Parent Forward

Got a question or a future episode idea? Email me: julie@parentforward.com Criticism often sounds reasonable, but it can quietly teach our kids a story about who they are. I explore how timing, labels, and a critical spirit can break connection and how we can begin again with grace.  • the moment where correction pulls in history and becomes personal  • how repeated criticism forms identity rather...

Got a question or a future episode idea? Email me: julie@parentforward.com We name the “Parenting Apocalypse” as an unveiling of the small communication patterns that quietly shape our homes over time. We connect Gottman’s Four Horsemen with parenting and spiritual formation so we can notice what is happening beneath the surface and choose a better way with our kids.  • defining “apocalypse” as an...

This episode is a little different. Instead of teaching or offering a framework, I’m inviting you into the story behind the voice you’ve been listening to. Because what you’re hearing on this podcast isn’t just ideas or strategies. It’s a lens. A way of seeing parenting, formation, and people that has been shaped over time through real experiences, questions, loss, and growth. And the truth is, if...

Episode Summary In this episode, we sit with one of the most tender and often misunderstood names of God: Emmanuel, God with us. For many of us, “God with us” sounds beautiful… but feels far away, especially when grief, loneliness, shame, or exhaustion are pressing in. Instead of offering explanations or tidy theology, this episode makes space for honesty, lament, and presence. We explore how Emma...

The moment my hand met the cold stone in Nazareth, the story shifted from stained glass to skin. We meet Mary not as a distant icon but as a teenage girl in a small, ordinary room whose life was interrupted by impossible news and who chose to treasure and ponder rather than shut down. That posture becomes our guide for Advent, a way of holding confusion without losing the thread of hope. I share t...

The holidays can feel like life on fast-forward: bright, loud, and strangely thin. We’re told to be present and grateful, yet our minds race and our senses pull inward to cope. This conversation slows the moment down and shows a kinder way forward—how quiet noticing interrupts overwhelm and makes room for gratitude that actually sticks. We begin by naming what’s real: December pressures the nervou...

Light in the Low Places | Advent Series Episode 1 Scripture: Isaiah 9:2, 6–7 Advent is beautiful, but it can also feel heavy. If you’re stepping into December already tired, carrying invisible weight, or feeling like wonder is out of reach, this episode is a gentle place to land. In this first week of the Advent series Light in the Low Places , Julie invites you into a slower, more honest kind of...

SHOW NOTES: https://parentforward.com/sacredplayseries-whenplaygrowsup/ Remember when play came naturally? When laughter flowed freely with your little ones? Then something shifted. The sidewalk chalk disappeared, games became "dorky," and eye rolls replaced giggles. What happened to that sacred sense of wonder we once shared with our children? This episode explores the beautiful tension...

SHOW NOTES: https://parentforward.com/sacredplayseries-sacredimagination/ The spiritual life of children doesn't look like adult faith—it's wilder, more embodied, and deeply imaginative. When my daughter gathered her stuffed animals and announced "Jesus is here and we're going to listen with our hearts," I realized she wasn't just playing—she was creating sacred space...

SHOW NOTES: https://parentforward.com/sacredplayseries-theplayfulparent/ What happens when a parent chooses to be ridiculous on purpose? Something sacred emerges in those unguarded moments of laughter and play. Through a story about a tension-filled dinner transformed by an impromptu Sound of Music performance, we discover how play creates connection beyond what words could achieve. That moment of...

SHOW NOTES: https://parentforward.com/sacredplayseries-playisholy/ Remember when laughter came easy? When joy didn't need a reason? Somewhere along the way, most of us traded imagination for efficiency and forgot how to play. This profound loss isn't just about missing out on fun—it's about missing a sacred pathway to spiritual formation. When my daughter asked me to pretend to be a...

SHOW NOTES: https://parentforward.com/theformationalpowerofparenting/ Parenting isn't just about raising kids; it's about being spiritually formed through the mess, beauty, and everyday moments of family life. We explore how shifting our focus from behavior management to spiritual formation can transform both our parenting approach and our own relationship with God. • Many parents today...

SHOW NOTES: https://parentforward.com/presenceoverperfection/ Parenting doesn't have to be about getting everything right—it can be about being present in the moment with our children. Julie Ann Luse explores how shifting from perfection to presence can transform our parenting approach and build stronger neurological connections with our kids. • The overwhelming pressure parents feel to get e...

SHOW NOTES: https://parentforward.com/raisingspirituallyresilientkidsinanageofquestions/ Raising spiritually resilient kids isn't about having all the right answers or preventing doubt. It's about creating relationships where questions are welcome and faith feels real, not forced. • Nearly two-thirds of young people leave church after high school, often returning after a season of questi...

SHOW NOTES: https://parentforward.com/forgivenessrewiresbothparentandchild/ Forgiveness in parenting isn't just about cleaning up after mistakes – it's where transformation begins for both parent and child. When we mess up and repair with our children, we're creating holy moments that reshape relationships and model God's grace. • Perfectionism isn't the goal – being a &qu...

SHOW NOTES: https://parentforward.com/whenyourkidlieswhatsreallygoingon/ Lying often reveals what our children are trying to protect through fear, confusion, or attempts to preserve connection. This episode explores how to create a family culture where truth is safe to tell and honesty is consistently invited. • All kids lie at some point, regardless of their character • Children's dishonesty...

Parent Forward reimagines parenting through spiritual formation, creating space where your soul and your child's are truly seen. This podcast moves beyond tips and formulas, offering a place to slow down and listen deeply to your child, yourself, and God who is forming you through this journey. • Invitation to move beyond behavior management to soul formation • Weekly exploration of topics li...