It's the fourth day of Christmas. We're celebrating Christmastide - 12 days of brief Scriptures and thoughts to let the message of Christmas nourish our heart and impact our lives. Today we celebrate children! (the Feast of the Holy Innocents). And we pray for the end of evil. The verse for today: "Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod i...
Dec 28, 2023•5 min
It's the third day of Christmas. We're celebrating Christmastide - 12 days of brief Scriptures and thoughts to let the message of Christmas nourish our heart and impact our lives. Christmas means that God came to be WITH us. How can you experience that? The verse for today: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— . . . that which we have seen and heard we proclaim...
Dec 27, 2023•4 min
It's the second day of Christmas. We're celebrating Christmastide - 12 days of brief Scriptures and thoughts to let the message of Christmas nourish our heart and impact our lives. Today - Christmas is not just for you! What does it mean to share - your story, and perhaps your resources? The verse for today: "And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some . . . rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the ...
Dec 26, 2023•4 min
Merry Christmas! We're celebrating Christmastide - 12 days of brief Scriptures and thoughts to let the message of Christmas nourish our heart and impact our lives. Today, Christmas Day, we consider what it means that Jesus entered our world - God becoming human. The verse for today: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14
Dec 25, 2023•5 min
The Christmas season brings lots of emotions; anticipation, hope, joy – and for some, deep loneliness, pain, or grief. Being intentional about how you celebrate the holiday season will make it so much more meaningful. In this holiday episode Dr. Carol talks with Dr. Andrew Fox, pastor and professor, about the deeper meaning of Christmas including some unique and fun differences in how Christmas is celebrated in the U.S. versus Great Britain. Find Dr. Fox on his website , Facebook , Instagram , o...
Dec 19, 2023•29 min
What stays with you from what you read or hear? Isn't it stories you remember best? Our human minds are created to run on story. In our information-saturated world, what does that idea have to say about our relationship with God? About Scripture? About how we share the gospel with others? In this fascinating episode Dr. Carol talks with Jerry Jenkins, author of over 200 books including "The Chosen" novels, about his 50-year career in writing stories. Also they talk about his writing process, wha...
Dec 12, 2023•32 min
To be human is to suffer. And we don't like that! Much of our energy is expended is seeking to prevent or stop suffering. It's not that such efforts are not good; they are. But if we are to get through this human experience with any hope at all, we will need to change our relationship with suffering. To help us do that, Dr. Carol talks with Dr. Curt Thompson, Christian psychiatrist, about the journey from suffering through perseverance and character to the formation of hope. If you suffer, you n...
Dec 05, 2023•46 min
Fractured marriages, sexual addiction, deep anxiety - these are just a few of the kinds of struggles Dr. Carol Ministries is privileged to help people find healing from. In this unusual Giving Tuesday episode, Dr. Carol says Thank You to YOU for your prayers, sharing, and support. You'll hear stories from several individuals and couples who have found hope, lasting transformation, and joyful wholeness through our resources. We ask for your prayers, and for your financial support so we can contin...
Nov 28, 2023•17 min
Your relationship - or lack thereof - with your earthly father impacts your relationship with your heavenly Father. If your earthly father was absent, or unpredictable, or harsh and abusive, or neglectful, or emotionally unavailable, you'll experience God the same way. Overcoming father wounds is a challenge for so many people. Kia Stephens has experienced father wounds. In this episode she talks with Dr. Carol about the long process of her healing, and how she has built a healthy relationship w...
Nov 21, 2023•38 min
Don't you often wish God would "zap" you from here to there? If you need to change and you ask Him to change you, don't you wish it would happen quickly? But all longterm followers of Jesus discover that spiritual transformation is a process - and one where we learn to cooperate with God. Jonathan Daugherty has experienced that transformation, and now as founder and president of Be Broken Ministries he helps many others experience that as well. In this episode he talks with Dr. Carol about the 3...
Nov 14, 2023•39 min
Christian culture has promoted the idea of purpose and calling. But the struggle to find and fulfill one's purpose and calling has left many feeling frustrated, tired, and discouraged. Longing for significance and greatness seems often futile and disappointing. Do our priorities and perspective need to be changed? Dr. Carol talks with Kelly Needham, Bible teacher, author, wife and mom, about how we've been fooled in our understanding of purpose. Striving for meaning and longing for significance ...
