Love Your People Well | A Therapist’s Tips For Christian Mom Life, Marriage Help, And Family Relationships

Episode 112.5 // Friday Faith Followup   How often have you heard people say “I’ll pray for you”? Yes, there are prayer warriors who genuinely go home and put your situation on their prayer list and they take it before the Lord regularly. But is that the norm?    Is that how we really pray for each other? Or is your experience more like mine… that “I’ll pray for you” is just a cliche way to end a...

Episode 112 // Why is it that when we’re really busy, we’re less likely to pray? These times when we most need God’s help, when we are seeking wisdom and desperate for peace, we fill our schedules and often cut short our prayer time in the process.    Eek. Well, one of my goals for this new year is to develop a lifestyle of more consistent and robust prayer. But why? Why does prayer really matter...

Episode 111.5 // Friday Faith Followup   You’ve probably set some helpful goals for the new year. A few things that you want to change, or grow in, or experience.    And yet, you know that the Bible tells us that God is ultimately the one in charge. So do your goals really matter? Do your action plans make a difference? How do your schedule, your habits, and your plans line up against the reality...

Episode 111 // Happy New Year! Are you excited about the goals that you have for this new year? Maybe you’ve picked a word of the year, or you have a few resolutions - or maybe there are Big Crazy Goals that you want to see happen in your life.    Well, my friend, let’s make that happen. Okay, okay - the Lord is the one who truly makes change happen. But as we come alongside him in the work He is...

Episode 110.5 // Friday Faith Followup   We’ve been talking about how to set G.R.E.A.T. goals for yourself and your family, so today I want to encourage you (and maybe give a few ideas!) by sharing my 5 goals for the new year.    Hop in, my friend, and let’s encourage one another!   hugs & blessings, Jess   * * * * *    WANT MORE?   Get the full show notes at www. LoveYourPeopleWell.com/110   Grab...

Episode 110 // It’s that time of year again. Do you just love new years resolutions? The chance to start a new year fresh, try some new things, and make every moment count with your favorite people?   I love it. I love the fresh blank paper planner. I love the time to reflect on what’s happened and to pray for what is ahead. I love that feeling that anything could happen.   But if we aren’t carefu...

Episode 109.5 // Friday Faith Followup   This most magical time of year can be fun and meaningful, but sometimes it makes the rest of our “regular” lives feel unimportant. Mundane. Routine.    The thing is… that’s not true. And the story of Christmas proves it.   Join me for a short devotional today, thinking through the incredible nature of the Christmas story and its connection to our everyday r...

Episode 109 // Anytime there is a special event going on, there is extra space for things to fall apart. Emotions are higher, schedules are disrupted, memories are being made… and sometimes that means hurt feelings, conflict, and disappointment.    Christmas does not always create the memories that we want.    So today, we’re looking at 4 practical tips to AVOID disaster in your family holiday, pl...

Episode 108.5 // Friday Faith Followup   My friend, emotions are tough. Raising little ones is tough. Living in this broken world is tough! And we talked this week already about how God’s Word, his Holy Spirit, and his wisdom can love our people well while managing hard emotions.   We looked briefly at Colossians 3, but today I want to dive deeper. The verses we talked about can be a bit mysteriou...

Episode 108 // Christmas is full of joy and family memories… and stress! Sometimes, our schedules get so full and our expectations get so high that our emotions can take over. Anger. Guilt. Frustration.    Not this year, mama. Today we’re talking about why the holidays can trigger stress and hard emotions, what to do about it, and 1 biblical action step to help us ENJOY the Christmas season with o...

Episode 107.5 // Friday Faith Followup   Do you ever look around your home during the Christmas holidays and wonder what God really wants you to prioritize during this special time of year? Or maybe you glance down at your to-do list, review the family calendar, and find yourself wondering if this is really what the holidays are all about.    God does care about the holiday season, and He wants yo...

Episode 107 // I know what you want for Christmas, mama. You want the same thing that I want - the same thing we ALL want. You want a peaceful, memory-making, joy-filled holiday with your family!   That’s it. Is it really so much to ask? To have a peaceful home during the holidays? A meaningful time with your kids? It’s definitely do-able… but not if we follow the cultural program for busyness, gi...

Episode 106.5 // Friday Faith Followup   Hopefully, you are getting some extra family time during the Christmas holiday season! The kids are out of school, family travel is happening, and there are so many once-a-year events that allow us to make great memories together.    As you’re enjoying that extra family time, make sure that you’re not only using it to have fun, but also to disciple your chi...

