• 58 minutes 35 seconds
    Beyond “I’m Fine”: Letting Yourself Be Known :: Sadie Robertson Huff [Ep 597]

    Sadie Robertson Huff is a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, podcast host, wife, mom, and founder of Live Original. Through her faith, personal stories, and passion for encouraging others, Sadie reminds women that they don’t have to be perfect to be loved, known, or used by God. In her new book, It’s Not Personal, she challenges us to rethink vulnerability, embrace who God created us to be, and discover the freedom that comes from being truly known.

    In this conversation, Sadie gets real about what it looks like to build meaningful relationships, find people who can speak truth into your life, and let go of the pressure to be impressive. She shares how her mom’s authenticity shaped the way she thinks about motherhood, and why our kids need connection more than perfection. We also talk about the power of prayer and community, why confrontation can actually strengthen relationships, and how our identity in Jesus frees us from constantly seeking validation. Sadie’s reminder? You don’t have to show up perfectly to show up meaningfully. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is let someone know what you’re really going through.

    In this episode, we talk about:

    • How Sadie’s prayer text chain began during a season of deep personal struggle
    • How to find people you can be vulnerable with and trust to speak truth into your life
    • Why you don’t have to be perfect or impressive to build meaningful relationships
    • What Sadie’s mom did well and how her authenticity shaped Sadie’s view of motherhood
    • Letting go of the pressure to do everything right as a mom
    • Helping our daughters shift their focus away from themselves and toward others
    • The connection between listening and obedience in our walk with God
    • Reframing confrontation as coming face-to-face with the truth
    • Knowing when someone is safe to be vulnerable with—and when they aren’t your person

    • How to be authentic without expecting other people to meet needs only God can fill

    Connect with Sadie Robertson Huff: Links Mentioned: Related Episodes:

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    2 November 2026, 6:15 am
  • 1 hour 21 seconds
    Understanding Your Teen: What’s Normal and How to Stay Connected *top 10* :: Dr. Nell Bush [Ep 596]

    Dr. Nell Bush is a child development specialist, parenting consultant, and co-author of The Parenting Survival Guide. With a Ph.D. and four children of her own, she combines professional expertise with practical wisdom to help parents understand their children’s unique needs.

    The preteen and teen years can feel like a whole new world! One minute your child wants you close, and the next they’re pushing you away. In this episode, Nell explores the four pillars of teen development: social, emotional, mental, and physical. From intense emotions and increased sleep to peer pressure and shifting family dynamics, she helps us understand what’s typical and respond with compassion without taking every change personally. Whether you’re raising teens or preparing for what’s ahead, this conversation offers encouragement and practical ways to stay connected.

    In this episode, we discuss:

    • The four pillars of development: social, emotional, mental, and physical.
    • Why teens need so much sleep and how physical changes can affect other areas of development.
    • The imaginary audience and why teens can feel like everyone is watching them. 
    • Why belonging matters so much and how peer relationships can influence behavior.
    • How to navigate the push-and-pull of teens wanting independence while still needing their moms.
    • Why conflict with parents can increase during adolescence and how to avoid taking it personally.
    • How to talk about weight, body image, and physical changes with care.
    • The importance of keeping all four pillars balanced and recognizing where your teen may need extra support.

    • Why every child is different and why parenting teens requires us to stay engaged, flexible, and intentional.

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    26 October 2026, 5:15 am
  • 46 minutes 45 seconds
    When Kids Go Off Script :: Vela Tomba [Ep 595]

    In The Prodigal’s Mother, author Vela Tomba, a mom of three adult children, helps moms navigate the challenges of parenting adult and young adult kids. Through her own 36-year journey of motherhood, she has learned the freedom and peace that come from letting go of the need to rescue, fix, and control our children’s lives. She encourages moms to stay in their own “hula hoop,” trust God, and discover joy even when their children’s stories look different than they imagined. 

    About This Episode
    What happens when your child’s life doesn’t follow the script you imagined? In this conversation, Vela shares how our expectations for our children can become idols, leading us to rescue, control, and tie our own peace to their choices. We talk about the heartbreak of having a prodigal child and how to trust God when your child’s choices take them down a different path than you hoped. Through releasing our grip, embracing the reality of our children’s stories, and trusting God to write His script, not ours, we can find peace, freedom, and joy even in the hardest seasons of motherhood. 

