CrossCurrent Podcasts

Most writing advice is really time management advice. Find the hour, protect the block, guard the calendar. But you can have the time and still have nothing left to give it.

In this short episode from the Hitz Blitz archive, Shelley talks about energy management and why it matters as much as the clock does for writers.

You may not think of yourself as controlling. You’re just trying to protect the people you love and keep things from falling apart! Lysa TerKeurst reveals how fear can quietly drive our need for control, but how trusting God with the things we can’t fix can bring freedom and peace. You can’t control every outcome…but you can trust the One who can.

Receive a copy of "Making Peace with What I Can't Control" and an audio download of "How to Make Peace with What You Can't Control" for your donation of any amount! Plus, receive member-exclusive benefits when you make a recurring gift today. Your monthly support helps families thrive.

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Do you have a story or comment on how Focus on the Family impacted you or your family? Leave a message for Jim Daly!

If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, please give us your feedback.

Wherever men and women behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, the idols fall. 

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For more resources visit breakpoint.org. 

Most Christian homeschool families don't intentionally abandon their mission. They drift away from it—one small decision, pressure, activity, or expectation at a time.

In this episode of the Teach Them Diligently Podcast, David and Leslie Nunnery talk about why homeschool drift happens and how to recognize when curriculum, schedules, academics, activities, fear, or other people's expectations have quietly started driving your homeschool.

You'll walk through five questions that can help you evaluate where your family is headed, reconnect your daily decisions to the mission God has given you, and make small adjustments before homeschool chaos takes over.

David and Leslie also look back from the other side of homeschooling to share what mattered far more—and far less—than they realized while raising their four children.

FREE RESOURCE: Take the 10-Day Remember Your Why Challenge and get the accompanying printable guide at TeachThemDiligently.net/Remember-Your-Why.

Because curriculum and schedules are great tools—but terrible masters.

At some point, every Christian parent finds themselves facing “giants” — immense obstacles and seemingly impossible circumstances that stand between them and God’s promises. How you respond in these moments determines whether you move forward into the life God intends, or let fear and discouragement hold you back.

In this deeply personal and practical episode, Catherine invites listeners into her own challenging season—her husband’s unexpected job loss, a year of solo parenting, and a disastrous home renovation that threatened to derail everything. With remarkable honesty, Catherine unpacks the real struggles families encounter as they pursue God’s calling in the midst of overwhelming adversity.

But this episode is more than a story of hardship. Catherine shares six powerful, actionable steps for any believer facing a giant—whether in their marriage, career, finances, health, or faith:

1. Gain God’s Perspective: When circumstances look hopeless, seek to see your situation through God's eyes—not just the intimidating physical realities (08:01). Drawing inspiration from Elisha’s story in 2 Kings 6, Catherine encourages listeners to pray for spiritual vision that reveals God’s power at work beyond what’s visible.

2. Keep Your Eyes on God, Not the Enemy: It’s tempting to focus on the size of your problems, but victory comes from fixing your gaze on the God who is bigger than any obstacle (13:10). Stories of Moses and Peter remind us that fear grows when we focus on the enemy, but faith grows when we focus on God.

3. Find Your Fight Songs: Worship is a weapon. Catherine describes how building a playlist of battle songs, like "Greater is He" by Blanca, helped her replace fear with hope—even when nothing changed externally (18:09). She urges parents to let worship shape their outlook during trials.

4. Gather Your Weapons: Know and wield the Word of God. Catherine describes creating lists of personalized scriptures to pray daily over her children, her family, and her battles. She emphasizes the importance of having these spiritual “weapons” ready before the fight comes (22:41).

5. Partner in Prayer: Giants don’t fall through solo efforts—find others to pray with and for you. Whether it’s a spouse, small group, or prayer team, uniting faith with others shifts the battle (27:08).

6. Speak to Your Giant—Prophesy Its Future: Refuse to agree with the enemy’s narrative. Catherine recounts how publicly rejecting the enemy’s threats and speaking agreement with God’s promises led to unexpected breakthroughs—in her bathroom remodel, in her home sale, and in her family’s future (31:05). She clarifies: this isn’t “name it, claim it” theology, but the biblical principle of aligning your words and faith with God's revealed plan rather than fear.

By sharing her vulnerability, setbacks, and ultimate victories, Catherine both comforts and challenges parents: your fight with giants is part of God’s story for you. This episode provides not only encouragement, but also a spiritual toolkit you can use immediately—so you can keep moving toward God’s promises, no matter how daunting the battle seems.

Resources and Further Support

• Free scripture resources and faith-building tools available at Catherine’s website

• Blanca "Greater Is He"

For any parent standing at their own “Red Sea,” this episode equips you to see beyond your current circumstances, lean into practical faith, and trust the God who is always greater than your giant.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.c

Michelle believes newlywed wives can benefit from her perspective of a “seasoned” wife on topics like being content in marriage vs. comparing to other families; the importance of respecting your husband, believing the best about your spouse, and developing a “team” mindset. Michelle shares practical advice and wonderful stories from her own marital experiences.

Receive a copy of "Hey Beginner Wife" and an audio download of "Practical Advice for Newlyweds from a Seasoned Wife" for your donation of any amount! Plus, receive member-exclusive benefits when you make a recurring gift today. Your monthly support helps families thrive.

Get More Episode Resources 

Do you have a story or comment on how Focus on the Family impacted you or your family? Leave a message for Jim Daly!

If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, please give us your feedback.

Our idols will not disappear simply because we expose them. They disappear when we behold Christ. 

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