Do you need some advice before you head to the holidays with family? Worried about what contentious subjects that might be breached as you are passing the mashed potatoes? From politics, to vaccines, to racism, families run the gamut on where they stand. I have heard from people all over the country who are already anxious to be with family who might think differently than them. How do we handle conflict? Differing opinions? When to make boundaries? How to keep tenderhearted to those who push yo...
Dec 22, 2021•39 min
Today I have probably my favorite guest ever, my 10-year-old daughter Carter Mae. We talk about her favorite Christmas traditions, what Jesus means to her, and why this season is so special. There is something magical about seeing Christmas through our kids’ eyes. It brings a whole new perspective and joy to the season. Don’t miss the end where we talk about the hope of the season even when this time might feel really dark. We share our journey with loss during the holiday season, and how light ...
Dec 15, 2021•16 min
Today's podcast is on fire. My guest Bri Stensrud calls us to action to be a family who truly welcomes others. What does a Christlike welcome look like? Bri Stensrud is the Director of Women of Welcome, she is a human dignity advocate and her passion is to equip others to engage more consistently and tangibly in holistic human dignity issues. We talk about her work with refugees, the border crisis, and how we are called to treat others. If you want first steps of how to teach your family to love...
Dec 08, 2021•41 min
I don’t know about you but sometimes around the holidays I dream of simplicity. My stress starts to take over when I know I have forgotten a gift or my kids bring me a list of 1038208378 random gifts they DON’T NEED. It was wearing me out, and I wanted to get our family back to focusing on the real meaning of Christmas. One for my sanity, and two so my kids could practice what it looked like to truly GIVE instead of just RECEIVE. In this episode, I give some ideas your family can implement this ...
Dec 01, 2021•12 min
We are so lucky to have Mary Beth Chapman on the show today. Mary Beth is a mother to 6 kiddos with her husband, singer/songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman and are adoptive parents of 3 from China. Mary Beth is an author of the book, Choosing to See: A Journey of Struggle and Hope. Her book details the tragedy of losing their youngest adoptive child and the hope that God brings them in the darkest places and co-founder of non-profit Show Hope that helps break down barriers between waiting children ...
Nov 24, 2021•41 min
If you are a parent, you know helping our kids navigate friendships is a big part of parenting. That’s why today I wanted to bring on my friend and producer Jeanette Tapley to give us all the advice on helping our kids make and become good friends. We talk about everything from drama to boundaries; it all makes this show. Can we pick our kids' friends? How do we foster good friendships for our kids? Can we read our kids’ text messages and social messages? How do we model friendship? Do we tell o...
Nov 17, 2021•39 min
Wanna raise grateful kids? Here are a few tips to help keep gratitude at the forefront in your family. We all need a little extra dose of gratitude this year and since November is the month of being thankful, I thought this would be the perfect time to make sure we did a few things as a family that kept gratitude front and center. Join us on our grateful challenge this month! Listen to this episode for simple ways we are helping our family keep gratitude at the center and some things you can do ...
Nov 10, 2021•19 min
Today we have the definition of Be Love. do good on our podcast, our guest Carlos Whittaker. You may have read Carlos’ books , or maybe you have seen his good deeds on Good Morning America, the Nick Cannon Show, or anywhere they have gone viral, like raising a tip for Tonee the Piano man, or helping a woman get a service dog, or helping teens in Brooklyn. Carlos sees people, like really sees people. People call him the Hope Dealer. He gives hope to people everyday and shares it with his hundreds...
Nov 03, 2021•39 min
The relatable and hilarious Jami Nato is sharing making intentional parenting simple. I love how she gives us permission to not do all the things. Just one thing at a time when it comes to parenting, and it starts with us! Jami is the best at sharing ideas that all of us can do! Jami is a blogger, amazing mother, speaker, and one of my favorite parent Instagram influencers. Today she talks about so many wise nuggets, especially to make intentional parenting simple, and how it starts with giving ...
Oct 27, 2021•33 min
Today I am in the podcast closet alone, talking about something that inspires me. When my kids were little my husband traveled during the week. I was exhausted and needed my kids to chip in and help make their lunches, lay out their clothes, small things that made a big difference; things that helped me out. What I found is that by helping my kids learn to be responsible for their own things, contribute around the house and learn some life skills at an early age, it would pay off in the end. Tod...
