CHM164: Cultivating a Loving Faith Environment in Your Home

[00:00:11] Welcome to the Christian Homeschool Moms Podcast. I'm Demetria, your host, a veteran homeschool mom of two awesome daughters. One is a college graduate and the other is in high school. And I'm also a loving wife, a songwriter and a child of the king. And I'm really happy to be your host today. Now, before we dive into today's episode, I want to take a moment to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. If you happen to be listening to this before Christmas, Merry Christmas. And if you're listening to this afterward, I hope you have a happy new year.

[00:00:41] What a wonderful, beautiful holiday season. I really do hope so. This season has been especially meaningful for our family because we've experienced a true Christmas miracle. My husband serves in the US Navy. Some of you know that. And he's supposed to be retiring pretty soon. He's already served for 20 years, but he was deployed not too long ago and was supposed to be away in a combat zone this Christmas. But by God's grace and truly what feels like a miracle, he's home.

[00:01:11] He's home with us instead. And we're so grateful to celebrate the season together. And I hope that you and your family are experiencing God's blessings during this time as well. Needless to say, I feel very, very grateful this holiday season. And if he had gone away for this entire year, I know that God would have been with me and my girls and we would have been okay.

[00:01:32] But just having him home just allows me to see how much we really do need each other and how much I'm so grateful for his love and his support. And I'm just really, really glad that he's here with us this Christmas.

[00:01:46] I also want to direct your attention to my YouTube channel. It's called Mom's S and it's where I'll have a video up really soon where I'm going to be reviewing a new Bible.

[00:01:57] And it's a children's Bible. So I can't wait to share that with you. Now, it's not uploaded yet as of Christmas Eve.

[00:02:04] But as soon as it is, I will place the link in the show notes of this episode.

[00:02:09] And if you happen to be listening after Christmas, sometime maybe during the first week of the new year, you may see that video link available to you at that point.

[00:02:18] Also, I want to let you know that there's some exciting changes that are coming to the content for this show.

[00:02:23] And I'll be sharing more details in an upcoming episode.

[00:02:25] So if you're not already on my email list, now's the time to join it.

[00:02:30] And I do have a link for that in the show notes as well.

[00:02:33] So we're going to dive into today's topic.

[00:02:34] And today we're talking about teaching our kids the faith with love and grace.

[00:02:40] I want to share some encouragement and practical tips to help you on this journey.

[00:02:58] My first tip for you is to create a loving environment.

[00:03:01] Now, one of the most important things we can do as Christian parents is to create a home filled with love and grace.

[00:03:08] And let's remember that our kids need to feel God's love through us.

[00:03:11] And this means showing them that they're cherished no matter what.

[00:03:17] No matter what.

[00:03:19] I know it's easy to get caught up in making sure that we're teaching the Bible the right way or that we're sticking to schedules.

[00:03:25] But love is what truly makes a difference in their hearts.

[00:03:29] Now, we talked about this briefly on the last episode where I interviewed Katie J. Trent.

[00:03:33] And we spoke about what it means to kind of let go of some of that legalism and to let ourselves be free to teach our kids by just simply living life with them and letting them be a part of our faith through our everyday actions.

[00:03:48] It's not just about teaching the Bible or being legalistic.

[00:03:51] And we're going to talk about legalism in a moment, too.

[00:03:53] But creating that loving environment is what matters.

[00:03:56] Children respond to the family environment and to the atmosphere that they're placed in.

[00:04:03] Right.

[00:04:04] And we're creating that atmosphere.

[00:04:05] For example, when my husband and I were facing the uncertainty of whether he would be home for Christmas,

[00:04:10] I realized just how important it is to cherish every single moment that we have today as a family.

[00:04:17] So let's focus on making our homes a safe and a loving space in the here and the now where kids feel God's peace, even during those busy, hectic, chaotic days.

[00:04:28] And I know that's easier said than done.

[00:04:30] When life gets crazy and things are chaotic, we can't be in control of how our children react and how we react.

[00:04:39] And even there are times when we don't react the way that we should.

[00:04:43] And we can sometimes help create the negative environment in our household.

[00:04:46] But just know that we're human.

[00:04:49] We're going to make mistakes.

[00:04:50] But the thing is, is the overall picture of your family life.

[00:04:55] What does that look like?

[00:04:56] If you were looking at your family from an aerial view, what is the main theme of your family?

[00:05:01] What is the theme of what's happening in your home?

