Helping Kids Connect with Their Grandparents :: Isabel Tom [Ep 509]

*Republishing our most downloaded episodes, one a month this year*Whether you’ve been married for a few years or are approaching a milestone anniversary, a healthy marriage takes intentional work. Marriage isn’t built in the big, dramatic moments, but in thousands of small habits and daily interactions that over time lead to either a God-honoring, joy-filled relationship—or one marked by strain and self-focus.Author and speaker Paul David Tripp joins me to talk about how those everyday habits shape our marriages and how to identify the ones that need to be uprooted. Drawing from nearly 50 years of marriage, Paul helps us see our relationships through the lens of the gospel.“A biblical view of marriage is a sinner married to a sinner in a fallen world—but with a faithful God. That means we can’t coast. There are things in each of us that threaten our marriage, and we need God’s grace every day.”My hope is that this conversation encourages you to re-engage your marriage with renewed faith and confidence in what God can do.What we talk about: How marriages are shaped by thousands of small moments Why daily habits matter more than big moments Identifying healthy and harmful marriage habits How sin turns us inward—and why marriage is a covenant of community Confession, forgiveness, and navigating conflict Unity vs. uniformity in marriage The role of the fruit of the Spirit in a thriving marriage Why isolation harms marriage and community helps heal it Connect with Paul David Tripp:  Instagram: Paul David Tripp (@paultrippquotes) Facebook: Paul David Tripp Website: PaulTripp.com | Pastor. Author. Conference Speaker. Links Mentioned:  Marriage: 6 Gospel Commitments Every Couple Needs to Make by Paul David Tripp Related Episodes: Hope for the Hopeless Marriage :: Kathy Bush [Ep 453] Building Strong Marriages :: Kimberly Beam Holmes [Ep 374] Rebuilding from an Abusive Marriage :: Jeni B [Ep 246] Featured Sponsors: Thrive Causemetics: Amplify Your Every Day. Go to thrivecausemetics.com/DMA for an exclusive offer of 20% off your first order.  Cozy Earth: These viral pj’s are so good they sold out during the holidays, and now they’re back with an exclusive deal only available January 25th to February 8th. Head to cozyearth.com today and use my code DMABOGO to get these pj’s for you and someone you love! And if you get a Post-Purchase Survey, be sure to mention you heard about Cozy Earth right here! Cash App: For a limited time, new Cash App customers can earn $10 if they use code FAMILY10 in their profile at signup and send $5 to a friend within 14 days. Terms apply. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Direct deposit and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures.

26 Jan 56min

Are we living in the most anxious generation ever? In this powerful and hope-filled conversation, Max Lucado joins us to talk about anxiety, mental health, and the unseen struggles so many kids and teens are facing today—and what parents can do about it.With constant access to phones, social media, and nonstop information, anxiety often shows up sideways in our kids through anger, withdrawal, or fear. Max explains what’s happening in the brain, why anxiety feels like an alarm that never shuts off, and how parents can become a soft place to land when emotions run high.We also talk about the importance of parents addressing anxiety in their own lives, how worry steals joy and peace, and why our presence (not perfection) is what God desires most. Max shares encouragement for praying parents, reminding us that Jesus never turned away a parent who asked for help for their child. Here is some of what we cover:  Why today’s kids are facing unprecedented levels of anxiety The physical and emotional toll of chronic worry Why a parent’s physical presence matters more than we realize Max Lucado’s personal faith journey and what God taught him about presence over performance Connect with Max Lucado:  Instagram: Max Lucado (@maxlucado) Facebook: Max Lucado Website: Max Lucado Links Mentioned:   Calm Thoughts for Kids: 90 devotions for Anxious Days  Tame Your Thoughts: By Max Lucado Anxious for Nothing by Max Lucado Hermie Series–Buzby and the Grumble Bees **SIGN UP to Join Heather and Megan at Pro Love Saturday for Embrace Grace Related Episodes: Life Empowered by the Holy Spirit :: Max Lucado [Ep 381] You Are Never Alone :: Max Lucado [Ep 298] From Overwhelmed to Anchored: Replacing the Lies of Motherhood with God’s Truth :: Erica Gwynn [Ep 544] Featured Sponsors:  Cove : Make protecting your home one of your New Year’s resolutions! Check out Cove at covesmart.com/DMA or use code DMA at checkout for up to 70% off your first order. Wayfair: Get organized, refreshed, and back on track this new year for WAY less. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Every style. Every home.  HiyaHealth: We've worked out a special deal with Hiya for their best selling children's vitamin. Receive 50% off your first order. To claim this deal you must go to hiyahealth.com/DMA. This deal is not available on their regular website. Get your kids the full-body nourishment they need to grow into healthy adults.

