How Can Christian Moms Pass Their Faith To The Next Generation Without Having It All Together?

How do you actually pass your faith on to your kids when you feel like a hot mess most days and your life looks nothing like those “perfect Christian family” posts on Instagram?

That is exactly what we talk about in this episode of Encounters at the Well as I sit down with one of my dearest friends, Keely Kuehner, a mom of three boys, new mother in law, and very proud Kiki to a four year old granddaughter who loves “God’s promises” and Noah’s ark.

Keely is not sharing a parenting formula. She is sharing a lived-out testimony of imperfect parents, real struggles, and a very faithful God.

In this conversation we talk about:

• Growing up in a military family and how early seeds of faith were planted through grandparents
• How she and her husband started praying for their kids, their friends, and even their future spouses before they were born
• Simple, everyday ways to weave faith into your home
  • Bedtime prayers and Bible stories
  • Praying over meals
  • Serving together at church and in outreach
• Why loving and serving your spouse is one of the most powerful discipleship tools your kids will ever see
• The pressure moms feel to “get it right” and what happens when your worth is tied to how well you perform
• Honest talk about mom guilt, “I’m not enough,” and that nagging comparison with other families
• How to handle it when your child struggles spiritually or pulls away from God
  • Standing on Proverbs 22:6
  • The power of praying and fasting for your kids
  • Trusting that God is still working when you see zero results

We also dive into:

• Modeling grace at home
  • Letting kids fail without shaming them
  • Correcting behavior while keeping love secure
  • Showing your children that nothing they do can separate them from your love, or from the love of God
• Letting your kids see your own struggles so they know it is normal to need Jesus
• Worship as spiritual oxygen when you are barely holding it together
  • How God used one worship song on repeat as a lifeline in a hard season

Keely also shares about the legacy she longs to leave her children and grandchildren, not just that “Mom was nice” or “Kiki was fun,” but that she fought for them on her knees, prayed heaven down over their lives, and loved them with the heart of Christ.

If you are a Christian mom who:

• Wonders if you are doing enough spiritually for your kids
• Feels like your “quiet time” is mostly reheated coffee and interrupted prayers
• Is grieving a child who seems to be wandering
• Wants practical ideas to bring faith into normal, everyday life

this episode will give you both gentle conviction and a lot of relief. You do not have to be a perfect mom to raise kids who know and love Jesus. You can be present, imperfect, and anchored in Christ, and God can still write a beautiful story through your family.

Questions we quietly answer in this episode:

• What if my kids did not grow up in a picture perfect Christian home, is it too late
• How do I start praying as a family if we never have before
• What do I do when I feel like my prayers are just hitting the ceiling
• How can I keep worshiping when my heart is breaking over my kids

Grab your coffee, your tissues, or that basket of laundry you have been ignoring, and listen in. You are not alone, you are not behind, and God is far more faithful to your children’s hearts than you can see right now.

Website: www.hopeandhealinglifecoach.com

Email: amydonathan@hopeandhealing.faith

Website:  www.hopeandhealinglifecoach.com

Email:  amydonathan@hopeandhealing.faith

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:04

Welcome to Encounters at the Well, the podcast for Christian women who love Jesus, but also need coffee, grace, and honest conversations about the hard things we don't always talk about in church. I'm Amy Donathan, your host, and I'm so glad you're here. Inspired by The Woman at the Well in John 4, this is a space for deep faith, real talk, and the reminder that Jesus meets us right where we are. Messi buns, doubts, and all. In each episode, I'll sit down with amazing women who share their stories, their biblical wisdom, and of course a few laughs. So grab your coffee, get comfy, and let's dive in. Welcome to Encounters at the Well. Hey friends, and welcome back to Encounters at the Well. I know it has been about a month since I have published anything. Um life has been a little bit crazy, but I'm back and I am so excited today for my guest. Um her name is Keely Keener, and she has been one of my best friends for a long time. Um we moved across the street from her when my husband got stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base and met them when my husband backed into their car. So that's how our relationship started. The next day her husband brought us cookies, and it's been just a wonderful friendship ever since then. Um today we were talking about passing our faith on to the next generation and encouraging moms and and giving real life ways to be able to lead by example. And the best way I know to do that is to talk to somebody who is a very good example of being a godly mom. And um, you can see that in her kids and and who they are. And so um I'm gonna get right into this with Keely. Keely, you have been one of the most godly women that I have known. And seeing you raising your boys in the church and seeing them grow and talking to them. And I've had a lot of time to talk to them in the past couple months, thanks to two weddings, but just to just to see them and see who they are and the kind of men that they are are growing in to be. And that doesn't just happen, that happens with examples. And um, you and Scott have been great examples. So tell me about what your family life growing up was like.

