License To Parent With Trace Embry

Racism in America There are seemingly simple questions reeling through our teen’s minds. These questions should be obvious and fundamental. Things like “am I a boy?” “am I a girl?” “Does my skin make me inferior?” “Am I a racist and I don’t even realize it?” “Is my country racist?” This is a confusing time for teens and children. Our kids’ values, worldviews, and brain matter are still being developed. Their security, identity, and emotional and spiritual wellbeing are all being established. Imagine how frustrating and confusing it is for teens today when basic truths of life are being questioned, especially in a time when mental illness is becoming an epidemic. Is our country actually becoming more divided before our eyes? Is your child racist? Are you? Today we look at who, what, and where we are as a people. Is it possible to be a redemptive people living in a redemptive nation? Discussing Systemic Racism with Bob Woodson Robert (Bob) Woodson is an American civil rights activist, community developmen

Empowering Parents If you missed Part I of our two-part series with Kimball Lewis, go back now and listen in. As a parent today, do you feel stuck? Do you feel that your teen is continually rebelling against you and your spouse? Have you reached your wits end? If you just aren’t sure what to do anymore or how to handle what’s going on in your home then this message is for you. Listen in as we discuss how to regain power in your home and experience healthy parent-teen interactions. Discussing Practical Parenting with Kimball Lewis Kimball Lewis is an executive who spent his career using research and technology to improve the lives of individuals and businesses. He began his career as a health, welfare and child policy researcher for a leading public policy think tank in Washington. He then served as a technologist and executive in his series of successful healthcare start-up businesses before joining empoweringparents.com. Experiencing Change at Home Episode Highlights: Do you find yourself arguing wi

The Nature of Children Rebellion is just part of our child’s nature, right? No! If your child is rebellious, sneaky, argumentative, or seems to be lying about just about everything, then this episode of License to Parent is for you. Wouldn’t it be such a relief to see a total transformation in your child? Image feeling empowered as a parent to see a true and lasting change that positively impacts your entire family. It’s possible. Today we speak with expert Kimball Lewis on the emerging issues we see in our children today. While some of this information is practical, you’ll be surprised that it feels like a brand new revelation! Discussing Practical Parenting with Kimball Lewis Kimball Lewis is an executive who spent his career using research and technology to improve the lives of individuals and businesses. He began his career as a health, welfare, and child policy researcher for a leading public policy think tank in Washington. He then served as a technologist and executive in his series of successful h

Living Out the Faith Last time on License to Parent we heard from Dave Glander. Dave talked about how people oftentimes confuse condoning and validating with loving someone as Christ. Just because we choose to walk with someone doesn’t mean we are accepting their decisions. “I can love anyone through any circumstance, but that doesn’t mean that I need to show them I’m accepting that.” Dave explains that he has many people that he ministers to that differ in their faith and lifestyle. “I have gay people that I minister to all the time and they know where I stand and we respect each other.” Everyone was created in the image of God and we should respect them as human beings and individuals. But that doesn’t mean we need to condone or validate sin. “I can walk with them, hold their hand, pray with them and love them, but at no point am I risking my Christianity to say I'm validating or accepting what you’re doing. There is a big difference.” Discussing Apologetics with Dave Glander Dave was a devout atheist p

Truth is on Your Side Unfortunately, many churches today are struggling to instill biblical values into our kids. Some may argue that this is the reason that the church is so openly attacked and discriminated against. But what if we were actually describing the marginalization of churchgoers adhering to a biblical worldview? As parents, it is our God-given assignment to instill into our kids the values of Scripture. We must be intentional about teaching our children how to defend their faith, providing them with the tools that they need in order to understand and support the truth. The good news is that logic, science and history are on our side, and it is possible to construct a cogent argument for what we believe. Easy enough right? Now make sure that as we help our kids grow in truth and knowledge that they also grow as respected witnesses to the character and power of Jesus Christ. Sound overwhelming? Perhaps it is. But you are not alone. With the power of God, and the help of today’s guest, you will be

