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Back-To-School Anchors- From the Archives · Equipped for Impact

• 0:00
  Nate: Hello, everybody, and welcome to this week's episode of Equipped for Impact.
• 0:06
  Nate: We're glad you're joining us, and it is that back to school season.
• 0:10
  Nate: So we decided to go back into the archives to actually our first episode of season two, and it's a back to school episode, and it was just so good we felt like we needed to just re-air this as it was.
• 0:26
  Nate: I'm sure you guys will get a lot out of it, and it's gonna be helpful to all of you as you are getting your kids ready for back to school.
• 0:33
  Nate: So, Lewis and I are prepping here at our school where we serve Ready for Back to School.
• 0:39
  Nate: And so we're releasing this for you guys, and we're gonna kick off season three next week.
• 0:44
  Nate: So make sure you subscribe and share this with other parents who may find it useful.
• 0:50
  Nate: And I hope you all enjoy.
• 0:52
  Nate: If you've got some back to school tips or you want to tell us how great Mr.
• 0:56
  Nate: Penn pens are, go ahead and send us an email at podcast at WayneChristian.org.
• 1:01
  Nate: And we'll see you in season three next week.
• 1:12
  Nate: Welcome to Equipped for Impact, the podcast designed to assist Christian parents, leaders, and educators to raise up the next generation, to stand firm in their faith, and influence their world for Christ.
• 1:24
  Nate: We're your hosts.
• 1:25
  Nate: I'm Nate.
• 1:26
  Nate: And I'm Lewis.
• 1:27
  Nate: So let's get started.
• 1:30
  Nate: And welcome back, everybody, to season two.
• 1:33
  Nate: We're back after summer.
• 1:34
  Nate: We've made it through.
• 1:36
  Nate: Well, almost.
• 1:37
  Nate: It's still summer for us.
• 1:38
  Nate: By the time you're listening to it, it's it's probably not.
• 1:41
  Nate: But uh, it's time for that magical moment parents love and kids, well, probably just tolerate, right?
• 1:48
  Nate: And that's back to school.
• 1:49
  Nate: So, Lewis, have you finished your back to school supply shopping yet?
• 1:53
  Nate: We we have started it, and I think there's a few things that we still have to get.
• 1:58
  Nate: So, are you like a Walmart back to school shopper or are you an Amazon?
• 2:02
  Nate: What do you do?
• 2:03
  Luis: We're kind of at a weird stage in our life.
• 2:05
  Luis: So we we do Walmart, we do Target, but now our girls are at that stage where where they want to look on Amazon and see and see.
• 2:13
  Luis: And so we we went to Target a few weeks ago and got some stuff, and then it was like, but I don't want to get my pens from Target.
• 2:22
  Luis: And I was like, what do you mean?
• 2:23
  Luis: You don't want to get like their pins, aren't they?
• 2:26
  Luis: Special thing.
• 2:26
  Luis: You got a special pen you want?
• 2:28
  Luis: And so and so and so my daughters wanted to get their pens from Amazon.
• 2:31
  Luis: Uh and cheap plug here, right?
• 2:33
  Luis: So this is that commercial, like maybe they'll sponsor us one day, but like Mr.
• 2:36
  Luis: Pen.
• 2:37
  Luis: Like like I really like Mr.
• 2:38
  Luis: Pen pens and highlighters.
• 2:40
  Luis: Okay.
• 2:40
  Luis: And so my daughters have gotten turned on to Mr.
• 2:42
  Luis: Pen pens and highlighters.
• 2:43
  Luis: And so that's discipleship right there.
• 2:45
  Luis: Yes, yes.
• 2:46
  Luis: And so and so Amazon has them.
• 2:48
  Luis: I mean, you can go to the Mr.
• 2:49
  Luis: Pen website and get them too, but I think they found some on Amazon.
• 2:52
  Luis: So we're like at that weird stage where it's like some Walmart, some some Amazon, some some Target.
• 2:58
  Nate: Okay, excellent.
• 2:59
  Nate: How about you?
• 3:00
  Nate: Have you guys full on Walmart?
• 3:01
  Nate: We have not gone yet, but we have it scheduled.
• 3:03
  Luis: Yeah.
• 3:04
  Nate: We're gonna go and knock it all out in one big trip, yeah, and then we're done.
• 3:08
  Nate: That's it.
• 3:08
  Luis: Isn't it crazy that you have to schedule it?
• 3:09
  Luis: Because we because we scheduled ours too.
• 3:11
  Luis: Like our girls are like, when are we going to school supplies off and when are we going to school supplies?
