I honestly never thought that I would be recording a podcast episode about this, but join Jesse and I this week as I share how I started going to gym classes for the first time in my life! It all started when my friend Kate told me about a gym in our area that offers free childcare. Jesse and I signed up, thinking that we could just use the childcare and work while the kids were taken care of. After all, the childcare alone made the cost worth it. However, when it was suggested that I should tak...
Jul 08, 2025•34 min
This book we are talking about today is so authentic and vulnerable and I really appreciated the authors being willing to open up like they did. In their new book The Fight for Us: Overcome What Divides to Build a Marriage That Thrives , Rebekah and Gabe Lyons share their personal journey of overcoming challenges in their marriage, discussing how writing the book together was a vulnerable process that forced them to confront their own issues and communication problems. Join me as Rebekah and Gab...
Jul 01, 2025•40 min
Jesse and I recently had the chance to sneak away for a quick 20-hour overnight trip, and it ended up being exactly what we needed. With our busy schedules and the constant demands of parenting six kids, it's rare that we get uninterrupted time to truly connect and plan for the future, and this short getaway allowed us to do just that! Before we even left, we sat down and made a list of the key things that we wanted to accomplish - reviewing our goals, talking through some challenges we've been ...
Jun 24, 2025•38 min
So many of you have told me you loved Tilly's clever and quirky new book My Dear Hemlock , a book written in the voice of a demon mentor coaching her underling on how to derail a Christian woman’s walk with God. Taking inspiration from The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, Tilly’s version is tailored to the specific struggles that Christian women face today - frustration in marriage, social media distractions, pride disguised as virtue, and the slow drift that can happen in daily family life. We ...
Jun 10, 2025•40 min
We had to sit down and recount this story since it sort of went viral on Instagram and I got thousands of messages and comments and emails about it! A few weeks ago, we accidentally stumbled across something totally unexpected – that we may not have actually been legally married for the past 22 years! That's right! Listen in as Jesse and I fill you in! It all started with a passport - or rather, the lack of a current one. I was prepping for a trip to Colorado Springs for some filming and radio i...
May 30, 2025•32 min
Listen in this week as I am joined by not just one guest but two - Matthew and Joanna Raabsmith, authors of the new book Building True Intimacy: Creating a Connection That Stands the Test of Time , a project which they themselves refer to as a labor of love. Together, Joanna and Matthew openly share their journey of rebuilding their marriage after Matthew revealed his struggles with sexual addiction and pornography. They go beyond just surviving to thriving, offering insights into how to create ...
May 13, 2025•33 min
I am so excited to be joined this week by Whitney Newby for an episode that is perfectly timed to be released before Mother’s Day! Whitney is the author of the book Lift Your Eyes: Daily Invitations to Behold Christ in Motherhood , and I have long admired her heart for motherhood. Her new book brims with the kind of grounded and graceful encouragement that so many of us desperately need when we are in the thick of it - tired, anxious, stretched thin, or even just quietly wondering if we’re doing...
May 06, 2025•31 min
If, like me, you have ever told yourself, “Tonight, I will put my phone away by 8 p.m.,” only to find yourself two hours later mindlessly scrolling through TikTok, then you will probably feel seen in this episode, and I am sharing something that has made a huge difference for both Jesse and me: the Opal app. This app has really helped me set real boundaries with my phone… and actually stick to them. Jesse and I talk about how Opal helped me finally break a pattern I didn’t even realize had such ...
Apr 29, 2025•22 min
Welcome to the 300th episode of The Crystal Paine Show ! Joining me this week is Mary Marantz , author of several books including her newest, Underestimated: The Surprisingly Simple Shift to Quit Playing Small, Name the Fear, and Move Forward Anyway . This conversation is raw, honest, and deeply personal one, and in Underestimated , Mary explores how to stop playing small and move past the fear that holds us back, a message that resonated so much with me as I read the book. We talk about how Mar...
Apr 22, 2025•41 min
Jesse and I are back in the studio this week together to talk all about raising financially confident teens, I have personally seen firsthand how a few key mindset shifts can totally change the game, not just for them but for the entire family dynamic In this episode, we are unpacking five powerful money mindsets that can shape your teen’s relationship with money in ways that last far beyond high school! These aren’t just fluffy theories or one-size-fits-all strategies. We’re talking about pract...
