Rocking It with Chrys and Shellie

What does it mean to be the “yes grandma” while still holding firmly to the faith and values you want to pass down?

This week, Chrys and Shellie welcome someone especially close to home: Dr. Joneal Kirby, Chrys’ sister. Joneal has worn about a million hats over the years: wife, mom, grandmother, teacher, principal, school counselor, private counselor and therapist, ministry leader, and more. Each role has given her a unique perspective on relationships, families, and the influence one generation can have on the next. But today, we’re talking about one of her favorite roles: Grandma.

Joneal shares what it means to be the “yes grandma,” the grandmother who makes room for fun, adventure, and a few extra treats, while also being willing to set boundaries and model what following Jesus looks like.

Because being a loving grandmother doesn’t mean saying yes to everything. It means creating a relationship where our grandchildren know they are deeply loved while also showing them, through our words and our lives, what matters most.

Joneal also shares the story behind Heartfelt Ministries, the women’s ministry she created 26 years ago to bring women closer to one another and closer to God. Through all her years of teaching, counseling, leading, mothering, and grandmothering, Joneal says what matters most is beautifully simple: She wants her grandchildren to know that Jesus loves them.

In This Episode, We Talk About

● What it means to be the “yes grandma”

● Why saying yes doesn’t mean abandoning boundaries

● The unique influence grandparents have in a child’s life

● Modeling faith instead of simply talking about it

● Balancing fun, freedom, and godly principles

● How our grandchildren learn about Jesus by watching the way we live

● Why relationships are at the heart of passing down faith

● Joneal’s years of experience working with children and families

● The story behind Heartfelt Ministries

● What 26 years of bringing women together has taught Joneal

● The one thing she most wants her grandchildren to know

Key Takeaway:

Be the grandma who says yes to fun, yes to time together, yes to listening, and yes to making memories. But most importantly, be the grandma whose life continually says yes to Jesus.

Scripture Connection:

“One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.”  

- Psalm 145:4

About Our Guest:

Dr. Joneal Kirby is an author, counselor, educator, speaker, wife, mother, grandmother, and the founder of Heartfelt Ministries.

Throughout her career, she has served children, women, and families as a teacher, school principal, school counselor, private counselor, and ministry leader. For 26 years, Heartfelt Ministries has encouraged women to build meaningful relationships across generations while growing closer to God.

And yes, she also happens to be Chrys’ sister, so expect a few family stories along the way!

Listener Reflection:

What kind of grandmother do you want your grandchildren to remember?

Are you creating a relationship where they know they can come to you, laugh with you, ask hard questions, and feel completely loved while also seeing Jesus reflected in the way you live?

Maybe being the “yes grandma” starts with deciding what we’re saying yes to most.

Join the Conversation:

We want to hear from you! What is something you always say YES to when your grandchildren ask? Ice cream before dinner? One more story?

A sleepover? Staying up a little too late? Share yours with us, and send this episode to another grandma who wants to have fun with her grandchildren while leaving them a legacy of faith.

Subscribe to Rocking It with Chrys & Shellie, the grandmas you didn’t know you needed, so you can join us for more honest conversations about faith, family, relationships, and what really matters.

You may know Phyllis Robertson Thomas as the daughter Phil Robertson never knew he had. But that remarkable discovery is only one chapter of her story. This week on Rocking It with Chrys & Shellie, we sit down

with Phyllis for an honest and hope-filled conversation about family, identity, trauma, faith, and healing. Phyllis’ story captured the attention of people around the world when she discovered as an adult that Phil Robertson was her biological father. Her journey to find him was filled

with unexpected twists and turns and, as many of us know, ended with a beautiful welcome into the Robertson family. But Phyllis reminds us of something important: not every difficult family story gets a storybook ending. So what do we do when it doesn’t? Drawing from her own experiences as well as her professional training, Phyllis shares how we can face the painful parts of our stories without allowing them to define

the rest of our lives. Phyllis is a wife, mom, grandmother, former psychiatric

nurse, and now a licensed professional counselor working with children and families. Her new book, I Never Knew: Finding Healing and Renewal After Trauma, goes far beyond the story of discovering her biological father. It explores trauma, identity, relationships, faith, and the healing that can come when we’re willing to face the truth about our past. This is a conversation about more than what happened to us. It’s about what happens next.

