Have you ever looked back and realized comfort kept you from saying yes to something that mattered? In this episode, I'm sharing how a moment from Taylor Sheridan's new series The Madison stopped me in my tracks and reminded me what it really means to love well — especially in marriage.

This isn't a review of the show, and I'm not endorsing all its content. But there's a powerful theme woven through the story that every Christian wife needs to hear. Spoiler alert: I'll be talking about the premise of the series, so listen with that in mind.

If fear, comfort, or "maybe later" has ever held you back from stepping into something meaningful with your husband or family, this episode will encourage you to choose courage, connection, and love that lasts.

In this episode:

• Why comfort can quietly steal your yes

• How regret grows when we avoid what stretches us

• What The Madison reminded me about loving well

• A personal story about saying yes when it mattered

• How to choose courage in your marriage today

If this encourages you, share it with a friend who needs the reminder too.

If you'd like to see some fun photos watch on YouTube A Wake Up Call for Wives: Don't Let Fear Steal Your Yes with Carol Roper Ep. 165

Lysa TerKuerst's book Capture His Heart: Becoming the Godly Wife Your Husband Desires

Have you ever doubted your faith? Wondered if God isn't real? I dealt with this issue a couple of decades ago and wondered how I could go on doing "all the things" while struggling with doubt. Today I want to share a fascinating story about how an elephant can be similar to testing our faith.

To see photos of the bridge, watch on YouTube I Almost Walked Away

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When you're facing a diagnosis, a fear, or a season of waiting, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the unknown. In today's episode, Tommy Jennings shares a powerful testimony of courage, peace, and unshakable faith as he battles Hodgkin's Lymphoma — a fight he's been in for six years.

Tommy's story is raw, honest, and deeply hope‑filled. After exhausting every treatment option, he now lives in the tension of uncertainty — yet his confidence in Jesus has only grown stronger. His words, "Either way it goes, I win," will challenge and inspire you to trust God in your own battles.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• What faith looks like when the prognosis isn't what you hoped for

• How to cling to God when you're waiting for answers

• Finding peace in the middle of fear, suffering, and the unknown

• The hope of Jesus when life doesn't make sense

• Why Tommy refuses to feel sorry for himself — and how his perspective can reshape your own

Whether you're walking through illness, fear, or a difficult season, this episode will remind you that God is near, God is faithful, and God is still writing your story.

Watch on YouTube: Finding Hope in the Unknown: Tommy Jennings' Fight with Cancer Ep. 164

Contact Carol at CarolRoper.org/contact

Between school messaging, social media trends, and cultural pressure, it can feel like the world is speaking louder to our kids than we are. But you have more influence than you think — and today's conversation will help you use it wisely.

If you're a Christian parent feeling overwhelmed by the rise in gender confusion, you're not alone. Everywhere you turn—schools, social media, even kids' friend groups—messages about gender identity and transgender ideology are shaping how teens think about themselves. But what if you could understand what's really happening and learn how to confidently guide your children with a biblical worldview?

In today's eye-opening conversation, I sit down with Dr. Jeff Myers, president of Summit Ministries and co-author of Raising Gender-Confident Kids, to unpack the cultural forces influencing our sons and daughters. With clarity and compassion, Dr. Myers explains how gender ideology took root, why it's accelerating so quickly, and what parents can do to protect their children while raising gender‑confident kids who embrace their God-given design.

What you'll learn:

• How gender confusion went mainstream — and why
• What's really being taught in your child's school (even in conservative states)
• Why 1 in 1,000 kids has true gender dysphoria — and what's driving the rest
• Practical steps to raise kids who are confident in how God made them

Raising Gender-Confident Kids

Watch on YouTube A Blueprint for Raising Gender-Confident Kids: What Parents Need to Know with Dr. Jeff Myers

Sign up for my monthly newsletter The Keeping Room: Faith, Favorites and a Little Southern Soul

Whether you call it a veranda, piazza, stoop or porch, these appendages to our homes can have a positive impact on our family and community. It doesn't have to be fancy or huge to be a welcoming respite away from the chores, homework and television. Make it as comfortable as you can and invite the kids and hubby outside for a change of scenery and a bit of togetherness. And include the neighbors of you're feeling up to having company. Let's bring back the front porch.

This is the tenth and final episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series. If you've missed any of the previous episodes, I hope you'll take the time to go back and listen, starting in your podcast app with How to Build a Godly Home: Choosing the Right Location. But the very first episode, Open Your Blueprint, can only be found on my website at CarolRoper.org. Today I'll share about one of my favorite amenities a house can have—the front porch, and why it can be one of the most important rooms of your home.