Apr 15, 2025•37 min
I am so excited to be joined this week by Rebecca George, author of the book You’re Not Too Late: Trusting God’s Timing in a Hurry-Up World . Listen in as Rebecca and I discuss the struggles that so many of us face when we feel like life is passing us by, talking about the pressures of measuring up to timelines - whether they be about marriage, career, or friendships - and how these expectations can often lead us to doubt ourselves and God's plan for us. Rebecca reflects on her personal journey ...
Apr 08, 2025•38 min
This week, Jesse and I dive into an much-requested topic - my recent experience with getting blood tests done through Function Health. In this episode, we compare my experience with Function with my experience with InsideTracker . I loved that Function Health didn’t just give me numbers; it actually provided detailed, personalized recommendations, including the top foods and supplements which I should focus on. I also really appreciated the way that they communicated, reminding me of important p...
Apr 01, 2025•42 min
Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith's book Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity is a book that has deeply impacted my life. If you've followed me online for awhile, you've probably heard me talk about it as I'm often thinking about it and recommending it to others. So I was so excited when I got to interview Dr. Saundra and talk about Sacred Rest plus her new book, Being Fully Known: The Joyful Satisfaction of Beholding, Becoming, and Belonging . Sacred Rest helped me unde...
Mar 25, 2025•37 min
Jesse is back in the studio with me this week as we share some newsy updates from recently. Tune in as I share some highlights from my recent solo trip to Disney World, where I joined my business coach Alli Worthington for a getaway. I had initially resisted the idea of wearing Disney ears, but the trip turned out to be a truly profound experience for me, both personally and professionally. While there, I found myself reconnecting with my inner child and reflecting on the awe and wonder that I h...
Mar 18, 2025•41 min
I have been so excited for this episode because I had the pleasure of sitting down with Trillia Newbell, author of the book Celebrating Around the Table: Learning the Stories of Black Christians Through Readings, Fellowships, Food, and Faith ! When we talk about celebrating culture within the church, what does that actually look like in our homes, around our tables, and in our conversations with our kids? You have perhaps considered this before, but even if you haven't, then you are not going to...
Mar 11, 2025•36 min
This week, I got to interview my friend, Kathi Lipp all about creating rhythms to allow us to have space to breathe, welcome people into our lives, and reach out to others through the ministry of food. Kathi and I have known each other for years and I loved getting to learn from her and talk about her new book, Sabbath Soup: Weekly Menus and Rhythms to Make Space for a Day of Rest This book is packed full of weekly menus to have you set your week up to have a day off from cooking. In addition to...
Mar 04, 2025•35 min
Jesse and I are back in the studio together this week as we discuss the book Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms by Justin Whitmel Earley, a book that I have already talked about on the show! Last time that I mentioned it, I was only halfway through it, but now that I have finished it, I have so much more to share, with the best part being that I have realized that many of the rhythms and routines our family already practices are reinforcing the story ...
Feb 25, 2025•38 min
Tori Hope Petersen is the author of the book Breaking the Patterns That Break You: Healing from the Pain of Your Past and Finding Real Hope That Lasts ! Tori’s journey is nothing short of inspiring! In our conversation, she opens up about growing up in the foster care system, dealing with trauma, and the powerful transformation that began when she truly understood God’s love for her. Tori shares how having broken free from patterns of self-doubt and striving for approval became so integral to he...
Feb 18, 2025•41 min
I loved getting to have Annie F. Downs back on the podcast again ! Annie’s new children’s book, Where Did TJ Go? , was written as a practical resource to help kids better understand and process grief. Grief can be a heavy topic, but this episode isn’t all dark and gloomy, trust me! We start out with a funny discussion on Bone Broth Hot Cocoa (yes, for real!) and how to not have it taste like chocolate beef. Plus, protein and getting older and even menopause. 🙂 And then we move to Annie sharing ...
Feb 11, 2025•46 min
January has truly felt longer than ever, and in this episode, Jesse and I are back to reflect on the wild start to our year. From celebrating 22 years of marriage and 20 years of parenting to taking on unexpected challenges (including a basketball injury that led to a surprise concussion diagnosis and a late-night flood in our home), we have really had no shortage of adventures! Listen in as we share what we learned from Silas’s recovery process, how Tennessee’s concussion laws helped us with hi...
