233 // How To Ask The Right Questions To Deepen Your Family Relationships: 10 Tips From A Family Therapist

Grab the Keep Your Cool, Mama! 40-day devotional on emotional control.   Episode 240 // Feeling stressed? Pressured? Overwhelmed by big emotions? You are not alone - and there are action steps that will help!   I’m going to divide this conversation into two parts. Today, join me to look at 5 practical things we should all do when we’re in the overwhelming seasons of life. These are steps that I walk through as a counselor whenever someone is overwhelmed by emotions. These steps work.   In the next episode, we’ll tackle the 5 spiritual things that we also should do when emotions overwhelm us! Both are necessary. Both are good. But for the sake of clarity and time… we’ll do part 1 and part 2 🙂   Everyone deals with hard emotions sometimes. And these action steps will help. Join me, friend.   hugs & blessings, Jess   RESOURCES FOR YOU   FREE: Grab your FREE 45-day Bible and Prayer Guide today.   DEVOTIONAL: Grab the Keep Your Cool, Mama! 40-day devotional on emotional control.   LISTEN NEXT: Drowning In All The Emotions? Steal My Best Counselor Tips To Start Managing Hard Emotions Today (Episode 174)   GET MORE & SUPPORT THE SHOW   NEW in our Patreon community this year - daily(ish) devotionals to encourage your faith and family life: Support the show on Patreon today.   Please leave a 5-star review and share the link to this episode with a friend who needs encouragement today!   FIND EXACTLY THE RESOURCE YOU NEED: Faith | Marriage | Parenting | Emotions | Communication | Home & Family | Freebies | Devotionals | Blog | Pinterest   DISCLAIMERS    I am a licensed therapist in South Carolina, but this podcast is not therapy. I may use affiliate links and earn a small commission if you purchase through my links. Read my full disclaimers here.   MISSION   Love Your People Well is all about helping you ENJOY family life as you build healthy, happy, and holy family relationships. Keep Jesus at the center of it all and joy at the center of your days.   Find your resources, devotionals, and more support at www.LoveYourPeopleWell.com

Grab the Joy In The Journey 40-day devotional, to find biblical joy even in the hardest seasons of motherhood.   Episode 239 // Emotions can be totally overwhelming. But, understanding them can be really helpful in getting them under control - so they stop hurting your family relationships.   Today, we’ll take a look at understanding the 4 most common emotional struggles that Christian moms deal with: Anxiety, Depression, Stress, and Burnout. What are they? How can we deal with them?   I’ll share my thoughts from over 10 years as a professional family counselor, to help you better understand what’s happening in your own heart - and to offer ideas for what to do that will help.    Ready, friend? Let’s dive in.   hugs & blessings, Jess   RESOURCES FOR YOU   FREE: Grab your FREE journaling prompts today.   DEVOTIONAL: Grab the Joy In The Journey 40-day devotional, to find biblical joy even in the hardest seasons of motherhood.   LISTEN NEXT: 10 Reasons Why You’re Struggling With Out Of Control Emotions As A Christian Mom (Episode 130)    GET MORE & SUPPORT THE SHOW   NEW in our Patreon community this year - daily(ish) devotionals to encourage your faith and family life: Support the show on Patreon today.   Please leave a 5-star review and share the link to this episode with a friend who needs encouragement today!   FIND EXACTLY THE RESOURCE YOU NEED: Faith | Marriage | Parenting | Emotions | Communication | Home & Family | Freebies | Devotionals | Blog | Pinterest   DISCLAIMERS    I am a licensed therapist in South Carolina, but this podcast is not therapy. I may use affiliate links and earn a small commission if you purchase through my links. Read my full disclaimers here.   MISSION   Love Your People Well is all about helping you ENJOY family life as you build healthy, happy, and holy family relationships. Keep Jesus at the center of it all and joy at the center of your days.   Find your resources, devotionals, and more support at www.LoveYourPeopleWell.com

