Join Dave and Bethlie as they begin a study on a few select chapters of the book Ten Pillars of an Awesome Marriage by Charles Shoemaker.

Here's the notes from this episode.

1. Introduction to the author
   1. He and His wife Sharon have been married for 50 years
   2. They have conducted Marriage and Family Conferences throughout North America, Asia, Central America, and Europe
2. Overview of the book
3. There are Ten Chapters - Neatly Alliterated
   1. Core Values - building a strong foundation
   2. Compatibility - understanding each other
   3. Commitment - staying connected
   4. Communication - learning to share openly and lovingly
   5. Conflict Resolution - solving disagreements peaceably
   6. Charity - loving unconditionally
   7. Choices - making wise decisions
   8. Companionship - living as positive partners
   9. Chemistry - enjoying marital intimacy
   10. Christ and His church - Going the distance with God’s help
4. Chapter 3 - Commitment
   1. A reminder of our wedding vows
      1. For better of for worse
      2. In sickness as in health
      3. Forsaking all others
      4. Until death do us part
   2. Why is commitment such a struggle for us today
      1. The culture we live in
      2. Low standards of many Christians
      3. Delayed consequences
   3. A section about truths to remember
      1. Commitment is a choice
         1. We choose to stay married
         2. We choose to make our spouse happy to be married
            1. Bring joy to your spouse
            2. Bless your spouse
            3. Serve your spouse
         3. We choose to continue growing together
            1. Two illustrations
               1. No gas in a car it will stop running
               2. We have to grow the marriage relationship by putting fuel in the tank
               3. A plant ignored will die
               4. For a plant to thrive it has to receive a lot of attention

We reached back into the archives and pulled out a very special episode that Dave and Bethlie did back in season 2. Pray for Pastor Dave as he recovers from a pretty nasty cold.

In this special episode, Dave and Bethlie Young tackle the critical issue of internet pornography and its impact on families. They share alarming statistics about pornography exposure among children and teens, including that 93% of boys and 62% of girls are exposed to internet porn before age 18, with the average first exposure occurring at age 11.

Pornography has become "aggressive" - actively seeking out children rather than requiring them to search for it. No family is exempt from this challenge, whether homeschooled, Christian schooled, or public schooled.

If you'd like more information regarding this please visit https://www.covenanteyes.com/ and use the promo code dnbyoung.

Thanks for joining us for part 2 of this series entitlted, "The Family Altar." If you've listened to Keeping It Young for long, you've probably heard Dave refer to the "family altar" but what exactly does he mean when he says that?

7. How do you do it?

1. 1. Schedule it
      1. John R. Rice had family altar after breakfast each morning.
         1. Read Scripture out loud as a family
         2. Each one prayed
      2. We had family altar in the evenings before bed.
         1. It was a calm down time
         2. It was a quiet time
         3. It was a special and fun time
   2. We have many scheduled habits
      1. 1. We brush our teeth
         2. We watch certain shows
         3. We eat at certain times
         4. We leave for school at specific times
      2. Schedule in a way that fits your family
      3. Make the schedule a habit
      4. Communicate the schedule
      5. Change it as needed . . .
   3. Make it predictable
      1. Be clear about how you do it
      2. Be clear about what will happen
   4. Plan it
      1. No phones
      2. Light conversation
      3. Scripture reading
      4. Time of prayer
      5. Gratitude

8. Final thoughts:

You can’t do it if you aren’t what you should be as a parent

If you are growing and taking steps to be right, get started

Links:

Want to hear Pastor Dave Young preach?

Westwood Baptist Church

Westwood Baptist Church Podcast

If you've listened to Keeping It Young for long, you've probably heard Dave refer to the "family altar" but what exactly does he mean when he says that? The next few episodes will explain exactly what he means!

In this episode, you heard Dave and Bethlie reference a past episode on Deuteronomy 6.

Here is the link to part 1 of that 7 episode series.

Here are the notes from today's episode.

