x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

A Time to Sharpen

Axel Liimatta & Brandon Maxwell

A bi-weekly podcast that examines how working with teenagers can make us better versions of ourselves: better teachers, better counselors, better parents…better people. Join two of Whetstone Boys Ranch"s co-founders, Axel Liimatta and Brandon Maxwell, as they discuss what twenty years of serving struggling teenagers and their families has taught them about how to address the most challenging of behaviors. You"ll find answers without dogma, encouragement without false hope, and sharpening without

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

00:41:04

Personal Care

A Time to Sharpen ·

2025/12/23

Podcast

en-us

00:49:40

Money

A Time to Sharpen ·

2025/12/05

Fund-Raising

en-us

00:52:38

Spiritual Life

A Time to Sharpen ·

2025/11/20

Spiritual Life

en-us

00:42:01

Girls

A Time to Sharpen ·

2025/10/26

Running a boys ranch means we spend a lot of time talking about manhood—but you can’t really understand boys without talking about girls.God made us different on purpose. Not to compete but to complement. Because becoming a man isn’t just about how you carry yourself—it’s about how you treat the people God made different from you.Join us this week on A Time to Sharpen as we talk about “Girls.”

en-us

00:43:59

Light's Out

A Time to Sharpen ·

2025/10/15

When most of the world goes to sleep, life at Whetstone keeps rolling. The lights may be out, but the work doesn’t stop. Boys still need care. Emergencies can happen. And someone has to keep diligent watch.Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on what happens after dark at Whetstone Boys Ranch — the overnight coverage that makes 24/7 care possible. We’ll talk about what those shifts actually look like, how staff remain alert, and the unique communication challenges that come with working when

en-us

00:44:03

The Whetstone Overnite Guy

A Time to Sharpen ·

2025/10/11

While most people are sleeping, the Whetstone overnite guys are busy keeping an eye on the sleeping residents, making sure they are safe and sleeping sound. Mr. Curtis Kazimir is one of those overnite guys that has been with the ranch for a little over two years. Here his story, and how and why it is so important to the parents and the boys, that there is around-the-clock supervision and care of the boys in both houses.

en-us

00:44:42

Bumps & Bruises

A Time to Sharpen ·

2025/09/17

Bumps, bruises, and bug bites—it’s all part of growing up in the Ozarks. Around here, ‘rub some dirt on it’ isn’t just advice, it’s practically a lifestyle. Of course, we’re also First Aid certified, so don’t worry—more serious injuries are treated with more than just duct tape.At Whetstone, we take safety seriously. All adventures come with precautions and protocols. In the woodshop and on the landscaping crew, it’s eye protection, ear protection, boots, and gloves. Out on the trail or in the cold,

en-us

01:33:41

Harvard-Bound

A Time to Sharpen ·

2025/08/20

It’s not everyday that a former student of yours says that he’s been accepted to Harvard Law School - or every year...or every lifetime! But recently, Whetstone was honored by the news that one of its graduates has done just that.Join us this week on A Time to Sharpen for an in-depth discussion with our friend and colleague, Kiernan the Wise. That’s not his actual name, but after listening to this podcast, I think you’ll agree that the moniker fits. By God’s grace, Kiernan was able to turn things

en-us

00:41:08

Sleep Matters

A Time to Sharpen ·

2025/07/31

Sleep is the secret weapon most of us are too tired to use. We hustle, grind, and caffeinate our way through exhaustion, ignoring the one thing our minds and bodies need most. In this episode of A Time to Sharpen, we explore why sleep isn’t a luxury—it’s a lifeline. From better mood and focus to healing trauma and building resilience, quality sleep plays a vital role in personal growth, especially for the boys at Whetstone. Whether you're a parent, educator, or just running on fumes, this

en-us

00:48:50

Neurodivergence

A Time to Sharpen ·

2025/07/14

We all think differently. But some of us think more differently than others…if that makes sense. Maybe it doesn’t. I don’t know. Which is why we invited Jonathan Page to talk with us about the very important, complex,, and sometimes uncomfortable topic of neurodivergence in our society and at Whetstone. From Autism to Tourette’s, to OCD and ADHD, we’ve seen it all in the 14 years and 150+ residents we’ve served since 2011. Mr. Page, which is what the boys call him, has learned the hard way about

en-us

00:51:02

Growing Pains

A Time to Sharpen ·

2025/06/13

Some of us are old enough to remember when Kirk Cameron was a teenage heartthrob and the star of an 80’s family sitcom called “Growing Pains.” This show was also notable for its catchy theme song and for the fact that it starred his TV father, played by Alan Thicke…who is the real-life father of Robin Thicke, the famous singer, producer, and now judge on The Masked Singer. None of this has anything to do with the topic of today’s podcast, except for the fact that it shares the same name and that