Will They Stand? Without question, as a parent, you would do everything in your power to stop the abuse and prevent any further harm. You would teach your kids warning signs, how to fight back, and how to get as far away from the evils as possible. When we think of abuse we often think of physical or sexual abuse. But there are many other forms such as emotional and spiritual abuse. But what about secularism? Depravity? Immorality? Apathy? These things are all real, dangerous, and all around us. While moral relativism says it’s ok, Christians who say otherwise are often considered intolerant or hateful. Unfortunately, as parents today we have let our guard down. Rather than standing strong and teaching our kids the absolute values and biblical principles we know, we’ve let culture slide in. Is it any wonder then that so many kids are losing their faith altogether? We are the closest representation of Christ our kids have. If we don’t stand strong, who will? Discussing Strengthening the Family with Ken Ham

Wrapping Up 2021 As followers of Christ, we do trust in something. We trust in the eternal God who created all things, including us, and has our best interests at heart even more than we do. In addition to connecting the dots, looking back also reminds us of the many things we have to be thankful for. To me, a thankful heart is what gives me a better ability to look to the future with hope. If God was faithful to take care of me in the past, He will be faithful in the future as well. As we end the year 2021 at License to Parent we are going to be looking back, looking forward, and connecting some dots in the coming year. Discussing the Residential Program of SHA with Trace Embry Trace Embry is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Shepherd’s Hill Academy in Martin, GA. Trace, along with his wife Beth (co-founder) has a heart and a passion for helping hurting teens and their families. Shepherd's Hill Academy was founded in 1994 in Martin, GA, where it has grown to serve families from virtually every st

A Look Back on the Blessings This is actually part of a whole series of miracles that included prophecies, a virgin birth, angelic warnings, protection from a wicked ruler set out to kill the newborn king, and so much more. We celebrate this series of miracles each Christmas as we proclaim the birth of Jesus Christ. Today on License to Parent we want to tell you about some more miracles. In fact, these are miracles that have happened during the past year! The Miracles of Shepherd's Hill. We hope that by sharing these stories you may be blessed and may also gain a better understanding of what we do here and why we do what we do on License to Parent. You’ll also get a glimpse into what God is doing day in and day out at our year-long residential therapeutic program for teens in crisis; Shepherd’s Hill Academy. Discussing the Many Blessings Miracles with Trace Embry Trace Embry is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Shepherd’s Hill Academy in Martin, GA. Trace, along with his wife Beth (co-founder) has a

Entertainment in Today's Culture First, we were able to teach our kids how to assimilate into the culture. This was due to the cultural norms of the day. These norms tended to line up with a biblical worldview, for the most part, and even unbelievers accepted them. Those who strayed from the norms still knew the difference between right and wrong. They simply chose to do wrong. Even hardened criminals of the day viewed people of faith as those to be respected and even emulated. Today, we’ve lost our common understanding of right and wrong. That means that as Christian parents, our culture no longer backs us up. God is now frowned upon, openly mocked, and depending on how you live out your faith can even get you arrested. Today on License to Parent we look deeper into the entertainment side of our culture. How much has this shift had to do with the entertainment we have today? Could changing our entertainment habits at home allow us to better raise kids who are empowered to influence culture? Discussing E

Making a Change Today we engage in Part II of that conversation. If you missed Part I with Eric, you can listen to it online. Discussing a Changing America with Eric Holmberg Eric Holmberg is the Founder and President of Reel to Real Ministries. He’s also with the Apologetics Group, an ordained minister, an author, speaker, and video documentarian. The American Way & Our Role as Parents Episode Highlights: How can we impact change in our own communities? Does relocation impact American thought? What does creation tell us about our culture? What does it mean to be woke? How do hierarchies impact our lives? Our culture? How can we prepare our kids to live and find love today? Image from Canva

