As we started this show we were talking about how tired we were from all the Christmas celebrations we were involved in. But our weariness doesn't compare to the many people that feel that weariness on a regular basis. Day after day many people experience depression, loneliness, and even hopelessness as they peer into the future. As we close out 2021 and come into 2022 it seems that there are many things trying to steal any possibility that we may have for joy. Whether it's Covid, the economy, p...
Dec 27, 2021•32 min•Season 4Ep. 166
Could you image being one of three siblings and on Christmas morning both of your siblings received their regular share of gifts, and you received nothing? Put that vision in your head for just a second. What kinds of thoughts would be racing through your mind? How would you feel about your other siblings or parents? Let's take this one step farther and imagine this happening year after year. This is not a scene that I hope any child ever has to experience, but in today's show we will explore so...
Dec 19, 2021•42 min•Season 4Ep. 165
Before you quickly excuse yourself from this show or the thought that you might be a jealous person, you might want to take a second look! This show is a powerful lesson on what jealousy, envy, and coveting are all about. We are quick to rationalize our behaviors but with a little reflection we can see how easily and often we fall into these ugly spaces. Jealousy and Envy have one major thing in common, YOU! That's right! These challenges are all about your selfish nature. Your desire to have wh...
Dec 10, 2021•36 min
You know the definition of insanity; doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results! That's what many of our arguments with our spouse looks like. Why do we keep fighting about the same issues? This show is so powerful at giving you the tools to stop this insanity. Couples seldom are arguing about what they appear to be arguing about. Whether they are arguing about kids, money, in-laws, or even the color to paint the bathroom. Recognizing that these are not actually the sourc...
Dec 05, 2021•43 min•Season 4Ep. 163
As we approach the Christmas Season we see many things around us that remind us of Christmas. Between presents, Christmas trees, ornaments, music, and all the Christmas parties, there is no shortage of reminders; at least reminders of the secular version of Christmas. That is why we have called this the season of stuff. Every where you look you see Christmas stuff! Stuff is not all bad! But, when we loose our focus on the main reason for Christmas, and set our focus on the stuff, we tend to beco...
Nov 28, 2021•36 min•Season 4Ep. 162
Have you ever heard the song by Country Music Singer, Mac Davis, It's Hard to be Humble? Merrill tries is talent at singing a portion of the song only to be derailed by Linda. But, the point is how do we deal with being humble. In this show, Linda and Merrill take on the conversation of humility and thankfulness as we come into the Thanksgiving Season. These are terms that often get thrown around lightly, but the challenge of actually living this words is no light task. Humility is not how many ...
Nov 20, 2021•35 min•Season 4Ep. 161
Adoption sounds like such a great thing! Largely, because it is. Adoption can be an incredible experience in both the adopted child's life and the adoptive family's life. But there is a reason that not everyone is doing it, nor should everyone do it. Adoption can be very difficult. It comes with many different challenges, some expected, many unexpected. In this show, Linda and Merrill celebrate National Adoption Day by discussing the topic of adoption. They refer to their own personal experience...
Nov 14, 2021•36 min•Season 4Ep. 160
As more and more people look for solutions to their problems from mankind, there are fewer people using prayer as a resource. Often, you hear of prayer use as the last resort. "If all else fails, you can always pray." This use of prayer as a last resort actually speaks a great deal as to what people really believe and understand about prayer and God. We may ask the question, "Why should I have to pray to God? If he is all-knowing then wouldn't he give me what I need without me asking?" On the su...
Nov 07, 2021•38 min•Season 4Ep. 159
Many people do not believe in the idea of Spiritual Warfare. When you bring it up they dismiss it or think of it as a mythical concept. As much as we would like to dismiss it, you if call yourself a Christian, you can't dismiss, and in fact, you have a responsibility to learn more about it. Scripture is very clear about the reality of Spiritual Warfare. There is a saying about scripture that says, "if it is repeated it is important". This is the case with this idea. Spiritual Warfare is spoken o...
Oct 31, 2021•37 min•Season 4Ep. 158
This is not just a show about Halloween with ghost and goblins. This is a show about the reality of The Dark Side. The fact that there truly is a realm of life that tries to exist out of the light. When we say, "The Dark Side", we mean that this a side that denies the presence of God. God is light and anything not of God is darkness. The two dimensions are in constant battle to occupy, light vs dark. Things of God vs things not of God. God is the creator of all things good. Love, joy, peace, pat...