In This Episode, We Talk About

● The incredible story of discovering Phil

Robertson was her biological father

● What it felt like to finally meet her dad

● Being welcomed into the Robertson family

● Why finding her biological father was only one

part of her healing journey

● How childhood experiences can continue to

affect us as adults

● Understanding trauma and the ways it can

shape our identity and relationships

● Why not every family story has the happy

ending we hoped for

● How we move forward when circumstances

cannot be changed

● The role faith has played in Phyllis’ healing

● How her nursing background led her into

mental health counseling

● What she has learned from working with

children and families

● Why healing doesn’t mean pretending the

painful things never happened

● The story behind her new book, I Never Knew

Key Takeaway

You may not get to choose everything that happens in your story, but what happened to you does not have to define the rest of your story. Healing is possible, and there is hope on the other side of hurt.

Scripture Connection

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be

transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  

- Romans 12:2

About Our Guest

Phyllis Robertson Thomas is a wife, mother, grandmother, former psychiatric nurse, and licensed professional counselor. Her personal journey became known publicly in 2020 when she discovered that Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson was her biological father. But Phyllis’ story extends far beyond that discovery. Her own experiences with trauma and healing eventually helped lead her into the mental health profession, where she now works with children and families.

In her new book, I Never Knew: Finding Healing and Renewal After Trauma, Phyllis combines her personal story, professional experience, and Christian faith to offer hope to others who are working through painful experiences of their own.

Listener Reflection

Is there something from your past that still has more influence over your present than you would like? Maybe healing doesn’t begin by changing what happened because we can’t. Maybe it begins by realizing our past can be part of our

story without becoming the author of our future.

Join the Conversation

We’d love to hear from you: What’s one truth you’ve learned that helped you move forward from something difficult in your past? And if you know someone who is walking through trauma, a difficult family relationship, questions about identity, or simply a season they didn’t choose, share this episode with them.

Sometimes knowing someone else has walked a hard road

and found hope is exactly what we need.

Subscribe to Rocking It with Chrys & Shellie, the grandmas you didn’t know you needed,

for more honest conversations about faith, family, relationships, and

navigating the real stuff of life.

Resources

I Never Knew: Finding Healing and Renewal After Trauma by Phyllis Robertson Thomas

Available through major booksellers and at Phyllis’ website.

We’re back, and we couldn’t think of a better guest to help us kick off a brand-new season of Rocking It with Chrys & Shellie than Korie Robertson!

Korie happens to be Chrys’ daughter, which makes this conversation especially fun, but there was plenty to catch up on. While Duck Dynasty will always be a big part of Korie’s story, some exciting new adventures are unfolding in her life, and she’s sharing the behind-the-scenes with us.

One of those adventures is Kinkeeping, Korie’s new partnership with Hobby Lobby. Korie tells us where the word kinkeeping came from, why the idea immediately resonated with her, and what it means to be the person who intentionally keeps a family connected.

And she doesn’t just tell us about it. She challenges all of us to become kinkeepers in our own families.

Korie also gives us a peek into the making of the Hobby Lobby Kinkeeping commercial, featuring some very special family moments with Miss Kay and the rest of the Robertson family, including a sweet scene with Korie and her daddy.

Plus, Korie shares that she’s working on a new book by the same name, Kinkeeping.

It’s a conversation about family, connection, memories, legacy, and the importance of intentionally keeping the people we love close. We think it’s the perfect way to begin this new season.

Scripture Connection

“Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Take the lead in honoring one another.”

