John Trent and his daughter Kari Trent Stageberg understand family dynamics. They want families to be strong and welcoming. But how? How do you offer a blessing to those you hold most dear? The father-daughter duo take a fresh approach to the classic book The Blessing to encourage families today to incorporate key Biblical elements so that kids grow up knowing they are loved. Parents are setting patterns for future relationships.

Parents pay attention. No matter the age of your children - you can give them building blocks to receive God's love. Push play on this episode for more.

John Trent's – Website and Instagram

Kari Trent Stageberg - Website and Instagram

John and Kari's Book- The Blessing

Books

The Merge for Marriage

Bible verses

• Genesis 27
• Genesis 48
• Deuteronomy 23:5
• Ephesians 1:1
• Ephesians 1:2

Quote

"It's not that we fear God's best, we fear how painful His best can be" Cs Lewis

1. Who was it who looked at you with unconditional love and acceptance?
2. What part of this interview felt most relevant to your life now?
3. If you could make one shift or change based on what John and Kari said, what would it be?

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Motherhood and identity often get so tightly woven together that it feels impossible to separate the two. But what if motherhood isn't our highest calling? What if it's a beautiful and significant part of who we are, but not the ultimate definition of our purpose?

As our children grow, into their teen and young adult years especially, it becomes crucial to rediscover and redefine who we are beyond motherhood.

Today, we are joined by author and speaker Vicki Courtney. Vicki is not only a seasoned writer but also a mother who has walked this journey, learning how to release control and embrace life outside of her children.

Moms, this is a conversation you won't want to miss. It's a timely reminder that while motherhood matters deeply, your ultimate identity rests in something far greater.

Vicki Courtney's – Website and Instagram

Vicki Courtney's Book- Motherhood Is Not Your Highest Calling

Vicki's other books

-Move On

-5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter

-5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Son

1. How does it sit with you to hear that motherhood is not your highest calling?
2. How can we be more intentional about how we speak about our calling and identity with our children?
3. What can you do to cultivate intimacy and growth in your marriage in this season or this week?
4. What can you do to cultivate parts of yourself toward growth and discovery?

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Life is not meant to be lived alone. Throw some midlife stress in the mix and we really aren't meant to handle life's storms without the scaffolding of a community of friends. Toni Collier joins us to share her experience facing huge life challenges and how her friends were there in her darkest moments.

What does friendship look like these days for you? Do you feel like you are pulled in multiple directions? You have guilt you haven't offered your friends more of your attention? How about vulnerability? Are you willing to trust those around you? How about repairing when things have been fractured? How can you find friends if you are feeling all alone?

We talk through the unique aspects of female friendships in midlife. How to discern who to invest in, who to hold tight, and who to welcome to the larger group. If you are lonely this episode is for you. If you are exhausted this episode is for you. If you want to be a good friend to those around you this episode is for you.

Toni Collier's – Website and Instagram

Toni Collier's Book- Don't Try This Alone

Toni Collier's Podcast- Still Coloring

-Kurk Thompsons Concept

(To be Seen, Soothed, Safe and Secure)

-Jim Murphy Book- Inner Excellence

-Lysa TerKeurst Book's- Good Boundaries and Goodbyes

- Forgiving What You Can't Forget

1. In what area of your life have you been isolating or hiding?
2. Who could you bring into your close circle?
3. If there is one thing you are taking away from this interview, what would it be?

Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend.

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Parenting doesn't stop when our kids turn 18, but it sure does change. In this episode, we're talking about what it really looks like to navigate the young adult years with these children we love so much.

We dig into that tricky shift, moving from the role of "director" to more of a "guide on the side." You'll hear honest insights about letting go, building trust, and learning how to communicate in a way that actually works for this new season.

It's not always easy, especially when every instinct tells you to jump in and fix things, but there's real beauty when we step back, trust our kids' choices, and cheer them on.

Joining us for this episode is Catherine Hickem, a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and the founder of Parenting Adult Children Today. With over 40 years of experience in parenting and therapy, Catherine is dedicated to equipping parents with the tools needed to love and support their adult children effectively.

If you're ready to build healthier, stronger connections with your adult kids (and maybe even enjoy the ride a little more), this conversation is for you.

