License To Parent With Trace Embry

Enough is Enough 2 Last week we heard from an expert in making the internet safe for your family. She said, “Let me just share the story of John Doe who was a convicted sex offender in a high-security prison. I talked to him for three hours. He would look for kids online that he was interested in. He was talking to a 13-year-old girl. That 13-year-old girl liked boys who were around 15 and played soccer. He would find pictures of boys that looked like that and he would send it and pretend to be that boy and engage that girl. Often times these lead to sexual encounters and situations where he would get nudes of them and back and forth and then used [those same pictures] to keep that child silent.” Donna Rice Hughes is the CEO and president of Enough is Enough. Discussing the Internet with Donna Rice Hughes Donna Rice Hughes works hard to protect our children from internet predators. She is the President and CEO of Enough is Enough and also is an internationally known internet safety expert, author, speaker, an

Enough is Enough It is obvious that we are raising our kids in a nation that has veered from the Christian morals and moreens that helped make America a global superpower. Consequently, our children are now being abused as a logical outworking of this moral veering. So what is a wise and godly parent to do for today? We will be talking with Donna Rice Hughes about how we can bring a semblance of sanity and spiritual grounding back into our homes and hopefully back into our nation as well. Discussing the Internet with Donna Rice Hughes Donna Rice Hughes works hard to protect our children from internet predators. She is the President and CEO of Enough is Enough and also is an internationally known internet safety expert, author, speaker, and producer. Donna’s vision, expertise, and advocacy have helped to birth the internet safety movement in America at the advent of the digital age. For 30 years Donna has been working hard to make the internet safe for your kids and family. She has developed and spearheaded t

Feelings Pt. 2 Last time on License to Parent we talked with John Rosemond about the mental health crisis and how it is affecting our teens. Mr. Rosemond said, “My contention is that it all goes back to the fact that we followed the herd in the early 1970s and we radically overhauled our parenting practices and we “fixed” something that wasn’t broken and we are paying a terrible price for that.” Today we continue this conversation. Discussing Mental Health with John Rosemond John is a family psychologist, best-selling author, and a popular speaker on parenting issues. He is husband to his wife, Wilma, of 55 years, father to two successful adults, and grandfather to seven well-behaved grandchildren. John’s goal is to help you parent with love and leadership and to raise responsible adults. You can find his website here. Episode Highlights: What difference has Trace seen in parents and kids since smartphones came out in the early 2000s? What does John say about the statistical data that the mental health

Feelings It used to be that when a parent needed advice for parenting they would go to a trusted and seasoned family member like a grandparent, an aunt, or an uncle - even if the child had behavioral problems. And if that didn't help, then the parent usually went to their pastor or clergy. But today we see that behavioral issues are viewed many times as clinical issues and this has given birth to what many refer to as the mental health industrial complex. John Rosemond is going to help us think through what modern mental health has become and the role it should or shouldn’t play in your family's well-being. Discussing Mental Health with John Rosemond John is a family psychologist, best-selling author, and a popular speaker on parenting issues. He is husband to his wife, Wilma, of 55 years, father to two successful adults, and grandfather to seven well-behaved grandchildren. John’s goal is to help you parent with love and leadership and to raise responsible adults. You can find his website here. Episode Highl

Prodigal You may have read a myriad of books about raising godly kids and you are truly following the principles, but one of your own kids walks away from God. You could be a Sunday school teacher who taught other parents how to bring up godly kids and yet your child still leaves the fold. Or you are actually the author of a preeminent parenting book and still one of your kids abandons the Lord. As a parent, if you’ve been disillusioned by doing things right this program is for you. Last time Kari Trent-Stageberg said, “Even though there was not a day that I didn’t hear or know that my parents were crazy about me, and that there was a God who was crazy about me - for me what it really was, was that God just felt incredibly abstract and I wasn’t able at the time to figure out the relationship piece. It made me think, "why would I follow this if it doesn’t actually impact my life?” Today we will continue our conversation. Discussing Endurance with Dr. John Trent & Kari Trent Stageberg Dr. John Trent is the Fou

