Military Kids – Navigating Parenting with Purpose

Martin Crew 2025

Parenting from Core Values & Cultivating a Home Culture of Service and Emotional Intelligence

I once found myself hiding in the laundry room. I shut the sliding doors, hoping not to be found—but deep down, I desperately wanted to be. I was depleted: emotionally, physically, spiritually. At the time, I was doing full-time ministry, raising four kids, and navigating the never-ending rhythm of deployment cycles—every six months. Add in the expectations and unpredictability of military life, and I was hanging by a thread.

I didn’t want my kids to know I was hurting. I didn’t want them to see me as tired or weak. I couldn’t imagine what it would mean for them to see me broken. But I was. If I’m being completely honest, I hit my max one day. My bedroom door was locked, and in desperation, I kicked it down.

Years later, my oldest son—now 14 or 15—laughed as he retold the story. But in his retelling, I heard the truth: he was scared. Possibly even scared of me.

That moment wrecked me. My emotions were in overdrive. The weight of pushing aside trauma and trying to carry the emotional burden of everyone else had left me empty. What felt crazy was that I was leading ministry at the time. How could God call me to lead and serve children, women, and families—when I was barely holding it together?

Maybe you’re judging me a little. I wouldn’t blame you. It seems contradictory—living as God has called us to, while having moments where it feels like we’re losing it. But God was still working.

When I shared that moment with a wise friend, she asked something that changed me forever.

“Why did you think God was only in your room?”

I told her, “That’s my safe space. That’s where I meet Him. I needed to get there.”

And she gently asked, “What would have been the impact on your kids if, instead of kicking down the door, you had dropped to your knees outside of it?”

That question shifted everything.

Because the truth is—yes, we need to run to God in prayer. But what if our greatest teaching moments happen when we invite our kids into the same space we invite the Holy Spirit? Especially when emotions are high and hearts are fragile?

That day, I learned that emotional intelligence and spiritual attunement aren’t separate. They’re deeply connected.

Home Culture Rooted in the Spirit

We’re building something far more powerful than just routine or rules—we’re building home cultures rooted in the Spirit. Our values don’t just show up in what we say, but in how we respond, how we recover, and how we reconnect.

Our family values are clear: faith, family, freedom, service, honesty, and commitment. But those values have to be lived—not just declared.

Curt Thompson, in The Soul of Desire, reminds us that when we deny or avoid our emotions, we actually restrict the Holy Spirit from doing deep, transformative work within us. Galatians 5 reminds us that the fruits of the Spirit—love, gentleness, self-control—aren’t just personality traits, they’re supernatural outcomes of a life surrendered.

When we choose to self-medicate or suppress, we are unknowingly choosing to be led by the flesh instead of the Spirit. Just like Paul warned.

The Mind of Christ, Even in Chaos

1 Corinthians 2:10–12 reminds us that we have access to the thoughts of God through the Spirit. Jesus Himself modeled this in Matthew 4—when the Spirit led Him into the desert. The enemy tempted Him with shortcuts, instant gratification, and applause. And yet, Jesus chose attunement with the Father over temporary relief.

We’re offered that same choice as parents. The moment of pause. The breath before reaction.

The intentional choice to let our children see us turn to the Spirit with them, not just in private.

A Simple Practice: Becoming Attuned Together

This month, try this with your family:

• Choose one fruit of the Spirit each week. Talk about it. Pray over it.

• Invite your children into a shared moment of reflection each day.

• When emotions rise—pause. Invite the Spirit. Out loud. Let them witness it.

Try a grounding moment like this:

• Put your hand over your chest.

• Take a breath and ask, Where am I feeling this emotion?

• Say, Holy Spirit, come into this place within me.

• Visualize a word like peace or patience wrapping around you.

These small shifts model emotional intelligence and spiritual dependence in real time.

Being Known by Christ—and Letting Our Kids Know Us

Being known is not about having it all together. It’s about continual invitation—letting Christ search the deepest places of our hearts, and then showing up authentically in our relationships.

When our children see us be known by God, they feel safe to be known by us. That’s how we build trust. That’s how we raise emotionally aware, spiritually rooted children—even in the midst of military life.

They laugh now at the old stories. And I laugh too. But I also remind them: I wish I had known then what I know now—that the Holy Spirit is not reserved for the quiet places alone. He is an ever-present help in every moment, and He longs to be invited in, even in our parenting chaos.

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Let your home be a sanctuary of service, surrender, and spiritual attunement. Not because you have to be perfect—but because you are willing to be present.

Written by

Emma Martin

As we step into April, we’re embracing the theme “Story Time with Purpose” as part of Month of the Military Child and Purple Up! Day celebrations. Our mission this month is all about honoring the resilience, emotions, and strength of our military children.

Here’s how we’re leading with heart this month:

Upcoming Virtual Story Time Events:

• April 21 @ 11 AM EST – My Motto Daddy with Vianca Vazquez

• April 22 @ 11 AM EST – Never Goodbye. Always See You Later. with Valerie McNulty

These two special sessions help open conversations between kids and their military parents around healing, separation, and connection.

Team Opportunities:

• Join in as a co-host or support the chat during the live events

• Share the RSVP link with your networks: https://www.fullrangefoundation.com/event

• Wear purple on April 15 for Purple Up! Day and tag us online!

Let’s continue showing up for our military families with compassion and purpose.

With gratitude,