The GoodKind Podcast

Sibling relationships are some of the most complicated — and formative — relationships in our lives.

Some of us grew up sharing bedrooms and birthday cakes. Some of us have siblings through adoption. Some of us have friends who feel more like family than blood ever could. But what actually makes someone a brother or sister?

In this episode, Clayton, Chris, and Amy explore the beauty and tension of siblinghood—from childhood rivalries to lifelong loyalty—and then turn to Scripture to ask: Why are sibling relationships in the Bible so messy? And why does the New Testament choose “brothers and sisters” as the primary language for the Church?

From Cain and Abel to Mary and Martha, from birthright competition to spiritual inheritance, this conversation reframes siblinghood not just as shared DNA, but as shared responsibility, affection, and the recognition of God’s Spirit in one another.

What if sibling love — even with all its friction — is actually training ground for the family of God?

Takeaways

• Siblings can be complicated, but they teach us responsibility, empathy, and long-term commitment. 
• Shared experiences—whether growing up together or navigating life’s challenges—create bonds that are difficult to replicate. 
• Deep friendships can also become “sibling-like” when trust, loyalty, and shared challenges grow over time. 
• Scripture shows both the messiness and redemption of sibling relationships, offering guidance for how we relate to one another. 
• Observing and guiding sibling dynamics in our families can help children learn empathy, cooperation, and healthy connection. 
• Ultimately, meaningful kinship is defined more by shared experience, commitment, and longevity than by DNA alone.

Chapters

00:00 – Are siblings our most complicated relationships?

03:29 – Growing up with brothers and sisters: shared stories

11:14 – What actually defines a sibling?

21:30 – When friendship starts to feel like family

28:51 – Why are biblical siblings always fighting?

31:14 – From rivalry to redemption: brothers in the New Testament

37:27 – Birthright, inheritance, and God’s upside-down kingdom

42:00 – Responsibility, affection, and the Spirit that makes us family

Spring doesn’t arrive all at once. It sneaks in slowly—the first warm afternoon, the extra hour of daylight, the return of outside play and evening walks. After the long gray days of winter, spring offers something different: momentum.

In this Habits & Holidays episode, Clayton Greene, Chris Pappalardo, and Amy Kavanaugh explore the spiritual and practical opportunities of “surely spring”—that stretch between winter’s heaviness and summer’s freedom. They discuss how the rhythms of school, work, weather, and the Church calendar all converge to create a unique season of stride—a time to lean into growth, alignment, and meaningful family habits.

Rather than expecting life to look the same all year long, spring invites families to embrace seasonality: to notice what God is already doing, and to respond with intentionality.

Takeaways

• Spring creates momentum after the heaviness of winter.
• Seasonality affects our capacity, mood, and spiritual rhythms.
• Spiritual habits can—and should—shift with the calendar.
• Spring offers unique opportunities for growth, beauty, and alignment.
• Easter anchors spring as a season of renewal and hope.
• Families can use spring’s energy to establish meaningful rhythms outdoors and at home.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome & Habits and Holidays introduction
02:55 Why seasons shape family and spiritual life
03:42 How seasonality affects mood, capacity, and relationships
04:28 Giving yourself permission for seasonal spiritual habits
05:30 Escaping the “flatness” of modern life
07:24 Defining the boundaries of “surely spring”
09:42 The opportunities spring creates for families
09:59 Beauty, gardening, and cultivating outdoor spaces
12:25 The return of outdoor play and family life outside
13:26 Daylight savings, Lent, and preparing for Easter
15:23 Spring as a season of rhythm, flow, and momentum
16:49 Why spring feels like the natural stride of the year
18:10 Spring break and pacing the spiritual and family calendar
19:25 Where spring appears in the biblical story
20:47 Goal-setting, alignment, and faithful momentum

Being outside is having a cultural moment. From hiking trends to tallying up 1,000 hours to taking cold plunges and sharing “touch grass” memes, we’re constantly told that getting outdoors is the cure for everything. But is outside really better than inside? And what does Scripture actually have to say about nature, embodiment, and the way we inhabit the world?

In this episode of The GoodKind Podcast, Clayton Greene, Chris Pappalardo, and Amy Kavanaugh wrestle—playfully and seriously—with the cultural pressure to be “outdoorsy.” From camping debates to neighborhood walks, they explore what we’re really longing for when we head outside: connection, movement, wonder, margin, and freedom from distraction.

Together, they reflect on how the Bible consistently points us toward creation as a place of encounter with God—and how ordinary outdoor rhythms (not just epic adventures) can reorient our hearts, our families, and our faith.

