Watch the "Chaos to Calm" Premiere NOW!

Find out how to move from chaos to calm when it comes to family schedules - watch the premiere of my new parenting series, Chaos to Calm, NOW!

Episode One, "The Chaos of Family Scheduling," is available to watch by clicking HERE:

https://youtu.be/pkGt2ntyzfc

Special thanks to Ike Welsh, Beth Briar, the HomeTowne TV team, my sponsor Central Presbyterian Church in Summit, NJ, and the many others who contributed to this episode. Want a chance to contribute as well? Watch and find out how your children could be ON AIR!

Stay tuned for a the next episode on school social problems next month! Finally, if you loved this episode, please SHARE IT!

Peace Amidst Hectic Schedules!

As fall schedules start up, tensions can reeve up! I’ve been thinking a lot about our often hectic lives. Maybe you resonate with these sentiments:

• With people coming and going all of the time, my house feels like a hotel – but I want to be building a home!
• I spend the majority of my time in the car. I feel more like a chauffeur than a parent!
• Afterschool/Afterwork is the most stressful part of my day! It’s a race to fit in activities, meals, and homework before bedtime. I want to actually ENJOY time with my children!

These sentiments were not hard for me to write as a mom of two, because it’s so easy to engage in the rush around us! But at some point I have to wonder if culture’s pace is actually hurting the very families we are working so hard to build. Quality family time that’s lost cannot be relived. Young children who know the weight of panic and stress have lost a certain innocence. And parents who tirelessly give out of a depleting well of energy aren’t doing themselves or their family any long-term favors.

When culture’s drum beats faster, we have the benefit of marching to a different rhythm as Christians. Scripture reminds us that a harried life isn’t a fulfilling one. It challenges us to recognize the cost of keeping up with the crowd. And it empowers us to make wiser choices that can bring true happiness and no regrets.

I’m convinced God is inviting us off of the mass hamster wheel of culture and into unique, fulfilling lives of purpose. Will you join me in exploring how?

This Sunday, I’ll be preaching at the WAVE 5 pm service at Central Presbyterian Church in Summit, NJ. My topic is “Peace Amidst Hectic Schedules.” This message is for everyone – families with children, empty nesters, or individuals seeking richer peace in general.

On Tuesday, my new parenting TV series, “Chaos to Calm with Noelle Kirchner,” will air on HomeTowne TV at 9 pm. This series focuses on how we can transform all too familiar family chaos moments into calm through faith. Appropriately, my first topic is “The Chaos of Family Scheduling!” Tune in for laughs, pictures, insights, and interviews with two special guests. HomeTowne broadcasts through the Comcast (36) and Verizon (33) stations in New Jersey; for additional viewing information, click here.

Friends, I need these messages just as much as anyone. But what a gift to not only benefit from God’s wisdom, but experience it together! I hope you’ll be a part of these opportunities.

This post appears also on Central Church's blog this week!

Chaos to Calm: My New TV Series!

In less than three short weeks, my first TV show will air! I am writing and hosting a new parenting series called "Chaos to Calm with Noelle Kirchner." It will focus on how we can transform those everyday moments of family chaos into calm through faith. The first episode is about a particularly relevant topic this time of year: The CHAOS of family scheduling!

I remember when my children were little and still napped, and I would sometimes plan an afternoon playdate or enrichment activity to break up the day. Inevitably, naps would run late on those days. I found myself waking up sleepy kids who'd start crying, complaining, or even screaming. My whole body would tense up. As I found myself strapping them into the car, it didn't take me long to have an "Ah-Ha!" moment. This activity was supposed to be fun and enriching, but it's torture for everyone! WHAT AM I DOING THIS FOR?

By extension, what are we doing the crazy schedules we live today for? I'm going to examine the cost of culture's rapid-fire lifestyle on our families. I'm also going to explore how faith can empower us to make different, more enriching choices.

My first guest, Beth Briar, is a mom of two grown children who will share her own chaos story and some wisdom in retrospect. My second guest, Ike Welsh, is a Summit Middle School teacher and baseball coach. He will share his insights into the lives of our children and describe the changes those observations have encouraged him to make at home in light of his faith.

I am reminded of scripture's question, "Why do you labor for that which does not satisfy?" (Isaiah 55:2). Does that describe how you are feeling right now? Are you working yourself to exhaustion as a parent but still feeling empty? We can protect our families and ourselves from the mounting stress levels and commitments of our culture. We can move from "Chaos to Calm!"

Here's the info you need to TUNE IN! The show will air on October 25th at 9 PM EST on Hometowne Television network, reaching over 600,000 homes in NJ through the Comcast (36) and Verizon (33) stations. It will also be available on demand at:  www.noellekirchner.com or www.hometownetv.org. I'll be recording a new show for each month of the school year; eight episodes will air, each with a different theme. Check my blog monthly for these themes and new episode air times. Following an episode’s first airing, additional show times will be Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 9:30 am, Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons at 3 pm, and Sunday evenings at 7 and 9:30 pm. All times are EST.

Here's the info you need to PARTICIPATE! I am creating a new "Chaos to Calm" parenting community through the show. I am asking you to share your chaos and calm family moments by posting your pictures either via Facebook or Twitter. Be sure to use the hashtag #ChaostoCalm! Your pictures will automatically be registered for a chance to be ON AIR! 

THANK YOU for your support, and I can't wait to share in this TV journey with you! So many wonderful people are helping make this show possible. Check out a picture of the set below!