License to Parent with Trace Embry

Wrecking Ball During the course of almost every mom and dad’s 18-year parenting journey, you will encounter conflict with your children. Guaranteed. But what happens when the conflicts become routine and magnify into combat in the teen years? How should parents proceed when you can no longer restrain your teenage wrecking ball from wrecking your home and the loved ones inside it? There are options if you run out of ideas for keeping your home a sanctuary of sanity and safety. These options are provided by a professional who helps families for a living. Discussing Recovery with Holly Hunter Holly Hunter has been transporting troubled teens to therapeutic schools and programs across the country through Safe Passage Global which she founded. Holly has been a private investigator for more than 20 years, holds certifications in crisis manager intervention, and has been a Christian life coach. Holly is a certified mental health coach, first responder, and much much more. Holly is good at what she does and cares deeply about people. When Holly has some downtime you can find her singing, taking photos, or writing books. Episode Highlights: How many parents are aware that long-term treatment programs actually exist? What feelings do parents struggle with when seeking outside help? According to Holly what is residential care? What words may help a parent choose residential care? What is the importance of not pointing fingers? Image from Canva

Defending Faith In our previous episode, our guest Alex McFarland helped parents understand what they need to do to help start changing our culture for the good. The early church prevailed because the gospel is true and because they were willing to die for their faith. What happened was that Christians built great families, Christians gave an honest days work, and men married women and had children and adopted children. Christianity turned the world upside down on the strength of family, morals, and personal excellence. We can do this again. Learn how to defend your faith. Discussing Truth with Alex McFarland Alex McFarland speaks worldwide and is known as a Christian Apologist, author, evangelist, religion and culture analyst, and defender of truth. Alex has written 18 books on apologetics and the Christian faith, one of which is “100 Bible Questions and Answers.” He is the host of the Alex McFarland Show which can be heard on American Family Radio and other outlets. He and his wife live in North Carolina. Episode Highlights: What are two common questions kids today ask about religion? How can we know that the Bible is what it claims to be? What is Bible inerrancy?  What is the Chicago Council on Biblical Inerrancy? What are the autographa and how do they relate to inerrancy? Image from Canva

Apologetics Take a moment and stop to think. How many of our child-rearing woes might actually stem from the fact that our kids don’t truly know God and His word? Or maybe they have lost faith in what they once claimed to believe. Many Christian families are losing their kids to the secular way of doing life. We hope to bring clarity to some of the most common sticking points that today’s kids are struggling with from Scripture and world events. Learn how to defend your faith. Discussing Truth with Alex McFarland Alex McFarland speaks worldwide and is known as a Christian Apologist, author, evangelist, religion and culture analyst, and defender of truth. Alex has written 18 books on apologetics and the Christian faith, one of which is “100 Bible Questions and Answers.” He is the host of the Alex McFarland Show which can be heard on American Family Radio and other outlets. He and his wife live in North Carolina. Episode Highlights: What two main points are being taught to help parents argue concerning their faith? How does trusting God help children trust their parents? What does Trace mean by “honoring the fifth?” What makes Alex’s book "100 Biblical Questions and Answers" a book which should be in all homes? How have the biblical questions people ask shifted over the last 20 years? Image from Canva

Shepherds Hill If you are a regular listener you know that our goal is to equip parents with the knowledge and authority to be the parent God has ordained for all families. We are here to both challenge and embolden you. In a sense, we want to re-issue you a license to parent your own children as you deem best. However, as faithful listeners, you also know that our perspectives and insights here at License to Parent come straight from the word of God and the proving ground here at Shepherds Hill Academy. Discussing Miracles with Allison Wallace For the last 17 years, Allison has been serving families and adolescence in crisis. Allison is a main part of what happens at Shepherds Hill. She is the Director of Program Development and has been a part of residential care since 2006. Allison studied counseling and psychology and developmental psychology at Toccoa Falls College. Allison works along with her husband Joshua who is the Chief Operations Officer. Together they have a beautiful little girl, Lilliana. Episode Highlights: What kept Allison at Shepherds Hill? How does Trace speak about his daughter? What was Allison’s experience of the miracles that grew Shepherds Hill? What did Allison see God do in 2022 at Shepherds Hill? What has amazed Trace in 2022? Image from Canva

