In this faith-filled episode of the Messy Family Podcast, Mike and Alicia discuss discuss the significance of authenticity, the power of family traditions, and the impact of a vibrant faith community. Whether you're a seasoned parent or just starting your family journey, this episode promises valuable insights and practical tools for nurturing a legacy of faith that will endure for generations to come.

Tune in to the Messy Family Project podcast today and discover how to build a legacy of faith that withstands the test of time. Don't miss out on this inspiring conversation that will empower you to embrace your role as a faith-filled parent and create a lasting impact on your family's spiritual journey.

Subscribe now and join the Messy Family Project community as we navigate the beautiful messiness of family life together! For more information on this and other topics visit: https://www.messyfamilyproject.org/

In this episode of the podcast, we delve into the heart of family bonding and spiritual growth with an enlightening interview with the Marinist Family. Guided by the profound core beliefs of the Marianist Family Retreat Ministry, our guests share invaluable insights into strengthening familial ties, fostering communication, and embracing forgiveness and commitment within the family unit.

Key Takeaways:

• Discover the transformative power of affirming familial love and forgiveness.
• Embrace the teachings of Mary as a model for nurturing familial spirituality.
• Explore the concept of discipleship of equals and its impact on family ministry.
• Learn how community plays a vital role in nurturing familial bonds and spiritual growth.
• Uncover the structured and unstructured opportunities for growth within the Marinist Family Retreat Program.
• Embrace the practice of prayer and discernment in opening oneself to the gifts of the Holy Spirit within the family context.

Couple Discussion Questions:

1. How can we incorporate the teachings of Mary into our family dynamics?
2. Reflecting on the pillars of the Marinist Family Retreats, which aspect do we feel is most crucial for our family's growth?
3. How can we create a balance between structured and unstructured family time to nurture spiritual growth?
4. In what ways can we foster a sense of community within our family and extend it to the larger community?

Tune in to this enlightening episode as we uncover the tools for deepening familial bonds and fostering spiritual growth with the Marinist Family.

For a child to learn how to love, they need to first be loved. 

So many people find disciplining their children to be one of the biggest challenges of being a parent.  We look back to the way our parents raised us and often we realize that we want to do things differently, but we just don’t know how.  Without a new perspective, many times we just fall back on what we experienced as a child and we react from our own woundedness or our own view of what a father or mother should be.  In this episode, Mike and Alicia talk about how parents can model the perfect parent, God the Father Himself.  As we do this, we will find ourselves walking in our true  identity as a son or daughter of the Most High.  When we understand that, then we can form our children as God forms us.  

Listen in to this essential conversation and use our Key Takeaways and Discussion Questions to go deeper with your spouse on this topic.

Key Takeaways

• We need to parent the way God fathers us, free of emotion and manipulation

• Discipline starts with relationship because its all about forming their hearts.

• We need to teach children how to repair and restore relationships when they do the wrong thing.  

Couple Discussion Questions

• In our childhoods have we experienced shame from our parents or those in authority?  How did that make me feel?

• Do we imitate those behaviors in our parenting? 

• How can we reflect God the Father more in our formation of our children? 

• Consider one of your children in need of formation.  What is the best way to reach their heart?