140-Raising Resilient Teens: Faith, Performance & Emotional Strength with Dr. Carla Caturia

140-Raising Resilient Teens: Faith, Performance & Emotional Strength with Dr. Carla Caturia

In this episode of the Front Parking Spot podcast host Jennifer Bosma sits down with Dr. Carla Coturia, an elite peak performance coach and creator of The RISE Model, to discuss how parents can raise resilient, emotionally healthy teens in a high-pressure world. Carla draws on work with over 10,000 teens to explain why achievement can become a mask for unmet emotional needs and how faith, identity, and practical habits restore balance. Carla breaks down the RISE framework—regulating your state, building daily habits, taking integrated (inspired) action, and redefining identity—to help teens perform without burning out. She emphasizes emotional intelligence and self-trust as the foundation for sustainable success and explains common patterns she sees in teens: anxiety, burnout, and an achievement-based identity that erodes confidence. The episode offers actionable parenting guidance: regulate your own state before reacting, step back instead of fixing problems for your teen, give autonomy and meaningful choices, celebrate effort over outcome, and allow space for identity development. Carla also unpacks anxiety—what’s normal versus what becomes harmful—and gives simple tools for acknowledging and letting emotions pass. Faith and surrender are woven throughout the conversation: trusting God’s plan for your child, praying through big decisions, and recognizing that purpose may lead teens to unexpected paths (including alternatives to a traditional four-year college). Practical next steps include taking small, consistent habits seriously, encouraging pause and celebration, and supporting teens in identity development rather than performance alone. For listeners who want more, Carla shares ways to connect (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube) and mentions an upcoming course for families. Tune in to hear honest examples, real coaching moments, and faith-rooted encouragement for guiding your teen toward confident, authentic, and sustainable success. https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisingresilientteensandtweens [https://www.facebook.com/groups/raisingresilientteensandtweens] https://www.instagram.com/drcarlacaturia/ [https://www.instagram.com/drcarlacaturia/] https://www.facebook.com/carlacaturia [https://www.facebook.com/carlacaturia] https://youtube.com/@drcarlacaturia [https://youtube.com/@drcarlacaturia?si=Q7NqHJt2DKLt4ssB] www.thehouseofrise.com [http://www.thehouseofrise.com/] www.linkedin.com/in/dr-carla-caturia [http://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-carla-caturia]   Christian children's books for all kids! — Jennifer Bosma [https://jenniferbosma.com/childrens-books-3] Follow Jennifer on Instagram @frontparkingspot Have you been trying to explain the Trinity to the little ones in your life? Order Jennifer's newest book, God is Three in One. Are you in need of a thoughtful gift for the next baby shower? Consider a copy of Jennifer's book, I Know the Plans. Its engaging storytelling and Christian values make it a perfect choice for the 'bring a book instead of a card' request. Do you have a child waiting for a sibling to join the family? Order The Baby Garden Christian children's books for all kids! — Jennifer Bosma [https://jenniferbosma.com/childrens-books-3] Your reviews on Apple Podcasts are invaluable! They help us improve and reach more moms interested in Christian children's books and podcasts. Scroll all the way down to 'Leave a Review' written in purple at the bottom of the page to share your thoughts. Subscribe to Jennifer's website at www.jenniferbosma.com [http://www.jenniferbosma.com] Thanks, Moms, for listening. Please share with others! Have an Ephesians 3:20 day as you go for the Front Parking Spot in your life today!

