License To Parent With Trace Embry

Is it really that hard to find a church that glorifies God and makes genuine disciples? How do we really know what a healthy and well-balanced churches looks like? Further, of the myriad of churches to choose from in America today, how do we really determine which congregation is right for our family? Jeff Appling is in his 29th year of pastorship over The Grove Church in Maysville, GA. He and his wife, Lisa, have been married 35 years, and have three children, one son in law, and two grandchildren. Jeff says that one of his greatest blessings is that all of his children are still on the team, and still love God. How to Identify and Find a Healthy Church When looking for a healthy and well-balanced church, you want to look for a few things. The most important thing you want to look for, however, is who the central personality is in that church. Often times, the church may make that into the pastor or a certain group of people, when the central person should be the Lord Jesus Christ. You’ll find Him

If there is a silver lining, it might be that foreign missionaries have indeed come to evangelize, and right in our own backyard. What exactly is this evangelism “thing” anyway, and why is it so important that we not only learn to practice it, but also to teach our kids to do likewise? Ray Comfort is the founder and CEO of Living Waters. He is also a best-selling author of over 80 books, including: God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life, How to Know God Exists, and The Evidence Bible. Ray co-hosts the award-winning television program, Way of the Master, that airs in nearly 200 countries. He is the executive producer of a number of films, including: 180, Evolution vs. God, Audacity, and many more. Ray is married to Sue, and has three grown children. Why Christians Can’t Ignore the Call to Evangelism We live in a culture that undermines biblical worldviews. If Christians were nervous to evangelize before, I would say they’re even more nervous to do-so today. The fact that the God of the universe is using

Are American teens and young adults really that mentally ill, compared to the rest of the world, or could it be that we’ve needlessly medicated our kids for problems and behaviors that are largely caused by growing up in today’s toxic American culture? Tina Marie Griffin went from bailing hay and milking cows on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, to working as an actress in Hollywood. At the age of 20, she headed 200,000 miles west, and enrolled at California State University Los Angeles to pursue a film and tv broadcasting degree to start her acting career. She has, since that time, appeared in numerous Hollywood films and many television programs, including Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Young and the Restless, Beverly Hills 90210, Ally McBeal, Lizzie McGuire, Drake and Josh, and Malcolm in the Middle. For the past 12 years, the former actress and pop culture expert has traveled the globe to reveal how pop culture and media glamorizes harmful behaviors, without showing the consequences. Tina has a husband, Luke, and toget

Though our fathers, husbands, boyfriends, and sons are the largest market for exploited women, little is said about how these same fathers, husbands, boyfriends, and sons might also be the unapparent victims of the misogyny that’s so grossly promoted. Exactly what responsibilities do we have as parents to help stem the tides of these abhorrent double standards and gross hypocrisies? Allison Wallace is the Director of Program Development at Shepherd’s Hill Academy, as well as the Daughter of Trace Embry. Allison grew up at Shepherd’s Hill, which gives her a unique perspective. She saw not only well-balanced families, but also her fair share of families who were out of balance, and teens who were on the brink of disaster. Allison studied counseling/psychology at Toccoa Falls College, and has been a part of residential care at Shepherd’s Hill for her entire adult life. She began as the girl’s Wilderness Program Supervisor from 2006-2013, when she then became the Director of Program Development. Allison is pa

Why is it so important to have not only parents, but also other positive influences around our daughters? Those influences being other authorities who will not just accept them, but be willing to help rescue them when they aren’t able to accept or rescue themselves. Your daughter is even more precious in God's eyes than in your own. All the more reason to be willing and equipped to fight for her. Throughout her decade-plus career as a songwriter, recording artist, and author, Plumb has found success in a myriad of genres, selling over half a million albums and millions of singles sold and streamed worldwide. Her music has been a favorite with music supervisors, having her songs included in dozens of ad campaigns, movies, and TV placements. Her career achieved an incredible milestone with her prophetic, bestselling 2012 album, Need You Now. This groundbreaking album was followed by its corresponding memoir, Need You Now: A Story of Hope, that chronicled the miraculous restoration of her marriage. These pro

