Our Favorite Blogs and Podcasts to Start Following
Friends, we are praying for ENDURANCE. Life is difficult and following Jesus is not easy. One thing that really helps encourage me in my faith is reading faith-based blogs and listening to podcasts. We wanted to share some of our favorite resources to help us keep on keepin’ on when it comes to our faith. We are sharing our most favorite blogs and podcasts. These encourage us, inspire us, convict us, and provide us with helpful tips to raise kids who love Jesus! We hope you love them too.
Blogs
Connected Families-Jim and Lynne Jackson
Connected Families is an organization that uses Biblical principals and professional experience to build a parenting framework to guide and equip parents. We have mentioned them before, but it’s worth saying again, their ideas are AMAZING. Connected Families has changed our parenting for the better! They have a really helpful blog that is worth following. Additionally, you can take online courses, read their book, or do one-on-one parent coaching. Steph and Trevor did parent coaching and loved it so much, Trevor is on the board of the organization now! We truly can’t say enough good things about them!
Baby Devotions-Kayla Alonso
Kayla is a stay-at-home mom of two little girls.. Kayla’s husband is from Mexico and they speak primarily Spanish in their home, so if you are looking for bilingual resources, this is a great option. Her blog started when she began posting simple but intentional activities that she did at home to keep her kids active, busy, engaged, and to prepare them for school. She has really fun ideas for playing with toddlers and littles. She also has an Etsy shop where you can buy her bilingual board book, Eva, and many other resources in Spanish and English.
Little Shoots Deep Roots-Christie Thomas
Christie’s mission to is equip and encourage parents to nurture deep roots of faith in their homes by doing little things that add up to big things over time (we relate to this mission!). We LOVE her ideas and her blog, she has a ton of free and paid resources. She is the author of many amazing books including children’s books, devotionals, a mother and son prayer journal (coming soon!), and family Bible studies. Her children’s books are perfect for a child who experiences anxiety or is going through a loss. She also has a membership site called HopeGrown Faith that you can join.
Podcasts
Questions Kids Ask-Mary C Wiley
From Mary’s website: I am passionate about teaching the importance of having a strong understanding of what you believe, why you believe it, and why it matters. I love teaching how to read Scripture with eyes for the big picture that God has been writing since the beginning of creation, and how all along His plan was to send a Savior to rescue us, to do what we could not do for ourselves.
If you ever feel stumped by some of the questions that your kids ask, check out her podcast! She has amazing guest speakers who aren't afraid to tackle some tough topics. Recent topics include: How do we talk about miscarriage with our kids? How do we know we’re saved? Why do bad things happen?
We Wonder
From their website: Plenty of wonderful resources exist to teach children about the Bible. This podcast invites children into an immersive, contemplative experience of the words of Scripture. We make space for their responses and questions, and guide them in a prayerful engagement with the story. And we remember, always, that God is drawing close to us in love as we make space for the Holy Spirit to speak through our sacred text.
These are short episodes that invite kids to participate in Lectio Divina type readings and to engage Scripture in a different way than they might normally. If you want to start a different type of practice with your kids, this is a great place to start! I love listening to these episodes myself too!
Hearts at Rest-Sarah Keeling
From Sarah’s website: Christian author, speaker, and advocate Sarah Keeling helps families connect deeply with God. Join her as she reads a Bible passage, highlights attributes of God, and guides you through family-friendly prayer and meditation to experience true rest in the midst of your busy life.
Sarah helps us to find peace and rest in God during our busy lives. Each episode focuses on a Psalm and what it means about God and for us. Bonus! The episodes are short so they keep the attention of kids and busy parents!
Don’t Mom Alone-Heather MacFadyen
This is my (Sarah’s) all time favorite podcast. I started listening to it when it first came out in 2013. I just had one baby and another on the way and I was so overwhelmed. This podcast was my lifeline. I honestly don’t ever miss an episode! If I do, I come back to it and catch up! So many special things I do with my kids I learned from this show! The podcast is about how we don’t mom alone. Each episode reminds me that we need community, friendship, and most importantly, Jesus. He wants to help us every single minute of every single day and Heather gives great tips for growing closer to Him as we parent. Heather has incredible authors and speakers on to share their stories and most of the time, I am in tears while listening!
The Bible for Kids-Amy Parker and Mike Nawrocki
From their website: Our goal at The Bible for Kids is to provide a platform of discovery and information for authors, platforms, musicians, games, films, and more, that seek to help instill biblical principles in kids. We desire to be a resource for churches, small groups, teachers, parents, grandparents of kids ages 0-18 to help them pass along Christian values to the kids in their lives.
Hosted by a best-selling author and the co-creator of Veggie Tales, this podcast is an awesome way to learn about the best resources out there when it comes to faith at home. Guests include authors, speakers, musicians, etc.
Seek Wholly Living-Christa Svoboda
My friend Christa just started a podcast and it is so good! Her goal is to bring hope, joy, and purpose to mom’s daily lives. She is a mom to five and shares tips on how to make mothering meaningful and special. She has lots of amazing women on the show.
Made for This-Jennie Allen
Jennie’s podcast is about finding your people and living your life for Jesus. She says, “There's hope for us as we love people and live life with them. When Jesus is fixed at the very center of all our relationships, everything changes for the better.” Her podcast inspires me to go deeper with people and deeper with God. Her episodes are short and packed with so much truth and vulnerability. I just can’t get enough! I hope you love it too!