Inviting Your Child Into the Easter Story

Summary

Summary of "Inviting Your Child Into the Easter Story" Episode

Podcast Title: Focus on the Family with Jim Daly
Host/Author: Focus on the Family
Episode: Inviting Your Child Into the Easter Story
Release Date: April 4, 2025
Duration: Approximately 27 minutes

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Introduction

In the episode titled "Inviting Your Child Into the Easter Story," hosts Jim Daly and John Fuller delve into the complexities of conveying the profound Christian narrative of Easter to children amidst the secular traditions that often overshadow its true significance. Recognizing that Easter encompasses themes of triumph, betrayal, suffering, and resurrection, the discussion centers on how parents can effectively bridge the gap between these deep spiritual truths and the playful aspects like the Easter bunny and colored eggs.

Challenges of Teaching Easter to Children

John Fuller opens the conversation by highlighting the multifaceted nature of Easter. He notes, “As Christians, we know there is so much more to Easter...” (00:00), emphasizing the difficulty adults face in helping children grasp the profound events of Holy Week amidst the distractions of secular celebrations. The hosts acknowledge that while adults can process the historical and theological aspects of Easter, conveying these truths to children requires intentional effort.

Jim Daly adds, “We should be envied as a generation... Jesus was who he said he was” (02:07), pointing out that today’s parents have the advantage of 2,000 years of historical context to affirm Jesus' identity, a luxury not afforded to the disciples who grappled with doubt and confusion.

The Straubs' Approach to Easter Traditions

John Fuller introduces guest speakers, Josh and Kristi Straub, who co-founded "Fam" and authored "10 Days of the Easter: A Family Experience through the Feelings of Holy Week." With their three children—Landon, Kennedy, and Micah—they bring firsthand experience in navigating the balance between secular Easter traditions and the Christian narrative.

Kristi Straub shares their family’s approach: “We were not big on pretending that these people exist and deliver presents... How do you begin to clarify this is Jesus and the true story, and this is something we do for fun?” (03:00). The Straubs emphasize honesty with their children about the symbolic nature of the Easter bunny and eggs, ensuring that the focus remains on the true Easter story.

Emotional Health and the Easter Story

A significant portion of the discussion revolves around the emotional dimensions of the Easter narrative. Josh Straub points out the confusion children face when confronted with both joyful traditions and the somber aspects of Jesus' death and resurrection: “It's hard for... how do these go together?” (04:10). The Straubs advocate for using Easter as an opportunity to foster emotional intelligence, helping children process complex emotions such as hope, anger, and fear.

Kristi Straub explains, “Thinking, feeling and relating at the same time is where true growth happens...” (07:52). By engaging children emotionally, parents can create a more impactful and memorable understanding of the Easter story.

Handling Difficult Emotions with Children

The discussion delves into the challenges parents face when addressing the more gruesome aspects of Easter, such as Jesus' crucifixion. Josh Straub candidly shares his childhood struggles with understanding and processing these events: “I almost disgusted... why are we watching this now?” (11:19). He highlights the paradox of trying to protect children from harsh realities while simultaneously introducing them to the painful truths of the Easter story.

Kristi Straub echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of allowing children to experience and express a range of emotions: “Our ability to experience a wide range of emotion is what leads to emotional and spiritual health...” (17:32). She advocates for creating a safe environment where children can openly discuss their feelings without fear of being overwhelmed.

Creating Emotional Safety in the Family

A pivotal theme is the concept of emotional safety within the family unit. Kristi Straub defines emotional safety as a parental posture centered on grace and truth rather than rigid techniques: “Techniques will always change... The posture from which we parent should never change” (18:19). She references biblical principles, such as those found in First John 4, to illustrate leading with love and understanding.

Jim Daly reinforces the idea that emotional safety is foundational for raising resilient and emotionally healthy children: “Emotionally healthy children... layers of an onion” (07:52). The Straubs emphasize consistency, open communication, and mutual respect as key components of fostering emotional safety.

Importance of Parental Consistency and Heart

Throughout the episode, the hosts and guests stress that the heart of parenting transcends specific tactics. Kristi Straub states, “Emotional safety really is that posture of how do we lead” (20:28), highlighting that genuine love and understanding are more impactful than any singular parenting strategy.

