Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Intentional Parents Podcast
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| When the World Feels Unsafe: How to Navigate Fear, Grief and Tragedy | 20 oct. 2026 | 01:01:25 | |
This is a special, last-minute episode and an important one. In the wake of the Silver Rails shooting in our hometown of Bend, we sat down with our dear friend and therapist Sally Lemos, MS, LPC to talk about what to do when tragedy strikes close to home. Moments like this bring up our deepest fears as parents, and Sally shares biblical, therapeutic, and psychological wisdom for caring for ourselves and our kids. While this conversation was prompted by Silver Rails, it applies to any tragedy your family may face, big or small. We start with caring for yourself first, because we can’t offer comfort unless we’re in a place of comfort ourselves (2 Corinthians 1:3–7). Our kids don’t need parents who are never afraid or who shield them from all pain; they need parents who show them what to do when fear comes. From there, Sally walks through how to start the conversation without forcing it: leading with curiosity, listening more than explaining, and remembering that silence doesn’t mean an absence of emotion. We also talk about helping kids feel safe without dismissing their fears, looking to the story of Lazarus in John 11, and about practical tools like returning to family rhythms and watching for signs that a child may need outside support. Finally, we explore how grief and hope can be held together, which is the story of the whole Bible, and why becoming a safe space matters so much, especially since we’re all going to mess up. We close with Helen Mallicoat’s beautiful poem “I Am,” a reminder that He is with us in our present pain. Navigating Tragedy PDF: www.intentionalparents.org/resources#tragedy Scripture Mentioned: 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, John 11:1-44 + John 16:33 Sowing a Hidden Seed: Marriage Edition is currently available as our thank you gift to Legacy Builders, Intentional’s monthly giving community. Learn more at intentionalparents.org/devotional. Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed: Parenting Edition Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Raising Daughters: Preparing Ourselves to Prepare Our Girls | 14 oct. 2026 | 01:22:49 | |
What do we actually want our girls to know about being a woman? Join us for a conversation between Elizabeth and Diane, where we draw on our experience raising daughters to explore what God needs to form in us first so we can pass it on to them. We look at what Scripture says a woman is and share what we wish we’d done differently. We push back on the lie that there’s one right way to be a woman, and talk about coming alongside our daughters rather than telling them who to be. That begins with two foundations: becoming aware of our own woundedness, and listening to the Spirit, who knows our daughters better than any parenting book or Instagram reel ever could. From there, we begin walking through three things to teach our daughters. The first is her design. From Genesis 1–3, we unpack the idea of the “ezer” and the woman as a giver of life. Even if she never marries, she is an ezer, and even if she never becomes a mother, she is a giver of life. That identity in Christ doesn’t change. The second is to have a voice and use it with wisdom. Her voice matters, she doesn’t have to stay silent, and she can speak with graciousness. The third is a healthy theology of work. We add context to the Proverbs 31 woman, a passage often used to pressure women, and point out that women have always worked, though rarely without a village around them. We want to give our daughters the freedom to pursue hobbies, passions, and careers, and to be honest with them that work and motherhood collide in messy ways. God cares more about our formation than about labels like stay-at-home mom or successful career woman. This conversation was so rich and full that we’re saving the last two points for a part two, coming soon. Scripture Mentioned: Genesis 1–3, Proverbs 18:21, Proverbs 21:9 + Proverbs 31 Book Mentioned: Hearing God by Dallas Willard Previous Podcast Episode Mentioned: Walking With Kids Through Grief, Good News in Sad Stories + Singleness in Church (Interview with Annie F. Downs) (Apple Podcasts, Spotify + YouTube) Diane’s Substack: A Quiet Place Sowing a Hidden Seed: Marriage Edition is currently available as our thank you gift to Legacy Builders, Intentional’s monthly giving community. Learn more at intentionalparents.org/devotional. Intentional Motherhood Retreat: October 15-17, 2026 in Portland, OR Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed: Parenting Edition Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| The Antidote to Estrangement and Relational Strain | 07 oct. 2026 | 00:59:56 | |
In an age of cancel culture, estrangement and relational strain are touching more families than ever. In this episode, we explore humility as the antidote, looking at six marks of a humble person and how they can transform every relationship in your life, from staying teachable when we're corrected to being willing to move toward repair when there's been hurt. Staying teachable is hard when we're busy protecting ourselves from being exposed. With teenagers especially, it's tempting to lead with facts, but listening to understand rather than to correct helps them feel heard and loved. When we take honest ownership of our part, we model responsibility for our kids, and something as simple as saying "you're not wrong" can open the door for humility on both sides. Because shame sits just beneath the surface, we need to respond with care, remembering that pride often masks insecurity and that our tone of voice reveals whether our strength feels like protection or pressure. Ultimately, it isn't our job to reach our children's hearts. That's God's work, and our role is simply to guide them to Him. Since real control isn't possible anyway, releasing the outcome and entrusting everything to God brings freedom, and when one person moves toward repair, the other often follows. Put simply, a humble person is teachable, curious, responsible, gentle, surrendered, and willing to repair. And if someone puts you on a pedestal, it's your job to get off it. The Antidote to Estrangement: Six Marks of a Humble Person
Scripture Mentioned: James 4:6, Isaiah 66:1–2, Philippians 2:8, Deuteronomy 6:4, Philippians 2:21, Proverbs 27:15–16, Luke 4:22, John 7:46 + Matthew 5:3 Sowing a Hidden Seed: Marriage Edition is currently available as our thank you gift to Legacy Builders, Intentional’s monthly giving community. Learn more at intentionalparents.org/devotional. Intentional Motherhood Retreat: October 15-17, 2026 in Portland, OR Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed: Parenting Edition Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| What If I Married the Wrong Person? | 30 sept. 2026 | 00:57:29 | |
What if there's someone better out there? Why is marriage so hard? In this final episode of our Stay in Your Cell series, we name that forbidden thought for what it is: a lie. We start with our own story, including the struggles in our marriage, because we're still in process ourselves. Paul warns that anyone who marries will face trouble. Every marriage has it, from deep heartache and betrayal to the mundane difficulties of daily life. Marriage is also a mirror that reflects who we really are, and the pressure cooker of marriage and kids only makes that mirror bigger. The lie says life would be easier and happier with someone else. But what if, instead of running, you stayed in the pain long enough to find joy in the life you already have? The Desert Mothers and Fathers taught that if you stay in your cell, it will teach you everything you need to know. Staying means accepting the spouse you actually married, not the idealized version we can endlessly edit in our minds. If you feel broken right now, God is with you, and this is not the end of your story. Here are four practices for staying:
When we do our own healing, we bring healing to the next generation too. God gives grace to the humble, and since we can't control our spouse's formation, each of us has to humble ourselves and invite Jesus into the desperate places. Our first yes was said with hope; our later yes is said with knowledge. So maybe the better question is: what if you stay long enough to let God use your spouse to make you the kind of person He wants you to be? Scripture Mentioned: 1 Corinthians 7:28, Genesis 24, Colossians 3:13, John 15:4, James 4:6 + Matthew 5:3 Book Mentioned: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson Sowing a Hidden Seed: Marriage Edition is currently available as our thank you gift to Legacy Builders, Intentional’s monthly giving community. Learn more at intentionalparents.org/devotional. Intentional Motherhood Retreat: October 15-17, 2026 in Portland, OR Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed: Parenting Edition Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Why Is It So Hard to Find Friends and Even Harder to Keep Them? | 23 sept. 2026 | 00:45:46 | |
As part of our “Stay In Your Cell” series, we pose the question: Why is it so hard to find community, and even harder to stay in it? When the family is growing and the calendar is full, it's easy to not send the text, not make the plan, and slowly drift away from the people in our lives. Plus, our culture hands us an easy exit whenever things get uncomfortable: we can unfollow, leave the group chat, or leave the church, and before long we become relationally aloof. And if you're a young family with no relatives nearby and you're struggling, it may be because you were never meant to do this life alone. We talk about how the early church in Acts wasn't built on everyone getting along perfectly or sharing the same life stage and preferences. It was built on being on mission together. Community is a mirror: it reveals our priorities and shows us whether we're hospitable, controlling, or somewhere in between, because we're letting people who aren't family see our weaknesses and our true selves. Inevitably, people will annoy us and church will bother us, but sometimes healing is on the other side of being known, and we can't be known without staying involved. We close with four ways to find and keep community: choose your people before you need your people, practice confession often, repair before replacing, and become the friend you keep wishing you had. Not everyone has to know everything, but some people have to know most things. You can't be deeply known if you're always starting over. And by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can stop critiquing the people around us, stay faithful, and choose to grow right where we've been planted. Scripture Mentioned: James 5:16, Acts 2:42, Colossians 3:13, Galatians 6:2 + Proverbs 18:24 Sowing a Hidden Seed: Marriage Edition is currently available as our thank you gift to Legacy Builders, Intentional’s monthly giving community. Learn more at intentionalparents.org/devotional. Intentional Motherhood Retreat: October 15-17, 2026 in Portland, OR Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed: Parenting Edition Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Why Can’t I Stay Where I Am? Learning to Be Content With Your Actual Life | 16 sept. 2026 | 01:00:48 | |
We're kicking off a new series called "Stay in Your Cell," and it starts with a question we've both been sitting with: why can't we stay where we are, in the current life we actually have? Before we get there, we share an update on the last eight weeks: Elizabeth's ongoing chronic back pain, and how it's shaping the honesty we're bringing into this conversation. We're in this with you, frustrations and all. The series title comes from a saying attributed to the Desert Mothers and Fathers: “Stay in your cell, and it will teach you everything.” Your cell is your home, your job, your community, the actual life in front of you, not the one you're imagining somewhere else. We talk about the difference between being called away from a place and simply being unable to remain in one, and why our generation in particular struggles to stay: bigger houses, nicer cars, a different kid, a different spouse, or just the quiet pull of a screen that makes escape easier than it's ever been. We're honest that escaping doesn't require leaving. Sometimes it's just a phone in your hand while your actual life waits in the next room, and even if you did leave, the same root discontentment would follow you. We land on four practices for learning to stay: naming your escape fantasy (finishing the sentence "if ________ changed, things would be better"), practicing receiving your actual life, building a rule of life for the season you're really in, and refusing to make big decisions out of temporary restlessness. Grounded in Philippians 4 and Romans 5, this episode is an honest, hope-anchored conversation on contentment, perseverance, and the ordinary life you've been given to actually live. Scripture Mentioned: Philippians 4:11-13 + Romans 5:3-5 Books Mentioned: What Grows in Weary Lands by Tish Harrison Warren + Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren Previous Episode Mentioned: 20 Years From Now: What You'll Wish You Focused On As a Parent (w/ Sally Lemos, MS, LPC) (Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube) Sowing a Hidden Seed: Marriage Edition is currently available as our thank you gift to Legacy Builders, Intentional’s monthly giving community. Learn more at intentionalparents.org/devotional. Intentional Motherhood Retreat: October 15-17, 2026 in Portland, OR Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed: Parenting Edition Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| 5 Questions Parents & Adult Kids Need to Ask Each Other | 09 sept. 2026 | 00:51:36 | |
