Raising Rock

Motherhood is beautiful. It's also exhausting. Between the laundry, school pickups, meals, interrupted conversations, sleepless nights, and endless to-do lists, many moms wonder if they're missing what God has for them. What if He's been there all along? In this episode, I'm joined by author Chelsey DeMatteis to discuss her new devotional,  Mercy in the Margin , and how God meets mothers in the or...

How do we raise daughters who know who they are in Christ when the world is constantly telling them who they should be? In this episode, I'm joined by bestselling author Nancy Wilson to discuss one of the biggest challenges facing Christian parents today: raising girls with a secure identity rooted in Jesus instead of culture. We talk about why a daughter's confidence begins long before th...

Hormone health has become one of the biggest conversations among women today. From cortisol and cycle syncing to nutrition, supplements, and hormone balancing, there's no shortage of advice. But what if we're asking the wrong first question? In this episode, we're stepping away from the typical hormone health conversation to ask something even more foundational - what does the Bible ac...

As Christian parents, it's easy to give every issue the same weight. Screen time. Bedtimes. Music. Smartphones. Lying. Stealing. But should they all be treated the same? In this episode, we're introducing a simple framework that's changing conversations in our own home: Is this a moral issue... or is this our family's preference? We'll talk about the difference between God'...

Grief touches every one of us, yet so many of us feel completely unprepared when someone we love experiences a devastating loss. We want to help. We want to say the right thing. But too often, our words unintentionally place even more weight on the person who is already carrying so much. In this episode, we sit down with Pam McConnell, former Vice President at Nike. After walking through the heart...

Divorce changes a family forever, but it doesn't have to define its future. Whether you're walking through a divorce, raising children in a blended family, co-parenting with an ex-spouse, or considering remarriage, this conversation offers biblical wisdom, practical encouragement, and realistic expectations for the road ahead. In this episode, we sit down with Laura Petherbridge, author of...

Every photo, funny story, milestone, and parenting moment can now be shared with the world in just a few seconds. But just because we  can  post something about our children, should we? In this episode, we sit down with Leah Plunkett, author of  Sharenthood , for one of the most thoughtful conversations we've had about raising kids in a digital age. Rather than telling parents what they should...

John Corcoran’s story is almost unbelievable. He graduated from college, became a high school teacher, and spent 17 years in the classroom, all while unable to read. He finally learned to read as an adult, and what happened next turned his greatest struggle into his life’s work. In this episode, we sit down with John, author of The Teacher Who Couldn’t Read and founder of the John Corcoran Foundat...

What if the first few chapters of Genesis shape far more than just what our children believe about creation? In this episode, we're joined by children's author Hannah Pierrou to talk about why Genesis lays the foundation for a child's understanding of identity, purpose, truth, and ultimately the gospel itself. Together we discuss: • Why every child needs a biblical foundation beginning...

You want to disciple your kids. You want God's Word to be part of your family's everyday life. But between school, sports, dinner, bedtime, and everything else competing for your attention, family devotions can feel like one more thing you're not doing well enough. What if you started with just three minutes? In this special episode of the Raising Rock Podcast, Ann and Elise introduce ...

Pornography is one of the biggest discipleship challenges facing this generation. The average age of first exposure continues to drop, and many children don't go looking for pornography. Instead, pornography finds them. So what should parents do? In this episode, I'm joined by Andrew Buck of The Freedom Fight to discuss one of the most important conversations Christian parents need to have...

Talking to your kids about sex can feel overwhelming. When should you start? What should you say? What if you've waited too long? And how do you teach your children about God's design for sex in a culture that's already teaching them something else? This week, we sit down with Kristen Miele, founder of Sex Ed Reclaimed, to talk about one of the most intimidating topics in parenting. Kr...

Every child is uniquely created by God, yet it's easy to parent through the lens of our own expectations, frustrations, or fears instead of His truth. In this episode, Bethany Kimsey of Warrior Motherhood joins us to talk about one of the greatest gifts we can give our children: seeing them the way God sees them. Together, we discuss how intentional prayer, praying Scripture, and studying the...