    In this episode, we discuss:

    • Recognizing the expectations and “scripts” we create for our children
    • How parenting can slip into codependency, rescuing, and control
    • Learning to distinguish between harmful choices and simply different choices
    • Staying in your own “hula hoop” and honoring your responsibilities
    • Trusting God to speak to your children and guide their stories
    • Bringing our heartbreak and disappointment to God so He can heal us
    • How to support a mom who is struggling with her child: listen, love, and be present
    • Shifting from telling our children’s stories to living our own

    • Finding joy and freedom through acceptance, surrender, and trust in God

    Connect with Velo Tomba: Links Mentioned: Related Episodes:Featured Sponsors: 
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    19 October 2026, 5:15 am
  • 53 minutes 47 seconds
    The Pressure to Do It All: Motherhood and Work :: Melissa Harrison [Ep 594]

    Melissa Harrison is the President and CEO of 4word, an organization that equips professional Christian women to integrate their faith and work through community, mentoring, and leadership development. 4word creates spaces where women can build authentic connections, grow in their leadership, and live out their purpose in every season of life. Melissa brings a unique perspective as a working mom navigating career, family, faith, and the many demands that come with trying to do it all. 

    About This Episode
    What happens when you're trying to be a great mom, a great employee or leader, a good friend, and still take care of yourself? In this conversation, Melissa and I talk honestly about the pressure women feel to do it all, and what can get lost along the way. We talk about the loneliness that can come with busy seasons, why friendship and connection often get pushed to the bottom of the list, and the importance of intentionally making space for people. Whether you're a working mom or a stay-at-home mom, there's an invitation to step back and ask: Who am I beyond the roles I fill, and what would it look like to stop carrying everything alone?

    In This Episode, We Talk About:

    • Balancing motherhood, career, family, and personal needs
    • The loneliness that can come from living in a busy season
    • Why friendship and camaraderie are often the first things to go
    • Creating intentional connection through consistent, committed gathering
    • Recognizing the triggers behind our need to measure up
    • Knowing when it might be time to talk to someone and dig deeper
    • The challenge of always feeling available to everyone
    • Navigating seasons when work and family collide
    • The power of mentorship and meaningful community

    Connect with Melissa Harrison: 
    Links Mentioned: 
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    12 October 2026, 5:15 am
  • 55 minutes 31 seconds
    Postpartum Psychosis: A Mother’s Story of Hope & Healing :: Amanda Taylor [Ep 593]

    Amanda Taylor is the woman behind From Playgrounds to Psych Wards, where she shares her story of postpartum mental illness, recovery, motherhood, faith, and hope. After the birth of her fourth child in 2013, following a traumatic labor and delivery, Amanda experienced severe postpartum mental health challenges that ultimately became an 18-month journey through postpartum psychosis, hospitalization, and recovery. Today, she uses her story to help other women and families recognize the warning signs, ask for help, and remember that there is hope beyond the darkest seasons.

    We talk about the difference between the normal challenges of new motherhood, postpartum depression and anxiety, and something more serious like postpartum psychosis? In this powerful conversation, Amanda shares her firsthand experience of racing thoughts, sleeplessness, becoming disconnected from reality, hospitalization, and the long road back to herself. We talk about the warning signs that require immediate support, the critical role caregivers and family members play, how postpartum mental illness can impact a marriage, and how friends and church communities can practically support a struggling family. Most importantly, Amanda shares a message of hope for the mom who cannot imagine feeling normal again: your story is not over, you are not a burden, and healing is possible.

    In This Episode:

    • Understanding the differences between postpartum depression, anxiety, and psychosis
    • Warning signs that may indicate a postpartum mental health emergency
    • Mania, racing thoughts, confusion, rapid speech, and becoming disconnected from reality
    • Why caregivers should trust their instincts and seek an evaluation when something feels wrong
    • The importance of listening to the perspective of spouses, siblings, and caregivers
    • How postpartum psychosis affected Amanda’s marriage and family
    • How her husband continued to see Amanda beyond her mental illness
    • The practical ways friends, family, and church communities can support a struggling family
    • Why sometimes the best way to help is to simply show up and do something
    • Asking for help and finding one trusted person to say, “I’m struggling”
    • Amanda’s experience of feeling like she would never have a normal life again
    • Why postpartum mental illness does not have to define the rest of your story
    Connect with Amanda Taylor: Links Mentioned: Related Episodes:

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    5 October 2026, 5:15 am
  • 1 hour 2 seconds
    Raising Kids Who Feel Safe Talking to You :: Vicki Courtney *top 10 episode* [Ep 592]

    Vicki Courtney is an author, speaker, and mom who has spent years helping parents navigate the hard conversations that come with raising kids in today’s culture. Through her books and ministry, she equips parents to talk honestly with their kids about faith, culture, relationships, and the challenges they’re facing.