139- Raising Kids Who Spot Truth: Faith, Courage, and Everyday Parenting with Shilo Creed

Join host Jennifer Bosma and guest Shilo Creed (best‑selling, multi‑award author and youth pastor) as they discuss how to raise children who can recognize truth in today’s confusing culture. This episode covers how a personal encounter with mortality transformed Shilo’s faith and parenting priorities, and why living out faith publicly — from missions to everyday acts of trust — helps kids see God’s power in real life. Topics include practical ways to move from anxiety to trust, renewing your mind with Scripture, giving children a lasting understanding of salvation, and creating family rhythms (devotions, sharing highs and lows, service) that make faith personal rather than merely inherited. Jennifer and Shilo emphasize the importance of involving kids when parents take faith risks so children can witness God’s faithfulness firsthand. They address navigating cultural pressures at school and in society, equipping teens with Scripture as a firm foundation, and helping kids develop resilience when their faith draws pushback. Shilo shares how Christian fiction — including her sci‑fi novel Plunged — can inspire courage and spiritual growth in teens and adults alike. Expect down‑to‑earth examples (mission trips, tithing, ministry involvement), youth‑pastor wisdom on talking with teenagers, and practical tips for moms to teach Scripture application in the car, at the dinner table, and during life’s unexpected storms. The episode closes with resources for connecting with Shilo and links in the show notes for her books and recommended next steps. Plunged | Shilo Creed [https://shilocreed.com/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChristianWithShilo [https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChristianWithShilo] https://www.youtube.com/@theauthorsmind-shilocreed [https://www.youtube.com/@theauthorsmind-shilocreed]   My website: shilocreed.com    My books:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFV59FRQ?binding=kindle_edition&qid=1778874946&sr=8-1&ref [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFV59FRQ?binding=kindle_edition&qid=1778874946&sr=8-1&ref]   Other pen name books: Elysian Hunt https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFZ4P281?binding=kindle_edition&ref [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFZ4P281?binding=kindle_edition&ref]   Quinn Knightly https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DT4YMGZL?binding=paperback&searchxofy=true&ref [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DT4YMGZL?binding=paperback&searchxofy=true&ref]   C.R. Fulton https://www.amazon.com/stores/C.-R.-Fulton/author/B01LGEO81K?ref [https://www.amazon.com/stores/C.-R.-Fulton/author/B01LGEO81K?ref] Christian children's books for all kids! — Jennifer Bosma [https://jenniferbosma.com/childrens-books-3] Follow Jennifer on Instagram @frontparkingspot Have you been trying to explain the Trinity to the little ones in your life? Order Jennifer's newest book, God is Three in One. Are you in need of a thoughtful gift for the next baby shower? Consider a copy of Jennifer's book, I Know the Plans. Its engaging storytelling and Christian values make it a perfect choice for the 'bring a book instead of a card' request. Do you have a child waiting for a sibling to join the family? Order The Baby Garden Christian children's books for all kids! — Jennifer Bosma [https://jenniferbosma.com/childrens-books-3] Your reviews on Apple Podcasts are invaluable! They help us improve and reach more moms interested in Christian children's books and podcasts. Scroll all the way down to 'Leave a Review' written in purple at the bottom of the page to share your thoughts. Subscribe to Jennifer's website at www.jenniferbosma.com [http://www.jenniferbosma.com] Thanks, Moms, for listening. Please share with others! Have an Ephesians 3:20 day as you go for the Front Parking Spot in your life today!

138- Called to Care: One Mom’s Journey Through Foster Parenting and Open Adoption with Kim Patton