Takeaways

• You don’t have to climb a mountain to benefit from the outdoors.
• Ordinary neighborhood walks count.
• Movement + nature + less tech = meaningful presence.
• Outside often creates space for better conversations.
• Wonder is available close to home.
• The Bible consistently uses creation to reveal God’s character.
• The goal isn’t aesthetic outdoor living—it’s attentiveness.

Chapters

00:00 - Cold Open
01:09 - Welcome & episode setup06:20 - Is outside better than inside?15:22 - Nature, formation, and embodied life24:34 - The best kind of outside time29:02 - Creation in Scripture36:08 - Practical ways to reclaim ordinary outdoor rhythms

Disappointment is one of the most common experiences of childhood—and parenting. From small daily frustrations to long-term struggles that don’t resolve quickly, learning how to walk with our kids through disappointment is part of forming them in faith, resilience, and trust in God.

In this episode of The GoodKind Podcast, Clayton Greene, Chris Pappalardo, and Amy Kavanaugh continue the conversation from their recent episode on celebrating wins and turn toward the harder question: What do we do when things don’t go well?

Together, they explore how to take children’s disappointment seriously without letting it rule the moment, how to validate hard feelings without rushing to “fix” them, and how the Christian story gives us a framework for living faithfully in unresolved tension.

Listen to "Beyond Good Grades:Celebrating the Small Wins" wherever you get your podcasts!

Takeaways

• Let hard things be hard – Don’t swoop in to fix every disappointment.

• Validate feelings first – Even “small” hurts matter to kids.

• Small disappointments add up – Watch for patterns, not just one-offs.

• Teach resilience – Moving forward doesn’t mean ignoring feelings.

• Context is everything – Timing and surroundings shape how kids process hard stuff.

• Model healthy responses – Kids learn from how you handle your own disappointments.

• Faith as a framework – Examples like Paul or Emmaus show perseverance + accompaniment.

  
  

GoodKind Co-Founders, Clayton Greene, and Chris Pappalardo, caught up with Danielle Hitchen on the podcast this week to discuss the significance of Valentine's Day. They're exploring its historical roots, its role as a feast day, and how families can celebrate it meaningfully.

They share personal experiences and insights on teaching children about love, faith, and the importance of recognizing the true essence of holidays. The conversation emphasizes the balance between cultural celebrations and spiritual teachings, providing practical tips for parents to engage their children in meaningful discussions about love and faith.

Takeaways

• Valentine's Day can be a feast day to honor St. Valentine.
• Teaching children about love is essential.
• Valentine's Day has historical roots that can be explored.
• Families can create their own traditions around Valentine's Day.
• It's important to balance cultural celebrations with spiritual teachings.
• Reading stories about St. Valentine can enrich the holiday experience.
• Engaging children in discussions about love is valuable.
• Celebrating holidays can shape children's understanding of faith.

Recommended Resources

Catechesis Books - founded by Danielle Hitchen catechesisbooks.com

• Baby Believer Series (board books)
• First Bible Basics
• Sacred Seasons, book by Danielle Hitchen (for grown-ups!)

Book of Common Prayer

The Parliament of Fowls - poem by Geoffrey Chaucer (origin of Valentine’s Day as a romantic holiday)

Till We Have Faces - novel by C.S. Lewis (retelling of the Cupid & Psyche myth)

Building Spiritual Habits in the Home - book by GoodKind Co-founders, Clayton Greene and Chris Pappalardo

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Guest Introduction

02:49 - The Journey of Catechesis Books

05:33 - Parenting and Spiritual Habits

08:25 - Valentine's Day as a Feast Day

11:04 - Cupid and Historical Context

14:05 - Valentine's Day Celebrations with Family

17:27 - Celebrating Valentine's Day Creatively

21:51 - Teaching Love Through Valentine's Day

28:17 - Balancing Cultural and Religious Aspects of Valentine's Day

36:16 - Practical Tips for Meaningful Valentine's Day Celebrations

We spend a lot of time trying to sort people into categories—friends, acquaintances, neighbors—hoping that clarity will tell us how much time, care, or energy each relationship requires. But when we turn to Scripture, Jesus doesn’t let those categories hold.

In this conversation, Clayton, Chris, and Amy explore how the Bible reframes the idea of “neighbor,” not as a label for certain people, but as a way of being. Through Proverbs, the Good Samaritan, and everyday experiences of suburban life, they wrestle with how proximity, technology, and modern rhythms shape our relationships—and why Jesus consistently shifts the question from Who is my neighbor? to Am I being a neighbor?

This episode invites listeners to rethink neighborhood, availability, and love—not as strategies to manage people, but as formation into a different kind of person.

