CHM163: Faith, Family, and Holiday Fun with Katie J Trent​​​​

[00:00:12] Welcome to the Christian Homeschool Moms Podcast. I'm Demetria, your host. I'm a veteran homeschool mom of two wonderful daughters since 2008, one college graduate and one in high school. I'm a loving wife, songwriter, and a child of the king, and I'm super happy to be your host. Welcome back to the show where we provide faith-filled encouragement and practical tips to help you thrive in your homeschooling journey. And I'm really happy to provide today's episode for you. It's one you won't want to miss.

[00:00:40] We're diving into a heartfelt and inspiring conversation with the amazing Katie J Trent. Katie is a bestselling author whose books like Dishing Up Devotions and A Merry and Bright Adventure bring faith-building and family fun to life. Katie is a bestselling author, and she's the founder of the Family Faith-Building Academy and Community. And she has a heart for equipping busy homeschool moms with the tools that they need to nurture their kids faith while keeping it simple and enjoyable. She's got over 15 years of ministry,

[00:01:10] counseling, counseling, and church planning experience alongside her husband. And Katie's wisdom and warmth shines through in everything she does. So in our conversation today, she shares her insights on the challenges that Christian families face today and how to cultivate strong spiritual habits in your homeschool. Plus some sneak peeks into her books and her resources that are perfect for this holiday season.

[00:01:32] She's going to give you some practical encouragement for those moments when the homeschooling journey feels overwhelming. And I know we all need those types of encouraging words. So I can't wait to share that with you.

[00:01:44] And before we jump in, I do have a special treat for all my fellow homeschool moms. My course is called the Homeschool Boss Mama Goal Planner, and it's on sale for Black Friday at just $9.99. This planner is designed to help you organize your homeschool, set achievable goals, and bring clarity to your days, all while keeping Christ at the center. You can grab your copy today at christianhomeschoolmoms.teachable.com.

[00:02:08] And I don't want you to miss this amazing deal because it's the perfect resource to help you start the new year strong. All right, so let's get started. Join me as I sit down with Katie J. Trent for an encouraging conversation that will uplift your heart and inspire your homeschool journey.

[00:02:25] Hi, everyone. Welcome to the Christian Homeschool Moms podcast. I have an awesome guest with me today. Her name is Katie J. Trent, and she is the author of several books.

[00:02:38] We're going to be getting into one of her books specifically today called A Merry and Bright Adventure, and she's the founder of Family Faith Building Academy and Community.

[00:02:49] She designs resources with busy homeschool moms in mind, and her and her husband have a lot of experience with counseling, so she's going to be talking a little bit about that and how they're committed to building strong, faith-filled families.

[00:03:04] And so I'm excited to have you, Katie. Welcome to the show.

[00:03:07] Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be here.

[00:03:09] Yeah, I am too. I'm excited to have you as the holidays approach. We're interested in this kind of thing and how we can help to build Christian families and kids that are just loving the Lord.

[00:03:22] And I know that you and your husband have a lot of background in counseling, so I'm going to be asking you about that in a moment.

[00:03:27] But first, just share about who you are, your hobbies, things that make you happy, what you're passionate about, and what drives you every day to do the work that you do.

[00:03:38] Yeah, well, it's so great to meet everybody. My name is Katie, as she mentioned.

[00:03:42] I've been married to my husband, James, for almost 20 years now. We have two kids. Our daughter is in sixth grade and our son is in third grade.

[00:03:51] And this is our eighth year of homeschooling. We love to bake and craft. It's funny because, you know, my books all include baking and everything.

[00:03:59] So people assume that I am a cook as well, but I am a terrible cook. My husband actually does most of the cooking on our house, so don't get that confused.

[00:04:08] But we do love to bake and craft. And as you said, we have such a passion for building strong, faithful families and just a desire to nurture the unique gifts and talents in our own kids and help parents do the same thing.

[00:04:21] And I think that's really what drives me and keeps me going is just that desire to see the transformation in our world and to come alongside parents.

[00:04:29] Because I know the struggle. I know how hard it is, even with my background in counseling and ministry and knowing all the things, right, like all the skills and education and background.

[00:04:38] I still struggle every single day with my kids and walking this out. You know, it's not like you get some magic pass.

