A few weeks ago, Mark and I awoke to a 6am text from our daughter-in-love. “When you guys wake up, can you give me a call?” She and our son Austin were scheduled to leave for Mexico within 24 hours and her mom was to keep the kids for their seven-day trip....
Raising a daughter in today’s social-media-oriented, crazy world can be challenging! As our daughters grow up, we actually have some growing to do, too. What does it look like for us to really love our daughters well? How can we mature in an effort to remain an...
Graduation season is upon us! You’re probably starting to see pictures across social media of graduation ceremonies and celebrations. I remember when each of my children graduated from high school, and the swirl of emotions I felt. Will they be okay? Did I do a...
Have you ever heard the term “conversational intelligence?” I hadn’t before, but my guest today is an expert in it! Too often, parents of teenagers or young adults miss out on connecting because we aren’t approaching conversations in the right...
Dear younger me, We just had another birthday. It’s probably hard for you to believe (it’s hard for me to believe too), but this was number 58! What a life we’ve had so far. I look back at you and think of how much you have left to learn and to...
On the podcast, one of my favorite topics to talk about is relationships! Did you know that we were designed to be in relationships? Really! It’s the way that God intended us to do life and something Jesus modeled in His time here on earth. Even though connecting with...
I grew up in a loving, Christian home. However, learning about Jesus was primarily done at church. Because of this, I had a foundation of faith, but I really didn’t understand what it meant to have a living faith. When I got to college, my faith moved from...
Dear parent who made a mistake, There’s been something on my mind lately that I’d like to share with you. I don’t know how “big” or “small” the mistake was. I don’t know how deep the roots go on the issue. We could be...
I remember sitting in the church nursery nursing my firstborn. Another mom and I were visiting as we rocked and nursed our little ones. “Are you praying for her future spouse?” the other mom asked me. I was surprised by her question. I had never thought to...
Dear Jill: Our adult daughter has chosen to walk away from the faith she was raised in and all that we taught her. She’s also come out as gay. I have grieved deeply, lost much of myself along the way, and find myself struggling to know how to connect with my daughter....
Your kids are spreading their wings and starting to head out on their own… Are you ready? Do you struggle to know how to parent teens at home and young adults away from home at the same time? Is it a challenge to find a good balance between boundaries and...
Have you ever met someone and felt like you could talk for hours and hours, and especially if you lived closer, would be great friends? Well, that’s what I experienced in this conversation I had with Maggie Graham, a homeschooling mom of 11 children that today range...
Do you and your spouse struggle to find the time to invest in each other? Does it seem like cleaning the house, getting your kids ready for bed, or work always get in the way? If that has been you at any point in your marriage, this episode is for you! To help me talk...
Do you have boys? I have three. I have two girls and three boys, and I will tell you that raising boys is definitely different than raising girls. Have you struggled to relate to your sons? Is it difficult to know what to do with their “rough house” energy? If you’ve...
As a parent, do you wonder if you are really making a difference? Does it feel like your words go in one ear and out the other? Do you feel like all you do is dole out consequences? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you are really going to appreciate...
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