"Our Constitution in America puts us under a federation, which basically means that we're a group of states that are united under one central government."

Hospitality doesn't have to be elaborate or expensive. DeAnna introduced the concept of "fast food hospitality," which embraces quick and easy ways to stay connected. Whether it's dropping off a coffee for a friend or scheduling a short phone call, these small gestures can go a long way in maintaining meaningful relationships.

Wonderful news: there's hope for a disabled child. Listen here For another podcast on teaching a disabled child, click here. Cynthia: Life is never what we expect it to be. And as parents, we sometimes are presented with challenges. The way to overcome those challenges is a dependence on the Lord. I have with me today, Annie Yorty. She had a child who has Down’s syndrome. And that is a whole bunch of stuff because as a nurse, I know that there's a lot involved in that. She's going to talk a little bit about how she raised that child....

In the wee hours of the morning on D-Day, June 6, 1944, a young paratrooper prepared to jump over France, supporting the troops invading Normandy. He checked his parachute and noted it was packed by a company near his hometown. He chuckled. Wearing heavy gear, his squad sat all around him along the sides of the plane. “Hey, what gives?” One man asked. “Share the joke. We’re all nervous and could use a laugh.” “I know this parachute will work,” the trooper answered. “Really?” Another soldier said. “How can you be so sure?” He pointed to the name tag on...

  "Holy Father, as we watch summer fade, we praise you for establishing the seasons and bringing autumn rains. We thank you for the food we harvest from the earth this time of year. May we continue to seek your face for wisdom this month. Strengthen us to share our faith with our family and the wider community. In the Name of Jesus we pray, Amen." CLICK HERE for your monthly encouragement  so you can download the September 2023 Calendar Challenge.

What if Your Child Questions Christianity? Because It's likely they will. Listen here. Cynthia:  I remember as a little girl, I began to question the story of Santa Claus. My parents taught me Santa Claus really existed. And I wondered how he could visit all the people in the world in one night. How could he get in our house? Because we didn't have a chimney. I began to think this is not very rational, not very logical. And, and over time I began to reason my way out of believing in Santa Claus. Well, our kids are going to...

Listen here Cynthia: Our focus this month is on marriage. As we had discussed earlier, my parents would have been married 71 years in August. Last week, we talked about ways to strengthen your marriage. This week we're going to have a little different focus and we'll be talking about the ‘what ifs.’ How can you maintain a strong marriage if you face unexpected grief? The traditional marriage vows say for better or for worse. Well, what if the worst happens? My guests today are Todd and Kristen Evans, and they are both authors and massively well educated. Todd has...

Make the Romance Last in Your Marriage Listen here Cynthia: Popular media today seldom depicts enduring love and marriage. Most people seem to be on a quest to find that special someone who will fulfill their dreams and make them happy, and many decide never to marry at all. In contrast to that, we have Ephesians 5 where God reveals to us that marriage is a picture of Christ in the church. More than that, God issues that very unpopular command that the wife submit to her husband in addition He commands the man to love his wife in a...

Do you want to keep the romance in your marriage? I look back on my parents and remember the warmth between them. They stayed close for many years, despite problems. Listen here August is a special month for me because my parents married on August 24. Momma always talked about the day she and dad married. In fact, any time someone visited, she offered to show them her wedding photos. This year, they would have been married 71 years, and in their memory, we are going to talk about marriage for a few weeks. How can you keep romance in...

When I was about ten years old, my parents took us on a trip out west. We visited two brothers who served as missionaries to the Navajo Indians in New Mexico. Ron’s wife talked about how much her husband enjoyed pinion nuts that only grew in that area. We had never heard of them, but her glowing description left an impression on my parents. We left the missionary’s home to continue our vacation, but mother visited a local grocery store. She found a package of nuts and brought them to us in the car. We all expected to enjoy a...

Dear Heavenly Father, as our children and grandchildren return to school, we are reminded of our constant need of your wisdom and instruction. May we remember that ‘the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’ so that we may maintain a healthy respect for your holiness and dignity. Help us to value our family and especially our spouses that our marriages may reflect the beauty of Christ and the church. In the Name of Jesus we pray, Amen. CLICK HERE for your monthly encouragement  so you can download the August 2023 Calendar Challenge.

We want to protect our kids from porn. When I was a little girl, I found a magazine in our yard with porn, and the photos upset me.  Today children can find porn much more easily when they are on the internet or phone. Author Kristen Jensen was my guest this week. She has written several books for parents on protecting kids from porn Check out this episode! Cynthia: Years ago, I walked to school every day.  I lived a few blocks from my school. Because the school was so close there were kids that walked through my yard. One...

A couple weeks ago, author John Girolamo spoke with us about dangers from online predators. Today, we have the second segment of that interview. Check out this episode! Cynthia: We've been talking about human trafficking two weeks ago, and we are coming back to finish the topic. We were talking about some of the things the predators do and some of the grooming that goes on. John tell us how parents can be pro-active. John: Sure. I think the first thing that any parent is going to want to know is what applications are on their kids’ phones. Go into...

We’ve just celebrated the birth of our nation on July 4 when Continental Congress signed the declaration of Independence 247 years ago. Listen here The men who signed risked their lives and fortunes and so did the patriots who fought for our freedom. Who were those men? I thought I’d bring history to you by sharing with you about two of my patriot ancestors. Donald McInnis was a shoemaker who came from Scotland. He owned no land. His wife’s name was Mary. We believed they had just arrived in Surrey County, Virginia when she gave birth to a son on...

In World War II, German tanks devastated the Russian countryside, and Russian technology couldn’t compete. Knowing that the underside of the tank was the most vulnerable, the military trained dogs to fight. When the dogs were hungry, the staff placed meat underneath tanks. The dogs associated a nice meal with the tank undercarriage. Trainers intended to attach bombs to dogs that would detonate when brushed by the tank. However, battle conditions confused the dogs. Russian tanks sat still during their training, and the dogs balked at the constant movement and noise. Plus, the Russian tanks burned diesel, while Germans tanks...

We live in a fantastic country, and we need to share our incredible heritage with our family. Not only can we glean lessons from history, but we can also learn about the men who gave their lives for our freedom. This week award-winning author Author Rebecca Price Janney was my guest. She has written the Easton series about her patriot ancestor. The latest book, which just came out, is Easton at Sunset. Rebecca offered wonderful suggestions, like look up your ancestry. You may discover you have a patriot who fought in the war too. That would make July 4th extra...

Technology has made our lives easier but has also brought serious risks. Today predators attempt to get to your children and entice them into hurtful relationships. How can we protect our children? Parents need to be informed. John DiGirolamo has researched internet safety and has published several books.  He gave information from his book, It is Not About the Predator. Check out this episode! Cynthia: Technology has made much of our work easier. When I grew up, we didn't have microwaves and cell phones. We had to put things in the oven and to be able to imagine putting a...

Whenever I need to get my husband's attention, I have to call his name. Otherwise, I can talk all day and he won't hear. A man tends to focus on one thing whereas, I can juggle lots of jobs. One way to  improve your marriage is to understand how God made your spouse. My guests this week were Bill and Pam Farrell, and they wrote the best-selling book, Men are Like Waffles and Women are Like Spaghetti. We enjoyed lots of laughter as we discussed male and female differences, but we also demonstrated how God intended for us to work together....

How can you meld two very different people into marriage and yet keep each person's identity? That can be very difficult, especially if you marry late in life. Athena Dean Holz, publisher and author, married a busy pastor. She offered tips on how to meld two different personalities and remain happy. Listen here. For more on building a great marriage, listen here.