Home Sweet Home - Helping People & Families Thrive

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. In this final episode of Home Sweet Home , we reflect on the deeper meaning of home—not simply as a place, but as a felt sense of safety, belonging, rest, and connection. Throughout the podcast, we have explored stress, healing, relationships, burnout, boundaries, and the nervous system, and this closing conversation brings th...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. In this episode of Home Sweet Home , we explore a surprising truth about healthy aging: helping other people may be one of the most powerful things you can do for your own brain. Drawing from long-term research following more than 30,000 adults over nearly two decades, we unpack how consistent acts of helping—whether formal vo...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. In part two of this conversation, Jon Lewis reflects on what it has meant to begin again in more ways than one—building a new career while also becoming a father again in midlife. This episode explores the emotional weight of that decision, the hesitation and hope that can come with starting over, and how maturity can reshape...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. In this episode of Home Sweet Home , Jon Lewis joins the conversation to talk about what it looks like to recognize when life is no longer fitting the way it once did—and to have the courage to change course. Together, we explore the internal and external tension that comes with major transition, especially in midlife, when ca...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. In this episode of Home Sweet Home , we explore what it means to choose authenticity in a world that often rewards performance, productivity, and visible success. We talk about the pressure to keep up, the comparison culture that quietly shapes our self-worth, and the tension many people feel between external expectations and...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. In this episode of Home Sweet Home , we explore a timeless and thought-provoking perspective on love through the wisdom of Lao Tzu and the Tao Te Ching . Together, we unpack five distinct expressions of love, from the unhealthy patterns of possessiveness, codependency, and romantic illusion to the freer, more mature forms of l...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. When stress overwhelms, it does not always look like panic, anxiety, or emotional intensity. Sometimes it looks like numbness, disconnection, exhaustion, and a quiet withdrawal from life. In this episode of Home Sweet Home , we explore the often-overlooked reality of nervous system shutdown—what it is, why it happens, how it c...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. In this episode, Rod and Scott unpack a refreshing truth about strong relationships: happy couples aren’t built by big romantic moments—they’re built by small, consistent weekday habits. Drawing on insights from psychologist Mark Travers, they explore five simple behaviors that strengthen connection, reduce conflict, and deepe...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. In this episode, Rod and Scott explore Aphiemi (ἀφίημι) —the Greek word often translated as “forgive”—and how its meaning can completely reframe what forgiveness actually is. Instead of reconciliation, approval, or pretending the pain didn’t matter, Aphiemi means to release… to send away… to cut the rope that keeps you tied to...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. In this episode, Rod and Scott reframe what confidence really looks like. Instead of focusing on bold risks and big moves, they explore a quieter kind of strength: the confidence it takes to walk away . The job you didn’t take. The relationship you ended. The opportunity that looked perfect on paper—but didn’t feel aligned in...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. We’re used to thinking about health in terms of blood pressure, cholesterol, diet, and exercise—but this episode tackles a risk factor that’s just as powerful and often ignored: loneliness . Rod and Scott break down new international research showing that both the public and healthcare professionals still underestimate how str...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. In this episode, Rod and Scott explore why music may be one of the most powerful—and accessible—tools for supporting brain health as we age . They break down research on adults 70+ showing that regular musical engagement is linked to lower risk of dementia, stronger memory, and slower cognitive decline . They explain how music...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. In this episode of Home Sweet Home , Rod and Scott explore a simple truth every parent needs to hear: kids don’t remember perfect days—they remember consistent moments. If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I doing enough?” this conversation is a reminder that love is built in everyday rituals, not grand gestures. Together, they walk t...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. In this episode, Rod and Scott ask a question that hits home for most families: do your spending habits actually reflect what you say matters most? They explore how stress, convenience, comparison, and impulse spending can quietly pull us away from our values—and how small choices add up over time in our finances and our relat...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. In this episode, Rod and Scott explore a powerful question: can joy and grief coexist? They unpack why we often feel pressure to “move on,” stay positive, or choose one emotion over the other—and how that pressure can actually deepen our pain. Through honest conversation, they show how grief can be a sign of love, how joy can...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. In this episode, Rod and Scott share 10 practical rules that strengthen a marriage over time —not quick fixes, but habits that build trust, safety, and friendship. They talk through what healthy couples do when life gets busy, tempers flare, or communication breaks down, and how small daily choices can either deepen connection...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. In this episode, Rod and Scott talk about the voice inside our head that’s quick to judge, criticize, and replay our mistakes—and how it quietly shapes our confidence, relationships, and mental health. You’ll learn practical ways to recognize your inner critic, interrupt unhelpful thought loops, and replace harsh self-talk wit...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. In this episode, Rod and Scott talk about what kids are really learning from us—often without a single lecture. From how we handle stress and speak about ourselves to how we treat other caregivers and show our values, we explore the everyday moments that quietly shape a child’s confidence, character, and sense of security. To...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. Hobbies can be fun, exciting, stress and anxiety relieving.  Do you hobby and are your hobbies helping you relax? To find out more about Rod McCall and Eryk's Place of Hope check out https://fortheloveoferyk.com/ & https://eryksplaceofhope.com/ Find us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to you...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. Time is most precious of all the scarce resources as it is the one you cannot gain.  We will always only have 24 hours in a day and cannot gain more than another person.  How precious is time for you? How do you perceive your time? What is robbing you of your time? Come explore with us how time might be more precious than we t...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. Fun is an important part of chilhood and adulting!  Let's talk about how it's ok to be playful! To find out more about Rod McCall and Eryk's Place of Hope check out https://fortheloveoferyk.com/ & https://eryksplaceofhope.com/ Find us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcas...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. Is life fair or not?  Should we expect fairness? How do we deal with things that don't seem fair?  To find out more about Rod McCall and Eryk's Place of Hope check out https://fortheloveoferyk.com/ & https://eryksplaceofhope.com/ Find us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. Is your sleep part of the issue with your mental state? Your productivity? Your relationships? To find out more about Rod McCall and Eryk's Place of Hope check out https://fortheloveoferyk.com/ & https://eryksplaceofhope.com/ Find us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. We often talk about how to start a year at this point, so today Rod and Scott discuss how to end the year instead. Consider how you intentionally end the year. Listen in for some conversation on the topic. To find out more about Rod McCall and Eryk's Place of Hope check out https://fortheloveoferyk.com/ & https://eryk...

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. Rod and Scott talk about emotional presence during the holidays and how much of a gift this can be. To find out more about Rod McCall and Eryk's Place of Hope check out https://fortheloveoferyk.com/ & https://eryksplaceofhope.com/ Find us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.