Ep. 131: Breaking Free from Shame: Pregnant at 15, Redeemed by Faith with Christy Braddock
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
Release Date: 06/03/2025
Ep. 149: Unlocking Joy: The Surprising Power of Unforgiveness 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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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...
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Ep. 147: Have You Lost Hope? Building Your Faith in a Season of Despair with Carol Roper
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
We all walk through seasons that feel like a desert—lonely, exhausting, and full of questions for God. In this episode, I open up about my own painful wilderness years—struggling with infertility, chronic illness, and depression—and how I eventually discovered that God hadn’t abandoned me after all. Through my story, you’ll see that the desert isn’t a place of punishment but preparation. It’s where God strips away our dependence on everything else so we can truly know Him as our provider. If you’ve ever wondered where God is when life feels dry, this episode will remind you...
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Ep. 146: When Feelings Fade: Finding Hope for Your Marriage Through Everyday Moments with Dan & Danielle Macaulay
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
Every marriage goes through seasons—some filled with laughter and connection, and others that feel dry, distant, or lonely. Maybe you’ve found yourself wondering, “What happened to us? Why can’t we enjoy doing things together like we used to?” The feelings you once had faded, and no matter how hard you try, it feels like you’re just going through the motions. If that sounds familiar, you are not alone. Dan and Danielle Macaulay, founders of MarriedUp.net and authors of The Triangle Effect, talk about what to do when love feels more like effort than emotion—and how inviting...
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Ep. 145: What Are You Missing Because You’re Afraid to Trust God?
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
What dream have you had that you feel is too big to pursue? One of my big dreams has always been to go to England, the country my maternal grandmother was from. But I don’t like to fly, I was worried I couldn’t do that much walking, didn’t know how to figure out all of the planes, trains, underground, taxis and Uber logistics, etc. etc. I decided not to give into those fears, however, when my husband, John, offered to take me on the trip of a lifetime to England and Scotland to celebrate my 60th birthday and our 40th wedding anniversary. Having recently returned from that trip I can...
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Ep. 144: When Motherhood Doesn't Go As Planned with Former MOPS President Elisa Morgan
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
Did your motherhood story turn out the way you hoped? Even if it didn’t, God is still writing something beautiful. Motherhood is both messy and miraculous. Even the president of MOPS faced heartbreak in motherhood. When Elisa Morgan led MOPS, she encouraged millions of moms — but behind the scenes, her own motherhood journey was far from perfect. In this candid conversation, Elisa shares the struggles and blessings of parenting, how she found God’s faithfulness in the hard seasons, and why she believes mentoring younger women is one of the most powerful ways to build strong homes of...
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Ep. 143: Finding Home Wherever We Lived: My Mom's Story of Faith and Family with Christine Limoges (& Lisa Johns)
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
In this heartfelt episode I sit down with my mom and sister to share a legacy of faith, resilience, and family love. My mom’s story begins with her mom, an English war bride, who left everything familiar behind to start a new life in America. Later, mom had her own military journey after she married my dad who was stationed at first in Germany and eventually was deployed to Vietnam. Even though it was difficult, mom learned how to make anywhere feel like home. Through frequent moves, a long deployment, and so many home renovations, mom created a life centered on faith, love, and...
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Ep. 142: Breaking the Cycle of Abuse: A Story of Healing and Hope with Ruth Valor
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
What does it take to break free from a lifetime of pain and abuse? Ruth Valor’s story is a powerful Christian testimony of how God can heal even the deepest wounds. From the time she was just three years old, Ruth endured sexual abuse, physical abuse, and emotional neglect. Her father battled alcoholism and carried his own scars from an abusive childhood, leaving Ruth desperate for love and acceptance. That search often led her into destructive relationships—what she now calls having a “broken picker.” But God had a greater plan for Ruth. At her lowest point, she encountered Jesus...
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Ep. 141: The Hardest Surrender with Carol Roper
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
Before the Israelites could enter the Promised Land, they had to stand at the edge of the Jordan River — and trust God to make a way. At a retreat diving deep into the book of Joshua, the leader God appointed after Moses died, I found myself at my own river’s edge, staring at something God was asking me to let go of. But I wasn’t ready. This is the story of how He met me there — in my fear, in my wrestling — and how crossing over became more than just a metaphor. Sign up for my new monthly newsletter, . From a favorite house plan to my go-to beauty products with some decor and...
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Ep. 140: Can Kids Really Learn to Think Biblically? Yes! Here's How with Elizabeth Urbanowicz
Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith and Family podcast
What happens when kids grow up in Christian homes, attend church regularly, and still end up thinking more like the culture than like Christ? That’s the question Elizabeth Urbanowicz couldn’t ignore as a classroom teacher—and it sparked a mission that’s now helping families around the world. In this episode, Elizabeth shares how her background in education and apologetics led her to create Foundation Worldview, a curriculum designed to help kids think critically, biblically, and confidently. You’ll hear how simple, age-appropriate tools are transforming children from passive...
info_outlineChristy Braddock has struggled with shame from a teen pregnancy and years later, abortion. The guilt became a heavy weight to carry. Christy got pregnant at 15 and gave her baby up for adoption. Then at 21 she became pregnant again, but this time she decided to keep the baby and get married, thinking this was her second chance to raise a child. But because her marriage was so dysfunctional she made some poor choices, including abortion, that she’s had to overcome with Jesus’ grace and forgiveness. Today, Christy’s passion is helping women to break free from shame and boldly share their testimonies and, because of that, has created The Shine Collective with Christy B., a space for healing hearts and brave stories. When you hear her testimony of faith today, you’ll also hear the joy and light that comes from within her since she’s found freedom and forgiveness through the love of Jesus. Here's Christy's story...
Go to CarolRoper.org/podcast for additional shownotes
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Watch Breaking Free from Shame: Pregnant at 15, Redeemed by Faith with Christy Braddock