Walk Away Let’s say that you have read the myriad of books that have been written about raising godly kids and you are truly following the principles in those books to a “t." Still one of your own kids walks away from God as a teenager. Maybe as a Sunday school teacher, you taught other parents how to bring up godly kids from what you have read in those same books, and yet your Bible Quiz winner has now become an angsty teen. What happens when you’re actually the author of one of those preeminent parenting books and still one of your kids abandons the Blessing that you thought would guarantee you and your family blessing in return? As a parent, if you’ve been disillusioned by doing things right then this program is for you. Discussing Parenting with Dr. John Trent & Kari Trent Stageberg Dr. John Trent is the Founder and President of the organization Strong Families. He is also the author of the book “The Blessing.” His daughter Kari Trent Stageberg works alongside her dad as CEO of Strong Families and togethe

Daily Hope No one would disagree that it is difficult to raise teenagers today. However, some would argue- when have parents not found the times unprecedented and the task of raising teenagers difficult? On the surface, this argument might sound plausible, but when we really peel back the onion to see all of the moving parts it seems apples are being compared to oranges. Perhaps a better analogy is that maybe molehills are being compared to mountains. A generation of kids without hope is what too many parents are dealing with today. What we need is hope for every day. Discussing Hope with Mark Gregston Mark is an author, speaker, radio host, and the Founder of a residential counseling center for struggling teens located in Longview, Texas. Mark’s passion for helping teens can be seen in his 50 years of involvement with families as a youth pastor, Young Life Area Director, and now as Executive Director of Heartlight. Today we discuss his new book, "Daily Hope for Families." Episode Highlights: What is the

Digital Madness If you haven’t noticed we are living in a time where parents have to raise their kids in a society that itself has become mentally ill. If you have listened in before you may have wondered if we are just being extreme or if our culture really has descended into an emotional, psychological, and spiritual abyss. Unfortunately, the data would suggest the later. Many times we suggest that parents ask what role digital technology may play in all of this. Today we will receive insights from Dr. Nicholas Kardaras' book, “Digital Madness: How Social Media is Driving Our Mental Health Crisis and How to Restore Our Sanity.” Discussing Tech Addiction with Dr. Nicholas Kardaras Dr. Nicholas Kardaras is an Ivy League-educated psychologist, best-selling author, internationally renowned speaker, and an expert on mental health, addiction, and the impacts of our digital age. He is one of the country's foremost addiction experts. Dr. Kardaras lives with his wife in Sag Harbor, NY and they have twin sons. He is

Ask Trace It’s another installment of Ask Trace where I ask Trace questions that are on your hearts. Today’s topic is kind of sensitive. It is around the topic of LGBTQ youth. Over the last couple of weeks, I have had several conversations about pronouns and how to adjust your thinking around that. In some of those eye-opening conversations, I am seeing parents, teachers, and leaders in the Christian community that are on opposite sides. Both believe that they are on the side of compassion and the gospel. So how does Trace handle this with the teens at Shepherd’s Hill Academy? Email asktrace@licensetoparent.org to ask your tough questions. Discussing LGBTQ+ with Trace Embry Trace Embry is the Founder and Executive Director of Shepherd’s Hill Academy a Christ-centered, outdoor-focused, year-long, therapeutic boarding academy for troubled youth. Trace and his wife Beth started Shepherd’s Hill Academy in 2001 to bring healing to hurting families. They came to Christ after becoming parents and learned a lot th

Moms Raising Men Family values today are being challenged and even marginalized. Traditional gender roles have also been challenged and even redefined. Our boys are receiving distorted information about what it means to be a man; while more single moms are raising sons without a good male role model to help live out what it really means to be a man. This is becoming generational. Almost to the point that extremists have now convinced many of today’s young men and women that the scientifically backed gender binary is either fluid or non-existent. So what is a single mom to do? How do moms raise sons to be men? Discussing Raising Men with Rhonda Stoppe Rhonda Stoppe is a Christian author and speaker with over 30 years of experience as a pastor's wife, a mom coach, a marriage mentor, and a homeschool keynote speaker. Rhonda is Nana to 15 little ones. She also has 2 sons and 2 daughters and loves to share all that she learned through that experience. 10 years ago Rhonda wrote the book, “Moms Raising Sons to be M