• 3:14
  Luis: And then finally it was like, we're gonna go on Tuesday, July 22nd or whatever it was.
• 3:22
  Luis: Yeah, but like that was the day.
• 3:24
  Luis: Like it's gonna happen.
• 3:25
  Luis: And so we went and had dinner.
• 3:26
  Luis: We actually went to Gardner, so we went to Garner, we had dinner in Gardner, and then it was like a whole outing.
• 3:31
  Luis: Yeah, I mean, it was it was a long time.
• 3:34
  Luis: And it's crazy because like you know, my daughter's I've got a freshman in high school, and I've got a sixth grader.
• 3:40
  Luis: And so like school supplies are are expensive.
• 3:43
  Luis: Yeah, they're I mean, I mean, I was like, wow, I don't man, it's it's crazy how expensive they've gotten.
• 3:48
  Nate: It's true, yeah, yeah.
• 3:49
  Nate: And notebook paper.
• 3:50
  Nate: I remember you could get notebook like a pack of notebook paper for like 10 cents.
• 3:54
  Nate: Good in back to school time.
• 3:55
  Nate: Yeah.
• 3:55
  Nate: And then it was like, now they're what, it's like fifty or seventy-five to a dollar twenty, something like that.
• 4:01
  Nate: I don't know.
• 4:01
  Nate: Which that's also the other thing is the Dollar Tree.
• 4:04
  Nate: Yeah.
• 4:04
  Nate: Things aren't a dollar anymore.
• 4:06
  Nate: We sound really old.
• 4:08
  Luis: We are.
• 4:09
  Nate: We are.
• 4:11
  Nate: To the middle schoolers, I'm old.
• 4:12
  Luis: I'll be 40 this year.
• 4:14
  Nate: Oh, look at that.
• 4:15
  Nate: Look at that, a big one.
• 4:16
  Nate: Well, enough of the uh banter here.
• 4:20
  Nate: Let's talk about this back to school season.
• 4:22
  Nate: So let me just pitch that to you, Lewis.
• 4:25
  Nate: Like, we're here back to school.
• 4:27
  Nate: What like why does this matter?
• 4:29
  Nate: And what should we parents be thinking about in this kind of phase of the year?
• 4:35
  Luis: Well, you know, when when you talk about starting the school year, right, you guys have probably heard the old cliche saying, you know, start strong, you know, or you know, start out like you can hold out.
• 4:45
  Luis: And and the truth is that that there's a lot of truth even in those cliche statements, right?
• 4:49
  Luis: Because the first few weeks of school, they're gonna set the tone for the entire year.
• 4:54
  Luis: Habits form fast, and and we as parents, right, we're we're not just trying to help our kids past their classes, but but we're trying to help them grow and disciple them and and help them become more like Jesus.
• 5:07
  Luis: And so whatever rhythms you set now, spiritual, relational, practical, they're gonna carry through the rest of the year.
• 5:14
  Luis: And you know, the summer is that time where bedtimes may be later, routines may may get out of you know, habits, and so, and so this is kind of a time to reset.
• 5:27
  Luis: We actually, so as of August 1st, we've kind of for the last few years that becomes kind of our let's start getting ready back mentally and physically for school.
• 5:35
  Luis: Oh, yeah.
• 5:35
  Luis: So we reinstitute bedtime and we start going to bed a little bit earlier.
• 5:39
  Luis: I mean, it's still they still get to stay up a little bit later because school hasn't started completely yet.
• 5:42
  Nate: Yep.
• 5:42
  Luis: But we m start instituting like bedtimes again and reminding them of those of those routines.
• 5:49
  Luis: And and here's the thing, right, parents, if if you want to set study, faith, and church rhythms, you've you've got to start now because because if you wait until October, then that means that you're already behind.
• 6:04
  Luis: Um I found this really interesting quote from Dallas Willard, and and and I I'm just gonna paraphrase it, but the idea is that discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if he were you.
• 6:16
  Luis: And so, parents, what are we doing now to help our children understand that process, right?
• 6:22
  Luis: Like the Holy Spirit resides in them, right?
• 6:25
  Luis: I mean, that's what the Bible tells us, and so they they are becoming image bearers of Christ, and so discipleship is that process of becoming who Jesus would be if if he were you, and and we have this great way to to really frame the school year as a discipleship opportunity for the whole year, and not just really about the academics, but the whole nature of the child.
• 6:47
  Nate: Yeah, and I I love that because, well, our last episode, way back at the end of last school year, was actually a summer reading list.
• 6:54
  Nate: So Dallas Willard, he's got his book, Renovation of the Heart, um, which is a great book on spiritual, spiritual formation and and growth and all of that.
