Crazy Cool Family

165: Parents Who Fight for Truth (Feat. Julie Parido)

The fight continues, parents and this week we are picking up the Word of God to help us fight for our kid's hearts.
Julie Parido joins the podcast to share a God-inspired idea. She created a book called, Draw the Verse, which provides parents and kids with a simple and fun way to study scripture together. She felt like she knew the bible and grew up in the church but this class helped her have a passion to have her kids learn scripture by drawing the tree picture while they interacted with scripture. As the year went on, the felt like God called her to make a book for families to learn scripture together.
"Draw the verse sets our kids up to hear God, through His word, and have a relationship with us. This combo teaches them (and us) how to tie our actions, behaviors and our hearts to the scriptures. As our kids get older, it becomes part of the family culture and as a way to consistently talk about Jesus." - Suz
Do you want your kid to know God's word? Do you want them to learn to hear His voice through the Bible?
Then listen and be inspired by Suz and Julie! They will give you practical ways to start putting God's word into your family culture.
Recommended Resources:
Draw the Verse
Follow Julie on social media!
Crazy Cool Resources:
CCF Podcasts
CCF Social Media
Join Basecamp- FOR FREE!

164: Being a Funny Family (Feat. Tim Hawkins)

Is your family culture marked by fun?
Tim Hawkins joins us this week to share how his family values laughter, jokes, and silliness. If you need a laugh or help creating laughter in your home, then this podcast is for you!
"Humor is a God-given quality to help us walk through life." - Tim
Don and Tim discuss the power of comedy within a home and all the ways parents can create fun in family.
Here are a few things they discuss:
How do you bring humor into your family?
How do you create humor without putting down others?
What does humor bring into your culture?
How do we use technology to bring humor into our home?
Creating confident world changer kids starts with creating culture in your home. Tim says he used humor to combat shyness and help his kids shine! He believes it’s something God puts in us to help us live life and embrace the unknowns.
As we fight for family, we know every parent makes mistakes. The point is not to focus on the mistakes but choose to be the real TODAY and show their kids an authentic you.
Tim Hawkins Resources:
Youtube
Website - Buy tickets for a show!
Podcast
Cameo - personalized video comedy!
Crazy Cool Resources:
CCF Podcasts
CCF Social Media
Join Basecamp- FOR FREE!

#163: Step into the Spiritual Fight (Feat. Colleen Stickl)

When God gave us the word FIGHT, this is what we wanted to talk about! What we are called to do as parents is fight on the spiritual realm for our kids.
Colleen Stickl, the wife of our lead pastor at Valley Creek, and fighter for families all over the world joins the CCF podcast to equip us on the spiritual warfare FIGHT!
Basics of Spiritual Warfare:
Acknowledging we are in a battle
The fight is happening everyday and we walk in authority
Assume the battles are coming AND that we are never alone!
Remember who you are and who we are fighting
"Ephesians 6:12 says, Our fight is not against flesh in blood (or toddlers and teenagers), it is against the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world... The biggest battle is not what we can see with our eyes but against satan and his forces." - Colleen
Here are great questions to ask yourself as you grow in awareness about the spiritual fight:
What do we know about the enemy?
Can he be resisted?
Does the enemy have power? Authority? What is the difference?
How do we define the specific battle we feel or see?
Is God bigger than this? Does he have authority? Do I?
How do we fight the spiritual battle as a parent?
Renew your mind, replace them with God's truth
Taking authority and teaching our kids to do it too!
Believing and speaking out our identity
As parents, we see the battle for our kid's hearts. The more we are equipped to fight the less the enemy can do! Our kids are warriors and their salvation is at stake. If they have salvation, then he goes after their hearts. If their hearts are secure, he goes after their everyday peace and joy. We are called to fight for our kids and help them fight against darkness!
There is TOO MUCH GOLD in this podcast! Listen and share, today!
Recommended Resources:
The Bible! The word of God is the sword of the spirit and a double-edged sword
Peace Soundtrack from Valley Creek – truth soundtrack
Follow the Cloud – by John Stickl
Crazy Cool Resources:
CCF Podcasts
CCF Social Media
Join Basecamp- FOR FREE!

#162: Fight for Energy!

As a parent, do you ever feel like your kid(s) have SO MUCH MORE energy than you?
Often, we get asked the question,"How did you have enough energy to raise 7 kids!?"
The truth is, the kids do have more energy! "The reason kids have so much more energy is because they are carefree and have the freedom to play all day!" - Suz
Playing brings energy and life into family. We believe God calls us to work and steward our lives but also value play. We invite you to rethink the areas of "work" in your life and bring laughter and fun into them.
This week's podcast answers important questions about fun, energy, and relieving stress. We share practical ways parents can maintain energy and even create a culture of fun during the each season of family. If you feel like your family is running low on energy, this podcast is for you!
Here are a few questions we unpack:
Do you play with your kids? Do you make time to play?
How do you get on your kid's level and play?
What type of energy do you carry into the home? How do you change it if it's negative?
How do we, as parents invite God into our energy levels?
How is stress stealing your energy? What systems can alleviate the stress?
A Few Practicals:
Go outside!
See the day in two parts: morning and afternoon
Get creative with ways to exert energy!
Become aware of how stress drains our energy
Schedule clean-up times
Create systems to maintain energy
Find a village (or army) to build up your family
Refill your energy tank by getting time away
Crazy Cool Resources:
CCF Podcasts
CCF Social Media
Join Basecamp- FOR FREE!

