Grab an Advent & Christmas devotional for the whole family!   Episode 221 // There can be great cultural pressure to spend your Christmas focusing on all the usual holiday traditions… and if you do, you might miss the whole point.    Yes, your family may enjoy decorating the tree, making a wish-list for Santa, and driving around to look at Christmas lights. But please don’t forget the true meaning of Christmas! This is an incredibly important time of year to disciple our children in the...

On Sale Now! Grab your Christmas Story Cards for a biblical Advent Calendar or find a Christmas 25-day devotional for mom, dad, kids or a 3-pack family bundle - all ON SALE NOW at www.LoveYourPeopleWell.com/shop    *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *    Episode 220 // Our final day in this week of gratitude! And today we’ll take a quick look at the connection between our anxiety and our thanks-giving. How does prayer impact our hearts? How does gratitude impact our attitudes?   Yes, the...

On Sale Now! Grab your Christmas Story Cards for a biblical Advent Calendar or find a Christmas 25-day devotional for mom, dad, kids or a 3-pack family bundle - all ON SALE NOW at www.LoveYourPeopleWell.com/shop     *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *    Episode 219 // Happy Thanksgiving, friend!! We are continuing our week of gratitude with another short episode to encourage your heart today.    Grab a spare minute from your busy holiday to join me for a look at Psalm 100. We’ll consider...

On Sale Now! Grab your Christmas Story Cards for a biblical Advent Calendar or find a Christmas 25-day devotional for mom, dad, kids or a 3-pack family bundle - all ON SALE NOW at www.LoveYourPeopleWell.com/shop     *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *    Episode 218 // A week of gratitude! Join me for another quick encouragement in your busy Thanksgiving week. This time, we’re looking at 2 Thessalonians to consider those things for which we are thankful.    Join me, and let’s give thanks to...

On Sale Now! Grab your Christmas Story Cards for a biblical Advent Calendar or find a Christmas 25-day devotional for mom, dad, kids or a 3-pack family bundle - all ON SALE NOW at www.LoveYourPeopleWell.com/shop     *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *    Episode 217 // A week of gratitude! This is a quick episode for a busy week, with a goal to bring you some thanks-filled biblical encouragement.   Today, we’ll take a look at a few short verses in 1 Thessalonians. We’ll consider the impact...

On Sale Now! Grab your Christmas Story Cards for a biblical Advent Calendar or find a Christmas 25-day devotional for mom, dad, kids or a 3-pack family bundle - all ON SALE NOW at www.LoveYourPeopleWell.com/shop    *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *    Episode 216 // A week of gratitude! This is a quick-hit episode to bring some biblical encouragement to your busy Thanksgiving week, and hopefully a smile to your face.   Today, we’ll take a look at a few verses in Colossians 3 and consider...

I love the holidays. From the decorations to the food to the music to the gifts... I love it! 🎄   But it's easy to get sidetracked by it all. It's easy to get trapped in seeking the "perfect" holiday moment. And when that happens, I can forget that in the special holiday events, the real priority is family relationships.   And sometimes, prioritizing relationships means leaving the fun event, letting the gravy burn on the stovetop, or setting down the camera (let's be honest... the phone) to...

Episode 215 // More time together means more time for family conflict and stress. It’s simply a reality of the holidays - they can be wonderful, but they don’t always bring out the best in us.   If your family is anything like mine, I expect the holidays to include some sibling squabbles, a few awkward extended-family conversations, a cluttered living room, and kids hyped up on more sugar + less sleep.   And if we are ready for the potential toddler meltdowns and family conflict, we’ll be...

We follow a God of peace. A God who gives us "abundant life" (John 10:10) and wants to grow fruit of the Spirit in us that includes joy, peace, and love (Galatians 5:22-23).   That sounds like a WAY better holiday season than stress, busyness, and chaos!   So, let's ask for it. Join me for a short prayer today, lifting our holiday season and our family life before the Lord. Let's ask him for what we need to keep this holiday season low-stress, and lots of fun.   hugs &...

Episode 214 // The holidays are coming! And sometimes, the overwhelming holiday emotion is… stress.    But that’s not the goal. You want to enjoy the holiday season! Thanksgiving. Christmas. There are memories to be made. Is stress going to interrupt all of that?    Not if I can help it!    Join me today for 12 quick tips to help you manage the stress and enjoy your family more this year.    hugs & blessings, Jess   Today’s Scripture inspiration is Galatians 6:9 - “Let us not become weary...

Forgiveness is a requirement for any marriage that wants to be healthy, happy, and holy. It's not easy... but we have to figure out a way to make it happen.   As we've looked at some practical action steps this week that help us move into forgiveness and move forward in our marriages, our #1 help when our marriage is struggling is the Lord.   We need Jesus. We need the Holy Spirit to help us with forgiveness. So, I hope you'll join me today for a few minutes of prayer as we pray for our...

