Setting year long goals can be a helpful way to stay on track with our ideals. Listen in for a very brief discussion of how and why to track fitness, reading, and outside time goals in 2026.

Parents are in the business of training --and that should include training to serve. We train our kids not to run in the road, to put their shirt on frontwards, and to use the bathroom. During childhood these actions are challenging, but by adulthood, most of us have it figured out. We practiced these things over and over until they became ingrained and second nature. In addition to learning to brush our teeth or make breakfast, I want to teach my kids to be kind and generous. As a parent, I ...

If you’ve been married for more than five minutes, chances are you’ve faced conflict. Sometimes conflicts resolve easily, but other times they can eat away at your heart and mind. What should your heart’s response be when your spouse is unreasonable and reconciliation seems impossible? When you’re facing serious disagreements with no clear path forward, what are some practical next steps you can take? Today, we’re going to look at the conflict between two women in the Philippian church and se...

Several years ago, the kids and I started eating our breakfast on the front steps of our house. I had just finished reading The Art of Neighboring, in which the authors encouraged Christians to look for simple ways to be “seen” in their neighborhoods. One of the easiest ideas they shared was moving some activity from the backyard to the front yard. At first, I set up a blanket on the grass and read stories in the afternoon, but eventually, we settled into being morning “front steps people,” a...

Fall is a popular time to start thinking about thankfulness. Thankful, Grateful, Blessed is on every mug, pillow, and sweater. What’s not to love about gratefulness? Talk to a random person on the street and ask them if they think gratefulness matters and they will almost certainly say yes. But what is thankfulness? How is Christian thankfulness distinct from secular thankfulness? Why is the object of our gratitude far more important than the expression of our gratitude? With our ...

Is passion in marriage something we ought to desire? Where do we see a basis for pursuing romantic love in Scripture? How important is friendship to a marriage? If I am sacrificing myself for the needs of my spouse and putting him first, does it matter if he feels like my “best friend”? Why or why not? In a two part conversation our guests Jason and Casey Cashell are going to help us think through how to cultivate and stimulate deep love and connection in a sustainable and lifegiving way rega...

It’s very normal for couples to fall into patterns of living that feel more like roommates than lovers. The process of running a household –at any stage –can be very consuming. Did you take the trash out? Did we schedule the plane tickets? Have you noticed the door hanging at an angle? Everyday tasks can be even more consuming during the little years. Little kids require a lot of physical and mental energy and it can be common for spouses to feel disconnected from one another after...

As moms, we often have a tendency to be “all in” for our kids but then feel used up when it comes to our husbands. How does our relationship with our husband affect our kids? And why should we make a conscious effort to put the health of our marriage above the needs of the kids? Often we can get into cycles of frustration with our spouse and our words can have a tendency to spiral. What is at the root of our words? How can we begin to turn from speaking words that tear down to speaking words ...

Chocolate is yummy, parenting is hard. These things are self-evident. Marriage is also hard. There may be seasons when we feel bitter and frustrated --particularly if we feel like we are carrying a double parenting load. How should we respond when we feel ourselves becoming bitter and resentful toward our husbands? How can we come alongside our husbands and support them in their role while still being honest about our struggles? How should we think about submission during seasons ...

"1 Peter 3:15 says 'Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect' Do you see the overlap here? As we live our lives and people notice the hope we have, we should be excited to share with our friends the reason for our hope – because we want what is best for our friends. But to do it with respect! And this gets to the heart of what we’re doing. To be a friend you have to be vulnerable. We ar...

One of the most well-known stories in the Old Testament–God commanding Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac–is also one of the most infamous. My husband says that this passage haunts him. During law school, his classmates would reference Genesis 22:1-19 as evidence of the destability of God. How could a good God possibly command something so vile? Atheist Richard Dawkins calls it a “disgraceful story.” But when we look at this story in light of God’s plan to save his people through ...

Although the physical benefits of running, and exercise generally, are huge, the mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits are even more compelling. In this segment of the episode we will walk through some of the science behind why working out makes us feel good and consider how God has made us to be moving creatures. “God made us to move and to do so vigorously. And He wired our brains to leverage vigorous movement, reward it, and reinforce it. Exercise makes happier humans, and ...

We know fitness matters --but exactly do we make it happen when we have so much else going on? For me it is helpful to remain consistent, look for ways to be creative, and weave both a plan and people into my fitness goals. In this portion of the episode I'll walk through what fitness looks like for me and my kids and share some best practices that I hope will give you some ideas for ways to consistently and creatively pursue fitness too.

Motherhood requires a mountain of energy, perseverance, and sacrifice. When you’re caring for your kids’ little bodies, it’s hard to squeeze in time to look after your own. But so often, when we neglect caring for ourselves, we end up running on fumes, our exhaustion and irritability spilling over onto the very people we love the most. Listen in to Stacy Reaoch is a pastor's wife, mother of four, and author of Beautiful Freedom share encouragements for working out without overdoing it. *** He...

Why are traditions important? Where do we see a basis for traditions in the Bible? How can celebrating holidays like the 4th of July inspire us to greater ideals? How can traditions help form our identity as a family? Listen in to a sweet conversation with James Nelson about the power of traditions in our lives and the way it has shaped us as a couple. Happy 4th of July!!

Contemporary motherhood narratives are all over the place. On the one hand, it is assumed that moms can’t shower, do a serious Bible study, or go on a run and that it’s normal to want to “escape” from our kids. On the other hand, the expectation to do it all can feel overwhelming.The internal pendulum of motherhood swings from striving to complaining and back again –sometimes in the course of an hour. How do we escape this cycle and reorient our parenting around Christ our Redeemer?

According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics only 4.1 percent of Americans attended or hosted social gatherings on a given weekend or holiday in 2023. On the one hand, the decline of parties may not seem like such a big deal. The majority of Americans feel too busy (60 percent of the general population and 74 percent of parents) –so why not just eliminate the party stress? But when we continually choose our cozy jammies over “putting ourselves out there” we suffer. God creat...

A quick addition to the conversation with Katheryn Butler. Buster's Ears Trip Him Up Series: Good News for Little Hearts

If you were to ask your child what gives him or her value, what would they say? The message that our kids hear from culture is that our accomplishments define our worth. Although this philosophy isn’t new, thanks to information technology kids suffer mounting pressure to base their identity on their successes. “Students today are saturated with messages about performance in their classrooms, with their peers, teachers, colleges, social media, and the larger culture,” comments Jennifer Breheny...

For many of us summertime is a blissful welcome. Schedules are relaxed, sports are mostly over, and there’s a lot more free time. But sometimes that lack of structure can feel really daunting! “What exactly am I supposed to do with these wild little humans?” Listen in for encouragement from Meredith Hammer, mom of eight, to soak up this slow season of summer through thoughtful schedules, low-pressure adventures, and intentional family time. This episode covers: ChoresRoutines Kid d...