Creating a Battle Plan for Growing Faith and Character in our Kids with Lee Nienhuis

We are chatting with Lee Nienhuis, author of Brave Mom, Brave Kids!  This is such an amazing episode. I just know you are going to be so encouraged.

Growing Faith and Character in our Kids with Lee NienhuisWe are raising our kids in a crazy world. It’s hard to turn on the news and not have anxiety wash over your mommy heart. I don’t care how old your kids are, we all have that mama bear heart that wants nothing more than to protect our kids. We often stay focused on the physical dangers that our kids might encounter. However, there is also a pretty big spiritual battle going on for our children’s souls. In Lee’s new book, Brave Moms, Brave Kids, she tackles this important aspect of parenting.

Lee outlines ways that we as parents need to be brave and not allow fear to paralyze us. She discusses how to create a battle plan for our kids and be intentional in how we are raising them. Listen in and see if you can catch how many times she references Scripture from memory! I was so blown away by her love for the Word.

You are in for a treat with this episode. I know you are going to walk away with some wonderful nuggets to start implementing in your home.

P.S. As a little heads up…we are actually getting ready to take a summer break on the podcast, so now is a great time to be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher. This way you won’t miss out on any episodes when we come back for Season 6. Don’t worry. We still have one more incredible interview for you next week. I’m taking the summer to work on finishing my new book that is all about home organization for moms. I can’t wait to finally get this book out of my head. It’s truly been over 10 years in the making.

Get ready for a great interview — get your own Simply Joyful Podcast mug HERE!

Highlights from This Show…


Fear is a universal mom thing. — Lee Nienhuis (CLICK TO TWEET)
You are not alone when you feel swallowed by fear. —Lee Nienhuis (CLICK TO TWEET)
  • Growing Faith and Character in our Kids with Lee NienhuisLee lives in the middle of a cornfield with her husband and four kids. She works with Moms in Prayer International as a communication specialist and loves talking to moms about praying strategically. We both have new drivers in the house and have decided that we need Jesus like we need oxygen right now.
  • We chatted about the different stages that our kids are in and how those stages of parenting also affect what stage of marriage we’re in! We also talked about the looming “empty nest” stage and falling in love with our husbands all over again. It can and does get sweeter as the road goes on.
  • Mom fear. It’s so real — and we live in a crazy world!  We fear for our kids’ safety, we fear for their futures, we fear for their salvation, Lee’s book, Brave Mom, Brave Kids, is all about being brave as a mom. I asked Lee to share a little more about her book and the inspiration behind it.
  • There are numerous kinds of fear. Lee says that fear was actually an entity made by God, not the enemy — and is actually a gift! I asked Lee to dive into this statement and unpack her meaning.
  • One of the things I liked that Lee talks a lot about in her book is becoming a hero in your kids’ lives. I asked Lee how we can not only be heroes for our kids but how to raise our kids in such a way that they will also become heroes in life as well.Growing Faith and Character in our Kids with Lee Nienhuis
  • Lee has come up with an acronym, B.R.A.V.E, as a roadmap for her battle plan. She dives deeper into the acronym in her book, but she says that brave starts when we not only believe inGod but we believe
  • We chat about making a battle plan for our child’s life to prepare them for lifelong faith. I love how Lee shares about being intentional with raising each child. Lee shares about her quarterly review — the 25 questions that she asks each one of her kids about every four months. Our kids are growing and changing and Lee says she wants to make sure her battleplan is on target for where they are at. It is so important that we take the time to call out character in our kids — whether the good or the bad. I love putting the spotlight on their strengths!
  • Lee and I talked a little about influences in our kids’ lives. Lee says that in different seasons, it’s ok if she’s not the main source of influence in her children’s lives. They may be connecting with teachers, coaches, or friends. It’s so uplifting for kids to have other godly influences that will speak truth into their lives when, maybe, they aren’t open to hearing the truth from mom or dad right now.
  • We are imperfect people and with that comes with having to ask for forgiveness. Asking forgiveness falls right in the middle of Lee’s acronym and it’s such a hinge point! It’s good for our kids to see that we are not perfect parents, but we need to be sure that we are asking forgiveness when we mess up. We are the ones who are going to cultivate the need for Jesus in our home.
  • Not all of us come from squeaky clean backgrounds, and I love how Lee addresses this in her book. I asked Lee to share a little more about how she thinks that parents get stuck in their past failures so much so that they feel ill-equipped for parenting. Lee also shares how we can encourage moms to train their kids the way they should go even if they haven’t always walked that way.

I loved this week’s listener question! Lee and I shared so many great resources for this one:

  • “What are some strategies and resources for building prayer with our kids?”
Also Mentioned in this Episode
A Few Other Things to Note
  • My “Favorite Things” Page!!I have finally put everything in one spot for you! All my favorite books and products! I hope you’ll check it out at com/FavoriteThings
  • Join ourFacebook Community, too! Visit with other Simply Joyful fans + weigh in on questions for our guests! Your question might just be used in the podcast.
  • Are you needing help getting healthy this summer?I didn’t mention in this episode, but I have a weight loss program that I love called Optavia! I’m a health coach with them. If you are interested in learning more about that and my special coaching program, just head HERE for more info.

Please Note…

  • Be sure to grab your FREE copy of my book, Sanity Savers for Moms, by joining our Simply Joyful community. It’s a great way to keep in touch…and get subscriber only freebies like my book. Click HERE to get the book and join!

A Special Thanks to…

Rend Collective for allowing me to use their incredible song “The Joy of the Lord is My Strength”This song has so much special meaning to me and it highlights the theme verse for my podcast — Nehemiah 8:10. Be sure to check out their music! They are such a fun band to listen to…and to see live.

Connect with Lee Nienhuis…

Lee Nienhuis is a passionate Bible teacher whose love for the Lord is contagious. A popular conference speaker, Lee brings dynamic teaching, humor, and vision for the next generation of Christ followers and serves as a speaker and Area Coordinator for Moms in Prayer International. Lee and her farmer-husband, Mike, have four kids and live on four acres of grass in Michigan.

You can check out Lee’s books HERE on Amazon! Be sure to visit her site as well at www.leenienhuis.com/.

(This podcast is by Kristi Clover. Discovered by Christian Podcast Central and our community — copyright is owned by the publisher, not Christian Podcast Central, and audio is streamed directly from their servers.)