If you were to drop by our home on any given day right now, you’d likely find that there are dishes in the sink, crumbs on the counter, and baby toys on the floor. My bed is probably unmade. I might not be out of my PJs yet. And it may smell like a very recent poopy diaper. I’ll be holding a baby or running after a toddler. I will invariably need to leave the room multiple times to change a diaper or make a bottle or try to soothe a little one who is fussy. There will likely be teens coming and ...
Jun 08, 2021•28 min
What’s holding you back from living out your calling or doing that thing you have always dreamed of doing? Could it be lies you are believing that are holding you back from facing your fears? Maybe you feel like that dream of yours is just too big or too out-of-reach or too impossible? If so, I think you'll be really encouraged by this week's episode of the Crystal Paine Show. I sit down and have a conversation with Paul Agone, husband, father of four, blogger, podcaster, and author of multiple ...
Jun 01, 2021•30 min
Just for fun, Jesse and I took the popular Share Your Assumptions About Me Instagram story idea and turned it into a podcast episode. We asked for people to share their assumptions about us and then we chose a number of them to respond/react to. We addressed assumptions that Jesse gets nervous coming on the podcast, that we never yell or fight, that we don't have a pet, that we eat a lot of ice cream, that we're more wild and crazy than we let on, that I wear the pants in the family, that we nev...
May 25, 2021•40 min
So often, when I share about something we're doing -- sticking with a $70 grocery budget, staying out of debt, choosing to save up and pay cash for something, fostering, etc., people will immediately write in and let me know why they can't do what we're doing. Here's the thing: I don't share what I do online expecting that everyone is going to do exactly what we're doing. Foster care might not be a possibility for you. You might be in a situation where a mortgage is a smarter idea than renting a...
May 18, 2021•32 min
It has been just over a year since we brought home Champ, our first long-term placement in our foster care journey. It's been a year of learning, growing, and riding a rollercoaster of emotions. In this episode of the podcast, Jesse and I sit down and recount some of the most unexpected lessons -- the grief of goodbye, walking through deep sadness with our kids, what we've learned through reunification, how it has impacted our kids, thoughts on caring for a child with special needs, and how our ...
May 11, 2021•33 min
For years, I let the belief that I was shy and introverted hold me back. While on the outside, I might have seemed like I was outgoing in some situations, I was constantly second-guessing and psycho-analyzing everything I did… "Do they like me? Did I disappoint them? Should I have been more outgoing or less outgoing? Are they distancing themself from me? Did I do something?" It was not until I confronted some big lies I was believing about myself and started understanding and believing how much ...
May 04, 2021•26 min
When Jesse and I were talking about what topic to tackle for this week's episode, I said something to the affect of, "Well, I've gone on almost 60 other podcasts, radio shows, and TV shows talking about Love-Cen t ered Parenting , but I've yet to really dive into the topic on my own podcast. Maybe that would be a good topic for this week's episode?? If you've been considering getting a copy of my new book, Love-Centered Parenting , but you've wondered if it would be a fit for you, be sure to lis...
Apr 27, 2021•28 min
In light of so many new and unexpected things in our lives recently, Jesse and I are chatting all about how to maintain a positive attitude in difficult seasons. One of the most important things for me is to focus on how much I am loved by God. Remembering and resting in His love and faithfulness changes my perspective on life. In addition, starting my day with praying over my day and handing my fears and concerns over to the Lord is so helpful. I also try to steep myself in truth and try to kic...
Apr 20, 2021•30 min
Do you have a soundtrack on repeat in your head that is repeating negative things and holding you back? Many of us do -- often without even realizing it! Jon Acuff joins me on the podcast this week to share about how he discovered these soundtracks in his own life, how they were affecting him in a negative way, and how choosing a new soundtrack has changed his life. Jon is a best-selling author and motivational speaker and he’s spent a lot of time over the past few years paying attention to and ...
Apr 13, 2021•28 min
Do you struggle to set good parameters for social media? In this week's podcast episode, Jesse and I tackle a question from a listener about how we set boundaries for our phones (trust me, we're a work in progress when it comes to this, as you'll find out in the episode!) We talk about different strategies we've implemented, why I take one day off from posting on social media each week, how Jesse had Kathrynne set up accountability for him, what I learned from my time-tracking experiment, mistak...
