Love Your People Well | A Therapist’s Tips For Christian Mom Life, Marriage Help, And Family Relationships

Get ready for the New Year with my favorite: The Hope Planner.

Episode 280 // One of the most common things that people recommend when you’re trying to grow in gratitude is… a gratitude list. 

But is it worth the effort? 

I’ve been a counselor for over 15 years. I’ve seen people use gratitude lists well and use them poorly. It’s not a magic wand, but it does have the potential to create big change in your heart. 

So today, ...

Find a Christmas devotional or Advent calendar for yourself, and the whole family.

Episode 279 // Our relationships have a LOT to do with the attitude of our hearts. With healthy, intimate, connected relationships, we grumble less. It’s easier to be thankful, to notice the positive, to feel better. 

But… how do we get there? 

Today, I want to dive into the topic of marriage (and friendship too) and help us see how leaning in ...

Find a Christ-centered Christmas devotional or Advent calendar here.

Episode 278 // Gratitude is more than just a feeling in our heart or something that happens naturally as we smile more often. If we are truly going to be thankful people even on the hard, stressful, chaotic days… well, this is when we really see that gratitude is a spiritual discipline. 

So today, I want to share 7 steps that walk us closer and closer toward t...

Find a Christ-centered resource for your family’s holidays.

Episode 277 // No matter how hard we try, sometimes life disappoints us. And at the holidays, that can be especially hard! There can be tension, conflict, unmet expectations - and we want to figure out how to still be a thankful, joyful person even in that disappointment. 

I hope that your Thanksgiving holiday and Christmas season...

Find a Christ-centered resource for your family’s holidays.

Episode 276 // Habits are far more powerful than we realize. They anchor our days and have a big impact on our mental health, spiritual growth, and family interactions.

So, how do we crush bad habits like grumbling, and build good habits like noticing the GOOD in life? How can we make this such a normal part of who we are - a habit that fills our hearts and spills out ...

Find a Christ-centered resource for your family’s holidays.

Episode 275 // Sometimes, we find our greatest motivation in a reality check about life. And that is my goal in today’s episode: not to discourage, but to encourage all of us to work intentionally on our grumbling hearts. 

And we’ll find that encouragement with a reality check about how our grumbling - and our gratitude! - impacts...

Find a Christ-centered resource for your family’s holidays.

Episode 274 // Happy November, friend! This is the time of year when we have gratitude on the brain. But is it really in our hearts all year long? As Christians, it should be. As moms, we long for it to be. 

So we’re kicking off a mini-series today, diving deep into our calling and desire. How can we become more thankful people? What will it take to stop the grumbling ...

Grab the Stress Relief Workbook for Christian Moms.

Episode 273 // Ever feel a little stressed out? Ha! You’re a mom - of course you do. And heading into the holiday season can sometimes boost our stress level even more.

Today, we’ll look at 10 big-picture areas where you can make a difference in your own mental health, stress level, and your home atmosphere. 

We’ll look at 5 thin...

Go deeper with the Building A Home Of Godliness And Joy devotional workbook.

Episode 272 // None of us can enjoy family life without having healthy boundaries - with those outside our family and inside it! There are different types of boundaries and they will look different with each person. But they all boil down to the same thing:

What are you willing and able to say NO to?

Saying “no” is a skill that we can build. And sayi...

Get biblical help for those big emotions with the Keep Your Cool, Mama 40-day devotional.

Episode 271 // Getting stuck in a pattern of negative thinking is never helpful. It doesn’t feel good, and it doesn’t help us love our husbands and kids well. But, it’s a really common struggle!

Thankfully, like most areas of life, God has hope for us. There are practical action steps that can help us break this cycle of negative thinking ...

Enjoy my devotional workbook on Building A Home Of Godliness And Joy!

Episode 270 // Every moms wants a deep bond with her kids… and the more kids you have, the harder that can get to manage!

I’ve been a family counselor for 15 years, and I’ve got four little ones of my own: triplets and another little one behind them. They’re all still 5 and under. Life is busy - and I know that if I want...

Find a great resource to strengthen your Christian Marriage right here.

Episode 269 // Every marriage will go through hard seasons. Those seasons may be big or small, impacting the whole family or just you as a couple. But your goal is to get through it stronger and closer on the other side.

Which is definitely possible. I’ve been a marriage counselor for over 10 years, and I’ve helped a lot of couples through a lot of hard sea...

Build the family life you want with the Building A Home Of Godliness And Joy devotional workbook

Episode 268 // Personal devotional time or quiet time is a HUGE part of spiritual formation as a Christian. Just because mom life is busy and tiring doesn’t mean our Bible time stops being important! 

In fact, I think it’s fair to say it’s even more important for us to get this time as Christian parents. We need Jesus to shape our l...

Find biblical joy during hard seasons of motherhood with the Joy In The Journey 40-day Devotional

Episode 267 // I love my kids. I love my husband. I love my family. But let’s be real… I also love some “me time” when I’m able to get it. 

Lots of moms feel guilty about wanting, needing, or enjoying some alone time. Yet, Jesus himself sometimes got away from other people in order to be alone! To pray, reflect, sleep, and rest.

...

Build your own daily devotional time with the FREE Holy Habits 45-Day Bible and Prayer Guide.

Episode 266 // Life is always changing. But the Bible is not.

Scripture never changes! It does not adjust to accommodate our busy schedules or reliance on technology. God does not change his mind on what is good or right just because we don’t understand or like it.

There is a biblical picture of what a happy, healthy, and holy marria...

Grab the FREE E-book - Building Your Mom Toolbox: Get Your Family Out Of The Rut And Reconnect

Episode 265 // We’re entering the fall season. For most of us moms, that means new family routines, and getting back to “regular life.” This is not only the perfect time to consider tweaking and strengthening some family rhythms, but also the time when you might be feeling the itch for something to change.

That itch might actually be ...

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Episode 264 // Let’s set some goals today for the incoming Fall season of our families’ lives… how do you feel about the Proverbs 31 woman?

She’s intimidating, but she can be a very helpful picture to lead us into setting goals and clarifying priorities for our families. 

Hop in to join me for a few devotional thoughts on this extraordinary woman. Afte...

Support the show on Patreon and grab access to 100+ devotionals from 2025!

Episode 263 // What are your plans for the day? Are you SURE they’re God’s plans for your day?

I’ve loved Proverbs 16:1 for a long time, because it challenges my natural desire for lists, schedules, and controlling my own plans. I’ve got 4 little kids… any thoughts of controlling the plans are an illusion. 

But God always has a plan - and it’s good, it...

Support the show on Patreon and grab access to 100+ devotionals from 2025!

Episode 262 // No one wants to be thought of as stupid. But none of us really enjoy discipline and correction either. So how do we make sense of Proverbs 12:1 - “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.”

Join me today for a Christian mom-to-mom devotional for encouragement and help from this unusual proverb in Scr...