SPEAKER_01 2:27

Um, well, I'm an Air Force brat, so my dad was in the military, so we moved around a lot. I would say my earliest memories of church would have been going to church with my mom and grandparents. And then when my dad was stationed in Panama, we didn't go to church just because I don't know if it was, you know, I I guess I've never really asked my mom this. And probably just because we lived overseas and maybe safety reasons, or I don't know if they just, you know, I I don't really know. But there was a period in my life that I was not in church. But I think just from the early foundations of um, I would say my grandparents and and my mom really instilling Jesus in, you know, as as a basis and a foundation for me. I knew early on that I needed a savior. I remember at four years old reading one of those big family Bibles and, or not reading really. I don't even know that I was reading. I was just looking through pictures, but I used to get that Bible because it was probably the biggest book we had. And I remember looking at Jesus on the cross. And I I remember being very sensitive at a very young age. I I think that's a lot of where my foundation and my basis growing up um, you know, really kind of started. And so then it wasn't until we moved back to the states that, you know, we got connected with a church here in Windsor, and I've just been, you know, attending ever since and, you know, kind of grew up under that ministry and now serving in that ministry. So that's kind of, you know. I don't know if that's what you asked me or not, but that is exactly how it's weird too. That's I started talking and my brain like left my head. So I apologize. It's okay.

SPEAKER_02 4:19

It's you know, it's yeah, nine o'clock at night. So yeah. Um you had a long day.

SPEAKER_01 4:24

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 4:25

But no, that's exactly what I asked.

SPEAKER_01 4:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:27

So when you became a mom and I was lucky enough to come in early on in that, I think Nick and Allie were only three when when we moved in. So I've been lucky enough to watch your boys grow up and you know, Garrett wasn't even a twinkle in your eye when you moved in. I know. Um, but when you became a mom, what did it look like to begin intentionally passing your faith on to your kids?

SPEAKER_01 5:01

I think from the moment we got pregnant, we we just knew as a couple, as husband and wife, that we wanted to be purposeful in our faith, but then also instilling that into our children. And so from the moment we knew that they were, you know, on their way, we both began to pray over them before they were even born. And then just to pray for their friends, their life, their future spouse, their, you know, just even just their walk with the Lord. And um I I just think even after, you know, we had them, even at a very young age, how important that was to establish a prayer routine in a prayer life and to model that prayer life with them as babies. And then even just, you know, even to this day, like if if the boys are here and we catch them at our nighttime routine, you know, or if Layla's here, you know, that's our granddaughter, by the way. Oh, I can say that now. I know she's so sweet. But we feel like that's like translated over even with her, you know, that's something that we still do as a family. And so that's been it's been one I I feel like there's many ways, you know, throughout your, you know, parenthood or raising kids or whatever. But I think I think prayer is probably a big one for us. And that's been, you know, something that we have been consistent in. So it's kind of cool to look back and just see, you know, over the course of, you know, their lifetime, things that we prayed for, you know, it's happening, you know. And I I just that's it's it's really cool to see that.

SPEAKER_02 6:37

It's and it's also cool to see when they get married and they have their own family that the things that you have instilled in them they do and in their house.

SPEAKER_01 6:49

Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 6:50

So besides prayer, which I know like that's a huge one, like what are like simple everyday ways that you have woven faith into your home life? How did you do that when they were kids?

