284 // Are You Making The Most Of Every Opportunity In Your Christian Family? (Intentional Living PT 3)

Find more biblical joy in hard seasons of motherhood with my 40-day “Joy In The Journey” devotional.   Episode 285 // If we want to truly enjoy Christian family life, we have to be intentional about how we approach our busy days. Marriage and motherhood are a long road. There are ups and downs and twists and turns.    But the Lord has great wisdom for us in how to enjoy that long and windy road. Today, we’ll dive into Hebrews 12:1-3 to find three keys for intentional living.    Not only that, but I’ll share 10 super practical tips for how to actually live this out when you’re busy, tired, and struggling - tips from my 10+ years as a marriage and family therapist (and my own family life!).   Are you ready, friend? This is Part 4 of our series “Intentional Living As A Christian Mom.” Let’s dive in.   hugs & blessings, Jess   RESOURCES FOR YOU   FREE: Grab your conflict resolution cheat sheet, Bible and prayer guide, and more freebies at loveyourpeoplewell.com/free    DEVOTIONAL: Learn biblical wisdom for emotional control, spiritual identity, marriage communication, and more at loveyourpeoplewell.com/devotionals    RELATED ON THE PODCAST:    RELATED ON THE BLOG:    GET MORE & SUPPORT THE SHOW   Support the show on Patreon for just a few dollars a month, and grab access to behind-the-scenes family life encouragement.   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 A Home Of Godliness And Joy with the devotional workbook.   Episode 284 // Want the key to enjoying family life? It’s not a secret. In fact, it’s right in Ephesians 5, in a short and simple passage we’ll be looking at together today.    The Lord tells us to “be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise.” He gives us opportunities to love our family and deepen our relationships - this is how we enjoy them more! He makes his will known to us in the Bible, and when we are wise, we pay attention and live it out.   Of course, simple does not mean easy. “The days are evil,” the same Bible passage tells us. Family relationships include miscommunication, disappointment, stress, and overwhelm. We live in a busy, distracting world.   So let’s come together today for some biblical encouragement in how to “be very careful,” to be wise, and to live intentionally in ways that honor our Lord, bless our family, and bring us greater joy.   This is Part 3 of our series “Intentional Living As A Christian Mom.”    Let’s dive in.   hugs & blessings, Jess   RESOURCES FOR YOU   FREE: Get my free Christian mom journaling prompts PDF!   DEVOTIONAL: Grab the devotional workbook Building A Home Of Godliness And Joy.   RELATED ON THE PODCAST: Psalm 90: Do You Have A Heart Of Wisdom? (Summertime In The Psalms Series) (EP 259)   RELATED ON THE BLOG: A Biblical Picture Of Godly Relationships In A Christian Home   GET MORE & SUPPORT THE SHOW   Support the show on Patreon for just a few dollars a month, and grab access to behind-the-scenes family life encouragement.   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 a habit of Bible reading and prayer with my free 45-day Bible and Prayer Guide.   Episode 283 // When we aren’t quite on the right track with our priorities, it can feel really frustrating. We find ourselves putting in a lot of effort, and not usually getting much back from it.    But today, we’ll look at what God says about our priorities, and his wisdom for intentional living in our Christian homes. In fact, we’re going all the way back to the Old Testament together, to the minor prophet of Haggai.    God’s Word has the wisdom we need for healthy, happy, and holy family life. Let’s dive into it together today and find His wisdom for our lives today.    This is Part 2 of a series I’m calling “Intentional Living As A Christian Mom.”    Let’s dive in.   hugs & blessings, Jess   RESOURCES FOR YOU   FREE: Get my free 45-day Bible and Prayer Guide.   MY FAVORITE PLANNER: Jump into the New Year with my favorite: The Hope Planner.   RELATED ON THE PODCAST: How Romans 12 Helps Me Be A Better Christian Mom (EP 181)   RELATED ON THE BLOG: Mom Hacks For Getting A Devotional Time On The Regular   GET MORE & SUPPORT THE SHOW   Support the show on Patreon for just a few dollars a month, and grab access to behind-the-scenes family life encouragement.   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

