"Do you allow your kids to date?"

Some fun news! [image]( Hi, {NAME}! “I don’t know how you do it! I could never do what you do!” This is often the response when people find out we are fostering. And I don’t quite know the best way to respond. Because I’m not some super brave, super talented superwoman. I’m just a girl who got called by God to do a thing that was bigger than herself. A girl who still struggles — often! — with fear over the future and has to daily release those fears to Jesus. A girl who needs Jesus each and every moment of each and every day. A girl who is constantly going to God saying, “I can’t do this on my own. Please help me!” A girl who gets to see God do great and mighty things on her behalf each day. How do I do what I do? Only and wholly by the grace of God. Trust me, there is zero other explanation. And I’m just gonna put this out here: if God called you to my life, you could do it, too — with His empowering and His enabling. But He hasn’t called you to live my life... He’s called you to live *yours*. Don’t shirk back from His call — whatever it is! — because it might feel too big, too scary, too much. When God calls you to something bigger than yourself (and He will!), stepping into that place and saying yes means you get to rely upon Him like never before and you get to see Him do immeasurably more than what you could ever ask or think! You don’t have to be super brave or super talented when you serve and lean on a supernatural Heavenly Father! "Do You Allow Your Kids to Date?" [This week's podcast episode]( – our takes on courtship and dating – might be considered a bit controversial by some! You may recall an early episode of the podcast in which we talked about our own history involving this topic, and if you did hear that episode, then you may also remember that we have a pretty unique story of how Jesse and I ended up in a relationship together and how we had strict courtship rules set by our parents. In this episode, we’re talking more about that and answering the question, “Do you allow your kids to date?” We share how we are approaching dating and relationships with our teens. It may surprise you to find out that we don’t have rules for dating at our house (such as, “You can start dating when you are 16”, etc.) Instead, we are seeking to walk with our kids, have lots of conversations, point them to Jesus, and seek to rely on the Holy Spirit (as we talked in last week’s episode!) for wisdom and guidance as we guide our kids. In this week’s episode, we also discuss Jesse’s new water bottle, our new double stroller, two books we finished recently, listening to podcasts on double speed, and more! [Listen to the podcast episode here.]( Book Club: Week 2 I'm hosting a free online book club for my book, [Love-Centered Parenting](! Whether you've already read the book and just want a refresher or to hear more of my thoughts and encouragement on the book, whether you have the book and need some accountability to actually read it, or whether you are on the fence as to whether this book is for you, I'd love for you to join us! I'm hosting the book club on Instagram, but you don't have to have an account to watch the videos! I'll be doing a live video every Wednesday on one chapter of the book and will be posting the replay on IGTV. This week, [I covered the introduction and why I wrote this book]( (a book that I never, ever expected to write!). Here's how to join us for the book club: 1. [Follow on Instagram]( (if you would like). 2. [Watch Book Club Video #2]((it's only 10 minutes long and tells about when I hit rock bottom as a parent). 3. Read or listen to the introduction of [Love-Centered Parenting](. (You can [purchase it here]( or from [ChristianBook.com]( or check to see if your library carries it or if it's available for free on Hoopla or Libby.) I hope you can join us and that these videos are an encouragement to you! I'm cheering for you! -Crystal P.S. Let me know if you have any questions! I'm happy to answer them! [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe]( Money Saving Mom, LLC 2020 Fieldstone Parkway, Ste. 900 #313 Franklin, Tennessee 37069 United States