Takeaways

• Scripture distinguishes between acquaintances, friends, and neighbors, but not in a clean or linear way
• Proverbs 18:24 highlights the difference between many companions and a true friend who “sticks closer than a brother"
• In the Good Samaritan story, Jesus turns neighbor from a noun into a verb
• The question Jesus leaves us with isn’t “Who qualifies as my neighbor?” but “Am I acting like one?”
• Modern life—cars, technology, busy schedules—has reshaped how (and how often) we relate to the people closest to us
• Proximity still matters, especially in moments of need, crisis, or shared responsibility
• Availability may be one of the most practical and loving ways to practice neighboring

Chapters

00:00 – Why we try to categorize relationships02:00 – Defining friends vs. acquaintances05:20 – Proverbs 18:24 and biblical language around friendship07:00 – Why “neighbor” feels different than friend or acquaintance08:45 – Jesus, the Good Samaritan, and neighbor as a verb12:45 – Why Jesus refuses to answer questions directly15:30 – What our actual neighborhoods look like19:00 – Proximity, cars, and how modern life reshaped community23:00 – Borrowing eggs, sharing tools, and old-fashioned neighboring26:30 – Environment, cul-de-sacs, and how space forms relationships29:00 – Responsibility to the people closest to us31:30 – Availability as a practice of love34:40 – Mutual indebtedness and long-term neighboring36:30 – Why neighboring is slow—and why that matters

Faith at home, spiritual habits, family rhythms, liturgical calendar, Holy Week, Easter traditions, discipleship in the home

In this episode of The GoodKind Podcast, Clayton Greene, Amy Kavanaugh, and Chris Pappalardo talk about family road trips—and why car time holds a unique kind of power for connection.

From screen time debates to nostalgic memories of road trip games and long conversations, the hosts explore how modern families navigate travel while still making space for meaningful interaction. They reflect on how the car creates an unusual environment: physically close, removed from daily distractions, and often more open to honest conversation.

The conversation also draws parallels to biblical journeys, noting how travel has long been a context for formation, teaching, and transformation. Rather than rushing through the drive, the hosts invite listeners to embrace the inefficiency of road trips—trusting that the slow, unplanned moments along the way often shape families just as much as the destination.

Takeaways

• Car time creates a unique space for conversation that doesn’t exist at home—or on planes.

• Road trips work because they’re inefficient, not in spite of it.

• Screens don’t automatically ruin connection—they can sometimes make it possible.

• Meaningful family conversations can’t be scheduled or forced; they emerge over time.

• Travel time is one of the key moments Scripture names for forming faith in kids.

• The enclosed, shared space of a car invites vulnerability and openness.

• Non-productive togetherness often forms families more than structured activities.

• The journey itself can shape relationships as much as the destination.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Family Road Trips

00:58 The Importance of Car Time

08:22 Preparing for the Road Trip

15:42 The Unique Opportunity of Road Trips

23:13 Creating Meaningful Conversations

32:13 Embracing Inefficiency in Family Travel

36:36 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

family road trips, car conversations, meaningful family time, parenting tips, screen time balance, family bonding, travel games, spiritual habits, GoodKind Podcast, family togetherness

In this episode of The GoodKind Podcast, Clayton, Chris, and Amy discuss the importance of celebrating small wins in parenting. They explore how praise can impact children's development, the difference in how children of various ages receive praise, and the balance between performance and process.

The conversation emphasizes the need to define success beyond grades and to focus on character development. Practical strategies for celebrating efforts and creating a culture of encouragement in the home are shared, along with biblical foundations for work and success.

Takeaways

• Celebrating small wins is crucial for children's development.
• Praise should focus on effort and character, not just outcomes.

• Defining success should go beyond grades and performance.
• Encouragement helps build resilience and confidence in children.
• Biblical principles can guide parenting and success definitions.
• Creating a culture of celebration fosters positive behavior.
• Specific praise is more impactful than general compliments.
• Recognizing the process is as important as celebrating the result.
• Parents should practice recognizing and celebrating their children's efforts.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Initial Thoughts on Praise

02:23 Celebrating Small Wins with Children

05:02 The Impact of Age on Praise Reception

07:40 Performance vs. Process in Parenting

10:17 Defining Success Beyond Grades

12:57 The Role of Encouragement in Development

15:46 Biblical Foundations for Work and Success

18:25 Celebrating Efforts and Character Development

21:00 Practical Strategies for Celebrating Wins

23:42 Recognizing and Celebrating the Process

26:28 The Importance of Specific Praise

29:16 Creating a Culture of Celebration in the Home

parenting, praise, small wins, child development, encouragement, success, biblical principles, character building, celebration, parenting strategies

This episode originally aired last year, but we’re re-sharing it with a new intro and outro because it’s become a foundational conversation for our community. If you’re revisiting it, we hope it lands in a new way this season. If it’s your first time listening, we’re so glad you’re here.

