Latest / The Midlife Momma Podcast - Empty nest mom, Parenting adult children, Midlife transition, Christian mom / 233. Will My College Student Keep Their Faith? with Author Paul Worcester
Transcript
- 0:02[SPEAKER_01]: Christian parenting.
- 0:08[SPEAKER_01]: Hey mama, I'm Pamela Hinkelman, certified emptiness coach and you're listening to the mid-life Mama podcast.
- 0:14[SPEAKER_01]: This show is for Christian moms navigating the emptiness, learning how to let go with grace, set healthy boundaries, reconnected marriage, and step confidently into their God-given purpose.
- 0:26[SPEAKER_01]: Each week I'll coach you through this season with faith-filled encouragement,
- 0:30[SPEAKER_01]: on his conversations and practical tools that you can apply right away to your relationships and your life.
- 0:36[SPEAKER_01]: If this episode encourages you, I'd be grateful if you leave a quick rating and review.
- 0:41[SPEAKER_01]: It helps other moms find the support they need.
- 0:44[SPEAKER_01]: You'll find the link in the show notes and make sure you're following the podcast and let's get started.
- 0:50[SPEAKER_01]: If you're getting ready to drop your child off that college or you've already watched them drive away, you know this season comes with a mix of excitement, pride, and more than a little worry.
- 1:00[SPEAKER_01]: One of the biggest questions Christian moms carry is will my child hold on to their faith when they're on their own?
- 1:06[SPEAKER_01]: Today I'm joined by author Paul Wooster to talk about how we can encourage our college students to build a faith that becomes their own.
- 1:14[SPEAKER_01]: Paul has spent over 20 years to Cycling College students.
- 1:18[SPEAKER_01]: He's an experienced author speaker and disciple maker.
- 1:21[SPEAKER_01]: We'll discuss the challenges students face, the habits that help them grow spiritually, and how moms can continue to be a steady,
- 1:30[SPEAKER_01]: without trying to control the outcome.
- 1:32[SPEAKER_01]: I think this conversation is going to bring you both practical wisdom and a whole lot of hope.
- 1:37[SPEAKER_01]: Paul, thank you for reminding us that while our roles as mom changes, God's role never does.
- 1:43[SPEAKER_01]: He loves our children even more than we do, and he is faithful to pursue them wherever they are.
- 1:49[SPEAKER_01]: Welcome, Paul.
- 1:50[SPEAKER_00]: Thanks.
- 1:51[SPEAKER_00]: I'm great to be here, and hey, you said my name right, so that was a point.
- 1:58[SPEAKER_01]: Paul, I would love you to tell my listeners a little about your ministry and what your summer looks like.
- 2:05[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, so my life was transformed in college through a college ministry, and I'll love to share more about that.
- 2:11[SPEAKER_00]: But I was at University of Oklahoma, and that was when my life was changed, but I moved with my wife.
- 2:18[SPEAKER_00]: We moved to Chico, California, which is a New Orleans, California.
- 2:22[SPEAKER_00]: We let a college ministry for many years there, and saw the God just doing incredible things at
- 2:35[SPEAKER_00]: You know, then to be one of the top party schools in the nation, but we saw about a thousand students come to faith in Christ during the 10 years that we were there.
- 2:43[SPEAKER_00]: That was just amazing to see God move.
- 2:46[SPEAKER_00]: And then, more recently, I moved to Hawaii, which long story there, but it really helps my wife's back.
- 2:52[SPEAKER_00]: She has a bad back, a chronic back issues.
- 2:55[SPEAKER_00]: And then I work for North American Mission Board, where I focus on equipping collegiate leaders.
- 3:01[SPEAKER_00]: So I lead coaching network for college ministry leaders.
- 3:05[SPEAKER_00]: And then I speak to college students around the nation at conferences and events.
- 3:10[SPEAKER_00]: And then do one day trainings for leaders.
- 3:12[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm traveling all over the nation and equipping leaders.
- 3:16[SPEAKER_00]: And then I have a few podcasts as well.
- 3:19[SPEAKER_00]: One with Shane Prue, called the Jinsend Podcast.