Things can become absolutely cataclysmic for whole countries when fools, somehow, find their way into the ruling class—law enforcement, lawyers, law-makers, judges, presidents, governors, mayors—even school board members. Since fools have now sailed their ships into the influential waters of today’s American culture, as parents it’s time to identify, define, expose, and then help right the insanity that guides these ships, lest our kids fall prey to the fools who sail them. Tucker Carlson currently serves as the host of FOX News Channel's (FNC) Tucker Carlson Tonight (weekdays 8PM/ET). He joined the network in 2009 as a contributor. On his program each night, Carlson features powerful analysis and spirited debates with guests from across the political and cultural spectrum. Bringing his signature style to tackle issues largely uncovered by the media, Carlson challenges political correctness and media bias with segments like "Campus Craziness" and "TwitterStorm." We are interviewing Tucker for his new book

Join us as we continue this discussion, and also how one starts the ball rolling on getting into a residential program, what to expect, and what changes may be needed beyond fixing your teen. What Does a Residential Program Look Like, and How to Enroll Your Teen If you missed last week’s episode, part I of this conversation, I would encourage you to listen to it. You can find it on www.licensetoparent.org, or by clicking the link, above. When you’re close to a situation, it can be hard to see the forest for the trees. This can make it difficult for parents to identify how bad things have escalated with their teen, and at what point that teen is needing residential care. In situations like this, it can help to get an outsider’s perspective. Talking to family, a pastor, or seeing a licensed therapist can help those parents gain more\ perspective. Most residential care programs, like Shepherd’s Hill Academy, have a family’s best interest at heart. Some families may not be a good fit for what we can offer, and

Some examples of these residual effects include: havoc in the home, the guilt that accompanies our feelings of inadequacy as parents, embarrassment and shame, friends, extended family, and our church community being made aware of our situation, the legal costs often incurred, property damage, time away from work to handle problems at home, marital problems, hospital stays, and more. These are all part of having a child with behavioral or emotional issues. When our kids are out of control, and we’re out of answers, what then? When and Where Parents Can Seek Help for Their Troubled Teen More and more kids are dealing with behavioral and mental issues today. Statistics show a rise in the number of kids being enrolled in short-term psychiatric hospitals and longer-term therapy programs, like Shepherd’s Hill Academy. The world has become more complicated over the past ten years, and healthcare professionals don’t know how to handle it; some even become complicit in the issues themselves. Many of today’s probl

New technology has lead to a rise in digital bullying tactics. The human sin nature has, of course, taken full advantage of these new practices which allow them to bully those who were not-so-easy to be taken advantage of in the purely physical realm. Today we’ll examine the subject of bullying and how we can best keep our kids from being victims and/or perpetrators of this dark and abusive practice. June Hunt is an author, speaker, and the founder of Hope for the Heart, a worldwide biblical counseling ministry. She hosts the award-winning radio broadcast Hope for the Heart, which is syndicated all across America. In addition, June also hosts Hope in the Night, a live two-hour call-in counseling program. Hope in the Night helps people to untangle their problems using both biblical hope and practical help. June’s work has her teaching on topics such as crisis counseling, marriage & parenting, child abuse, domestic violence, depression, alcohol & drug abuse, forgiveness, singleness, and self-worth. Not only t

Yet the Bible contains things that are problematic for our increasingly secularized society such as a six-day creation, talking animals, a global flood, and an ark bigger than a football field built by folks without modern equipment. These are all tall tales or myths in the minds of a growing consensus of Americans today. So if we expect our kids to flourish and become spiritually mature by knowing the truth all while heeding the divine wisdom found in the Bible, helping our kids understand the problematic and controversial aspects of Scripture is a must. After all, every parent desires a pleasant child-rearing experience—both for their children and for themselves. Since moving to America in 1987, Australian Ken Ham—CEO and founder of Answers in Genesis and the highly acclaimed Creation Museum—has become one of the most in-demand Christian conference speakers and talk show guests. Ken has made television appearances on Fox’s Fox and Friends, CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, ABC’s Good Morning Amer