Healthy families keep getting to know each other. We tend to think we already know our family, but people change, and when we stop asking questions, we start assuming intentions instead. Jesus ran into this too: in John 14, he asks Philip, “Don’t you know me...even after I have been among you such a long time?” Even Paul kept pursuing "that I may know him" in Philippians 3, present tense, never finished. If our relationship with Jesus keeps evolving, so does every relationship we're in, and that includes the people at our own table. In this episode, we walk through five conversation starters, mostly for adult kids and their parents, though they work with siblings, friends, or your own teenager too. This is less about family trivia and more about what actually formed the people you love. 5 Questions to Ask:
When someone's answer is hard to hear, we talk about the one response that changes everything. Don't defend or explain. Simply say "tell me more." If you’re willing to ask brave questions, be prepared for brave answers. One piece of wisdom before you press play: don't ask all five at once. Pick one question, one person, and let it unfold over time, since getting to know each other isn't a one-time project, it's a lifelong rhythm. And as you go, ask the Holy Spirit to give you discernment for what to ask and when, and watch him do healing work in places you didn't even know needed it. Scripture Mentioned: John 14:9, Philippians 3:10, Matthew 13:1-23, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Proverbs 28:1 + Psalm 139:23-24 Sowing a Hidden Seed: Marriage Edition is currently available as our thank you gift to Legacy Builders, Intentional’s monthly giving community. Learn more at intentionalparents.org/devotional. Intentional Motherhood Retreat: October 15-17, 2026 in Portland, OR Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed: Parenting Edition Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| We Love Each Other. So Why Is Marriage This Hard? | 02 sept. 2026 | 00:26:42 | |
This week, we open up about Sowing a Hidden Seed: Daily Prayers for Your Marriage to Heal, Grow and Flourish, our new prayer devotional for marriage, and the honest, sometimes hard road that led us to write it. This isn't a book born from a picture-perfect marriage. It came from a real one: two people who have had to learn, over and over, that marriage is worth the fight even when it's hard. We walk through the heart of the devotional and where it came from, including a reflection from the Sermon on the Mount on what it looks like to be blessed and flourishing, even in the middle of struggle. We talk honestly about how neither of us can thrive in marriage on our own strength. We need the power of the Holy Spirit. We also share how the writing process itself became a lesson in marriage: two people learning, again, what it means to become one. From there, we read from two of our favorite (and hardest won) days in the devotional: “Speaking Life” and “Tenderness,” days that speak directly to areas we've each had to grow in. We talk about the practice of praying borrowed prayers when you don't have your own words yet. And ultimately, we emphasize the comforting reality that if you and your spouse aren't currently praying together, that's okay. Give yourself permission to start where you are. It will feel awkward at first, and it gets easier as you build a joint practice of prayer. If you're not praying together as a couple, let this be your invitation to start, one small, imperfect prayer at a time. Sowing a Hidden Seed: Marriage Edition is currently available as our thank you gift to Legacy Builders, Intentional’s monthly giving community. Learn more at intentionalparents.org/devotional. Scripture Mentioned: Matthew 5:1-12 Intentional Motherhood Retreat: October 15-17, 2026 in Portland, OR Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed: Parenting Edition Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Supporting a Struggling Spouse, Honoring Different Values, and Parenting Without a Blueprint (Q+R) | 26 août 2026 | 00:41:28 | |
This week, Brook and Elizabeth answer your real questions on marriage, ministry life, and parenting without a blueprint. First, we tackle supporting a spouse through mental health challenges and healing work, while avoiding enabling and codependency. This often requires doing your own work, not hiding behind theirs. It's easy to excuse yourself because your spouse "has more to heal from," but compassion and personal growth have to go together. Next, we dive into staying yourself while honoring a spouse who values structure more than you do, starting with remembering your differences aren't a problem to fix. Sameness was never the goal. It's worth knowing which hills are actually worth dying on. From there, we talk about the myth of true balance between parenting and ministry. Some seasons ask more of your work, some ask more of your family, and they rarely line up neatly. What matters is stepping back to check the ratio over the long haul, so one area isn't quietly draining another. We also get into parenting without a healthy example growing up, and why it takes real intention. You need models, whether that's books, podcasts, or watching other families closely, because even a good childhood didn't prepare anyone for parenting in today's world. The real turning point is recognizing a pattern isn't working before you can choose something different. Finally, we land on what to do when you're too exhausted or brain dead to spend time with the Lord. We talk about how He isn't guilting you into showing up. He sees your exhaustion and still wants to connect inside of it, which is why ritual matters so much, so you do it regardless of how you feel that day. He's not asking you to try harder, just to come as you are. If any of this sounds familiar, we hope it's a reminder that you're not walking through any of this alone. Scripture Mentioned: James 1:2-5 + John 5:39-40 Book Mentioned: Domestic Monastery by Ronald Rolheiser Previous Episode Mentioned: You're Not Broken: Finding Freedom and Clarity Through an Adult ADHD Diagnosis (YouTube, Spotify + Apple Podcasts) INTRODUCING… Sowing a Hidden Seed: Marriage Edition, a 31-day prayer devotional for marriage, available as our thank you gift to Legacy Builders, Intentional’s monthly giving community. Intentional Motherhood Retreat: October 15-17, 2026 in Portland, OR Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed: Parenting Edition Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| I Thought My Life Would Be Different By Now | 19 août 2026 | 01:10:03 | |
Are you disappointed? In your marriage, your kids, your job, your friendships, even your relationship with Jesus? Maybe there's a quiet voice saying "it could be better," and you're not sure what to do with that. This week, we sit with disappointment: what it actually is, what Scripture says about it, and how it can become a place of growth instead of just a place of hurt. We share honestly from our own lives, including the disappointment we've walked through around physical pain and suffering, and the very human instinct to protect ourselves from ever being let down again. Choosing to hope is a risk. It means choosing to be disappointed too, and we talk about what it looks like to take that risk anyway, and to ask a better question than "why did this happen": what will bring God glory in this? We look at what disappointment brings to the surface: hidden expectations, unhealthy attachments, the places where we've been grasping for control, and false assumptions about God and about other people. Scripture never treats disappointment as a failure of faith. It gives us lament instead of denial, a way to bring our full, honest selves to God rather than around Him. We also draw from the Desert Mothers and Fathers, who saw disappointment as part of spiritual formation itself, and from Elisabeth Elliot's reminder that the secret was never a different set of circumstances, but Christ in her. That's the destination we're aiming for: not the removal of disappointment, but a deeper trust inside of it. Four practical ways to move through disappointment:
Scripture Mentioned: Psalm 13:1, Psalm 22:1, Proverbs 13:12, Luke 22:39-44, 1 Samuel 1 and 2 + Psalm 6:6 INTRODUCING… Sowing a Hidden Seed: Marriage Edition, a 31-day prayer devotional for marriage, available as our thank you gift to Legacy Builders, Intentional’s monthly giving community. Intentional Motherhood Retreat: October 15-17, 2026 in Portland, OR Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Sowing a Hidden Seed: Parenting Edition Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Telling Your Story: The 4 Stories Every Family Needs to Pass Down | 12 août 2026 | 00:59:40 | |
This week, Elizabeth sits down with her parents, Phil and Diane, for a follow-up on our conversation on generations. If the previous episode cast the vision for the role of a grandparent, this episode gets practical: what does it actually look like to set the table and bridge the gap between generations? We talk through four stories every parent and grandparent needs to be telling, stories that give our kids and grandkids a cohesive picture of what a life with God actually looks like. The first is our salvation story, the story of how we came to truly walk with Jesus. The second is our calling story, which isn't only about ministry work. It includes our vocation, our roles, our passion projects, and the stories behind how we found them, with the reminder that gifting usually grows slowly, rarely on the timeline we'd choose. The third is our God-working story, a look at what He has done and what He is doing, told as a whole journey rather than a highlight reel. And the fourth is our generational story. This is the story of our own family, both the hard parts and the good ones, so our kids gain a compassionate framework for where their people came from, along with a clear sense of what to carry forward and what to leave behind. Underneath all of it is a quiet act of resistance. In a culture quick to cancel parents instead of seeking healing with them, telling these stories honestly, including the unanswered prayers and the hard chapters, is how we choose repair over rupture. Psalm 145 says one generation shall praise God's works to another, and shall eagerly utter the abundance of His goodness. That's not just a nice verse. It's a description of what we're actually called to do. This episode is a practical, story-shaped conversation on legacy, honesty, and what it means to hand your family a true picture of God's faithfulness, one generation at a time. Previous Episode Mentioned: More Than Spectators: The Unique Role of Grandparents in Leaving a Legacy for the Next Generation (Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube) Scripture Mentioned: Psalm 145:3-7, Psalm 107:2, John 4:1-42, Ephesians 2:10, Proverbs 22:29, Psalms 145:8-19 + Proverbs 4:7 Books Mentioned: He Speaks in the Silence, Garden City + Raising Passionate Jesus Followers Practicing the Way Genogram Workbook Intentional Motherhood Retreat: October 15-17, 2026 in Portland, OR Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Creating a Family Culture: Traditions, Rituals + Moments of Connection | 05 août 2026 | 01:13:11 | |
Is the culture of your family built in the vision statement or on Sunday nacho night? This week, we talk about what actually forms a family: not the big goals we write down, but the small, repeated moments nobody puts on a calendar. We unpack why connection, rather than correction, is the real foundation kids launch from and come back to. We talk through what works against us: fragmented schedules, everyone on their own device, and different emotional worlds, creating a family life that just happens instead of one we build on purpose. And we get honest about the cost. Saying yes to being the house all the teenagers hang out at costs something, including time, noise, groceries, and other inconveniences. But it also puts your kids on mission with you, right in your own living room. We walk through three small, doable shifts: shared rituals that build belonging, connection before correction, and presence over perfection. It's not about doing more. It's about protecting what's already there. Along the way, we get specific, sharing some of our own family's traditions, moments of connection, and the little rhythms that have quietly become the culture of our homes. This episode is a personal, Scripture-anchored conversation on family rhythms, hospitality, and raising kids who know home is a safe place to come back to. 4 Things to Try This Week:
Scripture Mentioned: 2 Peter 1:13, Deuteronomy 6:4-9 + Psalm 65 Intentional Motherhood Retreat: October 15-17, 2026 in Portland, OR Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| The Lie of "I'm Not Enough" in the Age of Information | 29 juil. 2026 | 01:03:00 | |
In a world where parenting advice is always at our fingertips, why do so many of us feel like we're failing? In this episode, we talk about the pressure to get parenting "right," the anxiety that comes from endless information, and the lie so many mothers carry: I'm not enough. Drawing from responses at our recent Motherhood Retreat, we explore what Scripture says about dependence on God, including Jesus' words, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," and the reminder in 2 Corinthians 3:4-5 that our sufficiency comes from Him, and not from mastering the latest parenting technique. We also discuss what it looks like to quiet the noise by curating your inputs, discerning truth from subtle lies, returning to the actual child God has entrusted to you, and embracing the limitations of your current season. Rather than striving for perfect formulas, we're invited to listen for the Holy Spirit's unique guidance for our families. We close by resting in God's promise from Isaiah 41:10, remembering that His presence, strength and grace are enough. Scripture Mentioned: Matthew 5:3, 2 Corinthians 3:4-6, Luke 5:16, Psalm 139:23-24, 2 Corinthians 12:9 + Isaiah 41:10 Books Mentioned: Searching for and Maintaining Peace by Jacques Philippe Intentional Motherhood Retreat: October 15-17, 2026 in Portland, OR Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Grief + Hope: Infertility, Miscarriage and the Weight of Waiting (w/ Chad and Hillary Blake) | 22 juil. 2026 | 02:02:18 | |
This week, we sit down with Chad Blake, Executive Director of Intentional, and his wife Hillary, dear friends who share their personal journey through infertility, miscarriage, grief, and ultimately, hope. With honesty and vulnerability, they reflect on the pain of longing to grow their family, the challenges of navigating infertility, and the ways God’s faithfulness sustained them through seasons of deep suffering and uncertainty. Throughout the conversation, Chad and Hillary share what it was like to walk through years of uncertainty, prayerfully consider medical options, experience the heartbreak of pregnancy loss, and wrestle with questions about God’s presence in suffering. They discuss the unique ways infertility impacts both men and women, the loneliness that can accompany long seasons of waiting, and the importance of having people who are willing to sit with you in grief rather than trying to fix it. As they candidly share their experiences with miscarriage, anxiety, therapy, and healing, they offer wisdom for those walking through similar struggles and for those seeking to support loved ones dealing with infertility. At the heart of this conversation is a powerful reminder that God is with us in our pain. Rather than offering easy answers or neatly tying a bow around suffering, Chad and Hillary explore how faith makes room for both joy and sorrow, grief and hope. They reflect on how seasons of pain and waiting turned theological theory into lived reality, and how God’s faithfulness through every chapter has deepened their trust in Him. Their story is a testimony that while suffering is real, it does not have the final word, and that even when hope feels foolish, God remains present, trustworthy, and at work. Scripture Mentioned: John 11:35, Romans 8:28, John 14:9, John 1, Romans 4:18-22, Romans 5:3-5 + Luke 11:5-10 Books Mentioned: The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis, A Grace Disguised by Jerry L. Sittser Intentional Motherhood Retreat: October 15-17, 2026 in Portland, OR Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| More Than Spectators: The Unique Role of Grandparents in Leaving a Legacy for the Next Generation | 15 juil. 2026 | 01:20:14 | |
What are we passing on to those who come after us? In this episode, we explore the powerful and often overlooked role of grandparents, who are called not to be spectators but bridge-builders between generations. At the heart of the conversation is the Hebrew phrase L’dor V’dor (לְדוֹר וָדוֹר), meaning “from generation to generation,” a beautiful picture of faith, wisdom, and legacy being intentionally passed down. We discuss the tension many grandparents feel between stepping back too much and overstepping their role, and how healthy involvement can be one of the greatest gifts they offer their families. Investing in children and grandchildren often requires sacrifice, flexibility, and generosity, but it also creates opportunities to leave a lasting spiritual legacy. Grandparents have a unique opportunity to encourage their adult children while helping shape the faith and character of future generations. Three Key Roles of Grandparents:
Ultimately, grandparents have the opportunity to become living proof of the gospel, not through perfection, but through lives that demonstrate that faith can endure hardship, mistakes can be redeemed, relationships can be restored, and following God is worth it. This episode invites listeners to consider the kind of legacy they are building today and what it means to faithfully pass on something of lasting value from generation to generation. Scripture Mentioned: Luke 6:38, Acts 20:35, Psalm 78:1-8, Hebrews 11, 2 Peter 3:1, Deuteronomy 4:9-10, Psalm 105:5, Psalm 103:2, Psalm 92:12-15 + Romans 12:2 Books Mentioned: It's Not About Me by Max Lucado + The Blessing by John Trent Previous Episodes Mentioned: Your Children Will Become Who You Tell Them You See Them Becoming: The Blessing Part 1 (Spotify + Apple Podcasts) + Your Children Will Become Who You Tell Them You See Them Becoming: The Blessing Part 2 (Spotify + Apple Podcasts) Intentional Motherhood Retreat: October 15-17, 2026 in Portland, OR Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Purity Culture: The History, the Harm + the Hope | 08 juil. 2026 | 01:31:04 | |
In this episode, we explore the history of purity culture, how it emerged as a response to the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 70s, and the lasting impact it has had on a generation of Christians now raising their own kids. While many parents and church leaders were motivated by a genuine desire to protect young people and uphold biblical values, purity culture often reduced purity to virginity and communicated messages rooted in fear, shame, and performance rather than grace. We discuss how these teachings affected both men and women, the pressure and responsibility often placed on women, and the ways purity culture shaped how many people view sex, relationships, and their own worth. We also talk about the challenges it created for those who carried shame from their past, as well as those who struggled to embrace sexuality as a good gift from God after years of hearing that desire itself was dangerous. Most importantly, this conversation is about hope. The gospel reminds us that our identity is not defined by our failures and that God's grace is greater than any mistake we have made. We discuss how the church can move toward a healthier, more biblical understanding of sexuality, one that honors God's design while making room for grace, healing, and honest conversations. We close with three practical takeaways:
Scripture Mentioned: Colossians 3:1-17, Matthew 5:8 + Mark 9:24 Previous Episode Mentioned: 20 Years From Now: What You'll Wish You Focused On As a Parent (w/ Sally Lemos, MS, LPC) (YouTube, Spotify + Apple Podcasts) Intentional Motherhood Retreat: October 15-17, 2026 in Portland, OR Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Raising Kids in a Sexually Broken World, Answering Difficult Questions + Not Parenting Out of Fear (w/ Laurie Krieg) | 01 juil. 2026 | 00:51:07 | |
In this episode, we’re joined by Laurie Krieg, author, speaker, podcast host, and Director of Parent Programs & Discipleship at The Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender. Laurie shares parts of her personal story, including life in a mixed-orientation marriage and the journey of confronting childhood trauma that resurfaced later in life. We also discuss her latest book and the experiences that have shaped her passion for helping the Church develop a gospel-centered vision for sexuality. Together, we explore the biblical picture of marriage through Ephesians 5:32, discussing how covenantal marriage reflects the profound mystery of Christ’s relationship with His Church. Laurie shares how these truths have influenced the way she disciples her own children and approaches conversations about sexuality, identity, and marriage in the home. We also dive into practical guidance for parents who want to help their kids navigate difficult questions. Laurie explains why it’s important to fill the “narrative void” before culture does, how to respond when children ask hard questions, and why phrases like “I don’t know” can be both honest and helpful. Along the way, she offers a powerful reminder that “we will transmit what we don’t transform,” encouraging parents to address their own stories and wounds so they can parent from a place of health rather than fear. This conversation is full of wisdom, encouragement, and practical examples for parents seeking to lead their families with both truth and grace. Laurie Krieg: Website, Podcast, Instagram + Raising Wise Kids in a Sexually Broken World Scripture Mentioned: Ephesians 5:32 + Matthew 12:34 Books Mentioned: Raising Wise Kids in a Sexually Broken World by Laurie Krieg, An Impossible Marriage by Laurie Krieg + You and Me Forever by Francis and Lisa Chan Intentional Motherhood Retreat: October 15-17, 2026 in Portland, OR Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| ADHD in Kids: What It Looks Like, How to Provide Support + the Hidden Costs of Missing It | 24 juin 2026 | 00:49:15 | |
Disclaimer: The information shared in this episode is based on our personal experiences and is not intended to serve as medical, psychological, or professional advice. Parenting is about stewarding the children God has given us and helping them flourish according to how He uniquely wired them. In this episode, we discuss ADHD in kids, what it is, how it shows up, and why understanding it matters. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects attention, impulse control, emotional regulation, memory, and executive functioning. It’s not a character flaw or intelligence issue, but a different way the brain processes information and experiences the world. We explore how ADHD can look beyond hyperactivity, including forgetfulness, disorganization, emotional overwhelm, rejection sensitivity, and difficulty following through on tasks. We also discuss how ADHD often presents differently in girls, showing up as anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and daydreaming. Drawing from Colossians 3:21, we talk about the importance of understanding our children rather than simply correcting behaviors, helping them feel supported instead of discouraged. We also address the hidden cost of missing ADHD. While many parents worry about labeling their child, failing to recognize what’s really going on can leave children believing they are lazy, behind, not smart enough, or simply “not good enough.” When we understand and name their struggles, we can help replace shame with understanding and equip them with the support they need to thrive. Five Tools for Parents:
Definition of ADHD: ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects attention regulation, impulse control, emotional regulation, motivation, memory, and executive functioning. It’s not an intelligence issue or a character flaw — it’s a brain-based difference in how someone processes and manages information, tasks, emotions, and stimulation. Many kids and adults with ADHD are highly creative, intuitive, energetic, and capable, but they often struggle in systems that weren’t built for how their brain works. Scripture Mentioned: Colossians 3:21 Intentional Motherhood Retreat: October 15-17, 2026 in Portland, OR Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| The Hidden Dangers of Technology Every Parent Should Know (w/ Chris McKenna of Protect Young Eyes) | 17 juin 2026 | 01:32:25 | |