Grab the Joy In The Journey 40-day devotional, to find biblical joy even in the hardest seasons of motherhood.   Episode 238 // Stress is inevitable. It’s not fun - but we know it will happen eventually. And when stress hits us, we need to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel!   Well, friend, my family has been going through a very stressful season. The past 3 weeks, but even bigger - the past year and a half. We’re enough on the other side of it that I can look back and see some lessons learned and things that helped.   So join me today for encouragement. I want to share my heart with you, along with 10 encouragements that I’ve noticed comparing the past 3 weeks (of stress!) to the past year and a half (of different stress!) - I’ve seen the Lord’s goodness, and I want to share it with you!   Hop in, friend, and let’s find encouragement together.    hugs & blessings, Jess   RESOURCES FOR YOU   FREE: Grab your FREE 51 Self Care Ideas list today.   DEVOTIONAL: Grab the Joy In The Journey 40-day devotional, to find biblical joy even in the hardest seasons of motherhood.   LISTEN NEXT: Feeling Like A Stressed Out Mom? Try These 9 Helpful Tips. (Episode 139)   GET MORE & SUPPORT THE SHOW   NEW in our Patreon community this year - daily(ish) devotionals to encourage your faith and family life: Support the show on Patreon today.   Please leave a 5-star review and share the link to this episode with a friend who needs encouragement today!   FIND EXACTLY THE RESOURCE YOU NEED: Faith | Marriage | Parenting | Emotions | Communication | Home & Family | Freebies | Devotionals | Blog | Pinterest   DISCLAIMERS    I am a licensed therapist in South Carolina, but this podcast is not therapy. I may use affiliate links and earn a small commission if you purchase through my links. Read my full disclaimers here.   MISSION   Love Your People Well is all about helping you ENJOY family life as you build healthy, happy, and holy family relationships. Keep Jesus at the center of it all and joy at the center of your days.   Find your resources, devotionals, and more support at www.LoveYourPeopleWell.com

Dive into my recommended online intimacy courses for Christian marriages!   Episode 237 // Happy Valentine’s Day! I thought today that I’d share my favorite tip from 10+ years as a marriage counselor. It’s not complicated (though, simple things aren’t always easy things) and it will make a BIG difference in a happy marriage!   Communication + intimacy are closely tied together - and that’s part of what makes this tip so powerful.    If you want more support with intimacy in your Christian marriage, I recommend these online courses from Sheila Wray Gregoire.    If you want to strengthen communication, try my 40-Day devotional Communicating to Connect or start with my free conflict resolution cheat sheet.   Take a look at my most popular blogpost, with 9 hot tips for Christian intimacy!   Let’s dive into today’s short and sweet tip - so you can get back to enjoying your Valentine’s Day!   hugs & blessings, Jess   RESOURCES FOR YOU   FREE: Grab your FREE conflict resolution cheat sheet to help your marriage communication today.   DEVOTIONAL: Strengthen marriage communication as you dive into the 40-day devotional Communicating To Connect for Christian wives.   GET MORE & SUPPORT THE SHOW   NEW in our Patreon community this year - daily(ish) devotionals to encourage your faith and family life: Support the show on Patreon today.   Please leave a 5-star review and share the link to this episode with a friend who needs encouragement today!   FIND EXACTLY THE RESOURCE YOU NEED: Faith | Marriage | Parenting | Emotions | Communication | Home & Family | Freebies | Devotionals | Blog | Pinterest   DISCLAIMERS    I am a licensed therapist in South Carolina, but this podcast is not therapy. I may use affiliate links and earn a small commission if you purchase through my links. Read my full disclaimers here.   MISSION   Love Your People Well is all about helping you ENJOY family life as you build healthy, happy, and holy family relationships. Keep Jesus at the center of it all and joy at the center of your days.   Find your resources, devotionals, and more support at www.LoveYourPeopleWell.com