Oct 20, 2021•19 min
Today I am interviewing Sally Clarkson, author of multiple parenting books, speaker, blogger, mother to 4 grown amazing children. Sally is the mentor everyone wants to have coffee with. Everyone wants Sally on speed dial when a problem arises in parenting. Sally is a gentle reminder that you are the perfect parent for your kids. Today we talk about her new book Help, I am drowning, Weathering the Storms of Life with GRACE and HOPE. From Sally: “It has taken me a lifetime to learn the truth about...
Oct 13, 2021•36 min
This week I have the powerhouse Ashley Abercrombie author of Love is the Resistance: Learn to Disagree, Resolve the Conflicts You’ve Been Avoiding and Create Real Change , and we are talking about the last phrase of our napkin note: LOVING OTHERS, not the people who are easy to love, but the ones we have a hard time loving. You know who they are. And before you roll your eyes at me and think- but that person is just too hard, too different, too opinionated, too ______; listen to this episode abo...
Oct 06, 2021•34 min
You probably know now, if you listened to our latest episodes , that a simple lunchbox note changed our lives. Today I am talking about the second phrase on that note “Protect the Weak” - what that means to us, how we live that out, and how as families we can do this together. We all want our kids to have open hearts, empathy, and truly SEE others, but we have to teach them to be aware. This podcast is all about how to do just that. I explore these three takeaways: #1 keep your eyes open/ learn/...
Sep 29, 2021•16 min
Today we are interviewing the generous and kind Dave Hollis, who also happens to be a NYT best selling author, host of the popular Rise Together podcast, keynote speaker, life and business coach and author of the new book Built for Courage. Dave was our very first guest, and now he is in on our 100th episode. As parents we desire to help our kids be strong in who God has made them; to be confident in their characteristics and live in their purpose. This can be a tough thing to figure out even in...
Sep 22, 2021•34 min
We are BACK, and we have missed you so much! In this episode you will hear: Why we took a little break The BIG NEWS we have been working on for the past few months What you can expect from the new and improved podcast and why in the world you would want to listen! And if you are new to our community we also share how our business , podcast, and children’s book were inspired by a simple lunchbox note that changed our family’s life. We would love for you to follow this show wherever you get your p...
Sep 15, 2021•15 min
Today I am interviewing Andy Stephenson, my brother! He is an author, family therapist, and Northview Campus Pastor. Along with that, he is a loving husband, father, brother, and son. Andy and I share how we have stayed close as siblings, even while being 11 years apart in age. Not only have we lived out these techniques, but we are seeing them work with our children and families as well! I promise in this episode you will gain strategies to implement with your children and your family that brin...
Mar 17, 2021•33 min
Today I am interviewing Justin Bane who is featured on the new Magnolia Network show the Fieldhouse and the owner of the Fieldhouse Gym. Justin shares his story of growing up in a small town, overcoming adversities, dreaming big dreams, and how his passion for people rules his day. I promise in this episode you will be inspired to love others well, be courageous to overcome obstacles, and motivated to take a chance on yourself. Justin Bane and the Fieldhouse Gym are going to be featured on the M...
Mar 10, 2021•57 min
This week Kristi is recapping her favorite lessons and concepts she will be implementing in her own marriage from her marriage series these last four weeks! Kristi has been married for 19 years, and found many takeaways from this series. Some of her favorite concepts she has implemented in her marriage already are: radical generosity, embracing the differences between her and her spouse, and not trying to be right, but trying to understand each other better. The podcast guests over the last few ...
Mar 03, 2021•18 min
As we wrap up our marriage series I am interviewing Nate and Kaley Klemp, authors of The 80/80 Marriage . Nate is an author, philosopher, life coach, cofounder of LifeXT, mindfulness junky, and an anthropologist of modern marriage. Kaley is a YPO-certified facilitator, executive coach, and guide for executive teams in communication, strategic planning, and conflict resolution. They have been married for 15 years. Nate and Kaley, high school sweethearts, started marriage off with the 50/50 rule, ...
Feb 25, 2021•38 min
As we continue our marriage series I am interviewing Toni Nieuwhof, author of Before You Split: Find What You Really Want For the Future of Your Marriage. Toni Nieuwhof is a family law mediator, former divorce attorney, author, speaker and co-host of the Smart Family Podcast. She has been married to Carey Nieuwhof for over 30 years. Toni tells us how she went from unhappy marriage to thriving marriage. She is very vulnerable with her marriage story, which may have seemed hopeless for a time, but...