• 7:01
  Nate: It's a pretty it's an older read.
• 7:03
  Nate: Uh it's a dense read.
• 7:04
  Nate: So if you're looking for something like that, that's a that's a good one there.
• 7:08
  Nate: But I also love, like we've talked about James Smith's You Are What You Love and that book and his whole idea of just the rhythms that you establish really direct your heart in the in the direction that you know it's going to go.
• 7:21
  Nate: And so you can either just let the culture set those rhythms or you can intentionally set those rhythms in a way that will point your heart and your your child's heart in the direction it should go.
• 7:33
  Nate: And so school year, you know, it's kind of like January 1st for some people, you know, it's that new kickoff, you know, of just kind of a new season.
• 7:41
  Nate: And so that's a time of like, okay, what are the rhythms we're gonna set as a family this year?
• 7:46
  Nate: And so I really like that.
• 7:47
  Nate: Of this season is okay, let's take a minute, you know, here at the beginning of August.
• 7:52
  Nate: What are we gonna do as a family to say what what are our priorities and and what really are those anchors that are gonna, you know, anchor our family through this next school year?
• 8:03
  Luis: And and when you think about it, right, like everything starts back in August, September, right?
• 8:08
  Luis: Yep.
• 8:08
  Luis: So if if your kids play sports, you know, it starts back in August.
• 8:12
  Luis: If your kids are involved in in dance or extracurricular, like gymnastics, karate, yep, it it runs on the on the typical school year.
• 8:19
  Luis: And so you're not just starting school back, but you're starting the routines that are going to set the schedule for the year.
• 8:27
  Nate: Yep.
• 8:28
  Nate: So what we've got today is the really three, we're gonna call them parent plays.
• 8:32
  Nate: So these are three plays you can put in place this school year to really set those rhythms and help disciple your children.
• 8:40
  Nate: So that first one we kind of already hinted at, that's the to set those anchors.
• 8:44
  Nate: So what are those anchors gonna be for your family, you know, moving into this school year?
• 8:53
  Nate: So, you know, the we're not saying obviously your teenager has to wake up at 5 a.m.
• 8:57
  Nate: and read, you know, through the book of Leviticus because they're doing a read the Bible in a year plan.
• 9:02
  Nate: Like that's that's not gonna work.
• 9:03
  Nate: But but what are some things that should be anchors for families early in the school year?
• 9:09
  Luis: Let me just say though that if your kid wakes up at 5 a.m.
• 9:12
  Luis: and that's their plan to read Leviticus, please email us podcast at WayneChristian.org.
• 9:18
  Luis: Let us know how that works out because I would be curious.
• 9:21
  Nate: Um course I saw one place that somebody was saying they were gonna get in shape, and that was one of their goals, and then they read Leviticus where it says the fat belongs to the Lord, and so they just gave up on that goal.
• 9:31
  Luis: They just gave up because they wanted to belong to the Lord.
• 9:34
  Nate: You know, uh that was a Bible joke and a dad joke.
• 9:38
  Nate: Like it's just it's too good to pass up.
• 9:40
  Luis: If your quiet time involves Leviticus, you are more spiritual than me.
• 9:46
  Luis: But I think it goes back to some of the things we've said in the past, and and and if you're if this is the first time you've ever listened to an episode, I'd encourage you to go back, listen to season one.
• 9:55
  Luis: There's some good stuff.
• 9:56
  Luis: Yep.
• 9:56
  Luis: But I think it just starts with are you making time for short moaning uh morning devotions?
• 10:01
  Luis: Yeah, even just two to three minutes, nothing complicated.
• 10:05
  Luis: I have one that I do, it's called The Navigators, and it's like a little five-minute devotion.
• 10:11
  Luis: And so maybe having your kid just do a short mo uh morning devotion, maybe it's just as simple as as praying with them before they leave, or maybe on the ride to school, maybe over breakfast at normal breakfast time, right?
• 10:27
  Luis: Because that's when we eat breakfast.
• 10:28
  Luis: Yep.
• 10:28
  Luis: Or not after 10:30.
• 10:30
  Luis: Not after 10 30, right?
• 10:31
  Luis: Well, because you're already at school, right?
• 10:32
  Luis: So yeah.
• 10:33
  Luis: So and so uh or really whatever works for your family.
• 10:36
  Luis: I mean, every family is different.
• 10:38
  Luis: And look, don't do what we're telling you to do because you think somehow we're super spiritual and we've got it figured out.
• 10:46
  Luis: Like, find find the routine that that's gonna work for you and your family, and maybe even let them see you reading the Bible.