[00:04:45] And so I realize it's a struggle for me. It's a struggle for everyone else, too.

[00:04:50] And that really, I think, is what fuels why we do what we do.

[00:04:53] I love that. Just that relatability of knowing the struggle that we're all going through this.

[00:05:00] But you do have that background in counseling and in church planting.

[00:05:04] So with that background, I'd love to know a little bit about some of the things that you have noticed are bigger challenges within the Christian community, what our families are facing today.

[00:05:16] We are trying to raise our kids to love the Lord and to love his ways to follow after the Lord.

[00:05:22] So what are some of those challenges you've noticed?

[00:05:25] Yeah, well, as you mentioned, you know, I am a licensed clinical social worker.

[00:05:28] And so I spent a number of years counseling children and teens and families and then our background in ministry.

[00:05:34] We've been in ministry almost as long as we've been married.

[00:05:36] And so we have done everything from youth ministry, young adults, church planting missions, you name it.

[00:05:42] And so all along the way, we've just recognized that discipleship is hard.

[00:05:47] And I think for most parents, it can feel very overwhelming, right?

[00:05:50] Like we feel the weight of this idea that it's our job and our role to disciple our kids.

[00:05:56] And how do we teach them to love the Lord and to love others and to live this out in a daily way?

[00:06:01] You know, if you study the research and you look at the statistics of kids leaving their faith when they leave home, it's staggering.

[00:06:07] I mean, it's a majority and not a minority.

[00:06:10] And so that was really something alarming to me.

[00:06:13] You know, I didn't grow up in church.

[00:06:14] I didn't come to faith until I was an adult.

[00:06:17] And so I just, my heart cried out, God, what are we doing wrong?

[00:06:21] How can we be more effective?

[00:06:23] How do we share this vibrant relationship that we're experiencing?

[00:06:26] You know, my husband and I were married for, I think, about eight years in our faith before we had kids, you know?

[00:06:32] And so we were in ministry and doing things, but we saw the struggles and then we experienced the struggles, right?

[00:06:37] And I think that it's hard to know, like, if what you're doing is effective, first off.

[00:06:42] And I think it's hard to know really how to translate, like, what you're reading in the Bible or you're maybe hearing at Sunday school or whatever it may be, into practical application.

[00:06:51] And in something that it's not just like religious rules, oh, we had to go to church every Sunday and Wednesday or whatever it may be, or, oh, we had to read our Bible.

[00:07:00] But how do we teach our kids from a very young age that they can't separate their faith from who they are, right?

[00:07:06] That God is everywhere.

[00:07:07] He's our creator.

[00:07:07] And everything we do and experience is interwoven.

[00:07:10] And so that was really my heart is how do we help them understand there is no separation.

[00:07:15] And when our kids are living that faith in a day-to-day way and all of their best moments and experiences in life are so intertwined with that, then nobody can talk them out of their faith as they get older.

[00:07:26] Nobody can cause them to want to leave this loving God who they have such a personal relationship with because they see how important it is in their life.

[00:07:34] And that's really our heart's cry.

[00:07:37] Yeah, I love that because it's all about the environment we're creating at home for our kids.

[00:07:43] They get to see mom and dad loving the Lord and they follow in that way.

[00:07:47] And the word says, there's a scripture that says, train a child in the way she go when he's older, he won't depart.

[00:07:52] Maybe he'll try to go away a little bit.

[00:07:54] Maybe he'll find some other unique avenues and take its own twists and turns in life.

[00:07:59] But they always have that root that they come back to that mom and dad instilled within them.

[00:08:04] And so I'm just wondering on that note, like your journey as a mother and a ministry leader, combining those two things, how does that shape your vision for this family faith building academy?

[00:08:16] Yeah, that was actually birthed out of, like I said, that desire where I saw, how can I be more effective?

[00:08:22] I'm all about being very intentional in parenting, being intentional in discipleship.

[00:08:26] As busy moms, especially busy homeschool moms, we don't have a lot of extra time, right?

[00:08:30] And so we have to make the most of our time.

[00:08:33] And what I realized is I'm very, I like structure.

[00:08:37] I like kind of have a plan.

[00:08:38] I like to know what's ahead.

[00:08:40] And so God, I really helped me create this simple.