    In this top 10  episode (which originally aired on March 18, 2019), Vicki and I talk about how to parent with courage and humility in a culture that can feel increasingly unfamiliar to Christian families. Instead of parenting from fear, Vicki encourages us to make space for honest questions, lead with love, and create an environment where our kids know they can come to us with anything. Even when the world feels uncertain, Jesus is still our hope, and our kids need parents who are willing to walk alongside them as they wrestle with faith.

    In this episode, we talk about:

    • How Vicki came to know Jesus and the ministry God called her to
    • The culture our kids are growing up in and why it can feel increasingly unfriendly to the Christian faith
    • Why we need to teach our kids to walk in truth while leading with love
    • How to make room for meaningful conversations by creating margin in your family
    • The pressure moms feel to make sure their kids are doing everything: sports, music, activities, academics, and more
    • Letting go of the belief that we have to orchestrate our children's futures
    • Giving our kids room to fail, wrestle, and learn from failure
    • Creating an environment where our kids feel safe coming to us with anything
    • Why real-time conversations and our attitude toward our kids matters
    • Parenting without shame, finger-wagging, or pretending we have it all together
    • What the prodigal son and the older brother teach us about God's grace
    • The challenges young men are facing as they grow into adulthood

    • Finding hope when you're afraid of the world your kids are growing up in

    Connect with Vicki Courtney: Links Mentioned: Related Episodes:

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    28 September 2026, 5:15 am
  • 49 minutes 4 seconds
    7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women :: Crystal Paine [Ep 591]

    Today’s guest is Crystal Paine, founder of MoneySavingMom.com and a longtime advocate for helping families save money, manage their finances, and live with greater intention. Crystal is passionate about helping women find financial peace and make practical changes with whatever they have, wherever they are. 

    In This Episode

    We’re talking about the fear, stress, and emotions that can come with money, and how to move toward greater financial peace. Crystal shares practical habits anyone can start using today, whether you’re paying off debt, trying to save, or simply wanting to feel more confident about where your money is going. We talk about: 

    • Why so many women have fear around money
    • How to align your spending with what matters most
    • Navigating money differences in marriage
    • Understanding emotional spending
    • Simple ways to start saving more
    • Why we often use money to feel like we are helping our kids
    • Crystal’s 1-hour money plan
    • Looking at your finances with your 90 year old self in mind 

    • Trusting God as your provider, even in lean seasons

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    21 September 2026, 5:15 am
  • 58 minutes 5 seconds
    From Control to Peace : A Mom’s Guide to Peace :: Sarah Stephens [Ep 590]

    As moms, it can be easy to confuse parenting with controlling. We want our children to make wise choices, succeed, and avoid pain. But fear can quickly turn our desire to help into nagging, manipulation, or control. Sarah Stephens joins me to talk about what it looks like to move from controlling our children to mentoring, discipling, guiding, and loving them well.

    Sarah shares how God has taught her that our calling is not to control outcomes, but to remain faithful to the process. We talk about seeking wisdom from above, listening for God’s voice, recognizing the difference between conviction and condemnation, and learning to entrust our children and their choices to God.
    In this episode, we talk about:

    • Why control is often motivated by fear
    • Learning to focus on the process, not the outcome
    • How to know when to speak up—and when to let something go
    • The only control we’re actually called to have: self-control
    • Seeking God’s wisdom instead of simply collecting more information
    • Learning to recognize God’s voice
    • How comparison can steal a mom’s peace
    • Asking, “Can my child recover from this?”
    • Parenting, guiding, and loving our children even when we disagree
    • Praying for our children and leaving it at the feet of Jesus 
    • What it looks like to say, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done”
    Connect with Sarah Stephens: 

    Links Mentioned: 

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    14 September 2026, 5:15 am
  • 45 minutes 45 seconds
    The MIL/DIL Relationship: How to Actually Make It Work :: Stacy Reaoch [Ep 589]

    Family relationships can be complicated! So how do we navigate changing family roles, competing expectations, boundaries, and communication while protecting the relationships that matter most?

    In this episode, Stacy Reaoch joins me to talk about the challenges that can come with family relationships and what it looks like to choose connection, extend grace, and build bridges even when things feel awkward or difficult. Stacy co-wrote Making Room for Her with her own mother-in-law and shares wisdom from interviewing women across different generations about their experiences.