• 10:55
  Luis: Yep.
• 10:56
  Luis: Or you praying, because kids are gonna notice that kind of stuff and and they pay attention to what you're doing, and so you may not think it has an impact.
• 11:04
  Luis: Now, I remember you shared the story in one of the episodes about your mom and the way she would leave her Bible, and you knew because you'd had her coffee cup.
• 11:11
  Luis: You might you could hear the spoon stirring the coffee every morning.
• 11:15
  Luis: All of that influenced you, and so because I do drink coffee while I have my quiet time.
• 11:20
  Luis: Yeah, yeah.
• 11:21
  Luis: It's important.
• 11:21
  Luis: Are you a coffee drinker?
• 11:22
  Nate: I am a coffee drinker.
• 11:23
  Luis: Is that about you?
• 11:23
  Luis: I don't think.
• 11:24
  Nate: Yep.
• 11:24
  Nate: Coffee and I do eat breakfast for dinner.
• 11:27
  Nate: But usually it would have to be decaf coffee if it's going with breakfast for dinner.
• 11:31
  Nate: So it's too late for caffeine.
• 11:32
  Luis: Too late.
• 11:32
  Luis: So see, all sorts of crazy rules that you have to follow if you eat breakfast right because it messes you up.
• 11:37
  Luis: Yeah, I'm not a coffee drinker, but you know, I guess whatever floats your boat right.
• 11:43
  Nate: Yeah, and that'll help uh but but having these anchors, right?
• 11:46
  Nate: And and it's the routines, it's the rhythms, whatever is important, just find what works for you and and be intentional about it.
• 11:53
  Nate: And don't be afraid to mix it up, right?
• 11:55
  Nate: Just because you might be late to this, maybe you're listening to this in October, November.
• 12:00
  Nate: It's okay.
• 12:00
  Nate: You see, just admit that something's not working and find a new rhythm and routine.
• 12:05
  Nate: The the main thing is that you're intentional about it and and you set those priorities instead of letting the culture or your schedule set your priorities.
• 12:15
  Nate: It's a classic, you know, don't let the tail wag the dog situation.
• 12:19
  Nate: So that's the first one.
• 12:20
  Nate: Find those anchors and set them early if you can.
• 12:24
  Nate: The second one is really thinking about things starting back up again.
• 12:28
  Nate: Yeah.
• 12:29
  Nate: And that's youth groups.
• 12:30
  Nate: So make youth group or your kids' ministry uh a non-negotiable, make that a priority in your family's life.
• 12:37
  Nate: Like what does that look like for a family and getting back into uh a youth ministry at their church?
• 12:41
  Luis: You know, for a lot of our churches, they they take the summer off when it comes to their normal routine, right?
• 12:48
  Luis: So my church, we start up, I think it's the Wednesday after Labor Day.
• 12:52
  Luis: Okay.
• 12:52
  Luis: Um, and that's kind of like, you know, that's kind of like this, like the season of our midweek services.
• 12:57
  Luis: And so we take off Memorial Day through Labor Day, and then in September we start back up with our midweek.
• 13:04
  Luis: And so, and so whatever your church does, if it's if they take off the summer and then they start, they start back up.
• 13:09
  Luis: If it's Wednesday night, if it's Sunday night, if it's another night during during the week, it's you've got to realize that it's not an activity that you're trying to fit in.
• 13:18
  Luis: Like it has to become the lifeline of your teenager's faith.
• 13:22
  Luis: It's got to become the lifeline of your preteen or your child, and and even you as a parent, right?
• 13:29
  Luis: Because if it's just seen as something that you do when it's convenient, then you're never gonna do it, right?
• 13:35
  Luis: Right.
• 13:35
  Luis: It has to become a a priority for you and your family.
• 13:40
  Luis: And we talk about why it matters.
• 13:42
  Luis: Well, because there's friendships that form in church that can sustain your child.
• 13:48
  Luis: You know, I think about just some just some kids that I've known over the course of my time in ministry.
• 13:55
  Luis: Some of the best friendships that were formed were formed in youth group.
• 13:58
  Luis: And these might have been kids who maybe weren't very popular in their school.
• 14:02
  Luis: Maybe they even got picked on or bullied just because of the nature of their school.
• 14:06
  Luis: But youth group became an escape because they got to be around people that loved them, that helped them, that mentored them.
• 14:13
  Luis: And so, and so parents, you they can form these friendships, they can develop relationships where they're being mentored, and it g also gives them a safe place to to wrestle with real questions, right?
