Listen to podcasts focusing on sharing portions of our workshop content.
The opposite of loving people is not hate, but using them (Ashour, Mausolf). We want children to understand that God created them for love, and anything less than that falls short of God’s design for their lives. In this podcast, the Lindas discuss being intentional about teaching our kids what love looks like in our relationships. We discuss the differences in the way we approach persons versus things. The Lindas model a conversation that can help a child identify situations in which he or she is being used or abused as well as suggesting a protective response.
In the midst of longings and desires, how do we find our way to love others as God does? In this episode, the Lindas refer back to the personalistic norm as a way to love as Jesus loved. Listen as we offer suggestions for conversations addressing questions such as, "If we really love each other, why can't we have sex?" And, "How far is too far?"
We were made to run on God’s love, but sometimes we believe that we can run on something else. CS Lewis says, “He himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on.” But we have these longings and desires………and we wonder what to do with them. How do we respond to those longings and desires in a way that brings us life and not destruction? In this episode the Lindas will propose some practical help for processing these experiences with our kids - and in our own lives.
So singleness is as much a sign of God’s invitation of love and communion with Himself as marriage is. Whether married or single we are called to a life of love. We can invite our kids into a vision of love that is bigger than marital status. In this episode we will take a closer look at ways to help our kids connect to LOVE and overflow with love for others that will direct them into life-giving choices.
This episode was recorded by Dr. Josh and Christi Straub for their podcast, In This Together. THE conversation was incredibly honored to join the In This Together podcast to discuss questions that Dr. Josh and Christi have received from parents about how to talk about sex with their kids.
From In This Together: What happens when our son is exposed to pornography at a young age? Or our daughter begins hearing about sex at school and asking you questions? Many of our own parents didn’t model for us how to have these difficult conversations with our kids. Not only that, our kids seem to be exposed to sex at even younger ages today.
In this episode, we revisit with Linda Noble and Linda Stewart, two leading voices helping parents talk to their children about body image and sex through THE Conversation Workshop. This is part two of a two part series.
In this episode, Linda and Linda discuss with us how to talk to our kids about sex through a simple, yet powerful framework of flourishing.
We discuss:
how to talk to our kids about difficult topics, like when they discover their private parts
why a Theology of the Body is an important framework for us as adults as well
age-appropriate ways–from preschool through the teen years–to talk to our kids about sex
This episode was recorded by Dr. Josh and Christi Straub for their podcast, In This Together. THE conversation was incredibly honored to join the In This Together podcast to discuss questions that Dr. Josh and Christi have received from parents about kids and body image struggles. In order to discover how parents can intentionally transform conversations about body image, THE conversation explores with Dr. Josh and Christi: the incalculable and unchanging value of the human person, the truth that the body reveals the person, and God’s intentional design of our body as life-giving and love-giving. If you haven’t listened to THE conversation’s earlier podcasts about the value of the human person and the body that include how to integrate these truths into the parenting of your children, consider listening to:
The Lindas are joined by participants in our Fresno/Clovis workshop to discuss the impact of the day. We invited perspectives from a single friend, parents of young children and a parent of adult children. Our discussion includes surprises from the day, the personal impact, and what our participants would want others to know about THE conversation Workshop.
In Genesis 3, we see the serpent approaching Adam and Eve with a suggestion - a suggestion that perhaps God had been withholding "the good life" from them. They considered and the question took root in their hearts. They strike out on their own and grasp for MORE apart from Him. Immediately blame, shame and suspicion entered the picture and they hid from God and each other. In the Theology of the Body by Pope John Paul II this event is described in this way: "Before the fall, there was no threat to the dignity of the person. They desired nothing but to love as God loves. After the fall, they covered themselves as a protection from lust." Their choice to grasp for the good life apart from God delivered them into a realm where instead of experiencing a life of giving and receiving love, it was possible to become the vicim or perpetrator of use and abuse. Lust had entered into our human experience.
It is interesting to note that both Jesus and Paul were single and celibate. We often fall prey to feeling sorry for those who are not married and yet how did Jesus experience the abundant kind of life apart from sex and marriage? In this episode the Lindas discuss the vocation of single celibacy, what we can learn about intimately connecting with God from those who have lived this vocation out, and ways to help our kids learn to understand it as an invitation to MORE.