[00:05:04] Is it constant chaos?

[00:05:06] Is it constant grappling and fussing and nitpicking at each other?

[00:05:10] Or is there some form of peace and solace in your home?

[00:05:15] Are there times when everyone's together and just at peace with each other, even if not absolutely happy, that you're not tearing each other's eyes out and hair out and that you're somewhat getting along?

[00:05:32] Is there ever a time when you can say, looking from an aerial view, that your family seems to be, for the most part, okay?

[00:05:40] And if that's the case, then you have accomplished what you wanted, right?

[00:05:45] You've created a loving environment and you cannot control how your family reacts to the loving environment you create.

[00:05:52] But the thing is, are you creating that?

[00:05:54] Are you trying?

[00:05:55] Are you attempting to make your space a home where your family wants to be there, where they want to spend time?

[00:06:03] Maybe not together all the time, but they want to be in your home and it feels good to be in your home.

[00:06:09] So that's something that we have to look at as women, as the creators of our home lives.

[00:06:15] Sometimes we're creating this environment for our families and it's kind of most of the time in our vicinity, the ball is in our court.

[00:06:23] We are the ones that have to do the work to create this environment.

[00:06:26] And I know it's a lot to make happen, but we can do this not by ourselves, of course, but with the help of the Lord and with the Holy Spirit guiding us and showing us what to do.

[00:06:38] Again, we can't control the nature of our husbands, of our children, and especially our teens.

[00:06:45] And there's no way our home lives are going to look perfect.

[00:06:49] But are we creating the environment?

[00:06:51] Are we at least trying to make some family time where we can have some togetherness and you are at peace some of the time?

[00:06:59] Then that's an accomplishment.

[00:07:01] And be happy for that.

[00:07:03] Be okay with that.

[00:07:05] Because remember, as your family evolves, your children grow older, your situations will change.

[00:07:11] One day you'll be probably a grandmother.

[00:07:14] One day your children will have families of their own.

[00:07:17] And your family dynamics will change completely.

[00:07:20] And in that case, they're going to behave differently.

[00:07:22] They're going to behave like adults.

[00:07:24] And you won't have the same thing that you have in your home today.

[00:07:27] So with that said, as long as they know that home is a safe place and they can always come home with their new families that they've created,

[00:07:35] after you've launched them, you're going to feel really happy that you've laid that foundation for a safe environment,

[00:07:42] that they want to come back and visit you.

[00:07:45] So be thinking about that as your kids are young.

[00:07:47] I know it's a lot to think that far ahead if your kids are super young right now, kindergarten through fifth grade.

[00:07:54] You're probably not thinking about the teen years and launching your young adults.

[00:07:58] But being on that end of things right now, I can attest to the fact that I'm kind of in the middle right now where I haven't launched my second child.

[00:08:08] But my first is doing her thing.

[00:08:10] And she's a young adult.

[00:08:12] And I'm beginning to see how this could rapidly turn in a whole different dynamic once she finds her right person and wants to get married one day.

[00:08:21] So that may not be too far around the corner.

[00:08:24] I don't know.

[00:08:25] So we'll see how things happen.

[00:08:27] But as I'm recording these podcasts and I'm sharing these tips with you,

[00:08:31] I'm just excited to know that there's so much to this journey of parenting and it's not over at early childhood or in late childhood or in adolescent years.

[00:08:41] It continues all throughout your child's young adult years and even their middle adult years.

[00:08:46] They'll be calling you and asking for advice.

[00:08:48] So just having that space of warmth and safety is so, so important.

[00:08:54] And one of the most valuable lessons that I've learned over the years is the importance of allowing our kids to ask questions.

[00:09:01] So my second tip is to encourage questions and curiosity.

[00:09:04] If you have young kids, make sure that they feel safe to ask you anything.

[00:09:10] Questions about their faith.

[00:09:11] Don't be afraid of those questions.

[00:09:13] Sometimes the questions can feel really challenging, but they are an opportunity to help your child dig deeper in their faith.

[00:09:21] When my daughters were younger, they'd often ask a lot of why questions.

[00:09:25] Some of these questions about the Bible I couldn't answer.

[00:09:28] But I didn't, even though I didn't have the perfect answers, what mattered the most was that I made space for their curiosity.

[00:09:37] So I would say to them, you know what?

[00:09:39] I don't have the answer to that, but let's dig a little bit deeper.

[00:09:42] Give me a little bit, give me a little time to marinate on your question and I'll come back to you.