The Divine Reset As children and teens, the world we experienced back then seemed to be much more straightforward. For the most part, our culture tended to agree on what was right and what was wrong; even if some chose not to follow the rules. Enter the worldwide web. Screens and keyboards have become a new alter of worship as our kids are learning and discovering the ways of thinking of the masses without a moral lens or perspective. We find that culture today goes against many of the principles of scripture, science, logic, and what we would consider to be common sense. Unfortunately, if you are waiting for a figurehead to take over and lead us back into morality, you may be in for a long wait. Discussing a Different Approach with Eric Holmberg Eric Holmberg is the founder and director of Reel to Real Ministries and the Apologetics group. He’s not only an ordained minister, but he is also an author, speaker, and video documentarian. His work has been featured on a number of broadcasts and web media platf

Never Knowing a Time Without Tech A generation ago, raising children was a totally different ballgame! Sure, technology has made our lives (and our parenting journeys) much easier in a lot of ways. But in other ways, technology has made our lives a whole lot more complicated. Some may argue that technology today is hindering parents and their ability to impart, maintain and preserve moral standards, wisdom, and spiritual maturity. We also see that technology has played a role in the decision of young people to leave the church that they once called home. How can we help to guide our children and help them establish a solid biblical worldview? Can we remain relevant in our society today? Is it possible that tech could actually be a part of the solution? Discussing a Life with Tech with John Fuller John Fuller has worked with Focus on the Family for the last three decades. Since 2001 he has been in the co-host seat of the Daily Broadcast with Focus President Jim Daily. That program reaches over 6 million lis

Leading the Christian Life Well, the Bible is clear that the Christian life will involve warfare. Metaphorically speaking, it refers to putting on the full armor of God. It also uses many other analogies of war that describe our role in advancing God’s kingdom. In fact, Jesus himself describes his kingdom as something to be entered rather forcefully. Some English translations even use the word “violently”. Furthermore, Jesus said that he came not to bring peace, but a sword, and yet Scripture calls him the “Prince of Peace.” Unfortunately these days many people confuse peacemaking with peacekeeping. Discussing Fighting Back with Sam Sorbo Sam Sorbo is a model, actress, homeschool activist, media host, and linguist. She speaks five different languages. She’s a parent and educator who also has a background in biomedical engineering from Duke University. She’s also an author and film producer. She’s the host of the nationally syndicated “The Sam Sorbo Show” and speaks publicly around the country. She has a

Suicidal Ideations in Teens Mental illness, addictions of all kinds, self-harm, and suicide are among the most prevalent. Sadly, suicide is now the second leading cause of death today among American teenagers. That is only surpassed by motor vehicle accidents. This is absolutely tragic. Today we speak with one of our friends at Focus on the Family about the topic of suicide and how to keep this epidemic from invading your home. Discussing the Teen Suicide Epidemic with Joannie Debrito Joannie Debrito is part of the counseling team at Focus on the Family and draws from over 30 years of diverse experience as a parent educator, family life educator, school social worker, administrator, and licensed mental health professional. She speaks concerning how we can take an active role in suicide prevention. Her expertise and personal experience, including counseling students and families after the Columbine tragedy, is something we hope will be an encouragement to you. We invite you to not only learn about this but

God’s Perfect Parenting Plan Last time on License to Parent: “Our first obligation in the raising of a child is not to the child. Our first obligation is to God the father. Your second obligation is to your neighbor. Your third obligation is to your child.” That’s John Rosemond, author of The Bible Parenting Code: Revealing God’s Perfect Parenting Plan. You see, parenting is about more than just the kids. It’s about serving God and others through your parenting. We’ll talk more about that today on License to Parent. If you missed our first conversation with Dr. John Rosemond, be sure to listen to our last episode, From Child Rearing to Mental Health with Dr. John Rosemond. Raising a Child in the Way They Should Go Episode Highlights: Do we ever have to train a child to do wrong? What is the first lie a child tells? Should we be concerned about the parenting trends of today? Do we need to always answer the “why” questions? When should children obey their parents? The most obedient childre