The Linda's talk about the status of singleness and of marriage as vocations, hoping to infuse deeper understanding into each of these callings. All of us as Christ followers are summoned by God to a vocation which is subject to change during the different seasons of our lives. It is crucial for us to re-envision both the vocation of marriage and the vocation of single celibate life as an invitation or calling from God to a life of flourishing in communion with Him. In the big picture, the invitation of God into both vocations is the same.
We all recognize that our bodies speak. Often we hear someone speak with a voice, but his or her body contradicts the message spoken. This was God's intention from the beginning; that our bodies and our voices would speak in sync with His design. How does an understanding of the language of the body bring clarity to our understanding of sex, marriage and weddings? We'll explore this truth as well as discuss ways we can communicate it with the kids in our lives.
When Jesus was asked about marriage, He points back to the Genesis account and the first marriage for clarity. If we're to understand the design for marriage and sex, we must first come to understand the covenantal ceremony practiced in Old Testament literature. In this podcast, we'll explore the way the covenant sheds light on the connection between sex, wedding ceremony and marriage.
If we're honest, even Christ followers have been so influenced by culture that many of us have come to the conclusion that finding, "the one," or sexual experiences, or marriage or some combination are prerequisite for a satisfying and full life. What if our longings for union, intimacy and ecstasy point to a reality greater than anything we can experience in an earthly relationship?The Lindas discuss and talk about practical ways we can help children to find the satisfaction of all their desires in God alone.
In this podcast, Linda and Linda discuss our creation as male and female from the Genesis account. They explore misunderstandings of the meaning of our design as human persons and why understanding the bigger vision this design points to is so crucial to us and to the children in our lives. This conversation brings up the discussion of the objectification of women and how we can teach children in a way that can change these destructive cultural norms.
The human body and the person are inseparable. We are all beginning to recognize this is true with the rise of holistic medicine. But why is it important for us to understand and integrate this truth into the way we see ourselves and others? The Lindas explore the implications and suggest practical ways to help those you mentor and parent in establishing this truth and understanding its implications. The impact on our choices regarding relationships cannot be underestimated!
The body is not a dirty shell or fleshy prison for our souls, but a “fearfully and wonderfully” (Psalm 139) designed expression of who God is and who we are. In fact, the body and person can’t be separated. My body reveals the beauty of the Image of God. I can know the ways you reflect God as I know you through your body that expresses your person.
The true context in which we were created in Eden invites us to accept a much deeper and more meaningful lens for seeing and understanding our bodies. We see the body as an expression of self – simply put, it is how people know and engage with you! And it was with the embodied Adam that God engaged. There is no other way for a human to encounter the mystery of God in His fullness than through the human body; Through Christ’s body and our own.
God points the way to a life of flourishing and love through the scriptures. Many of us have mistakenly understood the Bible as a book of rules, a standard of performance or a list of demands. But God’s direction in scripture is a description of the way life REALLY works for us as humans. As we grow in our confidence in His goodness and in His desire for our flourishing, the result is an eagerness to hear what He has to say about the best paths to travel in life and the ones to avoid.
We’d love to be a resource to provide help for your conversations with your children. Read questions from other parents/mentors with our answers. We'd love for you to submit your own questions!
If you’ve ever wished that you could get a big picture view of THE conversation Workshop in one session, here it is! The Lindas explain fundamental concepts necessary for teaching the kids in our lives the way to experience a life that flourishes. We discuss the impact these concepts can have on decision making regarding the body, sex and relationships when established early. Episode 21 ends with The Talk, demonstrating for us how the pre-adolescent talk sounds in the context of THE conversation.
Thank you so much for listening to THE conversation Podcast on iTunes and on Google Play, or on our website! Congratulations! You have reached the conclusion of Podcast Season 1. If you have listened in chronological order from the first episode to Episode 20, you will have followed the general arc of THE conversation Workshop in the comfort of your own space and at your own pace. If not, we encourage you to go back and listen to all of our podcasts starting here.
If you haven’t already, please subscribe to our monthly email in order to receive more tools for conversations with kids regarding God’s design for the body, relationships, and sex. As a subscriber, you will learn when new podcasts or blogs are introduced in the future as well as when and how you can attend THE conversation Workshop in person and be part of our interactive experiences! We’re hard at work creating new resources and will keep you informed as they roll out.