Crazy Cool Family

#295: We’ve Never Talked about Easter....

Let's talk Easter, cause we never have!
Easter is one of the MOST important holidays within our faith and we have NEVER done a podcast on it. We’ve almost made 300 episodes and looking through them, this is the first time we’ve set aside space to talk about Easter – so let’s dive in.
The goal of today's podcast is to help your family have the BEST Easter EVER.
Here are a few points we discuss:
Biblical understanding of Easter and it's significance
Why Easter is overlooked/hard to celebrate without commercialized elements
HOW to celebrate as a family and make it all about Jesus
How do you Crazy Cool Parent that?
Making it PRACTICAL: Crazy Cool Change
Each week we will aim to give you a CCC – A Crazy Cool.... C word – lol! It’s to sum all the info from this podcast up and package in a way you can activate.
Today’s CCC is a Crazy Cool CHANGE. If you want to see transformation in your family- start with changing one thing you did last year around this time. Choose/Pick 1 practical we shared from the podcast and do it!
Based on the age of your kids, your CCC may be different for each kid OR it may be one big change you need to make within your entire family. Here are a few examples:
Read the story of Jesus death and resurrection as a family (or watch a movie that kids can handle)
Make the Easter morning intentional and about celebrating Jesus
Make a special breakfast
Ask your kids what they think Easter is and see what is in their hearts regarding this holiday!
Want the Free Easter Resource?
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#294 In Charge Vs. In Control (Feat. Mollie Torres)

Mollie joins the podcast to talk about an insight God has been giving her about control vs. being in charge.
Mollie, a mother of two boys, and the oldest Manning kid - reflects on a thought-provoking question she received from her church: "Where are you allowing the Holy Spirit to be in charge in your life?"
She shares that she loves to be in charge, a trait shaped by being the oldest in the Manning Fam. Mollie is used to taking the lead and often finds comfort in knowing the vision and direction of where she is going. This strong inclination toward control can sometimes clash with the idea of surrendering to God’s will.
Highlights from the podcast:
Questions to ask God when it comes to control vs. being in charge of certain aspects of your life
Gifts from God are to be used to His glory/purpose/vision - but how?
How do we live "in charge" and aligned with God's plan for your family
Releasing it to God.... and then.... ask God what is "just right"
Favor and honor of leading with God without all the pressure of knowing where to go/what to do all the time (God is in control, you aren't!)
Crazy Cool Challenge: Make a list of things Holy Spirit wants you to release to Him AND what He wants you to own/carry. Ask God what gifts He has given you and to wash them clean, AND to give them back to use for HIS glory!!
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
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#293: Do you know how to disciple AND be a disciple (Feat. Marcus Warner)

In this episode of the Crazy Cool Family podcast, Don welcomes Marcus Warner, the president of Deeper Walk International and a renowned expert on family dynamics and discipleship. The conversation dives deep into Marcus's transformative FISH discipleship methodology, which stands for Freedom, Identity, Spirit, and Heart-Focused Community. This framework offers a practical and spiritual approach to nurturing strong, meaningful connections within families and with God.
Throughout the episode, Marcus explores how parents can use the FISH methodology not only to strengthen their own relationship with God but also to guide and nurture their children’s spiritual journeys. He emphasizes that building a deep sense of identity—both in ourselves and in our children—is central to the process. The conversation unveils how parents can create a supportive environment where attachment takes priority over behavior, ensuring that children feel seen, loved, and secure.
Rather than focusing solely on correcting behaviors, Marcus stresses the importance of fostering emotional and spiritual attachment as the foundation for lasting growth. The discussion jumps between the roles of the parent as both a disciple and a discipler, offering valuable insights for parents seeking to lead by example while also guiding their children in their own faith development.
This engaging episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to strengthen their family's spiritual health, offering practical strategies and profound wisdom to cultivate a lasting, heart-centered connection with both God and each other.
Podcast Resources:
Deeper Walk International
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#292: Crazy Cool Parent This: Q&A with Don and Suz

In Season 7 of our podcast, we are taking time to give practical parenting tips in our episodes. We are using the term, "Crazy Cool Parent This" because choosing to parent God's way is often crazy AND turns out cool.
Sometimes we go deep into a specific topic and sometimes (like today) we like to throw random questions at Don and Suz and see what they think/how they would parent the situation.
Here are the questions we cover in today's podcast:
How do you pursue God amidst busy family seasons?
My 5-year-old son said a bad word, what do I do?
My child is kissing!!! What do I do?
Share this episode with a friend and keep listening for more Q&A episodes this season!
Got a question and need help? Email us at podcast@crazycoolfamilycom and maybe your questions will show up in a future episode!
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#291: Crazy Cool Parent This: Emotional Intelligence

