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This Hope in the Hard continues last week’s conversation about loving a child through addiction. I’m sharing honestly from the middle of the uncertainty that comes after trying to let go and the quiet work of loving without controlling the outcome. If you’d like to partner with us and support the podcast, consider sponsoring an upcoming episode by making a donation of any size to Parenting Through the Hard [by clicking here]. Your support keeps this podcast running — and goes directly toward production costs and continuing this mission. For more resources and hope-filled tools, visit parentingthroughthehard.com Disclaimer: The thoughts shared here come from my own parenting and faith journey. Please remember this podcast is not a replacement for professional counseling or medical guidance.

For years, I tried to fix what was hurting my child by offering advice, solutions, even ultimatums. But none of it worked. It only built walls. In this episode, I share what it’s looked like to lay down control and choose presence instead. It’s raw, honest, and rooted in the belief that our greatest purpose as parents isn’t to fix it’s to be a faithful, grace-filled presence in the middle of the mess. You can find the journal prompts mentioned I've been working through here. Disclaimer: The thoughts shared here come from my own parenting and faith journey. Please remember this podcast is not a replacement for professional counseling or medical guidance. If you’d like to partner with us and support the podcast, consider sponsoring an upcoming episode by making a donation of any size to Parenting Through the Hard [by clicking here]. Your support keeps this podcast running and goes directly toward production costs and continuing this mission. For more resources and hope-filled tools, visit parentingthroughthehard.com

Lately, I’ve been paying attention to the moments when conversations with my big kids feel tense, guarded, or harder than they need to be, and what might be underneath that. In this Hope in the Hard reflection, I share a personal story about a small but meaningful shift I’m practicing as a parent, and why it’s changing the way I think about connection, boundaries, and growth. This episode is a gentle pause. An invitation to notice what happens when we stop managing the outcome and start listening more closely. If you’d like to partner with us and support the podcast, consider sponsoring an upcoming episode by making a donation of any size to Parenting Through the Hard [by clicking here]. Your support keeps this podcast running — and goes directly toward production costs and continuing this mission. For more resources and hope-filled tools, visit parentingthroughthehard.com Disclaimer: The thoughts shared here come from my own parenting and faith journey. Please remember this podcast is not a replacement for professional counseling or medical guidance.

In this episode, I reflect on starting a new year feeling tired, stuck, and unsure how to move forward as a parent. I share how my practice of choosing a word for the year helped me reframe what it means to begin again—without pressure, perfection, or forcing progress. Disclaimer: The thoughts shared here come from my own parenting and faith journey. Please remember this podcast is not a replacement for professional counseling or medical guidance. If you’d like to partner with us and support the podcast, consider sponsoring an upcoming episode by making a donation of any size to Parenting Through the Hard [by clicking here]. Your support keeps this podcast running and goes directly toward production costs and continuing this mission. For more resources and hope-filled tools, visit parentingthroughthehard.com

As this year comes to a close, I sat down to record what I thought would be a simple 7-minute Hope in the Hard reflection… but once I began, I realized this message needed more space. So today’s episode is a little longer — a gentle, unhurried conversation about looking back, letting go, and noticing the new thing God may already be growing beneath the surface. If you’d like to partner with us and support the podcast, consider sponsoring an upcoming episode by making a donation of any size to Parenting Through the Hard [by clicking here]. Your support keeps this podcast running — and goes directly toward production costs and continuing this mission. For more resources and hope-filled tools, visit parentingthroughthehard.com Disclaimer: The thoughts shared here come from my own parenting and faith journey. Please remember this podcast is not a replacement for professional counseling or medical guidance.

In this special Christmas Hope in the Hard reflection, I’m sharing some tender thoughts about finding peace in the quieter moments of the season — the ones that don’t always feel “merry and bright.” If you’d like to partner with us and support the podcast, consider sponsoring an upcoming episode by making a donation of any size to Parenting Through the Hard [by clicking here]. Your support keeps this podcast running — and goes directly toward production costs and continuing this mission. For more resources and hope-filled tools, visit parentingthroughthehard.com Disclaimer: The thoughts shared here come from my own parenting and faith journey. Please remember this podcast is not a replacement for professional counseling or medical guidance.

The holidays have always felt magical. But over time, and through hard seasons, they often felt more like survival. In this episode, I share honestly about what it’s looked like to navigate fractured family dynamics, quiet grief, and the slow work of healing. Even when it’s messy, love still matters. This episode explores how we as parents can hold onto hope and faith during the holidays, even in seasons marked by heartache, separation, or uncertainty. Disclaimer: The thoughts shared here come from my own parenting and faith journey. Please remember this podcast is not a replacement for professional counseling or medical guidance. If you’d like to partner with us and support the podcast, consider sponsoring an upcoming episode by making a donation of any size to Parenting Through the Hard [by clicking here]. Your support keeps this podcast running — and goes directly toward production costs and continuing this mission. For more resources and hope-filled tools, visit parentingthroughthehard.com