• 14:25
  Luis: And so again, they may be encountering things that the culture is feeding them that they don't know how to ask or who to ask, and being involved in a youth group, being involved in in in an Iwana Club or a word of life group or whatever your church does gives them an opportunity to have that.
• 14:45
  Nate: Yep.
• 14:45
  Nate: And I think that's that's one of the biggest things for me.
• 14:48
  Nate: Like I I always wanted multiple adults saying the same thing I was, you know, to my children.
• 14:56
  Nate: And I even when I was a youth pastor, I I wanted multiple adults saying the same thing I was and the the parents were to the children in my youth group, you know, because we would go to camps and we would bring in guest speakers and we'd have multiple adult leaders, and it was like the more voices saying the same thing, it's more likely that the message will get through.
• 15:16
  Nate: Right.
• 15:16
  Nate: And so as a parent, it's the same thing.
• 15:18
  Nate: You know, Sunday school teacher, youth leader, teacher at a Christian school, myself, you know, I want all of these voices all echoing the same thing together.
• 15:28
  Nate: And so that's a that's a great chance.
• 15:30
  Nate: And if if it's a a good church and a good youth group, good good children's group, things like that, they're also going to incorporate places for your child, your teenager, to learn to serve and exercise their gifts in a a low stakes environment.
• 15:45
  Nate: You know, if it's the first time they're getting up and doing a lesson in front of younger kids than they are.
• 15:51
  Nate: Like the you don't want that to be, you know, when they're 20, 25 and they've never done it before.
• 15:57
  Nate: Like if they get reps in in a low-stakes environment when they're a teenager, like that can just have a so much, it's that compound interest, you know.
• 16:06
  Nate: The earlier as you start, the better it'll be for them.
• 16:09
  Nate: They can then have a lifelong of service that they develop because they were learning those skills as a teenager.
• 16:16
  Luis: And and and we see it as a long-term investment, right?
• 16:18
  Luis: So attending now is that long-term investment in their spiritual walk.
• 16:24
  Luis: And and it's gonna make an impact.
• 16:26
  Luis: Lifeweight did a research back probably about eight years ago, and what they found is that students who are actively involved in their church during high school are more likely, twice as likely, to stay engaged in their faith after graduation.
• 16:39
  Luis: And it's not about attending, but it's about serving, right?
• 16:43
  Nate: Actively involved, yep.
• 16:44
  Luis: Yep, and so you know, parents, the way that that you can help with this is treat it like you would another extracurricular activity, right?
• 16:52
  Luis: So your kid isn't gonna miss a game, they might not miss practice, and you're not gonna let them skip those things.
• 16:58
  Luis: And so, and so why do we do it with with church?
• 17:02
  Luis: Offer to drive their friends, like like make it an outing for them and their friend group.
• 17:07
  Luis: So, so maybe, maybe their friends' school doesn't have a, I'm sorry, their friend's church doesn't have a midweek service, yep, and yours does, then then then make it your calling, your mission to make your call this this rolling youth ministry where you're picking up three or four kids.
• 17:23
  Luis: I can tell you that youth pastors out there are gonna love the mom that shows up with the minivan that has like six kids like that just fall out of it.
• 17:30
  Luis: Yep, there you go.
• 17:31
  Luis: I'm at this weird stage right now where where I'm actually gonna be leading the teens at our church.
• 17:35
  Luis: No, okay.
• 17:36
  Luis: And so, you know, I'm I'm I'm a little bit nervous and excited, right?
• 17:40
  Luis: So I've got that nerf-sided kind of thing going on.
• 17:42
  Luis: Oh, there you go.
• 17:43
  Luis: Because it's probably been, wow, like 15 years since I was last a youth pastor at a church or or or leading teens.
• 17:50
  Luis: And so I I have the opportunity to do that.
• 17:52
  Luis: And so, look, I'll be honest with you, like, mom, dad, like if you show up in a seven-passenger minivan like seven teenagers, with seven teenagers, like, like, I mean, like, I'm gonna love it.
• 18:03
  Luis: Like, you know, I'm I'm gonna be excited.
• 18:04
  Luis: And so, and so just just find ways to do that, and then the you know, ask what they've learned afterward.
• 18:12
  Luis: Um, not in an interrogative way, right?
• 18:14
  Luis: But but uh to understand like what stood out to you tonight.
• 18:18
  Luis: One of the things that I ask my girls anytime that they're involved in a lesson is what did you get out of today's message?
• 18:24
  Luis: And they, you know, typical teenagers like, I don't know, right?
• 18:28
  Luis: But but probe deeper.
• 18:29
  Luis: Yep.
• 18:30
  Nate: If you're a youth pastor, pro tip, if you're a youth pastor listening to this, is have a way that you communicate with those parents.