en-us

00:50:03

Marriage

A Time to Sharpen ·

2025/05/15

It’s impossible to overestimate the importance of marriage. Sure, some marriages fail, some are toxic, and some are even deadly. Still, there is nothing that has the power to build a person, a church, a community, or a nation like healthy marriages. Thing is, they take work. Lots of hard work, on both sides. A lifetime of hard work buy two people growing closer to each other as they focus on growing closer to God. Join us this week on A Time to Sharpen as we discuss how to stay married. It might be

en-us

00:40:45

Sick & Tired

A Time to Sharpen ·

2025/04/23

Flu season is almost over, but if you hurry, there’s just enough to catch the seasonal bug if you want. You have until the end of May, in case you're interested. There’s really a lot to be said for being sick. It forces you to slow down. It teaches you how to be sympathetic towards others when you’re well. It jump starts your body’s immune system, which needs a good workout every once in a while. Of course, there are a lot of downsides as well. There are the obvious physical aches and pains, but

en-us

00:57:46

Childhood Bullying Pt. 2

A Time to Sharpen ·

2025/03/29

In part two of this special podcast dealing with school bullying, Axel, Brandon and Thomas share thoughts about the bullying problem, along with some simple, proven effective ways to address childhood bullying and some ideas about what could work as well.

en-us

00:58:09

Childhood Bullying

A Time to Sharpen ·

2025/03/08

Whetstone's Thomas Brown joins Brandon and Axel for the first of a two-part series on the subject of childhood bullying. Once a victim of terrible bullying, Thomas emerged as a three-decades filmmaker, educator, national speaker and consultant on a subject he knows all-too-well. Despite a frightening childhood filled with physical torment and ridicule, Thomas ultimately forgave his tormentors and moved on to a life-long mission, to realistically and creatively address the problem, utilizing his

en-us

00:48:44

LOL!

A Time to Sharpen ·

2025/02/20

Rules without Relationship = Rebellion. We’ve said this before on the podcast, but it bears repeating. Whetstone Boys Ranch was founded upon this basic assumption. Rules are necessary, but without a human being to explain, interpret, apply, and at times modify those rules, they become a formula for failure as parents, teachers, and counselors. Just watch any of the hundreds of dystopian television shows and movies that are currently streaming. They all demonstrate that rules can’t guarantee

en-us

00:46:20

Snowplows & Helicopters

A Time to Sharpen ·

2025/01/30

Bad parenting is often compared to snowplows and helicopters. There is a very strong temptation to rescue our kids from their mistakes: swooping in to save the day, or plowing a path so smooth that they never have to struggle. Every parent is guilty of it to some extent. First because the motivation behind these parenting styles seem so noble. And second, because the line between helping and enabling is the grayest of grays. It’s easy to miss because it’s hard to see, and because we don’t want to

en-us

00:42:05

It Hurts So Good

A Time to Sharpen ·

2025/01/07

Did you know that the second Friday in January is known as “Quitter’s Day?” Studies have shown that by this day each year, 80% of all New Year’s Resolutions have been abandoned. I think one reason for this is that we don’t plan for failure. We tend to be overly optimistic about how easy it will be to start exercising or stop spending. Habits are hard to break. That’s why they’re called habits in the first place. Mike Tyson famously said that “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the

en-us

00:39:36

Elf: Xmas & Trauma

A Time to Sharpen ·

2024/12/18

Is there anything better than a good holiday tradition? Well, yeah, lots of things I guess. Two good holiday traditions…three good holiday traditions. Seriously though, join us this week on A Time to Sharpen as we discuss the 2003, Christmas classic, Elf, starring the great Will Ferrell. It’s a tradition for us to watch this one with the boys at the ranch, as well as with our own kids. It’s the perfect combination of good clean fun, romance, and for the purposes of this episode, therapy. Elf a

en-us

00:50:58

Meet the Parents, Video

A Time to Sharpen ·

2024/12/03

What’s it like to be the parent of a boy at Whetstone? There is really only one person who can answer that question. You guessed it. It’s the parent of a boy at Whetstone. This week on A Time to Sharpen we have two such parents: JD and Kelly Buss, the mother and father of Joey Buss, one of our recent 2024 graduates. I feel certain that this podcast will be a huge help to parents looking to place their son in a program, parents living apart from their son who is currently in a program, and parents

en-us

71 results

Similar Podcasts

Tale Teller Kids™

Sarnia de la Mare

米克馬故事坊

咪萊

Imagination Station

Imagination Station

Die Pferde sind nicht das Problem - und du bist nicht zu blöd. Der Aha-Podcast für Pferdemenschen

Silke Jahn & Maren Diehl

Hanna fragt Papa - Der Podcast für neugierige Kinder und Eltern

Hanna und Thomas Schamberger