19 Jan 46min

My friend and Sidetracked podcast co-host, Cynthia Yanof, joins me to discuss her new book, How’d I Miss That?Cynthia shares hilarious and poignant stories about family and kids that help uncover deeper truths—reminding us that God has a plan, and there’s no formula for this parenting journey. We often stress over things that feel big at the moment, like preschool registration or making the “right” sports team, but what really matters is having an eternal perspective—focusing on who our kids are becoming at 25 and who we are becoming as parents. In this episode, we talk about: How to pray audacious, faith-filled prayers over our kids Trusting the process, even when it doesn’t make sense in the moment Why not all friendships are meant for every season of parenting—and being intentional about your inner circle And we wrap up with some fun hosting tips from Cynthia Connect with Cynthia Yanof:  Instagram: Cynthia Wilkinson Yanof (@cynthiayanof) Website: Cynthia Yanof Links Mentioned:   How’d I Miss That?: By Cynthia Yanof Sidetracked - Podcast - Apple Podcasts Draw the Circle: By Mark Batterson Pre-order Cynthia’s book and then fill out this form to join us LIVE on Jan 27th at 7:30 pm CST Related Episodes: The Goal Isn’t Happy Children :: Cynthia Yanof – Summer of Mentorship – Wk 6 [Ep 419] The Unicorn That is Adult Friendship :: Cynthia Yanof – Summer of Mentorship – Wk 3 [Ep 416] Raising Kids Who Can Stand Alone :: Cynthia Yanof -Summer of Mentorship-Wk 2 [Ep 415]  Featured Sponsors:  BUBS Naturals: Live Better Longer and kick 2026 off the right way! BUBS is running a HUGE New Year New You sale PLUS for a limited time only, our listeners are getting 20% OFF at BUBS Naturals by using code [DMA] at checkout. Bubsnaturals.com Branch Basics: And here’s the good news — Branch Basics is now available everywhere you shop: at Target, Target.com, Amazon, and of course, BranchBasics.com Tossing the toxins has never been more convenient! And for anyone grabbing the Premium Starter Kit, you can still get 15% off at BranchBasics.com with our code [DMA].  Thrive Causemetics: Amplify Your Every Day. Go to thrivecausemetics.com/DMA for an exclusive offer of 20% off your first order.

12 Jan 48min

Moms, life throws us into so many conversations every day… Talking with our kids, navigating our husband’s work party, connecting with other moms, or building our own friendship. All of these moments show who we are and how we communicate. Today, Debra Fileta, counselor, author, and podcaster, joins me to share practical tips on how to communicate effectively with friends, family, and loved ones. In our tech-driven world, we’ve lost many opportunities for genuine connection, and often we don’t realize how we come across when meeting new people or entering a room full of strangers. Debra shares insights from her new book, People Skills, to help us connect in deeper, more authentic ways. Here’s some of what we cover: Relationships and people skills: The strength of your relationships depends on the skills you bring into them.  Communication matters: In a tech-driven world, real-life interactions with tone, body language, and facial expressions are more important than ever.  Understanding communication styles: Learn the four types—assertive, aggressive, passive, passive-aggressive—and how to navigate them.  Practical tips for being a great conversationalist: Honor your story, honor theirs, and create space for give-and-take in relationships. Connect with Debra Fileta:  Instagram: Debra Fileta Facebook:  Debra Fileta Truelovedates.com Website:  Debra Fileta, M.A. LPC (@debrafileta) Links Mentioned:   Soul Care: By Debra Fileta People Skills: By Debra Fileta Talk To Me: The Debra Fileta Podcast Related Episodes: When Friendships Get Messy: Healing, Humor and Finding Your Chicken-Fried Women :: Melissa Radke [Ep 519] Important Topics to Cover with Tweens and Teens about Manners, Technology and Friendship :: Lee Cordon [Ep 408] Helping Our Kids Foster Friendships :: David Thomas and Sissy Goff [Ep 338] Featured Sponsors:  Honeylove: Treat yourself to the most advanced bras and shapewear on the market. Use our exclusive link to save 20% off Honeylove at honeylove.com/DMA.  Cove: Make protecting your home one of your New Year’s resolutions. Check out Cove at covesmart.com, use code DMA for an additional 10% off your first order —easy, affordable, and peace of mind guaranteed. Green Chef: Go to Greenchef.com/ALONEGRAZA use the code ALONEGRAZA to get started with 50% off Green Chef + FREE Graza Olive Oil Set in your 2nd and 3rd boxes. This 50% offer is only available for a limited time, so don’t wait.