• 18:36
  Nate: Like I know this is kind of off topic for us, but but have a way where you can give the parents a heads up so that they know what you've talked about, so that when they have those conversations, they're deeper, right?
• 18:47
  Nate: And parents like if if your youth pastor doesn't do that, ask.
• 18:52
  Nate: I'm sure they would love to tell you those things, even if they're not actively like taking that first step.
• 18:58
  Nate: Like just ask them and they will tell you though it hopefully they've got a plan and they can share that and and you're like i in the know so that when the kid says, Oh, I don't know, or you can be like, Well, wasn't it something about David and Goliath?
• 19:10
  Nate: Yeah.
• 19:11
  Nate: Oh, how'd you know that?
• 19:12
  Nate: You know, and busted, right?
• 19:13
  Nate: Busted.
• 19:13
  Nate: That's exactly right.
• 19:15
  Nate: So that's a that's a good one.
• 19:16
  Nate: You know, another way that you can also help your your kids really get excited about youth group and be ensure that they're there is if you volunteer to help in the youth group.
• 19:28
  Nate: Now, there's different ways.
• 19:29
  Nate: Like, how do your kids feel about you leading the teens?
• 19:33
  Luis: I don't know.
• 19:34
  Luis: You know, I think I think my youngest is probably excited.
• 19:37
  Luis: Yeah, because she's you know, my oldest uh hasn't seen me in in that role ever.
• 19:42
  Luis: My youngest, because I've I've done stuff with like the younger children in our church, so I I've done some of her like some of her classes, so I think she's a little bit excited.
• 19:50
  Luis: My oldest one is like, uh, I don't know.
• 19:52
  Nate: Like she's also starting high school, so that's a different phase, right?
• 19:56
  Nate: Some parents are like that.
• 19:57
  Nate: Like some kids are like, absolutely not, I don't want my parent in the room, and then some are like, that's awesome.
• 20:02
  Nate: Like my parents are there and they can hang out, and then it's not any extra stress because they're right there.
• 20:07
  Nate: Yep.
• 20:07
  Luis: And the truth is that your kid is gonna enjoy youth group midweek service more if you're engaged with it too.
• 20:15
  Nate: Yep, that's exactly right.
• 20:16
  Luis: Just make it a whole family thing.
• 20:17
  Nate: Yep, that's right.
• 20:18
  Nate: So with all of those things, so we've got setting those anchors, we've got specifically that youth group, getting back into things at church.
• 20:25
  Nate: Number three, we would say, is just find a balance where you can balance school, faith, and life.
• 20:33
  Nate: And really, like I've heard different takes on this, and some people love the word balance, some people hate the word balance and would prefer like find the right tension or whatever.
• 20:41
  Nate: But like, think about like a tightrope walker.
• 20:44
  Nate: If you've ever watched somebody do that, maybe at the circus or whatever, like they never like stand straight right in the middle while they're going across the tightrope, right?
• 20:53
  Nate: They're constantly shifting back and forth to try and maintain balance.
• 20:57
  Nate: And that's really what life is like.
• 20:58
  Nate: Like we understand that analogy.
• 21:00
  Nate: Like, there's gonna be times, you know, school is gonna be, it's a little closer to exams, it's gonna be a little bit heavier.
• 21:05
  Nate: Sports maybe, you know, church is in a heavy season where it's camps and VBS or whatever.
• 21:10
  Nate: Like your balance is gonna shift a little bit, but it's gonna be constantly going back and forth.
• 21:15
  Nate: And if you go too far to one side, you're gonna fall off that typerope.
• 21:19
  Nate: So we've got to find that balance as parents for our family between school, church, sports, all the different activities we have going on.
• 21:28
  Nate: Like, what does it look like for our family so that school doesn't take over, right?
• 21:32
  Nate: Or sports don't take over our schedule.
• 21:35
  Nate: Again, don't let the tail wag the dog.
• 21:36
  Nate: Right.
• 21:37
  Luis: We actually did an episode on that, right?
• 21:38
  Luis: We did.
• 21:38
  Luis: Way back in spring.
• 21:40
  Luis: And so if you get a chance to go back and and listen to that, it's this idea of you setting setting your your calendar.
• 21:49
  Luis: Yep.
• 21:49
  Luis: And a few of the things that we talked about there is helping your children learn to say no to some things, right?
• 21:54
  Luis: That's exactly right.
• 21:55
  Luis: Like in our family, my youngest daughter, she plays softball, she plays And she used to want to do gymnastics or tumbling.