Jim Daly concurs, noting that simple, consistent actions—such as showing up for dinner, resolving conflicts amicably, and displaying love—lay the groundwork for strong emotional foundations: “These aren't difficult things to do, just consistency for your kids to see” (23:22).

Conclusion and Resources

In wrapping up, John Fuller and Jim Daly encourage listeners to explore the Straubs' book, "10 Days of the Easter: A Family Experience through the Feelings of Holy Week," as a resource for guiding families through Holy Week with emotional intelligence and biblical truth. They also promote additional resources available through Focus on the Family, including family scripture readings and community events.

Kristi Straub poignantly shares her personal memories of Easter with her grandmother, illustrating the profound impact of familial traditions on faith: “It just connected my faith...” (21:17). The episode concludes with a call to embrace both the joyful and sorrowful aspects of Easter, fostering a holistic and emotionally engaging faith experience for children.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• John Fuller (00:00): “As adults, that is so much for us to process. And it's really hard for us to help our kids get into those truths and understand them.”
• Jim Daly (02:07): “We have to better understand what were the motivations of people and what was happening... Jesus was who he said he was.”
• Kristi Straub (04:52): “We want our children to know the truth, and we want them to understand that the truth sets them free.”
• Josh Straub (07:09): “We are trying to introduce our children to that died this gruesome death... How do we do this?”
• Kristi Straub (18:19): “The posture from which we parent should never change. Leading in grace and following in truth is crucial.”

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Key Takeaways

1. Balance Secular and Spiritual Traditions: While engaging in fun Easter traditions, parents should prioritize conveying the true Christian narrative of Easter.
2. Foster Emotional Intelligence: Utilize the Easter story to help children process a range of emotions, promoting emotional and spiritual health.
3. Create Emotional Safety: Lead with grace and truth, ensuring that children feel safe to express their feelings without fear of judgment or overwhelm.
4. Consistency Over Tactics: Focus on the heart of parenting—love, consistency, and open communication—rather than relying solely on specific parenting techniques.
5. Utilize Resources: Leverage tools like the Straubs' book to guide families through Holy Week, fostering meaningful connections to the Easter story.

By embracing these principles, parents can help their children develop a deep, emotionally resonant understanding of Easter, rooted in both faith and personal growth.

Transcript

[John Fuller]

When you think about Easter, I wonder what comes to mind. Is it rabbits? Chocolate colored eggs? As Christians, we know there is so much more to Easter. It started with a triumphal parade and anger Jesus had about the misuse of God's temple, the Last Supper, a brutal death, then a miraculous resurrection. And as adults, that is so much for us to process. And it's really hard for us to help our kids get into those truths and understand them. So today on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, we're going to explore the Easter story, its relevance to our lives, and how you as a parent, can help your kids grab onto it. Thanks for joining us. I'm John Fuller.

[Jim Daly]

John, the period of time around that first Easter had to be filled with amazing moments. We call it Holy Week. But if you just read it in the scripture, there was a lot going on, a lot of chaos, really. And imagine how the disciples must have felt, wondering if Jesus would become the king, would he take over politically, would he be the next leader in that way? And then you had Judas betraying him, you had Peter denying him. There was just a lot of things happening, and it's good for us to understand it and better understand what were the motivations of people and what was happening. You know, we have the benefit of 2000 years of history now. We get to look back and we get to see that what Jesus said is true. I mean, we should be envied as a generation. You know, we're not in the midst of it thinking, is he the Messiah? Is he not the Messiah? I think you can say very definitively Jesus was who he said he was. And we have still people that have lots of questions about Jesus and his significance. And we're going to help answer those questions today, especially for your children, which is so hard for them to kind of connect with. What's a bunny rabbit and a colored egg have to do with Easter? So we're looking forward to talking to two great friends about how to speak to your children about Easter.

[John Fuller]

Yeah. Josh and Kristi Straub are back in the studio with us. We're so glad to have them. And we always get a great response when we talk with them. They are speakers and podcast hosts and co founders of fam. They train leaders in emotional intelligence and really promote healthy families. They're living a healthy family. They have three kids. And Landon, Kennedy and Micah. They know something about the journey that so many of us are on or reflecting back so positively about. One of the books they've written that we'll mention here is 10 days of the Easter A Family Experience through the Feelings of Holy Week. And we've got copies of that book here. Stop by the show notes for yours or give us a call. 800, the letter A and the word family.

