John Lovell, the inspiring force behind the Warrior Poet Society, is joining me on the podcast. John’s remarkable background as a former Army Ranger and special operations soldier, combined with his passion for masculinity and fatherhood, has propelled him to become a sought-after speaker and mentor. John is on a mission to redefine what it means to be a man in today’s world so we can start embracing masculinity again. We dive deep into the balance between strength and sensitivity, the importance of being a protector and provider, and the invaluable role of fathers in shaping the next generation.
This episode is sponsored by BJU Press Homeschool. Visit bjupresshomeschool.com for trusted educational resources from a biblical worldview.
In this episode, John and I discuss:
Meeting John at a homeschooling conference
Impact of technology and social media on daily life
Importance of living in the real world and not being consumed by screens
Balancing technology usage and spending time outdoors
The negative effects of cell phones on joy and relationships
What is a warrior?
What is a poet?
How to be a warrior AND a poet
Embracing masculinity and the role of men in the family
Instilling strong character, a love for reading, and physical strength in children
The importance of letting husbands lead and embracing their role as men
“Men make men.”
Acknowledging the challenges of single parents and seeking God’s guidance
John’s new book, The Warrior Poet Way
I hope my conversation with John encouraged you in raising and interacting with your boys and all of the men in your life!
About John Lovell
John Lovell is the Founder and CEO of the Warrior Poet Society — a values-based community dedicated to physical protection, the pursuit of truth, and living for higher purpose. His message has garnered over 100 million views across social media and streaming platforms. John is a former war veteran and Special Operations soldier, having served in 2nd Ranger Battalion. After his military service, he served as a Christian missionary in Central America full-time. Today he is a video content creator, public speaker, firearms trainer, and homesteader. John lives on a small farm in Georgia with his wife and two sons.
I had the opportunity to meet up with my long-time friend Michael Farris at the National Religious Broadcasters convention a few weeks ago. He graciously agreed to have a conversation with me to share with you here at Equipped To Be. Michael has such a breadth of experience and knowledge in the areas of homeschooling, the Constitution, free speech, and legal defense of these topics. We spent some time talking about the cultural shifts that are being seen in our country and what we as Christians can do about it.
This episode is sponsored by BJU Press Homeschool. Visit bjupresshomeschool.com for trusted educational resources from a biblical worldview.
Michael and I talk about:
Michael’s background, including his involvement in the homeschool movement, the founding of HSLDA, and his leadership roles in various organizations focused on protecting families and promoting the gospel of Christ.
The importance of delegating and empowering others to shine for long-term success.
The cultural shifts in America: those who hate God vs those who love God
The importance of the 1st Amendment: Totalitarianism and control of what you think
The dangers of suppressing dissenting opinions
Being open about your faith, your homeschooling, your lifestyle, etc.
The fight for our families, our children, our grandchildren, and our future.
Michael’s new project coming this fall
Stand up, Show up, Speak up.
I hope that my conversation with Michael has inspired and equipped you. These cultural shifts are happening all around us. What will you do next to stand up, show up, and speak up?
About Michael Farris
Former President & CEO Alliance Defending Freedom (2017-2022)
Farris was also founding president of both the Home School Legal Defense Association (1983), Patrick Henry College (2000), ParentalRight.org (2009), Convention of the States.
In 2022, Farris accepted a post at the NRB.org in the Office of General Counsel.
Farris has specialized in constitutional appellate litigation. In that capacity, he has argued before the appellate courts of 13 states, eight federal circuit courts of appeal, and the U.S. Supreme Court, where in 2018 he successfully argued NIFLA v. Becerra, resulting in a free speech victory for California’s pro-life pregnancy centers.
Farris has testified many times before both the House and Senate. He was an executive committee member of the Coalition for the Free Exercise of Religion that successfully lobbied Congress for the passage of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. He also has substantial experience in international religious freedom advocacy.
Farris is the author of over 15 books, as well as law review and other scholarly and popular articles. He and his wife, Vickie, have 10 children and many grandchildren.
Do your children have summer jobs? Do they have a part-time job or work as an intern or volunteer somewhere? Fox 35 Orlando asked me to speak on this topic of teens and summer jobs and I always have so much more to say on these topics than I can fit into a short morning show segment. A lot of learning happens with summer jobs, so let’s talk about the benefits of a summer job for your teen!
This episode is sponsored by BJU Press Homeschool. Visit bjupresshomeschool.com for trusted educational resources from a biblical worldview.
I was speaking at a conference and walked into the lobby of the hotel to find a sign that said, “Workers are scarce. The whole country is facing a worker shortage. Be nice to those who show up.” I’m a strong advocate of rest, play, and learning to use boredom, but I also see that learning happens on the construction site, in an office filling papers, or volunteering at a non-profit organization. There’s value gained in these experiences for your teens working at a summer job.
Benefits of a Summer Job for Teens
Summer jobs can teach children and teens a lot of valuable life lessons and skills. Some of these include learning:
The value of work from a financial perspective – Your teen’s job can show them the value of work and how to separate income from their personal worth. They can also earn cash that can go towards savings, college, or personal interests. This is also an opportunity for parents to talk with and teach children about pay, negotiating raises, and other financial skills.
Useful hard and soft skills – Summer jobs can give your child the opportunity to hone a particular skill in an area of interest or show them that they don’t like working in a particular field. Beyond that, there are soft skills like problem-solving that are gained along the way.