• 22:03
  Luis: And so we had to learn to say no to that because we were we were so she had to choose, right?
• 22:08
  Luis: And so she chose basketball.
• 22:09
  Luis: She chose Tumbling, is that just like falling with style?
• 22:12
  Luis: Yeah, like falling with style and rolling.
• 22:17
  Luis: That's right.
• 22:18
  Luis: Yep.
• 22:18
  Luis: And so was it flying that was falling with style?
• 22:22
  Luis: And then my oldest, you guys know, so she plays travel soccer and it's a pretty competitive league.
• 22:27
  Luis: And she gets asked all the time like to play, like to run cross-country for our school.
• 22:32
  Luis: She gets asked to play basketball for our school.
• 22:34
  Luis: And and thankfully, she's been disciplined enough to know like my priority is this.
• 22:39
  Luis: And so like this is the thing I'm gonna do.
• 22:41
  Luis: Like, I don't want to do another thing that's gonna make me busy because I don't want to have to choose between cross-country and soccer.
• 22:47
  Luis: Like I would rather just choose soccer now and not be put in a situation where I have to decide between a school basketball game and a travel basketball, you know, soccer game or whatever.
• 22:58
  Luis: And so help them to learn to say no to things and then build in one night of week of of rest, right?
• 23:04
  Luis: Yep.
• 23:05
  Luis: No homework, no phones, just family.
• 23:07
  Luis: I know you've taught about your Saturdays, right?
• 23:09
  Nate: Yeah, we've talked about that.
• 23:10
  Nate: And so that's episode 11, keeping Christ to the center during busy times.
• 23:14
  Nate: If you want to go back and listen to that one.
• 23:15
  Nate: But yeah, we we do that.
• 23:16
  Nate: You know, it's like this is our time.
• 23:18
  Nate: It actually starts Friday night in through through to Saturday.
• 23:21
  Nate: And it's, you know, not that we're I'm still mowing the grass, obviously, because when else am I gonna do it?
• 23:26
  Nate: But like that's our time.
• 23:28
  Nate: You know, we're we're gonna protect that family time.
• 23:30
  Luis: Unless you get somebody to do it for you.
• 23:31
  Nate: Unless I get somebody to do it for me.
• 23:33
  Nate: But I like mowing grass.
• 23:34
  Nate: Like I enjoy it.
• 23:35
  Nate: Yeah.
• 23:35
  Nate: Except for right now, it's like the grass, I have to mow it like three times a week to stay on top of it.
• 23:39
  Nate: So I had a parent.
• 23:40
  Nate: We're not doing that.
• 23:41
  Luis: I had a parent that I ran into about a week ago, and they mentioned to me, we were having a conversation, and they the topic of cutting grass came up, and they said Except you don't cut grass, right?
• 23:51
  Luis: And and because we were talking about the podcast and and what they listened to, and I was like, hmm, that was a moment where you knew like you've arrived, right?
• 24:00
  Luis: Here you've got a a parent that listens to the podcast who's referencing the fact that like I don't cut my own grass.
• 24:06
  Nate: I do.
• 24:06
  Nate: He does not.
• 24:07
  Nate: Also, I eat breakfast for dinner.
• 24:10
  Nate: Oh, and I did not.
• 24:11
  Nate: After cutting the grass.
• 24:12
  Nate: So, you know, those things, I think there's a correlation there.
• 24:15
  Nate: There may be a correlation.
• 24:16
  Nate: Anyway.
• 24:17
  Nate: But the I would say the last thing, not only of having that day of rest, but also making sure we've already talked about our you know, youth group, kids service, whatever, but Sunday worship.
• 24:26
  Nate: And again, we've talked about that, especially we hit it on episode 11, but making sure that that Sunday time with your church family, right, the body of Christ, coming together, you know, not forsaking the assembly of yourselves together.
• 24:38
  Nate: Don't abandon them.
• 24:39
  Nate: Yes.
• 24:40
  Nate: You know, church is important.
• 24:41
  Nate: So get with your church family, worship together, learn together, grow together, no matter what else you have going on.
• 24:49
  Luis: And and let me just say something about that, right?
• 24:51
  Luis: You know, Sunday is the traditional day of worship, but if your church has a Saturday service, you know, like we're not, we're not, we're not dogmatic about saying, like, don't be creative in how you worship, right?
• 25:02
  Luis: Like our churches traditionally have Sunday service.
• 25:05
  Luis: So that's why we're saying Sunday.
• 25:06
  Luis: So don't feel like, oh, well, you know, I work on Sundays, so we, you know, I'm like I'm already playing from behind.
• 25:13
  Luis: No.