Oct 22, 2021•38 min•Season 4Ep. 157
Middle School or Junior High life can be difficult. Those years of wanting to be an older with more privileges and opportunities, but then dealing with the responsibilities that come with them. This is a difficult time in human development, both for the individual going through it and for the people helping them get through it. In this show we invite special guest, Christy Andres, into the studio. Both Linda and Christy have spent a large part of their career working with this age group. The ins...
Oct 17, 2021•36 min•Season 4Ep. 156
There are many different learning styles in which people learn by. But, the reality is, many of us have to learn the hard way! We have to learn by the sometimes difficult path of actually doing. In this episode of Rock Solid Radio, Merrill is kicked out of the studio and Linda invites in special guest, Monica Quintinalla. Monica is a young lady that thought she had life figured out. She was tough, smart, and full of energy, but she was angry! No one could tell Monica anything. She knew it all an...
Oct 10, 2021•31 min•Season 4Ep. 155
Most people would consider themselves coachable, to a degree. Once we attain a certain level of experience and expertise we find that our level of coach-ability begins to wane. What happens? In this show Linda and Merrill discuss their 4 year anniversary of Rock Solid Radio. During this four years they had to learn a lot about coaching and actually putting together shows. But the question is, are they now experts. the easy answer is , NO! After four years Merrill and Linda have grown significant...
Oct 03, 2021•36 min•Season 4Ep. 154
Should you tell your kids who their friends should be? Many parents would like to do this, and, yes, there may be a time when a parent needs to step in and give strong guidance on friendship. But, there really is a better way! How about as parents we teach our kids how to choose their friends well? This is the message in today's show. Teaching your kids how to select friends through the process of raising them with the knowledge and skills to carry this out. If we begin early in the teachings of...
Sep 24, 2021•40 min•Season 3Ep. 153
Would you be okay with your adult grown children living with you indefinitely? This is the question that we are facing more often as we see more young adults not leaving the home. Often times the situation is that they left the home only to return sometime later due to circumstances rendering them homeless. As their parents we feel the need to help them through this difficult time, but when this time becomes undefined and begins to last longer than anyone anticipated, bad things often begin to h...
Sep 20, 2021•37 min•Season 3Ep. 152
There is no question that our children are an incredible blessing and a top priority in our life. But the question of: Do you want a Child Centered Home?, is a question we ask seriously. Many parents believe a child centered home makes great sense and would be something to strive for. However, if we truly watch what happens and see the results of a child centered home, it actually causes more harm than good. As parents we have the responsibility to prepare our children to be adults in this world...
Sep 13, 2021•34 min•Season 3Ep. 151
Many of us have experienced a child that cries and resists bedtime. They have all sorts of reasons; they don't want to miss something, they are afraid, or they just want something more to eat. These episodes can turn into battles between parents and children. Way too often we see the child exerting a stronger will than the parent by pushing the parent to the breaking point. The crying continues until the parent gives in and allows the child to join them on the couch for "just a few minutes" of t...
Sep 07, 2021•37 min•Season 3Ep. 150
Arguing and yelling are fairly common in marriages. Most would say those are not very effective ways to resolve conflict in the relationship. And, for the most part, we would agree. However, one means of illustrating a conflict within a marriage that looks very different from arguing and yelling, is SILENT TREATMENT! Yes, silence can be deadening to a marriage. It can be so dangerous because the ill thoughts and contempt of the heart never gets fully resolved. The accumulation of resentment buil...
Aug 30, 2021•36 min•Season 3Ep. 149
Another school year and another year of kids having homework meltdowns. No wonder so many kids do not look forward to going back to school. It may be hard for many people to believe, but the truth is, most kids really don't like school as much as they like being out of school. There is good reason for this. School can be difficult! Adults like to simplify and minimize the difficulty that kids experience during their school years. They like to say things like, "if you think school is tough, wait ...
Aug 23, 2021•40 min•Season 3Ep. 148
Have you ever had reason to doubt your spouse? What were the red flags? What did you do about it? How did they react to your response? This is the scenario that plays out on a daily basis in many marriages. When trust is in question the entire relationship becomes unstable. Marriage demands two people becoming one. In order to do this you have to understand that each person is putting their life in the hands of the other person. This takes an incredible amount of trust. For this reason, we must ...