[Jim Daly]

Josh and Christy, welcome.

[Kristi Straub]

Thank you.

[Jim Daly]

Good to have you back. Smiles. I love your smiles.

[Kristi Straub]

We love Joyful.

[Jim Daly]

I love it. Let me ask you this. John touched on it, but the whole idea of bunny rabbits and eggs. So, you know, for Gene and I, when our boys were younger, we were having this discussion. Do we talk about a rabbit? I mean, really, do the kids grow up thinking we're lying to them? There is no big Easter bunny that's taking care of all this, spiritually speaking. And, you know, Gene was really great. We did the same thing with the other guy in December. You know, Sc, I don't want to blow anybody's cover, but we just weren't. We felt it may not go down well with our boys if we're deceiving them. I mean, even playfully about Santa Claus and maybe the Easter Bunny. So we were not big on pretending that these people exist and deliver presents. But this one, let's just get out of the way at Easter. How do you begin to clarify this is Jesus and the true story, and this is something we do for fun?

[Josh Straub]

Well, it is confusing, isn't it? Like, wait, where did bunnies and eggs come into the picture? And then we're talking about empty tombs and this horrific death. And, like, how do these go together? And I think it's hard for. I mean, we're parents raising kids in this generation alongside all of you.

[Jim Daly]

How old are your kids? Just for the listeners.

[Josh Straub]

So Landon's 10, Kennedy's eight, and Micah's just about to be three.

[Jim Daly]

So right there you have a wide variety of understanding.

[Josh Straub]

Yeah. And it's. And very limited understanding for some. Like, it's what even is Easter, I think. And the reason, I think it's so important to us to even have this conversation today is because it really, like, it's the crux of our faith. So if we're like, Jim, you're saying if we're, like, telling them about Easter bunnies and going along with that, and I'm truthfully, like, we play along with some of the traditions so that the kids, like, there's just a joy in hiding eggs around the house. And. But with this, like, balance of. And this is what is true, right?

[Kristi Straub]

Yeah. And I think, you know, for us, you know, one of the principles we hold to is one of the things that Christy's mom would say to them growing up, you know, the Easter bunny with and with SC as well, and this is the phrase is they are pretend, but in our home, we pretend. And so just that idea of going, okay, yes, if they ask the question, we pretend or they pretend, but we pretend in our home. And I think there's a reality to. We want our children to know the truth, and we want them to understand that the truth sets them free.

[Jim Daly]

Right.

[Kristi Straub]

And so that's why, you know. Yes. You know, and I get the Easter egg in the spring and the springing fourth of life and that, you know, being a representation to the resurrection. But I think so often what we do is we bypass the pain of the truth, we bypass the suffering of the truth, and we want to get to the resurrection. Sunday is coming. We use that phrase, Sunday is coming. And what we end up doing is we pacify things with eggs and the pretend stuff that culture brings into play. And then we focus on the good part of the Easter story of going, okay, Sunday's coming. Jesus has rose from the dead. But what we end up doing is we do. I think we do our kids a disservice by passing over. Jesus came to fulfill Passover by passing over the stuff that wasn't so fun.

[Jim Daly]

Yeah. And what you're saying, I mean, it's dawning on me that it's such a metaphor for the culture.

[Josh Straub]

Yeah.

[Jim Daly]

I mean, really, rather than talk about what's true and the things that are most important in life, let's eat some chocolate, entertain bunnies, and, you know, fake things. But that is too. That's our culture, isn't it? Let's, you know, consume to the hilt and not talk about what's most important in life. We just continue that whole fable forward.

[Josh Straub]

Yes. It's just like, you know, this whole, I don't know, there's this culture of, like, we medicate pain with, you know, we shop it away or we eat it away or we over sugar it away. And it's. It's like we're ingraining in our kids that coping mechanism. And I just think there is such a better way for us to actually walk through with our kids hard things.

