Episodes
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…
May 21, 2024
Banishing Fear - Fear 2, episode 147
This is the second of three episodes leading up to June 2 Worldwide Prodigal Prayer Day. Our theme this year is Fear Not. These articles are designed to prepare us as we engage in battle for the hearts and minds of loved one…
May 14, 2024
What Are You Afraid Of - Fear 1, episode 146
Our world is full of fear. Wars, earthquakes, terrorists, volcanoes, racial strife, hurricanes, fires, mass murders, floods, bombs, tornadoes, disease….did I just raise your fear level? And when you love a prodigal, fears mu…
May 7, 2024
Stefani Monn-House of Hope, episode 145
Most of us, as we encounter challenges with our loved ones, try to handle it by ourselves. But as time goes on, we often need more help—professional counseling, medical attention, interventions, spiritual guidance, and vario…
April 30, 2024
Four More Gifts, episode 144
Last week we talked about four gifts God gives us during our prodigal journey—gifts that sustain and equip us for all the challenges. Did one of those gifts—God Himself, love, mercy, or grace--bless, encourage, or help you? …
April 23, 2024
4 Gifts for the Hard Journey, episode 143
For our previous two episodes we explored the hard reality of the grief that comes with walking with a challenging child for months and years. I hope you captured some perspective and practice for your grief journey. This we…
April 16, 2024
Help-Hope in Grief, episode 142
Grief is a normal part of life. Disappointments, losses, hard situations come, and grief is often a part of those. But when you love a prodigal, grief can become an ongoing reality as the journey goes on and on. The hardest …
April 9, 2024
Recognizing Grief, episode 141
If you have been journeying in the prodigal journey for a long time, or if your journey is just beginning, you will experience many emotions: fear, anger, frustration, resentment, guilt and more. And at some time you will re…
April 2, 2024
Gary Wilkerson-Parable, episode 140
Sometimes I think it’s good to let you listen to another voice. The one you will hear from today is Gary Wilkerson, head of World Challenge Ministry, following in the footsteps of his father, David Wilkerson, author of The C…