Raising Fatherless Kids

There are many conversations that moms must have with their fatherless children including talking about purity, pornography, and the enemy's plan to work against our children and moms in this area. Even though these conversations might be awkward they should not be avoided. God created us as sexual beings therefore we must teach our children about the gift of sex with its delights and dangers...

Valentine's Day brings with it many memories and emotions - exchanging cards with friends, chocolate, roses, and romance. Single moms get to decide how to celebrate the day by showing love to others instead of waiting for someone to show love to them. Even though it's hard, we can push into the tender and hard emotions, and instead of focusing on what we don't have, we choose to mak...

A big fear moms have when raising fatherless boys is that they will not learn some of the valuable skills needed in life. Who's going to teach them how to change a tire or tie a tie (the basic things that they might learn just by watching Dad)? Fatherless boys themselves often fear that they will walk with that limp in life. Rob Kenney grew up fatherless and dispels this and many other fears....

The beautiful thing about toddlers and little ones is they package grief in a way that we all want to -  really quickly. A toddler's ability to understand loss will increase as they grow, but in the beginning, they are unable to truly grieve. Toddlers will grieve, but they don't grieve in the same way that older children and that adults grieve. Moms will grieve that loss for them, and ev...

When we think about what God uses to shape us, people, books, and practices play an important role. The apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to “discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness” (2 Peter 3:18). It’s that time of year when discipline becomes a priority in our lives. What comes to mind when you think of the word discipline? Physical exercise, training children, or personal habits that he...

Last year was very exciting for Perspective Ministries! One of last year’s highlights of the ministry and for me personally was launching this podcast, offering help for moms who are raising kids without an earthly dad because of death, divorce, or desertion. Check out these favorite and most listened-to episodes! Let’s Talk About Grief 7 Your Newborn Grief 8 Newborns and Grief with Brittany Brook...

The end of the year brings us to a point of reflection. Scripture records two occasions when Mary, the mother of Jesus, treasured and reflected. Both times of treasuring came after she had experienced something that was beyond her understanding and her imagination. Setting aside intentional time to reflect on the past year is an important habit. In this episode, Lori discusses the following: The i...

We all have a story, and God weaves together our stories with lots of pieces, just like a puzzle. He does the same in Scripture concealing Jesus in the Old Testament and revealing Him in the New Testament at just the right time and place. When we stop to recall the Christmas story, many characters come to mind – Mary and Joseph, shepherds, angels, wise men, animals, and of course, baby Jesus. Othe...

Holidays are celebrated in the Bible but not in the traditional ways of Easter and Christmas we are now familiar with. Leviticus outlines seven feasts (holy convocations) that God instructed His people to remember. Although Christians are not required to observe these feasts, there is much to glean from these insightful times. Advent not only counts down to the arrival of Jesus Christ as a baby in...

We all experience countdown seasons in our lives. A child counts the days until their birthday, an expectant mom counts down to the birth of her baby, and a bride numbers the days to her wedding day. Advent is just that! Counting down to the birth of Jesus Christ as well as counting down to His return. In this episode, Lori discusses ideas that help guide the Advent seasons, including: Celebrating...

Rejection, betrayal, and abandonment are excruciating, especially when dad is still living life in this world. When abandoned by his dad, Antonio Gandy-Golden confidently testifies that God did not forsake him. Antonio is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Liberty University and then the Washington Commanders drafted him in 2020 during the NFL Draft. In this ep...

When Thanksgiving rolled around a few months after my husband died, I was in a fog, full of emotions, and I didn't feel thankful. I knew I should be able to find something to be thankful for, but during those early days, the holidays were not the most wonderful time of the year. And neither were the other grief-filled days, weeks, and months. Life was hard and I was sad. But, I found that pra...

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful, and yet when suffering, it is easy to ask the question, “why me?” When fatherlessness plays a role in this pain, it is encouraging to look to God’s Word for hope. Nestled in the Old Testament is the true story of a young, fatherless man who was granted the unmerited, honor of an invitation to dine regularly at the king’s table. Not only is this a rich story,...