Nov 07, 2023•40 min
Every marriage is the union of two sinners. And that sets every couple up for pain and disappointment. Most couples simply react to the stresses their marriage encounters, or don't think about it much until a crisis hits. Grace and intentionality can change all that. On this episode Dr. Carol talks with Brad and Marilyn Rhoads about how their own marriage was desperately challenging in the beginning, and how grace change both of their hearts. They then address how grace impacts communication, se...
Oct 31, 2023•39 min
Sobriety is not enough. There are many men who have found sobriety from problematic sexual behaviors, but their relationships are still in tatters. And many women say something like, "My husband doesn't know how to love me." What's missing? Dr. Eddie Capparucci answers these questions in this episode with Dr. Carol, addressing the underlying reasons many men struggle with addiction, sex, and intimacy, and how they can overcome these blind spots. If you want to move beyond stopping bad behavior a...
Oct 24, 2023•42 min
Who hasn't felt knocked down, held back, or left out? Perhaps you feel that way now. Whether your problems stem from your own choices and behaviors, or whether you've been harmed by others, there is a pathway back to goodness and a life full of purpose. That pathway involves cooperating with God in changing your mindset and taking positive action. Kimberly Jones, better known as Real Talk Kim, talks with Dr. Carol on this episode about places in her life where she felt stuck, and how she changed...
Oct 17, 2023•35 min
Most of us human beings try to live beyond the limitations of our time, energy, and responsibilities. We see limits as a bad thing. But God doesn't. Might our very limits be part of God's gifts to us? And how might understanding the humanity of Jesus help us navigate these questions? In this episode Dr. Carol talks with Dr. Kelly Kapic about our nature as created beings, and how our limits are actually good news. They discuss what Jesus becoming a human being might imply about our bodies and our...
Oct 10, 2023•36 min
Too often narcissism seems to thrive in our churches as well as in some Christian homes. Navigating out of the pain and dysfunction involved is hard. And Chuck DeGroat has been helping churches, individuals, couples, and church systems address these issues for over 20 years. On this episode Dr. Carol talks with Chuck DeGroat about some of the deeper personal and church system factors that can lead to narcissism, and what's required to find healing both personally and in the church. If you've bee...
Oct 03, 2023•41 min
Someone sitting beside you at church, at work, or at school has experienced sexual abuse or exploitation. Perhaps that's even you. Unfortuately, the Christian community's response has not always been effective. Drawing from her own story makes Trish Propson – chaplain, author, speaker, and advocate – a sensitive and engaging voice in bringing hope and healing to those who need to be set free. On this episode Dr. Carol talks with Trish to shine the light on how sexual abuse and exploitation are a...
Sep 26, 2023•40 min
The loneliness epidemic is real, and has a larger impact on physical and mental health than most people realize. But friendship is hard and messy, perhaps more so in our culture today than ever before. Are ongoing authentic friendships really possible? And are they worth the effort and the risks? Lawyer, author, and speaker Justin Whitmel Earley joins Dr. Carol on this episode to talk about how we are all Made for People and the concept of covenant friendship. He talks vulnerably about the diffi...
Sep 19, 2023•33 min
Teens and young people today are swimming in, drowning in, an unhealthy culture especially around issues of sexuality and gender. Holy sexuality often seems outdated or impossible. But these questions and challenges are not new. Dr. Christopher Yuan joins Dr. Carol in this deep and empowering episode to address holy sexuality - what it is, how it differs from the contemporary mindset, where these challenges come from, and how teens and young people can be discipled to embrace a gospel-centered l...
Sep 12, 2023•47 min
"Meaningless. Meaningless. Everything is meaningless." Those depressing words are actually from the Bible. If your life and marriage are messed up and meaningless, is there any way to find growth and meaning for yourself and for your relationship? Jeff and Tami Allen say Yes. On this week's podcast they talk with Dr. Carol about their tumultuous, even traumatic, early years together, and the long journey to finding true goodness and meaning. You'll see Jeff's extremely popular comedy with a whol...