But the outrage is that so many of these media outlets are vying for ratings as hard or harder than they are vying for the truth, making the truth much more tempting to twist, tweak, sensationalize, or lampoon for the sake of political gain and the bottom line. Consequently, it’s hard to really know what to believe anymore. When we don’t know what to believe, it makes it virtually impossible to pass the truth on to our kids. Derek Hunter is the author of Outrage, Inc.: How the Liberal Mob Ruined Science, Journalism, and Hollywood. He is also a columnist, radio host, and political consultant. Derek has worked at the Heritage Foundation as a health policy analyst, has worked on Capitol Hill as a press secretary in the U.S. Senate, was federal affairs manager at Americans for Tax Reform, and was a co-founder of The Daily Caller. He is a contributing editor at The Daily Caller and host of The Daily Daily Caller Podcast. He previously hosted a nighttime and midday radio show on WBAL Radio in Baltimore for seven

As parents raise kids in our culture today, they should think about how spiritual problems can impede success. Maybe it’s time to consider how vices like greed or dishonestly can actually hurt our ability to truly succeed in many areas of life. Dani Johnson is a successful entrepreneur and an international speaker, a coach, and a media host. She is also a bestselling author and has written several books, including Grooming the Next Generation for Success. Dani has not always been so successful, but she feels her her rags to riches story is one that can be duplicated if you know what to do. How Spiritual Problems Impede Success in the Lives of Many People Today We are in a spiritual crisis in America today, but we don't know it. I believe my experience at Shepherds Hill Academy has shown me that the intellectual, social, psychological, emotional, and behavior problems plaguing American kids today are coming as a direct result of simply growing up in a society rife with systemic moral problems and questiona

While too many of us are unwittingly allowing our culture to be our kids’ “other parent,” largely via digital technology, that “other parent” has been doing a whale of a job sabotaging any success we may have otherwise hoped our kids would find. So instead of dooming the next generation for failure, today, we will focus on grooming the next generation for success. Dani Johnson has taught hundreds of thousands of people around the world about business, money, and relationships. She leads and coaches with a passionate desire to see people not only succeed, but also thrive in the marketplace. As a seasoned entrepreneur, Dani has moved from rags to riches, becoming a multimillionaire in the process. She is a bestselling author, an international speaker, and a host for both radio and television programs. Dani is regularly called upon by major media outlets for her expertise in business, finance, relationships, and spirituality. Dani is also a devoted wife, and she has five children and seven grandchildren. She s

Arguably, Scripture’s greatest sticking point for the secular mind—and even for an ever-increasing contingent of Christians—has been the veracity of miracles. Many scientists fail to include miracles as even a possibility for things they can’t explain. But when one’s presuppositions about reality refuse to allow for the possibility of miracles, well, what becomes of one’s take on the veracity of Scripture as a whole? The Bible, of course, is chock full of miraculous accounts. If these accounts are merely figurative or, worse yet, mere fabrications of imaginative or deluded minds, how does that affect what Bible-believing parents have always believed about raising kids? Lee Strobel is the former award-winning legal editor of the Chicago Tribune and the best-selling author of over 20 books. His book, The Case for Christ, and its film adaptation are favorites that detail his conversion from atheism to Christianity. His book, The Case for Grace, won the 2016 nonfiction book of the year from the Evangelical Chris

For Christian parents in American culture today, it can almost seem like we have found ourselves in a place where either we have gone stark-raving mad, or the entire world has. Because if our kids begin to rebel against all we have taught them at home, it now seems they have a rebellious and powerful ally in our entire culture. For today’s parents, this can be a lonely and helpless feeling. Does the problem really lie in our archaic biblical worldview? Or could the problem stem from something much larger and more dangerous such as the snapping of the American mind? David Kupelian is an award-winning American journalist, vice president and managing editor of online news giant WorldNetDaily (WND.com), editor of Whistleblower magazine, and a widely read columnist. He is also the bestselling author of three influential book: The Marketing of Evil, its sequel, How Evil Works, and most recently, The Snapping of the American Mind: Healing a Nation Broken by a Lawless Government and Godless Culture. Kupelian has b