In this episode, we had the honor and privilege of sitting down with Chris McKenna, founder of Protect Young Eyes, father of four, and author of 5 Habits of the Tech-Ready Family. Chris shares his personal story of early exposure to pornography and how that experience eventually led him to dedicate his life to helping families navigate the realities of raising children in a digital world. Together, we discuss why today's technology landscape presents challenges previous generations never faced, including the accessibility, affordability, and anonymity that place harmful content just a few clicks away. Chris explains what it means to be a "tech-ready" family, not by bubble-wrapping kids from technology, but by developing habits that help families wisely engage with it. We also talk about the hidden dangers within platforms like YouTube, Roblox and Snapchat, as well as the growing concerns surrounding artificial intelligence and its impact on childhood development. Throughout the conversation, Chris offers practical guidance for parents who want to move beyond fear and toward wisdom. From setting boundaries and evaluating risk to staying deeply involved in their children's digital lives, he reminds us that the strongest protection is found in authentic relationships. Chris also challenges churches to take digital discipleship seriously and encourages parents to lead with both grace and truth. Most importantly, he leaves listeners with hope that small, intentional changes can make a lasting difference in their families. Chris McKenna: Protect Young Eyes, Instagram, Facebook + 5 Habits of the Tech-Ready Family Scripture Mentioned: Philippians 4:8 + John 1:14 Books Mentioned: 5 Habits of the Tech-Ready Family by Chris McKenna + The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt Intentional Motherhood Retreat: October 15-17, 2026 in Portland, OR Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| 20 Years From Now: What You'll Wish You Focused On As a Parent (w/ Sally Lemos, MS, LPC) | 10 juin 2026 | 02:06:12 | |
What if you could fast-forward 20 years and discover what really mattered in parenting…and what didn't? In this rich and encouraging conversation, Elizabeth sits down with her mother, Diane, and our dear friend and mentor, Sally Lemos, to reflect on the lessons they've learned through decades of parenting, faith, healing, and growth. Together, we talk about the pressures parents face in an age of endless information, the fear of getting it wrong, and the anxiety many carry about their children's future. Sally and Diane share what they once thought mattered most — things like keeping a perfect home, focusing on performance, and emphasizing behavior — and why they now believe connection, humility, and relationship are far more important. We also explore the importance of emotional health, repair after mistakes, raising resilient kids, and creating a safe space where our children can bring their whole selves. Finally, we discuss what it looks like to parent adult children, break unhealthy generational patterns, and continue trusting God through the power of prayer. If you're looking for wisdom, perspective, and hope for your parenting journey, this conversation is for you. Sally Lemos, MS, LPC: New Bloom Therapy (newbloomtherapy.com) | sally@newbloomtherapy.com Scripture Mentioned: Deuteronomy 7:9-12 + 2 Chronicles 19-20 Previous Episodes Mentioned: Was Parenting Always This Hard… Or Are We Just Failing? (YouTube, Spotify + Apple Podcasts) + Generations, Leaving and Cleaving + 6 Ways to Honor Your Parents (YouTube, Spotify + Apple Podcasts) Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| You're Not Broken: Finding Freedom and Clarity Through an Adult ADHD Diagnosis | 03 juin 2026 | 01:18:08 | |
Disclaimer: The information shared in this episode is based on our personal experiences and is not intended to serve as medical, psychological, or professional advice. This week, Brook and Diane share their experiences of being diagnosed with ADHD as adults and how that journey has given them a deeper understanding of themselves, their childhoods, and the challenges they’ve faced throughout life. For many adults, ADHD went undiagnosed for years, and receiving a diagnosis later in life can bring both relief and grief as unanswered questions begin to make sense. We discuss some of the ways ADHD can impact daily life, including feeling overwhelmed by information, procrastination, hyperfocus, and self-criticism. We also explore some of the unique strengths that can come with ADHD, such as creativity, perceptual reasoning, and the ability to see possibilities and solutions outside the conventional path. Understanding ADHD doesn't excuse our behaviors, but it can help explain them and provide a framework for growth and greater self-awareness. We also talk about the diagnosis process, treatment options, and how medication can serve as a helpful tool. Rather than viewing ADHD as a flaw to be fixed, we've learned to better understand how we're wired and how to work with our strengths and limitations. For us, getting help for ADHD has been a lot like putting on a pair of glasses for the first time, bringing clarity to things that once felt confusing. Our hope is that this conversation removes some of the fear and shame surrounding ADHD and encourages you to approach yourself with curiosity and compassion. Whether you have ADHD, think you might, or love someone who does, we want to remind you that healing, growth, and support are available. As Psalm 139:14 says, we are "fearfully and wonderfully made." Definition of ADHD: ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects attention regulation, impulse control, emotional regulation, motivation, memory, and executive functioning. It’s not an intelligence issue or a character flaw — it’s a brain-based difference in how someone processes and manages information, tasks, emotions, and stimulation. Many kids and adults with ADHD are highly creative, intuitive, energetic, and capable, but they often struggle in systems that weren’t built for how their brain works. Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Scripture Mentioned: Psalm 139:14 Intentional Motherhood Retreat: October 15-17, 2026 in Portland, OR Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Church Hurt, Conflict With Your Spouse, Fairness With Kids + Uninvolved Grandparents (Q+R) | 27 mai 2026 | 01:02:13 | |
For the first time from our brand-new studio, all four of us are together responding to your questions on personal formation, marriage, parenting, and navigating generational relationships. We talk about how to process church hurt while still raising kids in the church, including the importance of separating people’s failures from the character of God, remaining grounded in Scripture, and modeling healing, honesty, and discernment for your children. We also discuss the responsibility leaders carry and what it looks like to pursue restoration with wisdom and humility. We also answer questions about addressing tension in marriage before resentment builds, learning when to absorb small frustrations with grace and when difficult conversations need to happen. From there, we talk through parenting children with different needs and why fairness is not always about equal attention, but about making sure each child feels seen and understood. Finally, we explore the challenges and beauty of multigenerational family relationships, including navigating distant grandparents, helping older generations find renewed purpose, and creating family cultures where everyone feels valued and connected. This episode is a thoughtful, Scripture-packed conversation on relationships, healing, family dynamics, and growing through difficult seasons. Scripture Mentioned: Luke 22, Hebrews 12:15, Hebrews 4:15, Isaiah 53:3, Galatians 6:1, Song of Solomon 2:15, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 1 Peter 4:8, 1 Corinthians 7:3 + Proverbs 17:6 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional Motherhood Retreat: October 15-17, 2026 in Portland, OR Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: November 12-14, 2026 in Austin, TX Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Live Q+R from the Motherhood Retreat: Fostering Vulnerability, Receiving Criticism + Parenting Without a Healthy Model | 20 mai 2026 | 00:40:16 | |
Live from the Intentional Motherhood Retreat in Franklin, this episode is a candid Q&R conversation around marriage, communication, parenting, and healing from the past. We respond to questions from attendees about how to cultivate deeper vulnerability with your spouse and parenting when you don't have a healthy model to follow. We talk about practical ways to help a spouse open up emotionally, including asking thoughtful questions like “What do you think about this?” instead of “How do you feel?” We also discuss the importance of paying attention to the environment, timing, and tone of hard conversations, recognizing how much those factors shape whether someone feels safe to engage. We also explore what it looks like to stay honest and vulnerable in marriage when feedback is often heard as criticism. Encouragement and affirmation matter deeply, especially when your spouse’s story includes wounds from a lack of affirmation growing up. Knowing your spouse’s story helps you become an agent of healing rather than hurt. The conversation closes with an honest discussion about parenting when you didn’t have healthy examples yourself. We talk about the importance of finding strong models, building a network of support, and acknowledging the pain you may have experienced in your own family before you can begin to relearn healthier patterns. Ultimately, we reflect on the importance of parenting the specific family God has entrusted to you in this season, while remaining open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit instead of trying to control every outcome. Scripture Mentioned: James 1:19-20, 2 Corinthians 5:17 + 1 Corinthians 11:1 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| The Hidden Blockers of Sexual Desire in Marriage + How to Move Past Them Together | 06 mai 2026 | 01:10:13 | |
We’re back with part two of our conversation on sex in marriage, this time getting into some of the hidden blockers of desire, along with a few practical ways to start moving past them. The goal isn’t just more sex, but a relationship where intimacy actually feels meaningful again. A lot of what gets in the way isn’t obvious. Small, unresolved tensions can build up over time and create distance, even if nothing major is “wrong.” When those things go unaddressed, it’s hard to feel close in any sense. On top of that, seasons change, but expectations don’t always keep up. Different life stages, stress, and even things like hormones can all affect desire. If those realities aren’t talked about, it can lead to frustration or quiet disappointment that slowly chips away at connection. And then there’s what a lot of couples experience at some point: slipping into more of a roommate dynamic. Life inevitably gets full, attraction can fade or shift, and responsibilities and tasks can replace relationship and intimacy. The good news is this stuff isn’t permanent. With some intention and healing, things can shift and grow in a healthy direction. Practical Rhythms to Try:
Listen to Part 1, “Sex in Marriage: Communication, Connection + Healing Past Wounds Around Intimacy”: YouTube, Spotify + Apple Podcasts Scripture Mentioned: Hebrews 12:15, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 + Colossians 3:12 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Healing from Trauma in Adulthood, Re-Parenting Yourself + Acknowledging How We’ve Hurt Our Children | 29 avr. 2026 | 01:00:55 | |
In this episode, Brook and Diane share a candid conversation about their overlapping journeys of healing from trauma, exploring what it means to grow emotionally and relationally. Reflecting on the “narrow way,” they talk about how true healing requires humility, acknowledging the need for God, confessing weakness, and recognizing there is always room to grow. Diane opens up about carrying pain into adulthood and how obedience shifted from rule-following for safety to a pursuit of freedom and intimacy with God. They also dive into the challenge of addressing the ways we’ve hurt others, especially within family. Diane reflects on her upbringing in a home marked by anger and emotional distance, while Brook shares how he’s intentionally inviting his children into his own healing process through honesty and repair. Together, they emphasize breaking generational patterns by creating space for open conversations — with both children and parents — without blame or cancellation. The episode highlights the role of the Holy Spirit as central to healing, alongside the practical help of therapy. Diane shares how her recent ADHD diagnosis brought clarity to her past and helped her confront false beliefs about herself. As they close, both point to simple, consistent practices that sustain their growth — time with God, prayer, and staying connected to trusted community — highlighting the reality that healing is a lifelong journey best walked with others. Scripture Mentioned: Matthew 7:13-14 + Genesis 1-3 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| When Life Doesn’t Look Like You Thought It Would, Stewarding Suffering + Allowing Hope to Heal (w/ Katherine Wolf) | 15 avr. 2026 | 01:10:01 | |