Apr 06, 2021•33 min
I recently shared some strategies on Instagram that have helped me to feel less stressed: 1) Recognize that in most cases, stress is a choice. No one can *make* me stressed (or angry or sad or happy, for that matter). I can choose my response in any situation. I can’t always choose my circumstances, but I can choose my response. And my response is my responsibility. 2) See stress as an indicator that something is out of line. Instead of just assuming stress is a normal, unavoidable part of life,...
Mar 30, 2021•38 min
In this week’s episode of The Crystal Paine Show, Jesse and I sit down and give you a fun life update — sharing all about our wild week full of a trip to Disney for Jesse, saying yes to a sweet little foster baby who has medical complexities, learning how to care for him in the middle of all the whirlwind of book launch, and getting the stomach bug thrown in there for good measure. Yes, all of that happened in the span of just one week! Be sure to listen in for all the details and how God has be...
Mar 23, 2021•27 min
Just for fun, this week on the podcast to celebrate the launch of Love-Centered Parenting , we turn the tables and Jesse hosts the show and interviews me about why I wrote another book when I never thought I would, a real behind-the-scenes look at how I wrote this book, what the editorial process is like for writing a book, plus much more! He asks me some of his own questions + questions you all submitted, including: Did I plan to write another book? (Spoiler alert: the answer is no!) How was th...
Mar 16, 2021•32 min
In this age of hurry and hustle where so many feel overworked and overwhelmed, is it possible to slow down? Is it possible to be successful and fulfilled in life while living at a slower pace? What would it take and what would it look like to live in a space of rest with an unhurried heart? In this episode, Jennifer Dukes Lee and I sit down and talk about what being an accidental farmer's wife has taught her about seasons and the importance of growing slow. If your heart feels hurried and your c...
Mar 09, 2021•31 min
We finally made it happen -- after having to cancel due to the snow and ice the week before. Angie Smith came over to record a podcast... and we covered a lot of ground in our short interview! Angie is one of those people who is always so honest and also hilarious. Every time I'm with her, she makes me think with her deep questions AND she makes me laugh until the tears come with her funny stories! In this episode, we begin by recounting how Angie and I met at a blogging conference a number of y...
Mar 02, 2021•36 min
Last week, while the kids were off of school because of the ice and snow, Jesse and I sat down and interviewed Kathrynne, our 16-year-old. She answered some of your questions that you'd submitted on topics like: how parents can build stronger relationships with their teens why she feels like she can trust us her honest thoughts on kids and social media how she feels most heard and understood (and what makes her feel like we're not listening/paying attention) what learning to drive has been like,...
Feb 23, 2021•34 min
How are you preparing for the college years? The question came into one of my Q&A Saturday features on Instagram stories recently. I loved how the question was worded because it wasn't, "How are you financially preparing for college?" Or, "How are you preparing your kids academically for college?" Or even, "How are your kids preparing for college?" Instead, it was more of a holistic approach about preparing for the college years as a whole. In this week's episode of The Crystal Paine Show, J...
Feb 16, 2021•32 min
It's time for another edition of Answering Your Burning Questions! About once a quarter, Jesse and I sit down and devote a podcast episode to your questions. In this episode, we answer these questions: Is Jesse still doing CrossFit? (We also share a little more about current workout routines.) What top three tips would you give to your pre-married selves? When do you plan to retire? What are your favorite activities to do with each of the kids? Should you pay off your mortgage or invest the mone...
Feb 09, 2021•33 min
“This was the worst garbage. I picked this up as an audiobook to listen to. Her voice is exceptionally annoying.” This was one of many similar reviews of my second book. While there were lots of kind reviews, all I could hear was that I should not ever narrate an audiobook again because my nasally voice irritated people. I was embarrassed that I had ever considered doing it myself. So guess what I did? I told my publishers that I didn’t want to narrate my third book and they hired a professional...
Feb 02, 2021•29 min
Jesse and I celebrated our 18th anniversary recently (our marriage is officially an adult!) and we had fun sitting down and recounting 10 lessons we've learned in 18 years of marriage. We talk about lessons like: if your wife says she's not hungry, still get food for her and why daily gestures are more important than celebrating Hallmark holidays. We also share honestly about a simple phrase that has completely changed the way we communicate and how I completely blew an opportunity when Jesse wa...