The Family Altar

1. What is a family altar?
   1. The family altar refers to the way a Christian family regularly prays together.
      1. It is different than grace at a table.
      2. It is a daily time that frequently includes Scripture combined with prayers
   2. The family altar is:
      1. A family altar is a designated space or time in a home dedicated to religious or spiritual practices, often involving prayer, worship, and study of sacred texts. It serves as a focal point for family devotions, fostering a sense of unity, spiritual growth, and connection to faith. The specific elements and practices associated with a family altar can vary greatly depending on the family's religious or spiritual tradition.
      2. An “on purpose way” for a family to regularly learn spiritual truth and traditions
      3. The family altar — a designated time and place at home where the family comes together to pray, worship and experience the living God — is like a firewall against Satan’s schemes. Show me a family altar, and I will show you an atmosphere of faith and a house where God’s presence resides.-Samuel Rodriquez, Influence Magazine

The term “family altar” speaks to a time when the leader of the home gathers the family together to focus on God.

• For some families, that may mean once a week. It could be Sunday evening as the family prepares for another week.
• It could be Saturday evening as they family prepares their heart for worship with their church the next morning.
• Other families might practice it everyday at the breakfast table or at nighttime prayers.

Why is the family altar important? God says so – that’s why! Here are just a few of the examples of God’s stance on the family altar:

1. Abraham was told to teach his children so that following generations would know the Lord (Gen. 18:19).
2. Moses taught that parents were to teach their children to love the Lord all throughout the day (Deut. 6:7).
3. The psalmist taught the necessity of God’s people declaring God’s greatness to the next generations (Ps. 78:3-7).
4. Solomon taught that if you trained a child in the Lord, they would not depart from that way (Prov. 22:6).
5. Fathers were instructed to teach children in the instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).

Why should we have one?

1. 1. It builds unity in a family
   2. It teaches Bible truths systematically to our children
   3. It makes a statement that our faith is real and valid
   4. It focuses our attention on our God
   5. It helps to foster peace in the home
   6. It is a way to influence our children on a daily basis
   7. It provides a way for us to obey the Scriptures regarding our family

Links:

Want to hear Pastor Dave Young preach?

Westwood Baptist Church

Westwood Baptist Church Podcast

We conclude this series this week with Part 3. To make it easier for you to remember the outline for the last two weeks we've included all three weeks below.

Part 1

1. It is hard.
   1. Life is busy all by itself, but caring for aging parents doubles or triples the load.
   2. Some parents are pretty much on their own all the way through life, but others need lots of help and care.
2. As much as possible, plan ahead before care is needed.
   1. Talk with all the family who is involved or who will be.
   2. If possible, purchase insurance plans that will help.
      1. Perhaps pay for them as a family.
      2. Secure wills and power of attorneys and bank accounts and all that while it can be done easily.
   3. Have a plan as to who is in charge and who will help and how it will be done.
3. Be prepared for misunderstanding and difficult responses
   1. Remember truth when accusations are made
   2. Remember truth when challenges occur

Part 2

1. It needs to be a WE affair and not a ME affair
   1. Get everyone involved
      1. Brothers and sisters
         1. Typically best to give someone power of attorney
         2. Typically best to give someone the power of the money
      2. Aunts and uncles
         1. They can spend nights
         2. They can transport to appointments
      3. Sons and daughters
         1. If you parents live with you, the kids can help with them
      4. Spouse
         1. Communicate
         2. Prioritize
            1. On both sides
               1. The one who is care-giving needs love and understanding as they give to their parent
               2. The one who is married to the care-giver needs the same as they give to their spouse
   2. Everyone should get involved
      1. One person likely cannot do it by themselves
      2. Each person must shoulder some responsibility
2. Make it a practical matter
   1. Prepare wisely
      1. Think ahead while the decision is easy
      2. Decide ahead of time as many things as possible
         1. Have a will
         2. Have a living will
         3. Have all information and important papers located and available
   2. Plan carefully
      1. Sit down with as many people as possible to make a plan
      2. Someone should be designated as the one who “takes-charge”
   3. Talk continually
      1. Keep everyone in the loop
      2. Keep everyone organized
      3. Perhaps use a group text morning and evening