Real Miracles Have you ever stepped out in faith? Feeling led to do what some would consider impossible, but believing that God was directing you and knowing that He would do just that? Trace and Beth Embry saw a need in our world and they knew God was calling them to be the answer and to bring healing. Step by step, brick by brick, child by child, and through God they are breathing life into our next generation. They are watching God build something incredible. The Miracles of Shepherd's Hill. Discussing Beginnings with Trace Embry Trace is the founder and executive director of Shepherd's Hill. Trace and his wife Beth have a heart and passion for the parents and youth of today's culture. Trace was a former business owner and police officer in the Chicago area, but God lead them on a journey. The Embrys gave up almost everything to move to Georgia and begin Shepherd’s Hill Academy. Trace is the author of the book “The Miracles of Shepherd's Hill: An Extraordinary Odyssey of Divine Interventions” Trace and Beth have five kids and eight grandchildren. Episode Highlights: How does Trace define miracles? What is the purpose of the book? Where did Shepherd’s Hill start? How long did Trace and his wife wrestle with the calling on their life? What examples of miracles does Trace give? Image from Canva

Bible Parenting What happens when all of the things we have been taught about parenting turn out to be wrong? When our children are disrespectful, lazy, or even making dangerous choices? Reevaluating your parenting method is difficult and can be scary, so how do you get back to God’s parenting ecosystem? The first step- dig into the Bible. Discussing Parenting with John Rosemond John Rosemond has worked with families, children, and parents since 1971 in the field of psychology. John is a writer and speaker and his work is syndicated in a couple of hundred newspapers nationwide. He has written over 20 best-selling parenting books and he is also one of America's most popular speakers in the field of parenting. John’s website is www.rosemond.com where his book “The Bible Parenting Code: Revealing God’s Perfect Parenting Plan” can be found. John and his wife live in North Carolina. Episode Highlights: What is the proof of psychology being a lie? The raising of a child is fundamentally what? Why are parents not on the same page? What is the motto of co-dependency? What does psychology say good parenting is about? How is this wrong? Image from Canva

Parenting Code We can never love our kids too much when we love them in the right way. The right way is when we love them congruent to God’s ecosystem. However, God’s ecosystem seems to have gotten distorted in recent decades. This is why it is important to discuss some of the fundamentals of God’s parenting ecosystem by diving into His parenting playbook; the Bible. Discussing Parenting with John Rosemond John Rosemond has worked with families, children, and parents since 1971 in the field of psychology. John is a writer and speaker and his work is syndicated on a couple hundred newspapers nationwide. He has written over 20 best-selling parenting books and he is also one of America's most popular speakers in the field of parenting. John’s website is www.rosemond.com where his book “The Bible Parenting Code: Revealing God’s Perfect Parenting Plan” can be found. John and his wife live in North Carolina and his favorite grocery store is Trader Joe’s! Episode Highlights: What happens when you buy into a false premise? What has the field of psychology done to the raising of children? What does the new psychological paradigm emphasize? What happened to John’s family when he followed new parenting guidelines? What was the first step to correct their parenting? Image from Canva

Stump Living There are scripture verses that speak about the sins of the fathers and many would agree that these verses also apply to the sins of the mothers. Whether you are a mom or a dad, even Godly parents are not immune from the shame, grief, and guilt, that can often accompany the secret sins of our past. These past sins and the emotions that stem from them can adversely affect the way that we raise our kids. They can even do damage to our parent-child relationships in the process. Adding insult to injury, the children of shame and guilt-ridden parents find themselves struggling with many of the same traits and issues that they did not know about their self-loathing parents. We need to get past the past for the sake of our kids today because you can’t live on a stump. Discussing Mistakes with Dr. Harold Rhoades Dr. Harold Rhoades is a counseling psychologist. He was an intelligence officer in the US Army and he was also the head of counseling programs at Emmanuel College and Reagent University. He is the founder and director of Healing Springs Retreat Ministry. Dr. Rhoades is the author of the book “You Can’t Live on a Stump.” Dr. Rhoades and his wife live just down the road from Shepherd's Hill Academy. Episode Highlights: How does your past life negatively impact your child-rearing? How does your past life positively impact your child-rearing? What is one of the main things people struggle with in regard to their pasts? Why did Dr. Rhoades decide to reveal his own past mistakes in his book? What is the most important thing you can communicate to your children about mistakes? Image from Canva

