Hurry can be one of our greatest temptations but also one of the fiercest enemies of family life and homeschooling, but what if we chose to slow down? What might we discover?What might we recover? Pastor Mark Buchanan shared in his book The Rest of God: Someone asked me recently what was my biggest regret in life. I thought a moment, surveying the vast and cluttered landscape of my blunders and losses, the evil I have done and the evil that’s been done against me. “Being in a hurry,” I said. “Pa...
Feb 18, 2020•47 min•Ep. 113
Twice a month I publish a devotional that centers around reading God’s word out loud. I choose one particular topic and share verses and passages of scripture related to that. In this week’s Grace for a Mom’s Heart Devotional, we are digging up truths in God’s word about finding peace. Peace is the deepest desire and need of the human heart, but we will never truly find it outside of our relationship with God. He is the source of peace. He is Jehovah Shalom. Verses on the power of God’s word: Is...
Feb 13, 2020•20 min•Ep. 112
I receive emails and messages from moms who want to know more about homeschooling with multiple ages. It's so much more doable than most realize! Today I am chatting with Rebecca Spooner who has 5 children and a wealth of wisdom along with an incredible resource to help those of us who are homeschooling multiple children (and those who are not)!! This podcast isn’t just informative, though, it’s loaded with inspiration and encouragement for your mom heart! You'll be glad you tuned in! Find my bo...
Feb 11, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 111
There is not a parent out there who hasn't struggled with anger at some point. For homeschooling parents, it can be an especially challenging issue because of the amount of time we spend with our kids. Anger can be one of those things that we keep hidden and has the potential for great destruction, but our Redeemer can change all of that! Today Chap Bettis will help us sort out where anger comes from, the different types of anger and how it is a foe, but can also be a friend! Chap is giving away...
Feb 04, 2020•51 min•Ep. 110
Sometimes it's good to be reminded of why we are doing what we are doing! Today I'm chatting with my friend Ginny Yurich who is a homeschooling mom to 5. She has such a heart for homeschooling families and today she beautifully pulls back the layers, showing us from God's Word that God cares about our kids and their education. In other words, contrary to what even many Christians believe, God has an opinion about how we educate our kids. Listen in and find some great encouragement on God's bless...
Jan 28, 2020•47 min•Ep. 109
It seems like believing that God protects us is a very basic principle we should all know by now, but circumstances can cause us to doubt and be fearful. God’s Word is so clear, so powerful and brings us a clear picture of the many ways that He can and does protect us! I’ll be reading several passages out loud, praying that God will ignite your heart to faith and trust! Scriptures shared are from the New Living Translation: Isaiah 55:10, 11 Psalm 34 Psalm 121 Psalm 18 Isaiah 41:8-20 Psalm 91 2 T...
Jan 24, 2020•25 min•Ep. 108
We are seeing parental rights being infringed upon now more than ever and it's concerning, to say the least. Parents know their children better than anyone and should have the right to make the decisions they think are best. Today I am talking with Michael Ramey, the Executive Director of parentalrights.org . We are discussing the current threats to parental rights and how you can not only be aware but also become involved in helping defend the rights of every parent, homeschoolers or not! Resou...
Jan 21, 2020•47 min•Ep. 107
It’s that time of year when many of us are feeling tempted to throw in the towel when it comes to homeschooling. It’s important to know that you are not alone! Today my friend Yvette and I are sharing a few tips on how to deal with burnout as well as details for an upcoming event that will be the encouragement that so many families need! Link for more details on the Homegrown Generation Online Conference (Best $20 you’ll ever spend!) Homegrown Generation Speakers (aff link) Homegrown GenerationS...
Jan 17, 2020•33 min•Ep. 106
Are you or someone you know homeschooling kids who struggle with ADD/ADHD? I can't encourage you enough to listen to this podcast! Today I’m talking with Dan Marcone who is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Clinical Supervisor, Practice Founder & Director of Seasons Counseling in Orlando, Florida. The information and tools that Dan shares in this podcast are incredibly helpful and you don’t have to know everything about ADD/ADHD to be able to grow your kids who struggle with it. As homesch...
Jan 14, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 104
Welcome to this week's episode of my devotional, Grace for a Mom's Heart! As we head into the New Year, I'm focusing more intentionally on reading the word out loud to you. Each week I will choose a specific topic and I read passages in God's Word that speak to that. God's word is powerful and doesn't come back empty. I believe that as you listen, He will reveal HImself to you in a very real and powerful way! You may even want to play it with the kids around so they can absorb it as well! (You c...