Money is an important topic that many parents feel unprepared to discuss and often fail to intentionally prepare their children for. Should kids receive an allowance? Should they tithe? How do we teach generosity, hard work, contentment, and wise stewardship in a world that constantly encourages more, more, more? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Shane Enete of Biola University to discuss why f...

How do we build strong families in a broken world? This week, we sit down with Kari Trent Stageberg from Strong Families for a deeply encouraging conversation about brokenness, redemption, parenting, and the intentional choices that help shape healthy, thriving families. Kari shares her powerful testimony of going from broken to blessed, including leaving an abusive relationship and experiencing t...

Every parent wants more than outward obedience. We want children whose hearts love what is good, honor God, and choose what is right, even when no one is watching. In this episode, we sit down with parenting author and speaker Ginger Hubbard to talk about one of the biggest shifts parents can make: moving beyond correcting behavior to shepherding the heart. Together, we explore the heart behind so...

Every child longs to know they are loved, valued, accepted, and seen. But in the busyness of everyday life, many parents unintentionally miss opportunities to communicate those life-shaping truths. In this heartfelt conversation, Dr. John Trent, best-selling author, speaker, and founder of StrongFamilies.com shares the timeless biblical message behind The Blessing and why it has transformed famili...

In this deeply moving episode, we sit down with Julie Fowler of Julie Fowler Ministries to share her powerful testimony of infertility and pregnancy loss. Julie shares her journey through infertility and pregnancy loss, including multiple miscarriages, and how God led her to create resources that support grieving couples. After walking through the heartbreak of losing multiple pregnancies, Julie t...

What happens when unimaginable grief meets the transforming power of Jesus? In this week's episode, we sit down with Matthew McDonough for a powerful conversation about faith, healing, child loss, Christian wellness, and the redemptive love of Christ. Matthew shares his personal testimony, including the heartbreaking experience of losing a child and the ways God met him in the depths of grief....

This week on the Raising Rock Podcast, I sit down with Katy Faust, founder of Them Before Us and author of Raising Conservative Kids in a Woke City. This episode originally aired in 2025, but in light of recent headlines surrounding abortion, Down syndrome, and growing conversations about human value, we felt it deserved another moment in the spotlight. At the heart of Katy's work is a simple...

What do you say when your child asks, "How do we know God is real?" Or, "Did Jesus really rise from the dead?" What about the question at the foundation of so many others: "Is there such a thing as truth?" In this episode of Raising Rock, Elise sits down with Tricia Scribner of Dr. Nana Talks and Mama Bear Apologetics to discuss why apologetics matters for families an...

Motherhood requires relinquishing from the verybeginning. We relinquish sleep. Time. Comfort. Control. Plans. Dreams. And eventually, even our hearts as our children grow and leave home. And as much as we relinquish, there is still this subtlethread of ownership that runs through motherhood. That our children belong to us. In this episode, Elise shares the message she gave onMother’s Day on what i...

Do you ever feel like your happiness depends on everything going your way? As moms, we are constantly managing schedules, meeting needs, and carrying the responsibilities of home and family. Without even realizing it, our peace can become tied to our expectations, our plans, and our desire for things to unfold the way we hoped. When that happens, our focus subtly shifts. Instead of magnifying Jesu...

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of infant loss and grief. In this deeply moving conversation, Elise sits down with Lauren Cummings Johnson of Choose Joy Nursing to hear her powerful testimony of faith in the midst of unimaginable loss. Lauren shares the story of her daughter, Lily Ann, who was diagnosed with a rare illness and passed away as an infant. She opens up about what it...

Note for parents: This episode is intended for adults and is not appropriate to listen to with children in the room. This is one of those conversations you might wish you didn’t have to have… but you absolutely do. We’re joined by Greta Eskridge, author of It's Time to Talk to Your Kids About Porn, to talk about a reality every parent is facing: it’s not if our kids will be exposed… it’s when....