SPEAKER_01 7:04

I actually am gonna come back to our mops days, our mothers are preschoolers. I've I've been thinking about that a lot lately lately. And I don't know if it's because, you know, you and I have maybe kind of been talking about this or planning for this for a while, but I was just thinking about this the other day in in one of the mops groups that I had joined when Nick was ba a baby, one of the moms, and I never will forget this, it was like, you know, so I don't know why it was so profound for me, but I think because I was a young mother, I was also a very young wife. And so I didn't have a lot of years under, you know, my belt as a as a wife, but just, and I don't remember exactly like the full words or the full story, but she was talking about how she would serve her husband and be a blessing to her husband as that biblical example. And, you know, not trying to be all spiritual or, you know, holy or anything like that, but just finding little ways that I could serve Scott and model that for my boys, that was something that really was profound for me because I wanted to love their father in a way that he deserved and he needed as the spiritual leader of our house. And so for me, I think being a godly wife was the first, not not really the first. I mean, you know, being a Christian and putting God first, but then, you know, being that godly wife and that godly example to my husband and modeling that, even though we had all boys, I I just feel like that was a simple little way that, you know, um, I brought that into our home. And when I say simple, I mean making him a plate for dinner. That was a way of serving him, or just the way that I spoke to him, or, you know, I was very intentional about loving him, or even just, you know, giving him a kiss in front of our kids, just modeling being a wife for them. And then, you know, even just little things like blessing our food. I think about those little, I feel like some of those little things we take for granted, you know, like sitting at the dinner table, you know, praying together as a family, and then just teaching that biblical integrity, you know, I'm not perfect. There was a lot of failure and a lot of, you know what I mean? A lot of fall. And I know that all sounds very spiritual, but I just I, you know, when you start out wanting to be purposeful, there's those little things that you can do, you know, to model that.

SPEAKER_02 9:20

So yes, it's gotta be intentional to to do those. And even when you don't feel like doing them. Yeah. You have to you have to do them. Do you have any traditions that have anchored your family spiritually?

SPEAKER_01 9:36

Uh I think of our our family traditions, and Scott was such a I'm not putting him on a pedestal, but he was such a foundational spiritual leader. I mean, he and I, you know, he wasn't perfect, he's not perfect, but he he was the one who would, you know, kind of like, okay, we're gonna pray, we're gonna do this, we're going to read the Bible every night, you know. I was a part of all of that, but um really it was by his leading and his example. You know, we would always read the Bible together before bed, and we would always pray with the kids. We tried to make it a priority to eat dinner, you know, at the dinner table, little things like that. You know, even just going as far as, you know, we've always been very involved at our church and very involved with outreach ministry or compassion ministry, things like that. And we never did that a lot, like separate from our children, even when they were little, even if they were running around the church just, you know, being kids, they were always there. So they they were able to see, you know, mom and dad serving and they grew up serving alongside of us. And now, you know, I can see, you know, Nick will go serve at camp if he has an opportunity, you know, or Garrett will help serve with, you know, outreach, you know, Kobe is quick to, you know, help build something or fix something or, you know, serve however he can too. So it's kind of cool to see, you know, those little things that you establish as a family, you know, coming full circle.

SPEAKER_02 11:00

Yeah. So with those, um, all of the things that you put into place early on and and kept throughout their life of living at home with you, when did you start seeing like them start to understand who God is?

SPEAKER_01 11:18

I will say, I don't know, it's kind of a hard um you hope that they see who God is just throughout, you know, life. Like if you've modeled that or whatever, but maybe when it becomes real for them is I I feel like Scott and I, I mean, you know, no kid is perfect. No, no, I mean, we are not perfect. We are, you know, fallen people. Um, but I feel like we have given our kids a chance to uh succeed in our home, a safe place, but we've given them a chance to fail as well. And we've tried to be open about everything. Like it doesn't matter if it's spiritual, if it's school, if it's life, if it's, you know, something that they're dealing with, sin, anything. We we've always said, you can come to us in the good and the bad. And I think by doing that, you know, again, not saying that we have it all figured out, because a lot of this is looking back and being like, oh, you know, because like when you're in the moment, you you don't feel like you're maybe as successful or or whatever, but we've given them the opportunity to see Christ and how Christ would love us even when we fall, you know, we we know that we have a heavenly father that's gonna be there for us. He's going to rejoice and sing over us, but he's also going to, you know, provide forgiveness and grace and comfort and correction when needed, you know. So we wanted to make sure and provide that for our kids. So as we did that, and then as they, you know, got older, even in their teen years, even now, they still come to us and they're just very open and very um, I and I'm not saying that they share all because I'm sure there's things that they don't share. But, you know, for the most part, you know, it's it's kind of like when you look at God as a a parent or when you, you know, look at him as a father, he's a good father, and we want to be that for our kids. And so I can see him definitely working in their life when they realize, like, hey, there's no nothing I can do that's gonna be so far from God, you know, that he's not gonna still love me. And we've wanted to, you know, model that for them.