[00:08:43] It's a six week course that's designed, you know, very short videos and then a lot of practical printable resources and things.

[00:08:51] But to just really say, first off, what do I believe?

[00:08:53] So the Family Faith Building Academy doesn't teach like a specific belief system.

[00:08:57] It teaches you how to actually identify what do I believe about the Bible?

[00:09:01] What do I believe about God?

[00:09:02] What do I believe about all of these tenets of our faith?

[00:09:05] And how do I share that with my kids in a very practical way?

[00:09:09] And then we walk you through what is worship and how do we teach kids to live a life of worship?

[00:09:13] And how do we teach them to pray and to study the Bible?

[00:09:17] How do we teach them the everyday moments, those teachable moments that I think sometimes if we're not careful, we miss?

[00:09:23] Because all of the biblical principles we're reading about in the Word are accessible and available in our daily life, right?

[00:09:30] We're struggling with siblings.

[00:09:32] We're, you know, struggling waiting for a prayer to be answered.

[00:09:35] Whatever it may be, there's something we can tie in with what we're experiencing to make it make sense for our kids, whether they're a toddler or a teen.

[00:09:42] And so I created this resource to help you walk through that step by step and really create a roadmap for you to know where you're going and to know what your goals are and make sure that you're staying very intentionally focused on that path.

[00:09:56] So that at the end, you don't have to worry, did I do everything I could?

[00:10:01] Because you know, and teaching you how to partner with God, because I think sometimes, you know, there's, we live in a world where there's a billion resources on everything under the sun.

[00:10:09] And that information overload can actually cause us to shut down and to just not do anything.

[00:10:15] We're so overwhelmed with the chaos.

[00:10:17] And so being able to have something that's very simple and very practical that you can do in your own pace and your own way can really help you to feel confident and capable in discipling your kids.

[00:10:27] And even my family faith building community is structured that way.

[00:10:31] So we do one focus for a whole month and we have one resource you get for that month.

[00:10:36] And we have just one meetup.

[00:10:38] And so everything is designed to keep you motivated and moving forward without feeling overwhelmed.

[00:10:43] And like, you don't know what you can do.

[00:10:46] I love that.

[00:10:47] I, I think that, like you said, in this environment of everything being so fast paced in the world we live in so many options, it's hard to figure out where to start.

[00:10:59] And I know there's many moms listening to this show today that are thinking, I do want to teach my kids the word.

[00:11:05] I do want my family to be grounded around and centered around Christ.

[00:11:10] But how do I practically make that a thing?

[00:11:13] How do I integrate this into my family life?

[00:11:15] And I love that you're providing a resource that makes it practical, makes it easy.

[00:11:21] That's so important just to have those types of resources.

[00:11:24] And I think just cutting away all of the clutter and saying, okay, we're going to focus on this one thing each month makes it so easy.

[00:11:31] So that's your family faith building academy.

[00:11:35] So that's awesome.

[00:11:36] We'll leave a link for that in the show notes.

[00:11:39] And also you have a lot of books.

[00:11:41] So I want to know a little bit about your books.

[00:11:44] And I know that you have some recipes in them, some devotionals.

[00:11:48] And just share how we can use your books to help foster spiritual growth in our homeschooling.

[00:11:56] Yeah, so I have three books out right now that offer something unique to homeschooling families.

[00:12:01] The first book is Dishing Up Devotions.

[00:12:03] And that's biblical character building for our families with specific devotions designed for homeschool moms.

[00:12:09] And so that's just teaching you how to grow in biblical character traits.

[00:12:13] And my second book, Recipes for a Sweet Child, is actually your practical biblical parenting help of how do we overcome the most common childhood struggles?

[00:12:22] And what does the Bible teach us about them?

[00:12:23] So that one goes a little bit more in depth with lessons and discussion questions.

[00:12:27] And then my counseling background is used a lot in that to help give you those practical ideas.

[00:12:32] And then it's the holidays.

[00:12:33] And so my favorite thing right now is my brand new book, as you mentioned, A Merry and Bright Adventure.

[00:12:38] And it is a Christmas devotional for families.

[00:12:41] And so it is a beautiful full color book.

[00:12:46] It has got 25 devotions.

[00:12:48] And these are family style devotions.