- 3:22[SPEAKER_00]: and yeah, so that's what I do.
- 3:24[SPEAKER_00]: I, and then I write books and just get to encourage college ministry leaders and students, if though I love what we get to do.
- 3:31[SPEAKER_00]: And then I can go jump in the water and serve for cost is three when I'm done.
- 3:35[SPEAKER_01]: What a lot of life, sign me up.
- 3:39[SPEAKER_01]: I am such a heart for college ministry, I think because as our years pastoring, we had always supported college ministry.
- 3:47[SPEAKER_01]: One of our churches was close to the college campus, our youngest daughter is a college pastor.
- 3:52[SPEAKER_01]: So I just, I think this is so important.
- 3:55[SPEAKER_01]: And here's what we know.
- 3:57[SPEAKER_01]: Many moms are terrified that college will be where their child walks away from their faith.
- 4:02[SPEAKER_01]: Paul, I want to know, is that fear justified in what would you say to a mom who's carrying
- 4:09[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, there is, there is, is something to be prayerful about and to, because the statistics do show that many students walk away during college and so it is something I wouldn't say it's wise to be fearful about it and to approach it from that angle.
- 4:25[SPEAKER_00]: We want to always win everything in our lives.
- 4:28[SPEAKER_00]: It's something that precious is our own children to look at them with eyes of faith and to pray in faith,
- 4:39[SPEAKER_00]: But there are some things that we can do to build and reverse engineer them and help them become the most strong resilient disciples that they possibly can be.
- 4:50[SPEAKER_00]: And then at that point we got to trust the Lord that he's going to guide them.
- 4:53[SPEAKER_00]: He's going to lead them.
- 4:54[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, that's something that I always encourage parents to think about, and youth leaders as well, is think about yourself when you went off the college or when you graduated from high school, what do you wish you had already instilled in your life?
- 5:09[SPEAKER_00]: to help you thrive during that season of life.
- 5:13[SPEAKER_00]: And I look back in my own life, I wish I had a more disciplined, personal, devotional life.
- 5:19[SPEAKER_00]: I grew up in church.
- 5:21[SPEAKER_00]: I had some amazing, godly parents that taught me great values and I love my childhood.
- 5:27[SPEAKER_00]: It was so great.
- 5:28[SPEAKER_00]: My dad's a church planner.
- 5:29[SPEAKER_00]: So we went around.
- 5:30[SPEAKER_00]: We moved all over the world literally, planting churches.
- 5:33[SPEAKER_00]: We lived in Russia, Northern California, Texas,
- 5:39[SPEAKER_00]: I got the experience God moving all over the world.
- 5:42[SPEAKER_00]: So I had a genuine relationship with the Lord, but I had not really had a discipline devotional life where I read the word every day, prayed, and I didn't have a lot of systems.
- 5:53[SPEAKER_00]: I wish that a youth leader or my parents sat me down and showed me exactly how
- 5:59[SPEAKER_00]: They didn't just teach me.
- 6:00[SPEAKER_00]: I wish someone had trained me to feed myself.
- 6:04[SPEAKER_00]: So there's a difference between teaching and training.
- 6:08[SPEAKER_00]: So teaching you can do to the masses, you can do to a group.
- 6:11[SPEAKER_00]: And the lot of times that includes motivation, but training is the how to the why.
- 6:17[SPEAKER_00]: And that's what I was seriously lacking stepping on to college.
- 6:20[SPEAKER_00]: So I had this kind of tension where I was, that's the first chapter in this book, Thrive,
- 6:26[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, I'm conflicted to confident it and I was very conflicted.
- 6:30[SPEAKER_00]: I was kind of in one moment.
- 6:32[SPEAKER_00]: I was through going to a Bible study getting encouraged.
- 6:35[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, from it I was dipping my toe in the waters into sand.
- 6:38[SPEAKER_00]: There were it was available on campus.
- 6:41[SPEAKER_00]: And so this whole first semester I was kind of like in these two worlds.
