Famous at Home

When should I get my child her first phone? Once I get that first phone, how should I set it up? What limits should I set on it? Is my child's phone different than the one I buy? We get so many questions from parents about what to do, and what not to do, when it comes to their child's first phone. Navigating the world of screens can feel scary, but it doesn't have to be! In this episode, we interv...

In 2015, Corie Weathers was named Military Spouse of the Year. That was in large part because of how her husband, Chaplain Matthew Weathers, nominated and championed her. But as we all know, championing your spouse is much easier when you feel championed. In honor of Military Appreciation Month, we wanted to honor and learn from the marriage of a military family who is also in the trenches serving...

When you hear the phrase, "faith adventure," what comes to mind? Excitement. Risk. Trust. Memories. Miracles. Or does the rational, natural side of your brain kick in? * "But we are in survival mode." * "Maybe when the kids are out of the house." * "I'm too afraid." We ourselves have said everyone of these. In this episode, Christine Caine shares her family's story of living a faith adventure and...

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes that sweet, lovely, and wonderful baby carriage. Then comes our in-laws telling us how to parent. Then comes our parents spoiling our kids. Okay, so that may sound a bit dramatic. At least we hope so for your sake. Truthfully, we loved seeing our parents become grandparents. That doesn't mean we haven't had to figure things out along the way, somet...

If parenting is difficult, single parenting is all the more unyielding and lonely. In this episode, we learn from someone walking the road of single parenting. Even more, she gives us insights into her own ministry to single moms in her church community. Nicole C. Mullen, a two time Grammy nominated recording artist and Female Vocalist of the Year Award winner, who is now a single mom of three, sh...

Welcome to our third Q & A episode! As always, we're grateful for the opportunity to journey with you. Thank you for submitting your questions. In this episode, we address questions specifically related to parenting teenagers, dealing with respect, the reasons for increasing anxiety and depression in teens, and managing technology in the home. Here’s a review of the questions we discuss in this ep...

Entitlement, according to Dr. John Townsend, is "a belief that I am exempt from responsibility and that I am owed special treatment." Unfortunately, you don't have to look too far today to find entitled kids--and adults! As Dr. Townsend states, "This isn't a generational problem; it's a human problem." In this episode, Dr. Townsend helps parents learn how to not raise entitled kids. An incredibly...

With Mother's Day just around the corner, we wanted to do something special for moms, so I (Christi) decided to host an online Bible study! The study is called Mom Set Free by our friend Jeannie Cunnion, it begins May 17, and it's good news for moms who are tired of trying to be good enough. We love Jeannie and wanted you to have a special opportunity to get to know and learn from her! This episod...

Does parenting sometimes feel complicated to you? You can't even leave the hospital before having to make a decision on whether or not you're going to immunize your child. Think about some of the other choices we have to make as parents in the twenty-first century. ~  “Is it okay that our baby sleep in bed with us?” ~  “Should we let our baby cry it out?” ~  “Is spanking okay? Or should we do time...

In the spirit of interviewing people who influence us personally, this episode features marriage mentors of our own, David and Claudia Arp. Married for 55 years, their insights on marriage have influenced the types of conversations we have in our marriage today. In this episode, David and Claudia share the secrets that have kept them enjoying their marriage for more than five decades. In addition,...

Welcome to our second Q & A episode! Thank you for submitting your questions. In this episode, we address questions specifically related to marriage, sex, and what to do when you and your spouse are not on the same page. Here’s a review of the questions we discuss in this episode: * How can I stop from feeling wrong and dirty about sex with my spouse? * What do I do when my spouse isn't "on the sa...

The resurrection of Jesus changed everything. But how do we help our kids understand the resurrection in a concrete way? How can we communicate to our kids the power that Christ has in our life? Don't get us wrong, we love chocolate and Easter eggs, but how can we make sure Easter isn't just another holiday for our kids. In this episode, we clarify four ways we can turn the abstract message of the...

If you love stories that lead to practical truths, this episode is for you! Frank Tate is one of Josh's closest friends on the planet. Even more, his insights as a dad have revolutionized the way we parent our kids. Growing up as a foster kid, Frank came to know "invisible Jesus" as his dad. During that time, Frank began asking Him what good dads do. Then, in Sunday School as a little boy, Frank r...

