How to Welcome Others into Your Home Without Stressing Out with Sue Donaldson
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
Release Date: 03/05/2024
Ep. 157: Why You Matter: The Hidden Strength in Every Home with Carol Roper
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
Sometimes the most important role is the one that feels the least glamorous. We live in a world that celebrates big wins and visible achievements. But what about the quiet, everyday work—the kind that rarely gets applause? Have you ever felt unimportant in your own home, wondering if anyone notices the meals, the clean laundry, the late-night homework help? The truth is, your role isn’t just important, it’s essential. You are the strength that holds everything together. This is the sixth episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series. So far, we’ve seen why we...
info_outline
Ep. 156: The Secret Behind a Strong Spiritual Home (Hint: It's Not Being Pinterest Perfect) with Carol Roper
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
Picture this: a stunning home with gleaming floors and perfect décor—but underneath, the foundation is cracked. Eventually, everything starts to tilt and crumble. The same thing happens in our spiritual lives when we focus on appearances instead of what’s beneath the surface. Without a strong foundation, even the most beautiful house will eventually crack and crumble. The same is true for our spiritual homes. Discover why appearances aren’t enough, how to check for cracks in your spiritual foundation, and practical ways to build a home rooted in faith and grace. Whether you’re...
info_outline
Ep. 155: How Building a Dream Home Tests Your Marriage-and Your Faith with Carol Roper
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
What happens when building your dream home nearly breaks your marriage? In today’s episode, I’m sharing a raw, honest story from my own life—a season when stress, exhaustion, and unmet expectations left me wondering if my relationship with my husband would survive. But through that struggle, I learned a powerful truth: when we try to manage everything in our own strength, we end up drained and discouraged. The good news? God is the ultimate builder and the best general contractor for your home and family. This is the fourth episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home...
info_outline
Ep. 154: Envision Your Dream Home with Carol Roper
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
Every great home starts with a dream—a vision for life within its walls. But before the first nail is hammered, the blueprint must be drawn. After decades of designing houses, I’ve learned a blueprint isn’t just about rooms and square footage; it’s about reflecting the heart of the family. The same is true for our spiritual homes. God, the Master Architect, has a design for each of us—a home filled with abundant living that’s better than anything we could imagine. Today, we’ll start by asking: What does your spiritual dream home look like? And how do we align that vision with...
info_outline
Ep. 153: How to Build a Godly Home: Choosing the Right Location with Carol Roper
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
Ever feel like building a godly home is overwhelming? You’re not alone. In this episode, we uncover the very first step to creating a home that stands strong—starting with the right location. Deciding where to put a dream house is the most important part of the design process. Putting so much effort into creating a great home only to realize later it was built in the wrong place can shatter any hopes we have for a strong family. This week is the first in my Kitchen Table series called Blueprints to Building Your Spiritual Dream Home. These episodes are based on the award-winning blog...
info_outline
Ep. 152: Unlocking the Secrets to Effective Communication with Your Teen with Mark Gregston
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
We’ve all heard it before—bridging the communication gap with a teen can feel like trying to build a bridge with spaghetti. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We’re diving into one of the most critical aspects of parenting: communicating with your teenager. Today’s guest, Mark Gregston, a renowned expert and founder of Parenting Today’s Teens, will share his invaluable insights and practical tips to help you connect with your teen in meaningful ways. Mark will guide us through the challenges and nuances of communicating with teenagers and will explore common...
info_outline
Ep. 151: Celebrating 5 Incredible Years: Your Favorite Christmas Traditions, Young Mom Insights and Our Top 10 Episodes
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
We’re celebrating five amazing years of incredible testimonies and conversations! In this special anniversary episode, we’re sharing your favorite Christmas traditions, chatting with two inspiring young moms, Carli McNamara and Rebecca Edwards, about holiday memories and motherhood, and revealing the top 10 most-loved episodes of the podcast. Plus, I’ll share how many countries the podcast has reached and the surprising number country where we’re downloaded the most outside of the United States. We also announce the first and second place winners of our celebration giveaway! Whether...
info_outline
Ep. 150: Hope Beyond Heartache: The Journey to an Untroubled Heart with Kara Stout
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
Heartache is something we all face—whether through loss, disappointment, or unexpected challenges. Today’s guest, Kara Stout—author of An Untroubled Heart—opens up about her personal journey through grief, waiting seasons, and life’s unexpected challenges. Drawing from her experiences of loss and her own medical crises, Kara shares how faith became her anchor when peace felt out of reach. Her message is clear: even in the darkest valleys, God’s presence offers comfort, strength, and hope. Her story reminds us that hope is not the absence of heartache but the assurance of God’s...
info_outline
Ep. 149: Unlocking Joy: The Surprising Power of Letting Go with Carol Roper
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
Have you ever struggled with unforgiveness? If we’re honest I believe we all have. But that’s not how God wants us to live. Even though He commands us to forgive, it’s not just to let the other person off the hook. He wants us to forgive because He knows how holding onto resentment can cause a cancer to grow in our hearts, hurting us so much more than the person who caused the hurt. In this episode I’ll share several instances where God convicted me of my unforgiving heart as well as a parable where Jesus shows us how ungrateful we are when we don’t forgive. Watch on YouTube ...
info_outline
Ep. 148: Can Love Really Change a Broken World? How God's Love Transforms Hearts-Starting with Ours with Rachael Adams
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
What if the way you love could change the world—starting in your own home? In a culture that feels fractured and hostile, loving others like Jesus isn’t just hard—it feels impossible. But what if God gave us a blueprint for loving without limits? Author and podcaster, Rachael Adams has recently released her second book, Everyday Prayers for Love: Learning to Love God, Others and Even Yourself. We are often told the Bible is God’s love letter to us, yet we struggle to comprehend the height, width, and depth that this eternal God has for His beloved. How would fully understanding...
info_outlineIs hospitality something that doesn't come easy for you? Are you always worried about how clean (or messy!) your home is? Or that you can't cook? Or that you just don't know how to entertain? My guest today, Sue Donaldson, is the queen of hospitality and she's here to help. Yes, she grew up with a mother who loved welcoming people into their home, but Sue's grandmother, her mom's mom, never invited people in. In spite of that, she decided she wanted to learn how to be hospitable and did just that.
Now, because of her mother's influence, Sue's gift of hospitality is second nature for her. But she's learned that it's not about a clean house or even entertaining, it's about serving others. Pinterest and Instagram have skewed our ideas of hospitality, but Sue has so many practical and creative suggestions about how to make it easy for you.
She also talks about how being a mother of young children is like living on a desert island (amen!) and how important it is to have a community of other moms around you and one of the best ways to do that is by inviting those moms in. Yes, welcoming people past the threshold of your front door can be vulnerable, but it can also be very rewarding.
We also talk about mentoring and a secret to make it easier for both the mentor and the mentee. And Sue has some great free resources she'll share at the end of our interview. You'll be excited to start welcoming people into your home after you listen to this episode.