Hey all welcome back to the don't mom alone podcast I'm your host Heather McFadian and this is the place where I get to walk

alongside you and connect you with people and resources so you know that you don't

mom alone and in this episode number 457 I'm welcoming to the show, Melissa Kruger.

And who I am is someone who's made a lot of mistakes myself.

And so why would I expect perfection from you when I am a beggar of grace myself?

And so when I can remember who I am, then I'm going to rightly be able to walk with my kid when they make really bad mistakes and be able to say

hey let's talk about this I want you know I love you.

Melissa is the vice president of discipleship programming at the Gospel Coalition.

She's also a speaker and an author of so many books. Today we're talking about

parenting with hope raising teens for Christ in a secular age her newest

book we talk through what parents desire for their kids and how the culture can pull

us into achieving and focusing on image and on belonging and how she starts with the basics,

the foundations of faith and reminding us as parents that we do have influence at home.

And we lean into specifically God's word, prayer, and church.

And what I appreciated, she is a real practical tip on how her family manages prayer and moves beyond praying for a good day.

I don't know if anyone else can relate to that.

Also, just the challenges of church and why church matters in our families, the actual going to church.

And so I hope that this conversation is encouraging to you.

I appreciate that Melissa is a wise mentor.

She also has her feet on the ground as she was a former high school math teacher at a large public school.

So she understands the challenges. She is not too far removed from those preteen and teen years.

So let's get right to it. Here we go.

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