- Romans 12:10

About Our Guest

Korie Robertson is an author, speaker, entrepreneur, wife, mom, grandmother—and, as we discovered in this conversation, a natural kinkeeper. Many know Korie and her family through Duck Dynasty, but her greatest passion has always centered around faith and family. Her latest projects continue that mission by encouraging families to intentionally nurture the relationships, stories, and traditions that connect one generation to the next.

Listener Reflection

Who is the kinkeeper in your family?

Maybe it’s the person who organizes Sunday lunch, keeps everyone updated, takes the pictures, remembers the stories, or makes sure everyone comes home for Christmas.

And here’s an even better question: How can you help keep your family connected?

Join the Conversation

We’d love to hear from you! Tell us who the kinkeeper is in your family and what they do that keeps everyone connected.

Then share this episode with them. It might be a wonderful way to say, “I see what you do for our family, and it matters.”

Subscribe to Rocking It with Chrys & Shellie, the grandmas you didn’t know you needed, so you don’t miss what’s coming this season.

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In this episode, Chrys and Shellie sit down with bestselling author and speaker Carol McLeod to talk about her devotional book, Today Is a Verb. Carol encourages women to move beyond simply thinking about faith and instead live it out daily with intention, passion, and purpose.

Through practical wisdom and biblical encouragement, Carol reminds us that every day is an opportunity to choose faith, hope, gratitude, and action. She also shares insights from her ministry and her podcast, The Significant Women Podcast, where she continues encouraging women to live meaningful, faith-filled lives.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Why faith is something we live, not just believe

• The message behind Today Is a Verb

• Practical ways to walk boldly in everyday life

• How intentional living changes our outlook and influence

• Encouragement for women in busy or uncertain seasons

Key Takeaway:

Faith is active. Each day gives us a new opportunity to live with courage, purpose, and intention right where God has placed us.

For Listeners:

If you’re looking for daily encouragement to live your faith more intentionally, this conversation — and Carol’s devotional — will inspire you to step into each day with renewed purpose.

In this episode, Chrys and Shellie welcome Randy Phillips, lead pastor of LifeFamily Church and founding member of the Christian trio Phillips, Craig & Dean. Randy joins the conversation to share about his new children’s book, Guppy and the Silvery Hook, a beautifully illustrated story that helps children understand the importance of respect, trusting wise guidance, and making thoughtful decisions.

Through gentle storytelling and vibrant artwork, Randy offers families a tool for starting meaningful conversations with children about choices, consequences, and learning to listen to those who care for them most.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Randy’s journey as a pastor, musician, and now children’s author

• The inspiration behind Guppy and the Silvery Hook

• Teaching children about choices in a loving, memorable way

• Why storytelling is such a powerful teaching tool for families

• Helping children understand trust and guidance at an early age

Key Takeaway:

Simple stories often carry the deepest lessons. When children learn early to trust wise guidance and make thoughtful decisions, it helps set a foundation for a lifetime of good choices.

For Families & Grandparents:

This episode encourages parents and grandparents to use stories as opportunities to talk with children about respect, trust, and listening to those who love and guide them.

How do we help children understand why bad things happen to good people?

That’s one of life’s hardest—and most honest—questions.

In this meaningful episode, Chrys and Shellie sit down with author Courtney Reissig to talk about her new children’s book, Seth and the Very Scary Storm.

Drawing from her own personal experiences, Courtney gently helps children understand an important truth: bad things don’t happen because of something they did or said. Instead, this story points young hearts toward a God whose plans are rooted in goodness, purpose, and what is best for His kingdom—even when circumstances feel frightening or confusing.

This insightful and compassionate conversation equips parents and grandparents with language, perspective, and hope as they help children navigate fear, worry, and life’s storms.