Episode 213 // We can never “forgive and forget” like God does. It’s a common cliche, but we have to wonder if it’s even possible. Should we even try to forgive and forget? How would it actually work, in a real marriage, with hurts and pains, with disappointments and sin?   Today, I’ll share a 5-step process that will help you with forgiveness in your  marriage. As a marriage therapist for 10+ years, I know that this is not an easy process - but it is absolutely a worthwhile one.    These...

The Lord is our greatest source of patience, kindness, self-control, and love. He gives us unfailing grace. And when we struggle with our emotions, we need the Holy Spirit to help us!   So join me today, friend, for a short prayer as we seek to manage our big emotions, control our tongues, and love our families well.   hugs & blessings, Jess   Today’s Scripture inspiration is Proverbs 29:11 - “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.”   Grab my FREE Conflict...

Episode 212 // Every mom has done it... and every mom wants to stop. Emotions can be hard to manage, but there are things we can do to stop the yelling!    Today, I’ll share 5 super practical things you can do as soon as you notice yourself yelling - quick action steps that will help you control those big emotions and get things back on track.    (Bonus tip… the more you try these tips, the more you’ll be able to use them even before you start yelling, and stop yourself before you...

If you really want to change the communication patterns in your home... let's pray, friend.    Today we'll pray through Ephesians 4:26-27 and ask the Lord to help us manage our emotions, communicate clearly, and seeking his help to CONNECT with our people.   Join me, friend.   hugs & blessings, Jess   Today’s Scripture inspiration is Ephesians 4:25-27 - Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do...

Episode 211 // Want to stop the passive aggressive behavior in your home? No one enjoys it, but it can be hard to break bad habits.   Today, I’ve got 6 tips for you to help you make the change. Try these tips and find more connection in your family communication.   We’re unpacking Ephesians 4:26-27 and some practical ways to deal with real issues, never give the devil a foothold, and build healthier communication with your husband and kids.   Let’s do it!   hugs &...

Episode 210 // Passive aggressive communication is a common family issue. We all know it isn’t healthy, it doesn’t make us happy… but it can be hard to talk about hard emotions! We all can struggle.   If you’re struggling with communication in your marriage, with your kids, or in your home, passive aggressive behaviors might have something to do with it. So today, let’s look at some examples of what this might look like in your Christian home… so that next week, we can dive into some tips for...

Do you want healthy, happy, and holy family relationships? You are in the right place! Family life can be busy and chaotic. It’s easy to get distracted in the busyness of life. Relationships can feel discouraging and disappointing sometimes.  But if you want to ENJOY those family relationships even through the ups and downs, this is the podcast for you. Each episode, you’ll find biblical encouragement and practical, real-life action steps to help you be fully present, full of peace, and find...

Sure, you want to learn tips and tricks to help your family relationships. And this podcast is full of them!       But no one can offer you strategies or mom hacks that are better than what God offers. His Word is the wisdom you need. His Spirit is your best source of strength, joy, and peace.   So, friend, you're invited to join me today with a short word of prayer! Let's pray together for our marriages, our children, our families, and our homes. May God bless every ounce of effort you pour...

Episode 209 // Ever feel like you’re spinning your wheels, trying your best, and just not really getting anywhere? Sometimes family life feels like that. You give and give and give… and we can lose track of why we’re really putting in all that effort in the first place!    So today on the podcast, we’re hitting the pause button. A small reset. Let’s clarify together what it really looks like to love YOUR people well.   This podcast is all about building healthy, happy, and holy family...

... let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us… (Hebrews 12:1 - NIV) The race we are on takes perseverance, friend. We need the Lord's strength. We need his grace. We need his help.  Join me today for a short time of prayer, lifting our families and needs before the Almighty God. May He bless us with exactly what we need for THIS season of family life.  > > Grab resources, encouragement, and...

Episode 208 // Every mom has hit that stage of parenting, at some point or another. Exhaustion. Overwhelm. Stress.    Parenting is a lot of work!    And every mom who hits that stage also has the same goal. Get back to enjoying family life again! Bring back the energy and the enthusiasm for it all.    Well, my friend, these tips will help. I’m in that exhausted mom stage right now, and these 13 action steps have been so helpful! I know they will help you too.   Ready to find your joy again?...

Discipling our kids is important... and it can feel totally overwhelming.    When something really matters, it's easy to start worrying about it. Stressing about it. Sometimes we feel paralyzed by how big it feels, and wind up not doing very much at all.   Thankfully, God is bigger! He is the One who tells us how important it is to love him, follow him, and share about him with others. He gave us our children, and gave us the calling to teach them about the gospel and show them what a...

Episode 207 // There are a lot of things that feel important as a parent. Things that really are important! But as Christian parents, there is one true priority in our parenting - discipling our kids.    “Bring [your children] up in the training and instruction of the Lord,” Ephesians 6 tells us. “Impress [my commandments] on your children,” Deuteronomy 6 tells parents.    But life is busy! The days are full! Kids have tiny little attention spans! How do we do it??   Today, I want to share 5...