When You Love a Prodigal
Loving a prodigal is a long, desperate journey. Fear. Worry. Anger. Blame. But God intends to use your valley to fill you with grace and hope. In each episode, author and speaker Judy Douglass will guide you through lessons she’s learned in her son's 15-year prodigal journey to help mold your spirit...
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Recent Episodes
Dec. 17, 2024
All I Want for Christmas, episode 44 (rebroadcast)
Lord, please, for Christmas could my child come home? Would you set him free from his addictions? May they see the emptiness and destructiveness of their choices. And, Lord, may we have peace in our family for Christmas. Wh…
Dec. 10, 2024
A Story of Real Life Giving Thanks, episode 162
If you have listened to many of my podcasts, then you know I encourage all of us to give thanks in everything. I got to practice what I preach in real life last week. And though this story is not about a prodigal, it’s certa…
Dec. 3, 2024
Waiting in Advent for Jesus and Your Prodigal with Judy Lewis, episode 161
Judy Nelson Lewis and I go way back. She's been a magazine editor, writer, and now a spiritual director. We had a great conversation about advent, waiting, and how that can help us through our prodigal journey. It's a gift …
Nov. 26, 2024
Praying with Thanksgiving, episode 160
In Philippian 4:6 the instructions are more specific: Pray about everything, with thanksgiving. Pray, of course. Give thanks? Much harder. But that is exactly what we are told to do, even in scary, out-of-control circumstanc…
Nov. 19, 2024
Is It Possible to Give Thanks in Everything?, episode 159
Our natural response in times of uncertainty and in life with a prodigal and the fears and frustrations we encounter, is to name everything that is wrong, to complain about all we don’t like. And our God receives our honest …
Nov. 12, 2024
Dennis and Barbara Rainey: Relating to Your Adult Children, episode 158
I was reading Barbara Rainey’s blog recently and saw a post Relating to Your Adult Children. For most of the years God has had me in a loving a prodigal ministry, we have focused mostly on teens and young adults. But in rece…
Nov. 5, 2024
Your Prodigal Is a Gift, episode 157
As I have listened to the stories of friends’ prodigals and prayed for my son and many others, God took me on a journey back into the wilderness. Gratefully I was reminded over and over of the transforming truths that I have…
Oct. 29, 2024
A Message from Steve, episode 156
Today, October 29, 2024, marks two years since my wonderful husband, Steve, was called home to Heaven. He was a wise, loving man, and had much to offer everyone he encountered. Today’s podcast is a gift from Steve, telling o…
Oct. 22, 2024
The Power of Grace, episode 155
In all my years of loving a prodigal and seeking to help others love their prodigal, one word has been the key, the difference, the change agent: GRACE Early in my journey with my prodigal, God gave me a guiding word. He sai…
Oct. 15, 2024
Remember to Breathe, episode 154
About 10 years ago we went through a scary time with our adopted son. Josh had twice, in response to great disappointments, threatened to take his life. We reasoned with him, assured him of our love, stayed with him. Gratefu…
Oct. 8, 2024
From Guilt to Grace with Dawn Ward, episode 153
Does that title entice you? In your journey with a prodigal, would you like to be moving from guilt to grace? Our guest today is Dawn Ward, a life and mental health coach, writer, speaker, and one of us. Her ministry is Fait…
Oct. 1, 2024
Questions that Make a Difference, episode 152
It’s noisy out there, isn’t it? Online, at school, in the neighborhood. And certainly in your home when you have a prodigal. So many strong but differing opinions! We often seem to be more committed to making our point and h…
Sept. 24, 2024
Nancy Squires: Just Be Held Retreats, episode 151
Today, I am chatting with Nancy Squires, and she's a new friend. And she has a ministry called the Just Be Held Retreats, and we're going to get to learn what those are, how they came about, and how you might engage. Nancy’s…
Sept. 17, 2024
What is a Prodigal?, episode 4 (rebroadcast)
It’s the five year anniversary of my book, When You Love a Prodigal , the inspiration for this podcast! So I thought we should take it back to the beginning of the podcast and revisit the core question of “what is a prodigal…
Sept. 10, 2024
10 Reasons for Hope, episode 56 (rebroadcast)
Most of us are bruised people who desperately need to be reminded, however subtly, that hope is real, grace is often present, goodness counts, love is possible and our lives matter. I believe this is more than mere artistic …
Sept. 3, 2024
Finding Gifts in the Wilderness, episode 88 (rebroadcast)
You don’t expect to find one of your best gifts ever when you are wandering through the wilderness. A walk in the wilderness might be lovely if you’re a nature lover and you keep your eyes open. You could discover some real …
Aug. 27, 2024
Winning the War, episode 105 (rebroadcast)
Most of us want our own way. And when life is going our way, we are happy, even joyful. But when circumstances, or our prodigal, or God interferes with our way, our joy can disappear. We also have an enemy, who is enticing o…