- 6:45[SPEAKER_00]: By the grace of God, God got hold of me and I was able to just step fully into following Christ.
- 6:51[SPEAKER_00]: through the ministry of a college ministry and getting personally disciples.
- 6:55[SPEAKER_00]: So that's a long answer, but man, that's the things that's been on my heart about it.
- 7:00[SPEAKER_01]: And that's really important.
- 7:02[SPEAKER_01]: Wow, this...
- 7:04[SPEAKER_01]: that knowing that our young adults have their own systems for connecting with God and ways to do it, that's not just a little read your devotional, but what does that actually look like?
- 7:15[SPEAKER_01]: Good.
- 7:16[SPEAKER_01]: So as parents, we've spent 18 years teaching our kids about Jesus, but once they're on campus, how does our role change?
- 7:24[SPEAKER_01]: And what does healthy spiritual influence look like from a distance?
- 7:28[SPEAKER_01]: Because honestly,
- 7:30[SPEAKER_01]: moms who are listening to my podcast now are terrified.
- 7:32[SPEAKER_01]: They're going to be like, oh no, I think into that.
- 7:35[SPEAKER_01]: I didn't sit down with my child and give them a system.
- 7:38[SPEAKER_01]: So how can we help?
- 7:39[SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to help her now.
- 7:40[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, there's this isn't just the compound answer, but really prayer is the it's the greatest thing we can do for someone that we love and and really a Paffirous in it in Colossians, there's this guy named a Paffirous.
- 7:52[SPEAKER_00]: He's a little known Bible character, but it's Paul talks about a Paffirous.
- 7:56[SPEAKER_00]: He said he's always wrestling for you in prayer.
- 8:00[SPEAKER_00]: He's always wrestling for you in prayer So that you may stand mature and fully quit and so
- 8:06[SPEAKER_00]: There's this guy that's just pops up a couple times in the New Testament, but Paul said Paul talks about him how he's always wrestling for you and prayer.
- 8:14[SPEAKER_00]: And so that's something that we want to do for our own kids is make sure that we're fasting, praying, asking the Lord and even getting together with other moms or your small group and really making that a concerted effort.
- 8:28[SPEAKER_00]: So people even call that the Holy Ghost hit list.
- 8:35[SPEAKER_00]: the Lord to move in their lives and that that can be powerful and then also just encouraging them helping them put them into the right situations if they want to go on a mission trip make it easy for them.
- 8:49[SPEAKER_00]: My family I wanted to go on a mission trip over the summer to Africa and we were struggling financially and they were tempted to tell me, you know you need to go home and you get a part-time job over the
- 9:03[SPEAKER_00]: this experience of my son going to Africa for the whole summer to share the gospel with people on another college campus.
- 9:11[SPEAKER_01]: The whole summer, why?
- 9:13[SPEAKER_00]: It was a bit, maybe the whole summer in Africa going to order a door doing evangelism.
- 9:17[SPEAKER_00]: My name is by life.
- 9:19[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
- 9:20[SPEAKER_00]: It gave me such a vision, but my my parents, they told me later,
- 9:24[SPEAKER_00]: Man, we were like, we thought you're going to go back home and get a part-time job, but as we thought about it, we thought this is a priority, is for him to get that experience.
- 9:34[SPEAKER_00]: So we want to make sure we prioritize the kingdom, Matthew 633, seek first the kingdom of God, and all these other things of the given to you as well.
- 9:42[SPEAKER_00]: So there's some ways that you can set up your students for success and encouraging them to visit the College of Ministry or to go on mission trips if they are a part of it.
- 9:51[SPEAKER_00]: you don't want to be a barrier in any way to their growth and so just encouraging be a cheerleader for them to plug in to church and to a good college minister.
- 10:00[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that's awesome.
- 10:01[SPEAKER_01]: I really think that's the key right there, but we'll talk about that more in a little bit.
- 10:06[SPEAKER_01]: Hey mama, if your house feels too quiet and your heart feels too heavy after launching your child, I've created the guide just for you.
- 10:15[SPEAKER_01]: It's called journaling through
- 10:18[SPEAKER_01]: A gentle, faith-filled resource to help you process the deep of motions of letting go.