[Jim Daly]

And what I love what you're accomplishing with the book Ten Days of the Easter Story, and you guys, you're so intentional with this, is how to get your kids, starting right from the get go, emotionally healthy. I so appreciate that, because I don't think as parents, we want them to be in sports. We want them to do these things, demonstrate Their physical well being and their physical acuity. And I don't know that I don't think I was as in tune with their emotional health as you guys are coaching parents to be. And I think, man, it should probably start right there. Emotionally healthy children. So when you look at connecting the Easter story for them to be emotionally healthy, how does that work?

[Kristi Straub]

Well, one of the things we wanted to do was we wanted to take the Easter story and we wanted to look at what was actually happening. Right. You know, researchers show that, you know, thinking, feeling and relating at the same time is where true growth happens. So in other words, if I'm just sitting in a classroom and I'm hearing somebody lecture, there's a cognitive thing going on. But if there's not great stories or I'm not emotionally engaged, I'm not as likely to remember what's being taught.

[Jim Daly]

That's like a speaker, an effective speaker.

[Kristi Straub]

An effective speaker. Sharing stories, going to share stories. They're going to engage your emotion. And there's thinking, feeling, and then there's also relating. I'm entering into a relationship is why therapy is so effective is because it, you know, or at least good healthy relationships, small groups where you're doing life with people in your church because there's relational things happening. And so what we really wanted to do was give parents another tool to be able to take their children through the devotion of Easter, to teach them the truths of scripture, but then to also help their children enter into that story and think about what is it that the parents, characters or the people during that week, during that time of life, what were they experiencing? What were they actually feeling? What was actually going on and what are ways that you experience that feeling today? What are ways that you've experienced a lot of hope. Like the hope of Palm Sunday, right. And the happiness of Palm Sunday. Or anger, right? When the Pharisees are angry and then because Jesus is flipping over the tables, but then Jesus getting angry and flipping over the tables or the surprise. I mean, you think about the Last Supper, think about the disciples at the Last Supper. What a like mind blowing. Like if they had emojis back then the mind blown like emoji. Because Jesus shows up and he says, by the way, one of you is going to betray me.

[Jim Daly]

Yeah.

[Kristi Straub]

And they all look at each other like who? Who? And what are you talking about? Then he washes their feet, which is for a servant to do. He tells them he's going to die. And temple being raised in three days. He tells them to drink of his Blood and eat of his body. Like, you're going, what? I mean, just imagine being all the surprise that's happening at the Last Supper. So we connect that with surprise and the surprise that they were going through. And so there's so much happening and there's so many of these feelings that our kids can relate with on a daily basis. We just put prompts in there and ways that we can start helping our kids experience the feelings that they're having and connect it to that story.

[Jim Daly]

You know, one of the things I'm thinking of, because I didn't grow up in a Christian home, so for me, I didn't have traditions taught to me and I kind of struggled, I'd say more as a teenager trying to grab these concepts and what you're doing with your children at a younger age, what I love what's happening there. You don't have to get it all done in one fell swoop. Asking your three year old, are you ready to receive Jesus? You're laying the groundwork and portraying the truth of scripture, et cetera. And I just love that idea of. It's like the layers of an onion. You're just creating that first layer for that three year old to understand what's true. And I think being mindful of that and intentional of that is so good. Christy, you were really honest about the fact that you struggled with the death and resurrection. I could so relate to you. I mean, I was 15, going, why would he have to do that? I didn't get it. What were your struggles as a child?

[Josh Straub]