SPEAKER_02 13:23

Okay. So every mom, and I mean, I've known you for a long time. We always wonder if we are doing enough. And so what does that look like for you? Or what did that look like for you when your kids were kids still in the house, but yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:44

Um, honestly, it was difficult. It was really difficult. There was a lot of times. I was a stay-at-home mom. I didn't go to work, obviously, until oh gee, Garrett was probably in third grade. So, you know, Nick was already in junior high before I started teaching. I chose to stay home with our kids because I felt that was important. But it, but it was hard. It was very hard. And I always felt like my good was not good enough. And I know that a lot of women deal with that, you know, and and even now, like I'm on that back side of, you know, I don't want to say motherhood, but maybe raising kids. I look back and I'm just like, man, I wish I could go back to those times, or I wish I could go, you know what I mean? Just because I feel like in the moment you sometimes don't realize kind of like how just how bl blessed things were. But I really struggled with, you know, the the not feeling good enough. And it wasn't always easy. But I think some of that was because my value was misplaced. And, you know, I often felt like, oh, I'm just Scott's wife, or oh, I am just, you know, the boy's mom, or I'm just this. But really, I I was missing that value in Christ. So I didn't fully, I think over time, you know, young mothers maybe, you know, and if you do have it as a young mother, that's awesome. I wish that I would have had that. But I I think sometimes time, maturity, growing in your faith, you you really find your identity in Christ. And uh looking back, I think what was, I didn't maybe necessarily feel this in the moment, but even looking back and talking this over with my kids, they're like you were present, and that's what I needed. You know, I was there, I was the one raising my kids, I was the one loving them, teaching them, guiding them, and um, that was enough, you know. And so I wish I would have I wish I would have realized that then.

SPEAKER_02 15:32

So Yeah, and I think that's something that that moms need to hear that are in the thick of it with littles or yes preteens or teenagers, that being present, even if you can't give them everything, even if they don't get to do everything, or you don't take big extravagant vacations or they don't have the nearest everything, it doesn't matter. What really matters is for people for the moms and dads to be present, to go to their kids if their kids have things, go to their things if they did good in school to make sure you, you know, tell them that, to sit with them on the couch and watch TV and I think for boys, like doing things shoulder to shoulder with them, like playing a game or being in the car, right? Like that matters a lot.

SPEAKER_00 16:26

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_02 16:29

How do you and and maybe this didn't happen? I know it happened to me, but maybe it didn't happen to you, but how do you stay encouraged if you see your kids pull away spiritually? Like if they're not walking where you think they ought to be walking.

SPEAKER_01 16:44

Yeah. Um, first of all, uh, and I noticed this was one of your scriptures that you had highlighted, but it's Proverbs 22, 6. Um, you know, raising them in the ways of the Lord. And when they're old, they won't depart from that. And that is like a a rock that I stand on even now as they're adults, you know, like and like you said, two of them just got married. They're starting their own lives, their own families. And that's something as a mom I still stand on for them because I have to trust and believe, you know, what God's word says is true. And um, you know, we've raised them according to his word, maybe not perfect because we're not perfect, but we've done our best. And and I believe that they're not gonna depart from that. But then also, and I think this is something I feel like Amy, we're at this point in our life where we can learn things from our kids. You know, it's like, you know, we're raising them and we're like teaching them everything, we're doing everything. Garrett, um, my youngest, for those of you that don't know, you know, he uh is going to Bible college. And last year he was uh living in uh Haverill, Massachusetts at Bible College. I don't know, I don't know if it was like a chapel or something that they were talking about, you know, because they they really believe in prayer and fasting. And I mean, as Christians, we, you know, should as well. And it's biblical. And but, you know, a lot of a lot of people will just say, oh, I'm just praying about this, or, you know, I want to see the hand of God move because I'm praying about this, or, you know, but they kind of leave off in me. I'm not saying they, I'm like I, you know, would all often leave off the fasting part because that's something that I'm gonna be very honest and vulnerable. Like I I don't do, you know, because I I'm not maybe as disciplined or I don't understand, you know, a lot of a lot of that. And then I also definitely don't want to fast and not have the right heart, you know, heart conditioner mindset, you know, to do that anyway. But there was um a situation with one of our boys that, and I don't know if I would say, you know, completely pull away spiritually, but you know, there was definitely a struggle there in some areas that he was really, really dealing with. And um it just kind of a big whole thing that had been, you know, months and months and months just kind of festering and growing. And um, you know, he knew that he was not walking where he should have been, you know, with the Lord. And uh Garrett had shared this with me about, you know, the whole prayer and fasting and doing those together. And um I I will say I began doing that on behalf, you know, of my son and and really praying and believing and expecting the Lord to move on my son's behalf. That was, you know, now that we're a year past that, I can see the testimony that, and I and I'm not saying it's all because, you know, I I prayed and fasted. I believe that God had his hand in many things over that course of time. But I also believe um that's where a lot of my encouragement came from was, you know, falling before the Lord in prayer and fasting and just standing on his word. And I just know and trust that he's gonna bring them back to where they started from. So Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:54