In this meaningful conversation, we sit down with Katherine Wolf, whose story has deeply impacted our lives and understanding of faith and suffering. At 26, Katherine experienced a massive brain stem stroke that nearly took her life. Now, 18 years later, she lives with significant disabilities, yet continues to live with purpose, joy, and a resilient faith. She shares the long journey of learning to believe that even in hardship, “the boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places,” and how her early years were marked by deep struggle before discovering a renewed sense of calling. Katherine reflects on holding both joy and pain at the same time, and how suffering can shape not only us, but our children and families in meaningful ways. We talk about marriage in the midst of hardship, which includes choosing to come together as a team, extending grace, and recognizing the sacredness of caring for one another. She also speaks to grieving unmet expectations, embracing the life in front of you, and trusting that God’s presence, not a perfect life, is what defines true goodness. This episode is a powerful reminder that our pain is not wasted. Through honest perspective shifts and a deep dependence on Jesus, Katherine points us toward a hope that heals and a life that is still, even now, full of purpose. Katherine Wolf: Hope Heals: Instagram, Books, Camps + Retreats, Speaking + Podcast Scripture Mentioned: Psalm 16:6, Acts 13:36, Matthew 7:24-27, Psalm 84:11, Romans 8:28 + 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 Books Mentioned: Treasures in the Dark by Katherine Wolf + Domestic Monastery by Ronald Rolheiser Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| “I’m Not Doing Enough” + The “Should List”: Overcoming Shame and Guilt in Parenting | 08 avr. 2026 | 00:58:41 | |
So many parents carry an unspoken “I should…” list: “I should be more patient, more present, doing more, doing better.” In a world full of parenting advice and constant input, it’s easy to feel like we know so much and yet, still aren’t doing enough. In this episode, we talk about how that pressure often leads to shame and guilt, and why it matters to understand the difference: guilt says “I did something bad,” while shame says “I am bad.” One leads us toward repentance and growth, while the other keeps us stuck, isolated, and disconnected. We explore how shame has been part of the human story since the beginning, and how it still shows up today in the subtle lies we believe about ourselves as parents. But instead of striving for perfection, we’re invited into dependence, trusting that God meets us in our weakness, just as He did with Moses. We also talk about practical ways to respond when shame creeps in: quieting the noise, getting honest about where our expectations come from, pursuing vulnerable relationships, and practicing repair when needed. At the end of the day, parenting isn’t about getting everything right. It’s about walking in faith, holding onto hope, and learning to love our kids well, even in our imperfection. Brook’s Interview on the Open Spaces Podcast: YouTube, Spotify + Apple Podcasts Scripture Mentioned: 2 Corinthians 7:10, Genesis 3:9-11, Hebrews 11:24-28 + Hebrews 10:23-24 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Loving People in Unseen Ways, Trusting God in the Detours + Saying “Yes” to Jesus (America’s Got Talent Winner Dustin Tavella) | 25 mars 2026 | 01:31:49 | |
In this spontaneous conversation from the Bless God Summit, Brook sits down with magician Dustin Tavella — best known for winning America’s Got Talent — to hear the powerful and inspiring story behind his life, faith, and calling. Dustin shares about his difficult childhood, marked by addiction and instability in his home, and the couple who stepped in to love and invest in him consistently. Through their presence, he encountered a God who cares personally and pursues the heart, not just circumstances. That experience sparked a transformation in his entire family, leading to restored relationships and a new direction. Throughout the conversation, Dustin reflects on how God uses the things we love to serve others, from launching a homeless ministry that grew into the D PLUS Project, to discovering magic as a way to connect with people and share hope. He opens up about seasons of financial struggle, anxiety, miscarriage, and the journey of adopting their son, all while learning to trust God’s redirection in moments that didn’t go as planned. From early rejection on America’s Got Talent to ultimately winning, Dustin emphasizes that true success wasn’t the platform; it was the daily choice to say “yes” to Jesus. His story is a reminder that following God isn’t complicated: it’s about loving people well, embracing the unseen moments, and trusting that even the detours are part of a greater story. The episode closes with Dustin performing a mind-blowing magic trick, highlighting the beauty of play, joy, and meaningful connection. Scripture Mentioned: Matthew 13:1-23, 1 Corinthians 10:23 + John 2:1-11 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Was Parenting Always This Hard… Or Are We Just Failing? | 18 mars 2026 | 01:11:18 | |
Is parenting harder than it used to be? In many ways, yes. Today’s parents are navigating a faster, louder, more complex world than generations before us — marked by decision fatigue, rising costs, less community support, and the constant mental load of trying to care for both our kids’ emotional needs and our own. Add in technology, shifting family dynamics, and the pressure of “intentional parenting,” and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But these challenges aren’t excuses; they’re the context we’re parenting in. And the good news is that God meets us right here, not in our perfection but in our limits. His strength shows up most clearly in our weakness. Parenting isn’t about getting everything right. It’s about humility, repair, and learning to depend on Him. In our moments of distress, we’re invited to release the burdens and anxieties we were never meant to carry alone. We also talk about practical steps: starting small instead of waiting for a full “village,” and learning to regularly release fear. Thankfully, we’re not doing this alone — God is with us, strengthening and sustaining us in the middle of it all. Parenting today may be hard, but He has already provided the help we need. Scripture Mentioned: 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, Psalm 55:22, Isaiah 66:2, 1 Peter 5:7, Psalm 61:2, Isaiah 41:10-13 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Sex in Marriage: Communication, Connection + Healing Past Wounds Around Intimacy | 11 mars 2026 | 01:00:02 | |
In this episode, Brook and Elizabeth sit down for an honest conversation about sex, intimacy, and connection in marriage. We begin with a few updates — including reflections from the Fatherhood Retreat, the upcoming Intentional Motherhood Retreat, and an update on Elizabeth’s back surgery — before diving into the topic. Just as the gospel reminds us that we are fully known and fully loved, marriage invites that same kind of vulnerability. Yet many couples carry shame from past experiences, including sexual abuse, pornography, cultural messages, or purity culture wounds, and those things often affect intimacy in marriage. We also discuss some of the common differences between men and women. Many men tend to feel emotionally connected after physical intimacy, while many women need emotional connection in order to feel open to physical intimacy. For many moms especially, exhaustion and constant demands can make intimacy feel like one more need to meet. Often, simple shifts in communication and care can make a significant difference. Throughout the conversation, we emphasize that intimacy is not just about physical consumption or emotional communication alone — it’s about a deeper connection where emotional, spiritual, and physical intimacy work together. That requires honest conversations, clear expectations, and a willingness to serve one another rather than compare our marriage to outside expectations. We close with a few practical invitations for couples this week: have one calm conversation about sex, initiate non-sexual affection, and spend time praying together. Husbands might also ask their wives a simple question: “What helps you feel safe with me?” If this conversation was helpful and you’d like to hear a part two on this topic, email us at hello@intentionalparents.org. Scripture Mentioned: Genesis 2:25, 1 Corinthians 7:4 + Ephesians 5:22-33 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Anger Q+R: Transformation Through Prayer Over Time, Choosing Compassion with Your Spouse + Healing Within Your Family of Origin | 25 févr. 2026 | 00:46:45 | |
In this follow-up episode on anger, the four of us sit down to respond to your honest, relatable questions — especially where anger shows up in parenting, marriage, and our own personal healing. We start with a common parenting struggle: when it feels like kids only listen after we get angry. We talk about identifying what’s underneath that reaction, learning to respond calmly, and following through with consistency. Sometimes that means creating space, by either separating kids in conflict or stepping away yourself, so you can respond with clarity and calmness instead of raw emotion. We also address the discouragement of slow growth. When it feels like “one step forward, ten steps back,” it’s easy to lose heart, even in prayer. But real transformation takes time. Prayer is never wasted; it’s like small, faithful deposits that eventually lead to lasting change. We also explore how anger directed at us can leave deeper wounds, and what it looks like to begin healing by finding safety in God, telling the truth about our story, and grieving what was lost. In marriage, we talk about the challenge of responding to a spouse’s anger without taking it on ourselves. We can’t control one another, but we can choose compassion, wisdom, and healthy boundaries. And for those navigating anger in young children, we highlight how normal those big emotions are developmentally, and how creating structure, paying attention to triggers, and patiently training over time can make a meaningful difference. Finally, we touch on engaging with anger from our families of origin. Healing doesn’t require cutting people off, but it does require forgiveness and bringing our pain to Jesus, who understands and cares deeply for us. Scripture Mentioned: Proverbs 4:7, Galatians 6:1-6, Hebrews 3:12, James 1:20, 1 Peter 3:1-2, Matthew 6:9-15, Isaiah 53:3 + 1 Peter 5:7 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Anger, Underlying Pain, Justice Without Mercy, and Steps Toward Healing | 11 févr. 2026 | 01:18:08 | |
This week, all four of us sit down for an honest and hopeful conversation about anger — where it comes from, why it’s such a universal part of being human, and how pain so often fuels it. We share a few personal updates on what we’ve been up to, including an update on Elizabeth’s health, and then dive into the reality that simply being alive gives us plenty of opportunities to feel angry. Anger is something everyone experiences, but it’s often a secondary emotion pointing to deeper pain beneath the surface. We talk about how hiding anger in shame can actually enslave us to it, while bringing it into the light opens the door to real transformation. Rather than just managing our anger, we explore the hope that Jesus can actually heal us from it. We discuss how anger can be generational, how we’re raising kids in an increasingly angry culture, and the different ways anger shows up — from explosive reactions to simmering resentment to an underlying critical spirit. We also reflect on righteous anger, the need to hold both justice and mercy together, and what this looks like, especially in motherhood. We then turn to practical ways to engage our anger by slowing down to ask why we’re angry, inviting God to show us what needs healing or repentance, and taking responsibility for how we move toward repair. We talk about how anger is often a response to feeling threatened, the power of confession and bringing our struggles into the light, and the slow, faithful work of healing through the Holy Spirit. We end with real hope, as Diane shares how the anger she struggled with early in marriage and parenting no longer has the same hold on her by God’s grace — reminding us to be patient with ourselves and trust that anger can be transformed as we walk the path of humility and healing. Scripture Mentioned: John 17:20-23, Micah 6:8, Psalm 97:2, Proverbs 25:23, Proverbs 4:5, Genesis 4:6, Jonah 4:4, 1 John 3:12, James 4:1-3, James 5:16, Psalm 139:23-24, Romans 2:4, Galatians 5:22-23 + Exodus 34:6-7, Psalm 107:1-2 + Romans 8:29 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Key Moments of 2025: Highlights from Our Most-Loved Episodes (Staying Calm, Emotional Intelligence, Shielding Our Kids, Tools of Discipline + Daily Habits) | 04 févr. 2026 | 00:55:07 | |