Jump into the New Year with my favorite: The Hope Planner.   Episode 282 // We can’t expect to truly enjoy Christian family life if we are just going through the motions, rushing through our days, or stuck in a rut that isn’t really serving our current season of life.   To enjoy family life and to deepen our relationships, we have to be intentional. How are you using your time? Your energy? The resources God has given you and your family?   Whatever your new years goals might be, today’s conversation will be helpful for you to think intentionally about your life. We’ll talk through areas of life that you want to be intentional about, and the roles God has put you in for this current season.   Let’s find encouragement together from God’s Word and help each other invest intentionally in our Christian homes and families! This is Part 1 of a new little series I’m calling “Intentional Living As A Christian Mom.”    Dive in with me today, friend.   hugs & blessings, Jess   RESOURCES FOR YOU   FREE: Build a habit of Bible reading and prayer with my free 45-day Bible and Prayer Guide.   MY FAVORITE PLANNER: Jump into the New Year with my favorite: The Hope Planner.   RELATED ON THE PODCAST: Rhythms & Routines: 7 Rhythms That Keep Me Connected With My Husband And Kids Even On Crazy Days (EP 206)   RELATED ON THE BLOG: 5 Secrets To Success As A Stay At Home Christian Mom   GET MORE & SUPPORT THE SHOW   Support the show on Patreon for just a few dollars a month, and grab access to behind-the-scenes family life encouragement.   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

Jump into the New Year with my favorite: The Hope Planner.   Episode 281 // We can’t enter the new year well if we haven’t taken a moment to reflect on the year that is past. What has God done? What season is He sending us into?   Today, I want to wrap up our series on Gratitude Over Grumbling with some overarching principles that help all of us. Plus, I’ll share my own gratitude reflections from this year. As Christians, we want to celebrate together!    I pray this is a week of rest, reflection, and purposeful planning for you. Join me today for a look back and a look ahead.   Let’s dive in.   hugs & blessings, Jess   RESOURCES FOR YOU   FREE: Build a habit of Bible reading and prayer with my free 45-day Bible and Prayer Guide.   MY FAVORITE PLANNER: Jump into the New Year with my favorite: The Hope Planner.   RELATED ON THE PODCAST: How To Hear From (And Follow!) The Holy Spirit When Your Family Is Entering A New Season (EP 265)   RELATED ON THE BLOG: Ready To Set Some Great Family Goals For 2026?   GET MORE & SUPPORT THE SHOW   Support the show on Patreon for just a few dollars a month, and grab access to behind-the-scenes family life encouragement.   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

Get ready for the New Year with my favorite: The Hope Planner.   Episode 280 // One of the most common things that people recommend when you’re trying to grow in gratitude is… a gratitude list.    But is it worth the effort?    I’ve been a counselor for over 15 years. I’ve seen people use gratitude lists well and use them poorly. It’s not a magic wand, but it does have the potential to create big change in your heart.    So today, I want to share some encouragement for HOW to do a gratitude list in a way that is worth your effort! Let’s grow in God’s biblical command to “Rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances.”    Let’s dive in, friend. Welcome to Part 7 of our series on Gratitude Over Grumbling.   hugs & blessings, Jess   RESOURCES FOR YOU   FREE: Build a habit of Bible reading and prayer with my free 45-day Bible and Prayer Guide.   MY FAVORITE PLANNER: Get ready for the New Year with my favorite: The Hope Planner.   RELATED ON THE PODCAST: Let Proverbs 2 Shape Your Year With 3 Powerful, Practical Action Steps (EP 227)   RELATED ON THE BLOG: Two Daily Choices That Will Change Your Life   GET MORE & SUPPORT THE SHOW   Support the show on Patreon for just a few dollars a month, and grab access to behind-the-scenes family life encouragement.   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

Find a Christmas devotional or Advent calendar for yourself, and the whole family.   Episode 279 // Our relationships have a LOT to do with the attitude of our hearts. With healthy, intimate, connected relationships, we grumble less. It’s easier to be thankful, to notice the positive, to feel better.    But… how do we get there?    Today, I want to dive into the topic of marriage (and friendship too) and help us see how leaning in and being vulnerable can have a big impact on our gratitude and grumbling.    We’ll talk about WHY this is so valuable, 7 tips for strengthening this connection in your marriage, and some helpful encouragement for what to do if or when you feel uncomfortable or unable to be vulnerable in your marriage this way.   Marriage is wildly important to God, and wildly important to our own mental health, heart attitude, and emotional wellness. So let’s figure out how to make it as strong and wonderful as possible. Let’s dive in, friends.   Welcome to Part 6 of our series on Gratitude Over Grumbling.   hugs & blessings, Jess   RESOURCES FOR YOU   FREE: Grab the Conflict Resolution Cheat Sheet to boost communication today.   DEVOTIONAL: Find a Christmas devotional or Advent calendar for yourself, and the whole family.   RELATED ON THE PODCAST: Strengthening Your Christian Marriage In A Hard Season (EP 269)   RELATED ON THE BLOG: Let’s Have More FUN In Marriage Intimacy, Christian Wives!   GET MORE & SUPPORT THE SHOW   Support the show on Patreon for just a few dollars a month, and grab access to behind-the-scenes family life encouragement.   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