[00:12:50] And they all start out with a little scripture.

[00:12:52] And then they have, they teach you how common holiday traditions actually got started.

[00:12:56] So a little bit of the history of them, which is always fun, I think, as homeschoolers, right, to learn a little bit about those things.

[00:13:03] And as well as how they can all actually point your family to Christ.

[00:13:06] So now, instead of seeing, you know, the commercialization of the holiday and just all of the negative things about it, imagine walking through the store and seeing Christmas trees and thinking specifically about how they point us to Jesus and how his promises are true and how they're designed as a triangle like the Trinity.

[00:13:25] They're evergreen because he's eternal.

[00:13:27] You know, there's a lot of little things that we teach you throughout the book so that as you're

[00:13:31] going throughout the holiday season, you're remembering promises and truth about Jesus, as well as what it's like to live a life for Christ.

[00:13:39] How can you be more Christ-like in your daily interactions and generous and loving those sorts of things?

[00:13:45] And so they all have a fun family activity.

[00:13:48] And as you mentioned, a recipe with what I call, it's a baking buddies conversation starter is what I call it.

[00:13:54] But it's like a little script that ties in whatever it is that you're cooking with the biblical principle you're trying to teach.

[00:14:00] So, for example, the first one, we're talking about ornaments and how they got started with Adam and Eve day and how they used to be apples and those sorts of things.

[00:14:07] And the recipe is just a simple fruit smoothie, but we're talking about how we can know the fruit of the spirit and how we're supposed to judge by the fruit and look at their lives and those sorts of things.

[00:14:19] So now when you're doing it, it's something biblical.

[00:14:21] So they're enjoying a fruit smoothie, but they're really thinking more about it.

[00:14:25] So it's fun and practical.

[00:14:26] If you are familiar with my other books, my other books are really heavy, like baking related, as I said, baking, not cooking.

[00:14:34] But this one, because even me, the baker, does not want to bake the 25 days before Christmas.

[00:14:39] And so there are some baking recipes in there, but there are also a lot of very easy, practical snacks and breakfasts and things that you're already incorporating so that it's not overwhelming.

[00:14:49] And it's designed to open and go.

[00:14:51] So whether you do one or all 25, they're woven in there for you so that it makes it fun and meaningful and memorable as you go throughout your holiday season.

[00:15:01] I just, I like the idea of making our faith so tangible for our children, where it's not just, okay, we're going to church, listen to your Sunday school lesson or your children's church minister or director, and then we go home and we live a separate life.

[00:15:18] I love how this integration of our faith and our kids, you know, and how we raise our kids is one big cohesive thing that we do as Christian families.

[00:15:29] And I like that you're making Christmas and holiday traditions and talking about the Lord, something that we do all in one.

[00:15:37] And you're making it fun because of these recipes and activities.

[00:15:41] And that's just so important when we're raising our kids because they understand mom and dad, they are excited about Jesus.

[00:15:49] They're excited about the things of God.

[00:15:51] And so I'm excited too, right?

[00:15:53] And I love that.

[00:15:55] Just thinking on that, I wanted to ask you, because there are a lot of parents that are, you know, we get worried sometimes that maybe we're not doing enough or we've got to teach our kids the math, English, the science, the social studies and all of that.

[00:16:09] But then we're also wanting to teach the Bible.

[00:16:12] And sometimes we think that's just a lot, right?

[00:16:16] And we go to church and but how do we bring that together?

[00:16:21] And there may be some overwhelm involved with this dual role of teaching and nurturing our children's faith.

[00:16:26] So what are some practical advice and tips that you have for homeschool moms who are wondering how to how to do it all?

[00:16:33] Absolutely.

[00:16:33] Well, first off, know that it's completely normal.

[00:16:35] We all struggle with this idea.

[00:16:37] And I think for me, what really helped me the most was realizing it's not about roles, right?

[00:16:43] Like, I'm not trying to take off my mom hat and put on a teacher hat.

[00:16:45] I'm not trying to take off the teacher hat and put on a disciple or hat.

[00:16:49] And so when I recognize that it's my identity, that God created me as a mother to be a teacher and a nurturer and a discipler, that that is my role and function as a mother.

[00:17:01] That kind of takes all that pressure off.