Assassination Generation It's been said that practice makes perfect. This is true in sports, music, and in all entertainment arts. Video gaming is no exception either- including violent games. With that said have you ever thought about what might be getting perfected in your children with respect to the video games that they regularly play? Is it possible that we could perhaps be a party to some serious issues brewing right in our own homes? Discussing Gaming with Dave Grossman Dave Grossman is an internationally recognized scholar, author, soldier, and speaker. He is one of the world's foremost experts in the field of human aggression and the roots of violence and violent crime. Dave is also a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army. Dave founded the Killogy Research Group and he speaks on ways to reduce violence in society and deal with the aftermath of violent events such as school shootings.  Episode Highlights: What examples show that this issue truly is a big thing? Is this issue entirely the fault of violent video games? What is a key factor in suicides and traffic deaths? Why are tech advances today not to be compared to advances in the past parenting-wise? How does sleep deprivation affect children and adults? Image from Canva

Screen Strong When we think of addiction or any activity that can damage human emotions, bodies, and brain matter we often think only in terms of drug addiction. But what if our kids are regularly engaging in other things? Things that bring about the same kind of damage? Do you realize that our children’s screen time could be doing just that? The fact is digital abuse does affect the brain in the exact way that it is affected by cocaine and heroin. Digital abuse may also be affecting your child’s body and emotions in a similar way. Discussing Digital Use with Melanie Hempe Melanie is the founder and director of Screen Strong. Melanie helps families avoid the problematic use of screens. She does this from the heart of a parent who has had to walk her own children through some hard screen addiction. Through Screen Strong, Melanie provides easy education on brain development and the effects of screen use on kids. She also provides solutions for parents. Melanie does not just tell parents to take away the devices, she helps them think through it so they can reconnect their family. Episode Highlights: What are some things smartphones give your child access to? What is the purpose of the Screen Strong organization? What “accreditation” does Screen Strong have that others may not? Medically speaking what effects do screens have on our children? What is the biggest issue screen use causes? Image from Canva

Counter Cultural Kids For over 2,000 years Christian parents around the world have trained their kids to live counterculturally. This simply means they are different from the norms of their native land. For the most part in America, Christian parents have raised their kids to fit into America's culture. From the beginning, Americans had largely accepted the moral principles of God’s word, but due to recent cultural shifts helping our kids fit into our culture means turning a blind eye to what God’s word teaches. Discussing Children with Tina Maria Griffin Tina is known as the Counterculture Mom. She has the inside scoop and a wealth of knowledge about Hollywood. In her younger years, she worked on TV shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Young and the Restless, Lizzie McGuire, 90210, and many others. Today she uses what she learned about pop culture and the entertainment industry to inform parents about how Hollywood is eroding the development of our kids. Episode Highlights: It is much easier to succeed as a parent when you apply what? What is the difference between a dream and a vision? What is the main problem in culture today? What is the biggest thing we need to do as parents? What is happening that is worse than Sodom and Gomorrah? Image from Canva

Loving Children Well For most parents loving our kids is as natural as breathing. It’s just wired into us. Although they usually would agree that we really do love them, our kids may not necessarily agree that we always make them feel loved. At least not in a way that fosters security and emotional well-being. So how can we foster that security and emotional well-being in our children? Discussing Children with Gary Chapman Dr. Gary Chapman is best known for working to improve or heal our most important relationships. Since the success of his first book, Dr. Chapman has expanded the Love Language series to reach out to teens, singles, men, children, and military families. Dr. Chapman is a pastor, marriage counselor, conference speaker, and author. His book The Five Love Languages of Children can be found here. Episode Highlights: What are the 5 love languages? What is your primary love language? What is/are your child(ren)'s primary love language(s)? Do you know for certain that your children feel loved? What is the value of affirming effort? Do gifts always have to cost money? Image from Canva