And it's that's so important to read scripture and choose to bel believe it and and live like you believe it. And not just read it and just have words in your head. Yeah. But actually incorporate it into how you how you live and and what you choose to believe. Yes, yes. And because if you don't, then it's you feel like you're just trying to do it by yourself instead of having these words that God says if you raise them up when they're older, they'll come back.

SPEAKER_00 20:27

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:28

It's like, okay, yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna hold on to that because you said it you said so, so it's gotta be true.

SPEAKER_01 20:35

Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 20:37

Have you ever felt the pressure to get it perfect or comparison to other people and and and how you're a mom and and your kids and um how other people are moms and and their kids and what that looks like?

SPEAKER_01 20:54

Uh yeah. Uh I think I uh yes. Exclamation point, exclamation point. I think we all do, honestly. Absolutely. Yeah, we all do. And I uh I don't know, I think social media is horrific for the comparison. I mean, honestly, you know, absolutely we look at other people and we're like, oh, they have their life together and their kids are perfect and all this, you know. It's yeah, it's it's hard. But again, it comes back to knowing ultimately who I am in God's eyes. You know, I am I am his daughter, and I do feel like I get frustrated very easy when things are not going according to plan, or I'm not getting something just perfect, or you know, what whatever that may look like. But I I just have to come back knowing that I am his and he is in control, and I have to rebuke that comparison spirit. And I think it helps with age. I really do. I feel like I don't deal with that as much anymore, but I really did. struggle with that younger. So if I could go back and tell my younger self like so don't go there, then um yeah. So age definitely helps.

SPEAKER_02 22:11

Yeah. I think well when our kids when our kids were little little I don't think we had Facebook or anything. Maybe MySpace It was MySpace. My space for a little bit. Um yeah. And but you know social media I I love it because I get to keep up with people on Facebook and see people's kids grow that you know we don't live by anymore. Yes um but you're looking at people's highlight reels of their lives.

SPEAKER_00 22:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:42

And and I always tell people when I teach on this or or speak on this, like looking at my office, it looks pretty nice and neat. You know, you see pictures of my kids and but if you saw around here where you can't see it is a mess. Yes. It is a mess. And so I'm only showing you what I want you to see which is a table with pictures and me and you can't see anything else. And that's what we do with social media I think and it's so hard for moms. Right. Because they're only seeing somebody's highlight reel and they're comparing it to their whole life which they know the good bad and ugly. Right right but after being a therapist for over a decade the the nobody has it together. Nobody does it exactly all together. They might have a piece like I have this piece that you can see together but nobody has everything together but we we think that when we look on social media only see their highlight rails.

SPEAKER_01 23:45

Oh yes for sure.

SPEAKER_02 23:46

And so God has to meet us in that and say it's okay. Yes yes everybody everybody's broken in some way.

SPEAKER_01 23:53

Yes yes so how has your personal walk with God shaped what your kids see in you I think that my personal hunger for God has stirred a hunger for God in their hearts. Our serving may be different but watching my kids serve alongside me has fostered a servanthood within them. And that's exciting to see that they have I think when you start out raising them a certain way and then giving them opportunities to learn and grow and serve alongside of you than when they take off and fly on their own.

SPEAKER_02 24:54

So can you share or do you feel comfortable sharing a moment when your struggle became a teaching moment?