Well, it's like Josh was just saying, like, I mean, it's just this most gruesome, like, you know, you were scared of it. I was absolutely. And almost disgusted. Like, here's. We'll throw in another feeling word. Disgust is. It's like, I can't watch that. And you think about, as parents, like, we try so hard to protect our kids from what they see on television, on, you know, apps and all the things. And I think there's a whole generation of parents that are really recognizing how important that is and they're really stepping up. But I almost wonder if we've swung the pendulum a bit to the other side where it's like we're, we're so protecting them what they see. And yet there's this story about the man that we are to like, give our lives, where we're trying to introduce our children to that died this gruesome death, and we are protecting our children from death. And, like, don't look at that don't see that. And then how awkward it is to try to explain this to kids, you know? And I just remember as a kid myself watching the Jesus movie. Do you remember this? You know, and, like, it gets to that. Like, I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine. You're fine. Like, Triumph Omphony and Palm Sunday. And this is all great. And then you get to this horrible part where they're, like, literally nailing his hands. And I just remember as a kid, like, actually feeling sick to my stomach. And yet you have to watch this every year as a family, you know, And I'm never allowed to watch this stuff and, like, normally. So why are we watching this now? And it just is this very strange introduction to. I mean, it's violent, it's gruesome. We don't really see that that often in our protected little bubble worlds that we're trying to, you know. And I think in really pure intention, we're trying to protect children from things that they shouldn't see. Shield them, really, in ways that things that they shouldn't see. And yet this is important. So how do we do this? And I just realized how much of a struggle that was for me. And what Josh said, the whole church phrase of, like, it's Friday, but Sunday's coming. And though I get this sentiment, like, yes, we have hope. What about Saturday?

[Jim Daly]

Yeah.

[Josh Straub]

Like, Saturday was horrible.

[Jim Daly]

Yeah.

[Josh Straub]

And if I look at the world right now, we don't know how to sit in a Saturday. And yet I think that's really what it feels like right now. Like, if you look at the state of the world, it's like, God, where are you? And, like, I don't really feel a lot of hope right now. Like, it feels like darkness is winning. And I think that's what Saturday felt like. And I. I think the realization that there is this tolerance that we all need to develop. It's almost like a muscle where we can sit in hard things and allow them the overwhelm. You know, it's like this tidal wave. I think we're so afraid. I've heard so many people say to me, like, as we're sitting with them in hard things, you know, in a. In a session where they'll say, like, I don't want to cry because I'm afraid if I start, I'll never stop.

[Jim Daly]

Oh, my.

[Josh Straub]

And I think that's the belief and where we get this avoidant thing, and we go to sugar and bunnies, because it's like, if I actually touch upon this feeling, I'm afraid I'll cry and I'll never stop, and the grief will overwhelm me. And the truth is actually the opposite. That's why we're so afraid to feel is because we haven't let ourselves. And grief, really, it comes in waves. Sadness comes in waves. Anger comes in waves. And we actually have to allow it, and it has to have a safe outlet. And as par. That's what we are for our kids, if we allow it.

[Jim Daly]

Well, and I appreciate that because, again, that's your great strength. That's what the Lord's called you to. It feels to me is helping children, particularly to be emotionally healthy and to talk with them in such a way that they can be. I think the Easter story, again, it can be overwhelming to a child. I mean, you wanted to get to Sunday quickly because that's the.

[Josh Straub]

We all do.

[Jim Daly]

Shazam.

[Josh Straub]

Right?

[Jim Daly]

That's the big part of the story. It's the Lord being raised from the dead and appearing to people, and it cements our faith. And it is, as Paul himself, the apostle said, you know, if Jesus didn't rise from the dead, then our faith is pretty much mute. But that's what it all hinges upon. So as we're teaching our kids this, it can be difficult. Let me go back to something you mentioned. You said a lot in that statement. But the one thing that I want to punch here is our modern parenting style to kind of keep our kids pain free, you know, bubble wrapping them, not just physically, but emotionally too, you know, to where they don't have a dip. It's proving through research that's not a good thing. Kids need appropriate challenges to create resiliency in them. So speak to that issue of not being too cautious with the kids experiencing some grief and some pain.

[Kristi Straub]

Yeah. And I think what ends up happening is it comes back to our own parental fears. It comes back to our own story. We don't like anger. Or if we see anger in our kids, we want to just shut it out. Because I don't want an angry child. I don't want, you know, or anger within us. It triggered something within us from our own childhood where maybe we were told that anger was a bad emotion we're not supposed to feel. So we just pass that on to our kids. And so a lot of times, this desire to not want our kids to experience those feelings is coming from our own story. And I think it's important that we look at that story, because Romans 5 says, to rejoice in suffering. With suffering comes perseverance and perseverance, character and character, hope. And I think, you know, for us to be able to enter into our children's story, get them to identify what is it that you're feeling? Is it sad? Is it, is it anger? Is it embarrassed? Is it rejected? Is it fear? What are you experiencing? And to be able to allow our kids to sit in that and to listen to them in that without getting overwhelmed ourselves as parents gives our children the ability to say that it's okay, you have permit. And it's actually a good thing. Because our ability to experience a wide range of emotion is what leads to emotional and spiritual health. If you shut out the negative or the uncomfortable emotions, you also teach your body to shut out the positive. And that's when we turn to the chocolate and the Netflix and all the other stuff to calm and soothe us.