On this episode of the Front Parking Spot podcast, host Jennifer Bosma speaks with Kim Patton — an adoptive and foster mom living in Ohio, author, and podcast host — about her winding journey from infertility to open adoption and two years of fostering teenage girls. Kim shares candid stories about the chaos and beauty of mixed family life, what open adoption looks like in practice, and how faith shaped her decisions along the way. Topics covered include: Kim’s personal adoption story and why she chose open adoption; the realities of fostering teenagers alongside young biological children; practical ways to get involved in foster care (from volunteering and respite care to becoming licensed); how to pursue fostering as a united couple and the importance of prayer; and simple, everyday ways to serve and teach children empathy and life skills. Kim also offers spiritual and emotional guidance for moms navigating hard seasons — infertility, marital struggle, grief, or parenting challenges — encouraging listeners to find identity in Christ (referencing Ephesians), to take negative thoughts captive, and to practice grace with themselves. She emphasizes keeping conversations positive about birth families, preparing kids for identity questions, and continuing to pray for foster children even after they leave your home. Practical takeaways and resources highlighted: start slowly if you feel called to foster (volunteer, provide respite, or support local foster families), keep your spouse involved and committed, use open adoption to maintain respectful relationships with birth families when possible, and prioritize prayer and honest conversations with your children. Kim recommends Rosaria Butterfield’s The Gospel Comes with the House Key for inspiration on radical hospitality and mentions her own work — the book Nothing Wasted Struggling Well Through Difficult Seasons and a Foster Mama Journal — plus her Book Therapy podcast and KimPatton.com as places to learn more. Listeners can expect a faith-centered, practical, and heartfelt conversation full of real-life examples, actionable next steps for getting involved in foster or adoption work, and encouragement for moms to rest in God’s identity and purpose during every season of family life. http://www.kimpatton.com/ [http://www.kimpatton.com/] https://www.kimpatton.com/published-works [https://www.kimpatton.com/published-works] Book Therapy with Kim Patton: Encouraging Foster and Adoptive Families One Book at a Time • A podcast on Spotify for Creators [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/kim-patton-book-therapy/] Christian children's books for all kids! — Jennifer Bosma [https://jenniferbosma.com/childrens-books-3] Follow Jennifer on Instagram @frontparkingspot Have you been trying to explain the Trinity to the little ones in your life? Order Jennifer's newest book, God is Three in One. Are you in need of a thoughtful gift for the next baby shower? Consider a copy of Jennifer's book, I Know the Plans. Its engaging storytelling and Christian values make it a perfect choice for the 'bring a book instead of a card' request. Do you have a child waiting for a sibling to join the family? Order The Baby Garden Christian children's books for all kids! — Jennifer Bosma [https://jenniferbosma.com/childrens-books-3] Your reviews on Apple Podcasts are invaluable! They help us improve and reach more moms interested in Christian children's books and podcasts. Scroll all the way down to 'Leave a Review' written in purple at the bottom of the page to share your thoughts. Subscribe to Jennifer's website at www.jenniferbosma.com [http://www.jenniferbosma.com] Thanks, Moms, for listening. Please share with others! Have an Ephesians 3:20 day as you go for the Front Parking Spot in your life today!

137- Becoming Unstuck in Addiction, Shame, and Identity - Freedom is Closer than You Think with Eric and Mayana Frederickson

Join host Jennifer Bosma on the Front Parking Spot podcast as she interviews husband-and-wife team Eric and Mayana Fredrickson of Recovering Reality. This episode is tailored for faith-based moms who want practical, spiritually grounded help for themselves and their families. Expect personal stories, honest testimony, and actionable next steps for spiritual growth. Eric shares his journey from 13 years trapped in addiction to more than 17 years of sobriety, describing overdose, courts, rehabs, and a radical encounter with Jesus. A biblical life coach and bestselling author, he brings 7,000+ hours of one-on-one coaching and a core message: sobriety isn’t enough—lasting freedom comes from addressing the identity and beliefs beneath the behavior. Mayana, originally from Brazil and a longtime follower of Christ, explains how she helps women rediscover identity in Christ, overcome cultural conditioning, and lead with emotional and spiritual maturity while homeschooling their three boys. Topics covered include the difference between religion and relationship, renewing the mind (Romans 12:2), practical spiritual disciplines (a simple morning routine of reading, writing and prayer; suggested Scripture reading from Psalms, Proverbs and the Gospels; journaling and fasting), and how encounters with God accelerate transformation. They discuss how community, consistency and discipline unlock growth, and how lifestyle evangelism and hospitality reveal a distinct Christian witness. Key takeaways include the distinction between condemnation and conviction, why identity in Christ matters more than behavior modification, how the 12-step principles connect to Scripture, and the importance of intentionally choosing what you feed your mind. The episode also highlights cultural differences around community and offers encouragement for moms feeling isolated or stuck. Resources and next steps: Eric and Mayana explain how to connect with Recovering Reality (podcast, YouVersion devotionals, Instagram) and invite listeners to a free breakthrough call to clarify where they are and how coaching might help. Tune in to hear hope-filled testimony, practical tools, and faith-based coaching ideas to help you and your family walk in greater freedom and identity in Christ. On Instagram @Recoveringreality Recovering Reality | Real Transformation through Faith [https://recoveringreality.com/] Christian children's books for all kids! — Jennifer Bosma [https://jenniferbosma.com/childrens-books-3] Follow Jennifer on Instagram @frontparkingspot Have you been trying to explain the Trinity to the little ones in your life? Order Jennifer's newest book, God is Three in One. Are you in need of a thoughtful gift for the next baby shower? Consider a copy of Jennifer's book, I Know the Plans. Its engaging storytelling and Christian values make it a perfect choice for the 'bring a book instead of a card' request. Do you have a child waiting for a sibling to join the family? Order The Baby Garden Christian children's books for all kids! — Jennifer Bosma [https://jenniferbosma.com/childrens-books-3] Your reviews on Apple Podcasts are invaluable! They help us improve and reach more moms interested in Christian children's books and podcasts. Scroll all the way down to 'Leave a Review' written in purple at the bottom of the page to share your thoughts. Subscribe to Jennifer's website at www.jenniferbosma.com [http://www.jenniferbosma.com] Thanks, Moms, for listening. Please share with others! Have an Ephesians 3:20 day as you go for the Front Parking Spot in your life today!

