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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

Release Date: 12/09/2025

Ep. 158: The Power of Light: Becoming a Spiritual Lamplighter with Carol Roper

Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast

I’ll leave the light on for you. Have you ever heard that line before? Motel 6 turned that phrase into a promise—but spiritually, it’s a calling. Darkness is everywhere, but one light can change everything. That light is Christ in you. Just like lamplighters once walked city streets to protect their communities, you’ve been called to guard your home with vigilance and faith. The Proverbs 31 woman never let her lamp go out—and neither should we. In this episode, you’ll learn practical ways to keep your spiritual flame burning, strengthen your connection to the Holy Spirit, and...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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

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...

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...

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 ...

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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 barriers, effective strategies, and real-life examples that illustrate how to navigate those tough conversations. Whether it’s dealing with a defiant teen or simply trying to understand their world, this episode is packed with actionable advice to improve your relationship with your teen.

You can find out more about Mark’s ministry at Parenting Today’s Teens and Heartlight Ministries. Also, if you’d like to hear some of the teen’s stories from Heartlight Minstries go to Heartlight Stories

To find the Blueprint Tips for this episode go to CarolRoper.org/podcast

Watch on YouTube Unlocking the Secrets to Effective Comminucation with Your Teen with Mark Gregston

Find the first episode for the start of next week's Blueprints to Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series at the Open Your Blueprint button on my homepage at CarolRoper.org

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