This episode features five of our most-listened-to moments from 2025. These conversations clearly resonated with listeners and sparked meaningful reflection for parents trying to follow Jesus in everyday family life. We reflect on how pride shows up when we’re corrected and how parenting gives us daily opportunities to model humility, drawing from Scripture to show why God consistently meets humility with grace and makes it the starting point of a usable life. We also talk about emotional intelligence, learning to name what’s happening inside us without letting emotions rule us, and how many of us are developing these skills in adulthood because they weren’t modeled for us growing up. We explore the tension between wanting to shield our kids from pain and learning to trust God with their formation, emphasizing the importance of repair, helping our kids make sense of emotional pain, and trusting that God is present and purposeful even in what we can’t control. We unpack the biblical call to discipline as loving training rather than punishment, why passivity and harshness both exasperate our children, and how rupture and repair are central to healthy parent-child relationships. Finally, we reflect on daily spiritual habits, letting go of legalism, and forming simple, life-giving rhythms with God — following Jesus’ example of regularly withdrawing to meet with the Father, not out of obligation, but out of relationship. These clips are taken from our five most-loved episodes of 2025. To hear the full episodes, click on your podcast platform of choice below. 5 Necessities to Being a Calm, Regulated Parent in the Midst of Chaos + the Power of Meekness and Humility (Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube) Unlocking the Power of Emotional Intelligence In Ourselves and In Our Kids (Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube) Being Emotionally Present with Toddlers Amidst Responsibilities, Dealing with Overstimulation as a Parent + Shielding Kids from Emotional Pain (Q+R) (Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube) Tools of Discipline: Gentle Correction, A Loving Rebuke, Patient Instruction and Encouragement (Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube) Daily Habits, Formation, Why Did God Create My Kids, and Authority (Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube) Scripture Mentioned: Ephesians 4:2, Matthew 11:28-30, Numbers 12:3, 1 Peter 5:5, Genesis 50:20, Genesis 39:21, Romans 8 + Psalm 91, Ephesians 6:4, Proverbs 29:17, Hebrews 12:11 + Ephesians 1:15-20 Books Mentioned: Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon, Streams in the Desert by L. B. Cowman and James Reimann + Edges of His Ways by Amy Carmichael Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Spiritual Formation & Motherhood: Interview w/ John Mark Comer at the Intentional Motherhood Retreat | 28 janv. 2026 | 00:41:58 | |
During the Intentional Motherhood Retreat 2025, Elizabeth sat down with her older brother, John Mark Comer, for a deeply honest and encouraging conversation about spiritual formation in the thick of motherhood. For so many mothers, life feels crowded with the dailyness and busyness of caring for little ones, making it easy to believe the lie that we must do more or try harder to grow spiritually. But what if spiritual formation isn’t something you add to your already overloaded life — what if it’s already happening? John Mark and Elizabeth explore how every mom is being spiritually formed through the ordinary moments of motherhood, becoming a certain kind of person through how she lives, responds, and loves. Drawing from Dallas Willard’s teachings on practices of engagement vs. abstinence, they talk about removing rather than adding — taking an honest audit of your life and recognizing that so much of motherhood is already shaping your soul. They discuss the difference between active and passive spirituality, the surprising ways pain and sacrifice become places of growth, the generational shift in how we view parenting, and what it means to join Christ in His suffering. They also reflect on Jacques Philippe’s idea of “choosing what you have not chosen” and learning to respond to life’s constant interruptions with consent rather than contempt. Ultimately, this conversation is an invitation back to relationship — with God, with others, and with your own soul. It’s about noticing and naming what you’re feeling, staying responsive instead of reactive, and returning again and again to the cross in the ordinary rhythms of your day. Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Conversation w/ Ronald Rolheiser: Restlessness, Leaving a Legacy, Dealing With Anger + the Power of Fidelity | 21 janv. 2026 | 00:47:25 | |
In this episode, Brook and Justin sit down with Fr. Ronald Rolheiser, one of the most trusted and influential spiritual voices of our time, and someone whose work we deeply admire and return to often. A Catholic priest, theologian, and author, Fr. Rolheiser has spent more than 50 years teaching and writing about prayer, vocation, and the interior life, helping countless people understand how God meets us in ordinary, everyday faithfulness. Now 78 and a cancer survivor of more than a decade, Fr. Rolheiser reflects on this current stage of life and what it means to finish well. Drawing from his framework of getting your life together, giving your life away, and giving your death away, he shares wisdom shaped by experience, suffering, and surrender, reminding us that the way we die is the spirit we leave behind. Much of the conversation centers on restlessness, particularly in midlife. Fr. Rolheiser explains that our restlessness is not something to eliminate but a sign that we are “built too big for this world.” Rather than escaping it, he invites us to listen for what God may be teaching us through it, especially as parents learning to integrate spiritual life with ordinary responsibilities. We also explore ideas from his book, Domestic Monastery, where daily obligations — alarm clocks, mortgages, and kids’ schedules — become monastic bells calling us to faithfulness. Parents, he says, don’t raise kids; kids raise parents. The episode closes with reflections on surrender without passivity, responsibility without control, righteous anger, and the quiet power of fidelity. His final encouragement is simple and enduring: stay with your commitments, just show up for prayer, and trust that God is at work in your staying. Ronald Rolheiser: Website + Books (New Book: Insane for the Light: A Spirituality for Our Wisdom Years) Scripture Mentioned: John 21:15-19, Mark 15:37 + John 4:21 Books Mentioned: Domestic Monastery by Ronald Rolheiser, Sacred Fire by Ronald Rolheiser, Finding God at Home by Ernest Boyer Jr. + Naming the Whirlwind by Langdon Gilkey Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Bridging Generations with Humility + Removing the Pressure and Performance of Prayer (w/ Addison + Juli Bevere) | 14 janv. 2026 | 00:58:36 | |
In today’s episode, we sit down with new friends we have a lot in common with: Addison and Juli Bevere of At Home with the Beveres. We talk about life, ministry, parenting four kids, and what it means to steward faith across generations in a world where the gap between young and old can feel wider than ever. Addison and Juli share honestly about the beauty and challenges of being part of a multigenerational ministry legacy, what they hope to pass on to their kids, and what they’re committed to redeeming. We talk about humility, how true formation often happens through difficulty, and how brokenness can deepen love, wisdom, and compassion. We also dive into the heart behind Addison’s 40-day prayer devotional, born out of a season of anxiety and sleeplessness. Together, we explore why prayer can feel like pressure and performance for so many people, and how God invites us into something far more relational, grounding, and life-giving. A place where prayer is not as another task but the thing that centers everything else. And finally, Addison and Juli open up about their marriage in this season, sharing both joys and honest struggles, including the ways grief has shaped their relationship. It’s a hopeful, vulnerable conversation about family, faith, formation, and encountering God in real life. At Home with the Beveres: Instagram, YouTube, Spotify + Apple Podcasts Scripture Mentioned: Genesis 18:18-19, Psalm 68:6, Psalm 127:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Romans 12:12, Ephesians 6:18, John 16:7, Hebrews 4:16, Hebrews 2:17, Hebrews 5:5, Hebrews 9 + 10, Psalm 142:2 Books Mentioned: Words with God + Words with God Prayer Journal by Addison Bevere Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Intentional x Dadville (w/ Dave Barnes + Jon McLaughlin from Dadville) | 06 janv. 2026 | 01:17:25 | |
In this episode, we sit down for a “co-pod” with Dave Barnes and Jon McLaughlin from the Dadville podcast for an honest, funny conversation about parenting, podcasting, and why intentionality matters in the first place. We share the heart behind Intentional and Intentional Fatherhood, getting back to the basics of why we do this work and what we hope it creates. Along the way, there’s plenty of laughter and a shared acknowledgment that none of us have this figured out. Intentionality isn’t about getting it right all the time — it’s about consistently showing up in small, ordinary ways, even when things feel messy or overwhelming. Dave and Jon tell the story of how Dadville began, how the show has grown and changed over the years, and what it’s really like behind the scenes of hosting a long-running podcast. Together, we talk about the importance of repair in relationships, how owning our mistakes can actually deepen connection, and why keeping the lines of communication open with our kids matters more than almost anything else. We also wrestle with the downside of intentionality — when information turns into pressure and fear starts to drive our parenting. Grounded in Jesus’ words from Matthew 18:1-5, the conversation keeps circling back to the simplicity of “becoming like little children.” The question underneath it all is this: do our kids know our heart? At the end of the day, this episode is about helping our kids know they are deeply loved — and learning to lead from love rather than fear. Dadville: Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube Dave Barnes: New Music on Spotify + Apple Music Jon McLaughlin: New Music on Spotify + Apple Music / Tour with Ben Rector Scripture Mentioned: Matthew 18:1-5 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Reflection and Projection: Remembering What God Has Done + Trusting Him With What’s Next | 31 déc. 2025 | 00:58:21 | |
In this end-of-year episode, we reflect on 2025 and look ahead to 2026 through the practices of reflection and projection, rooted in Scripture and focused on formation rather than pressure or performance. We revisit meaningful moments from the year, both personally and within Intentional, including the Motherhood Retreat, Intentional Fatherhood, and the launch of Sowing a Hidden Seed. Reflection helps us tell the truth about our lives with God, while projection invites us to trust Him with that truth as we move forward, anchored in the hope of Hebrews 11:1. The conversation explores Scripture’s repeated call to remember, naming remembrance as an active, embodied practice that leads us toward gratitude, courage, and faith rather than fear. Remembering is not only about the past, but about how the past shapes the present and forms the future — helping us remember, return, and reorder our lives. Elizabeth shares openly about living with chronic pain, reflecting on how the most difficult season of her life has also been deeply formative, and how remembering past suffering can give us hope for what God is able to do with our current and future pain. Drawing on Dallas Willard’s wisdom, the conversation turns toward projection: how we look ahead to 2026 through simple, faithful habits. Faith is described not just as belief, but as action: praying bold, repeated prayers, reading Scripture regularly, and obeying what God commands us to do. The episode closes with a prayer over you, reminding us that unoffered prayer is the greatest tragedy, that prayer moves the hand of God, and that we are invited to partner with Him through both reflection on where we’ve been and projection toward where He is leading us. Prayer: God, as we stand at the edge of this year, we slow ourselves before you. We look back over 2025 with honesty, joy, the loss, the prayers answered and the prayers still open. Help us notice where you were faithful, even when we didn't see it at the time. Let remembrance form trust in us. As we step into the new year, we lean forward with hope. Teach us to pray without giving up, form our habits — not just our intentions — and help us act as though your kingdom is real, because it is. We release what we cannot carry forward. We receive the grace we will need for what lies ahead. Make us people who remember well and hope faithfully. Amen. Scripture Mentioned: Hebrews 11:1, Luke 18:1, Romans 8:22, Romans 8:26-27 + Hebrews 11 Book Mentioned: The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Reclaimwell Prayer Challenge: This January, we invite you to do one simple thing: pray for your child every day. Use your own rhythm or Intentional’s 31-day devotional, Sowing a Hidden Seed, as a helpful guide. The book includes a daily verse, a quote and a prayer on topics like mental health, shame and discernment, plus you’ll receive five bonus days on your child’s digital redemption. Sign up for Intentional’s daily “verse of the day” text and spend just 5 focused minutes in prayer. Download the Reclaimwell app and join the challenge! Intentional’s Year-End Match Campaign: Every $25 equips a family for a full year of spiritual formation. All gifts given through December 31 are matched up to $200,000. Make a donation to double your impact! Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| What It’s Like to Be a Teenager Right Now: Pressure, Comparison, and Technology Boundaries (With Our Kids, Duke and Scarlet) | 24 déc. 2025 | 01:36:50 | |
