Anchored Decisions

Show Notes

Can journaling really help you make better decisions — and hear from God more clearly? In this episode, spiritual director and journal coach Kari Bartkus shares how prayer journaling creates space to process emotions, clarify your values, and invite God into your decision-making. We talk...

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Every decision we make—big or small—creates ripple effects that impact far more than we often realize. In today’s episode, Lauren walks through real-life examples (including her own home renovation saga) to unpack how one decision can lead to a cascade of long-term relational, financial,...

Show Notes

Show Notes

In this episode of The Anchored Decision Show, Lauren sits down with financial advisor Jami McCree to take a deep dive into investing—what it looks like, when to start, and how to prioritize it alongside o...

Learn how to handle money with wisdom, purpose, and biblical truth.

In this episode of The Anchored Decision Show, Lauren sits down with Certified Financial Planner Emily Scott to talk about biblical financial planning. From creating a God-honoring budget to deciding what to invest in, Emily shares...

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AI is becoming more integrated into our daily lives—from simplifying tasks to generating content to helping us plan our weeks. But where’s the line between using AI as a tool and letting it take over? In this episode, I’m sharing the real ways I use AI in my personal life and business, a...

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AI is becoming a bigger part of how we make decisions — from choosing what we watch to making major financial decisions. But what happens when we rely on it too much? Could we be outsourcing our ability to think critically, seek God’s wisdom, and grow through the decision-making process?

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Are you praying about a decision but feel like God is silent? In this episode, we dive into five biblical reasons you might not be hearing from God—and what you can do about it. You'll learn how God speaks today, ways you may have already heard from Him without realizing it, and practica...

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Are You Struggling to Decide Which Commitments to Take On?

In this episode of The Anchored Decisions Show, I’m joined by Joni Topper to talk about making wise decisions about commitments. Joni shares powerful stories...

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Are you torn between two big choices and don’t know which one is right for you? In this episode of Ask a Decision Coach, I help Marie navigate her decision between a fixer-upper with land or a move-in-ready home in a tight-knit community. Instead of relying on a pros and cons list, we us...

Show Notes

Are you struggling with decision-making and wondering if you're truly hearing from God? In this episode, I share my journey from being the world’s biggest overthinker to becoming a confident decision-maker, all by the grace of God. You'll hear how a last-minute calling led me to launch t...

In this episode, Lauren goes over a concept she learned years ago from the Andy Stanley Bible study called “The Principle of the Path.” The overall concept is to ask yourself, “What’s the wise choice.” To determine the wise choice, think about your end destination and let that determine the steps you take to get there. What direction are your actions leading you in, and are they helping you reach your goals or leading you down a pa...

In this episode of the Anchored Decisions Show, Lauren Black welcomes guest Rachel Mitchell, a mother of two teenage boys, to discuss how to help children become good decision-makers. They talk about involving kids in the decision-making process, teaching kids about fasting, and Rachel’s decisions between homeschool and public school. Rachel shares her strategies for teaching kids to seek God's guidance in their decisions, practica...

In this episode of The Anchored Decision Show, Lauren Black interviews interior designer Michaela Farwell from Fairspring Design. Together, they explore essential tips for honing your personal home design style, balancing trends with timeless choices, and ensuring your design flows seamlessly from room to room. Michaela shares insights from her design journey, discussing the art of blending styles and how to create spaces that are ...

In this episode of the Anchored Decisions podcast, host Lauren Black delves into the importance of helping children find their career paths early on. Inspired by her own experiences and volunteer work with youth groups, Lauren discusses the significance of guiding kids towards careers they are both passionate about and skilled in. She introduces Anna McLaughlin, a certified life coach and former corporate lawyer, who shares insight...

Questioning whether you should send your child to public school as a Christian? In this episode, I share about the struggles with choosing a school for your child as a Christian — not just for the academics, but for a well-rounded social, emotional and educational intelligence. I share my journey of selecting a school for my child, including the various options I was considering and my pros and cons for each — public school, privat...

Struggle with negative thoughts, making assumptions or self-criticism? In this episode, Lauren provides a 3-step process for extinguishing the negative voices in your head and distinguishing what's true. Catch your lies and negative thoughts before they lead you down a rabbit hole that affects your mood, your words, your actions and your emotions.

Key points:

3 Steps to Know and Live by the Truth

STEP 1: Take captive the nega...

In this episode, I’m joined by Kimberly Christian, a licensed clinical social worker and faith-based counselor. Kimberly introduces us to her program, The Christian Method, which combines cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with biblical principles to help people understand and transform their thoughts and feelings using CBT techniques.

Kimberly delves into the crucial difference between thoughts and feelings, emphasizing that though...

Lauren provides an update on her home renovation — sharing how they've been trying a bunch of different options for her kitchen layout. She thought she was being indecisive, but then realized it was a different culprit: perfectionism.

Lauren dives into the differences between perfectionism and indecision, and gives some examples of each, to help you determine which you struggle with, so you can problem-solve the best way to move fo...

Join us in this enlightening episode as we sit down with Brenda Yoder, a licensed mental health counselor, elementary school counselor, speaker, former teacher, podcaster, and author. Brenda shares insights from her books, including her latest, "Uncomplicated: Simple Secrets for a Compelling Life." We delve into the wisdom of past generations, the importance of practical skills and problem-solving, and how to balance modern technol...