Fast Food Counts: Why You Should Make Family Dinner a Priority Even When You're Busy with Carol Roper Ep. 186
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
Release Date: 11/03/2026
Fast Food Counts: Why You Should Make Family Dinner a Priority Even When You're Busy with Carol Roper Ep. 186
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
Does your family still gather around the table? In this Kitchen Table episode of Building Strong Homes, Carol Roper shares memories from her own childhood table, from the English peas she refused to eat to the dishwashing races and “I Will Survive” duets she had with her sister. She also shares how she carried the tradition into her own marriage and family. Carol also explains the research behind it. Emory University researchers Marshall Duke and Robyn Fivush found that children who know their family history have a stronger sense of control, higher self-esteem, lower anxiety, and better...
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It's Not Too Late to Disciple Your Daughter with Tiffany Grace Marie Ep. 185
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
Is it too late to disciple your daughter? Carol talks with Tiffany Grace Marie, author of Daughters of Purpose, a mother-daughter Bible study for ages 6 through high school and beyond. Tiffany shares her heart for raising young women who have an authentic love for Jesus, why she wrote the study and how she was kicked out of her college sorority after she quit partying, started reading her Bible, and began taking her faith seriously. She talks about how that season shaped her heart for helping mothers and daughters grow in faith together. If you’re the mom of teens, the mother of...
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Her Husband Died in a Helicopter Crash. His Wife Died of Cancer. Then They Found Each Other with Jeff and Kim Jackson Ep. 184
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
In this episode of Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family, host Carol Roper sits down with Jeff and Kim Jackson, a couple who each lost a spouse and found hope, healing, and love with each other. They met as friends in the military. Kim became a young widow when her husband was killed in a military helicopter accident. Two years later, Jeff lost his wife to an aggressive form of breast cancer. Both were raising small children. Less than two years later, they married, blended their families, and welcomed another child together. This year they celebrated 25 years...
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What I Wish Someone Had Told Me On My Own Cancer Journey with Carol Roper Ep. 183
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and today I'm sharing something deeply personal — my own breast cancer diagnosis, the fear in the waiting that came with it, and how God met me in a season where nothing about my life felt familiar anymore. This isn't an easy story, but I believe it's an important one. If you've ever faced a diagnosis that turned your world upside down, or you're walking through that uncertain season of waiting and wondering what's next, I hope you'll feel less alone by the end of this episode. And if you've been putting off your own mammogram, I hope my...
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She Didn't Want a Divorce. She Got One Anyway with Jody Allen Ep. 182
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
Jody Allen, author of Hidden Heartache, joins [Your Name] to talk about surviving a marriage broken by her husband's pornography addiction — and finding hope after divorce she never wanted. A raw, honest conversation about shame, healing, and ministering to women walking the same road. If you've ever carried shame that wasn't yours, this episode is for you. If you'd like to reach out to Jody you can email her at Find out more about Sign up for my Watch on YouTube
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Bonus Episode: I Said Yes at 29. I Didn't Know What I Was Signing Up For with Carol Roper Ep. 181
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
In this bonus Kitchen Table episode, host Carol Roper shares her personal story of how God called her into ministry at just 29 years old — and the 30+ years of twists, turns, and seasons of confusion that followed as she pursued that calling. Carol opens up about what it feels like to sense the tug of the Holy Spirit pulling you toward something deeper, even when the path forward isn't clear. If you've ever wondered whether you're truly hearing from God or questioned the direction of your own calling, this episode offers honesty, encouragement, and practical courage for the journey — along...
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I Quit My Job for My Dream. I'd Do It Again — Even Knowing How Hard It Got with Carol Roper Ep. 180
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
In this first Kitchen Table episode of the fall season, we ask a question if we knew how hard it would be would we do it anyway? Through a personal story of chasing a dream career, hitting financial hardship building a small business, and crying out to God for a way out, this episode explores what happens when an answered prayer doesn't look like relief — and how perseverance, faith, and trust can turn a struggling season into the very thing that shapes your character and calling. If you're a woman pursuing a dream that keeps hitting obstacles, this conversation will help you see your...
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How to Know if it's God or Just a Crazy Idea with Brittany Bruce Ep. 179
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
There’s a moment in every woman’s story where she wonders if she’s lost her way — where the calling she once felt so clearly suddenly feels confusing, heavy, or out of reach. I know that moment well. In fact, when I first met today’s guest, I was standing right in the middle of it. I was discouraged, frustrated, and honestly ready to give up on the dream God had put in my heart. But God met me through a woman who has walked her own winding path of obedience, surrender, and calling — Brittany Bruce. She’s a business and ministry coach, the founder of Well Done Women, and the...
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Inside Ground Zero: A 9/11 Firefighter’s Story of Courage, Loss, and Faith with Niels Jorgensen Ep. 178
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
In this special live episode, retired NYC firefighter Niels Jorgensen shares his firsthand account of serving at Ground Zero on 9/11. Niels reflects on the courage of first responders, the loss of nearly 3,000 innocent lives, and his own battle with a rare leukemia caused by toxin exposure during the recovery efforts. Recorded in front of a live audience, this conversation also honors our local Fountain Inn fire, police, and EMS departments, who attended in their Class A uniforms. You’ll hear powerful stories of sacrifice, resilience, and faith — and why remembering 9/11 matters for the...
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Her Childhood was Broken. Her Legacy Isn't with Sam Navarro Ep. 177
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
She grew up in a home marked by addiction, instability, and zero faith influence. When a friend invited her to church at fifteen, everything changed — except her parents’ response. They kicked her out, leaving her alone on the streets with nowhere to go. But God wasn’t done writing her story. With the help of a local church who gave her a place to live, she finished high school, went to college, and built a life rooted in faith, stability, and purpose. Today, she’s a homeschooling mom of four, married for fifteen years, and walking in a freedom her childhood never offered. She refused...
info_outlineDoes your family still gather around the table? In this Kitchen Table episode of Building Strong Homes, Carol Roper shares memories from her own childhood table, from the English peas she refused to eat to the dishwashing races and “I Will Survive” duets she had with her sister. She also shares how she carried the tradition into her own marriage and family.
Carol also explains the research behind it. Emory University researchers Marshall Duke and Robyn Fivush found that children who know their family history have a stronger sense of control, higher self-esteem, lower anxiety, and better emotional health. Carol shares the first five of their 20 questions, explains why it’s the sharing of stories, not the facts themselves, that matters, and offers practical ideas for busy families, including a goal of sharing dinner three to four times a week, even if it’s fast food at the ballpark.
If you’re a mom juggling sports and activities, a grandmother hoping to pass down family stories, or you just want to build a stronger, more connected family, this episode will encourage you to make the table a priority.
You’ll hear about:
- Why the family dinner table is a safe place for sharing stories and building belonging
- The Emory University research on family stories and children’s emotional health
- The first five of the 20 “Do You Know?” questions to ask your family
- Practical ways to keep dinner a priority when life gets busy
- A reminder that dinner doesn’t have to be a home-cooked meal
Resources: the full list of 20 questions at my website CarolRoper.org/podcast
Watch on YouTube Fast Food Counts: Why You Should Make Family Dinner a Priority Even When You're Busy
Contact me at [email protected]