The Durenda Wilson Podcast

Families are like little churches. They are meant to be places of discipleship, worship, and rest— places where we can fine-tune the gifts God's given us so we can bless the world. They can be full of surprises and joy. But family life can also be heartbreaking and downright discouraging. Trained counselor and mother Melissa Hannigan knows how hard it is to cast and keep a vision of rich family li...

Today's guest is Bridgette Cameron Ridenour. She is the sister of Kirk Cameron and Candace Cameron Bure. You may not even know she existed, but she is here today to talk about what it was like to grow up in a famous family and how God worked in her life as she learned that when we belong to God, we are never overlooked. Resources mentioned in this episode: Bridgett's Instagram: https://www.instagr...

Eventually, we graduate our kids from homeschool and thoughts of college may be on the horizon. Today Andrew Chambers from Excel College and I will talk about whether college is worth the cost. We will look at what has changed in the college landscape that affects our students financially, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Resources mentioned in this episode: Link to podcast episode search b...

Many of us are currently walking through trials and although it can feel natural to want them to be over as soon as possible, there is something of eternal value that is happening as we remain faithful in the midst of them.  Today I'm sharing some wisdom that God has graciously shown me as we all move toward becoming wise women of God! Resources mentioned in this episode: Link to podcast episode s...

According to an analysis from The Washington Post, homeschooling has become the fastest-growing form of education in America. Consequently, many new homeschoolers may not be aware of the kind of local homeschool support they have. I invited Tara Bentley as a guest today to talk about the importance of state homeschool organizations, what they offer, and how you can connect with yours to find local...

We all want to give our kids a great education, but it can be easy to doubt our ability to be an excellent home educator. In today’s episode, Leslie Nunnery and I are going to talk about how parents can give their kids a fantastic education at home! (Hint: It's probably not what you are thinking!) Resources mentioned in this episode: Link to podcast episode search bar The Unhurried Homeschooler Au...

One of the topics that moms often ask me about is how to handle anxiety, children with anxiety, or both. I’ve seen anxiety on the rise in our culture and although I would hope that homeschooling would lessen the risks of that in our children, there are still many variables in the equation of our complicated lives that could contribute to feeling anxious. It’s important to get to the root of the an...

As Christian values come under attack increasingly in our modern world, many parents wonder how to build the strong spiritual foundation their children will need to understand what is truly important in life. Today LeeAnn Mancini is joining me to talk about Raising Kids to Follow Christ! Resources mentioned in this episode: Link to podcast episode search bar The Unhurried Homeschooler Audio Book R...

I don’t think I know anyone who has been a believer for any length of time who hasn’t experienced a wound in their church life and experience. Some of these wounds are what I would call merely flesh wounds, but some are incredibly deep and can cause lasting damage.   I’ve heard from countless moms who have experienced this, including friends, and my own family.  It's easy to become bitter and cyni...

God uniquely designs each of our children and it’s so helpful to have a better understanding of those basic uniqueness to nurture best and grow them into who God created them to be.  Resources mentioned in this episode: Link to podcast episode search bar The Unhurried Homeschooler Audio Book Raising Boys to Men Book If you purchase Raising Boys to Men you will receive a gift! Use this link to rede...

Maybe you aren’t even thinking about your baby, toddler, or preschooler’s education, but chances are it has crossed your mind. If you are considering homeschooling, you may be wondering or even anxious about how you prepare yourself and your child for this. How early should you start and what should you do? DO NOT STRESS. It’s simpler than you think Resources mentioned in this episode: Link to pod...

As many of you know, we live on acreage with several of our kids and 6 of our grandkids ages 9 down to 2 mos. My daughter-in-law suggested that I revisit the baby, toddler, and preschool years. So this episode is both for new parents with littles and more experienced parents with littles who might want an encouraging refresher/reminder. Resources mentioned in this episode: Link to podcast episode...

Homesteading has become very popular and with good reason. However, sometimes it's easy to see only the good and not the potential challenges that come with it. Today our oldest daughter and I talk about the challenges and the benefits of homesteading along with some pretty funny experiences we never saw coming when we decided to homestead! Resources mentioned in this episode: The Unhurried Homesc...