- 10:24[SPEAKER_01]: Inside, you'll find six reflection questions that will help you name your feelings, invite God into the grief and experience His comfort in the middle of change.
- 10:34[SPEAKER_01]: Remember, transitional grief is only a season and God is leading you toward peace, purpose, and joy.
- 10:42[SPEAKER_01]: You can grab your free copy at the link in the show notes.
- 10:45[SPEAKER_01]: Now, let's get back to our conversation.
- 10:48[SPEAKER_01]: So I want to know, in your work with college students, what are the biggest challenges to their faith during those first few months away from home?
- 10:58[SPEAKER_00]: And I talked about this already, but this idea of being conflicted and kind of this this tension of who they once were in their high school years and we always joke hey don't wear your letterman jacket
- 11:22[SPEAKER_00]: And there is this kind of underlying current in college culture of performance of being accepted.
- 11:30[SPEAKER_00]: I think that's the driving motivation underneath college life is to be accepted and perform and really to be loved.
- 11:39[SPEAKER_00]: So that's why I start the book with from conflicted to content.
- 11:44[SPEAKER_00]: really helping them see their identity in Christ, Ephesians 3, that man, the love of Christ is far beyond anything we could ask or think or imagine.
- 11:54[SPEAKER_00]: It's the height and depth and we're praying that our students understand that and then anxiety is huge.
- 12:01[SPEAKER_00]: Actually let's talk about that.
- 12:04[SPEAKER_00]: Anxiety is massive and especially since COVID, I've been doing calls ministry, like I said for about 20 years, but since COVID, the levels of anxiety, social anxiety, depression, addiction to pornography, all these things are at.
- 12:21[SPEAKER_00]: astronomical levels.
- 12:22[SPEAKER_00]: You almost have to assume that every student walking into our college ministry has all that, they're almost like an internal jangled up mess of anxiety, addiction, depression, and socially, they're not at the same level that they used to be.
- 12:39[SPEAKER_00]: And so you almost have to start with square one and help them connect with others in a thin thick wet.
- 12:45[SPEAKER_00]: help them through anxiety.
- 12:47[SPEAKER_00]: That's a big one is helping them understand how to process that, the importance of prayer and relying on the sovereignty of God.
- 12:54[SPEAKER_00]: And so that's one of the chapters we talk about and thrive is from anxiety to peace and really helping people grow in their sanctification.
- 13:02[SPEAKER_00]: There's not like a quick fix.
- 13:05[SPEAKER_00]: therapeutic.
- 13:06[SPEAKER_00]: The book doesn't take a therapeutic approach.
- 13:08[SPEAKER_00]: It's more of a long-term sanctification view.
- 13:12[SPEAKER_00]: A lot of these issues will work themselves out over time as you mature spiritually and as you mature as an adult.
- 13:20[SPEAKER_00]: So we're kind of helping them see that
- 13:23[SPEAKER_00]: the light at the end of the tunnel on a lot of these issues is that there's hope.
- 13:27[SPEAKER_00]: It may be a process of learning to face your fears and to step into those awkward conversations and to get new situations and to a lot of students they do grow out of the a lot of these things as they are in a good biblical community.
- 13:43[SPEAKER_00]: and has their growing in Christ.
- 13:46[SPEAKER_00]: But we're pointing them back to this lifelong process of sanctification.
- 13:50[SPEAKER_00]: Probably if I could find the whole boat thrive in one word besides thrive.
- 13:56[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it's sanctification, but I didn't think I'd sell many books.
- 14:00[SPEAKER_00]: That didn't seem very fun.
- 14:02[SPEAKER_00]: What is the idea of this lifelong journey for pursuing this closer relationship with the Lord?
- 14:10[SPEAKER_00]: And God transforming your heart and growing.
- 14:12[SPEAKER_00]: And it's like the Pilgrim's progress.
- 14:15[SPEAKER_00]: You read that book.
- 14:16[SPEAKER_00]: The great allegory of like this journey.