What do you do when the life you dreamed for your child collides with the choices they’ve made? When the future you pictured seems to slip out of reach, it can leave you aching with a grief no one prepares parents for. In this episode, I share the raw story of discovering my teen’s hidden struggles, the shock and heartbreak that followed, and the truth I’ve learned walking beside countless moms facing their own detours. Together, we’ll talk about why grief is not failure but love in its rawest form, why we so often resist it, and the surprising strength that begins to grow once we’ve given grief the space it deserves. If you’ve ever whispered, “I don’t know how to do this,” this conversation is for you. Disclaimer: The thoughts shared here come from my own parenting and faith journey. Please remember this podcast is not a replacement for professional counseling or medical guidance. If you’d like to partner with us and support the podcast, consider sponsoring an upcoming episode by making a donation of any size to Parenting Through the Hard [by clicking here]. Your support keeps this podcast running — and goes directly toward production costs and continuing this mission. For more resources and hope-filled tools, visit parentingthroughthehard.com

In this Hope in the Hard reflection, I talk about the seasons when love itself feels heavy, when caring deeply for our teens or grown children begins to feel more like carrying than connecting. As I reflect on my own journey, I’ve noticed how easy it is to hold on to things that were never ours to carry, and how setting that weight down can make room for grace, trust, and gentler love. This episode is an invitation to breathe, to surrender the heaviness, and to remember that love was never meant to crush us — it was meant to connect us. Disclaimer: The thoughts shared here come from my own parenting and faith journey. Please remember this podcast is not a replacement for professional counseling or medical guidance. If you’d like to partner with us and support the podcast, consider sponsoring an upcoming episode by making a donation of any size to Parenting Through the Hard [by clicking here]. Your support keeps this podcast running — and goes directly toward production costs and continuing this mission. For more resources and hope-filled tools, visit parentingthroughthehard.com

Do you ever feel that automatic pull to fix things for your teen or adult child, especially when their struggle triggers something tender or fearful in you? I feel that tug in my parenting all the time.  In this episode, I’m sharing some of what I’m learning about the hidden cost of rescuing, why the urge feels so strong, and a small practice that’s helping me (little by little) stay close without taking over. Disclaimer: The thoughts shared here come from my own parenting and faith journey. Please remember this podcast is not a replacement for professional counseling or medical guidance. If you’d like to partner with us and support the podcast, consider sponsoring an upcoming episode by making a donation of any size to Parenting Through the Hard [by clicking here]. Your support keeps this podcast running — and goes directly toward production costs and continuing this mission. For more resources and hope-filled tools, visit parentingthroughthehard.com

Join me for seven peaceful minutes to slow down, breathe, and rediscover hope, grace, and meaning in the middle of real life. If you’ve ever ended the day completely drained and wondered why rest still feels out of reach, this one’s for you. In this short Hope in the Hard segment, I’m sharing some honest thoughts about what real rest looks like, not the kind that comes from scrolling or zoning out, but the kind that fills us back up from the inside out. Consider this your gentle challenge to find a few moments of true rest this week, the kind that lets your soul breathe again.

You’re doing your best — but still not sure if it’s enough? Friend, same! In this episode, we’ll talk about how to quiet the noise, reconnect with your inner wisdom, and parent from a place of love instead of fear. You’ll walk away with a simple practice to help you check in with yourself and respond with clarity — even when emotions run high. 🛠️ Includes: The “3-Minute Heart Check” tool + journal prompts Disclaimer: The thoughts shared here come from my own parenting and faith journey. Please remember this podcast is not a replacement for professional counseling or medical guidance. If you’d like to partner with us and support the podcast, consider sponsoring an upcoming episode by making a donation of any size to Parenting Through the Hard [by clicking here]. Your support keeps this podcast running — and goes directly toward production costs and continuing this mission. For more resources and hope-filled tools, visit parentingthroughthehard.com

In this Hope in the Hard reflection, I talk about finding beauty in the ordinary moments of everyday life — especially for parents walking through hard seasons with their teens or grown children. It’s a gentle reminder that healing often happens in quiet, simple ways, not dramatic ones. Join me for seven peaceful minutes to slow down, breathe, and rediscover hope, grace, and meaning in the middle of real life.

When our kids make choices that scare or disappoint us, it’s tempting to tighten our grip. But control and love can’t coexist. In this episode, I explore the raw struggle of letting go..why it feels so painful, how fear keeps us stuck, and what it looks like to release control without abandoning our children or losing ourselves. Disclaimer: The thoughts shared here come from my own parenting and faith journey. Please remember this podcast is not a replacement for professional counseling or medical guidance. If you’d like to partner with us and support the podcast, consider sponsoring an upcoming episode by making a donation of any size to Parenting Through the Hard by clicking here. Your support keeps this podcast running—and all donations go directly toward production costs and helping to continue this mission. For more resources, encouragement, and ways to walk this journey together, visit parentingthroughthehard.com. You’ll find tools, workshops, and hope-filled conversations to remind you that you’re not alone.

This week, I’m introducing something new—short Hope in the Hard reflections in between our regular podcast episodes. These are simple, honest moments to pause and reconnect. In this first one, I talk about prayer when you have no words, and how silence can still be sacred.