Grab your FREE conflict resolution cheat sheet to help your marriage communication today.   Episode 236 // Communication is a centerpiece of a healthy and happy marriage. You can’t enjoy intimacy together, stay on the same page as parents, or feel connected and close without good communication.   And in my 10+ years a marriage therapist, there are 3 communication problems that pop up over and over again. They are very common - even for couples who love each other deeply, follow Jesus, and work hard on their marriage!    When your marriage has communication problems, it can cause some big trouble. You wind up with hurt feelings, lonely people, and no intimacy. Every couple has communication breakdowns sometimes - but you CAN solve those problems, and get things back on track!   Today, join me to take a look at these 3 common problem areas - with action steps for each one, so you can strengthen your marriage communication and deepen your bond today.   Ready? Let’s dive in.   hugs & blessings, Jess   RESOURCES FOR YOU   FREE: Grab your FREE conflict resolution cheat sheet to help your marriage communication today.   DEVOTIONAL: Strengthen marriage communication as you dive into the 40-day devotional Communicating To Connect for Christian wives.   LISTEN NEXT: Do These 3 Things Today To Build A Happier Christian Marriage (Episode 230)   GET MORE & SUPPORT THE SHOW   NEW in our Patreon community this year - daily(ish) devotionals to encourage your faith and family life: Support the show on Patreon today.   Please leave a 5-star review and share the link to this episode with a friend who needs encouragement today!   FIND EXACTLY THE RESOURCE YOU NEED: Faith | Marriage | Parenting | Emotions | Communication | Home & Family | Freebies | Devotionals | Blog | Pinterest   DISCLAIMERS    I am a licensed therapist in South Carolina, but this podcast is not therapy. I may use affiliate links and earn a small commission if you purchase through my links. Read my full disclaimers here.   MISSION   Love Your People Well is all about helping you ENJOY family life as you build healthy, happy, and holy family relationships. Keep Jesus at the center of it all and joy at the center of your days.   Find your resources, devotionals, and more support at www.LoveYourPeopleWell.com

Build your own habit of daily Bible reading and prayer with my FREE 45-day guide!   Episode 235 // I won’t waste your time asking if you want to be a good parent. My real question is… do you have a clear picture of what that would mean?   What is a good parent? What should we be doing, saying, praying about, spending our time on?    This is a wildly important question - and Scripture gives us the answers we need. So, join me today to dive into 5 helpful Bible passages that show us what a good parent looks like. Let’s find encouragement and wisdom directly from the Lord!   Let’s dive in.   hugs & blessings, Jess   RESOURCES FOR YOU   FREE: Build your own habit of daily Bible reading and prayer with my FREE 45-day guide!   DEVOTIONAL: Go deeper in your relationship with Jesus with the Finding Your Identity In Christ devotional workbook.    LISTEN NEXT: 13 Tips For An Exhausted Christian Mom (Episode 208)   GET MORE & SUPPORT THE SHOW   NEW in our Patreon community this year - daily(ish) devotionals to encourage your faith and family life: Support the show on Patreon today.   Please leave a 5-star review and share the link to this episode with a friend who needs encouragement today!   FIND EXACTLY THE RESOURCE YOU NEED: Faith | Marriage | Parenting | Emotions | Communication | Home & Family | Freebies | Devotionals | Blog | Pinterest   DISCLAIMERS    I am a licensed therapist in South Carolina, but this podcast is not therapy. I may use affiliate links and earn a small commission if you purchase through my links. Read my full disclaimers here.   MISSION   Love Your People Well is all about helping you ENJOY family life as you build healthy, happy, and holy family relationships. Keep Jesus at the center of it all and joy at the center of your days.   Find your resources, devotionals, and more support at www.LoveYourPeopleWell.com