#161: Commit to Fight for Family

We are in the Fight for Family, are you with us? How do we take it to the next level?
"I looked at the fight for family and I decided... I am not going to lose this fight." - Don
Commitment is key and we are talking about how to commit to the fight. Are you in? Let's take this conversation deeper. We have talked a lot about how to fight for your family but in today's podcast we step back and share vision and practical ways we have learned to fight over the last 30 years.
Remember parents, in every season, your family is worth the fight. Let's dive in together!
What are our family goals? What are yours?
We wanted our kids to love Jesus
Create fun moments with our family
(Insert yours here!)
Three Commitments:
Pursue God
Build Relationships
Create Culture
Questions We Cover:
What do I need to conquer in my life to have an amazing family?
What parts of me is God trying to refine through relationships?
What do we do to change family culture?
How do you activate/apply culture in your home?
Keys to Winning the Fight:
When we pursue God, we get to hear God
When we hear God, we get direction for our lives
God is a God of relationships - He is ALL about them!
You've got to be healthy yourself to create a healthy family
We are empowered by God to create family culture
Relationships is a game, designed by God and EVERYONE can win!
Culture is about connection, not performance
Resources:
CCF Podcasts
CCF Social Media
Outside Resources

#160: Fight for Forgiveness (Feat. Julie Plagens)

Do you need forgiveness in your family?
Join us this week as Julie Plagens shares with Don and Suzanne about her book, Estranged and shares how forgiveness is essential to a healthy, whole family. If you need forgiveness of restoration in your family's relationships, this is just the podcast for you!
In this podcast, we unpack the power of salvation and how it can transform a family. A family without Jesus creates pain and family estrangement. Julie shared how her parents started following God and her extended family didn't approve. She experienced physical, emotional, and relational pain. It followed her into her marriage and parenting journey.
In the midst of a lot of pain and sickness, she had "a come to Jesus moment" and decided she was going to reconcile all the anger and strained relationship with her family.
Do you feel estranged from someone in your family?
Do you feel conviction from God to reconcile but have no idea how?
Are you a people pleaser and struggling to have healthy boundaries with relationships?
"Fear based parenting can overtake encouragement and stop it. Fear based life impacts every relationships in your life." - Julie
Forgiveness is about the offense and reconciliation is about the relationship. Forgiveness has ZERO loop holes and God calls us to forgive, no matter what.
Reconciliation is an invitation from God but it revolves the relationships. It is two-sided and takes both people to make reconciliation happen.
Forgiveness is between us and God, reconciliation is between two (or more) people.
Key Takeaways:
Forgiveness is a super power and we rely on the power of God to help us.
The process of forgiveness works on our stubbornness and we start with embracing God's love.
Prayer softens our heart and helps us choose reconciliation.
Counseling can help the process of forgiveness - it's worth it!
Rethink the lies you have chosen to partner with and replace them with God's truth.
As parents, we can all break generational "legacies" or strongholds.
Resources:
Julie's Social Media
Julie's Website "Mom Remade"
Buy "Estranged" Here!
CCF Podcast
CCF Social Media

#159. Dads, Join the Fight! (Feat. Jeff Zaugg)

How do we, as fathers, win the game of love?
Does work feel like too much? Are you missing out on deep connecting with your kids? How do we (dads) invite God into our family and allow Him to teach us to be a provider? A protector? A friend?
Jeff Zaugg and Don unpack these question on this week's podcast. Jeff is a man of God and loves his family. He has dedicated his life to helping men walk about their God-given calling as fathers.
“My identity as a son of God, and my relationship with God is like a waterfall. The identity I believe flows from my life and into the next generation, my girls.” - Jeff
Hear from Don and Jeff on how they have learned to step into their God-given identity and follow His ways over theirs. This episode is for dads who long to know God and love their families. Listen as Jeff shares creative and spirit-filled ways he has learned to follow God and raise his kids.
"I can make mistakes but it doesn’t have to affect my sonship. The way I see myself will determine how I treat myself and others, especially my kids." - Jeff
LIFE stands for:
Love
Intentionality
Free (Hebrews 12:1-2)
Enjoy
Dads, your kids know if you love being a dad or not. How do you think your kids see you? Our Heavenly Father loves you and loves walking with you. When we spend time with Him, it overflows into our family, especially our kids. When you receive love from God, you will be more intentional, freer, and you will enjoy your family more.
Every family can be CRAZY COOL. Every family can have LIFE.
Encouragement from Jeff: Go after it! God has made your family unique and there is a spark inside you. Every kid (including you) has a place in God’s Kingdom and a place where your heart can align with God’s heart.
Resources:
Click here to learn more about DadAawesome & F4FBike opportunities
Dad Awesome Podcast
CCF Podcast
CCF Social Media

