Dear Daughters

Do you wonder feel anxious or worried about what you should be doing with your life? Well, good news ahead. My conversation with Chrystal Evans Hurst is packed with truth about how to stop the cycle of insecure and unhealthy thoughts. Chrystal is an author, encourager, and a deep well of wisdom. In her book, She’s Still There: Rescuing the Girl in You, she holds your hand and cheers you on to end the cycle of toxic thoughts and actions in your life. Our conversation was incredibly impactful and helpful in remembering to bring our thoughts into the light of God’s truth. Chrystal is a wife of 18 years, a homeschooling mother of 5, and a grandmother of 2. OH JOY! Her desire is to teach others to love God, love others, and to love themselves. We need more women in the world like Chrystal. I’m encouraged by how she is living her life in a way that is honoring to God and how she is encouraging so many women beside her to do the same. SHOW NOTES Chrystal’s website Find Chrystal on Instagram Chrystal’s Chronicles Po

Who am I? What am I about? If you have ever asked yourself those kinds of questions, then you likely have also had to look back at your story. Author and spiritual director, Casey Tygrett, says that remembering your past is often one of the most courageous things you can do.  He spent the past few years researching and unpacking the idea that we are who we are, because of our memories. And his newest book, As I Recall: Discovering the Place of Memories in Our Spiritual Life, speaks to these questions and more. Casey serves as Theologian in Residence at Parkview Christian Church near Chicago, Illinois. He and his wife, Holley, have been married for 18 years and have one daughter, Bailey. I’m deeply grateful for the work that Casey is doing. We talk about letting God redeem our past, for the good of our present. It’s something that has impacted my life, and I’m sure will impact yours too. Casey is amazing, listen in! SUBSCRIBE IN ITUNES SHOW NOTES  Casey’s website Casey’s Podcast: otherWISE The Apprentice Gath

If love helpful books and beautiful journals, you’ll love meeting Valerie Woerner, the owner of Val Marie Paper and author of Grumpy Mom Takes a Holiday. Her mission is to create practical tools, including her original 6-month prompted prayer journal, and content that equips women to cut through the noise of everyday life and find fullness in the presence of the Lord. She lives in South Louisiana with her husband Tyler and two girls, Vivi and Vana. And guess who lives on the same block? Her grandpa and her twin sister! Val’s the nicest kinda girl that makes you want to move on the block with her. I’m also especially appreciative of her passion for prayer. We talk about that quite a bit. I hope the resources she’s created help you pull in closer to God. Val is lovely, her she is! SHOW NOTES  Our friend Meredyth Cann who introduced us :) Val Marie Paper Val’s instagram Grumpy Mom Takes a Vacation Prayer Memoir Journals Psalm 145:4 How to Find a Mentor My church: Austin Christian Fellowship Will’s books on pray

Mother’s Day is just around the corner so this week on the podcast, I’m featuring another mother that you’ll love getting to know. This spiritual mama travels and speaks across the country, encouraging women to use the incredible influence God has given them to eternally impact their world. She has appeared on Good Morning America and has won national awards for her ministry work. She and her husband, Bob, live in Florida; they have five grown children (one of whom is literally known worldwide) and eight grandchildren. Today, I’m talking with Pam Tebow. She’s an amazing and inspiring women. She’s the kind of spiritual mama that will make you want to be a better wife, mother and human. For most of her life, she served quietly and faithfully as a wife and a mom but now, because of her Heisman Trophy winning son, Tim - people know her everywhere. Pam has written a new book, Ripple Effects which is about discovering the power of a woman’s influence. Her story will help you remember that you have influence. Lots o

Want to know how to raise healthy teenagers? Well, we’re gonna dive into the answer to that question and more. Since Mother’s Day is just around the corner, I’m going to be talking with several moms I admire and unpack what it looks like to be a spiritually healthy mom raising spiritually healthy kids. Today I’m talking with friend, neighbor and fellow author, Kristin Schell, who happens to be the mother of several teenagers. You might remember her as the founder of The Turquoise Table movement which is a ministry designed to help you reach out and love your neighbor. But she’s also the mother of 4 kiddos. Her son, their oldest, is finishing his freshman year in college. And the other three, her daughters, are in that middle school to high school phase. Here’s my friend Kristin! SHOW NOTES   Kristin’s feature in Southern Living  DD Episode 6 with Kristin Also DD 77 Episode with Kristin and all things Thanksgiving That episode with my daughter, Emily Boone ~> DD Episode 18 ‘On Mother-Daughter Relationships’ A

In celebration of my new book, Dear Daughters: Love Letters to the Next Generation, releasing today … it is my DELIGHT to introduce you to my mother, Peggy Gerrie. (Though she goes by Mimi.) She is one of the MOST important people in my life. She is the reason I have energy and love to give to dear daughters  in my life. I am so excited for you to know her better. :) I’m also thrilled for you to meet my dad, Bob Gerrie. Though he’s better known in our family as Papa. Together they are quite the team. It’s my honor to introduce them to you! SHOW NOTES My new book, Dear Daughters: Love Letters to the Next Generation Will’s sermon on contentment at ACF. Our family favorite verse is Psalm 118:24 says, "This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Dear Daughters: Love Letters to the Next Generation is a template for those multi-generational conversations and relationships you’re craving. Good news is: The preorder bonus is still available! Order your book now and you’ll get 16 quest

So this week, I’m bringing you another podcast interview with a live audience. It’s my second in a series of interviews where I invite an author friend for coffee and conversation, and I invite you into my home too. This week, Emily P. Freeman is joining me for this special format I’m calling Dear Daughters Coffee and Conversation. Emily P. Freeman has been on my show before, which was all joy. Listen to DD Episode 19. If you’re interested in joining me for these live interviews (and we’ve had people drive in from all over to join me and my guests) then get yourself on my newsletter list because that’s where you’ll hear firsthand who is coming to town! In today’s special episode, we’ll be celebrating and discussing her brand new book, The Next Right Thing. It’s a book designed to help you uncover the next right steps in your life. If you’ve ever agonized over something big like what you’re supposed to do with your life, or even something small like if you take a certain class. Or even a medium assignment like

So this week’s podcast is pretty exciting for two different reasons …  First, this is my very first podcast with a live audience. I decided to invite podcast guests to my home for coffee and conversation so that you could sit with us, listen in and then ask all the questions. I’m really excited about this format called Dear Daughters Coffee and Conversation. If you’re interested in joining me for these live interviews (and we’ve had people drive in from all over to join us) then get on the mailing list because that’s where you’ll hear firsthand who is coming to town! The second piece of exciting news is to kick off my DD Coffee & Conversation series … Audrey Roloff is on the show! Audrey and her husband, Jeremy, were on the TV show Little People, Big World. Matter of fact, their wedding was televised. Did you see it? It was beautiful. And she and her husband Jeremy have a beautiful love story. They have a brand new book out this week called: A Love Letter Life. Inside the book which they co-authored, the

I believe that questions are the best way to know people better, to hear where people are with God and to help people find their way in life. Questions like … What’s your God story? What’s your guy story? And if you could reach back in your past and sit next to your younger self, what would you say to her? These kinds of questions are also an incredible opportunity to deepen a mother-daughter relationship. :) These are the questions I asked my special guest on the show today. Because I wanted to give you a template for how to dive deep in conversation over the important things. And I asked these questions to an important person in my life. My youngest daughter, Sara Regan. Sara is 25 years old. She’s a musician, a worship leader and an all-around incredible human. Sara is married to David, who is a Young Life director in Katy, TX. Sara and David are all about discipleship. Matter of fact, Sara says Discipleship is legacy. I hope that if you’re helping people grow in Christ, whether that’s a toddler you’re t

You know, I get a lot of questions about how to build or maintain good relationships in family. And I especially get questions about how to have good relationships between my kids and me. So today, I invited my 29-year-old daughter, Emily Boone, on the show to talk all things about the mother daughter relationship. We talk about a lot of things including what healthy boundaries look like between us. We also talk about what she wished she could have told me when she was younger. And oh my gracious. If you’re in the middle of mothering, you’ve just got to hear that. It will encourage you and challenge you. And it might just make you cry. If you haven’t heard: Emily is going to be at The Grace Gathering in Austin on April 12th! She’ll be sharing about some really big transitions in her life as a newlywed in a new city, figuring out all kinds of things, and the inevitable loneliness and confusion that we all feel in those kinds of big transitions. If you’re listening and you’re in any kind of transition like: the