Healing Humanity American parents are realizing that there is something amiss in our culture and that it is radically affecting their children. Kids today seem to have gained much more influence and authority in their homes than those of previous generations. It looks like progress to some, but to others, it is considered child abuse. Is it possible that the American culture is abusive? Many parents and grandparents would argue that our culture needs a complete overhaul. We need to heal humanity for the sake of our kids. Discussing Healing with Richard Cohen Richard is a psychotherapist, educator, and author. He travels throughout much of the world teaching about marital relations, parenting skills, healing from sexual abuse, and understanding gender identity and sexual orientation issues. Over the past 34 years he has helped hundreds in therapy and thousands through healing seminars as well as training physicians, psychologists, counselors, and ministry leaders how to assist those dealing with gender identity and sexual orientation concerns. His latest book is entitled “Healing Humanity: Time, Touch, and Talk.” Episode Highlights: Why should we not want our kids to “fit in” to culture today? Who should be our final authority in child-rearing? What is the single most important thing we parents can do in raising our children? What makes healthy touch such an important part of parenting? Why is our culture so over-sexed? Image from Canva

Religious Liberties It seems that people in our government are exercising or rather imposing their power and authority on parents. It may feel to you that our government is now the final authority to determine what is best for our children. While we the people have given the government certain liberties to intervene when blatant abuses occur in our homes, these liberties have sometimes been abused. Too often we the people have allowed it. Many of these governmental overreaches have had no logical, scientific, or moral undergurney. Discussing Rights with Michael Farris Mike Farris is the president and CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom and he brings to the role a diverse background as an effective litigator, educator, public advocate, and communicator. He is widely recognized for his successful work on both the national and international stages. Mike has been fighting for our religious freedoms for many years. He was a founding president of both the Homeschool Legal Defense Association and also Patrick Henry College. Mike is the author of over 15 books. He is married to Vickey and they have ten children and many grandchildren. Episode Highlights: What is the title “License to Parent” trying to communicate? What is Alliance Defending Freedom? What is the concept behind “America Bless God”? What kind of people do we need to become? How is “the separation of church and state” a slogan? Image from Canva

A Good America Today’s news is filled with any number of hot-button issues; racism, abortion, white privilege, gun control, climate change, LGBTQ+ issues, and more. These are just a few hot-button issues. Our kids are being influenced by the people that they trust to form value judgments that can often contradict much of what you may be teaching them. There are some dangerous perspectives on the issues at hand that can easily shape, if not hijack, the worldview of us and our children. Discussing Worldview with Joe Battaglia Joe Battaglia is a broadcaster, author, and president of Renaissance Communications which is a media company whose mission is to provide media platforms for gifted communicators of Biblical truth. He is the executive producer of the nationally syndicated radio program Keep The Faith, and for over 16 years has been involved in the promotion of highly successful hit movies like “Miracles from Heaven,” “War Room,” and “I Can Only Imagine.” His latest book is “Make America Good Again.” Episode Highlights: What is the first thing parents need to do when trying to teach their children good v. evil? What movement lead to destroying the moral standard in America? What has more influence on people, laws, or the arts? What do our media habits tell us about our spiritual lives? Why are children lacking direction? Image from Canva

Digital Diet Raising emotionally, socially, physically, and spiritually healthy kids is exhausting. It requires healthy relationships. A generation ago, routine parent-to-child face-to-face interaction was just part of raising children, but now excessive screen time really helps diminish this essential face-to-face interaction. It is more important than ever for parents to be intentional in making this face-to-face interaction possible with their kids a top priority. Discussing Digital Abuse with Nicholas Kardaras Dr. Nicholas Kardaras is an Ivey League-educated psychologist, an internationally renowned speaker, and one of the country's foremost addiction experts. He is considered a leading expert on young people and digital addiction. Dr. K, as he is known, wrote “Glow Kids,” which has been translated into 10 languages. Dr. Kardaras lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and twin boys. Episode Highlights: What is driving our mental health crisis? How are your children being shaped by social media? What is the copycat effect? What does media prime our children for? What is the Tik-Tok Tourettes phenomenon? Image from Canva