SPEAKER_01 25:03

This one was hard. This one was really really hard I there's because there's been a lot of struggles and a lot of teaching moments so trying to define um just one I think I think though being sensitive to what the Lord is maybe doing in my life in times of my failures or feeling inferior or feeling like I'm not enough I really truly believe that's when God revealed his self most to me in those moments and I think sometimes we look well okay I'm I'm saying we a lot I'm really talking about me here. So many times you know I I'm even even just preparing for this this podcast I have questioned like did I do everything right? Did I you know do was I the best that I could be was I the best you know wife mom friend whatever godly you know woman that I could be but just now looking back seeing how God has grown me spiritually in those times that's where my testimony has come from and it's okay if we feel those ways like it's okay to be vulnerable. It's okay to be broken like you said it's okay to be in a position where maybe there is a little doubt because that's when we turn to God and we hold tighter to him and he's able to then grow us. And so I think those are very special intimate moments but then also teaching moments, you know, as we mature as Christians. So defining a specific moment was hard because I feel like a hot mess a lot of the times. I mean like I could name many but I just feel like you know overall that's you know when I'm feeling the lowest that's when God reveals himself you know and that's where he just loves me where I'm at and I'm able to just keep going.

SPEAKER_02 27:00

So and I love just knowing you and Scott and your boys as well as I do. I love how open your family is to it's okay to have struggles and I'm struggling and so this is but this is where God met me in the struggle and this is how I'm gonna do it and I'm gonna pray about this and I'm gonna do this. And I've always seen that in your family that that's what you do. There's nothing that is off limits that people are struggling with. It's always open and as your friend I always knew if I was struggling I could come to you and there would be no judgment. You would just love me. You might tell me to stop being dramatic but never never never or you'd be dramatic with me. Yes. But I think that's important and and something that I've always admired about your family is that it's okay as a parent to have struggles and let your kids see that you're struggling because that gives them permission to also have struggles. Yes yeah instead of mom and dad always have it together so I always have to have it together and that's not reality. Oh yeah for sure you know a little crazy just makes things more fun right I in my head I have the picture of one of the days that the kids went off to school for the like the first day of school. So we're we're jumping for joy and I know I remember that so I just ran across that picture the other day. But that's again that's something that I've always admired about your family and loved that I got to be a part of that. Well thank you. So what does it mean for a mom to model grace? That's another hard one I didn't say this was going to be so I know you're challenging me here.

SPEAKER_01 28:59

Again that comes back to allowing them to make mistakes but guiding them in the right direction at the same time. Not that you just give a free pass, you know, for like hey you know it's okay if you do this it's okay if you know whatever but just knowing that you're providing that safe place and guiding them, pointing them in the right direction, um, providing correction as needed but then just loving them unconditionally you know how God would. I guess that's my version of grace as a mom.

SPEAKER_02 29:29

So I think that's that's a a great version and and the whole loving them unconditionally it's so heartbreaking when I talk to children and they feel like they have to perform for their parents to get love. Yes. Yes. And you know you being a teacher you probably yeah have dealt with dealt with that yeah and so they take that into their lives of feeling they they always need to perform for love. And um for me gr modeling grace is just that you don't have to perform. I'm gonna love you I may not like what you're doing. I might not like that decision that you just made and you're gonna get in trouble for that decision you just made. However my that it does not change my love for you.

SPEAKER_00 30:24

Right right at all.

SPEAKER_02 30:25

And then I think about transferring that to how God looks at us. Yes. When we feel like we mess up so bad like why wouldn't God ever use me or like this is it I you know this is the last time I keep doing this. Yeah but it doesn't change his love for us. Absolutely ever thank God I know because that would be I'd be in so much trouble. Me too and I'm so glad that we don't have to do sacrifices like before if there is not enough goats or lambs or pigeons to cover this girl.

SPEAKER_01 31:00

Yeah I know I was like I'd have to have a huge farm what would you say to the mom who feels like she's failed or is watching her child wander just never stop drawing drawing closer to him you know push into your personal relationship with Christ and if you don't have one like find somebody that can help direct you you know to him or you know pull you to him don't stop praying and fasting. I know sometimes many times many times we feel like you know our prayers hit a ceiling or a wall like they they don't go very far but he listens in the quiet he's still working and he's still moving on our behalf because he loves us and um even in our lowest times he's there in our highest times he's there and he's doing a work always and you know it just it goes back to you know I think often of you know we reach people by our testimony you know and I and I thank God that he's given me a testimony especially in this area as a mom you know praying over her son and just seeing how God has renewed and restored relationship. And I think about if I would have just given up if I would have just not done those things. And I'm and I'm not saying everything hinged on me at all because it does not it's all it's all a part of his plan. But I do believe that our prayers work and we if we just choose to give up or we choose to not follow through with with that you know what may have happened you know what I'm saying? So just just don't ever stop. And even when when things feel like it's not worth it it really truly is you know or if or if you're not seeing results because you can pray and pray and pray and you're like there's no results.

