Cultivating a Home Podcast

What if hospitality looked less like a dinner party and more like a prayer banner, a spiral notebook, and a backyard full of missionaries from around the world?   In this episode,  Rhonda and Melissa go beyond the meal and into the many creative ways a home can be used to love people well. Rhonda opens with the story of a middle school girl named Ashlyn who was fighting cancer, and how her family...

When you hear the word hospitality, what comes to mind? A perfectly styled table? A charcuterie board? A home that looks like it came off a Pinterest board? In today's episode, Rhonda and Melissa go after that picture entirely and replace it with something much more honest and useful. Rhonda opens with two stories: the undercooked potato she served to college friends in a trailer under 800 square...

What do you do when a conflict catches you off guard, and you want to fire back immediately? What about when someone in your life, a friend, a spouse, a child, says something that stings but might actually be true?   In today’s episode of Cultivating a Home, Rhonda and Melissa close out their three-part conversation on friendship by delving into the harder territory: conflict, repair, boundaries,...

Have you ever felt a little hurt that a friend didn't invite you over, didn't call you back, or didn't show up for you the way you would have shown up for her? In Episode 12 of Cultivating a Home, Rhonda and Melissa continue their conversation on friendship by tackling one of the most common things that quietly kills it: expectations.   Rhonda shares a story from years ago, standing in a friend's...

Women can be surrounded by people and still feel completely alone. They can be in a good marriage, a full church, a busy life, and still crave the kind of friendship where they feel truly safe, seen, and understood. In today’s episode, Rhonda and Melissa open a 3-part conversation on friendship: how to find it, what gets in the way, and why the biggest obstacle is usually the one staring back in t...

Every family has moments where someone starts digging a hole and cannot seem to stop. A stubborn toddler who will not admit what she did. A preteen with a tone that keeps escalating. A misread text between friends that is turning into something it never needed to be. A disagreement with a husband that has gone three rounds longer than it should have.   On today’s episode, Rhonda shares a simple ph...

What if the most generous thing you could give someone today cost nothing at all?   In today’s episode of Cultivating a Home, Rhonda and Melissa wrap up their two-part conversation on generosity by going beyond money and talents to two things most people never think to give intentionally: their time and their words.   Rhonda shares what it looked like to show up at the home of a grieving family wi...

Generosity is not just about money. And it is not just for people who have a lot of it.   In this episode of Cultivating a Home, Rhonda and Melissa open up a conversation about what it looks like to raise genuinely generous kids, starting with financial giving and then going somewhere most people never think to look.    Rhonda shares how she took six children to the bank to open savings accounts a...

What if the work you're doing right now, the patient, repetitive, invisible work of training your children, is already taking root in ways you can't see yet?   On today’s episode,  Rhonda and Melissa open with Deuteronomy 6:7 and build out one of the most practical episodes yet: a full conversation on training ahead at every stage, toddlers, elementary, and teenagers, and how the small, consistent...

Episode Description What’s the difference between a chaotic home and one that’s simply full of life? In this episode, Rhonda and Melissa tackle two of the biggest peace-stealers: clutter and noise, with practical, no-nonsense solutions. Rhonda shares a powerful truth: the clutter in your home often reflects the clutter in your mind. She walks through simple systems like grouping items, using funct...

Rules without relationship will always lead to rebellion. It's one of the most important parenting principles Rhonda has carried through decades of raising six kids — and in this episode of Cultivating a Home, she and Melissa unpack what it actually looks like to put it into practice. Rhonda opens with a story that stuck: the day she heard disrespect coming from her teenage son's mouth and realize...

What if the most powerful thing you could do for your child's heart isn't having it all together but letting them watch you own it when you don't? On today’s episode, Rhonda and Melissa tackle one of the most practical and personal topics yet: discipline, obedience, and the ongoing work of restoration in your home. Rhonda opens with a story she pulled from her old notes: the day she lost her cool...

What happens when the busyness of life takes over and your home starts to feel like a pressure cooker? On this episode, Rhonda and Melissa pick up their ongoing conversation about peace, this time going deeper into the roles our minds, schedules, and faith play in shaping the atmosphere of our homes. Rhonda shares a powerful story about the day her husband came home unexpectedly and told her he'd...

Every mom wants a peaceful home. But what do you do when your days feel chaotic, the laundry is never finished, and you're not sure where to even start? In this episode, Rhonda and Melissa get practical about what it actually takes to cultivate peace at home, and it's not what you might expect. Rhonda shares the moment early in motherhood when she looked at her husband and said, "I don't have it t...

In this inaugural episode of Cultivating a Home, Rhonda Ellis shares the heart behind the podcast and the journey that led her here. From feeling overwhelmed as a young mom to intentionally building a Christ-centered home, Rhonda shares the lessons, mentors, and real-life experiences that have shaped her approach to parenting, faith, and family life. Joined by co-host Melissa Sutton, this episode...

Welcome to Cultivating a Home — the podcast for women who are ready to stop surviving their days and start building something beautiful on purpose.   We're Rhonda and Melissa, and every Thursday we're pulling up a chair to have real conversations about real life. Not the polished, Pinterest-perfect version but the actual one, with the laundry piling up, the kids needing you in five directions, and...