[00:09:48] We can dig into some resources together.

[00:09:50] I'll find some answers, something that I think would be appropriate to answer you.

[00:09:55] I'll get back with you.

[00:09:56] Let's pick up this conversation really, really soon when I feel more prepared to help you with this.

[00:10:03] But then there are times when we might just do a Google search of our own or we might just pick up a Bible concordance or something of that nature, depending on how we felt.

[00:10:12] Right.

[00:10:13] And if we really felt like digging deep, we would.

[00:10:16] And remember, when we welcome their questions with grace, we're teaching them that their relationship with God can grow through seeking and learning.

[00:10:25] So they are not supposed to have all the answers and we're not supposed to have all the answers.

[00:10:30] And that's why we're all children of God.

[00:10:33] We adults as well are children of God and we are constantly learning.

[00:10:38] So a lot of this has to do with humility and humbling ourselves before the Lord and before our own kids to say, hey, I'm a child of God, too.

[00:10:47] And I'm still trying to figure this out.

[00:10:49] And thank you for asking that question.

[00:10:51] That's a great question.

[00:10:52] Let's pray on it.

[00:10:53] Let's marinate on it.

[00:10:55] Let me think about it.

[00:10:56] And I may have a really good answer or at least a much better answer tomorrow than I have today.

[00:11:01] But for now, this is what I know.

[00:11:03] This is what I feel.

[00:11:04] And you can start with that.

[00:11:06] And your kids will so much appreciate your honesty and your willingness to listen to and accept their questions.

[00:11:15] My third tip for you is to prioritize relationship over rules.

[00:11:20] Oh my goodness, is that ever one of the most important things in my book?

[00:11:26] Because if you grew up with a lot of rules or if you went to a church that emphasized a lot of rules, then you may in some way be a little traumatized today.

[00:11:39] For some people, it felt like trauma.

[00:11:41] And for others, it felt like safety.

[00:11:43] It just depends on your church background and what you experienced in Christianity and in religion, in faith, growing up as a child and even as a new believer.

[00:11:54] But this one is huge.

[00:11:56] Our relationship with our children should always come before the rules.

[00:12:01] Yes, biblical principles are important.

[00:12:04] But let's not let the rules overshadow the loving bond that we're building with our kids.

[00:12:09] And I'm not saying let your kids get away with everything.

[00:12:11] But I know and I've experienced firsthand how kids respond to a heart connection.

[00:12:18] They are going to break rules.

[00:12:19] They're going to bend them.

[00:12:20] They're going to step on the rules.

[00:12:22] They're going to push your limits and look you square in the eyeballs and break a rule.

[00:12:29] Because what they're looking for is your love over and above the rule.

[00:12:34] So if you create a rule and they break the rule, they're asking, do you still love me even though I broke this rule?

[00:12:41] Sometimes they're saying, what are you going to do about it?

[00:12:44] Sometimes it really is just a matter of them being obstinate and rebellious.

[00:12:51] So you have to determine what it is.

[00:12:53] But despite what's going on in their hearts, as you're praying for your child, they still need to know that mom is going to love me through this no matter what.

[00:13:04] Now I'm going to get my punishment and I'm going to have to reap the reward or the punishment doled out to me because of my misbehavior.

[00:13:12] But mom still loves me.

[00:13:14] There is still a solid foundation of love there.

[00:13:17] And she did not unfairly punish me.

[00:13:20] And so kids need to see that they have a safety net in your heart and with your love and that their behavior does not necessarily change the way you feel about them.

[00:13:33] When we focus on walking alongside our kids rather than just correcting them all the time, they're much more open to hearing about God's love and God's truth.

[00:13:42] So remember that our role is to point them to Christ, not to create perfect little Christian checklists for them to follow.

[00:13:49] So we just want to point our children to the Lord.

[00:13:53] Fourthly, be honest about your own journey.

[00:13:56] You know, one thing I've learned is how powerful it can be to share my own faith with my kids and sometimes even a bit about my past when I need to, especially as they become teenagers or young adults.

[00:14:08] They sometimes need to hear our own stories to help them to have some type of an anchor or just something that allows them to see that mom or dad is human too, just like them.

[00:14:21] And that they have had experiences and things happen to them in their past, maybe their BC life, their before Christ life.

[00:14:29] And it's okay as they get older to share some of these things with your kids, provided the situation grants it, warrants it.

[00:14:37] And, you know, making sure that you feel comfortable with it and that they're mature enough to handle it.