Find a Christ-centered Christmas devotional or Advent calendar here.   Episode 278 // Gratitude is more than just a feeling in our heart or something that happens naturally as we smile more often. If we are truly going to be thankful people even on the hard, stressful, chaotic days… well, this is when we really see that gratitude is a spiritual discipline.    So today, I want to share 7 steps that walk us closer and closer toward the ultimate goal living everyday life with our hearts centered in Christ-centered gratitude.    These are spiritual “action steps” - which means, we cannot do it in our own strength. We need the Lord’s help. As Christians, the Holy Spirit lives in us. He delights to help us honor Jesus more by crushing our grumbling spirit and growing in gratitude!   This is not a checklist, friends. This is a spiritual journey, like every other worthwhile journey in life. Join me to look at these 7 steps of spiritual discipline, so we can grow in gratitude together.    Welcome to Part 5 of our series on Gratitude Over Grumbling. Let’s dive in.   hugs & blessings, Jess   RESOURCES FOR YOU   FREE: Build a habit of Bible time and prayer with my free Holy Habits 45-day Bible and Prayer Challenge.   DEVOTIONAL: Find a Christmas devotional or Advent calendar for yourself, and the whole family.   RELATED ON THE PODCAST: Spiritual Action Steps To Help You Stand Firm, Feel Better, And Manage Emotions Well (EP 241)   RELATED ON THE BLOG: 7 Christmas Scriptures To Teach Your Kids   GET MORE & SUPPORT THE SHOW   Support the show on Patreon for just a few dollars a month, and grab access to behind-the-scenes family life encouragement.   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

Find a Christ-centered resource for your family’s holidays.   Episode 277 // No matter how hard we try, sometimes life disappoints us. And at the holidays, that can be especially hard! There can be tension, conflict, unmet expectations - and we want to figure out how to still be a thankful, joyful person even in that disappointment.    I hope that your Thanksgiving holiday and Christmas season are beautiful times of family and feasting. But just in case you run into a roadblock on this road of gratitude, in case you find yourself grumbling a bit in a moment of disappointment, I’ve got you. This episode is for you!   Join me for 8 QUICK TIPS today - 4 tips to avoid the grumbling, and 4 tips to enhance the gratitude. Let’s get practical and let’s be thankful, friend!   Welcome to Part 4 of our series on Gratitude Over Grumbling. Let’s dive in.   hugs & blessings, Jess   RESOURCES FOR YOU   FREE: Grab my quick one-page Conflict Resolution Cheat Sheet.   DEVOTIONAL: Find a Christmas devotional or Advent calendar for yourself or the whole family.   RELATED ON THE PODCAST: Handling Your Hot Moment: 9 Tips To Start Calming Down In The First 90 Seconds (EP 244)   RELATED ON THE BLOG: Why A Happy Christian Home Requires Lots Of Forgiveness   GET MORE & SUPPORT THE SHOW   Support the show on Patreon for just a few dollars a month, and grab access to behind-the-scenes family life encouragement.   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  

Find a Christ-centered resource for your family’s holidays.   Episode 276 // Habits are far more powerful than we realize. They anchor our days and have a big impact on our mental health, spiritual growth, and family interactions.   So, how do we crush bad habits like grumbling, and build good habits like noticing the GOOD in life? How can we make this such a normal part of who we are - a habit that fills our hearts and spills out in our words and interactions?   Today, I want to share 9 tips that will help you build a habit of gratitude.    Join me in Part 3 of our series on Gratitude Over Grumbling. Let’s dive in.   hugs & blessings, Jess   RESOURCES FOR YOU   FREE: Build a daily Bible and prayer habit with this free 45-day guide.   DEVOTIONAL: Find a Christmas devotional or Advent calendar for yourself or the whole family!   RELATED ON THE PODCAST: Help For The Tired Christian Mom During The Holidays (EP 154)   RELATED ON THE BLOG: 4 Good Daily Habits To Strengthen A Godly Mindset   GET MORE & SUPPORT THE SHOW   Support the show on Patreon for just a few dollars a month, and grab access to our 2025 perk of daily(ish) devotionals!    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