In this special end-of-year episode, we’re joined by our two oldest kids — Duke (16) and Scarlet (13) — for an honest, funny, and unfiltered conversation about what it’s really like to be a teenager right now. From public high school to middle school in a Christian co-op, they share what daily life looks like in their worlds, complete with sibling jokes, family banter, and plenty of real-life messiness. We talk about the unique pressure of growing up as the kids of parents who lead a family ministry — the sense of being watched, the expectation to perform, and how that shapes their experience. Duke and Scarlet also open up about social pressures, anxiety, comparison, cancel culture, gossip, and the high standards — especially for girls — around appearance and image, even beyond social media. Throughout the conversation, we return to deeper truths about identity, insecurity, and remembering that we are God’s beautiful handiwork. We also discuss technology and social media, including how boundaries around technology have affected them and what’s been most helpful from a parenting perspective. The episode wraps up with a lighthearted bonus question: what they love and don’t love about each of us as parents — a reminder that our family is far from perfect. Our hope is that this conversation encourages you to keep showing up with humility, curiosity, and trust in God’s steady work in your family. Merry Christmas! Books Mentioned: The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional’s Year-End Match Campaign: Every $25 equips a family for a full year of spiritual formation. All gifts given through December 31 are matched up to $200,000. Make a donation to double your impact! Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Digital Thorns: Minimizing Proximity to Our Phones + Choosing Hope Over Resignation (w/ Joey Odom of Reclaimwell) | 17 déc. 2025 | 00:48:52 | |
In this episode, we sit down with our dear friend Joey Odom of Reclaimwell for a timely and challenging conversation about reshaping our relationship with our phones. Reclaimwell exists to help people put technology back in its proper place, and Joey shares his own story of struggle and growth, along with honest examples of both failure and success. He names the urgency of our moment, reminding us that the opposite of hope isn’t hopelessness, but resignation — and that without action, distraction quietly forms our lives. Joey explains why our phones have such a powerful grip on us, highlighting the “PID Loop,” where proximity leads to interaction, interaction to dependence, and dependence back to constant proximity. With most of us (91%!) living near our phones at all times, the solution sounds simple but feels difficult: put the phone down. Like Jesus’ teachings, it’s straightforward, yet costly. Rather than relying on willpower, Joey invites us to shape our environments and remove shame from the conversation. We explore practical ways to reduce proximity, including spending intentional time away from your phone each day, aligning with your spouse around sacred times and spaces, and implementing simple practices like a date-night phone swap. The conversation names distraction for what it is: anything that gets in the way of our intentions, and connects it to Scripture’s call to remove what hinders love. Joey frames our phones as modern “digital thorns” that choke out intimacy through constant worry, striving, and pleasure. The episode closes with a compelling vision of presence as witness — preaching the gospel not just with words, but by being fully present and off our phones in order to notice and tend to the world around us. Scripture Mentioned: Matthew 5:30, Matthew 13:1-23 + 1 Corinthians 13:13 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional’s Year-End Match Campaign: Every $25 equips a family for a full year of spiritual formation. All gifts given through December 31 are matched up to $200,000. Make a donation to double your impact! Download the FREE Reclaimwell App + Join Our Prayer Challenge in January Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Facing Dysregulation + Family Dysfunction as Bringers of PEACE (Christmas Special) | 10 déc. 2025 | 00:51:24 | |
It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s also one of the most stressful. In our Christmas episode, we explore how to foster peace — not striving for perfection, but accepting the Spirit’s invitation to enter the season with intention, humility, and grace. The holidays can stir up dysregulated kids, busy schedules, grief, and unrealistic expectations, so we walk through the acronym PEACE as a reminder of how we might bring peace to our families this season. We start with Presence, setting aside our phones to be fully available to the people in front of us. Engagement draws from Philippians 2:2–4, reminding us to stay curious, humble, and willing to disagree without being disagreeable. Affection encourages slowing down to show loved ones that they matter, while honoring different comfort levels with touch. Compassion and Care helps us look beyond outward behavior to the burdens others may be carrying; instead of asking “What’s wrong with them?” we ask “What might they be walking through?” And with Empathy, we practice feeling with others rather than trying to fix them, living out 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 as those who comfort because we’ve first been comforted by God. Anchored in Scripture, we remember that Christ, the Prince of Peace, is the one who makes true peace possible. Prayer from Amy Carmichael: Love through me, love of God. Shine through me, joy of God. Speak through me, word of God. Flow through me, peace of God. Scripture Mentioned: Psalm 26:2-3, Philippians 2:2-4, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Colossians 3:15 + John 14, Isaiah 9:6 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Reclaimwell: Download the free app Intentional’s Year-End Match Campaign: Every $25 equips a family for a full year of spiritual formation. All gifts given through December 31 are matched up to $200,000. Make a donation to double your impact! Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Should We Have Another Child, Parenting Kids With Different Personalities, and Being a Follower Instead of a Leader (Q+R) | 03 déc. 2025 | 00:41:10 | |
In this episode, all four of us respond to your questions on marriage, parenting, and discipleship. We begin with a listener who feels stuck navigating a blended family and a husband who wants another child while she feels content with their current season. We talk about honoring both present realities and future hopes, acknowledging the unique weight moms carry, communicating clearly, and seeking unity through prayer and counsel. We reference passages like 1 Corinthians and Ephesians 5 to remind couples to love well, listen well, and move forward on the same page. We also tackle the challenge of parenting kids with very different personalities. Rather than trying to change them, we encourage learning from each other as parents, recognizing differences as gifts, and affirming each child’s place in the family. Finally, we revisit a previous comment about being a better follower than leader and explore why followership matters deeply in your spiritual walk. Before building influence, we must learn to listen, serve, and follow Jesus faithfully. As Mark 8 reminds us, leadership grows out of surrender — those who follow well are the ones God often entrusts to lead. It’s a concise but meaningful conversation packed with encouragement and practical wisdom. Scripture Mentioned: 1 Corinthians 1:10, Ephesians 5:25-27, Mark 8:34-35 + Luke 18:15-17 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional’s Year-End Match Campaign: Every $25 equips a family for a full year of spiritual formation. All gifts given through December 31 are matched up to $200,000. Make a donation to double your impact! Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Raising Passionate Jesus Followers | |||
| Generations, Leaving and Cleaving + 6 Ways to Honor Your Parents | 26 nov. 2025 | 01:12:08 | |
In this episode, we explore what Scripture really means when it calls us to leave and cleave. Leaving isn’t just moving out, it’s a purposeful, decisive shift of loyalty and identity so a new family can truly become one. This kind of separation can feel confusing or even painful, especially for parents who have spent years nurturing their children. But leaving is not rejection; it’s the healthy foundation God designed for a flourishing marriage. We look at what this requires; physically, emotionally, spiritually, and socially, and how both parents and adult children can navigate these transitions with grace together. From that foundation, we move into the biblical command to honor our parents. We clarify what honoring is, and just as importantly, what it’s not. It isn’t blind obedience or ignoring unhealthy patterns. Instead, honor means giving weight and dignity to the person and the role, even when it’s challenging. We offer six practical ways you can live into honoring your parents today! Six practical ways to honor your parents: • Speak with kindness and dignity • Appeal rather than criticize • Speak the truth in love • Express gratitude for what they did right • Forgive ongoing or past wounds • Seek to understand their story Whether you’re forming a new family or parenting adult children of your own, this conversation offers a hopeful, grounded path toward healthier relationships across generations. Scripture Mentioned: Genesis, 1 thessalonians 2:7-8, Ephesians 1-4, Proverbs 1:23+31, Proverb 15:1, 1 Timothy 5:1, Ephesian 4:15, Colossians 4:2-4, Luke 4:22 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Grab a Copy of Our Book: Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Now available in audiobook!) | |||
| Aura Farming vs. Spiritual Formation, Hiddenness Over Hype, Slowness Instead of Spectacular + Childlike Dependence | 19 nov. 2025 | 00:40:29 | |
In this episode, we explore the growing “aura farming” movement — the cultural pressure to project effortlessness, curate our image, and step into our “main-character era.” While the world urges us to amplify our greatness, Jesus invites us into something entirely different. We look at Jesus’ call to become like children in Matthew 18:1–5, a posture marked by humility, dependence, and openness. Aura farming pushes us to present ourselves in a certain light, but spiritual formation pulls us into honesty, groundedness, and a truer way of being. Drawing from Henri Nouwen’s reflections on the Church’s long struggle with relevance, power, and success, we examine the deeper tension between cultural curation and kingdom transformation. From there, we walk through five practices that help move us from aura farming to the way of Jesus. We choose hiddenness over hype, leaning into quiet righteousness rather than performing for others. We pursue honesty and vulnerability, acknowledging that beauty and pain often coexist. We embrace slowness instead of the spectacular, allowing our souls to catch up with our schedules. We cultivate childlike dependence by asking for what we need rather than proving we can manage everything on our own. And we trade curation for authentic presence, resisting the urge to hustle for attention and choosing instead to simply be where we are. As we navigate new seasons — in which the old ways of striving may no longer work — we return to Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28 (MSG): “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.” Scripture Mentioned: Matthew 18:1-5, Matthew 6 + Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG) Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Grab a Copy of Our Book: Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Now available in audiobook!) | |||