Aug. 20, 2024
My Top 10 Lessons Learned, episode 46 (rebroadcast)
Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring--it didn't matter. The years of our prodigal journey unfolded with occasional good days, but with many more challenging ones. I could easily be overwhelmed, until I slowly learned to look to God …
Aug. 13, 2024
Living-loving like Jesus: Gentleness, episode 133 (rebroadcast)
If we could relate to our wanderers as Jesus would have, we just might see a difference in the atmosphere in our home and relationship.Today we take up gentleness. Harsh. Angry. Strident. Contentious. We can easily be drawn …
Aug. 6, 2024
Living-loving like Jesus: Humility, episode 131 (rebroadcast)
My husband was a hard-working man. Our prodigal, in his younger years, was not. One day my husband came home and our son was sitting on my car watching his friends work on his car. My husband’s response was, “Can’t you help …
July 30, 2024
Prayer that Opens Doors: Bless, episode 122 (rebroadcast)
This is the third episode of a three-part series on Prayer that Opens Doors. We looked at Praise first, then Thanks last week. And today we consider a powerful key that can open tightly shut doors—and minds and hearts. When …
July 23, 2024
Persevering in Prayer, episode 90 (rebroadcast)
I used to think I knew how to pray. Then this wilderness journey with my wandering son required desperate prayer. And I moved into a new dimension of what it meant to pray. Even now I realize I still know so little about pra…
July 16, 2024
God’s Mercy Rule, episode 98 (rebroadcast)
In kids’ sports there is often a “mercy rule.” If one team gets far ahead, the game is called. It seems only kind and fair to not embarrass or demoralize the kids who are losing so badly. In life it rarely works that way. Th…
July 9, 2024
Learning from Steve: Reflecting Jesus, episode 117 (rebroadcast)
I would love for you to celebrate Steve with me on July 12, which would have been his 79th birthday. Steve had many gifts, strengths and qualities, which blessed me over and over. Here's a replay episode full of Steve’s wisd…
July 2, 2024
Why a Prodigal: From God’s Perspective, episode 75 (rebroadcast)
From the day I was born, I wanted my own way. Growing up, my getting my way pretty much determined the peace and happiness in our home. As a teenager, getting my own way included secretly seeing a forbidden boyfriend for mos…
June 25, 2024
Loving Like Jesus, episode 100 (rebroadcast)
Last week was the 150th episode so I thought we’d go back and revisit our last milestone with episode 100: I had never even listened to a podcast when I was asked to do this one. But my team and my husband said, when I was r…
June 18, 2024
House of Honor-Margaret Philbrick, episode 150
My special guest today, Margaret Philbrick, will take us an intriguing journey through an unusual approach to loving our prodigals. Today we are talking about art, a topic I know little about. But Margaret does. She will tak…
June 11, 2024
How to Really Love Your Prodigal, episode 93 (rebroadcast)
What I want to share with you today are some practical ways for you to REALLY love your prodigal. Your situation may be very different from ours—and the illustrations I use, but the suggestions I will give you can be helpful…
June 4, 2024
Moving On - Fear 4, episode 149
We did it! We prayed for all those names on our list of treasured prodigals. What a privilege! And what a battle it was--always! I am always exhausted at the end of the day. We—and those we pray for—have an enemy who doe…
May 28, 2024
Displacing Fear - Fear 3, episode 148
This is the third of three posts leading up to June 2 Worldwide Prodigal Prayer Day. Our theme this year is Fear Not. Some time ago, in the midst of some hopeful signs in a long-ongoing situation, that fear returned. With fo…
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Recent Blog Posts
What Are You Afraid Of?
Today I am sharing the first of three posts leading up to June 2 Worldwide Prodigal Prayer Day. Our theme this year is Fear Not. These three posts are designed to prepare us as we engage in battle for the hearts and minds of loved ones who are &ldqu…
About the Host
Judy Douglass
My name is Judy. I love Jesus, my family, Texas, words, books, horses, Mexican food—and quite a few other things.
I was married to a wonderful man and have three delightful children and 10 superb grandchildren. My friends fill my cup so much that I am drinking from the saucer.
I am a writer, speaker, and missionary with cru. Most of all I am an encourager, urging everyone I encounter to know God and to entrust their lives to Him for all He wants them to be and all He has prepared for them to do. I get to go all over the world for this mission—what an incredible job!
I’ve written a few books, edited a couple of magazines, and helped found Synergy Women’s Network. I have spoken to groups from eight to 8,000. I write about women, prodigals, becoming a true follower of Jesus, the homeless, grandparenting, and learning from children.
I am amazingly blessed, totally inadequate, woefully unworthy, and eternally grateful for the grace and mercy of God.
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