[00:17:03] And I begin to understand that every moment of my day centers around being able to incorporate these things so naturally into our daily lives.

[00:17:12] So now I'm not trying to schedule Jesus, right?

[00:17:15] Like, I'm not trying to be like, OK, we've got to get this Bible study in or we've got to do this.

[00:17:19] You know, there's days where we don't do like a sit down Bible study, but maybe we're doing the baking recipe and having this conversation or maybe we're planting in the garden and we're talking about patience and trusting God with those prayers that seem buried deep, you know?

[00:17:33] So it's teaching you ways to really more seamlessly weave that together.

[00:17:39] And then it's partnering with God.

[00:17:41] I think recognizing that we give him our offering of our life where we're taking this role of mother seriously and we're saying, God, I can't do it without you.

[00:17:50] If I did not have the Holy Spirit guiding me each and every day, if I could not ask God for wisdom, for how to help my kids, like I would not make it through.

[00:17:58] And so holding on to God's promises, you know, in James 1, 5, right?

[00:18:02] He says, if we need wisdom, ask and he'll give it to us.

[00:18:05] And so that's my heart's cry every single day.

[00:18:08] God, give me wisdom.

[00:18:09] There are no two kids alike.

[00:18:11] And so resources are incredible.

[00:18:13] But if you're not partnering with God, then you're going to miss the mark.

[00:18:16] He knows your children.

[00:18:18] He knows you.

[00:18:19] He knows what you're going to go through.

[00:18:21] He knows everything about the way he's designed all of you.

[00:18:24] And if you'll partner with him, then that pressure is off you because you just do your best and give God the rest, right?

[00:18:31] And it's not on your shoulders to save your children.

[00:18:34] It's not on your shoulders, you know, to make sure that they're like the best student in the world.

[00:18:38] It's just your job to love God and love them and serve to the best of your ability, trusting him every step of the way.

[00:18:47] Absolutely.

[00:18:48] And amen to all of that.

[00:18:49] That's awesome.

[00:18:51] That's the kind of encouragement that I think we need to hear all the time.

[00:18:56] And when you're homeschooling kids and you're a family of faith, just knowing that the pressure is off of you, that it's your job to partner with the Holy Spirit and then let him do the rest.

[00:19:08] That's so relieving.

[00:19:09] And that's doable.

[00:19:10] I think we can all do that.

[00:19:12] Absolutely.

[00:19:13] And his grace is sufficient, right?

[00:19:15] I mess up every single day, every day.

[00:19:19] My house, come over anytime.

[00:19:20] I'd love to have a cup of coffee with you.

[00:19:22] It'll be messy.

[00:19:23] Guarantee.

[00:19:23] We live in our house.

[00:19:25] And I think some of it is just taking off those stress and say, what is my priority?

[00:19:29] And asking God, God, what's my priority today?

[00:19:31] And so taking the pressures of the world off of our shoulders, I think is really important, knowing that we can trust him and we can walk it out.

[00:19:40] And we're just living this life day to day.

[00:19:41] And my kids learn more from my mistakes, right?

[00:19:44] Because they're not perfect.

[00:19:45] And if they think I'm perfect, that sets an unrealistic expectation.

[00:19:48] So humbling myself, asking for forgiveness, you know, walking out day to day, what it really looks like to live my faith is a big part of it.

[00:19:57] And I think conversation really is key.

[00:19:59] And that's why, you know, we provide discussion questions and all of those things.

[00:20:02] Because if you can learn to ask the right questions, it opens up a whole world of possibility for all of you.

[00:20:08] So yes, asking the right questions.

[00:20:11] Yes, absolutely.

[00:20:12] So I would love for you to hold up your book one more time because we get a nice glimpse of what this is.

[00:20:19] That's beautiful.

[00:20:19] I love the cover, the cookies.

[00:20:22] It's making me hungry right now.

[00:20:24] Oh, I love that.

[00:20:25] It's all throughout.

[00:20:26] It's very beautiful.

[00:20:28] Very high quality.

[00:20:29] Yeah.

[00:20:30] Yes.

[00:20:31] Okay.

[00:20:32] So how can listeners get a hold of that book for the holiday season?

[00:20:37] Yeah.

[00:20:37] So it's available everywhere.

[00:20:38] Books are sold.