Taking Back Joy Raising kids has always been a challenge and a joy, but today the challenges in raising kids seem to overwhelm the best of parents and the joy can feel gone. Parents seem to have lost their voice in the home and in our culture. We are seeing many couples opting out of raising kids altogether. Our culture now appears to be working against traditional families and robbing them of the joy that once was. Discussing Joy with Rick Boyer Rick Boyer is recognized by many in the homeschool network as Uncle Rick. He is an author, speaker, and homeschool pioneer. For many years his audio recording have taken scripture, history, and adventure stories and turned them into character lessons for many children. Rick and his wife Marilyn created the homeschool curriculum “Character Concepts.”  Episode Highlights: What happens when a nation forgets its history? How could God be using the homeschooling movement? What does it mean to be a Son of Issachar? What in our school systems is reminiscent of The Hitler Youth? What is the difference between leaders and followers? Image from Canva

Bully Proof Nobody likes a bully and nobody wants to be bullied, but now the tough question: have you ever considered that your child could be the bully? Have you thought of a plan of action if you discover your child is a bully? Or what is your strategy if your child is being bullied? Discussing Bullying with Paul Paul Coughlin is a dad, husband, speaker, author, and expert witness standing against bullying. He started the organization The Protectors which stands for freedom from bullying through courage, character, and leadership. Paul has written eight books including, “Raising Bully-Proof Kids,” “Free Us from Bullying,” and a number of years ago he wrote the book “No More Christian Nice Guy.” Episode Highlights: What kind of feedback does a kid get who is experimenting with bullying? What exactly is bullying versus children just being children? How is teasing not bullying? What is the short answer for why people bully? Why is being nice not the solution? In what three vocations can a bully do the most harm? Image from Canva

Navigating Culture If you are over 50 you have lived through some drastic changes, or rather deviations, in our culture. Even some of our kids have lived through these changes and our cultural attitudes and behaviors toward things that used to be considered abnormal. Less than 10 years ago, only a few people identified as gay. Yet in the last few years, we have seen those numbers rise and more than double. Are we preparing our kids to interact in a world that is changing drastically? Some of our own kids are feeling influenced to follow this lifestyle. What are we to do? Discussing Cultural Navigation with Joe Dallas Joe Dallas is an author, conference speaker, and ordained pastoral counselor. He directs a biblical counseling ministry for those dealing with sexual and relational problems. He also works with their families. Joe says that one of his greatest joys is seeing people’s lives conformed to God’s will. Joe has also authored six books on human sexuality from the Christian perspective and his new book is “Christian in a Cancel Culture.” Episode Highlights: What does Psalm 11:3 say? What are the things in danger from the mainstream agenda? What is the best place to start when facing sexual education? How can discussing feelings help build a foundation for the topic of sexuality? When talking to young children about sexuality what should you start with? Image from Canva

Empty Nest Several months ago I watched a mother Robin build a nest outside my window. First, there was a nest, and then came the blue eggs. Then the blue eggs hatched and we had baby birds and then those baby birds flew away and all that was left was an empty nest. Jim Burns is back with us to talk more about how to find joy in the empty nest. Discussing Joy with Jim Burns Jim Burns is the president of the ministry Homeword where he writes and speaks on their core values. The core values are; strong marriages, confident parents, empowered kids, and healthy leaders. Jim and his wife live in southern California and they have three grown daughters. Jim and his wife are finding joy in the empty nest. Episode Highlights: How do you find joy in the empty nest? What does it mean to live your life with significance? What will rob you of joy in the empty nest stage? How does treating your kids like adults (even if they’re not acting like them) help this stage? How can you embrace your second half of life? What does tough love mean? Image from Canva