| 8 Rules for Families in a Digital World | 12 nov. 2025 | 00:58:44 | |
In this episode, we’re talking about one of the biggest parenting challenges today — raising kids in a digital world. Many of us have overprotected our children in the physical world but underprotected them in the digital world. To help you add some guardrails, we share the practical tools and boundaries our family uses around technology — from phones and iPads to TV — and the eight foundational rules that guide us. We’re not speaking as experts, just practitioners learning through trial and error. We start with the “why.” The data is clear about what technology is doing to us — especially our kids — and now it takes courage to respond wisely. Parenting in this area isn’t black and white, but it’s possible to approach it with grace and hope. In our home, that looks like saving smartphones for older teens, starting with basic phones, keeping devices out of bedrooms overnight, and using contracts and monitoring tools to stay accountable. Technology is always changing, which means our family’s digital rules should too. In fact, it’s okay to adjust your strategy along the way. Above all, we want our kids to grow into freedom — not be thrown into it. As parents, we can lead with empathy, stay connected, and offer a safe place for our kids to learn how to navigate the digital world with maturity and wisdom. Books + Resources Mentioned: The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt Refurbished Phones: Back Market Parental Controls: Life360, Bark, Canopy, Screen Time + iPhone settings like locking apps and setting up downtime 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World by Jean M. Twenge, PhD The Opt-Out Family by Erin Loechner Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional Fatherhood: Website, Instagram, Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube Motherhood Retreat 2025: More Info + Purchase Tickets Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Grab a Copy of Our Book: Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Now available in audiobook!) | |||
| Generational Differences with Self-Care, Child Loss, Social Media Addiction, Submitting to Limitations (Live Q+R From Intentional Motherhood Retreat 2025) | 05 nov. 2025 | 01:14:20 | |
Recorded live at the Intentional Motherhood Retreat in Portland, Oregon, this special Q+R features our entire Intentional team, with Joey Odom of Reclaimwell guiding the conversation as we move from humor to depth. From lighthearted moments — like where Diane and Elizabeth’s pant suits came from — to honest questions about self-care, marriage, grief, and limitations, this episode captures the heart of our weekend together. Together, we reflect on the generational swing from overextending ourselves to idolizing self-care, inviting us instead to pursue soul care — a rhythm of rest and renewal with God that enables us to love well. We also share wisdom for marriages: that husbands and wives are both called to lay down their lives in love, not through grand gestures but through small, consistent acts and words that build one another up. We speak tenderly about grief and child loss, pointing to the reality that while suffering is never good, God meets us in it. Grief and joy can coexist, and community is where we help one another carry both. The conversation closes with reflections on social media boundaries and discerning our limitations, reminding us that humility and dependence on God are where true peace and growth begin. Scripture Mentioned: Acts 20:35, Ephesians 5:22-33, Isaiah 53:3, Psalm 116:15, Romans 8:28-29, Luke 16:10, Philippians 1:4-6, 2 Corinthians 10:13, Philippians 1:12 + Psalm 131:1-3 Book Mentioned: A Grace Disguised by Jerry L. Sittser Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN Intentional Fatherhood: Website, Instagram, Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Grab a Copy of Our Book: Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Now available in audiobook!) | |||
| Same-Sex Attraction, Freedom in Vulnerability + an Unfinished Symphony (Conversation w/ Jeff and Jourdan of Open Spaces) | 22 oct. 2025 | 01:18:55 | |
Note: This episode contains mature themes that may not be suitable for younger listeners. Please use discretion. This week, we’re joined by our new friends Jeff and Jourdan Johnson, hosts of the Open Spaces Podcast. They share their remarkable story — a journey marked by honesty, redemption, and deep faith. Jeff opens up about his decades-long battle with same-sex attraction and how bringing his struggle into the light marked the beginning of real freedom. From childhood trauma to seasons of breaking up and coming back together, their story is one of radical acceptance, surrender, and the relentless kindness of God. After years of wrestling with faith and learning to let go of control, Jeff and Jourdan eventually got married and are now raising three children together. Their relationship stands as a living testimony that vulnerability truly leads to freedom. Jeff describes it as a daily surrender — dying to himself, trusting God’s goodness, and finding hope in the truth that even in life’s “unfinished symphony,” God is still writing a story of redemption. In a cultural moment filled with confusion and competing messages about sexuality, Jeff and Jourdan share how important it is for parents to speak about these topics early and without fear — to create space for honesty, and even share their own stories, so their kids know they’re not alone. Through Open Spaces, Jeff and Jourdan invite others to bring hidden struggles into the light, reminding us that God can use even our deepest brokenness and pain for His glory. Open Spaces: Website, Instagram, YouTube + Contact (with Questions) Scripture Mentioned: Romans 8:28 Book Mentioned: Wrestling with God by Ronald Rolheiser Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Intentional Motherhood Retreat: October 23-25, 2025 in Portland, OR Intentional Fatherhood: Website, Instagram, Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Grab a Copy of Our Book: Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Now available in audiobook!) | |||
| Language of Encouragement, Speaking Life + Soul Friendships (Teaching from the 2024 Motherhood Retreat) | 15 oct. 2025 | 00:50:58 | |
In this special episode, we’re sharing a powerful recorded teaching from Diane and Elizabeth at our 2024 Motherhood Retreat. This session dives deep into our God-given desire for connection — the longing to be seen, soothed, safe, and secure — and how that shapes our relationships with one another. Our female relationships can often feel complicated, yet Scripture reminds us that we were created for blessing and belonging. From Genesis to 2 Corinthians, we see that God blesses us so that we might bless others — calling out the good we see in our children, our husbands, our friends, and others we come in contact with. Diane and Elizabeth walk us through what it looks like to cultivate a culture of encouragement: getting curious about what gets in the way (old hurts, insecurities, or fear), learning to speak life over people, and practicing the language of encouragement in everyday moments. Through passages like Proverbs 27:17 and John 1:35–51, we see the power of vulnerability and how Jesus models truly seeing others for who they are. When we learn to see others as God sees them — and to speak that truth out loud — we participate in His work of building one another up. As Proverbs reminds us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Our words matter. They shape the culture of our homes, our friendships, and the next generation. Scripture Mentioned: Genesis 1:27–28, Genesis 1:22, Genesis 2:3, Genesis 5:22, Genesis 9:1, Genesis 12:2–3, 2 Corinthians 1:3–4, Proverbs 27:17, John 1:35–51, Romans 12:10, Proverbs 18:21, Proverbs 16:24 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional Fatherhood: Website, Instagram, Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube Motherhood Retreat 2025: More Info + Purchase Tickets Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Grab a Copy of Our Book: Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Now available in audiobook!) | |||
| Helping Phone-Free Teenagers Stay Connected, Regrets in Parenting Toddlers, and Managing Sibling Rivalry (Q+R) | 08 oct. 2025 | 00:30:19 | |
In this Q+R episode, we’re tackling your questions about parenting through some of the more complex seasons — from helping phone-free tweens stay connected to navigating sibling rivalry and reflecting on what we might have done differently with our younger kids. We start with communication and technology, sharing practical ways to help teenagers connect with friends without giving them full phone access. From using your own devices intentionally to trying creative tools like the Gabb Watch, Gabb Phone, or even a landline, we talk about modeling healthy communication in a digital world. We also look back on the preschool years and what we’ve learned since — how much those little minds absorb, and how we wish we’d focused less on behavior and more on heart formation. Rhythms like reading Scripture at meals (1 Timothy 4:13) and recognizing the difference between willful disobedience and emotional dysregulation have shaped how we parent now. Finally, we dig into sibling rivalry and the hope that our kids will one day be close friends. We share thoughts on speaking that vision over them, teaching repair in relationships, and remembering that these seasons ebb and flow. Proverbs 31:26 reminds us that “the law of kindness” should guide our words — especially when helping our kids learn to love each other well. Scripture Mentioned: 1 Timothy 4:13 + Proverbs 31:26 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Intentional Fatherhood: Website, Instagram, Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA Motherhood Retreat 2025: October 23-25, 2025 in Portland, OR Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Grab a Copy of Our Book: Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Now available in audiobook!) | |||
| Raising Kids in a Clickbait Culture, Shaping Critical Thinkers, Encouraging Empathy, and Living in the Gray | 01 oct. 2025 | 00:52:25 | |
In this episode, we dive into what it looks like to raise kids in today’s clickbait culture. With endless information at our fingertips, outrage-driven headlines everywhere, and our children frequently walking through traumatic national events, it can be hard to know what’s real, what matters, and what doesn’t. No matter how many boundaries we put in place, outside voices are loud — and that makes it more important than ever to raise critical thinkers who can stand against the noise. Together, we explore what Scripture says about having a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7) and why this matters so much in a world full of half-truths and emotional extremes. We talk through how to help our kids not just think with the masses, but instead form opinions rooted in reality and truth. This means giving them space to wrestle, normalizing curiosity, and asking good questions to help them develop discernment and wisdom for themselves. It is an ongoing process — one that requires conversation after conversation, guided by the Holy Spirit. We also look at practical tools: delaying social media use (based on Jonathan Haidt’s brilliant research), talking openly about tragedies and current events, and modeling what it looks like to think critically and empathetically. Along the way, we highlight how teaching kids to sit in the tension, see the gray, and understand others’ stories helps them grow in empathy — and ultimately shapes them into leaders with their own convictions. You’ll also hear about the “3M Parent Trap” (model, mimic, mad) from Joey Odom and the importance of relying on God’s Spirit to do what we cannot in our own strength (1 Peter 1:14). Because without His power, all of this falls flat. We wrap up with a look ahead to our upcoming episode: what to do when the time finally comes to give your kids technology. If you have questions or ideas you’d like us to cover, email us at hello@intentionalparents.org. Scripture Mentioned: 2 Timothy 1:7, Proverbs 14:15, Philippians 1:9-10, Romans 12:2 + 1 Peter 1:14-16 Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from. Motherhood Retreat 2025: More Info + Purchase Tickets Intentional Fatherhood: Website, Instagram, Spotify, Apple Podcasts + YouTube Follow Us on Instagram: FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF FREE Text Message Daily Devotional Grab a Copy of Our Book: Raising Passionate Jesus Followers (Now available in audiobook!) | |||