Feb 04, 2025•32 min
Grab a pen and paper to take notes because this episode is packed with helpful insights! I am joined today by Karen Ehman, author of 21 books (yes, you read that right!), including her new book co-authored with Ruth Schwenk, The Love Your Life Project: 40 Days to Prioritize Your Passions, Cultivate Productive Habits, and Refuel with Times of Rest ! We discuss some practical ways to prioritize what truly matters most – building healthy habits and prioritizing rest. We talk about how to recognize ...
Jan 28, 2025•39 min
We unexpectedly had to take another hiatus recently due to family illness, and Jesse and I are here today to share the story! What was supposed to be a peaceful start to 2025 turned into a whirlwind of illness and hospital visits. From a delayed start to the year to dealing with a series of unexpected health scares, it was truly so much to have to handle! Listen as we recount how things took a sudden turn when one of our kids, Kathrynne, became seriously ill with the flu. The situation worsened ...
Jan 23, 2025•55 min
Join Jesse and me for this final episode of 2024 as we reflect on the past year and look ahead to 2025 and talk about our goals and hopes for the coming year! The beginning of 2025 feels like a great time to reset, refocus, and embrace a new approach to personal growth, and I share why I’m shifting from yearly goals to monthly ones, how this change brings about flexibility and prevents burnout, and the five key areas I plan to prioritize (all of which happen to be words that start with M!). We d...
Dec 24, 2024•37 min
Welcome back to the show, everyone! While not intentional, we have been MIA from your ears for three whole weeks. We originally intended to only be absent for Thanksgiving week, but one week somehow managed to turn into two weeks which turned into three. That was in large part because of lots of things happening during that time, so we definitely have some exciting updates! Hear about things such as the two trips that I took to Kansas, the offer that Jesse and I put on a rental house, and how I ...
Dec 17, 2024•47 min
This week, we did something rare – we sat down and actually watched a movie, Twisters ! Our kids have been raving about it, and turns out, it wasn’t just because we’re from Kansas. It's a thrilling and quite clean movie (just a small bit of language), which is not always easy to find these days, so if you haven't seen it, I definitely recommend it! We also talk about politics -- something I don't do much of on the internet. We talk about our setup on election night with multiple screens and stre...
Nov 19, 2024•31 min
Today's guest is actually a threepeat guest, Jeannie Cunnion! And today we get to have a conversation about building a deeper relationship with God, inspired by her new devotional, Closer to God: A 40-day Pursuit of God's Personal Presence . Jeannie has the remarkable ability to push us deeper in our walk with Jesus and her new devotional is full of profound questions and encouragement to challenge and inspire us to grow closer to God. In this episode, Jeannie shares her journey, drawing from he...
Nov 12, 2024•30 min
After knowing Jesse since I was 9 years old (I'm 43 now!), I just found out something I had no idea about him. We share the funny story on the podcast. I'm honestly still so shocked that I just discovered this!! We also dive into some really fun listener feedback, with one of you pointing out how I had incorrectly called beef you buy for the freezer cow and that turned into a fun discussion on things beef and cattle-related! Our family plans also took an unexpected turn recently when a storm res...
Oct 29, 2024•34 min
One of our big goals for 2024 was to go on an overnighter just the two of us (Jesse and me) — something we hadn’t done in 5ish years!! We weren’t sure if we were going to be able to make it work with all the moving parts it would require, but WE DID IT a few weeks ago. It was the best trip and, in this episode, we share all about it -- why we chose NYC, how we did this trip on a budget, and how the trip more than exceeded our expectations! We discuss why this trip was so special, from navigating...
Oct 22, 2024•34 min
I'm welcoming back a repeat guest this episode - Jennifer Pepito! Jennifer is the author of Habits for a Sacred Home: 9 Practices From History to Anchor and Restore Modern Families , and I have had the privilege of reading her insightful book which really resonated with me and challenged me to set up better habits and rhythms in our life! Jennifer brings a wealth of experience, having homeschooled her seven children for 27 years! In this episode, we talk about the joys and challenges of motherho...
Oct 16, 2024•34 min
Join us this week as I discuss my recent 43rd birthday! In this week’s episode, I’m diving into my recent birthday reflections, the wisdom I've gained from embracing my wrinkles, and the unexpected lessons from our recent freezer incident. After celebrating turning 43, I've been contemplating the importance of aging and how every wrinkle tells a unique story about my journey, family, and faith. While our freezer mishap felt like a significant inconvenience, it pales in comparison to the challeng...
Oct 08, 2024•28 min