Emotions are a God given gift inside of each of us to help navigate life. But what do we do with them? Especially in our kids...?
In this podcast Suzanne, Macy, and Mckenzie explore the topic of Emotional Intelligence and how to Crazy Cool Family emotions. If emotions feel challenging to you, or if they are taking over your home - you are in the right place! In the podcast we walk through a define emotional intelligence as the ability to recognize, understand, and deal skillfully with one's own emotions and the emotions of others.
How different would your home be if every person was able to navigate their emotions in this way?
We then explore the misconception of “bad” feelings and walk through what six of these emotions may be telling us if we gave them a listen. If you find sadness, anxiety, fear, jealousy, disappointment or anger in your home this is for you! Our hope in the podcast is to partner with you as parents to create Crazy Cool Character in your kiddos by training them in how to navigate their emotions from toddlers to teenagers. We share a lot of practical ways to meet kids of all ages in their current emotional state. Give it a listen!
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#290: Crazy Cool Parent This: Connect During Spring Break!

Spring break is coming up and we want to start the conversation about how to invest in your kids over their break. In today's episode, we discuss how parents can make the most of the time with their kids and how to invest in them at every age.
What does it look like to have CRAZY COOL CONNECTION with your kids this Spring Break?
No matter what season your family is in, there's a way to make it special!
Address false mindsets and choose unity.
We only have so many breaks with our kids - make the most of them.
Get caught up in "kids's world" instead of "adult world."
Choose 1 way to connect your kids this break (we give ideas!)
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#289: Interrupt Your Marriage (Feat. Julie Plagens)

Do you want to stay in love with your spouse? Even through conflict?
Julie Plagens, a wife, mother, and author joins our podcast to talk about her new book, Marriage Interrupted. If you are wanting to invest in your marriage and learn ways to love and forgive your spouse, this podcast is for you!
Julie's new book goes over so many Kingdom principles and relates them to marriage. We focused on forgiveness and how to believe for change within your marriage.
Here are the key talking points from the podcast:
Why forgiveness is so important for EVERY marriage
Focusing and healing yourself first (it's really all you can control)
Realizing WHO is the enemy and who is your teammate within marriage
How to have a unified marriage - the importance of being a teammate
Practical ways to "grow up" in your marriage (and see change!)
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#288: Crazy Cool Parent This - Building Confident Kids

As parents, we are called to deposit confidence in our kids - but how do you create a confident kid?
The world wants to tear your child down and create insecurity inside of them. Family is the place where we wash off the world and send our kids out - confident, loved, and brave.
Parents, we get to go first in building our kids up - here's how!
Today's talking points:
What does a confident, self-directed child look like? How do they live/act?
How do parents build confidence in their kids?
What does God say about raising kids to be independent?
How are independence and confidence linked in our kids?
How does identity play into our kid’s confidence?
Our heart behind these episodes is to inspire and equip you in specific parenting topics and apply your learnings to your specific kids. In today's episode, a huge practical we share is how to be approachable and a safe place for your kids to come to you. Your love and response is crucial in building confidence in your kid. Listen to this episode to learn HOW to love your kids and build confidence into them, in every season.
CRAZY COOL CHANGE: Let your kids make mistakes
Listen to the episode to learn more about the CCC and how you can apply it in your family today!
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#287: Mothers, Daughters, and Sisters TELL ALL!

What do you think is said when Suz gets ALL her daughters (and daughter-in-law) in a room and hits the record button?
You'll have to listen to find out....
On Episode #287, we celebrate Suz's birthday! She is 23 years young😜 and living her best life! We unpack do's and don'ts from her parenting experience. Now that she has 4 grown daughters who are married and multiplying - AND the world's BEST daughter in law, she asked them to sit down and share some of their experiences.
This episodes is packed full of silly moments that will make you laugh AND words of encouragement, challenge, and possibly wisdom;)
Listen and share this episode today if you are looking for something to spice up your week and help you invest in your family!
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#286: Love is in the Air, or is it?

Love is in the air and we are talking REAL LOVE and real struggles that come with marriage! With Valentine’s coming up – we wanted to take an episode to encourage and challenge you in your marriage.
Don and Suz are talking about the good, bad, and ugly from their 33 years of marriage! They would say their marriage is "the best it's ever been" and "it's the hardest relationship for them to invest in."
They both share how powerful of an influence marriage is because people grow, change, and evolve. Marriage is not easy and it takes effort. We want every Crazy Cool Marriage to be full of hope and endurance.
Main Points from the podcast:
What does God say about marriage and how do we value it through the seasons?
What is the role of a husband and wife?
Seeing and appreciating the differences in your spouse
What is the #1 best thing you can do for your marriage? (We tell you!)
Podcast Resources:
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