[00:14:45] And maybe they actually need to hear that from you.

[00:14:47] It's not always appropriate to share everything about your past, but there are times when it might be appropriate.

[00:14:52] And also I've shared my current faith journey with my kids.

[00:14:56] They've seen me pray through tough times and to ask God for wisdom and rely on his grace when I fall short.

[00:15:03] They've seen me stretched beyond my limits.

[00:15:06] They've seen me in situations that just didn't work out well for me.

[00:15:10] And they've seen me crushed and in despair and almost in a hopeless state.

[00:15:15] They have seen me like that before.

[00:15:17] So it's okay for your kids to see you in those times in your life when you're struggling.

[00:15:22] But what I needed my girls to see me do was pray.

[00:15:26] I needed them to see that, no, I don't have the answers, but I know someone who does.

[00:15:31] And I know that Jesus is with me and he's with our family and he will take care of us.

[00:15:37] We've been through a lot the past couple of years.

[00:15:39] Things that I've not talked about publicly and will not be talking about publicly.

[00:15:43] But these are trials that have really caused our family to have to draw close to the Lord.

[00:15:49] And we've had to grow.

[00:15:51] We've had to stretch.

[00:15:52] And one thing that I have talked about is this most recent thing that has happened to our family.

[00:15:59] It was bringing my husband home safely from what could have been a year-long deployment in a combat zone.

[00:16:05] And we're just so thankful that he's here.

[00:16:08] So during that season of being away, which was no more than about a month or so,

[00:16:14] I shared with my daughters how much I had to really just lean on prayer while we waited for the news.

[00:16:20] Is he for sure leaving for a year or is he coming back or what's going to happen?

[00:16:24] But it was a reminder that faith isn't about having it all together.

[00:16:28] It's about depending on God every single step of the way.

[00:16:33] And my last tip for you is find a supportive community.

[00:16:36] I encourage you to do that a lot when it comes to homeschooling.

[00:16:39] But when it just comes to simply raising your kids and supporting your family spiritually,

[00:16:46] don't try to do this alone.

[00:16:48] You know, raising our kids in this faith is a really big calling.

[00:16:51] And we need the support of other like-minded families,

[00:16:56] whether it's your church or maybe a homeschool co-op is what you need,

[00:17:00] or even an online group.

[00:17:02] And I'll share with one with you that I've been attending recently.

[00:17:05] But having a strong community around you makes all the difference.

[00:17:09] If you can find a good community church,

[00:17:11] or if you're involved in a good church right now that supports your family,

[00:17:15] stick with it because you will need them.

[00:17:18] There are going to be times in your life that you're going to need those extra prayers,

[00:17:22] that extra loving, supportive embrace from a sister in Christ,

[00:17:28] someone who will take your hands and theirs and pray over you and pray with you.

[00:17:33] I'm so grateful for a church that does that for me right now.

[00:17:37] And I'm just overjoyed to have found this fellowship of believers

[00:17:41] that has just taken my family in and taken care of us.

[00:17:44] Especially having thought that, you know, my husband would be a way I knew

[00:17:48] that I was going to have to have that church fellowship,

[00:17:52] that family fellowship with other believers,

[00:17:55] and to be surrounded by those who love the Lord and love our family as well.

[00:18:00] And back to the online group that I was going to share with you.

[00:18:02] It's called D Group.

[00:18:03] It's a group that I may have mentioned in another episode.

[00:18:07] I don't remember if I have or not, but it's thebiblerecap.com.

[00:18:11] And I love this D Group because this fellowship has really just done a lot for me

[00:18:17] in the past six months that I've been involved in it.

[00:18:20] And the meetings are just beautiful times of fellowship with other Christian women.

[00:18:25] And we are able to just study the word together,

[00:18:29] like kind of like Bereans,

[00:18:31] just breaking the bread of God's word together in a Zoom meeting.

[00:18:34] And we are not all of the same denomination,

[00:18:38] but we are all of the same faith and we all love the Lord.

[00:18:42] And that's what's so beautiful about our time together

[00:18:45] and just gleaning off of each other's insights.

[00:18:49] And the insights have really made a difference for my spiritual walk.

[00:18:52] And it's grown me a lot.

[00:18:54] In fact, being part of this D Group was something that I didn't even know would exist for me

[00:18:59] because I didn't know what D Groups were until like maybe the middle of this past year.