- 14:18[SPEAKER_00]: towards growing in Christ.
- 14:21[SPEAKER_00]: And that's really the picture I'm trying to pay in this is, hey, dig into community, dig into the word, and trust that God has got to grow you to the place where you can get real traction in your walk with God.
- 14:34[SPEAKER_00]: And over time, you're going to have a life that you came and imagine right now.
- 14:40[SPEAKER_00]: Proverbs it talks about the light, those that follow Christ, it's like a light of dawn
- 14:48[SPEAKER_00]: And so many of these students are walking into a cave of darkness and repentance is turning around coming to Christ is turning around.
- 14:56[SPEAKER_00]: And you just see a little glimmer of light at the they're like in a cave and they see the light and the more you walk closer to the Christ, the more and more light you start to see.
- 15:05[SPEAKER_00]: And so that's a picture we want to paint for them.
- 15:07[SPEAKER_00]: It's helping them see that man, the light of Christ is like the light shining in the dawn and brighter until the full day.
- 15:16[SPEAKER_01]: I love that.
- 15:17[SPEAKER_01]: So in a sense, if a mom knows that most college students, even those who came from the church, will struggle with social anxiety or just regular anxiety, they will likely have some addiction trouble.
- 15:33[SPEAKER_01]: You hear this all the time.
- 15:35[SPEAKER_01]: Young people say, oh, that's so awkward.
- 15:37[SPEAKER_01]: It's just so awkward.
- 15:39[SPEAKER_00]: It's like, young people forgot how to just the function.
- 15:41[SPEAKER_01]: What people?
- 15:43[SPEAKER_01]: I'm like, I don't remember my generation ever saying, oh, look, we'll look rude.
- 15:47[SPEAKER_01]: Maybe once in a while, but very strange.
- 15:49[SPEAKER_01]: And so if a mom knows that she knows how to pray, and then a mom can know and understand that this growth of their child, it's just all about sanctification, and then just asking the Lord to do that work in a safe space.
- 16:05[SPEAKER_01]: But we got to pray that they get to the safe space first, right?
- 16:09[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, yes, I totally agree.
- 16:11[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
- 16:12[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and that's something I'm really passionate about is this idea and I know there's many moms listening that have teenagers that are heading off to college I want to really recommend and challenge everyone to make the hand off just like on a relay race is to think about how can you as a parent
- 16:29[SPEAKER_00]: connect with great college pastors, great churches, and leaders, and even other students that are thriving in college because there are there.
- 16:38[SPEAKER_00]: Otherwise don't send your students to a college where there's no good Christian, Christian, and that's actually why I ended up going to University of Oklahoma.
- 16:47[SPEAKER_00]: was because my parents knew that there was a great Baptist collegiate ministry that are, and they actually took us on a vision trip, and we slept in the dorms with some student that were part of the leadership of the Baptist collegiate ministry, and then we got to meet with other staff.
- 17:04[SPEAKER_00]: We even got to go on the spring break trip of our senior year of high school.
- 17:09[SPEAKER_00]: We went on the college ministries, spring break trip, with all the colors.
- 17:13[SPEAKER_00]: It's how many's prepped on the campus, you were running hard in the group.
- 17:17[SPEAKER_00]: And so think about ways that you can help make that, especially if you have a high school senior.
- 17:22[SPEAKER_00]: Actually, I recommend this book is probably best done with high school seniors, youth groups can take their high school seniors to them, or you can work through it with them on that.
- 17:32[SPEAKER_00]: But it's also written for college students that are in that season of life.
- 17:36[SPEAKER_00]: And so that's an important chance this in that first month.
- 17:39[SPEAKER_00]: that if student steps on, look at the college season of life, whether it's a college campus or the next step, whatever that may be, that first month, I say is one of the most important transitions in someone's entire life.
- 17:51[SPEAKER_01]: Because that's where you decide who you're going to be.
- 17:54[SPEAKER_01]: That's where you decide who you're going to hang out with, right?
- 17:57[SPEAKER_01]: So moms, we got to be praying, praying.