[00:20:39] If you want more specific details about that or any of my resources, you can go to my website at katiejtrent.com.

[00:20:45] And we have buttons on there for whatever your favorite retailer is.

[00:20:48] But if you just look up a Mary and Bride Adventure, you'll find it everywhere.

[00:20:53] Awesome.

[00:20:53] A Mary and Bride Adventure on your website, katiejtrent.com.

[00:20:57] And that's also where they can find the membership to the Family Faith Building Academy.

[00:21:02] Yes, absolutely.

[00:21:02] And they can get 10% off Family Faith Building Academy for being a listener of your incredible podcast.

[00:21:08] So if they use the code FFBA, so Family Faith Building Academy, FFBA, that'll get them 10% off of that.

[00:21:15] And it's very affordable.

[00:21:17] It's only $30 for the course.

[00:21:19] If you want to do our VIP experience where you're getting one-on-one and group coaching, that's a little bit more.

[00:21:25] But it's very affordable so that everybody has access to it.

[00:21:28] I love that, Katie.

[00:21:30] Thank you for all of the resources you provide for faith-based families and Christian families, homeschooling families.

[00:21:37] This is awesome.

[00:21:39] I'm all about wanting to talk with individuals who love to support the family of faith.

[00:21:47] And being a homeschool family can feel isolating sometimes.

[00:21:52] And then when we have resources and we have community, it takes that edge off of it.

[00:21:57] And it just helps us to feel so comforted and supported.

[00:22:01] And so that's what you're offering.

[00:22:03] So I am inviting everyone to visit Katie at katiejtrent.com.

[00:22:08] Katie, thank you so much for being here on the show today.

[00:22:11] I had a good time talking with you and feel really encouraged.

[00:22:14] Thank you so much.

[00:22:16] It was my pleasure.

[00:22:16] I look forward to connecting with you again.

[00:22:18] Great.

[00:22:19] Thank you so much for joining me today.

[00:22:21] And I hope that you enjoyed this uplifting and insightful conversation with Katie J. Trent.

[00:22:27] We covered so much from building a strong, faithful family to practical ways to blend devotionals and homeschooling and even Katie's incredible resources.

[00:22:36] So be sure to check out all of her amazing tools and connect with her at katiejtrent.com.

[00:22:43] Before we wrap up, I just wanted to do one more reminder about my homeschool boss mama goal planner.

[00:22:48] It is on sale for Black Friday.

[00:22:49] And this is your chance to snack a practical price centered tool to help you set intentional goals and bring clarity to your homeschool days.

[00:22:57] You can grab your copy of this audio course at christianhomeschoolmoms.teachable.com.

[00:23:05] So don't wait.

[00:23:06] The sale won't last for very long.

[00:23:08] And for my fellow women creatives and entrepreneurs, I'd love to have you follow along with me on my business journey.

[00:23:15] I'm so passionate about helping women like you become confident content creators.

[00:23:21] You can find out more about what I'm up to, including my new course and my resources just for content creators over at herbusinesselevated.com.

[00:23:30] Also check out my business focused YouTube channel, and I'll leave a link for that as well in the show notes.

[00:23:36] So for those of you who are new to the podcast, you might be aware that I do have a homeschool YouTube channel.

[00:23:41] But if you're new, you might not know that I also have a business channel.

[00:23:44] And I'm starting to put a little bit more effort into uploading videos to my business channel.

[00:23:51] And I've been uploading almost every day in the past two weeks.

[00:23:55] So there's a lot more content there.

[00:23:56] If you want to learn more about solopreneur lifestyle, content creation and marketing strategies to help you build out your business as a mompreneur or solopreneur.

[00:24:07] So I'll be back in a few weeks with a special holiday episode just to encourage you to keep the faith while homeschooling through this busy season.

[00:24:17] Plus, I'll share some exciting updates about podcasting plans for this upcoming year of 2025.

[00:24:23] Once again, you can find all the resources that I've talked about today in the show notes.

[00:24:28] And this is episode 163.

[00:24:30] If you're on Apple Podcasts or if you happen to be listening to this on YouTube,

[00:24:34] I look forward to coming back in a few weeks and I can't wait to share more with you to encourage you in your homeschool journey.

[00:24:40] Happy homeschooling.