SPEAKER_02 32:56

But the way God does things is different than the way we do things. We are more like toddlers who want what we want when we want it how we want it and that's right now. Yeah and God does not work in those ways but our prayers still matter.

SPEAKER_01 33:17

Yes and and this kind of I don't know again this is not profound. I mean some of you are like okay duh she should have known this but I I feel like just now you know the Lord just impressed you know also that just to keep that spirit of worship you know for him you know in your personal life keep keep that line of communication and worship open and it's amazing the things that he will do through that just by that surrender. And that's in any aspect of our life not just with our kids but any struggle anything any failure anything that we've done you know keep that open keep that part that heart posture ready.

SPEAKER_02 33:58

Yeah and one way that I find that I can do that when things are tough because it is so hard especially when it has to do with your kids to keep that worshipful attitude going. But music and so like during a really hard time that I was having hard fought hallelujah from Brandon Lake. Yes yes because I always play Pandora when I get in the shower and every day that song would come on and every day I would stand there and I would sing that back to God and cry. But that helped me so much get through hard things and so you know if you're people are looking for a way well how do I be worshipful when life is bad find those songs. Yes that when um I was at my friend's house in Florida and we were just joking about things but it was like a really hard time for me and they're like what's your walkout song? Because we were talking about walkout song. I'm like hard fought hallelujah. They're like that's not a good walkout song that's all I got right now. That's where I'm at. That is my song one replay what is one practical thing that you can tell a mom that she can do this week to nurture her faith at home?

SPEAKER_01 35:17

Um okay well I've I sound like a broken record about prayer so I apologize. I I just I truly feel like when you can connect with your family through prayer and God's word honestly I mean that like that's as practical and as simple as it's gonna get you know when you can do that and when you've established a prayer routine and you've established you know even if it's just reading a scripture or reading a story or you know depending on how little they are just praying over them when you establish that into your everyday routine I feel like your family dynamics are going to be stronger your spiritual dynamics are going to be stronger and when those things do come against you you're you're able to stand strong.

SPEAKER_02 36:02

Yes absolutely and that's something so simple that you can just you do and if you haven't done it before I think it feels awkward to start but that's that's everything. Everything that you've you try new feels awkward until you you you do it.

SPEAKER_01 36:22

Yes and and I will I will share this our new granddaughter you guys don't know me but she is four years old. She is not ours biologically but she is ours by everything we've claimed her and she is grafted in and we we are just like you know head over heels in love with this little girl but she was she has opened up over the last you know few years she doesn't really know life before us or we without us in her life I should say and so we have tried to be really intentional even just with her and she has like blossomed with with just her openness towards God and just her willingness to just sit and listen to a Bible story. And you know she um we have tried to uh like you know with her mom's work schedule and um now that they you know her and Kobe are married things are you know easier. It's and they're starting their own little family routine and their dynamics of you know bedtime prayers and you know reading the Bible and things like that. But if she's with us, she knows that that's what happens still. So we do we do things with her just like we did with our boys and she she always will ask Poppy to read about God's promises. And so you know we were at first we're like okay well the whole Bible is God's promises like what are we you know what I mean like what are we what are we you know like okay let's just pick a chapter and read or whatever you know we try to tell her these stories and stuff like that. And she's just like no God's promises from the rainbow and Noah's Ark and you know all this kind of stuff. And she she now has like this because we read it every time and all the time like that's like her favorite story right now. But I I was just so like when you when you take little moments like that and you see her fruits begin to grow, it's one story and it's you know a set of scriptures about Noah building an ark and two by twos the animals came in and you know she know she now knows one of his son's name is Ham and she relates that to a ham sandwich and she thinks it's hilarious. But but God is hiding that word in her heart. And I know when we do that those that does not come back void. And so even at four years old she she's very open and sensitive to that. So that's another thing that I would just share with you know any young mother or any young father even doesn't matter even if it's one story and it's repetitive and you you know do it for nights on end, you know, you're still putting the word of God in their heart and when it's ready to come back out it will come back out it will be revealed it will be manifested in their little life and they will be stronger for it. So that's kind of a cool little kind of a cool little thing for us I guess as another practical thing I guess that you could do but we're seeing the fruits of that. So And you have a little girl I know I've I've been raised in a house now I I have raised a house full of boys not I, you know um so it's not included. Yes so it's awesome to have these daughters and um a little granddaughter now. So it's kind of fun. I'm enjoying it.

