All month long we are diving into spiritual disciplines of the Christian faith. We’ll be talking about studying God’s Word, prayer, intentional community with other believers, and Sabbath. 

Today we are kicking things off by answering your questions about studying the Word. Practically speaking, what does that look like with little kids (and little quiet) in your house? What resources do Karen and Sunny recommend and how can we lead our children well in this discipline? We hope this episode encourages you to start today, whenever you are, knowing that God sees you and has grace and understanding for the season of life that you are in. 

Resources talked about on today’s episode:

Keep God’s encouragement close by with our Moments with God or Tips on Motherhood card sets.

Listen to our Spotify worship playlist on the go

Resources for teaching Bible stories to your kids:

Adventures in Odyssey (there’s an app for $10/mth with access to 100s of stories on it)

@kidsbiblestories IG account, has a podcast also

God’s Big Story podcast from The Village Church

Wild & Wacky and Totally True Bible Stories

A study Karen is currently doing: The Grave Robber by Mark Batterson

Sunny recommends: No Other Gods by Kelly Minter

The Bible Project (cartoon animations explaining major themes, events, stories in the Bible)

Become a Patron today!

Parenting Together study from Greg and Karen Stubbs

The Ark Encounter

The Action Bible (for ages 8+)

One Night with the King movie

Question 1: I’m a very busy mama of three. Total chaos manager. A 9 year old green daughter, a yellow/red 6 year old daughter, and a very red newly 2 year old son. And I’m one tired very blue mama.

My tank is nearly empty. I am craving quiet time. Mostly time with God but also just to think or hear myself breathe! I am having a hard time getting that quiet time in. I recently read a blog about finding quiet time in the chaos. Her ideas were creative and very doable, but my personality does NOT allow me to learn much or soak much in when my kids are interrupting and running around. When the girls were in school, I used the baby’s nap time for that. But now that they’re home, nap time is my time with them without baby brother. I try to get up early, but they have mom-dar and know my eyes are open and then they get up.

So. After that long rant, how do mamas get that time in your Bible and with Jesus? I really am that mama who would love to sit on the deck in the quiet with my Bible or devotional and coffee and take deep breaths.

Karen’s Answer: I love your job description, “Total chaos manager”- that is spot on!!! I also love your question. In the season that you are in, I think you have to change the way you would love to connect and adjust it to your lifestyle. Where you would love to sit on the deck and have a quiet time, I get that 100%, but that is not the season of your life right now. But, you can’t just put your walk with the Lord on hold for 18 years, right? So, what I found to do was adapt my quiet time my lifestyle. You can pick a verse for the week and write it on your bathroom mirror, constantly reminding yourself of that verse and it’s meaning. You can play worship music, while the older children are doing their school work, you could do your work, reading your Bible or a devotional, but putting it into your day while the children are around. You can do it during part of the naptime of your 2 year old and tell the older children you will be with them in 15 min. You would be amazed at what God can do in 15 minutes, when you carve out that time with him. The crazy busy schedule of a mom is the entire reason I wrote a devotional for moms.

Question 2: Any recommendations for fun ways (podcasts, videos) to teach Bible stories to my 1st grader and 4yr old? We have a 20-25min ride each way to school and I'm looking for ways to leverage that time for something in the mornings. My kids are not interested in much "learning" after school - they attend a nature school and are spending 90% of the day outside so they are exhausted and need to chill in the afternoons/evenings.

Karen’s Answer: Put yourself in your child’s shoes, and then relate the stories back to their lives. For instance, David felt alone, when he was running from Saul, do you ever feel alone? What do you do ?

Adventures in Odyssey (there’s an app for $10/mth with access to 100s of stories on it)

@kidsbiblestories IG account, has a podcast also

God’s Big Story podcast from The Village Church

Wild & Wacky and Totally True Bible Stories

Question 3: I know you have mentioned you read Oswald Chambers book, My Utmost for His Highest as a devotional and I have your devotional currently, I’m just wondering if you can talk a little about resources for studying the Bible directly better? I’d love to be more disciplined, but sometimes it just feels like another “to do” on my list.

Karen’s Answer: I always found getting a Bible study from someone like Beth Moore, or Priscilla Shryer to be helpful. Also, I just love reading the Bible, and I read the notes in the Bible, that was always helpful in my understanding. I think reading the Bible all the way through really helps get the full picture of God and his pursuit of us. The Bible Recap podcast/book from Tara Leigh Cobble is an EXCELLENT resource for guiding you as you read through the Bible directly.

Question 4: How can I communicate with my husband (he’s a Red), about the things I’m learning on BOAW and in church without feeling so sensitive when he does not find it interesting to talk about? He is not spiritually strong or much of a leader (spiritually). He is a believer and goes to church with us️, but talking about these things with him I get hardly any response. And I feel selfish for wanting him to learn them with me to change!

Karen’s Answer: Whew! I get it. I don’t know why most men don’t open up about spiritual things, I don’t know if it’s a deep seated insecurity within them or what it is. If it is insecurity the best way to deal with that is build him up. Instead of saying, “what do you think about Sunday’s sermon?” and get the response, “It was good.” Ask more of a narrower question, not so broad, ex: “what did you think when the pastor said, …….., did that confuse you? It sort of confused me”. Or you could say, “Karen said today in Mom Core, “Discipline should be painful”. What do you think she means by that?” Or you could say, “Would you watch this video with me and let’s talk about it. I would love to get your perspective.”

Question 5:  I was hoping to get some Christian mama insight for my 8 year old bonus son. He was saved at age 6 and recently my husband and I have realized the importance of reading our Bibles daily. Neither of us grew up in a household where this was practiced (my parents were Christian, his were not)

We are wanting my bonus son to get in the habit young. I don’t want to force it on him and have him resent it later. I feel it should be more of a natural desire. My husband made a deal with him that if he reads his Bible daily and completes a devotion each week we will take a trip to the Ark encounter. This has not worked. I told my husband I think it should be more of a one on one thing where they read together or we read as a family (we also have a 2 and 3 year old)

Karen’s Answer: Like I talked about at the beginning of this podcast, I think it is a discipline.  I don’t know many 8 year olds that will sit down and read their Bible for any length of time. BUT! I have heard of families that will pay their child for memory verses that are memorized. If you decide to do that, I would start off with simple verses, and then increase as you go.  God tells us that his word will not return void.  I think anytime we can memorize scripture, it is locked in our hearts and minds forever.  

I do agree that reading the Bible with that age it is good to read together. Maybe get a more Bible that has a translation that is easier to understand, like The Message or try the Action Bible - boys love it!

Question 6: We have 3 kiddos ages 12, 9, and 3. We have raised our children in a Christian home and have always taken them to church. Our older two have both been saved and baptized as well. I worry though that we have dropped the ball on discipling them and living out Deuteronomy 6. 

My oldest seems almost apathetic when it comes to the Lord. I worry that it’s too late to give them a solid foundation if we have done a poor job laying one in the early years. I also don’t know if I am expecting more than I should out of a 12 and 9 year old. What are some ways you point your kids to the Lord on a daily basis? Is it too late for us?

Karen’s Answer: It’s never too late! It’s never too late.  

First off, I think you need to be living it out yourself because they are watching you. I would also break down the Bible a little bit, and read a passage together and then come back together and talk it through. Get them to ask questions, maybe you ask a few questions, etc. Make it exciting, because it is! Use that idea I had earlier about paying them for memorizing scripture. Honestly, that is the key. Once they memorize it, it will be with them forever.

Show Credits: hosted by Karen Stubbs with Sunny Williams, written & produced by Katie Leipprandt, edited by Kyle Cummings

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