[00:19:04] And I started seeking for an online fellowship that would fit my schedule

[00:19:09] because I knew I just didn't have the time to find a local group

[00:19:13] and go to their house every week, you know,

[00:19:16] and I had a very tight schedule.

[00:19:18] So I needed something that met on the weekends.

[00:19:20] And I found this one that meets,

[00:19:22] you can, there are so many different meeting times available

[00:19:25] and so many different groups that you can join from all over the world

[00:19:28] and virtual and in person.

[00:19:31] So there's a map if you're looking for something like that.

[00:19:34] I will put it in the show notes if you're looking for a D Group.

[00:19:36] But I just needed something that would be online for me personally

[00:19:40] because I just needed that flexibility in my schedule.

[00:19:43] And thankfully, this one also met on a weekend.

[00:19:45] So I loved it.

[00:19:47] And little did I know that this would be the answer

[00:19:50] to one of my long sought after prayers.

[00:19:53] I have asked the Lord to help me find a fellowship.

[00:19:57] And when I found this, it was really the answer to my prayers.

[00:20:01] Every year I do a vision board.

[00:20:04] I create this in just my little notebook that I keep

[00:20:07] and I print out pictures in Canva

[00:20:10] and I post them in my notebook.

[00:20:13] And looking back at my vision board in my notebook from last year,

[00:20:18] I realized that one of the things I had asked the Lord for

[00:20:21] was fellowship with other Christian women in Bible study.

[00:20:26] And I had this picture that I printed from Canva

[00:20:29] of women sitting around in a circle with their Bibles

[00:20:32] and their notebooks and pens.

[00:20:34] And they were studying the Bible.

[00:20:36] And I wanted this to be in my life.

[00:20:39] And I don't believe in manifestation

[00:20:41] in sort of this woo-woo new agey kind of way.

[00:20:44] But I do believe that when we pray

[00:20:46] and we ask the Lord for what we want and what we desire,

[00:20:49] He hears us.

[00:20:50] And many times because He's gracious and graceful like that,

[00:20:54] He gives us the desires of our hearts,

[00:20:57] especially when our desires are aligned with His perfect will for us.

[00:21:01] And so as I was asking Him for this group

[00:21:04] and these women, wherever they were going to come from,

[00:21:08] lo and behold, six months down the road,

[00:21:10] after I had already done some amount of searching

[00:21:13] to find this kind of group,

[00:21:15] I finally ran into D group.

[00:21:17] And I had already been listening to the Bible recap,

[00:21:19] but I don't know what was holding me back

[00:21:21] from finding the D group

[00:21:23] because it was connected to Bible recap the entire time.

[00:21:26] But when my eyes were open to this

[00:21:28] and I started to pursue it

[00:21:30] and looking for the right group,

[00:21:31] found it, registered,

[00:21:33] I was blown away.

[00:21:35] This is exactly what my heart needed.

[00:21:36] It is exactly what I had been looking for

[00:21:39] for the longest time.

[00:21:40] So I'm really, really feeling blessed by finding this.

[00:21:44] So again, I'm going to leave a link for that in the show notes

[00:21:46] in case this is something you might be looking for.

[00:21:49] Also, and just to kind of wrap things up,

[00:21:51] I'll be sharing more really soon

[00:21:53] about how I plan to continue encouraging families like yours

[00:21:58] in the upcoming year.

[00:22:00] So stay tuned for that.

[00:22:01] I do have some changes that will be happening

[00:22:04] because I realize that my calling

[00:22:06] is so much bigger than homeschooling.

[00:22:09] And I love ministering to the homeschool families,

[00:22:12] but there are so many moms out here

[00:22:15] and women that are looking for

[00:22:17] just the heart-to-heart kind of Bible study

[00:22:20] and fellowship and encouraging each other in the faith.

[00:22:24] And so I'm kind of like maybe moving in that direction,

[00:22:27] also maybe moving more so in the direction

[00:22:29] of focusing on one or two specific things

[00:22:34] regarding homeschooling

[00:22:35] that I might like to really put my energy into in 2025.

[00:22:39] So that will be happening soon.

[00:22:42] And all my ducks are not in a row.

[00:22:45] I don't have it all figured out.

[00:22:46] But as I put one foot in front of the other,

[00:22:49] one step at a time,

[00:22:50] I know that the Lord will direct my steps

[00:22:53] regarding Christian Homeschool Moms blog and podcast

[00:22:56] and YouTube, which is MomZest.