Joy In The Journey is the perfect devotional to help you find biblical joy during seasons of hardship.   Episode 234 // Every family will go through seasons of grief. Seasons that are painful, hard, and threaten to completely overwhelm us.    So what can you do? How can you survive? How can you help your loved ones as they struggle?    Join me today to look at 10 biblical tips for things we can do during these seasons of grief. Action steps that will help us cling to Jesus and stand on his hope while we struggle.   hugs & blessings, Jess   RESOURCES FOR YOU   FREE: Grab a FREE Bible Study on depression and sadness.   DEVOTIONAL: Dive into Joy In The Journey: 40-Day Devotional On Finding Biblical Hope During Hard Seasons Of Motherhood   LISTEN NEXT: Gospel Hope + Practical Ideas For The Discouragement, Hopelessness, And Hard Emotions Of Christian Family Life (Episode 142)   GET MORE & SUPPORT THE SHOW   NEW in our Patreon community this year - daily(ish) devotionals to encourage your faith and family life: Support the show on Patreon today.   Please leave a 5-star review and share the link to this episode with a friend who needs encouragement today!   FIND EXACTLY THE RESOURCE YOU NEED: Faith | Marriage | Parenting | Emotions | Communication | Home & Family | Freebies | Devotionals | Blog | Pinterest   DISCLAIMERS    I am a licensed therapist in South Carolina, but this podcast is not therapy. I may use affiliate links and earn a small commission if you purchase through my links. Read my full disclaimers here.   MISSION   Love Your People Well is all about helping you ENJOY family life as you build healthy, happy, and holy family relationships. Keep Jesus at the center of it all and joy at the center of your days.   Find your resources, devotionals, and more support at www.LoveYourPeopleWell.com

Grab your FREE conflict resolution cheat sheet to strengthen communication in your home!   - - - - -   Episode 233 // Relationships grow (or fade) based on our communication and connection with each other. And a centerpiece of those conversations are the questions we’re asking.    You want to enjoy marriage, connect with your kids, have meaningful conversations - and to do that, you need to ask good questions!    So today, I want to share some tips from my experience as a family counselor, to help you ask better questions and connect with your family today.    We’ll tackle 5 tips for what NOT to do, and 5 tips for what to do instead. Ready? Let’s dive in!   hugs & blessings, Jess   RESOURCES FOR YOU   FREE: Grab your FREE conflict resolution cheat sheet   DEVOTIONAL: Dive into the 40-day Communicating To Connect devotional on marriage communication.    LISTEN NEXT: 6 Tips For How To Stop Passive Aggressive Behavior In Your Christian Home (Episode 211)   GET MORE & SUPPORT THE SHOW   NEW in our Patreon community this year - daily(ish) devotionals to encourage your faith and family life: Support the show on Patreon today.   Please leave a 5-star review and share the link to this episode with a friend who needs encouragement today!   FIND EXACTLY THE RESOURCE YOU NEED: Faith | Marriage | Parenting | Emotions | Communication | Home & Family | Freebies | Devotionals | Blog | Pinterest   DISCLAIMERS    I am a licensed therapist in South Carolina, but this podcast is not therapy. I may use affiliate links and earn a small commission if you purchase through my links. Read my full disclaimers here.   MISSION   Love Your People Well is all about helping you ENJOY family life as you build healthy, happy, and holy family relationships. Keep Jesus at the center of it all and joy at the center of your days.   Find your resources, devotionals, and more support at www.LoveYourPeopleWell.com