#158 Leadership is Worth the Fight (Feat. Julie Pierce)

Is everyone a kingdom leader?
That’s the question we unpack today. Julie Pierce joins us to answer our questions about leadership. Leadership is next level when it becomes KINGDOM leadership! We take the conversation into real-life situations.
“Every situation is a leadership situation. Every life lesson is a leadership lesson.” - Julie Pierce
We talk about:
The identity of a Kingdom leader
Training up Kingdom leaders (no matter what age)
Leading when you aren’t in charge (by your example)
Help kids be confident in every situation
Julie has 2 sons and she is passionate about raising them up to be leaders. Her desire is for them to walk into a room and be able to step up and lead if needed.
Parents, we are called to teach our kids to walk out in their Kingdom identity, this included being a Kingdom leader!
Here are other questions we answer:
What is the difference between a worldly leader and kingdom leader?
What have you learned about raising kingdom leaders over the years?
What if your kid doesn’t believe they are a leader/ have no confidence/would rather just follow others?
How do we pick up leadership skills? How do we train our kids to do the same
How to lead by going first. What does this look like in everyday life?
We love the “along the way” leadership learning. We get to create places for our kids to become leaders through serving, teaching them skills, and calling out the leadership identity God placed inside them.
“What we celebrate, we replicate.” - Julie Pierce
The conservation landed on this idea of celebrating our kids when they lead and helping them know how to keep leading in future situations. Celebration is a leadership skill and as parents, when we celebrate our kids take notice!
Listen to this week’s podcast to learn how to speak Kingdom leader-identity over your kids. Julie speaks over her kids, “Lead well and shine your light.” It’s a simple phrase they consistently speak over their boys. They are seeing the fruit in their kids and you can too!
Resources:
Julie Pierce Leadership Website
Julie Pierce Instagram
CCF Instagram
More CCF Podcasts

#157 ”T” is for Teach

FIGHT, that is what we have been talking about this year!
F is for... Faith
I is for... Inspire
G is for... Give
H is for... Hugs
T is for....?
TEACH! This week we focus in on how to train up our kids and teach them how to live!
Do you talk more than listen? Do you use too many words? Do you nag and lecture?
We are here to say there is a better way! We invite you to listen and challenge the way you teach your children. There are biblical, God-given ways to teach and train our kids. We talk about these things:
How to listen and connect with our kids
Help our kids come to their own conclusion
Let kids make mistakes (What!? Really!?)
Creating Family Values + Culture
How to live like the Kingdom of God
There are so many ways we can teach our kids. We invite you to start a conversation with your spouse, friends, or kids about things you are called to teach them. Teaching our kids is a life time journey and we do it along the way. How can you start teaching your kids today? Start somewhere!
Resources:
Social Media
Basecamp

#156: ”H” is for Hugs

We continue the Fight for Family series with "H is for Hugs." Affection, physical touch, and affirmation are all things we invite you to give your kids.
Here's the reality, parents... if they don't get it from you... they will look for it elsewhere.
Listen and grow in your understanding of how a parent's loving touch can change the heart of a child. Your affection, love, and kindness can fill your child's love cup up. It can change their hard heart towards you.
Did you know you need 4 hugs a day? Really?
We need 4 hugs a day for survival.
We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance.
We need 12 hugs a day for growth.
Here are 25 reasons you need hugs:
Hugging helps us fight stress and keep us healthier.
Hugging boosts the body’s immune system.
Hugging releases oxytocin which relieves anxiety.
Hugging helps us to bond.
Hugging gives us skin contact that our bodies need.
Hugging increases serotonin in the body, making us happier.
Hugging leads to a balanced nervous system.
Hugging uses nonverbal communication.
Hugging provides multiple health benefits.
Hugging raises our level of dopamine reducing depression.
Hugging connects us.
Hugging can help us to sleep better.
Hugging builds self-esteem and self-love.
Hugging helps us to feel love and acceptance.
Hugging is the best way to maintain a strong emotional bond.
Hugging gives us empathy for others.
Hugging helps us control our feelings.
Hugging increases intimacy.
Hugging allows us to give and receive comfort.
Hugging tells a person that they matter.
Hugging builds trust and a sense of safety.
Hugging relaxes muscles.
Hugging teaches us to let go and be present in the moment.
Hugging encourages us to flow with the energy of life.
Hugging connects us with our heart, feelings, and breath.
We must MUST MUST add hugging to our arsenal as we fight for our children/families. We have to be the ones to fill the need. It is way too costly for to have the need for physical touch to be met outside the family.
So GO HUG YOUR KIDS, your spouse…. The dog! Keep a count 4, 8, 12…. How many hugs are you going to give today because that is exactly how many you are going to get to! All the benefits they get from a hug you get too!
Wherever you are in your parenting journey, we can all learn more about how to love our kids!
Check out Basecamp
Follow us on social media
Listen to other Podcasts