Jonathan and Wynter Pitts have four beautiful girls. At one point, three of them were in diapers at the same time. As you can imagine, Wynter was overwhelmed. But in the middle of the exhaustion and discontentment, she found purpose and contentment. During this time, the Lord revealed to her a need he wanted her to fill for girls in today’s culture. Today, she leads a ministry called For Girls Lik...

This is our first Q & A episode! Thank you for submitting your questions. In this episode, we address questions specifically related to parenting young children. Here's a review of the questions we discuss in this episode: * What are good, practical survival tips for our marriage? * How do I hit the reset button after blowing up at my kids? * I struggle with setting limits on technology. * I'm a s...

Jamie Ivey's Happy Hour podcast was Christi's gateway drug into the podcastosphere. So you can imagine what a joy it was to have Jamie, and her husband Aaron, join us on our podcast. We love these two human souls because they embody healthy authenticity. Jamie's new book is called If You Only Knew: My Unlikely, Unavoidable Story of Becoming Free. The title itself is a fitting description of our co...

Why is it that our natural tendency is to become hard and insensitive toward the person we love the most? Rather than being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry (James 1:19), we're quick to defend ourselves, quick to cast blame, and slow to understand—a recipe that keeps us enslaved to self-righteousness, and too often, unable to forgive. In this episode, we talk about 5 ways y...

We asked families in our 22:6 Parenting audience this one question: What’s your #1 struggle as a parent? We had over 700 responses. Last week we covered struggles 6-10. In part 2, we talk about the top 5 struggles of today's parents. We also offer some practical insights on how we can overcome these struggles. In this episode, we talk about the top 5 struggles: 5. How do I disciple my kids? 4. I l...

Welcome to season 3! Last month, we asked families in our 22:6 Parenting audience this one question: What’s your #1 struggle as a parent? We had over 700 responses. Trust us when we say, you’re not alone. In the first two episodes of season 3 we talk about the top 10 struggles of today's parents. We also offer some practical insights on how we can overcome these struggles. In this episode, we talk...

Welcome to our 40th episode! What an incredible and fun year it's been for the podcast. Having not yet been at this a year, we have learned a lot from each of you. Thank you for becoming a part of our family and making this journey so enjoyable. We thought it would be fitting to close out season 2 by talking about ways we can prioritize our family in the New Year. As the saying goes, "The days are...

When is the last time you and your spouse argued about being too busy? Or maybe you didn't argue. Perhaps the busyness meant you just passed one another by, like ships in the night. That's how overcommitment usually begins in our home. It's not until we feel the stress of trying to manage it all that we begin to argue. That's when we "see" one another floating by. Let's face it, overcommitment is...

There is nothing we want more than to experience the joy of Christmas. Unfortunately, Christmas can leave our time feeling pressed and our wallets stressed. In addition, the holiday also brings along with it some baggage, especially when it comes to our children and the traditions we hold dear. In this episode, we go behind the lens of our own crooked picture frame to discuss some Christmas hot to...

Over one-third of Americans live in, or are a part of, a blended family. So many questions abound for stepparents. Fortunately, in this week's episode, our dear friend and expert on blended families, Ron Deal, answers many of these questions. Ron serves as Director of Family Life Blended and is the author of The Smart Stepfamily, The Smart Stepmom, The Smart Stepfamily Marriage, and The Smart Step...

Cooler weather. Peppermint mochas. Hallmark movies. The holidays. For many, it’s wonderful. For others, this time of year can be quite chaotic. The pressure of figuring out what to buy. Making travel arrangements. Deciding which family members to spend the holidays with. We try—emphasis on “try”—to talk about the upcoming holidays ahead of time. We pray and think through how we can make the most o...

Do you sometimes feel like you live in a fishbowl? Especially as a parent of young kids, your every move feeling scrutinized by glaring eyes in the grocery store. Or your teenager's every post on social media a reflection of how you parent? For many of us, the peanut gallery just adds insult to injury. We don't need the added pressure of the critics or the perfect family on social media to feel li...