In this GoodKind Podcast episode, Amy is interviewing GoodKind Co-founders and authors, Chris and Clayton, about a foundational question for Christian families: What is a spiritual habit—and why do habits shape faith more deeply than words alone? This conversation reframes spiritual formation away from pressure, perfection, and performance, and toward consistent, practiced rhythms that shape belief over time.

Rather than treating faith as something we primarily teach, the team emphasizes how faith is something we practice—formed through repeated actions, shared rhythms, and everyday choices in the home. They discuss why information alone rarely leads to transformation, how habits quietly disciple both children and adults, and why spiritual growth is often slow, cumulative, and unseen in the moment.

The episode also addresses common misconceptions about spiritual discipline, explaining the difference between habits and legalism, and how grace-driven practices create space for genuine formation. Drawing from Scripture, family life, and lived experience, the conversation highlights how habits function as trellises that support growth—especially in seasons when motivation is low or life feels chaotic.

If you’ve ever wondered why your best intentions don’t stick, how to nurture faith without pressure, or what actually forms belief over time, this episode offers a grounded, hope-filled framework for building spiritual habits that last.

Takeaways

• Spiritual habits shape faith more consistently than teaching or intention alone.
• Faith formation happens through repeated practices, not one-time moments.
• Spiritual habits are not about perfection or performance, but about faithfulness and rhythm.
• Grace-centered habits create space for long-term spiritual growth.
• Healthy spiritual habits help carry faith when motivation fades.
• Building habits in the home shapes both children and adults together.

Chapters

00:00 — What Are Spiritual Habits?03:12 — Why Teaching Alone Doesn’t Form Faith06:45 — Habits vs. Legalism09:58 — Formation Happens Through Practice13:21 — The Role of Repetition and Rhythm16:40 — Habits as a Trellis for Growth20:05 — Faithfulness Over Perfection23:14 — Building Spiritual Habits in the Home26:30 — Long-Term Formation and Grace

Buy Building Spiritual Habits in the Home on Amazon!

https://www.amazon.com/Building-Spiritual-Habits-Home-Small/dp/0802434304/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1Z8YOBA8SBNM6&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.qu59ZbacDPX9GZL4rJK2Jtt4lZDB6c0lLMCKQAncVmkf-Cr5ysok9kF0VH3WhHkdsjASUe0SbXXIvZeI5zDWl1mbJJ_68Utl1jwya2wGA0w.8bhF9konQ3ZJ3HqYYfP5omh6Y7QaJEvhK3nVqvV0x54&dib_tag=se&keywords=building+spiritual+habits+in+the+home&qid=1733772078&sprefix=building+spiritual+%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-1

spiritual habits, Christian family habits, faith formation, spiritual disciplines, Christian parenting, building spiritual habits in the home, faith practices, discipleship at home, Christian rhythms, spiritual growth, forming faith in kids, Christian family life

Welcome to Season 5 of The GoodKind Podcast! In this episode, hosts Clayton, Chris, and Amy discuss the ineffectiveness of New Year's resolutions, particularly in January and February, which they refer to as the 'gray days.' They explore the cultural narratives surrounding these months, emphasizing the importance of preparation rather than resolution.

The conversation delves into biblical reflections on seasons, the significance of waiting and growth, and practical steps for intentional living that align with the natural rhythms of life.

Ultimately, they advocate for a mindset shift towards viewing January and February as a time for reflection and preparation for the renewal that comes with spring.

Takeaways

• New Year's resolutions often lead to disappointment and should be reconsidered.
• January and February are challenging months, often referred to as the 'gray days.'
• Cultural narratives around the New Year can create unrealistic expectations.
• Biblical teachings emphasize the importance of waiting and preparation during these months.
• Growth is often subtle and requires patience, much like the roots of a plant in winter.
• Intentional living should focus on small, manageable changes rather than grand resolutions.
• Preparation in January and February can set the stage for a fruitful spring.
• The concept of 'January starts in February' encourages a more realistic approach to the New Year.

Chapters

00:00 The Case Against New Year's Resolutions

02:41 Understanding the Gray Days of January and February

05:28 Cultural Narratives and Seasonal Contextualization

08:26 Biblical Reflections on Seasons and Growth

11:19 Preparation Over Resolution: A New Approach

14:07 Practical Steps for Intentional Living

16:56 Looking Forward: Anticipating Spring and Renewal

New Year's resolutions, January, February, gray days, cultural narratives, biblical reflections, preparation, intentional living, spiritual growth, seasonal change