    We talk about:

    • Why family relationships can become challenging when roles and expectations change
    • Navigating competing expectations around time, holidays, and extended family
    • Knowing when to speak up and when to let something go
    • Why unsolicited advice can create tension—and what to do instead
    • How parenting preferences can create conflict between generations
    • Choosing the relationship over the small things
    • What grandparents can do to build trust with their adult children and their spouses
    • Finding small ways to show love and move toward a family member, even when it feels awkward
    • How to support your adult child's marriage without taking sides
    • What to do when you're concerned about your child's marriage
    • Learning to navigate a new relationship with your daughter-in-law or son-in-law
    • Practicing patience, humility, and healthy communication

    • Trusting God with relationships that feel impossible to repair

    Connect with Stacy Reaoch: Links Mentioned: Related Episodes:

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    7 September 2026, 5:15 am
  • 49 minutes 36 seconds
    Parenting in the Power of the Holy Spirit :: Jeannie Cunnion *top 10 episode* [Ep 588]

    We know we are called to parent in the power of the Holy Spirit, but then life comes at us like a train and suddenly we are back to doing everything in our own strength. I know I can easily fall into this trap. I can know all the right things, but knowing the truth and actually relying on the Holy Spirit in the middle of motherhood are two very different things.

    In this top 10 episode, I talk with Jeannie Cunnion about what it really looks like to parent with the Holy Spirit. We start by taking an honest look at what we actually believe about Him. Do I truly trust that the Holy Spirit lives in me and wants to guide, strengthen, comfort, and help me? Jeannie reminds us that the Holy Spirit is not an "it." He is a person, our Helper, Advocate, Counselor, Comforter, and Champion.

    We talk about what it means to lean into His presence instead of constantly trying to figure everything out on our own. We are not parenting alone. God has graciously given us the Holy Spirit, and there is no part of the Christian life that is meant to be lived without His supernatural power.

    As moms, we have an incredible opportunity to be a gift to one another. We can encourage each other, pray for each other, and help carry one another when we feel like we can't keep going. We don't have to manufacture the fruit of the Spirit through our own effort. We can stay connected to God and allow His Spirit to produce His fruit in us.

    If you have ever felt overwhelmed by motherhood or wondered how you're supposed to keep going, I hope this conversation reminds you that you were never meant to parent alone.

    In this episode, we talk about:

    • What it means to parent in the power of the Holy Spirit
    • Taking an honest look at what we believe about the Holy Spirit
    • Learning to recognize the Holy Spirit's promptings
    • What it means to be the temple of the Holy Spirit
    • Feeding the Spirit instead of feeding the flesh

    • Why there is no "junior Holy Spirit" when it comes to our kids

    Connect with Jeannie Cunnion: Links Mentioned: Related Episodes:

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    31 August 2026, 5:15 am
  • 46 minutes 51 seconds
    Adult Child Estrangement: What to Do—and How to Hold On to Hope :: Dr. Jim Burns [Ep 587]

    What happens when our kids grow up and our role as their mom begins to change?

    This is something I think so many moms struggle with, but we don't always talk about it. When our kids are young, there is so much support and conversation around parenting. But once they become adults, the challenges can feel much more complicated and lonely.

    We can find ourselves comparing our kids' lives. Where did they go to college? Are they married? Do they have kids? What are they doing with their lives? And then there are the harder questions. What happens when our adult child makes choices we don't understand? What happens when they pull away from us? And what happens when there is little or no contact at all?

    In this episode, I talk with Dr. Jim Burns about one of the hardest topics many parents face: estrangement from an adult child. We talk about what estrangement can look like, why parents often ask themselves, "What did I do wrong?" and how we can move from heartache to hope.

    One of the biggest reminders in this conversation is that we cannot fix our adult children. But we can learn how to love them well, communicate differently, and keep the door open for reconciliation.

    In This Episode, We Talk About:

    • Why moms often struggle silently when parenting adult children
    • The comparison game that can happen when our kids become adults
    • What adult child estrangement can look like
    • Why parents often blame themselves when a child pulls away
    • Why unsolicited advice can feel like criticism
    • How to become the calmest person in the room
    • Being a safe person without becoming a doormat
    • Moving from being an advice giver to becoming a mentor

    • How to respond when we feel defensive or hurt

    Connect with Dr. Jim Burns: 

    Links Mentioned: Related Episodes:

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    24 August 2026, 5:15 am
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