Christmas looks different when our loved one is gone and the feeling of loss upon loss is often experienced. Tara Dickson found this to be true after the death of her husband. But despite the pain, new memories were made and lessons were learned, becoming powerful turning points in the life of her family. Her stories of how she felt held and seen by God offer hope. In this episode, Tara talks abou...

After Clarissa’s husband died in a hiking accident on their family vacation leaving her to raise four small children, the holidays were different and grief became their companion. You won’t want to miss Clarissa talking about: Sorting through traditions and saying “no” to the traditional “yes” How to anticipate the holidays and handle the days afterward Keys to taking charge of the holidays and fl...

The holidays can be daunting at your house when you are trying to “make Christmas good” as a single mom. As the special days approach, you might want to run for your life because of the hurt you feel from grieving the loss of your husband and knowing your children miss their daddy. Lisa Appelo, widow and mother of seven, shares insightful wisdom and inspiration on how to recreate the holidays. In...

Just because the holidays are hard and heavy doesn’t mean they can’t be happy. This episode is the kick-off to a mini-series on how to handle the holidays as a solo mom. Seasoned moms will join us in this series to talk about how the Lord led them over the years. In this episode Lori discusses: The holidays leading up to Christmas (Halloween and Thanksgiving) Practical tips and potential tradition...

There is nothing that captures our attention more than a tragic story that ends in triumph! Sean Teis shares his riveting story of abuse and becoming fatherless as a baby, but the story doesn’t end there. Sean testifies that God intervened, fulfilling His promise to be a Father to the fatherless. Time and time again, God’s hand was on his life protecting and preparing him for the mission he feels...

Today's discussion was prompted by a question from a mom. How do we help our children who have experienced trauma? Trauma, defined as a “deeply distressing or disturbing experience,” prompts questions that have been asked from the beginning of time. Why does God allow suffering? If God is good, why do bad things happen? And these are really good questions. But often with no satisfactory answe...

Grab your fatherless daughters and bring them in to listen to this episode today, because I feel confident they will be encouraged, even though in a journey they never wanted and that God has ordained. They will see that He is working it all out for our good. Mary-Kate Burson is a true trophy of grace, one who grew up fatherless and testifies to God’s faithfulness. In this episode she talks about:...

Seven helpful tips that worked in my life as I was navigating parenting alone. In this episode Lori gives insight from her own days as a single mother with steps to consider to prevent burnout: Take one day at a time. Be comfortable with routine Do the next thing Receive or request help. Get some rest Insert solitude into an already really lonely season. Keep the big picture in mind. Mom, you are...

Suicide brings to the table tormenting questions that add extra layers of grief. If you have lost a loved one or your children have lost a dad to suicide, today’s episode will discuss some of the topics you may be wrestling with: The seduction of suicide Is suicide the unpardonable sin? Is suicide God’s will? The Sovereignty of God in suicide Telling your children about the suicide death of a pare...

Suicide Awareness Week is September 4-10, 2022, and so it is fitting to have Krissie Garland share her story. Krissie Garland, the author of the book Open Letters to our Fellow Fighters , shares transparently how God has been walking her through the journey of losing her husband to suicide. She helps widows know that they didn’t fail their husbands or children because they could not fix their prob...

When a boy loses his dad, he not only grieves his absence, but he grieves the tools that dad would have put in his life “toolbox” along the way. Actions often speak louder than words and parents model so much for their children as they go through life. God designed parenting to happen in this way according to Deuteronomy 6:7, “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them whe...

Moms raising fatherless kids have questions, good questions, regarding bringing up their children without the important role of a dad in their life. Today’s question comes from a mom raising a young daughter concerned about her girl's potential quest to fill the void in the wrong way. “How do I set boundaries for my daughter and respect her inner need for a male figure in her life?” Today fou...