136- Hugs, Hard Truths & Hope: Nancy Jasin Ensley Life Lessons for Moms

Join host Jennifer Bosma and guest Nancy Jasin Ensley — a 10-time author, legal nurse, hospice specialist, and former teacher — for an encouraging, faith-centered conversation for moms. Nancy shares stories from a life shaped by service, resilience, and writing, including memories behind her memoir The Tire Swing and the healing power of putting feelings on paper. Expect honest moments about growing up in a difficult home, learning to forgive, and practical habits that sustain spiritual and emotional health: write your thoughts, find trusted support people, pray, and take time to listen. The episode explores Nancy’s hospice and end-of-life work, offering poignant takeaways about presence, listening to those who are dying, and the comforting role of faith in transition. She recounts powerful, intimate moments that illustrate miracles, the importance of spiritual readiness, and why every day is a gift. Listeners will hear how to approach fear, shame, and relationship struggles with humility and grace. Practical parenting advice is woven throughout: affirm yourself in the mirror, use the “rocking chair test” when facing tough choices, and teach children by listening well. Nancy’s warmth and faith-based perspective deliver encouragement for moms feeling overwhelmed, unworthy, or stuck — reminding them that God loves them, forgiveness is available, and support is essential. What to expect: personal stories, tangible spiritual practices, hospice insights, writing inspiration, and gentle challenges to trust God and love yourself. Find Nancy’s books and more at Nancy Jasin Ensley Books [https://nancyjasinensley.com/] and follow her on major book platforms and social media. Christian children's books for all kids! — Jennifer Bosma [https://jenniferbosma.com/childrens-books-3] Follow Jennifer on Instagram @frontparkingspot Have you been trying to explain the Trinity to the little ones in your life? Order Jennifer's newest book, God is Three in One. Are you in need of a thoughtful gift for the next baby shower? Consider a copy of Jennifer's book, I Know the Plans. Its engaging storytelling and Christian values make it a perfect choice for the 'bring a book instead of a card' request. Do you have a child waiting for a sibling to join the family? Order The Baby Garden Christian children's books for all kids! — Jennifer Bosma [https://jenniferbosma.com/childrens-books-3] Your reviews on Apple Podcasts are invaluable! They help us improve and reach more moms interested in Christian children's books and podcasts. Scroll all the way down to 'Leave a Review' written in purple at the bottom of the page to share your thoughts. Subscribe to Jennifer's website at www.jenniferbosma.com [http://www.jenniferbosma.com] Thanks, Moms, for listening. Please share with others! Have an Ephesians 3:20 day as you go for the Front Parking Spot in your life today!