Resilient Kids The American culture is full of adults who are ideologically divided, emotionally fragile, addicted, mentally ill, and devoid of God. Sadly many of these adults are also averse to logic, objective truth, common sense, and even science. As responsible parents, we need to foster resilience in our kids like never before. But how do we do this when our kids seem to have lost so much confidence in and respect for the parents of the last few generations? Especially when many of these parents have taught them to trust and even emulate people like teachers, coaches, medical and mental health professionals, lawmakers, law enforcement, media personnel, businessmen, scientists, and too often even clergy. Dr. Kathy Koch will help bring clarity to this issue through the discussion of her book “Resilient Kids: Raising Them to Embrace Life with Confidence.” Discussing Resilience with Kathy Koch Dr. Kathy Koch is the Founder and President of Celebrate Kids and the co-founder of Ignite The Family. Dr. Kathy ha

The Blessing Let me tell you about this gift. There is very little investment involved.  The gift is so much more valuable than the latest gadget your child may want. It’s a gift that can improve their lives now and in their future. It’s unlike most any other gift you know of.  This gift is The Blessing. So, what is the blessing?  You can find out today on License to Parent. Discussing Blessing Your Children with John Trent John Trent has the "best job in the world" according to him.  He is the Founder and President of Strong Families.  John writes, speaks, and trains others to create cultures of blessing in their homes, workplaces, ministries, and around the world. John has written over 30 books. We’re going to talk to John today about his award-winning book called The Blessing. Episode Highlights: How do we bless our kids the most? What is the greek word for forgiveness? How is it significant? What is it like to experience the blessing? Does one’s childhood guarantee success or failure as an adu

Healthy Teens If you have ever thought that we now live in a time and place where it has never been harder to raise healthy teenagers, you'll get no argument from most parents. However, could it be that today's dystopian-like society might be making it impossible? Frequent listeners to License to Parent know the answer. There is a possibility of raising healthy teenagers. Teaching you how to equip your child to navigate the pitfalls and dangers of teen life in a world gone mad is our work.  Discussing Health with Tom Kersting Tom Kersting is a nationally renowned licensed psychotherapist, family counselor, author, and educator. He is a regular guest expert on many national television shows and talk shows. He also lectures throughout the country offering expert insight and advice for parents, children, and educators. Tom is the founder and owner of Valley Family Counseling LLC in Park Ridge, New Jersey. He and his wife have two teenage children. His latest book is "Raising Healthy Teenagers: Equipping Your Chi

Words of Love How many of us have ever had a deep discussion with our kids about love? About what it is and what it is not? Love is a multifaceted term and the English language only has one word for it, but other languages, like Greek,  have many. Greek’s uses of its other terms for love can be for describing a parent, or the love of a spouse. An entirely different word for love is used for the love of a friend. And still, another word for love transcends all the rest. It is the kind of sacrificial and unconditional love that springs from God Himself. It can be so easy for our kids to get a distorted idea about love when this term is applied to the myriad relationship scenarios that life brings our way. We need to ask ourselves what are the biblical perspectives on love? Discussing Love with Shannon Bream Shannon is an American journalist and attorney. She is the host of Fox News Sunday and the chief legal correspondent for Fox News Channel. Shannon is also the author of several best-selling books including,

Hard Questions Last week we spoke with Dr. Don Williams about his book “The Young Christian’s Survival Guide.” In this podcast, he told us that his Grandfather was an illiterate country farmer from central Georgia and yet he had a tradition that marked Dr. Williams’ life forever. He required the youngest of his nine children (who was literate) to read the Bible aloud for him each evening when he came in from the fields. His commitment to scripture marked Dr. Don’s father and in turn, marked Dr. Don. He genuinely loved the Lord and God’s word, despite his flaws. He had a real foundation. And this foundation is where apologetics truly starts. A person’s apologetics can only begin to be effective when that person is living a life of sacrificial love for the Lord. This conversation continues in this week’s podcast. Discussing Biblical Truth with Don Williams Dr. Donald Williams is a professor emeritus of Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa Falls, Georgia. Dr. Williams calls himself a border dweller. He says he stays p