This is the way things have been since the beginning of time because these things really are self-evident. But like many other things in our world today, these same self-evident realities have been challenged in recent years by those whose postmodern thinking has helped create a very difficult world for the traditional parents who are still trying to employ common sense. Michael Ramey is the Deputy Director for ParentalRights.org as well as the Director of Communications & Research. He holds a B.A. in Foreign Language (Spanish) from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master of Divinity with Biblical Languages from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Ramey honed his communication skills through 13 years of church ministry before joining the staff of ParentalRights.org. Michael lives in Winchester, Virginia, with his wife Rachel and five beautiful children. How the Rights of Parents Can Be Challenged by a Misguided Sense of Compassion A lot of parents are beginning to feel like their parental righ

Building a godly family involves many things, and one of them is a commitment to intentional parenting. Bringing the family together to complete meaningful activities is one example of how parents can be intentional. How Building a Godly Family Can Involve Intentional Activities Last week on License to Parent, we shared a list of nine activities that can help strengthen relationships between parents and teens. This week we are adding to that list and suggesting more actions for parents to take in the process of raising their kids in a wise and godly way. The suggestions on this list are not simply tasks to cross off; they are clear and hands-on suggestions that may help parents in the journey of child-rearing. Let's take a look at 11 more suggestions for building a godly and loving family: 10. Find service opportunities to complete as a family. 11. Try learning a new skill and creating as a family. 12. Push yourselves with a tough project or something that will involve a leap of faith. Finish your ba

Parents must be intentional about the time they spend with their children and make the most of these opportunities. Let’s consider some meaningful activities parents and kids can complete as a family. How Spending Time Together Can Build Relationships Between Parents and Kids When it comes to raising healthy kids, we often hear parenting “experts” quoting generalities. Today on License to Parent, we are going to get specific. Let’s begin by considering the following list of activities that can help jump-start healthy relationships between parents and kids: Use discernment when it comes to entertainment. Let that discernment open the door to conversations about the good, the bad, and the ugly in the entertainment we bring into our lives. Consider turning off traditional entertainment sources for a period of time. Try to replace them with some good teaching from time to time. Don’t be legalistic about it, but use it as a springboard to further conversation. Find a good church and a good youth group. Nur

Could the Bible really affirm that our sweet little offspring are basically evil? Are Junior’s occasional “unsavory behaviors” most often the result of his intrinsic sin nature, or the effects of a clinical disorder? Or both? Can our presuppositions about Genesis being a history book ultimately shape the behavior, character, and value system of our kids and perhaps our entire family? Dr. Del Tackett is the former president of the Focus on the Family Institute and a former senior vice president of Focus on the Family. He created Focus on the Family's The Truth Project, a nationwide project to bring the Christian worldview to the body of Christ. Tackett served more than 20 years in the U.S. Air Force and was appointed by President George H.W. Bush as the director of technical planning for the National Security Council. A popular conference speaker, Tackett speaks on topics such as American Christian heritage, Christian worldview, and management. He has also created and published many written works that discus

Perhaps if we knew more about how some of the rest of the world actually lived, it would open our own entitled and gluttonous eyes enough to be genuinely grateful to God for all we have been blessed with here in America. Today, we will attempt to do just that. Elijah Sebuchu is the Senior Pastor of Kampala International Christian Centre and Presiding Bishop over Global Discipleship Ministries, a network of over 285 churches. He is also the Founder and Director of Hands of Love, an outreach to children that provides home, hope, love, and education to 2,016 children in Uganda. How American Affluence Can Lead to Entitlement, Greed, and Sinful Excess When talking to young people who have gone on mission trips to Third World countries, you often hear the same thing: “It changed my life.” Yet, very few adults who have gone abroad, much less kids, seem to connect the dots when it comes to seeing how their American affluence could possibly be as hazardous to their health as third-world poverty. By “health,” I mean