Episode 106 // The holidays are great… but they are often so busy! And it’s way too easy to get distracted from the important things that you want your family time to focus on for Christmas.   Maybe you’re distracted by the presents, maybe it’s all the extra parties and gatherings, or maybe it’s simply a busier to-do list. Whatever it is, let me encourage you today to set it aside. Refocus. Be rea...

The holiday season has a lot of focus on gratitude... but a lot of focus as well on wish lists, good sales, and all the stuff. Is there a gap there? Maybe culturally, sure. But what about in your own heart? I know there's a gap in my heart. I've been challenged this week by a passage in Luke 7, as I consider my own heart of gratitude and how I live out the love that I've received.  Join me, friend...

Happy Thanksgiving! This short bonus episode is an encouragement, my friend. The holidays are upon us, and it can be easy to get lost in the travel, activities, and to-do list. So pause with me for a moment to consider the small things in life that fuel our relationships - and join me for a practical step into gratitude! Let’s dive in. hugs & blessings,  Jess   * * * * *    WANT MORE? Join our fre...

Episode 105.5 // Friday Faith Followup   Family life can be rough when we have tension with our in-laws. But what if those difficult in-laws are your own parents? How can you best navigate those muddy waters and maintain a great relationship with ALL of your people?    Let’s consider today, my friend. Dive right in.   hugs & blessings, Jess   * * * * *    WANT MORE?   Get the full show notes at ww...

Episode 105 // Relationships with the in-laws can be tricky. There is often a lot of baggage and emotion in these parts of the Christian family experience, and it can be really difficult to navigate these relationships well!   Whether you love your in-laws or tolerate them, you have certainly had moments when you disagreed with them. When you just weren’t quite on the same page. And this often doe...

Episode 104.5 // Friday Faith Followup   It can sometimes be a lot easier to pour our love, energy, and effort into our kids rather than taking time to care for ourselves. Parenting is work! It calls us to step up and put our children’s needs above our own.    But parenting is hard. Life can be discouraging. And as we seek to be biblically grounded parents, teaching our children how to follow Jesu...

Episode 104 // We all know that we live in a broken world. And while we want to protect our children from all of the sin, pain, and hardship, the simple reality is that… we can’t.    Good parenting is hard, and it takes hard, intentional work. And to be a biblical parent, raising our kids to know Jesus, we need to prepare them not only for the joy of following Christ but also prepare them for the...

Episode 103.5 // Friday Faith Followup   1 Corinthians 13 is a classic passage on love. But what does it teach us about handling conflict in our marriage? How do we really live out the love that is described here?   Join me for a devotional look at this famous passage, as we seek to strengthen our Christian marriages through the wisdom and help of the Holy Spirit.   hugs & blessings, Jess   * * *...

Episode 103 // Ah, conflict. It is no fun! And it can destroy our peaceful home, happy family life, and the witness of our Christian marriage.   As a marriage and family therapist, I have spent hundreds of hours helping couples work through conflict in all its various ways. So today, I’m outlining the 3 phases of conflict and looking at specific Bible passages that help us understand ways to handl...

Episode 102.5 // Friday Faith Followup   When your child is struggling, you’re struggling too. Emotions are big, raw, and sometimes overwhelming. So today, let me encourage you in how to manage YOUR emotions as you help your child through their own struggles and hardships.   hugs & blessings, Jess   * * * * *    WANT MORE?   Get the full show notes at www. LoveYourPeopleWell.com/102  Stand firm in...

Episode 102 // There is nothing worse as a mom than watching our kids struggle. And in today’s world, SO MANY of our kiddos are struggling with anxiety! Fear, worry, and anxiety are painful and difficult… but you CAN help your child manage these hard emotions.    Whether your child is a toddler or a teen, anxiety and fear can be a struggle. My goal in today’s episode is to equip you not only to re...

Episode 101.5 // Friday Faith Followup   Family dynamics can be overwhelming and complicated… but they don’t have to be. Join me today as we look at Ephesians 5+6 and apply God’s Word to our Christian family life.   hugs & blessings, Jess   * * * * *    WANT MORE?   Get the full show notes at www. LoveYourPeopleWell.com/101   Grab the free 100 Ways to Love Your People Well at www.loveyourpeoplewel...