Grab your FREE ebook! Building Your Mom Toolbox: The 5 Skills Every Mom Needs To Get Your Family Out Of The Rut And Reconnect   Dive into the Keep Your Cool, Mama! 40-Day Devotional On Emotional Control.   Episode 232 // Your life is BUSY. But you still have goals that you want to accomplish! Probably a few New Years resolutions, goals, commitments that are still important to you… even at the end of January.    So today, let’s tackle the 3 most common barriers that get in the way. What are they, and how can we kick those barriers to the curb and make progress on our goals?? I love brainstorming solutions - especially when they really work.    Let’s dive in, friend.   hugs & blessings, Jess   RESOURCES FOR YOU   FREE: Building Your Mom Toolbox: The 5 Skills Every Mom Needs To Get Your Family Out Of The Rut And Reconnect Ebook   DEVOTIONAL: Dive into the Keep Your Cool, Mama! 40-Day Devotional On Emotional Control.   LISTEN NEXT: Let Proverbs 2 Shape Your Year With 3 Powerful, Practical Action Steps (EP 227)   GET MORE & SUPPORT THE SHOW   NEW in our Patreon community this year - daily(ish) devotionals to encourage your faith and family life: Support the show on Patreon today.   Please leave a 5-star review and share the link to this episode with a friend who needs encouragement today!   FIND EXACTLY THE RESOURCE YOU NEED: Faith | Marriage | Parenting | Emotions | Communication | Home & Family | Freebies | Devotionals | Blog | Pinterest   DISCLAIMERS    I am a licensed therapist in South Carolina, but this podcast is not therapy. I may use affiliate links and earn a small commission if you purchase through my links. Read my full disclaimers here.   MISSION   Love Your People Well is all about helping you ENJOY family life as you build healthy, happy, and holy family relationships. Keep Jesus at the center of it all and joy at the center of your days.   Find your resources, devotionals, and more support at www.LoveYourPeopleWell.com  

Friends, today is a quick bonus episode.... to give my voice a break after being sick, and to give you a sneak peak of what's happening inside the Faith Fiver Club in 2025! This year, the Faith Fiver Club perk is a daily-ish devotional just for Patreon supporters! With a private podcast + emailed devotional, you'll get encouragement for faith and family life every day. It's never too late to join, and your support is a great blessing to me and my ministry! Join the Faith Fiver Club Now! www.patreon.com/loveyourpeoplewell ... ... ... Wisdom & Folly, Life & Death (Proverbs 9:4 & 9:16) “ “Let all who are simple come to my house!” To those who have no sense she says…” Proverbs 9:4 and again in Proverbs 9:16 (NIV) This same verse shows up twice in chapter 9 of Proverbs. It shows up twice because the chapter is directly contrasting wisdom and folly. Both are personified as women, both set up their home and table, and both invite the simple to come in and eat with them. The call is the same. But the experience at the table and in the home is very, very different. Wisdom invites the simple, those who have no sense, to learn from her. To walk with her, get to know the Lord with her, learn from her, and ultimately find life by following her ways. Folly, however, offers the temptation of stolen fruit and wine, promising it is delicious. But instead, she offers death. When we consider the final outcome of these two options - wisdom and folly - our decision is obvious. Who would choose death over life and joy? But when we first hear them calling - when we hear wisdom and folly both call to us, “Come to my house!” - in the moment, our temptation is toward what folly offers. Wisdom invites us in, offering us food and wine but also calling on us to leave our simple ways and find life by following wisdom’s insight. If we are willing to change, learn, grow, try new things, and put in some effort, we can enjoy the good life she offers. But Folly offers us sweet, wonderful food that we didn’t even have to work for. It is stolen -  and delicious. It sounds easy and tempting. She does not offer death… but, as the Scriptures tell us, that is the end result.  As I read through this chapter and see the repeated invitation - from Wisdom and from Folly - I find a need to humble myself. I must admit that apart from the Lord, I am indeed someone with no sense. It is far easier to accept the stolen, sweet, delicious food than it is to put in effort, be willing to change, and accept the Lord’s correction. But I want the life offered. I want that for my family. So do you. Which means, when we hear the invitation, the call to come, we must pray the Lord gives us eyes to see the full picture. Lord, help us to choose wisdom over folly. Life over death.  hugs & blessings, Jess © Love Your People Well LLC Visit www.LoveYourPeopleWell.com for free resources, devotionals, and more. This daily-ish devotional is published primarily for paid Patreon supporters. Some days will be made available to the public. No devotionals are published on Sabbaths (Sundays) and I'm confident I will miss other days here and there as well... therefore, daily-ISH. 💕 May God get the glory and may our families be blessed as we grow in our faith.