Lasting Impact In our nation's past most people would have found it safe to say that kids who were submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ were more likely to bring joy to themselves and to their families than the kids who chose to pursue the sinful pleasures of the world. Yet in today’s information age the truth of Scripture, and the virtues of faith, family, and common sense are often belied as too restrictive, oppressive, and even immoral. Many now consider the Bible to be an evil collection of dark fairy tales that speak of the evil deeds of an oppressive God- far too horrifying to be true. In this world parents and children need help to answer some of the toughest questions that pertain to the veracity of God and His Word. Discussing God's Veracity with Don Williams Dr. Donald Williams is a professor emeritus of Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa Falls, Georgia. Dr. Williams calls himself a border dweller. He says he stays permanently camped out in the borders between theology, literature, serious scholars

Empty Nesting Many parents invest 18 years into the lives of their kids before sending them out into this great big world. Maybe that’s you right now and your child is leaving the nest and that is something you excitedly anticipate. Or maybe it is a time of apprehension and sorrow and possibly even dread. Either way, it is a time of significant change and there is a certain sense of loss that is part of this new equation. However, that sense of loss does not have to result in the loss of your joy. Discussing the Empty Nest 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. Jim has authored multiple books, the latest of which is, "Finding Joy in the Empty Nest: Discover Purpose and Passion in the Next Phase of Life." Ep

Ask Trace If you could sit down and get some free advice from a 20+ year expert on troubled teens, what would you ask? Here I ask questions on behalf of you, our listening friends. Every once in a while we sit Trace Embry down and ask him questions about parenting difficult teens. As you know Trace is the Founder and Executive Director of Shepherd's Hill Academy. Shepherd's Hill has turned around many young people that are heading in the wrong direction. Trace is skilled in working with teens and knowing what it takes to help your teen thrive. Find answers to questions about bullying, discernment, and more. Email asktrace@licensetoparent.org to ask your tough questions. Discussing Parenting with Trace Embry Trace Embry is the Founder and Executive Director of Shepherd’s Hill Academy a Christ-centered, outdoor-focused, year-long, therapeutic boarding academy for troubled youth. Trace and his wife Beth started Shepherd’s Hill Academy in 2001 to bring healing to hurting families. They came to Christ after becom

Rebel Parenting The cultural revolution in the 1960’s changed the face of America. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll led the way to much of what we still see today in rebellion and immorality. After all it's the youth of that generation that are the grandmas and grandpas of today. Now many parents, the children of the rebel generation, are having to navigate this new cultural norm and they’re finding that Biblical parenting flies in the face of what they were taught and what much of the culture now believes. Do today's Christian parents face a different kind of rebellion as they raise their kids? Perhaps a rebellion against the rebellion? Discussing Parenting with Ryan Dobson Ryan Dobson is a dad of two and he's the son of parenting expert Dr. James Dobson. Ryan has written six books. He speaks most weekends to people wanting help with their families and he is host of the podcast Rebel Parenting. Episode Highlights: How do you win the spiritual war? What does a “weirdo” look like? Who can learn to live in

God in Tech Just before the advent of the smartphone, it was reported that former US Education Secretary Bill Bennet said, “America is rapidly becoming the kind of nation that civilized nations send missionaries to.” For those who heard Mr. Bennett’s comment, it would have been hard for them to believe the kind of changes that would occur in America over the next 15 years. Smartphones have become a cultural change agent and maybe have even broken down the American Dream and culture. Those change agents seem to have gotten the drop on those who would otherwise use the internet for good. As we head into Easter it's a good time to ask the question, “does scripture have anything pertinent to say about the digital age and technology that we now have to navigate as parents?” Discussing Tech with Chris Kaspar Chris Kaspar is the founder of Techless an innovative tech start-up that created Wisephone- a pure and simple phone for intentional people. Chris is married to Ciera and is the fun dad of four beautiful daughte