Jan 09, 2020•26 min•Ep. 105
The homeschooling journey can prove to be lonely at times and it can make all the difference in the world to have the support of other moms. Sometimes our kids need exposure to more educational experiences outside the four walls of our homes or want/need interaction with other kids. These are only a few of many reasons it can be very beneficial to be part of a small co-op. But where do you begin? Today I am chatting with Nancy Manos who has been part of numerous small co-ops over her many years ...
Jan 07, 2020•54 min•Ep. 103
We would probably all agree with the quote that says "Comparison is the thief of joy" and yet it's such a strong temptation! Today we are going to face this topic head-on, digging into God's word to find our answers. May today be the day we ditch the comparison trap for good! (Resources and scriptures are available in the podcast notes found at durendawilson.com)
Jan 06, 2020•41 min•Ep. 102
Gather the kids and find a cozy spot to relax while I read to all of you our family's favorite Christmas story! Most of my kids are grown up and some even have kids of their own, so it makes me happy to be able to share this with your family today! Are you ready?
Dec 23, 2019•14 min•Ep. 101
We can feel so rushed in the midst of the Christmas season. But this time of year is really so much taking time. It's an invitation to wait in anticipation of a promise of a Messiah that was given so many years ago. Waiting isn't something that most of us do well, but why don't you join me for (literally) just a few minutes to ponder a few tender Christmas thoughts. Get your Free digital Holiday Edition of Homeschooling Today here!
Dec 19, 2019•9 min•Ep. 100
Welcome to the party! I've connected with some amazing moms over the last 100 podcast episodes, so it seems appropriate that my guest today would be a friend that God brought into my life as only He could! Ginger Hubbard, author of Don't Make Me Count to Three and I Can't Believe You Just Said That!. She has a heart that beats with mine for families and reaching the hearts of our children. I share a lot about slowing down and taking a more unhurried approach to homeschooling and parenting for th...
Dec 17, 2019•49 min•Ep. 99
I've talked to countless moms and whether they have a degree or not, NONE of them feel "qualified" to teach their children. One has to wonder why? Join me as I take this topic and filter it through both a practical and biblical perspective. You might be surprised how qualified you really are! Podcast mentioned: The Five Most Important Things We Taught our Kids Check out my book: The Unhurried Homeschooler available on Amazon!
Dec 12, 2019•31 min•Ep. 98
Be intentional! It's the battle cry of the many parents out there who want to do a good job raising their kids. We want important things to STAY important things. It's no different at Christmas, but it also happens to get more complicated at Christmas. So many possibilities, so many things we could do. Today we are talking about how to cultivate your family's holiday culture. It's so important to consider where you are as a family: season of life, budget, uniquenesses of your children, etc. Heat...
Dec 10, 2019•59 min•Ep. 97
Today I’m sharing what I believe are the 5 most important things we’ve taught our kids over our 24 years of homeschooling! If you guessed those things have very little to do with math or language arts or history or science, you would be absolutely right, but I can tell from where I am now, these things were absolutely crucial to growing our kids into healthy, productive, responsible adults! You won't want to miss this one!
Dec 05, 2019•38 min•Ep. 96
As soon as Thanksgiving dinner is over, I can hear someone fire off the starting gun and the countdown to Christmas begins. In my 28 years as a mom, every year has looked a bit different and some years were more stressful than others. I do know that the simpler I've kept it, the more we have enjoyed it which flies in the face of every commercial out there! But isn't it just like God to give us beauty in simplicity? Today my friend Ana is joining me to talk about the ways their family has kept th...
Dec 03, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 95
Mentoring Moments is a short episode answering one question at a time of the many questions I get from homeschooling moms! It's my chance to go a little deeper into one topic in order to bring encouragement and a little more perspective. My hope is that I can help homeschooling parents relax a little more and enjoy this journey and their children! I have found that math is one of the subjects that many parents and kids struggle with the most! But how stressed do we really need to be? Listen in a...
