Some of our children are born knowing exactly who they are, and it takes the rest of us a little while to catch up. That was my Yael.

In the final episode of our family interview series, I sit down with my fourthborn, Yael, strong-willed and brilliant from the time she was a toddler, working puzzles at three and praying on her own at four. She also carried chronic illness from the time she was a baby, with eight surgeries before she was six, and years of questions no doctor could answer, until, as an adult, she was finally diagnosed with autism, and so much of her life suddenly made sense.

This is a tender, honest conversation about raising a child who doesn’t fit the mold, and the grace it takes to let her be exactly who God made her. Yael opens up about growing up feeling different, the social pressure that overwhelmed her, and how she came to a place of real acceptance: “God accepts you, and now I have to accept myself.” And I confess the ways Yael, without ever knowing it, reshaped my own understanding of prayer, grace, and faith, including the Sunday morning God stopped me and asked what mattered more: the dress she wore, or whether she’d still want to go to church at twelve.

If you’re raising a neurodivergent child, or a child who doesn’t look like the others, this one is for you. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

In this episode:

• Yael’s story: strong-willed, gifted, and different from the very start
• Chronic illness, medical trauma, and a faith that held through all of it
• A late autism diagnosis, and the freedom of finally understanding herself
• Letting go of man-made rules to protect a child’s heart (the dress story)
• The night God corrected how I was praying over my daughter
• A word of hope for parents raising neurodivergent children in the faith
• Acceptance: “God accepts you, now I can accept myself”

This is the final episode of our family interview series, and what a gift it has been to open our family table to you these past weeks. No formula, no perfect family. Just the truth about a life led by God. It’s not simple, but it can be done.

🦃 This Thanksgiving, disciple your kids through the season: the BIG Family Gratitude Challenge is a month-long journey through Scripture, coloring, mazes, and journaling that builds grateful hearts. Get it at 4thisgeneration.com or the Amazon link in my bio.

New episodes every Tuesday. Follow so you never miss one.
Equipping moms. Discipling children. Impacting generations.

In this tender conversation, I sit down with my oldest daughter, Priscila, who came into our family at fourteen after the sudden loss of her mom, my dearest friend. Together we look back on the night everything changed, the promise I made at the hospital, and the years of discipleship that followed. We talk about helping a grown-up-too-soon teenager learn to be a child, the hard conversations that built her identity in Christ, and what it means to hold joy and grief at the same time. Priscila also shares honestly about drifting from church as a young adult, how God restored her faith and marriage, and the lessons she now carries into raising her own children. This is a story of God's faithfulness through every season.

Takeaways

• In seasons of loss, children need stability and adults who point them back to God.
• Discipleship starts with observing your child closely and praying for wisdom to know their heart.
• Joy and grief can live side by side, and God uses both to shape our character.
• Staying connected to a church family protects our faith when life gets hard.
• Trusting God with some areas of our lives isn't enough. He wants all of it.
• Parenting adult children takes a new kind of wisdom, knowing when to step in and when to wait.

Chapters

• 00:09 Welcome, Priscila
• 04:22 Meet Priscila
• 08:07 The Night Everything Changed
• 10:44 A Promise at the Hospital
• 14:34 How Her Mom Came to Jesus
• 17:09 Growing Up at the School
• 18:59 Learning to Be a Child Again
• 21:53 Hard Conversations That Built Identity
• 27:15 Holding Joy and Grief Together
• 29:33 A Teenager on Fire for God
• 31:02 Called to Christian College and Counseling
• 34:49 Stepping Away from Church
• 37:00 Finding a Church Home and Restoration
• 39:13 Leaning on Our Own Understanding
• 41:41 Expectations That Weigh Women Down
• 45:10 Learning to Parent an Adult Child
• 46:23 Grandchildren, Gratitude, and Goodbye

There's something truly lovely about sitting across from a daughter who carries your own name. This week, I get to do exactly that.

In this heartfelt conversation, I sit down with my daughter Rita Mar, and we talk about the things that get passed down in a family- not the stuff, but the character. We reflect on our journey together, the challenges and the joys of motherhood, and the legacy of love and generosity that has moved through our family across the generations.

Rita Mar and I get honest about what it really means to parent on purpose and how the everyday, intentional choices shape a child's character long before they can name what's happening. We share personal stories about generosity as a way of life, the growth that comes through hard decisions, and why none of us were ever meant to walk out our faith alone; we need community.

In this episode:

• How intentional parenting quietly shapes who a child becomes
• Generosity as a family legacy, and how it builds character
• The personal stories behind our family's values
• Making faith-rooted choices in the real decisions of life
• Why community is essential to a growing faith

No formula, no perfect family, just a mother and daughter telling the truth about love, faith, and what we hope keeps getting handed down. It's not simple, but it can be done.

🦃 This Thanksgiving, disciple your kids through the season: the BIG Family Gratitude Challenge is a month-long journey through Scripture: coloring, mazes, and journaling that build grateful hearts. Get it at 4thisgeneration.com or the Amazon link in my bio.

New episodes every Tuesday. Follow so you never miss one.

Equipping moms. Discipling children. Impacting generations.

Chapters

• 00:00 A Journey of Motherhood and Growth
• 12:01 The Impact of Family Legacy
• 23:56 Generosity and Faith in Action
• 26:51 Acts of Generosity and Character Building
• 30:03 Navigating Life Decisions and Values
• 36:55 Spiritual Journey and Faith Choices
• 46:12 The Role of Community in Faith
• 49:44 Parenting with Intentionality and Faith