Latest / 5–Minute Parenting: Tips to Help You Raise Competent, Godly Kids. / Exciting Updates with Award-Winning Author, Sandra Kay Chambers (and former host of 5-Minute Parenting)

Transcript

Exciting Updates with Award-Winning Author, Sandra Kay Chambers (and former host of 5-Minute Parenting) · 5–Minute Parenting: Tips to Help You Raise Competent, Godly Kids.

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to another episode of the Five Minute Parenting Podcast.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_01: I'm your host, Karen Ferguson, wife, mom, grandmom, and children's book author with a background in K-8 education and a passion for equipping parents to raise confident and God-confident kids.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_01: In this podcast, we'll cover parenting practices from both a practical view and a biblical view.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_01: Our goal is to help you raise kids with a positive, godly self-image so they can become all they were created to be.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_01: I know you're busy, so we'll keep it short.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_01: Let's take just five minutes and dive in.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome back to Five Minute Parenting, tips to help you raise competent and God-confident kids.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_01: Today we have Sandra Chambers back on the show, the original founder and host of Five Minute Parenting.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_01: We'll be catching up to hear what Sandra has been doing since she last hosted this podcast.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_01: She's had some exciting changes in her life.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_01: In case you haven't met Sandra, she's a wife, mother, grandmother, children's author, and former teacher with a master's degree in learning disabilities.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_01: And she was the host of this podcast for two years.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_01: Sandra, it's great to have you back on the show.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Karen.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: It's just exciting to be back.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_01: So glad to have you here.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_01: So tell us, what have you been doing since you last hosted this podcast?
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: Well, first of all, Karen, I want to just say what a blessing it's been to see you take over the five-minute parenting podcast.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: And you just run with it, and it's been so tremendous.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: Oh thank you.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: So although I knew it was time for me to let go of the podcast, I just wasn't sure what would happen to it.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: Probably just shut down, but I prayed about it and I was so blessed when you showed an interest in taking it over.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: And I recently saw the podcast has a total of at least probably more now, 5,000 downloads.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: So it's just what a blessing.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: You know, God just takes care of things, and He had you lined up, and I'm just thrilled that you've taken it over.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Sandra.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_01: It means a lot.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_01: It's been a blessing.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_01: I've I've been having a blast, and it definitely was a God thing in God's timing.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm very grateful.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I the reason I let go of the podcast, one of the reasons, I was ready to downsize my life in several areas for a couple reasons.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: First of all, I became a grandmother or a nana in our family.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: And my grandson was born last February, so he's seven months old now.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, I always heard how amazing being a grandparent is, but didn't really understand that till Connor was born.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm sure you understand that with your grandkids.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, there's just no words to express the inner feelings of love you have for a grandchild.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: And um, the Bible in Proverbs 17, 6 says, Grandchildren are the crown of the age.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: So I am enjoying wearing that crown.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: And it's it's just great to see my daughter uh also become a mother and Sean become a father.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it just really changes your focus from you to someone else, and they are great parents.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um, also read this quote once that I think is great.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: Being a grandparent is watching your legacy birth in front of you.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: So it's just been really fun.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: And this another reason I decided to downsize, let go of the podcast, and just try to rest for a while was that I I needed more time.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um I was just tired from having already done two books in the last two years.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: So I just um I wanted some more time away from tech and all of that.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, I just wanted to, I published two books, my fingerprint devotions, in 2023, and Maisie discovers her fingerprints in 2024.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: And so I just wanted to focus more on marketing, the two books I already had.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: And I am doing kind of a new adventure for me.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: I'm starting this fall to do Christian school and homeschool visits to presentation to do presentations about my books.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, that's wonderful.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: I have one lined up with the homeschool group that meets at our church.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: Um, they wanted they wanted people to come and speak on careers, so I'll speak about being an author and then hopefully also do a presentation to the kids either before or after that.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: So that's great.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_01: Then also Oh, yes, go ahead.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: No, go ahead.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_01: What were you gonna say?
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_01: You're still doing some travel writing as well, it sounds like.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, I still write for Legion Airlines.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: I have written for them for I don't know, maybe 10 years.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, it's just fun to write the travel stories.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: I've always enjoyed that.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm still doing that, like maybe one they're on board for three months, so you know, it's only four years.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: So yes, I really do enjoy that.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: But um another thing I wanted to keep focusing on was getting donations to continue to support Seven Homes, which is a North Carolina Christian foster and adoption agency.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: And for the last two summers, um, they have Christian foster camps each summer, one for girls and one for boys.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: And I've been able to supply the fingerprint devotions to them so that each child has a personal copy and they use them for their devotions at camp.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: So that's just wonderful.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I had a company like donate 25 books, and then some readers have donated books, and I've donated books, and I want to keep that going if they still want that book.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: So I want them to ask your audience that you know, if they knew a church group or an organization who might like to donate a book or books, um, there's a direct link on Amazon to purchase the book, and it's only$11.99, and they send it directly to Seven Homes.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: So I'll give you that link if you would put it in your your show notes.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, we sure will.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: That's great.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: And I really was thinking of I was gonna retire from writing or, but not because I don't love to write, but it's more the marketing and the tech, it's just hard to keep up with.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: Um in fact, I have some some some books I've written, but you know, I just I they've just been sitting there.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: So I do have a few books that I have not submitted, and you asked me about a new picture book I was doing.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: So what happened?
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: Congratulations.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: What happened is um I had I emailed the CEO of Ambassador International to ask a question.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't know, out of the blue, I said, no, I have a picture book that I really would like published, and could I send you my proposal?