• 25:13
  Luis: Like, if your church offers a Sunday night service and you can go to Sunday night service, then make that a priority.
• 25:19
  Luis: If you're if if if you work on Sundays and your church has service on Saturday, or maybe maybe you you're in a situation where you're in a split home, right?
• 25:28
  Luis: And so, and so like your child's not with you every Sunday, and like don't let the enemy defeat you by you thinking, like, oh, I can't do that, so I'm not good, so I'm not gonna do any of it.
• 25:39
  Luis: Right.
• 25:39
  Luis: No, like some is better than none.
• 25:41
  Luis: Yes, right.
• 25:41
  Luis: And so, and so where you can make it a priority, and so I say that, you know, speaking from like experience, right?
• 25:47
  Luis: Because sometimes we're out of town because again, my daughter plays a pretty competitive travel soccer, and so we may not be able to be there Sunday morning, but we make a commitment that if we're not there Sunday morning, then we're gonna be there Wednesday, right?
• 25:59
  Luis: Like, or if if we're not gonna be there Sunday morning, we find a way to worship together as a family or even corporately with some of our soccer team folks on Sunday night or Sunday as part of it.
• 26:09
  Luis: And so, and so man, like don't get discouraged and feel like oh I can't do that, so I'm not gonna do any of it.
• 26:17
  Luis: No, like God wants what you can give him, even if that is just a little, but but don't give up, don't let the enemy defeat you and say, Oh, you didn't go to Sunday morning worship, yeah, so you're a terrible Christian, you're a terrible parent.
• 26:31
  Luis: Nope, that's not how it works.
• 26:33
  Luis: You can still be committed to being involved some way, somehow.
• 26:38
  Nate: That's right.
• 26:39
  Nate: So let's end with with some encouragement here, right?
• 26:41
  Nate: We we talked about these three things and and just kind of being intentional and setting those routines.
• 26:46
  Nate: But just remember, parents, it's not your job to make your kid love Jesus, right?
• 26:51
  Nate: You can't make them love Jesus.
• 26:53
  Nate: But what you can do is keep putting them in places where they see Him clearly, they see Him working in your life, and like they say, more is caught than taught.
• 27:03
  Nate: And they will they will catch on to that and they will fall in love with Jesus as they go through these routines and the Holy Spirit works in their heart.
• 27:12
  Luis: And don't underestimate the power of consistency, right?
• 27:15
  Luis: Even when you think they're not listening, even when you think they're not paying attention, you're planting the seeds that God will use later.
• 27:22
  Luis: You know, dad just to encourage the dads that might be listening, right now, especially if you have teenagers, you you may be the dumbest person that they know, right?
• 27:31
  Luis: Like we don't know anything.
• 27:32
  Luis: But man, like 10, 15, 20 years from now, when their parents that advice you gave them, that consistency that you that you showed, it's gonna come back around.
• 27:42
  Nate: Yep, that's right.
• 27:43
  Nate: And so parents, let's just pick one of these things we talked about, right?
• 27:47
  Nate: Pick a routine, a morning prayer routine, a Bible reading routine, something.
• 27:51
  Nate: Make that commitment to to youth group or the the kids service.
• 27:55
  Nate: Find that intentional family time.
• 27:57
  Nate: Make make one thing, right?
• 27:59
  Nate: One change that you can start this week to really start those rhythms and and build those habits in your family's life.
• 28:07
  Nate: Any last words, Lewis, as we we launch this this school year together?
• 28:12
  Luis: Parents, don't don't just send your kid back to school.
• 28:15
  Luis: No.
• 28:16
  Luis: Launch them.
• 28:17
  Luis: Launch them into a new year where their faith is growing, where their friendships are gonna deepen, and where they're gonna learn to walk closer with Jesus.
• 28:28
  Nate: So I hope you all enjoyed that episode from the archives.
• 28:32
  Nate: That was episode 19.
• 28:34
  Nate: It was our back to school episode this past school year, and it was in season two kicking us off a new season.
• 28:41
  Nate: So I hope you guys uh make sure you hit subscribe so that you don't miss our next episode where we kick off season three next year.
• 28:50
  Nate: It's hard to believe.
• 28:51
  Nate: We've been doing this for three school years, or this is our third school year doing this.
• 28:56
  Nate: So uh we'll be back with you in person with fresh new content next week.
• 29:01
  Nate: So make sure you subscribe.
• 29:02
  Nate: And even if you know you've heard this one before, this was a great one that you can share with another parent who needs it as well.
• 29:09
  Nate: But until then, keep leading the next generation to stand firm in their faith and influence the world for Christ.