Aug 16, 2021•38 min•Season 3Ep. 147
Nothing like a good temper tantrum, unless you're the one having to deal with it. Temper Tantrums are never fun to deal with as a parent. We think of them and even expect to see them from our two year olds, but what about our teenagers or even older? In this show Linda and Merrill talk about what is behind the temper tantrum and why we so often see them in our teenagers and older. We would like to be able to blame the children as being a product of the times, but more specifically we need to und...
Aug 09, 2021•41 min•Season 3Ep. 146
Have you ever just felt like you and your spouse argue over the same old things and come up with the same old results? Most of us have experienced this and it leads us to frustration, hurt, anger, isolation, and yes, even divorce. In this episode of Rock Solid Radio, Merrill and Linda introduce a new segment called The Tool Box. This segment is all about understanding what tools you have at your access and how to use them. Most of us have far more tools than we realize, but through practicing th...
Aug 01, 2021•32 min•Season 3Ep. 145
Sometimes we have bad days, but sometimes we have tragic days. Days that are so tragic that they leave us in a state of grief. Deep sadness that leaves us questioning and searching for answers. Many who experience grief wonder if they will ever smile again. If their life will ever be "normal" again. These are real questions with what seems like uncertain answers. Debby, one of our Rock Solid clients, has grief piled so deep in her life she began to feel like Job. "What is going on in my life?" "...
Jul 23, 2021•38 min•Season 3Ep. 144
Parenting is already difficult, but when you add a divorce into the mix, everything becomes more difficult. Divorce is ugly for many reasons, one of which is how it impacts the parenting process. Kids get caught up in the hurt of the breakup, but also the lingering hurt between the ex-spouses. When people are hurt, they tend to allow the emotional pain to dictate their behavior, this often looks like revenge. What better way to seek revenge on your ex than by using the children to get back at ea...
Jul 18, 2021•37 min•Season 3Ep. 143
What kind of memories has your family made this Summer? During this show, Linda and Merrill talk about memories that their parents made in their lives and how they have tried to make positive memories in their kids' lives. They almost lost sight of this until one day their older sons reminded them of the importance of making more great memories. Making memories, in fact, good memories, are important in our lives. Good memories give us hope and energy to live another day. They create joy and a ha...
Jul 12, 2021•33 min•Season 3Ep. 142
Among the most serious shows we have done! As a means to educate and bring attention to the evils of the sex trafficking industry, Rock Solid Radio brought in Scarlet Hudson. Scarlet is the founder of Women of Alabaster ministry. This is a ministry that goes out on the front lines of the sex trafficking world and works to show a way out of the darkness to all that are involved. Through love, truth, passion, and Christ, Scarlet shows these victims that there is hope! You might think that sex traf...
Jul 01, 2021•43 min•Season 3Ep. 141
If I only had more money! I would be happy with a little more money! Money! Money! Money! You get the picture. In this show Merrill brings in a special guest, Zac Strobl, that helps us discuss the issues of money that face many of our younger couples today. He takes us through the understanding of money and debt and how we must learn to manage it, before it manages us. Zac is a teacher of the Dave Ramsey program, Financial Peace. He instructs people on how to learn more about what money means to...
Jun 28, 2021•39 min
PART 3 in a 4 part series on Instant Gratification. In this show Merrill and Linda tackle yet one more challenges of the flesh, sex and pornography. This multibillion industry is thriving for a reason and at a huge expense to our marriages and families. The reason is simple; sexual arousal is among the most powerful of our fleshly pleasures. The feeling of arousal is powerful enough that people are willing to pay billions of dollars and risk incredibly valuable assets such as marriages, liveliho...
Jun 15, 2021•40 min•Season 3Ep. 139
Part 2 in a 4 Part Series - Instant Gratification. In this show, Linda and Merrill take on the seeking of instant gratification from our screens. It is no surprise that over 97% of U.S.adults have a cell phone. It is also no surprise that many of us admit to having a level of addiction to our phones. The phones and other various screen technologies are not the problem. The problem is how we have been knowingly conditioned to receive brain stimulation that creates a feeling of gratification, inst...
Jun 13, 2021•43 min•Season 3Ep. 138
This is the first of four shows in which Linda and Merrill speak about instant gratification and how it can lead to pain, suffering, and even destruction. Whether it is your health, marriage, family, or faith, seeking to quench the thirst of the flesh can be a costly thing. In this series, Linda and Merrill have fun talking about some of their own fleshly desires, but they also go very deep when talking about the cost and how Satan loves to work through our desires. This series is for everyone, ...
Jun 06, 2021•37 min