- 18:02[SPEAKER_01]: And so are there mistakes that parents make
- 18:09[SPEAKER_01]: are there mistakes that parents aren't aware of maybe.
- 18:13[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, I think a lot of parents assume too much like my my parents were amazing.
- 18:19[SPEAKER_00]: The best parents I can imagine, but I wish they would have sat me down and my dad even thought about this or a youth leader someone sat me down and taught me how to have that discipline devotional life.
- 18:30[SPEAKER_00]: got me in a accountability group to help me even as a teenager do that my son Owen he's 15 years old and he's in at the youth group here in Hawaii he is in a small discipleship group and they taught him how to do so Scripture.
- 18:47[SPEAKER_00]: And these little these four guys are 15 or so and then the youth leader the pastor guy they're in this small discipleship group and every week they said how many
- 19:00[SPEAKER_01]: And show us what you're doing, some practical.
- 19:03[SPEAKER_00]: And if they don't do it, they have to do push-ups and they have to complete.
- 19:07[SPEAKER_00]: So he's at 11 o'clock at night, we're trying to get him to go to bed.
- 19:10[SPEAKER_00]: He's like up doing his so.
- 19:12[SPEAKER_00]: So that's awesome.
- 19:13[SPEAKER_00]: I love to see that.
- 19:14[SPEAKER_00]: That's a good kind of thing if you're a youth leader or a parent.
- 19:17[SPEAKER_00]: kind of help them get those tools and get them ready for that next step where they can learn to feed themselves and because a lot of churches and ministries are kind of like a mama penguin feeding a baby penguin.
- 19:30[SPEAKER_00]: They just teach them but they're like training them and helping them really feed themselves.
- 19:34[SPEAKER_00]: That's yeah, that's what we want to help students before they get to college, feed themselves and really that transition, the friends they make, the connections they make
- 19:46[SPEAKER_01]: So is there anything a parent can do to help that?
- 19:50[SPEAKER_01]: Is it just about having the conversation?
- 19:52[SPEAKER_01]: What if their child is just like resistant?
- 19:55[SPEAKER_01]: Because you and I know that not every, we know this.
- 19:59[SPEAKER_01]: Because you're in college of ministry.
- 20:01[SPEAKER_01]: You know that kids turn their back completely.
- 20:04[SPEAKER_01]: You know this and yet God is still able to reach them.
- 20:08[SPEAKER_01]: So what help can we offer to the mom who is,
- 20:15[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and I was first of all, I just want to say I resonate with that feeling and that broken hardeness that and that's why I do college ministries because Jesus said the harvest is plentiful, the laborers are those that aren't a part of the church and part of that they're harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd and so and if you personally can be encouraging and supporting and praying for a college ministry,
- 20:40[SPEAKER_00]: that even if your son or daughter is not involved at the moment, you can be a part of helping that for other people's kids.
- 20:47[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
- 20:48[SPEAKER_00]: And really supporting that work of that frontlines work of helping reach this generation that need to be connected with the turn.
- 20:57[SPEAKER_00]: But as far as your own kids go, that prayer element is the most important thing.
- 21:02[SPEAKER_00]: And then provide encouragement and opportunities, just not pressuring, not controlling.
- 21:08[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, no pressure.
- 21:09[SPEAKER_00]: That's for you.
- 21:09[SPEAKER_00]: You can't, you don't want to be that out of the doctor parent, just making things, trying to force things.
- 21:14[SPEAKER_00]: But you also want to be like, if they can get
- 21:18[SPEAKER_00]: other peers that that's the key.
- 21:20[SPEAKER_00]: I think also sometimes just connecting them with the college pastor or the college leader, I can be good, but often the thing that makes the difference for a student is seeing other peers that are really faithfully following Crohn-Chain.
- 21:36[SPEAKER_00]: Second Timothy 222 is a great verse to encourage him with his flee the evil desires of you and pursue righteousness faith in peace, along with those who call in the Lord out of a pure heart.
- 21:47[SPEAKER_00]: So it's not just sin management, it's chasing after the right things, but alongside a crew.
