Raising Godly Girls

What does "civic duty" actually mean—and would your girl know how to answer if you asked her? In a culture where words like citizenship, responsibility, leadership, and service can feel increasingly distant from everyday life, Christian parents have an important opportunity to help their daughters understand what it means to faithfully steward the place God has given them. 

On today's Raising Godly Girls Podcast, Rachael Culpepper and Melissa Bearden unpack the difference between civic duty and civic responsibility and explore why both matter when raising girls with a Biblical Worldview. From obeying the laws of the land to voluntarily stepping into leadership and service, Rachael and Melissa help parents connect everyday citizenship with a deeper calling to seek the good of their communities. And as Veterans Day approaches, they consider how honoring those who have served can become a practical lesson in sacrifice, responsibility, and love of neighbor. 

You'll also hear a Raising Godly Girls Minute from AHG Founder & Executive Director Emeritus Patti Garibay on respecting veterans—and the powerful question every parent should be ready to answer: "What do we do now, Mom?" Rather than stopping at gratitude, families can turn that gratitude into action by attending Veterans Day events, participating in flag ceremonies, serving veterans, listening to their stories, praying for veterans and their families, and looking for meaningful ways to serve within their own communities. 

But civic responsibility requires more than knowing how to be a good citizen. Rachael and Melissa talk about helping girls understand the purpose of laws and government, the importance of civic literacy, and the Biblical tension that arises when human laws conflict with God's Word. They also explore what it looks like to prepare a girl for the sacrifice, courage, training, and perseverance that leadership requires. Whether God calls her to military service, public leadership, community service, or simply faithful citizenship in her everyday life, your girl can learn that leadership is not about gaining power or a platform—it's about following God's lead and serving others well. 

Raising Godly girls means preparing them not only to know where they live, but to understand how they can faithfully serve where God has placed them. This week, help your daughter see citizenship through a Biblical Worldview—and begin building the courage, wisdom, responsibility, and willing heart she'll need to lead well. 

 

Two Things to Remember: 

It's good to obey the law of the land, but connect your girl's identity as a Christ-follower to why we are called to live responsibly as citizens. 


If your girl steps into leadership—or even military service—build her courage and faith, because leadership involves risk and sacrifice. God can use a willing life to bless others. 


 


Scriptures Referenced: 

Jeremiah 29:7 


John 15:13 


 

Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.  

Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.

What does your girl see when she sees someone in military uniform? A stranger? A hero? Someone to thank? Or perhaps an opportunity to understand what it means to serve, sacrifice, and lead? 

With Veterans Day approaching, Rachael Culpepper and Melissa Bearden are taking a closer look at the important place veterans hold in our communities—and how Christian parents can help their girls develop a heart of reverence and respect for those who have served. From learning about the six branches of the United States Military to understanding the sacrifices made by servicemen, women, and their families, this conversation gives parents practical ways to help girls recognize the courage and commitment behind the uniform. 

But honoring veterans is about more than saying, "Thank you for serving." Rachael and Melissa explore what a Biblical Worldview teaches us about military service, peace, protection, citizenship, and leadership. As parents, we can help our girls understand that while war was never part of God's original design, sin means conflict is a reality—and God calls His people to serve faithfully wherever He places them. Girls can learn to appreciate the courage required to protect others while also developing wisdom about what it means to follow and honor leadership. 

The conversation also moves beyond the uniform. Veterans continue serving in churches, workplaces, neighborhoods, and families, bringing valuable leadership, discipline, teamwork, and a deep understanding of service into their communities. Through everyday encounters with veterans, participation in parades and ceremonies, family stories, and intentional prayer, parents can teach their daughters to recognize sacrifice and respond with gratitude. 

This Veterans Day, invite your girl into a deeper understanding of what it means to honor those who have served. Help her understand the calling, respect the sacrifice, and follow wise leadership with a willing heart. Because raising Godly girls includes teaching them not only to love their country, but to steward their citizenship with courage, wisdom, gratitude, and a heart surrendered to God. 

 

Three Things to Remember: 

Help your girl understand a military serviceman or woman's calling to defend the nation against enemies foreign and domestic. 


Give honor to each veteran for their unique sacrifice. 


Respect and follow wise veteran leadership with a willing heart. 



 

Scriptures Referenced" 

Joshua 1:9 


Romans 12:10 


 

Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.  

Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.

In today's digital world, conversations about pornography, sexual integrity, and healthy relationships can feel overwhelming for parents—but avoiding them isn't an option. As girls encounter increasingly sexualized messages through social media, entertainment, advertising, and online culture, they need parents who are prepared to respond with both Biblical truth and Christ-centered grace. 

In this episode of Raising Godly Girls, AHG Founder & Executive Director Emeritus Patti Garibay welcomes author, speaker, and homeschooling mom Greta Eskridge for an honest, hope-filled conversation about equipping girls to navigate a hypersexualized culture. Drawing from her years of ministry and the heart behind her book It's Time to Talk to Your Kids About Porn, Greta offers practical wisdom for helping families build a foundation of sexual integrity rooted in God's design rather than fear or shame. 