Nov 26, 2019•35 min•Ep. 93
This is the third and final part in my series I have been doing with our daughter Brittney, whose first baby was born sleeping. We've been looking forward to this podcast because we get to tell the amazing, redemptive story of her last birth! We spend some time talking about her struggles throughout the pregnancy as she felt God's constant nudging to move toward a VBAC. It was a continual decision to yield and trust, following a path that seemed to meander endlessly! The ways that He chooses to ...
Nov 19, 2019•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 94
This is a recorded Facebook Live event I did recently sharing several things I've learned over our 24 years of homeschooling that have helped me relax and enjoy a more unhurried approach with our kids. Homeschooling is one of the best decisions we ever made and one of the reasons for that is because we actually enjoyed the time we spent with our kids! The only way that could happen was for us to do what was a good fit for our family and not necessarily what worked for someone else's family. It's...
Nov 13, 2019•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 92
Today Brittney and I are continuing to share the story of Isaac, Brittney's firstborn and our first grandbaby who was born sleeping. In the last podcast we shared about how God met us in our darkest places of grief and brought hope in the midst of deep loss. We are continuing our conversation about the grieving process and the struggles and victories that came with subsequent pregnancies. Our hope and prayer is that, even if you have never experienced this kind of loss, you will find hope and be...
Nov 04, 2019•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 91
I woke up one morning recently with a struggle that I’m not sure I ever had before: I was pondering all that God has done on our behalf through Jesus and wondering if I’m faithfully walking out my gratefulness for the magnitude of what that gift that He acquired for me. It’s not that I thought I needed to repay Him, it’s just that when I thought about the lengths the Lord went to secure my salvation and eternal life, I wondered if I was taking hold of all that He had for me? If you’ve been a Chr...
Oct 28, 2019•22 min•Ep. 90
Today we are celebrating the life of our grandson, Isaac who would have just had his 6th birthday. He was our first grandbaby and Brittney and Jacob's first baby. This is the first time that we have shared his story publicly. Brittney was careful not to tell the story too soon, but allow God to do the work and healing that He needed to do in her own heart first. This isn't something you can rush. It's a kind of waiting on God that, though excruciating at times, brings with it deeper healing and ...
Oct 21, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 89
Plot twist: the last seven chapters of Psalms have focused a lot on the world of enemies, wicked people and distorted justice, but Psalm 8 takes a completely different turn. In case you didn’t know, the number 8 is significant throughout the scriptures and often represents a new beginning or regeneration. Psalm 8 beautifully celebrates the dignity of God’s original creation, giving hope for weary souls. For most of us, self preservation has been encouraged. No one wants to be a doormat or feel a...
Oct 16, 2019•13 min•Ep. 88
What is apologetics anyway? As Christian moms, we know it's probably important, but we aren't sure if we can wrap our heads around it, much less teach it to our kids! However, as we look around us, we are seeing Christian leaders falling to the wayside, kids leaving the faith in droves and fellow Christians succumbing to faulty beliefs. It is here where we begin to see how important it is to know why we believe what we believe and be able to effectively communicate our faith persuasively. This i...
Oct 08, 2019•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 87
Welcome to Grace for a Mom's Heart, a short devotional created especially for moms who want to grow in their understanding of God's Word and it's applications for motherhood! Today we are spending time in Psalm 7. Now that we have made it this far into the Psalms, are you recognizing some consistent themes? Lamenting, asking for protection, affirming God’s kingship, and praise. Are you seeing how real the psalmists are, as they cry out to God? This is such an encouragement to me that I can tell ...
Sep 30, 2019•12 min•Ep. 86
We live in a culture that is pressing in hard on us as parents but particularly as moms. Voices are coming from all directions telling us how to parent, how to homeschool, etc. This can quickly cause us to not only not enjoy our kids, but to be constantly dealing with fear and doubt. Most of all it distracts us and undermines our ability to hone in on what GOD is speaking to our mom hearts. Today I will be talking about 3 common things that typically challenge us and become obstacles to hearing ...
Sep 24, 2019•48 min•Ep. 85
At first glance, Psalm 6 doesn't seem to have a whole lot to offer, so as I was preparing this devotional, it was tempting to skip it and move to one that seemed to be more obviously applicable, but I felt a nudge and that still, small voice reminding me that every word of scripture is relevant in one way or another. It can be tempting to focus only on the passages that are easy to understand, but 2 Timothy 3:16,17 says this: "ALL (emphasis mine) Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable f...
Sep 17, 2019•11 min•Ep. 84
