The Session: Foster Care, with special guest, Sherry Bouquet, from Fostering Family Ministries

Thank you Greg & Sally Kibler for their monthly support!

Ps. 68:5-5 “A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families; He bring out those who are bound into prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.”

We don’t have a lot for you as far as notes this episode. Our conversation with Sherry Bouquet was very free-flowing and off the cuff.

The goal of Fostering Family Ministries is to get children to a place of permanence, hopefully back with their family. But foster care and adoption are also very important and useful.

Fostering Family Ministries is headquartered in Ashland, Oh. But they offer training and service across the state. Please don’t hesitate to contact them if you need assistance or have any questions about fostering or adoption!

For more information about Fostering Family Ministries:

419-496-2507

Home | Fostering Family Ministries

A devotional podcast for parents on the go! Encouragement, Scripture, & prayer in just 7 minutes. Join the journey!

To reach Tom Russell, please call 419-709-8447, email Tom at tom.hccm@gmail.com, or visit his website at https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com

Click this link to purchase Tom’s devotional, “Seeing Yourself Through the Eyes of God: A Weekly Devotional for Improving Self-Esteem.”

The Session: What to Do When Your Teen Girl is Pregnant – Or, How to Parent When Your Teen Becomes a Parent

Book update

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Psalm 139:13 says, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.”

God made that baby and loves it. He has a plan for that child’s life.

From Focus on The Family

Process your reaction: Take time to calm down so your initial shock, anger, or disappointment does not push your teen away.

Listen actively: Let your teenager share her fears and thoughts without immediate judgment, lecturing, or harsh criticism.

Reassure love: Remind her that she is cared for and that you are there to face the situation together.

Your daughter desperately needs your love and support

Let her know that you’re ready, willing, and available to walk alongside her.

It is important to help your daughter work through the decisions that she has in front of her It will be important to help her study her options.

Find Professional Christian Counseling

They can help you set boundaries, establish expectations, and clarify the consequences of your daughter’s failure to abide by them.

How Scott & Shari handled consequences with their daughter…off praise team, no teaching.

It is important to remember that our God knew this baby and knit this baby together in its mother‘s womb.

Toms thoughts?

A devotional podcast for parents on the go! Encouragement, Scripture, & prayer in just 7 minutes. Join the journey!

To reach Tom Russell, please call 419-709-8447, email Tom at tom.hccm@gmail.com, or visit his website at https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com

Click this link to purchase Tom’s devotional, “Seeing Yourself Through the Eyes of God: A Weekly Devotional for Improving Self-Esteem.”

The Session: The Celebration of Success

That each of them may eat and drink and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. Ecclesiastes 3:13.

Why Your Brain Needs Celebration

• Dopamine release: Acknowledging milestones activates the brain’s reward system, which boosts your mood, attention, and drive.
• Momentum building: Tracking small achievements breaks down overwhelming, long-term goals into manageable steps.
• Burnout prevention: Skipping acknowledgments traps you in a chronic cycle of "what's next," which research links to exhaustion and disengagement. [1, 2, 3,

Key Scientific Findings

• Motivation and Tracking: Research by Teresa Amabile from Harvard Business School shows that daily progress tracking significantly enhances overall motivation.
• Team Success: Studies by Dr. Gert-Jan Pepping indicate that teams who convincingly celebrate wins together have a higher probability of future success.
• Relationship Bonds: According to UC Santa Barbara psychology professor Shelly Gable, how partners respond to and celebrate each other's good news strongly predicts relationship strength and intimacy.

How to Practice It

• Pause and reflect: Deliberately stop to acknowledge the effort behind a finished task, rather than instantly rushing to the next project
• Praise progress: Focus on rewarding consistent hard work and growth instead of just innate talent.

Make it a habit: Keep a simple daily or weekly log of your minor victories to combat negativity bias. [1, 2, 3]

A devotional podcast for parents on the go! Encouragement, Scripture, & prayer in just 7 minutes. Join the journey!

To reach Tom Russell, please call 419-709-8447, email Tom at tom.hccm@gmail.com, or visit his website at https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com

Click this link to purchase Tom’s devotional, “Seeing Yourself Through the Eyes of God: A Weekly Devotional for Improving Self-Esteem.”