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In This Episode, We Discuss:

• How Seth and the Very Scary Storm addresses fear in age-appropriate ways

• Courtney’s personal story and what inspired the book

• Talking honestly with kids about suffering and fear

• How to reassure children of God’s goodness during scary seasons

Artificial intelligence is everywhere—and it isn’t going away.

In this timely and thoughtful conversation, Chrys and Shellie take on AI and the many tools now available to all of us, with one goal in mind: understanding it well enough to use it wisely.

We don’t want to bury our heads in the sand—but we also don’t want to hand over discernment without asking important questions. If we, as adults, don’t understand tools like AI, we can’t help our children and grandchildren navigate them safely and responsibly.

In this episode, Chrys and Shellie talk honestly about the benefits, concerns, and boundaries surrounding AI. They remind us that while technology can be a gift, it never replaces relationships, wisdom, or human connection.

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In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Why AI is something we need to understand—not fear or ignore

• The rapid growth of AI tools and what that means for families

• Why adult understanding matters before guiding kids

• Healthy questions to ask before using new technology

• The difference between helpful tools and unhealthy dependence

• Why relationships, faith, and discernment still matter most

Rocking it Grand AI Resource for Families

After days without power, unpredictable schedules, and families gathered under one roof, Chrys and Shellie reflect on the unexpected lessons learned during a winter storm. From rediscovering gratitude for everyday comforts to seeing communities rally together, this conversation reminds us that hard seasons often reveal what matters most. Whether you weathered the storm personally or are walking through a different kind of challenge, this episode offers encouragement, humor, and perspective for finding light in difficult moments.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

• Discovering strength and resilience in unexpected situations

• How hardship brings families and communities closer

• Learning gratitude for everyday conveniences

• Finding humor and memories in inconvenient moments

• Why slowing down can sometimes be a gift

• How storms reset perspective on what really matters

• Seeing God’s presence in both crisis and recovery

Hospitality has taken a hit in the years since Covid. Many of us want to gather again—but the thought of opening our homes to a crowd can feel overwhelming.

In this episode, Chrys shares five practical, tried-and-true tips for hosting a large gathering without losing your joy—or your mind. After recently welcoming 75 people into her home, Chrys walks listeners through what really works, what doesn’t matter nearly as much as we think, and how to create an atmosphere where guests feel relaxed, included, and cared for.

From letting others help with the food to holding plans loosely, this episode is a gentle reminder that hospitality doesn’t have to be perfect—it just needs to be open-hearted.

God calls us to be hospitable and relational. Maybe it’s time to dust off the extra chairs, open the door, and get back to doing life together.

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In This Episode, Chrys and Shellie Share:

• Why hospitality feels harder than it used to—and why it matters more than ever

• The mindset shift that makes hosting doable (even joyful)

• Five practical tips for hosting a large group without burnout

• Why letting others help is a gift, not a failure

• How flexibility can save your gathering (and your attitude)

• Encouragement for anyone who feels intimidated by entertaining

What if the reason prayer feels hard isn’t because you’re doing it wrong—but because you’re trying to do it like someone else?

In this special episode, Chrys turns the microphone toward her co-host, Shellie Tomlinson, to talk about her newest book, Don’t Try to Pray Like Her.

Shellie openly shares how she once struggled when talking to God, feeling unsure, inconsistent, and even discouraged. But through that struggle, God gently led her into a deeper, more personal connection with Him. Along the way, Shellie discovered 15 prayer habits that helped her move past comparison and into a prayer life that felt honest, doable, and deeply meaningful.

With her trademark Southern charm, humor, and honesty, Shellie invites readers—and listeners—on a grace-filled journey toward practical prayer support that meets you exactly where you are.

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In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Why comparing our prayer lives to others can be discouraging

• Shellie’s personal struggles with prayer

• How God used honesty—not perfection—to draw her closer

• The 15 prayer habits that helped Shellie go deeper with God

• Encouragement for anyone who feels “bad at praying”

• How to develop a prayer life that fits your personality and season