Coaching the Fundamentals Now many coaches through the years have used a framework for success that includes focusing on the fundamentals. But Wooden takes that to the extreme. At the start of each season when he would meet with the new team, he would spend about half an hour giving step-by-step instructions on the correct way to put on your socks. “Because in order to play the game, you have to start with a good foundation. Putting on your socks correctly is critical. Because if you don’t, you get blisters. And if you get blisters it impacts everything else you do as a player. Ultimately, that impacts the whole team. As Christian parents, have we gotten so wrapped up in the game of life that we’ve neglected or forgotten the basics? Today we’ll be talking with two men who likely agree that we have; Trace Embry (our host) and Dr. John Rosemond on today’s License to Parent. Discussing parenting today with Dr. John Rosemond John Rosemond has worked with families, children, and parents since 1971 in the field

The Devil's in the Details It’s really no different with our kids. Who they are, how they act, and what they think and do, could be rooted in or at least fueled by the things they see and hear. This includes the music they listen to. Could the be an inherent danger, or even evil, found in certain songs or types of music? Could there be a danger and evil that is profoundly impacting our kids in a negative way? Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, and many other great thinkers throughout the world and down through history seem to think so. In fact, Scottish writer, patriot, and politician Andrew Fletcher is often quoted as having said, “let me make the songs of the nation and I care not who makes the laws.” Today let’s discuss the rap, rock, and hip hop elephants in the room on License to Parent. Discussing the power of Music with G. Craige Lewis G. Craige Lewis has been ministering for over 30 years. He’s been pastoring Adamant Believers Council in North Richland Hills, Texas for over a decade, promoting the messa

Raising Well-Adjusted Kids With respect to raising healthy, well-adjusted kids, every generation of parents down through the ages have had their own unique challenges during the times that they lived. This has been true whether the challenges be economic depression, sharp social changes, wars, plagues, natural disasters, technological advances, or other negative influences beyond our control. Now some people would say that parenting challenges in the 21st century are more unique or more challenging than those of the past. Others, however, would beg to differ. But what’s important is identifying, examining, and learning how to overcome today’s challenges. Helping you do that is our goal today on License to Parent. Discussing Overcoming Obstacles with Danny Huerta Dr. Daniel Huerta works with Focus on the Family, overseeing its initiatives that help equip mothers and fathers with biblical principles and counsel for raising healthy resilient children. Dr. Huerta is a bilingual licensed clinical social worker

Peoples is Peoples But is that true? Within a certain culture, we may all be similar in our beliefs about right and wrong and normal. But what happens when you cross cultural lines, or when you move to another culture? People from one culture often find the practices of another to be backward, too morally progressive, too morally oppressive, even criminal. For example, most American’s would say that slavery, cannibalism, and pedophilia are appalling practices, yet they are still practiced in other parts of the world. Today though, we want to look at a different cultural line that exists and the differences that we encounter when we cross that line. What happens when parents allow their children or even equip their children to do things that are harmful, dangerous, abusive, and morally wrong according to the moral tenants of scripture. This is an authority that should transcend any cultural norm; especially when it comes to raising healthy kids. We’ll unpack this and more with today’s guest, Dr. Nicolas Kar

Finding Hope for Parents  Last time on License to Parent: “We always tell them that it’s not the parent’s choice. It’s the child’s choice that got them into the situation that they are in. All we can do is love them, parent them, model them, encourage them, and point them in the right direction. But ultimately it’s their decision to make and we try to reinforce that as much as we can.” Discussing Resources for Parents of Prodigals with John and Fair Brocard Last week we heard from John Brocard and his wife Fair in Part I. They are parents of a former prodigal and the founders of Prodigal Child Ministries. Today we invite you to join us for Part II of our conversation as we bring hope to the parents of prodigals. Where to Turn Episode Highlights: What encouragement is there for parents of prodigals? What resources are available for parents and prodigals? How can you find other families dealing with similar difficulties and challenges? Is there a list of treatment programs for teens and young adults