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: And he said yes.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: And so, you know, I heard back uh a few days later and he said, We we will publish this.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: And it's like after I after I hung up, I thought, what have I done?
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: I did.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: I actually, I mean, it must have been God because it was like, wow, I I wasn't gonna do this again.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: But anyway, I'm excited because um it's a book that really means something to our family.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: It's dear to my heart.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: Because while it's fiction, kind of like Maisie discovers her fingerprints, there's a family connection to it.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: And um, the idea came from some events in my real family.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: And the book actually won a Foundation Award, which is a pre-published award at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: I think that was in 2020 during COVID, but I just haven't done anything with it since.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: So that's the book.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: It's called Nana's Piano.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: And the main characters are my mom, who loved to play the piano, and my daughter Sarah.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: And its themes are multi-generational, the power of music to bring joy to our hearts, and also Sarah learning that sharing blesses both us and the receiver.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: So that's kind of the overview of the book.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um, just a brief couple sentences from the book.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: Sarah loves to hear her grandmother play the piano, it made her heart sing and her feet dance, and that's a repetitive phrase in the book.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: But when our grandmother has to move to a nursing home, Sarah is sad because her grandmother can't take her piano with her.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: And Sarah doesn't want anyone else to have Nana's piano.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_00: So Sarah's heart won't sing and her feet won't dance, and you'll just have to wait for the book to find out what happens next.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: So hopefully it'll be published sometime in 2026, maybe spring, possibly before Christmas.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: That's what we're hoping for.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: But oh that's not sure right now.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, God's timing is is perfect, right?
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_01: And so obviously, it this was meant to come out in this season.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I just I can't wait to see it.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_01: Um thank you.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, so we will uh make note of that as well in the show notes and yeah, just keep us posted.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_01: We look forward to to seeing when that comes out and to be able to support that.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_01: So that is exciting, Sandra.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_01: Well, before we close, is there anything else?
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_01: I want to say one more thing.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: I'm excited about your new book, too.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: Oh we have a third book.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for the yes, that's why God made the rainbow, the third book in the Questions for Kids series.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: I think I may like that one the best, even.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_01: It's really neat.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_01: So and I agree, you know.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_01: I I did a recent um guest blog post, and that was the one of the questions they asked.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_01: And this is my favorite by far.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_01: So it's just exciting to see each one come out.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_01: And like you say, you're on your third children's book, and then you have a self-published book as well.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_01: Is that right?
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_01: On prayer.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: I did back in 2014 when I knew nothing about publishing.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_01: I have one of those two, yes.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um we learn a lot in this in this uh industry, don't we?
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: Don't we?
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: Oh man.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_01: Well, Sandra, it's been so good to hear about what's going on in your life and just to have you back.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um, is there anything else you'd like to share with listeners before we close?
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I I know this has been on a lot of Christians' minds since seeing the Charlie Kirk memorial.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: It was just, I don't know, it was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen on TV.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: And it surely declared the gospel.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: And um, it went away around the world, so probably I mean millions of people saw it.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: But um, there was something that happened one night after very close to seeing the memorial, which we broke up into parts to watch.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: But sometimes God wakes me up at night and tells me something, and sometimes it's just a word because I don't have a long memory or a few words, and that night he said, fan the flame.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: And I thought, what does that mean, God?
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_00: And the next day I was praying about, thinking about, and he said, the first way to do that, because I believe that the fire of revival has been started, and God wants us to fan the flame, and that means prayers for our college students and churches across the nation to stand bolder for Christ, and second, for us to overcome complacency and rise above that and do what God has called us to do right where we are.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_00: So it's just I don't know, that's definitely one of my goals this year.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_00: Draw closer to God, fan that flame of fire, pray more.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um, that was just an amazing thing to see and hear, and to see that she actually um Erica Kirk forgave the killer.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, if that isn't Christianity in in real life, yeah, it's it was amazing.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_01: That is the power of God's love and grace, you know, giving her the ability to do that.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_01: I was so touched by that.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_01: And yes, I've been watching it in parts too, and I love that fan the flame.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_01: Because you're right, revival is here, I believe.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_01: And so we just need to do our part.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um, that's it, that's a good message and a good reminder, Sandra.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_01: Well, again, thank you so much for being here.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_01: Come back anytime.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_01: We love to have you.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe you can host sometime again as well.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but thank you for for being here today, Sandra.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_01: And listeners, thank you for joining us.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_01: Be sure to check the show notes for links to Sandra's website where you'll find her books.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you can sign up.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I should ask you, Sandra, do you have are you still doing an active newsletter?
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: I am.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um, in fact, I'm about ready to send out a fall newsletter in the next couple of weeks.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_01: And there's links right on your website to sign up for that.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I'm gonna mention I have lots of freebies too for my books that parents can download, like just fun sheets for kids to do.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_01: Great.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_01: Well, yes, listeners, be sure to check those show notes for links to her newsletter, uh, to her freebies and books, and also to that Amazon link that will support seven homes.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and uh yeah, just we want to stay in touch with all the exciting things going on in Sandra's life.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_01: And then, listeners, be sure to come back next week for another episode of Five Minute Parenting.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_01: Until then, have a blessed week.