Catherine Hickem – Website and Instagram

1. Is there an expectation you need to grieve when it comes to your adult children inorder to enter with curiosity into their lives?
2. What would a pause or a statement look like if you don't know how to respond?
3. Is there a conversation that needs to be had, in order to move forward with a young adult child?
4. Is there any anger you need to get underneath and what fear or sadness lies underneath that anger?

Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend.

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Hosanna Wong has been traveling the country (literally, you need to listen to her story) and speaking to women about what it means to know and and believe what God says about us. Our pathway to freedom is allowing God's good words in Scripture to meet us in our daily experiences. It's through the everyday soaking that we can know God better and therefore know ourselves better.

We know that childhood messages can set a trajectory for identity and so we talk about how to both counter negative messages we've absorbed along the way, and offer words of hope to future generations. Hosanna is now married and a (little) more settled in San Diego, but she still travels frequently to present to groups about God's love for them.. She often hears women say they wished they'd known and absorbed these messages earlier in life, and so she has created a children's book titled, What God Says About You.

Listening to Hosanna's story, her thoughts on friendship, faith, and truth, will remind you of how dramatically God can intervene in each of our hearts. We can live in freedom. Our first step is listening to what God says about us.

Hosanna Wong's - Website and Instagram

Hosanna Wong's Book- What God Says About You

Poem- I Have a New Name

Book- Live no Lies by John Mark Comer

Book- You are More Than You've Been Told by Hosanna Wong

Book- The Seven Primal Questions by Mike Foster

1. How do messages from your childhood impact your understanding of who you are?
2. How are you learning about who God says you are?
3. How can you spend time in scripture that works for how you are wired?
4. In what ways is God calling you to move forward in freedom?

Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend.

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Midlife can feel like standing at a crossroads - full of change, transition, and often, questions we didn't expect. It's a season that can shake our confidence, but it's also a powerful invitation to pause, reflect, and grow.

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Terri Watson, a board-certified clinical psychologist, to explore how counseling can be a life-giving tool for women in midlife. Dr. Watson shares wisdom on when therapy might be especially helpful, the unique benefits of returning to counseling at different stages of life, and what to consider when choosing between online and in-person sessions.

Whether you've been curious about therapy or are simply navigating the uncertainties of midlife, this conversation will encourage you to embrace support and step more fully into who you're becoming.

Dr. Terri's Book- The Client's Guide to Therapy

Soul Collage

The Book of Romans on Hope

1. What thinking has blocked you from considering counselling?
2. How might God use counselling as a vehicle for healing in your life?
3. Who could help you find trusted counsellor in your area?
4. If you did the visualization exercise, how can you keep your word or phrase accessible for when you need it?

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Our bodies need our attention. When stress comes knocking, we often don't realize how much we hold. We need a way to slow down and release the physical tension. Our guest Whitney Simpson discovered this need after a major medical crisis. Stretching and holding poses through yoga allowed her to be fully present in her skin while praying and meditating. A Christian spiritual director - she helps people work through practices that are attuned to their whole selves.

Much of what we talk about on this episode has to do with slowing down and noticing what is happening in our bodies. It is tempting to ignore how our bodies keep the score, but ignoring doesn't offer what we need. Our bodies need our attention.

In a stage of life where you may be caring for people above and below you in age, working hard at your paid job, and feeling new aches and pains, it is often easier to push aside physical discomfort or tension than to acknowledge it. This episode will remind you how to be present enough to notice what your body is carrying and how God can meet you in your movement and breath.

Whitney Simpson- Website

Whitney Simpson Book- With God in Every Breath

Whitney Simpson Podcast- Exploring Peace Meditations

Whitney's Other Books

• Holy Listening with Breath, Body, and the Spirit
• Fully Human, Fully Divine: An Advent Devotional for the Whole Self

Hebrew "ruach", "nouma"- Breath, Spirit or Wind

Alex Kuykendall's Book- Loving My Actual Life

1. If you were to choose one word to describe your relationship with your body now, what would it be?
2. Where in your day could you build in the habit of taking several deep breaths or practicing breath prayer?
3. What practice can you put into place to feel more integrated with your body?
4. Is there a time in the next few days, you could commit to 10minutes of meditation?

Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend.

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Have you ever wondered how science can actually deepen your faith and help you know God more fully?

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. William West—respected medical doctor, author of Sacred Science, and someone whose own life has been shaped by both the lab and his faith. Together, we explore how faith and science aren't enemies at all, but beautifully woven together in ways that reveal the wonder of God's creation.

Dr. West shares moving stories from his work in oncology and his personal journey of belief, showing how each breakthrough in science can point us closer to the Creator. You'll hear about the divine fingerprints hidden in the details of the universe—and how scripture and scientific discovery can speak in harmony.

If you've ever felt torn between your faith and your curiosity, this conversation will remind you: God is the Author of it all.

Dr. William Book- Sacred Science

1. What has been your understanding of the connection between science and faith?
2. What did you learn in this interview that reinforced your faith?
3. How can we consider more of what is happening around us and how it reflects God's creation?

Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend.

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You have controlled some aspect of your child's life their entire life and now you are expected to let go?! To let them make mistakes and decisions without you?! Yes and no. Yes to letting go and making decisions on their own. But you don't have to leave them completely alone. This is the fine line of parenting young adults, you are now the coach.

In the second part of this two-part conversation, Krista and Alex talk through some of the ways they are letting go as they launch young adults toward independence. There is no one, right way. However there are questions we can ask ourselves as we enter conversations and decisions with intention. What do we pay for? And for how long? Do we speak up if we see a red flag in a relationship? What about when they need to move back home?

We know that parenting young adults in today's world can feel a bit like running in the dark. We are here to say you are not alone and this is your moment to rise to meet the newest challenge of the day!

Phrases to use on your young adult

• That sounds really hard.
• I know you will make a thoughtful decision.
• I believe you will find the courage you need to get through this.
• You're made for good things and that doesn't change based on what happens today.
• I know this is your decision, I trust you'll figure it out and I am cheering for you.

Quotes

"Adolescents may also share what's on their minds as a way to spill their jumbled thoughts on the table where they can survey and perhaps organize them. Adults can help create the space teenagers need to do this. So long as we remember to listen without interrupting and hold back from adding our own thoughts to the pile. Much of what bothers teenagers cannot be solved. We can't fix their broken hearts, prevent their social dramas, or do anything about the fact that they have three huge tests scheduled for the same day. But having a problem is not nearly so bad as feeling utterly alone with it." Lisa Demore

1. How can you take on more of a coaching role with your young adult?
2. What part of your relationship could use some clarity and how can you be kind through clarity this week?
3. How can you encourage your young adult to create a web of supportive relationships?
4. How can you live your faith out authentically in front of the young adults in your life?

Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend.

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Parenting young adults can feel like walking a tightrope. You're not fully in charge anymore, but your influence still matters deeply. So how do you walk alongside them well?

Helpful, but not controlling? Wise, but still letting them make their own decisions? Loving, but with healthy boundaries?

In this first episode of a two-part series, we dive into the art of parenting post-childhood:

✅ Building their confidence without overstepping ✅ Practicing healthy emotional detachment ✅ Equipping them with the practical life skills they actually need ✅ Offering the kind of timeless advice that sticks

Whether you're guiding a high school senior, a college student, or a 20-something finding their way, this conversation will both ground and encourage you.

Tyler Lafferty Episode-PART 1: Helping Your Young Adult Find Their Career Path with Tyler Lafferty

Tyler Lafferty Episode-PART 2: Helping Your Young Adult Find Their Career Path with Tyler Lafferty

Mama Bear Legal Forms

Donald Miller Great advice- Instagram Reel

1. In what way can you practice healthy attachment with your young adult?
2. As an exercise make a list of "You Are" statements that are true of your young adult that you can offer them or with the young person in your life, help them make a list of "I Am" statements that they can use when they need to fall back on remembering what is true of them no matter what.
3. What practical coaching can you give around one of the practical life skills that we discussed earlier?
4. Where do you need to offer yourself grace, maybe for a past response or maybe a place where you can grow into a new way of responding?

Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend.

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Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier