Be Love

Today I talk with Christina Zorich, actress and film maker and the daughter of actress Olympia Dukakis. We talk about how an injustice like human trafficking broke her heart and how she used her gifts and talents to open other’s eyes to how they can combat human trafficking.    This episode is dear to my heart as I am the Executive Director of an anti-trafficking organization called Unbound Now. We talk about how we can learn about the injustices of the world and do something about it.    Christina created A new multi-award-winning documentary – THE NEW ABOLITIONISTS - uncovers this dark world of trafficking in Southeast Asia and highlights four brave Christian ministries who are pushing back against evil, offering victims love, hope and freedom. From filmmaker Christina Zorich, THE NEW ABOLITIONISTS will be available on AppleTV, Amazon and other streaming platforms April 11, through Freestyle Digital Media.    “Human sex trafficking is a global industry that exists for many reasons, including the fact that m

Summer is coming! My kids are pumped- and I am a little nervous because I work full time outside the home and I want to make sure I have things scheduled out for the summer. No matter if you are full time stay at home parent, or working parent, summer can be amazing, but also can be challenging. Many times, we think of things we want do to as a family, what camps the kids need to go to, or vacations we want to take. But have you thought about the personal rhythms you need to make sure stay in place to keep YOU healthy. Bedtimes change and school activities are no longer which means working out, or getting your quiet time in, will also change. This podcast reminds us and gives us some tools to help not only get our personal rhythms in place before the summer, but also helps us have a daily rhythm for our kiddos as well.  Get the summer daily checklist for kids here Get your FREE PDF Summer Bucket List here   Grab our children’s book here   Please subscribe and leave us a review!   Be Love. Do Good. is a p

Today I want to talk to the mamas of little’s. The mama’s who are in the throes of newborn, toddler, kinderville. These years were exhausting and hard. I think many times I didn’t realize other people were experiencing the same things as I was, and I wish I had shared more of my experience. Because as I am now on the other side, I see so many needed the encouragement I did.    I hope for those of you who are in these sweet holy stages, that this episode would be an encouragement to you.   8 things I talk about: Embrace the suck It’s going to be ok Expect Interruptions Find Help Do NOT compare yourself to others You are the Best Mom for you kids Start Small Remember If this was an encouragement to you, please leave us a review and subscribe to our podcast, it means the world. 

We know that the bond between a father and daughter is important. Today I have on dad and daughter duo and they talk about their new book Girl Dad!   Working together as a dynamic father-daughter duo, Jay and Rae Anne Payleitner are delving deep into what it takes to be a Girl Dad, sharing how to build lasting relationships and the steps it takes to prepare daughters for every season of their lives in their new book Girl Dad: A Father-Daughter Duo Discuss Truths that Impact a Girl’s Heart, Mind, and Spirit (Salem, May 9, 2023).    Girl Dad is not just for the baby girl in her crib or toddler hosting a tea party or a teen getting her first car; it’s for every stage of the father-daughter relationship. Rooted in scripture and filled with personal insights and experiences, the Payleitners show how to build lasting relationships, becoming an essential guide for any dad who wants to strengthen his connection with his daughter.      Grab their book here:  Learn more here:    Be Love. Do Good. is a part of the Chr

Bonnie Gray is a Soul Care mentor and the author of Breathe: 21 Days to Stress Less and Transform Chaos to Calm. So many of us have felt the weight of the last few years and how it has led us to anxiety and depression. All human beings have nervous systems and emotional needs designed by God to help us flourish and heal when we take action. Gray’s goal in Breathe is to help believers detox stress through soul care, science, scripture, and prayer. This is not a book about ideas, but refined practices that readers will be able to use in their everyday life. Breathe empowers readers to practice biblical mindfulness, which is the true source of transformative peace over secular mindfulness.   We go deep today, and I think you will gain so many things you can put in practice this week.  Learn more about Bonnie here: Get her book Breathe: 21 Days to Stress Less and Transform Chaos to Calm.  Take the SOUL CARE QUIZ Be Love. Do Good. is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and sp

Have you ever read a book you couldn’t put down? I am an avid reader and one of the best series I have ever read is written by my guest today, New York Times Best Selling author Karen Kingsbury. Karen Kingsbury, #1 New York Times bestselling novelist, is America’s favorite inspirational storyteller, with more than twenty-five million copies of her award-winning books in print. Her last dozen titles have topped bestseller lists and many of her novels are under development with Hallmark Films and as major motion pictures.    Today I have the privilege of talking to Karen and her son Tyler Russell who recently wrote a new book for their children’s books series, Being Baxters.  This series follows the beloved characters I fell in love with so many years ago as children and is written for children ages 8-12 years old.    Here are some things we talk about:   Their mom/son relationship and what mom’s mean to their sons.    How we can nurture and encourage our sons.    What it looks like to be intentional when it c

Today I talk with Laura Smith, parent and author of the 5-Minute Devotions for Teens: A Guide to God and Mental Health  This devo removes the stigma on mental health and advises Christian teens what they can do when they are depressed and anxious. Scattered throughout the book are tips to help teens maintain good mental health practices such as meditation, disconnecting from social media and technology, saying affirmations, and much more. Today with social media and added pressures, teens are dealing with mental health more than ever. Today’s conversation gives us the encouragement and tools we need to come alongside our kids who may be struggling. Laura reminds us to ask for help from others and that we can’t do this alone.    Get Laura’s book: the 5-Minute Devotions for Teens: A Guide to God and Mental Health  Learn more about Laura here   If your teenager is struggling with suicide call the suicide hotline 988   Be Love Do Good is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and sp

Three-time GMA Dove Award-winning worship leader, singer-songwriter, author and podcaster Christy Nockels releases her first full-length studio album in over five years, This Is The Hour.   I remember listening to Christy Nockels and her husband Nathan when they were Watermark when I was in college and how much their music meant to me. I was so fortunate to be able to speak to Christy about her new album, why she wrote it, and the events that she personally had to go through before she could release it to the public.    We talk about finding God’s presence, and how that is everything.  What it’s like to walk away from fame and what she learned in the process.  How does God meet us in painful places. How to find the glorious in the small moments.    As a worship leader for over 25 years, Christy’s heart is to simply lead others to connect and communicate with the living God. Her new album carries a storyline that God has already used in a deep and personal way in her and her producer-husband Nathan’s lives. Th

Research tells us eating dinner with our family during the week is beneficial in so many ways. But how do we ACTUALLY do this when we have multiple kids in different activities and eating together seems like a pipe dream.   My friend Christy Ogden, mother of 5, knows a thing or two about figuring out how to get her family all together for a purpose, and she gives us lots of ways to do just this in our interview today.   She talks about practical ways we can get around the table with multiple kids and busy schedules and why it has mattered so much. She gives us ideas of intentional questions we can ask, and how to foster open communication with our kids.  She even wrote a book about it.   In her book, Around the Table , she weaves in her own memories of life at their table with her family and hosting multiple people and events over the past twenty years. The main theme is that the table should be a place of gathering people together and fostering relationships. In it, she shares both the joys and the heartbr

Crystal Paine, New York Times bestselling author and best known as the Money Saving MomⓇ Founder, who has reached millions with practical advice that has changed families for the better. As a bestselling author, founder of a widely popular enterprise, top podcast host—and busy mom of six—Crystal Paine should be exhausted. Or at least overwhelmed. But she’s not. In fact, she’s thriving.   For the first time ever, Crystal is opening up and teaching on something moms have been asking her about for years: TIME. In her new book, The Time-Saving Mom: How to Juggle a Lot, Enjoy Your Life, and Accomplish What Matters Most (March 7, 2023), Crystal shares the strategies and guiding principles she lives by to maximize her time and energy while balancing many responsibilities, staying sane, living meaningfully, and loving life.   You will love our conversation and get some real life tips you can use this week to prioritize what matters most.    Get to know Crystal here Buy her book here   Be Love. Do Good. is a part of

I don’t know about you, but saying sorry is hard, really hard! Especially to our kiddos. Today I share a story with you about why I needed to say sorry to my kid and the emotions behind it. I talk about my tendency to control things because the underneath emotion is fear, I am not adequate as a parent.    If you have ever felt controlling, inadequate, or need to tell your kids you are sorry, this short 10-minute podcast is for you. Give us your thoughts in a podcast review.   Follow us on Instagram:  Follow us on Facebook: Grab our children’s book   Be Love. Do Good. is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual guidance to help you grow into the perfectly imperfect parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Today I talk with author Ashlee Gadd who wrote the book Create Anyway: The Joy of Pursuing Creativity in the Margins of Motherhood.    You might think margins in parenting? What the heck is that? How do we even do that, with all the responsibilities of parenting.   Ashlee is a creative and lost that part of her when she was in the throes of motherhood, she talks to us about how to find and pursue those passions before motherhood and why it impacts our family for good so much.    Some things we talk about: Mom guilt Creating Margins How do we continue our passions when the busyness of kids come along? Why is having a community in your life important? What happens when we don’t ask people to help?    After this podcast you will feel a much-needed permission slip to pursue your God-given creative gifts alongside motherhood.   Learn more about Ashlee here: Grab her book here:  Read her blog here:    Please leave us a review if this has been an encouragement to you! Grab our children’s book about loving everyone

If you are like our family, we are heading to Chick-fil-A weekly. Not only are their chicken sandwiches the BEST, but their customer service is always spot on. Today on the podcast I have Trudy Cathy White, the only daughter of the founders of Chick-Fil-A and she talks to us about the importance of family values. How to make them, how to preserve them, and how to leave a legacy that lasts way after we are gone. We dig into their core family values and how their business relies on values as well. Things like Faith, Family, Integrity, Generosity, Gratitude .   She has recently written a book called A Legacy that Lastswhich gives us an inside look into these values and how to instill and preserve them in our own homes. She helps understand why being intentional matters in the long run.   You will love today’s podcast and will learn so much about the Cathy family and why they are so successful today.     Learn more about Trudy Get her book Follow her on Instagram  

Today I have on my boss Susan Peters, founder and CEO of Unbound Now an anti-human trafficking organization. I wanted her to come on to talk about what human trafficking is, and how we can help raise our kids to be confident in who they are and be able to have hard conversations.    The more conversations we can have about big topics with our kids and make it commonplace in the home, the more our kids will come to us when something doesn’t feel right. We talk about not panicking when our kids come to us with something scary, and how she broke the cycle of abuse in her own family. There are so many nuggets of wisdom in this episode.   Learn more about the organization we work for: Unbound Now Give to Unbound Now   Be Love. Do Good. is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

I think stories change us, inspire us, and many times challenge us. Today I am sharing a few stories we have experienced that may help us all remember that it can be easy to love others, see others, and help our kids build relationships with others.   Listen to this short podcast and I hope some of these stories inspire your family.   We would love it if you would leave a review if this podcast has encouraged you.   Get our children’s book that is all about loving others: The Lunchbox Note: A Story about Loving Others.   Be Love. Do Good. is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org

Today’s story is unbelievable. A story of love conquering all, in the midst of trials and heartache. Fox and Rob were married and lived together 6 months before their lives were torn apart. This is a beautiful story of faith, hope and love that has persevered through all odds. Fox & Rob Richardson, subjects of the Academy-Award nominated documentary TIME, who defied all statistics and are happily married after being separated for 21 years due to an overzealous prosecution. In his twenties, Rob was fighting to get his business of the ground and was turned down by every bank for a loan. In an act of desperation to provide for their growing family, he attempted to rob one. With no priors, Rob was sentenced to 61 years in prison, leaving Fox to raise their sons alone and fight for her husband’s freedom.   Rob ended up serving more than two decades in America's bloodiest penitentiary, Angola, until receiving clemency in 2018. Fox and Rob now spend their time advocating for incarcerated families where they have

Today I have one of our listeners’ favorite guests, Carlos Whittaker on the show. We talk about his new book How to Human available today!    In How to Human: Three Ways to Share Life Beyond What Distracts, Divides, and Disconnects Us, speaker, author and social media personality Carlos Whittaker leads us on a three-part journey, to "be," "see," and "free," that we can pursue in order to all live together as the best versions of ourselves. This fresh vision to reclaim our love and joy leads us to a collective breath of air as we exchange division for real relationship. He emphasizes that: We can live up to our full potential.  We can learn to trust and care for one another.  We can see the humanity in those different from ourselves.  We can navigate hard times with grit, kindness, and a good joke or two.    Today’s podcast is a wonderful reminder of what it means to be truly human in a world where people feel increasingly disconnected from each other and from God.    Listen to his first podcast on BE LOVE

Faitth Brooks is an author, speaker, and educator. She wrote the new book: Remember Me Now: A Journey Back to Me and a Love Letter to Black Women. Faith is a beautiful voice to help us journey back to ourselves and how to honor one another along the way; celebrating those who may have a different background than us. We talk about why it’s important to build relationship with those whose race and culture are different than ours, small steps to do it right, and why understanding the perspective of others makes our hearts grow bigger and more alive.    Learn more about Faitth here:   Grab her book here: 

I can’t believe it is 2023! Whether you are a goal maker, or one who doesn’t love making new intentions or resolutions, I think we can agree that we all need more God in our life this year. More of his compassion, love, kindness, peace, grace, and all the other attributes. In this podcast I talk about 3 ways we can do that this year:   Make space for him. Experience Him in different ways.  Ask him to take over.    Some of my favorite resources:   Bibles:  The Voice Bible She Reads Truth journal Bible   Devotions: Jesus Calling by Sarah Young You are Beloved by Henri Nouwen New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp   Prayers and liturgies: Every Moment Holy Common Prayer, A liturgy for Ordinary Radicals

There is a book that has been my bible study’s favorite for the past few years. It is the book of liturgies called, Every Moment Holy. I gifted it to all my friends this year and I read it daily.    It is full of prayers that are for everyday life. It makes me want to see life as a gift, even the mundane things I do daily like, drink my coffee, prepare a meal, laundry. It reminds me that every single moment is holy and that is how I choose to live.    Today I have spokesperson Leslie Thompson on to talk about how we live like this. How do we intentionally make every moment holy, even thoise that seem like interruptions and inconveniences?   I love this conversation and especially wanted you to hear it as we go into the New Year. A chance to reset our minds and hearts.  Get to know Leslie here: Buy Every Moment Holy here: Follow Every Moment Holy LISTENERS get 15% off use code using code BELOVEDOGOOD!