you to pour his unconditional love out to your kids in ways that make him known in ways that engage your kids in ways that draw.
00:07:17
Your kids closer to him with that.
00:07:20
Get your kids curious and want to ask questions. Want to know who he is, what he has done, what he is doing, and what he can do in your life as our mom and in their lives? Moms you are so important.
00:07:41
So let’s dive into more about spiritual parenting. In Deuteronomy 6:4-9. This is the new living translation Moses speaking to the people, and he says listen, oh, Israel, the Lord is our God.
00:07:56
The Lord alone and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.
00:08:05
And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Here’s the kicker. Listen up, repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them.
00:08:16
When you were at home and when you were on the road when you were going to bed and when you were getting up, tie them to your hands and wore them on your forehead as reminders.
00:08:26
Write them on your door posts of your house and on your gate Mamas. Did you hear that? Repeat the commands of God again and again to your children talking about them all the time.
00:08:41
That’s not difficult. You’re with your kids all the time. You’re with them when they go to bed. You’re with them when they get up, you’re at home with them. You’re on the road with them.
00:08:50
You can do this. It is not needing to stop your routine.
00:08:57
And add in something new. Spiritual parenting is living out your authentic faith in front of your kids and inviting them to get to know who God is. And as we continue on in this journey over the coming weeks and months, we will talk about.
00:09:17
What I think the best way to do that discipleship is, and that is play.
00:09:22
Another verse about spiritual parenting is it’s a common one. It’s proverbs 22:6 it says, direct your children onto the right path and when they are older they will not leave it. It doesn’t say drop your parent your kids off at the right Sunday school and when they are.
00:09:42
Older, they’ll keep going to church because that doesn’t necessarily happen.
00:09:48
We are the ones to direct our kids. They need to see it at home, from you third John chapter one.
00:09:57
Verse four I I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth. That is my hope for my girls.
00:10:07
A lot of parents say I want my kids to be happy, but I will stick to this verse. No greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.
00:10:17
Mum’s that can’t happen if we aren’t a part of it, and I I say this as an encouragement because you are so.
00:10:27
So important you are so pivotal you are capable. You are called and you are equipped to do this and it is such a privilege, often spiritual parenting can feel overwhelming, but Mama you.
00:10:47
Are capable and I’m here to encourage and equip you on this journey.