SPEAKER_02 39:36

Oh absolutely yeah so when you think about your family's future faith and I know I mean I was hoping I was going to get to come back out to Windsor to see a wedding this month because you know September, October No, no no no thought Garrett might pull one off. Yeah pull one off but when you when you think about their future faith what do you hope your children and your grandchildren remember most like what legacy do you want to leave them?

SPEAKER_01 40:10

Real quick just a little personal side of things I remember growing up and I remember going to both of my great grandmothers. I had two great grandmothers one was hardcore Baptist one was hardcore Pentecostal so I guess I'm a mix of both right I would go to both of their houses and to stay the night with them and they would pray over me every night andor pray with me. And I remember listening to their prayers and I remember hearing them pray for anything and everything and sometimes it was like forever and as a child I was like I just want to go to sleep you know but I I remember those moments of how much love that they poured into me but how much love they had for me because they spent time on their knees before their heavenly father on my behalf. And so um I think for me as a mom and now as a Kiki, I want to um I want my kids and my my grandkids my future grandkids to not only know that I love them more than anything, but I'm willing to fall before my heavenly father on their behalf to move heaven and earth through prayer. And when they're old I want them to look back well I'm not old I shouldn't say that. When they're my age I'm not old when when they're older and when they have their own families I want them to be able to look back and say my mom prayed for me. She loved me. She tried her best to live this example through this crazy life. You know I want my grandkids to be able to say she fought for me in prayer on her knees. You know that's probably what I want most that's a legacy that I want most. I want them to serve the Lord but I want them to know that you know I fought for them in prayer. Awesome.

SPEAKER_02 42:10

Well thank you so much for coming on well thanks having this conversation with me. Yes this was fun and my prayer before we even started was somebody needs to hear this some young mom I I feel like I did my young mom time with you. Yes and all of the craziness it was and so wishing that because there's so much I feel like there's so much we didn't know. Right we didn't like we we were winging lots of things. Yes um and didn't didn't know and so my prayer is that the wisdom that you gave about your family and what you did somebody can take that that is listening to and use it use it in their their life and have more information and more practical things to do than than what I think we did. Yeah yeah not that God can't get you to figure it out because I think he did like yes he has figured out but he also puts people in our life too to help with that I'm pretty sure you and I raised our children.

SPEAKER_00 43:27

Yeah we did we did I think we were the village.

SPEAKER_02 43:31

Yes we did for sure that raised our kids so and I am very thankful for that and very thankful for your friendship and Scott's friendship even though he is like the little brother I never wanted.

SPEAKER_01 43:45

Yeah he will always tell you that you're older so I and I am but your boys will always tell him that I look a lot younger. I know I know he looks older than a lot of us so he is older than a lot of us me is who he's a lot older than true that yeah so yeah Jeff and I are the old people yeah so well we're we're getting there so it happens faster than you than you want it to yes yes all right well I'm gonna pray us out of here okay and let you get on with your night.

SPEAKER_00 44:21

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 44:21

All right dear Jesus I thank you for today and I thank you for Keely and who she is and I thank you for just her coming on the podcast to share her wisdom of um how her family did faith and and what it looked like and what it could look like in other people's lives. Lord and just to share those intimate details of what they did and um just how their family functioned that there is nothing nothing that couldn't be said or dealt with and how that is an example of how you are to us. And so thank you so much for for that and for her willingness to do that. And I just pray blessings over her and her family and her new daughter-in-laws and her granddaughter and just bless their lives Lord hold them close to you help them to always walk in you and just Lord we pray for this podcast that it goes out to young moms that may need some help that may need some ideas of what to do to grow their faith and for anybody out there who doesn't know you Lord I pray that they come to know you I pray um they can just pray this prayer Jesus I I can't do this on my own. I know that I'm a sinner I know that I cannot get um I cannot be in your family apart from you Lord and so I just pray that you come into my heart I pray that um that you help me just to surrender everything to you and make you Lord of my life and Lord I pray if somebody says that if somebody says that prayer that just calls out to you that they know that they are saved and and they get they they get connected with a church to foster them to disciple them to teach them and to love on them Lord. And I just thank you so much for all that you have done and I pray expectantly and excitedly for all that you're going to do. And I pray these things in your name amen amen.

SPEAKER_01 46:23

It was good chatting with you Amy. It was good chatting with you too Kaylee thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_02 46:30

You're welcome okay