Wisdom is essential in building a strong family and home life. Women have innumerable people, projects, and loyalties competing for their time and attention. Proverbs tells us that, “The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.” In this weekly podcast wife, mother of ten, and seasoned home educator, Kara Murphy looks to God’s word for wisdom that will help women build up their families instead of tear them down. This podcast is both an encouragement and a challenge to rise above the folly that marks our culture and be HomeWise!
By Kara Murphy on
How can a Christian family deal with it when mom is chronically ill? How can you still be a helpmeet to your husband when you can’t physically do the things you want to do? What are the benefits for the children in a household where mom is unwell? Join Steve & Kara for a candid discussion about their experience with extended illness.
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How can you foster your kids’ talents and give them opportunities to grow? How can you evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of having one or more children involved in lessons, choirs, arts, athletics, etc? What are some options to reduce the drawbacks on the rest of the family while still encouraging your child’s talents? Steve and Kara Murphy welcome their son Matthew into the conversation on this one.
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Are your expectations for your homeschool realistic? Do you find yourself stressed at the beginning of every school year? Do you live in constant fear that you aren’t doing enough or are failing your kids? Are you setting yourself up to fail? Join Steve and Kara as they discuss the struggle to maintain reasonable school schedules and prioritizing family and educational goals.
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Can your family find ways to serve together? Should we be individualistic in how we pursue ministry opportunities? What are the benefits of all the age groups in the family ministering together? How do the family and the church relate to each other in the context of ministry.
By Kara Murphy on
By Kara Murphy on
By Kara Murphy on
By Kara Murphy on
Should you expect your kids to obey you the first time you tell them something? Will you lose your child’s heart when you deal quickly and firmly with unruly behavior? How can you know when to make a quick correction and when you need to address deeper issues with your kids?
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Do you find yourself planning, but not actually following through with those plans? How can you plan efficiently and effectively? Are you trying to do too much? How do you keep from getting overwhelmed or getting stuck in a rut? What are some different ways to schedule out your year?
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How can you keep summer trips manageable? Summertime is a great time for hospitality when you can keep the activity outside! How can you encourage your kids’ creativity? Steve and Kara share some simple, low-cost, memory-making, summer activities that their family enjoys.
By Kara Murphy on
How do you balance the constant pulls for time from church activities with a healthy family life? How do you build routines that work for your family and don’t neglect the fellowship and ministry of the church? Does being at home with your kids mean that you are not doing “ministry”? Remember that during different seasons in your family life your involvement in ministry activities may look very different.
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It’s okay if you make mistakes, every homeschool mom makes mistakes. How can you plan for a smooth transition from public or private school to homeschool? How do you manage the duties of the home AND educational duties? How does academic work fit into the life of your family? How do you transition from seeing the home as primarily a place of rest and recharge to being a place of daily work? What are the difficulties involved with being your child’s teacher and not just his parent? How can you let go of your expectations of what “school” should be. . .
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Is it a good thing that some things are NOT in your control as a parent? Trying to control outcomes of every situation can create overbearing, micro-managing, uptight, stressed out attitudes in your family. Understanding the limits of our control helps us trust God who controls all things.
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How consistent do you need to be in your homeschooling? Should teaching your children be like a job with schedules and vacation days? Can you be consistent in training in godliness even when the school schedule gets upended? How do you keep your goals straight so you are being consistent in the things that matter the most?
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What do you do when you are home all day with young children? What does it mean to BE WITH your children? How do you get things done? What are some practical things you can do with naptimes, mealtimes, bedtimes, playtimes, to keep a happier home? How can you consistently build biblical foundations in your littles?
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Steve & Kara talk about their child (still in the womb) being diagnosed with spina bifida. How have they seen God’s providence and care during an uncertain time? How are they making decisions and thinking about the future knowing their child is likely to have physical challenges his whole life? See how you can help the Murphy family during this time HERE.
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What is the role of parents in the process of courtship? What kind of physical contact is appropriate for engaged couples? How do you get families on the same page with their expectations? With more people involved in the relationship there is more opportunity for sin, how can you deal with this rightly? How do you keep a humble attitude when two families don’t agree about how courtship should go or what the wedding should be like?
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How can we regain some sanity on this difficult issue? Is there a formula? Does courtship always have to work the same way for every couple? Can courtship ever be a sinful thing? Is fear a driving force in your family’s understanding of these issues? Steve and Kara discuss some of their experience as their children have started to marry.
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What are some of the things that “kids” need to be able to do before they are ready to take on the responsibility of marriage? Do they need to be ready to parent? What does it take to be financially ready? What level of maturity is needed? What are appropriate expectations? How can you gauge their emotional readiness?
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