Together, Patti and Greta discuss how pornography and sexualized media shape a girl's understanding of identity, beauty, relationships, and self-worth. They explore why these conversations should begin earlier than many parents expect, how to establish healthy technology boundaries, and how the Gospel offers lasting hope and healing for girls who have already been exposed to explicit content. Greta also closes the conversation by praying a beautiful prayer of courage and hope over parents navigating these important discussions. 

No parent will have every answer, but God faithfully equips mothers and fathers to shepherd their daughters with wisdom, compassion, and truth. This encouraging conversation will remind you that protecting your girl's heart isn't simply about guarding against harmful influences—it's about pointing her toward the freedom, healing, and abundant life found in Jesus Christ. 

 

Scriptures Referenced in this Episode: 

Psalm 119:9-11 


Philippians 4:8 


Romans 12:1-2 



1 Corinthians 6:18-20 


1 John 1:9 


 

To read Greta's new book, listen to her podcast, and learn more about her work, simply visit gretaeskridge.com 

Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.      

Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.

Pornography isn't just a boys' issue anymore—and Christian parents need wisdom, discernment, and courage to talk about it with their daughters. 

In this episode of the Raising Godly Girls Podcast, Rachael Culpepper and Melissa Bearden continue the conversation surrounding pornography and sexually explicit content, taking a closer look at how girls are increasingly encountering and engaging with explicit material. With technology placing this content closer than ever through phones, streaming platforms, gaming, and social media, how can parents respond without allowing fear to take the lead? 

The conversation begins with a powerful reminder: our girls need parents who are aware, but not afraid. When explicit content enters a girl's world, curiosity and shame can quickly collide. That's why creating an ongoing culture of trust and openness matters so much. Rather than waiting for a crisis, parents can establish themselves as safe people their daughters can come to when—not if—they encounter something harmful. 

Rachael and Melissa also explore the difference between parenting as a "prison warden" and parenting as a shepherd. Parents cannot control every influence their daughters will encounter, but they can guide, equip, pray, and continually point their girls back to their identity in Christ. Instead of beginning with shame or behavior modification, this conversation encourages parents to begin with God's design for their daughter's body, relationships, heart, and identity. 

You'll also hear a Raising Godly Girls Minute from Patti Garibay on the realities of pornography exposure, along with practical encouragement for Christian parents seeking to cultivate healthy conversations about sexuality. Plus, discover resources from American Heritage Girls and trusted ministry organizations designed to help parents disciple girls toward truth, wisdom, and integrity. 

This is a difficult conversation—but Christian parents don't have to approach it alone or live in fear. With the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, the truth of God's Word, and confidence in Christ's redemptive power, we can shepherd our girls with both courage and grace. 

 

Two Things to Consider: 

Pornography is a big topic, so approach under God's design for your girl guided by His Word, the Bible. Begin with her identity in Christ before you address behaviors. 


Fear tricks parents into thinking we have to control everything. But God wants us to move as a shepherd not a prison warden. A shepherd is aware of the danger but not afraid. A shepherd guides, equips, and empowers. 



 

Scriptures Referenced: 

1 Corinthians 6:18–20  


Proverbs 4:23 


 

Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools. 

Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.

Halloween may be filled with costumes, candy, and spooky decorations, but there are some very real dangers parents need to be talking about long after October 31. In this episode of Raising Godly Girls, Rachael Culpepper and Melissa Bearden take a candid look at pornography and explicit content—and the ways girls can encounter it through smartphones, tablets, social media, entertainment, literature, and even the family television. 

For Christian parents, the answer cannot be fear, shame, or simply hoping their daughters never encounter inappropriate content. Rachael and Melissa encourage parents to approach this difficult subject with Biblical discernment, courage, and compassion. God's design for girls, their bodies, relationships, and sexuality does not change simply because culture becomes more accepting of explicit content. At the same time, parents need to create homes where girls know they can bring difficult experiences into the light without fearing rejection or condemnation. 

The conversation gets especially practical as Rachael and Melissa discuss what parents can do when a girl is accidentally exposed to pornography or explicit material. Rather than allowing shame to drive a girl into secrecy, parents can establish clear expectations, encourage girls to tell a trusted adult, use appropriate technology boundaries, and have ongoing age-appropriate conversations about what they are seeing and hearing. The goal isn't to raise girls who are frightened by the darkness, but girls who are grounded enough in God's truth to recognize it and know where to turn. 

This episode also offers hope for families who have already encountered pornography or explicit content—including parents carrying their own history or testimony. Truth and grace belong together. Parents can address sin honestly while reminding their daughters that what they encounter does not define them, shame does not have the final word, and God's grace makes redemption and restoration possible. As Rachael and Melissa remind listeners, silence can be mistaken for acceptance, so Christian parents need the courage to engage these conversations and continually point their girls back to the Lord's good design. 

 

Two Things to Remember: 

Holding to the Lord and His design might make you out of sync with cultural trends, but God's desire is truly for your girl's deepest good in Him. 


A hands-off approach to culture, trends, and entertainment is no longer an option. Have courage to directly address explicit content your girl sees, always leading her back to the Lord's design and His heart rather than simply planting fear in her mind. 


 


Scriptures Referenced: 

Psalm 19:8 


Psalm 51:10 


James 1:17 


Matthew 19:1–9 


 

Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.       

Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.