- 21:56[SPEAKER_00]: a peer group of people that are doing the same thing.
- 22:00[SPEAKER_00]: And so that's something to really look at.
- 22:03[SPEAKER_00]: Even if you're sending students off to college, is there a thriving college of industry?
- 22:07[SPEAKER_00]: Is there a thriving church that I can kind of help them get plugged into you?
- 22:12[SPEAKER_00]: And so that's the biggest thing is really praying that they find those peers and those connection and you never know how the Lord will lead and guide and direct your kid and But you can know that God is more than able to providently lead them to the right people and trust in his goodness and grace in their lives.
- 22:31[SPEAKER_00]: And so I love that.
- 22:32[SPEAKER_01]: That's hard one.
- 22:34[SPEAKER_01]: Sure.
- 22:34[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's a hard one, but you know what?
- 22:37[SPEAKER_01]: It's okay.
- 22:38[SPEAKER_01]: God is always at work.
- 22:40[SPEAKER_01]: So let's though shift a little bit and suppose a mom notices that her college student isn't attending church anymore isn't talking about God or seems to be drifting spiritually.
- 22:52[SPEAKER_01]: How should she respond in a way that keeps the late relationship strong instead of pushing her child further away?
- 23:00[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, that's good.
- 23:01[SPEAKER_00]: And there's a lot that you could do to create almost like a more testimonial conversational approach and okay and start conversations around the word and what you're learning and invite them in to your own devotional life and show them how you do a quiet time, how you pray and say, hey, would you ever be interested in seeing what I do in my own quiet time?
- 23:27[SPEAKER_01]: I hope today's conversation gives you the confidence to loosen your grip while holding even tighter to the promises of God.
- 23:33[SPEAKER_01]: Your prayers still matter.
- 23:35[SPEAKER_01]: Your examples still matters and God's work in your child's life is far from finished.
- 23:40[SPEAKER_01]: So here's your coaching tip for the week.
- 23:42[SPEAKER_01]: In each episode, I will give you one actionable step to improve your life.
- 23:47[SPEAKER_01]: Remember, you can't change everything, but you can take one step to be better.
- 23:52[SPEAKER_01]: This week, I really want you to look into the college ministries that are available on your child's campus, and maybe you could be the link.
- 24:00[SPEAKER_01]: You can just say, hey, babe.
- 24:03[SPEAKER_01]: You want to try this?
- 24:03[SPEAKER_01]: I know we did that with our youngest daughter, and she thrived in that ministry.
- 24:08[SPEAKER_01]: So it's a good option.
- 24:10[SPEAKER_01]: If this episode encouraged you, I'd love you to share it with another mom who's preparing to launch a college student.
- 24:16[SPEAKER_01]: Until next time, Grace and Peace Mama, you've got this and God's got you.
- 24:22[SPEAKER_01]: Thank you so much for spending time with me on the Midlife Mama Podcast.
- 24:25[SPEAKER_01]: My hope is that you leave each episode feeling encouraged, grounded, and clearer.
- 24:31[SPEAKER_01]: Clearer about what you're feeling, what God may be stirring in you, and how to move forward in the season of the empty nest.
- 24:37[SPEAKER_01]: Through these conversations, I'm not just sharing stories, I'm coaching you, helping you name what's happening beneath the service, challenging the thoughts that keep you stuck and take intentional steps toward peace and confidence as a midlife mom.
- 24:52[SPEAKER_01]: If you're ready to go deeper and want to personalize coaching support, I invite you to apply for coaching.
- 24:59[SPEAKER_01]: Coaching is a focused one-on-one space where we work together to gain clarity, process emotions, and discern what God is calling you to in this next chapter.
- 25:08[SPEAKER_01]: You'll find the application linked in the show notes, and let's stay connected.
- 25:13[SPEAKER_01]: You can find me on Instagram at P-Hinkleman, that's P-H-E-N-K-E-L-M-A-N, or on Facebook at Pamela Hinkleman, and T-Nest Coach.
- 25:23[SPEAKER_01]: You don't have to figure out the season alone mama support and direction are possible and I'm here when you're ready