Sep 05, 2023•51 min
Issues around same-sex relationships are "hot topics" both in culture and in the Christian church. And what about same-sex marriage in particular? What does the Bible really say about same-sex marriage? And how should we even go about addressing these kinds of questions? On this no-holds-barred episode Dr. Carol talks with Preston Sprinkle from the Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender , about what the Bible has to say about what marriage IS and how that impacts our conversations around LGB is...
Aug 29, 2023•57 min
Narcissism can be an unfounded accusation, and it can also lead to marriage trauma. How do you know if you're living with a narcissist? And what if you might be one? Narcissism creates challenges for any relationship, but especially in the most intimate relationship of marriage. In this episode Dr. Carol talks with Dr. Jake Porter, relational psychotherapist, about the nuances of narcissism, why we all need a bit of it and when it becomes a problem, and some practical things you need to know if ...
Aug 22, 2023•48 min
We all experience loss. Small or large, healing from any loss requires grieving well. Many people imagine grief only applies when a loved one dies. It certainly applies then, but for mental, relational, and spiritual health it's important to grieve all our losses. Chuck and Ashley Elliott have experienced losses - individually and together, including loss of trust through pornography use, and loss of children through repeated pregnancy loss. They talk with Dr. Carol on this episode about the imp...
Aug 15, 2023•42 min
Questions around gender identity have become a hot topic both in culture and for many Christian families and young people. Why now? What the medical world calls "gender-affirming care" has major, often permanent, life-altering consequences. Should we be concerned? This episode features a conversation between Dr. Carol and Lori Kuykendall, president of Beacon Health Education Resources. Lori has many years of experience in ministry, health education, and the public sphere, and she has plenty to s...
Aug 08, 2023•38 min
When you said "I do" you were expecting a connected, safe, life-giving, and intimate relationship. But you may now be wondering, "What's gone wrong?" Too many spouses end up living as roommates instead of as soulmates. You'll find yourself saying "me too" in this powerful episode as Dr. Carol outlines nine barriers to whole-person intimacy in marriage, and provides six specific keys to overcoming those barriers. And you'll hear about a practical resource to help you put those keys into practice....
Aug 01, 2023•44 min
When trust is broken in a marriage there's always an underlying story. Although behaviors absolutely matter, there's more to be addressed. Looking at the matters of the heart for both the betrayer and the betrayed spouse makes a new chapter possible - regardless of what happens in the marriage. In this episode Jessica and Ryan McDaniel talk with Dr. Carol about their story. You may first think it's Ryan's story, but keep listening; it's Jessica's story too! And then they talk about what's happen...
Jul 25, 2023•51 min
Being married and feeling alone may be the worst loneliness of all. Whether or not sex is happening, your heart craves true intimacy. And can true connection happen even after trust has been broken? Danisa and Jorge Suarez did not have good role models to build their marriage on, but they persisted. In this episode Dr. Carol talks with them about what they learned, and their work together now as a couple helping other couples overcome sexual issues or betrayal and build the kind of intimacy they...
Jul 18, 2023•44 min
If you're a parent, you are likely anxious about talking with your kids about sex. And many parents and others who care about kids feel that the ways most people have been handling "the sex talk" hasn't worked well at all. The Lindas have a different approach than you're used to seeing. In this episode Dr. Carol talks with Linda Noble and Linda Stewart, who are both educators and parents, about the deeper ideas kids need to understand about God's design for the body, sex, love, and relationships...
Jul 11, 2023•47 min
Relationship status is a big deal. Marriage was God's idea, and He created it to be good. But when we make something God created to be good into an idol, it becomes harmful. We can do that with marriage or parenthood. We can also do that with singleness. In this brief episode Dr. Carol addresses the harm that can come when we turn one of God's good gifts into an idol, and how we must fully live into the relationship status to which God has called us – regardless of whether married, single, or pa...
Jul 04, 2023•17 min
LUST. What a disturbing word for many. Is living without lust possible? What is lust, and is it possible to have healthy sexual desire apart from lust? Dr. Carol's guest on this episode believe the answers to those questions is YES. Jay Haug is the executive director of Living Without Lust, an organization helping men who struggle with lust and supporting the Christian leaders who serve them. He shares his own story of sex addiction and the long journey to finding freedom, and what the most impo...
Jun 27, 2023•39 min