5 Jan 55min

In this episode, author, podcaster, and speaker Mary DeMuth returns to share the inspiration behind her latest work, which spotlights overwhelmed women in the Bible—women whose stories have often been minimized or overlooked. From Mary the mother of Jesus to Hagar to the widow with two mites, these women model faith, resilience, and wholehearted trust in God. We talk about how Christmas can be both beautiful and heavy. Mary opens up about her own seasons of overwhelm, from her water breaking on Christmas Eve to sleeping in a barn the week before Christmas. She reminds us that Mary, the mother of Jesus, lived through the deepest fears a mother can face, yet she remained faithful as a disciple. Here is some of what we cover:  Why Christmas often heightens grief, trauma, and unmet longings The consumerism of the holiday season vs. the simplicity of God with us What Shalom really means: wholehearted, whole-bodied peace rooted in surrender Jesus’ care for the overlooked, the aging, and the marginalized The definition of “Whelm” which  refers to out-of-control stress,  “overwhelmed” is that same stress amplified beyond capacity Connect with Mary DeMuth:  Instagram: Mary DeMuth // Healing from Trauma (@marydemuth) Facebook:  Mary DeMuth Website:  Mary DeMuth Links Mentioned:   Nobody's Mother: By Sandra Glahn 90-Day Bible Reading Challenge: By Mary DeMuth Most Misunderstood Women of the Bible: By Mary DeMuth The Most Overlooked Women of the Bible: By Mary DeMuth The Most Overwhelmed Women of the Bible: By Mary DeMuth Podcast - Pray Every Day Mary DeMuth Church Hurt Checklist Related Episodes: Building the Family You Never Had :: Mary DeMuth [Ep 156] Nobody’s Mother :: Dr. Sandra Glahn [Ep 443] From Overwhelmed to Anchored: Replacing the Lies of Motherhood with God’s Truth :: Erica Gwynn [Ep 544] Featured Sponsors:  Green Chef: Go to Greenchef.com/ALONEGRAZA use the code ALONEGRAZA to get started with 50% off Green Chef + FREE Graza Olive Oil Set in your 2nd and 3rd boxes. This 50% offer is only available for a limited time, so don’t wait.  Policygenius: With Policygenius real users have gotten 20-year $2 million policies for just $53 a month. Don’t wait until next year. Give your family the gift of security today with Policygenius. Head to Policygenius.com to compare life insurance quotes from top companies and see how much you could save.  Thrive Causemetics: Complete your holiday look. Go to thrivecausemetics.com/DMA for an exclusive offer of 20% off your first order.

15 Des 202548min

In today’s episode, I sit down with Marc Cameron, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, to explore one of the most influential (and often overlooked) elements of our emotional lives: attachment styles. Drawing from more than 80 years of research, Marc breaks down how our earliest experiences with our families shape the way we connect, communicate, handle conflict, and relate to the people closest to us well into adulthood.This episode offers a compassionate and scientifically grounded roadmap for understanding yourself and the people you love. Whether you identify as avoidant, anxious, vacillating, disorganized, or relatively secure, you'll walk away with clarity, validation, and practical tools for building healthier patterns of connection. Here is some of what we cover:  Why attachment styles are not personality traits, but relational survival strategies formed early in life Why “secure” doesn’t mean perfect; it means the relationship feels predictable and safe most of the time How attachment ruptures can be healed in adulthood through awareness and practice Why the holidays amplify attachment triggers—family roles, old wounds and unresolved expectations How to move toward secure attachment by learning emotional language, practicing repair, and using the comfort circle  Connect with Marc Cameron:  Instagram: How We Love (@howwelovebook) Facebook:  How We Love Website:  How We Love – Discover Your Love Style, Enhance Your Marriage Links Mentioned:   How We Love: By Milan and Kay Yerkovich Understanding Your Attachment Style:By Marc Cameron Love Style Quiz – How We Love Freebies – How We Love Related Episodes: Building Healthy Relationships by Exploring Adult Attachment Patterns (Part 1) :: Charissa Lopez [Ep 498] Building Healthy Relationships by Exploring Adult Attachment Patterns (Part 2) :: Charissa Lopez [Ep 499] How to Align with Your Spouse in Parenting :: Dr. Kim Kimberling [Ep 491] What Does my Child Need :: Amy and Jeff Olrick [Ep 480] SofM 2024 Featured Sponsors:  Thrive Causemetics:  Complete your holiday look with Thrive Causemetics. Luxury beauty that gives back. Right now, you can get an exclusive 20% off your first order at thrivecausemetics.com/DMA Honeylove: Treat yourself or someone you love to Honeylove this holiday season and right now you can save 20% at honeylove.com/DMA Story Worth: Give your loved ones a unique keepsake you’ll all cherish for years–Storyworth Memoirs! Right now save $10 or more during their Holiday sale when you go to Storyworth.com/dma.