I’m excited to talk about one particular practice that has transformed my motherhood journey. It’s something I’ve mentioned off and on, but realized I needed to dedicate an entire episode to it! Resources mentioned in this episode: The Unhurried Homeschooler Audio Book Raising Boys to Men Book If you purchase Raising Boys to Men you will receive a free gift! Use this link to redeem:  durendawilson...

Today I’m going to be sharing some simple, but very helpful tips that our family has recently learned to work through conflict with other believers (including extended family and adult children). Episodes mentioned: Podcast episode search bar How Believers Should Handle Suffering Nurturing Sibling Relationships (3 episodes) Is It Really That Important That Our Kids Obey Us? Drive Thru Talking: An...

It can be challenging as a mom to make sure that we are nourishing our bodies well throughout all the seasons of motherhood and womanhood. Trends come and go, but what we need is something that is sustainable. Today Serene Allison and Pearl Barrett are joining me to bring loads of encouragement for moms wanting to be healthy and vibrant for life! If you purchase Raising Boys to Men, you will recei...

Most of us have at least one child who struggles with anger and often it is one of our boys.  Today our son, Luke, is chatting with me about his struggles with running 'hot', especially in his younger years. This episode will be such an encouragement to those of you who feel unsure of how to navigate life with a boy who struggles with anger.  If you purchase my new book, Raising Boys to Men , you...

This episode is not just for grandparents!  The relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is an important one, not just practically speaking, but biblically speaking. There can be many reasons our kids don't have a more ideal relationship with their grandparents, but listen in to hear more about why it's important and ways to nurture this whether you are a parent or a grandparent! If you...

My new book, Raising Boys to Men, becomes available the day after this episode releases! This is also our 500TH episode and we just hit 3 million downloads. THANK YOU to all of you for being here. You are the reason this podcast exists. In honor of ALL these things, I am handing this episode off to Dr. Kathy Koch who will be asking me probing questions about what it looks like to grow strong, stab...

Often when I’m struggling with or praying over what to talk about on the podcast, God reminds me to go back to the basics. There are SO many parenting topics out there that we can listen to or read about that make it easy to forget the basics of biblical parenting.  So today I want to go back to the basics of the importance of requiring  obedience from our kids. CTC Math Heritage Defense Our CPS S...

Today we are going to be talking about masculinity and our special needs boys. This is a topic I touch on in my new book, Raising Boys to Men because we want our special needs boys to experience manhood, but what might that look like and how do we encourage it? Resources mentioned in this episode: CTC Math Heritage Defense Our CPS Story The Excel Camp  The Unhurried Homeschooler Unhurried Grace fo...

I often hear moms complaining that their boys are being destructive and I have to wonder if they understand that it's actually our job to keep them busy certain degree.  So today we are going to talk about why and how to keep our little boys busy.  CTC Math Heritage Defense Our CPS Story The Excel Camp  Interview with Excel College The Unhurried Homeschooler Unhurried Grace for a Mom’s Heart The F...

I often mention how important it is to get our kids outside, and boys especially have a strong need for this, but sometimes it can be challenging to figure out ways to do that.  Today Mark, from Trail Life USA, is here to talk about this and bring loads of encouragement for boy moms!   Resources mentioned in this episode: TrailLife USA F ree book at Trail Life (Raising Godly Boys) Too Much Tubular...

Everyone wants to raise amazing kids, but the cultural climate sometimes makes us wonder if this is even possible. Today Monica Swanson and I are chatting about what it looks like to raise kids with strong character! CTC Math Heritage Defense Our CPS Story The Excel Camp  The Unhurried Homeschooler Unhurried Grace for a Mom’s Heart The Four-Hour School Day Subscribe to my monthly email and receive...

Our homeschool days can sometimes feel chaotic and if you're anything like me, you don't enjoy it! Today we are going to talk about ways to bring order when chaos erupts! CTC Math Heritage Defense Our CPS Story The Excel Camp  The Unhurried Homeschooler Unhurried Grace for a Mom’s Heart The Four-Hour School Day Subscribe to my monthly email and receive  access to Unhurried Grace for a Mom's Heart:...