Feb 17, 2021•39 min
This week we are continuing our series on BE. LOVE in your marriages with Dr. Kelly Flanagan. Dr. Kelly Flanagan is a psychologist, author, consultant, and speaker who enjoys walking with people through the three essentials of a truly satisfying life: worthiness, belonging, and purpose. His blog writings have been featured in Reader’s Digest, The Huffington Post, The 5 Love Languages, and the TODAY Show. Kelly is the author of Loveable, and he just published his new book True Companions, all abo...
Feb 10, 2021•38 min
This week we are starting our series on BE. LOVE in your marriages. This week we have the opportunity to bring back Dr. Kelly Flanagan who is answering all of our marriage questions. Dr. Kelly Flanagan is a psychologist, author, consultant, and speaker who enjoys walking with people through the three essentials of a truly satisfying life: worthiness, belonging, and purpose. His blog writings have been featured in Reader’s Digest, The Huffington Post, The 5 Love Languages, and the TODAY Show. Kel...
Feb 03, 2021•46 min
Have you ever wanted to create a mission for your life but didn’t know where to start? This is the podcast for you. We are finishing up our RECOVER and REPLENISH series with an episode on creating our core values and mission statement. This is the how-tos! Identifying core values and mission for your life helps you say yes to the right things. It helps you decide what to prioritize and what really matters in life. If we don’t do this we can feel ?????? scattered when doing things or be doing the...
Jan 27, 2021•47 min
Today is episode 3 of 4 of our series RECOVER and REPLENISH with my friend Jeremy Bedenbaugh, founder of Recreate-Solutions. We talk about knowing yourself and why it is so important to know who we are and why we act the way we do? How do we distinguish between our false self and our true self? What happens when we figure out who we are? Why it is important to always be learning and transforming. We talk about boundaries? What happens when others are not ok with our transformation? How do we wor...
Jan 20, 2021•33 min
This week we are continuing our series on Recover and Replenish for 2021. I have Jeremy Bedenbaugh, founder of Recreate Solutions with me again to talk this week about building a resilient mind. Last week we talked about the emotions we felt from maybe the losses or disappointments of 2020, and that it's ok to recognize those emotions and sit in them, write them out, but we don’t want to just stay stuck in those forever. This week we are going to talk about why mindset is so important. We are di...
Jan 13, 2021•50 min
How to Recover from 2020 so we can move into the new year with purpose 4 part series (Recovery and Replenish for 2021) We are so happy to be back with our new series called RECOVER and REPLENISH. We wanted to make sure BEFORE we got into goals or intentions for 2021, we looked at last year, took time to review and also recover. This month will feel a little like a master class, with questions and extra resources available each week in our show notes, so make sure you check that out. For this 4 p...
Jan 06, 2021•40 min
This is a must listen before you get with your people for the holidays. Many of our families and friends are at odds with how to talk to each other about politics, religion; things that can pull us apart. Our guest today, Sarah Anderson, grew up in a family of politics and she wrote this helpful book, The Space Between Us: How Jesus Teaches Us to Live Together When Politics and Religion Pull Us Apart Sarah grew up in a family of politics and knows first hand how it can tear us apart. Today Sarah...
Nov 25, 2020•39 min
This week we are continuing our Love Everyone series with Dr. Kelly Flanagan, psychologist and author of the book Loveable: Embracing What is Truest About You, So You Can Embrace Life. Dr. Flanagan is a clinical psychologist and father known to millions for the letters he writes to his children and shares on his blog. Loveable is written to the little one in each of us, who is all too ready to be reminded: you are enough, you are not alone, and you matter. In Loveable, Dr. Flanagan reveals the c...
Nov 18, 2020•47 min
This week we are interviewing Kristin Andrus. She is a mother of 6 and a social media presence who helps families serve and love others. She talks to us about how to be a family whose DNA it is to serve the community. She gives us very practical ways to serve in this season. We talk about why parents are so important to foster loving and serving others in their children at a young age. You are going to love her spunky attitude, her beautiful heart and get some great ideas of how we can help our ...
Nov 11, 2020•45 min
Today we are kicking off our series Love Everyone. We all say we want to love everyone, but do we actually do it. Today’s guest Adam Weber inspires us every day to ask how we can go out of our way to just love one person today. It’s that simple intention that has changed his life. Through a deep time of pain, when he didn’t want to love again, he started to think of people who loved him when he was unlovable. This simple habit helped him remember why it was so important to love others because it...
Nov 04, 2020•52 min
