No parent wants to admit that their child-even their well-educated, well-grounded, Christian child-could be having consensual sex before graduating middle school. Promise rings, parental contracts and disease warnings provide but meager defense against a culture overrun with weapons of mass seduction. While many factors contributing to the misguided messages received by children stand outside the realm of parental control-music videos, film, fashion-others, like the meaning of true love, can, and should be fostered at home. Eric and Leslie Ludy, authors of the bestselling When God Writes Your Love Story, present the shocking, unvarnished realities of today's sexual climate but they balance the bitter pill with a large dose of hopeful, practical advice for parents.

After more than two decades and over two thousand presentations, my interactions with parents reveal that although most want to learn and parent their best, they feel ill-equipped. Kids don’t come with manuals. The goal of this book is to equip and empower you as a parent, grandparent, or youth leader to help kids navigate all aspects of life in the current culture. How do we sift through the unending philosophies on parenting and be intentional in how we choose what’s best for our family? The number of voices is overwhelming. This book distills the essential elements of parenting so you can apply them in your own home. It approaches parenting from a Christian perspective and is filled with practical advice that is applicable to everyone. As we explore the foundations of parenting, we will look at: Parenting. What are the stages of parenting? What is the current state of parenting? What is the purpose of parenting? Parenting styles. What are they and which ones should I be using? What might I need to alter about my current parenting style? Progression of parenting. What are the skills our children need to learn? Time. What does quality time and being present with my kids look like? Communication. How can I gain better communication skills so that I can more effectively connect with my kids? Discipline. How do I effectively discipline my children? Family discipleship. Why is our worldview important, and how we can raise kids with a Christian worldview? Mental Health. How do we address issues like anxiety, panic attacks, and depression? Engaging the Culture. How do we empower our kids to engage the culture around us without compromising their faith? Media. How can we help our kids navigate technology? Sexuality. How do we direct our kids towards healthy sexuality? Pornography. What is the prevalence of pornography and how do we address its impact on our kids? Dating. How do we best avoid pitfalls in dating? Finances and education. How can we help our children make sound financial and education choices? Drugs and alcohol. What tools are available to assist in drug-proofing our kids? Loneliness. How do we prevent disconnection in our kids and help them to create community?

Experience the Fulfillment of your Feminine Dreams In a world that mocks our desire for a fairy tale, do we dare long for more? Leslie Ludy offers hope to every young woman who wonders if lasting love can ever be found. In this companion guide to Authentic Beauty, Leslie gives you the opportunity to talk, write, and think through what it means to find unshakable fulfillment in a daily romance with Christ. Whether you are reading on your own or with a group, this 12-part guide will point you to Jesus Christ - the heroic Prince you have always dreamed of — and enable you to fall in love with Him like never before. Discover what it means to become fully set-apart for Christ, and experience the only true answer to the deepest longings of your feminine heart.

Inside Every Young Woman is a Princess…In Search of her Prince In a culture that mocks our longing for tender romance, in a world where fairy tales never seem to come true — do we dare hope for more? For every young woman asking that question, this book is an invitation. With refreshing candor and vulnerability, bestselling author Leslie Ludy reveals how, starting today, you can experience the passion and intimacy you long for. You can begin a never-ending love story with your true Prince. Discover the authentic beauty of a life fully set-apart for Him. Experience a romance that will transform every part of your existence and fulfill the deepest longings of your feminine heart.

Is violence on the streets caused by violence in video games? Does cyber-bullying lead to an increase in suicide rates? Are teens promiscuous because of Teen Mom? As Karen Sternheimer clearly demonstrates, popular culture is an easy scapegoat for many of society's problems, but it is almost always the wrong answer. Now in its second edition, Connecting Social Problems and Popular Culture goes beyond the news-grabbing headlines claiming that popular culture is public enemy number one to consider what really causes the social problems we are most concerned about. The sobering fact is that a "media made them do it" explanation fails to illuminate the roots of social problems like poverty, violence, and environmental degradation. Sternheimer's analysis deftly illustrates how welfare "reform," a two-tiered health care system, and other difficult systemic issues have far more to do with our contemporary social problems than Grand Theft Auto or Facebook. The fully-revised new edition features recent moral panics (think sexting and cyberbullying) and an entirely new chapter exploring social media. Expanded discussion of how we understand society's problems as social constructions without disregarding empirical evidence, as well as the cultural and structural issues underlying those ills, allows students to stretch their sociological imaginations.

Virtue-Based Christianity is intended to help Christians transition from a spiritual life rooted in prohibition and fear to the experience of full freedom in Christ founded in a functional and daily relationship with their Creator. This book anchors itself in 2 Peter 1:5-8 as a window into the character of God and assists Christians in embodying these virtues as part of the maturation process.

"Some of this material has been previously published at setapartgirl.com and in Set Apart Girl magazine."--Title page verso.