How to work with a variety of people – These summer and part-time opportunities put your child into situations where they have to interact with people of all different ages, life stages, personalities, and more. They can gain valuable experience in learning to serve and get along with all kinds of people, some of whom they might not normally come into contact with or from whom they might have differing beliefs.
Summer Job Ideas
What kinds of jobs can your children and teens get this summer? Here’s a list to help you get started thinking about the possibilities:
Construction, pool cleaning, lawn maintenance, lifeguard, parks and recreation
Online: video editing, virtual assistant, learning software tools, graphic design, social media ads creator
Creative: production crew, tradeshow designs
In-Office: receptionist, office assistant, intern
Volunteer: city events, sporting events, music and theater events, hospitals
Consider all of these benefits of and options for summer jobs for your children. Working during the summer months can help your teens develop important skills, cultivate a strong work ethic, and gain valuable experiences for their future.
I recently had the opportunity to meet up with Kristen A. Jenson to have a conversation about a topic that is extremely important in our world of expanding digital access: pornography. Kristen is the founder of Defend Young Minds and CEO of Glen Cove Press. She is an internationally acclaimed author and advocate for protecting young minds from the dangers of harmful media. Kristen is leading the charge in this area to make sure parents are equipped to protect and educate their children about these dangers. Parents, it’s time to start defending young minds!
This episode is sponsored by BJU Press Homeschool. Visit bjupresshomeschool.com for trusted educational resources from a biblical worldview.
Listen in as Kristen and I discuss these topics surrounding defending young minds and protecting them from the harmful effects of pornography:
How Good Pictures, Bad Pictures came to be and Kristen’s discovery of the lack of resources on this topic
The importance of preparing children to face this issue
How introducing children to the topic of pornography, its effects, and offering a plan for safeguarding their minds empowers children and opens lines of communication with parents
The need for normalizing conversations about pornography so children who are struggling with porn addiction
Understanding that curiosity is a natural response
Quelling parents’ concerns that talking about pornography will ignite curiosity in children
While we wish we didn’t have to have these conversations, it is critical to acknowledge the reality of the world we live in. You can work now to protect your children from the negative impacts of pornography and potentially save them from a world of heartache later. By initiating age-appropriate conversations and educating them using resources like those from Kristen and Defend Young Minds, you can start defending young minds of your children to recognize and reject pornography.
About Kristen A. Jenson
Kristen A. Jenson is the founder of Defend Young MindsTM (formerly Protect Young Minds®) and #1 best-selling author of the Good Pictures Bad Pictures series of read-aloud books, which have translations in 10 languages and are now augmented by a guidebook for professionals which supports child therapists and educators. She is also the executive producer of the Brain DefenseTM: Digital Safety curriculum—a powerful and engaging video-based course for families and educators.
Kristen is a positive voice for raising empowered, resilient, screen-smart kids who know how and why to reject pornography. She instills hope and confidence and leaves her audiences with pragmatic advice they can act on immediately to defend young minds.
Kristen is a mother of three and grandmother of two and currently lives with her husband and awfully cute dog in Washington State.
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Raymond Arroyo, a New York Times bestselling author and Fox News contributor, at the 2023 National Religious Broadcasters Convention. He agreed to sit down and have a conversation with me for the podcast. There were so many things we could have discussed! We could have talked about politics or how the world is crumbling around us, but we landed on a topic that strengthens the family, and I hope it is going to encourage you. Raymond and I were talking about how children are curious, and I knew this was the topic we needed to focus on! He’s written a book series called Turnabout Tales that focuses on little-known yet fascinating stories of historical figures who went from underdog to hero, and the adults who inspired them to be true to themselves and do big things that changed the world. The first book in the series is about the life of Thomas Alva Edison and his mother Nancy.
This episode is sponsored by BJU Press Homeschool. Visit bjupresshomeschool.com for trusted educational resources from a biblical worldview.
In this episode, Raymond and I discuss taking children from underdog to hero and discuss these things along the way:
The importance of children’s curiosity
Raymond’s interest in Thomas Alva Edison and his discovery of his background
The role of Nancy Edison, Thomas’s mother, in his upbringing and education
The challenges Thomas Edison faced, including being labeled as an “idiot” by a schoolmaster
The significance of Nancy Edison’s belief in her son’s potential and her role in fostering his curiosity and intelligence
The impact of Nancy Edison’s influence on Thomas’s inventions and creativity
The importance of recognizing and nurturing children’s gifts, strengths, and talents
The marginalized role of mothers in society and the need to value and affirm their contribution and lifelong impact
The book’s cover and the representation of Nancy Edison
Thomas Edison’s hustle and work ethic at a young age
The influence of Nancy Edison’s decision to homeschool Thomas and its impact on his life trajectory
I hope you enjoyed our conversation about curiosity and the importance of relationships in a child’s life that help them go from underdog to hero. Be sure to check out Raymond’s website and look for another Turnabout Tales story to be released in the fall of 2023!
About Raymond Arroyo
Raymond Arroyo is an internationally known, award-winning journalist, producer, and New York Times Bestselling author. As a Fox News Contributor and Editorial Advisor to the top-rated, The Ingraham Angle, he has created the popular “Seen and Unseen” and “Friday Follies” segments that have become audience favorites. He regularly files reports for Fox News and co-hosts Fox Nation’s “Laura and Raymond” with Laura Ingraham each week.