Do you wish you had a mentor? Or would you like to be one? Or maybe you're just curious what a mentor relationship looks like?Whether crave deeper discipleship, a mentor relationship or a spiritual friendship, this is the show for you. Today I'm talking with Hayley Morgan. She's someone I've mentored over the years. And this episode, we go through the who, what, when, and how of a mentor relationship that works. And we even talk about mentor relationships that didn't work. I know you'll get a TON of insight listening to our conversation today. Hayley is an author and business owner. She’s wife to Mike, mama to four boys and a dear daughter to me. If you don’t already know her, I know you’ll love hearing her heart. Also if you haven’t heard: Hayley is going to be at the Grace Gathering in Austin on April 12th! Yahooo!! I want you to meet her and hear her incredibly tender letter to her younger self when she felt lost and torn apart when her parents split up. It made me cry and then it made me thank God for how

I adore Stephanie Holden (aka Honey Holden). She’s a southern girl, a mama to 3 grown up girls, a grandma, spiritual mama, and a pastor’s wife. I love talking with Honey because she’s the real deal. She loves Jesus and she loves the church and she loves her family. Today on the show, we talked about a lot of things including how to build a family that is connected and close and fun. And I figure Honey is the perfect go-to on a fun, Jesus-loving family. :) I also wanted to interview her because in celebration of the launch of of my new book, Dear Daughters: Love Letters to the Next Generation, I am hosting The Grace Gathering featuring my dearest daughters and favorite spiritual mamas who will encourage us to explore the ways God speaks through various seasons of life! And since Honey is one of my favorite spiritual mamas, she’ll be joining me on stage at the Grace Gathering on April 12 in Austin. SHOW NOTES Stephanie’s interview on contentment: DD Episode 72 Join the Dear Daughters Book Launch Team Need m

If you know your Enneagram number and sometimes wonder, “What’s next?” then you’re going to love meeting Clare Loughrige.  Not only is Clare is the co-founding Lead Pastor of Crossroads Church and Ministries in Marshall, Michigan which she started with her husband, Scott, more than 25 years ago but she also provides preaching, teaching, and spiritual direction for the leadership team. In addition, she is a formally trained spiritual director for leaders with The Transforming Center in Wheaton, Illinois. And (wait for it) she has written two books about the Enneagram, her most recent being Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram: A Handbook for Harmony and Transformation. This book is filled with exercises to engage, challenge, encourage, and sustain you to grow in greater awareness and lead you to spiritual and relational transformation via your Enneagram identity.  Whether you know much about your Enneagram number or not, you’ll love Clare’s rich content about relational and spiritual transformation in this inte

In a world of constant chaos and conflict, homes are often the only places of peace where souls find rest. Everybody longs for that place of comfort called home. And in today’s noisy world, home there’s an instinctive yearning to make that space a place of refuge and beauty. Author Christie Purifoy, calls this art of creating such a space, “placemaking.” In her new book, Placemaker: Cultivating Places of Comfort, Beauty and Peace she explains what it means to build a space of beauty and peace, whether that’s in a tiny apartment you feel you’ve outgrown or a massive dream house. Whether an untamed garden or a messy work space.  Christie Purifoy earned a PhD in English Literature at the University of Chicago before trading the classroom for an old farmhouse, a garden, and a writing desk. She lives with her husband and four children at Maplehurst, a Victorian farmhouse in southeastern Pennsylvania. Christie is inspiring and I’m glad for you to meet her.  SHOW NOTES Christie’s new book,Placemaker: Cultivating

"God has equipped you for this season. He has made you strong. Walk in it. Chin high, shoulders back. And fight for what’s important. Fight for connection, privacy, wisdom … these moments are full of wonder and wretchedness. God will use these days." Meet Kate Merrick. She’s an author, speaker, mom of three, and the cofounder of the Reality family of churches with her husband Britt. She also specializes in making up dances to The Greatest Showman soundtrack, riding a surfboard, horse, or roller skates, and adding more butter to pretty much everything. She lives in Carpinteria, California with her family, five chickens, two goats, and two miniature donkeys. Kate’s new book is Here Now: Unearthing Peace and Presence in an Overcoming World. She also has another book, And Still She Laughs: Defiant Joy in the Depths of Suffering, which tells the story of her losing her daughter to cancer. Kate is all joy and I’m glad for you to know her better.  SHOW NOTES Kate’s new book: Here Now: Unearthing Peace and Presenc