[John Fuller]

Yeah. Well, big topic today as we're talking about Easter and the emotions of Easter and how do we talk about those and help our kids process all of those emotions? We have to start with ourselves is what you're saying. Our guests are Josh and Kristi Straub, and this is Focused on the Family with Jim Daly. Get a copy of this terrific little book, ten Days of the Easter A Family Experience through the Feelings of Holy Week. We have it here. You'll find [e-mail] Broadcast one of the.

[Jim Daly]

Things that you talk about and you develop and practice is this idea of emotional safety as a family. Some people won't even understand what you're aiming at there. So describe what emotional safety is within the family.

[Kristi Straub]

Yeah, I think it more has to do with the posture from which we parent more than the techniques. You know, I think we, in the day to day, we get so caught up in the techniques. We have a. As you were talking John earlier, the trying threes. We have one who's walking into the threes. It's all about mine. It's all about me. He's letting his voice be heard. And I think so often as parents, we get overwhelmed in those moments. And it's all about techniques. Should I spank or not spank? Do I do time ins or timeouts? Do we, you know, do we, you know, breastfeed or bottle feed? Do we co sleep or not co sleep? We get so overwhelmed by all these technique. But the reality is, is that techniques will always change. And one technique that works on one child today won't work on that same child tomorrow. And one technique that works on a child, one child doesn't work on another child. So techniques will always ebb and flow. And those are one way relationship. It's a one way. It's me as a parent. Yeah, it's me as a parent prescribing something or putting something on my child. The posture from which we parent should never change. And the way we describe that is that, you know, First John 4 says that perfect love cast out fear. And I think anytime that we are leading in fear as a parent, whether it's our parental fears, our parental agenda, whatever that looks like, where we're coming in with a, with our own agenda, or we're, you know, shutting our child down because of our own fear rather than entering into their story. And the way I describe this is leading in grace and following in truth. It's Jesus with the woman at the well. It's Jesus with the woman caught in adultery. He's always showing up with grace and he's entering their story before he ever reveals who he is. And I think that's a framework for us as parents to be able to lead in grace with our kids and enter their world and asking questions of what's going on? What's going on in your heart right now? What's the disobedience about? What's the disrespect about? Did something happen? How can I help you? And of course we want to follow up in truth. There's got to be consequences to disrespect and misbehavior. But I think so often, and we're leading in truth and we're missing the grace component. And to me, emotional safety really is that posture of how do we lead.

[Jim Daly]

In grace that is so critical. When you talk to 20, 30 somethings and their experience, especially growing up in a Christian home, never feeling like they could get to the bar that's been set, always being somewhat shamed that I wasn't performing well enough. Those are the beginnings of a difficult adulthood. You know, things that you bring in. And as parents, our job, I believe before the Lord is to deliver healthy 18, 19 year olds emotionally. Right. Let me ask you too, Josh. You grew up, I think, experiencing Easter at your grandmother's church. I think you referred to her as Meemaw.

[Kristi Straub]

Me, Meemaw.

[Jim Daly]

I didn't have the meemaw, but we didn't have extended. So I never had that experience. But what was it like being with Meemaw and then Meemaw's attitude toward teaching you about Easter?

[Kristi Straub]

Yeah. Oh my goodness. So I get tears thinking about it. Every Easter Sunday, we would show up at my meemaw's church and we went to a separate church, but we would show up at my meemaw's church and I remember singing the hymns, you know, christ the Lord is risen today, Hallelujah. And then we would go to her house and we'd find Easter eggs and we'd do all these things. But there was such a deep like, you talk about thinking, feeling and relating at the same time. Like I'm welling up in tears thinking about that experiential moment of singing those songs and going to Easter Sunday service and engaging in those activities with my family that just connected my faith. And my parents growing up were nominal believers. I mean, we went to church every Sunday, but it wasn't like we were doing devotions every day and we weren't, you know, but I always believed and my memo was such an anchor for that. And I just really want to encourage families to find those experiences, find those traditions in your family that will help your kids think, feel and relate. And they'll have a connection point back to a faith connection point back to in their childhood to look back and have a similar experience when they're in their 40s, to tear up, to go, man, my parents showed up for me in this way. They taught me faith in this way.