[00:22:58] I have been doing this for 10 years.

[00:23:01] And I'm just at a point now

[00:23:03] where I'm ready to see what the Lord's next steps are

[00:23:07] as we are on the next phase of our own journey as a family.

[00:23:11] And that said, I'm not going anywhere.

[00:23:13] So stay tuned.

[00:23:15] Don't tune out.

[00:23:16] And let's see what God is going to do.

[00:23:19] Also, if you're not on the email list yet,

[00:23:21] be sure to sign up so that you don't miss out on the updates.

[00:23:25] I will be emailing periodically.

[00:23:27] Some of you have already received my email

[00:23:30] for my Christmas newsletter.

[00:23:32] So thank you for being a part of my mailing list.

[00:23:35] And lastly, I just have two more announcements.

[00:23:37] One is that I just want to thank everybody

[00:23:39] who's been on the show this past year.

[00:23:41] You have been such a blessing

[00:23:42] to the Christian Homeschool Moms community.

[00:23:44] Thank you to Crystal Simon, math tutor, Katie J. Trent,

[00:23:48] where we talked about faith, family, and holiday fun.

[00:23:51] Thank you so much to Bria Davis,

[00:23:53] who gave us an encouraging mompreneur chat.

[00:23:56] Also Leanne Mancini,

[00:23:58] where we talked about homeschooling with a Christian purpose.

[00:24:00] Nicole Kennedy Green and I talked about

[00:24:03] finding your homeschool community.

[00:24:05] And so I've had some fun interviews

[00:24:07] and I talked about a lot of things this year

[00:24:10] as we went through our own personal ups and downs

[00:24:13] in our family, but it's been a great year.

[00:24:15] And I'm so glad that you're listening.

[00:24:18] Another thing that I want to share really briefly,

[00:24:20] in addition to this podcast,

[00:24:21] some of you already know

[00:24:22] that I run the Her Business Elevated podcast.

[00:24:25] I'm doing a lot over there

[00:24:27] at my business website, podcast, and YouTube channel.

[00:24:30] So I do have a separate whole brand going on over there.

[00:24:33] If you happen to be a woman

[00:24:35] who is looking for support with your solopreneur journey,

[00:24:39] I would love to invite you to come on over,

[00:24:42] visit me over there.

[00:24:43] I'm going to leave a link to herbusinesselevated.com

[00:24:45] and visit me at that YouTube channel.

[00:24:48] It's different than my mom's zest.

[00:24:49] And this one is called Demetria Zinga, my name,

[00:24:52] Solopreneur Lifestyle.

[00:24:53] So you can find that easily just by typing that in YouTube,

[00:24:56] or I will again leave a link in the show notes.

[00:24:58] And I've been uploading there a lot.

[00:25:01] So you'll see a lot of videos there

[00:25:03] and a lot of interaction going on there

[00:25:05] because that's where I'm kind of placing some of my energy

[00:25:08] for the upcoming year.

[00:25:10] I have courses there.

[00:25:12] I have coaching.

[00:25:13] I have all kinds of things happening for women,

[00:25:16] solopreneurs, solo entrepreneurs and mompreneurs.

[00:25:19] Those of you who are really wanting to get your products out there,

[00:25:23] want to start your content.

[00:25:24] So I am a content strategist.

[00:25:27] I will help you with your podcasting endeavors,

[00:25:29] your blogging, your SEO,

[00:25:32] all the stuff that goes along with being a content creator.

[00:25:35] And it's something that I'm deeply passionate about right now.

[00:25:38] So you can find all of those links in today's show notes,

[00:25:43] in addition to what we've talked about,

[00:25:45] encouraging you as a homeschool mom.

[00:25:47] And I can't wait to come back after the new year.

[00:25:50] So happy new year.

[00:25:51] I can't believe it's the end of 2024, but it is.

[00:25:54] And we're welcoming in 2025 and all that God has in store for us.

[00:26:00] Thank you so much for listening.

[00:26:02] May the Lord God bless you deeply.

[00:26:04] And remember God is with you in this journey

[00:26:07] and he equips you for the calling of raising your kids to know him.

[00:26:12] Have a wonderful Christmas.

[00:26:13] I'll see you back here in the new year.

[00:26:14] Don't forget to check out MomZest for that Bible review in a few weeks.

[00:26:18] And I'll link everything I mentioned in the show notes.

[00:26:20] Take care and may the Lord bless you.

[00:26:22] Happy homeschooling.