Remember the time I offered to homeschool all the children? Yes, it would be in the interview with my new friend, Jessica Smartt. Jessica’s a former English teacher turned homeschooling mom of three. She’s an ESTJ, an iPhone addict (in recovery) and anxiety overcomer. She’s also an allergy mom (only slightly neurotic ;), loved by God, and wife to Mr. Fix Anything. She runs a mean 12-minute mile and can make just about anything dairy free. She’s on the podcast today creating a life giving community and family via making meaningful memories.  Jessica’s new book, Memory Making Mom: Building Traditions That Breathe Life into Your Home, is about all that and more. I’m excited for you to get to know her! SUBSCRIBE IN ITUNES SHOW NOTES Jessica’s new book: Memory Making Mom Natalie Coulter’s Watercolor Journal Mint and Maple And my interview with Natalie on DD Episode 40 Speaking of memory making, this is interesting: The Power of Moments JESSICA’S LETTER TO HER YOUNGER SELF Dear 30 year old Jessica, You know what

Suffering from a lifelong disease, I’ve been told I can’t possibly be contented. Contentment happens to us because of circumstances, after all – right? But what if contentment found in Jesus is something that everyone can experience? Something we can chase and then catch hold of? Meet Liz Carter. She’s an author and blogger who writes about life in all its messy, painful, joyous reality. She likes Cadbury chocolates and turquoise, in equal measure, and lives in the UK with her husband, a church leader, and two crazy teens. Liz is the author of Catching Contentment: How to be Holy Satisfied. The book digs into contentment in difficult circumstances. I’m delighted to introduce you to Liz because she can talk honestly about “rejoicing in the Lord, even in the rubbish of life.” And we’ve all got rubbish in life, right? I’m excited for you to meet her. Here’s Liz! SUBSCRIBE IN ITUNES SHOW NOTES Liz’s new book: Catching Contentment: How to be Holy Satisfied The Art of Divine Contentment by Thomas Watson My favorit

Justin Whitmel Earley was just about to turn 30 when he had a complete anxiety collapse. The years that followed were extremely dark. He went from being a former missionary in China, to a few short years later, an anxious lawyer, medicating with alcohol. He felt like a failure as a father, husband, worker and human being in general. In his recovery, Justin discovered that habits form us more than we form them. He believes the answer to our contemporary chaos is to practice a rule of life that aligns our habits to our beliefs. His new book, The Common Rule, offers four daily and four weekly habits, designed to help us create new routines and transform frazzled days into lives of love for God and neighbor. These are concrete, doable practices, such as a daily hour of phoneless presence or a weekly conversation with a friend. These habits have been lived out by people across all walks of life―businesspeople, professionals, parents, students, retirees―who have discovered new hope and purpose. I can’t wait for you

Can I start with some BIG news that I’ve been dying to talk about …? A precious little boy was born into the world. His name is Caleb David Davis. And he is my grandson. He was born 3 weeks ago. And ohmygracious, he is beautiful. Little blonde fuzzy head. Tiny wonderful human. My heart is exploding. My grandma name is Zuzu. And Will’s name is Bear. Yes, Zuzu and Bear. Sounds like a cartoon or a children’s book. And I love it. Caleb was born the week before Thanksgiving so we’ve been traveling back and forth to Denver to see him. Lots of travel. Lots of wonder. And lots of big feelings for me. All the travel plus the holidays kinda knocked me off center. And it reminded me of the importance those tiny daily things I do that keep me healthy and centered. Like good sleep and daily writing and eating healthy. I was on a call last week with a woman I just adore (I’ll call her Jane) that just completed the Dear Daughters Mentorship Program. Jane asked me some very interesting and poignant questions about navigating

Today on the Dear Daughters Podcast, I’m talking with Kristin Schell of the Turquoise Table about all things Thanksgiving. This is the final episode in what I’m calling the Thanksgiving Trio which is three episodes with three of my favorite table people. The first was with EP 75 with Bri McKoy, the second was EP 76 with Jen Schmidt and last but certainly not least is with my friend and neighbor, Kristin! Kristin reveals her biggest Thanksgiving blunder and how that led her to create one simple rule to follow every Thanksgiving. I think you’ll benefit from hearing what that rule is and how it makes everything much easier for Kristin over the holiday. As well, she talks about allowing space for real connection with the people at the table. Kristin is just the best at creating space to spend quality time with her people. Kristin is a hoot. You will just love her.  And you also might love winning a signed copy of her book + a cute pie tea towel + a couple Capri Blue Fir & Firewood Candles. Just jump over to m