Jan 26, 2021•36 min
Recently, on Instagram , I got asked the following question, "How do you handle friendships and disrespect in this political turmoil and pandemic." I shared the slide above to answer it, but I had so many more thoughts swirling in my head as I wrote the answer that I realized it would be the perfect topic to tackle more in-depth in a podcast episode. So this week on the podcast, Jesse and I share what we have learned and are learning about how to love someone you disagree with and how not to rui...
Jan 19, 2021•31 min
As I talked about yesterday , good habits done consistently can completely change the trajectory of your life. (And the inverse of that statement is also true.) So, how do you start with stick with better habits? In this week's podcast episode, Jesse and I tackle that topic along with sharing an update on our Christmas break, Jesse's hunting trip, an audiobook we both listened to, and two updates we made to our home recently. Here are the five suggestions we gave for starting and sticking with b...
Jan 12, 2021•39 min
My word that I chose for 2020 was SAVOR. Little did I dream how much of my year was going to be able to live that word out so literally! From so much time at home and so many things cancelled, to so much time spent rocking and holding and feeding babies, to so much unexpected family time, this year was the perfect year to choose to savor the gifts right in front of me. Our year looked very different in so many ways — and yes, there was loss and hard things — but I look back and see so much beaut...
Dec 15, 2020•38 min
In this week’s episode of The Crystal Paine Show, Jesse and I sit down and talk about what this last week has been like for us. We open up candidly about how the grief of saying goodbye to Champ has profoundly impacted us. We share what has been helping us, how we are processing this loss, what has been helping us, and how we are holding both grief and gratitude at the same time. And because we didn’t want the whole episode to be heavy, we also talk about our road trip to Kansas, chocolate colla...
Dec 08, 2020•38 min
I was sitting with a few women recently and we were sharing some heavy things in our lives and big feelings. After a little while, I said, "Does anyone have any good news to share?" It's so easy to focus on the hard and difficult things. And I think we do need to acknowledge our feelings and not try to stuff down the difficult things, slap on a happy face, and pretend we're okay. But at the same time, I also think it's so good -- and important -- even on hard days and during sad or overwhelming ...
Dec 01, 2020•37 min
Forgiveness is certainly not the easiest topic to cover for anyone, but what if the ultimate betrayal was laid at your feet. How would you react then? For Lysa TerKeurst it led to authoring a book all about using forgiveness to heal and grow after a terrible experience. Lysa found out several years ago that her husband was being unfaithful. Not just once or twice, but had been repeatedly unfaithful along with having a substance abuse problem. When she found out she was devastated. The pain was s...
Nov 17, 2020•35 min
There is a lot going on in the world right now — and there is a lot going on in our home, too. In the middle of the noise and rush of life, it can be easy for our souls to get neglected. In today’s episode of The Crystal Paine Show , Jesse and I talk about how we’re prioritizing soul care during what can feel like a stressful season. We talk about some R&R’s for our soul and challenge you to think of what soul care might look like for you right now. In addition, we share an update on Champ’s...
Nov 10, 2020•32 min
Jesse and I have both struggled with being what you could call "control freaks" in our life. I like to have a plan and I like other people to go along with my plan. Jesse's control shows up more in wanting to be able to control decisions other people make or to make sure that everything is always okay with me and our kids -- and when it's not, he feels a lot of stress and like things are spinning out of control. Fostering has been such a good exercise for us in learning to let go of our neat lit...
Nov 03, 2020•30 min
If you or someone you love -- especially your kids -- struggle with anxiety or worry, you do not want to miss this episode of The Crystal Paine Show. I'm joined by Sissy Goff, the author of Raising Worry-Free Girls. In our conversation, Sissy talks about how to spot signs of anxiety in our kids, how our approach can help or hurt our kids, what to do if your child is struggling with perfectionistic tendencies or stressing over grades, why anger and frustration in our kids can be a sign of anxiety...
Oct 27, 2020•33 min
It’s been a while since we’ve answered your burning questions and this is one of your favorite types of episodes! So Jesse and I had fun answering another batch of questions you all have submitted recently. In this episode, we talk about how old we are, how long Champ will be with us, what to do if you want to have kids and your spouse doesn't, when we start talking about the birds and the bees with our kids and how we approach it, how school is going for our kids, plans for international travel...
Oct 20, 2020•32 min