[Jim Daly]

Yeah. You know, sometimes in that parenting role our judgment gets so clouded that we don't even know that the simple things we're doing. Now I'm getting teary eyed for you. But those simple things that we do are building incredible foundations for these kids. You know, just stability, being married, loving each other in front of your children, having dinner together at night, having discussion. These aren't difficult things to do, just consistency for your kids to see. And then your kid will be 40 and serving the Lord, going, wow, what did I have that was so special?

[Kristi Straub]

And I'm so grateful you said that because we so often beat ourselves up, especially over the emotional stuff because we get caught up in the day to day. And I just want to say to parents out there, like, it is hard, it is difficult, and yet simply showing up, simply doing the exact things you just walked through, it's Deuteronomy 6, you know, you're showing up for dinner, you're resolving conflict, you're engaged. And then when we do mess up, because we will, being able to apologize to our kids, just seeking their forgiveness is everything in our relationship.

[Jim Daly]

Well, and I so appreciate and to hit this again, don't be kind of about tactics, be about heart. Tactics will change. And the way you do it at 8 years old parenting that 8 year old will be different from 15 so your tactics will change. But the heart is what it's about. That grace and truth delivered. Man, this time has flown by. I cannot believe it. But for the parents, 10 days of the Easter story, start the discussion. This is a great time to do it. If you have that 3 year old, the 8 year old, the 10 year old, the 15 year old to help them better understand what was going on that week, that we rest everything on, that our faith is built upon and to help your kids manage and understand those emotions. Boy, you've delivered. Thanks so much for being with us.

[Kristi Straub]

Thank you for having us.

[John Fuller]

Contact us today to get Josh and Christy's book, ten Days of the Easter A Family Experience through the Feelings of Holy Week. We'll send you a copy when you make a monthly pledge of any amount to this ministry or if you're not in the spot to do that, make a one time donation. The number is 800, the letter A and the word family. 800-232-6459 or check the show notes for more.

[Jim Daly]

And John, let me say this to our listeners. If you've benefited from any of the programming or have received help from our resources, can I encourage you to pay it forward by making a monthly pledge to the ministry? That's how Gene and I support focus. John, you and Dean.

[John Fuller]

We do as well.

[Jim Daly]

Our research shows that only about 1% of those who listen or watch the program on YouTube actually donate to Focus. And thanks to the generosity of those folks, we're able to help more than 600,000 moms and dads improve their parenting skills, build stronger relationships in their families and pass on their faith to their children. That's amazing. It's big what can be accomplished. But imagine how much more families would be impacted if we could increase that support team to 2% or 3%. That would work together to strengthen even more marriages, equip even more parents, and spread the good news to even more people about Jesus. Consider a monthly pledge to focus on the family today. And let me say thank you in advance for your generosity.

[John Fuller]

And once again, Our number is 800, the letter A in the word family. Or you can donate when you click the link in the show notes. And at our website, we're going to have a link to our family reading of scripture. Now there's an Easter video from Bible teachers Ray van der Lijnae and additional resources to make this a really sacred, meaningful time for your entire family. This family reading of Scripture is free, and we urge you to check it out today. And if you happen to be traveling with your family this summer, let me suggest a visit to Focus on the Family. We'd love to have you visit us here in Colorado Springs. Thanks for listening to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly. I'm John Fuller inviting you back next time as we once again help you and your family thrive in Christ. Culture is changing so fast. How should Christians respond? At our next Lighthouse Voices event, you'll hear from John Stonestreet with the Colson Center.

[Kristi Straub]

We live in what is called a civilizational moment. Civilizations ebb and flow, and we are at a pivotal moment. I think a lot of us have.

[Jim Daly]

Felt that existentially for a long time.

[John Fuller]

Learn how to face this moment with clarity, confidence and courage. Lighthouse Voices is on April 15, and you can register for the free [e-mail].