Part 3

4. Schedule specific responsibilities

1. 1. 1. Living arrangements
      2. Driving arrangements
         1. Appointments
         2. Events
      3. Financial arrangements
2. Know your limitations
   1. Some things can be done
   2. Some things cannot be done
   3. Some times you need a break
      1. Never allow yourself to feel guilty for taking a break when it is needed
3. Some questions
   1. How do you handle difficult parents?
      1. Do the right thing
         1. The right thing is to keep caring
         2. The right thing may be to allow someone else to do the caring
      2. Do the hard thing
         1. You may have to choose a nursing home
         2. You many have to choose assisted living
      3. Allow someone to have veto power over your decisions?
         1. By that I mean limited veto power
            1. Limited by time (they can override for a set amount of time)
   2. How do you handle parents with whom you have little or no relationship?
      1. Prayerfully
         1. Pray about it
         2. Seek counsel as you pray
      2. Wisely
         1. If you have no relationship, you do not have to carry the burden of responsibility
         2. If you have a damaged relationship, seek to make things right
         3. If you cannot make things right, you may need to allow others to serve as the care-giver and you serve as a helper . . .

Part 2

Caring for aging parents is hard! Dave and Bethlie discuss practical ways you navigate these difficult times. If you are in this season, or will be in this season, we trust this content will be a help. If you know of someone who could use this, please share it.

4. It needs to be a WE affair and not a ME affair

1. 1. Get everyone involved
      1. Brothers and sisters a
      2. Aunts and uncles
      3. Sons and daughters
      4. Spouse
   2. Everyone get involved
      1. One person likely cannot do it by themselves
      2. Each person must shoulder some responsibility

5. Make it a practical matter

1. 1. 1. 1. Prepare wisely
         2. Plan carefully
         3. Talk continually
            1. Keep everyone in the loop
            2. Keep everyone organized
         4. Schedule specific responsibilities
            1. Living arrangements
            2. Driving arrangements
               1. Appointments
               2. Events

Links:

Want to hear Pastor Dave Young preach?

Westwood Baptist Church

Westwood Baptist Church Podcast

Caring for aging parents is hard! Dave and Bethlie discuss practical ways you navigate these difficult times. If you are in this season, or will be in this season, we trust this content will be a help. If you know of someone who could use this, please share it. \

Caring for Aging Parents

1. It is hard.
   1. Life is busy all by itself, but caring for aging parents doubles or triples the load.
   2. Some parents are pretty much on their own all the way through life, but others need lots of help and care.
2. As much as possible, plan ahead before care is needed.
   1. Talk with all the family who is involved or who will be.
   2. If possible, purchase insurance plans that will help.
      1. Perhaps pay for them as a family.
      2. Secure wills and power of attorneys and bank accounts and all that while it can be done easily.
   3. Have a plan as to who is in charge and who will help and how it will be done.
3. Be prepared for misunderstanding and difficult responses
   1. Remember truth when accusations are made
   2. Remember truth when challenges occurC
4. It needs to be a WE affair and not a ME affair
   1. Get everyone involved
      1. Brothers and sisters
      2. Aunts and uncles
      3. Sons and daughters
      4. Spouse
   2. Everyone get involved
      1. One person likely cannot do it by themselves
      2. Each person must shoulder some responsibility

Links:

Want to hear Pastor Dave Young preach?

Westwood Baptist Church

Westwood Baptist Church Podcast

Join Dave and Bethlie as they discuss medication and the role it plays in their home.

• Try exercise
• Try counsel
• Try meditation
• Try lifestyle changes
• Try prayer
• Try family changes
• Try training
• Try spanking
  • Spanking is a simple method of amplifying the consequences of negative behavior at a time when the negative behavior is not as BIG of a deal

If you choose to use medication, use them sparingly

Small doses

Short time, not a lifetime

Aware of all the side effects

Do much research

• Billion dollar industries produce modern meds
• Then subsidize doctors and pharmacys and clinics who prescribe them
• It is a FOR profit business
• Your health is your responsibility.

Want to hear Pastor Dave Young preach?

Westwood Baptist Church

Westwood Baptist Church Podcast