8 Des 202553min

In this episode, I sit down with bestselling author and investigative journalist Lee Strobel to explore some of the most profound questions of faith: Are miracles real? What evidence supports the Christmas story? What are angels like?  Lee was famously an atheist, and when his wife came to faith in Christ, he set out to prove her wrong. In the end, he discovered that the evidence for Jesus was too substantial to ignore and he became a Christian. Since then, he has helped countless people wrestle with life’s biggest questions: Is God real? How do we navigate a spiritually mismatched marriage? How can we help our kids understand the evidence that Jesus came, died, and rose again?  Now, he has a new movie coming out called The Case for Miracles, bringing the supernatural to life in a powerful and compelling way. In this interview, we explore: Documented cases of divine healing Spiritual Mismatch in marriage and how to have hope  The evidence surrounding Christmas and the incarnation Do angels exist? Do we have guardian angels? What Scripture and research reveal How God is using miracles and dreams around the world to draw people to Him  Connect with Lee Strobel:  Instagram: Lee Strobel (@lee_strobel) Facebook: Lee Strobel Website: Lee Strobel Links Mentioned:   The Case for Miracles Movie Spiritual Mismatch: By Lee Strobel The Seeing the Supernatural: By Lee Strobel The Case for Christ: By Lee Strobel The Case for Miracles: By Lee Strobel Is God Real? for Teens by Lee Strobel Related Episodes: Moms and the Best Christmas Pageant Ever :: Dallas and Amanda Jenkins [Ep 501] “What is My Responsibility in My Child’s Salvation?” :: Vela Tomba [Ep 431] Seek Him First :: Lillian Richey [Ep 494] Featured Sponsors:  BUBS Naturals: Live Better Longer! For a limited time only, our listeners are getting 20% OFF at BUBS Naturals by using code DMA at checkout. Just head to BubsNaturals.com and use code DMA and you’re all set.  Branch Basics: Get yourself and your loved ones the best gift of all - the gift of clean with Branch Basics! For a limited time only, our listeners get 15% off and Free Shipping on their premium starter pack when you use code DMA at BranchBasics.com/DMA.

1 Des 202547min

In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, Jess Connolly—author, podcaster, and speaker—invites us into a season of her life marked by heartbreak and uncertainty.  Jess opens up about the winter of 2023, when her husband experienced panic attacks, heart issues, and a mental health crisis. At the same time, her family was facing major loss as her stepfather passed away after heart surgery, while also preparing for a book release. Followed by one of her children walking through a dark trial. Jess brings so much truth and gentle encouragement to anyone walking through a season that desperately needs hope, not the shallow Christian clichés we often hear, but a deep and steady hope that God is with us in the valley. Here’s some of what we cover: The myth of the “prosperity gospel of parenting” and why 1+2 does not always equal 3 The pressure to assign purpose to a painful season  Rethinking Psalm 23 and understanding the rod and the staff  Learning to lament: why anger expressed to God is actually intimacy An exclusive sneak peak at her next book!  Connect with Jess Connolly:  Instagram: Jess Connolly | Author + Bible Teacher (@jessaconnolly) Facebook: Jess Connolly Website: Jess Connolly Links Mentioned:   What Comes Next: By Jess Connolly Tired of Being Tired: By Jess Connolly It's Not Supposed to Be This Way: By Lysa TerKeurst Related Episodes: Sidetracked with Jess Connolly :: Cynthia and Heather [Ep 484] Your Body is GOOD :: Jess Connolly [Ep 329] Worth Repeating // Jess Connolly Featured Sponsors: Sex Ed Reclaimed: Sex Ed Reclaimed offers a full curriculum with lifetime access so with that mind, visit sexedreclaimed.com to get your family's video curriculum today. Branch Basics: Get yourself and your loved ones the best gift of all - the gift of clean with Branch Basics! For a limited time only, our listeners get 15% off and Free Shipping on their premium starter pack when you use code DMA at BranchBasics.com/DMA . Jones Road Beauty: This holiday season, simplify your routine with makeup that’s clean, strategic, and multifunctional. From November 18th - December 1st, Jones Road is doing their first ever Black Friday Sale! Go to JonesRoadBeauty.com to get up to 20% off sitewide.

24 Nov 202552min