Watch on YouTube Rediscovering the Front Porch: Why It Still Builds Family and Community with Carol Roper https://youtu.be/6Z2MJOzaMj0

Listen to the first episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series Open Your Blueprint

Listen to the second episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series How to Build a Godly Home: Choosing the Right Location

Listen to the third episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series Envision Your Dream Home

Listen to the fourth episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series How Building a Dream Home Tests your Marriage-and Your Faith

Listen to the fifth episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series The Secret Behind a Strong Spiritual Home (Hint: It's Not Being Pinterest Perfect)

Listen to the sixth episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series Why You Matter: The Hidden Strength in Every Home

Listen to the seventh episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series The Power of Light: Becoming a Spiritual Lamplighter

Listen to the eight episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series Oaks of Righteousness: Raising Families with Deep Roots

Listen to the ninth episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series Your Scars Tell Your Story with Carol Roper

What scars do you carry? Maybe you've had a c-section (or 3) and don't want to wear a bathing suit anymore (among other reasons). Maybe you've been injured in an accident and try to disguise the evidence. Or maybe you've suffered from cancer and now have an ugly scar as a reminder of your survival. Whatever the reason, it's natural for us to want to cover unsightly scars from public view. When I was in my mid-twenties and almost put my eye out from accidentally shoving my face into a large splinter, I didn't realize the permanent damage that could have been done until the ER sent for a plastic surgeon. He said I was too young to carry a scar like that for the rest of my life, and I'm grateful he repaired the wound. Today I can barely see the scar. But only a few short years later I would deal with so much pain that there would be a permanent scar on my soul. This time, however, I was glad to have an enduring reminder of my healing.

This is the ninth episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series. If you've missed any of the previous episodes, I hope you'll take the time to go back and listen, starting in your podcast app with How to Build a Godly Home: Choosing the Right Location. But the very first episode, Open Your Blueprint, can only be found on my website at CarolRoper.org. Today I'll share how the scars left on historic homes after catastrophic events mirror the scars we carry from our own life storms.

Watch on YouTube Your Scars Tell Your Story with Carol Roper

Listen to the first episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series Open Your Blueprint

Listen to the second episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series How to Build a Godly Home: Choosing the Right Location

Listen to the third episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series Envision Your Dream Home

Listen to the fourth episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series How Building a Dream Home Tests your Marriage-and Your Faith

Listen to the fifth episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series The Secret Behind a Strong Spiritual Home (Hint: It's Not Being Pinterest Perfect)

Listen to the sixth episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series Why You Matter: The Hidden Strength in Every Home

Listen to the seventh episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series The Power of Light: Becoming a Spiritual Lamplighter

Listen to the seventh episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series Oaks of Righteousness: Raising Families with Deep Roots

Home isn't just a place—it's a story. When my husband and I set out to build our forever home on his family's farm, we weren't just choosing land; we were choosing legacy. Every step across those pastures reminded us that roots matter—both the ones in the soil and the ones in our hearts. And as we stood beneath a solitary oak, we realized this journey was about more than a house. It was about building on a foundation that time can't shake.

This is the eighth episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series. If you've missed any of the previous episodes, I hope you'll take the time to go back and listen, starting in your podcast app with How to Build a Godly Home: Choosing the Right Location. But the very first episode, Open Your Blueprint, can only be found on my website at CarolRoper.org. Today I'll share why cultivating strong family roots matters.

Listen to the first episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series Open Your Blueprint

Listen to the second episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series How to Build a Godly Home: Choosing the Right Location

Listen to the third episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series Envision Your Dream Home

Listen to the fourth episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series How Building a Dream Home Tests your Marriage-and Your Faith

Listen to the fifth episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series The Secret Behind a Strong Spiritual Home (Hint: It's Not Being Pinterest Perfect)

Listen to the sixth episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series Why You Matter: The Hidden Strength in Every Home

Listen to the seventh episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series The Power of Light: Becoming a Spiritual Lamplighter

Watch on YouTube Oaks of Righteousness: Raising Families with Deep Roots with Carol Roper

Sometimes the most important role is the one that feels the least glamorous.

We live in a world that celebrates big wins and visible achievements. But what about the quiet, everyday work—the kind that rarely gets applause? Have you ever felt unimportant in your own home, wondering if anyone notices the meals, the clean laundry, the late-night homework help? The truth is, your role isn't just important, it's essential. You are the strength that holds everything together.

This is the sixth episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series. So far, we've seen why we need a blueprint, discovered the best location, created a vision, learned how building a dream home tests your marriage and faith and found the critical component of our dream home's foundation. Today we'll see why you, the woman of the home, matters.

Listen to the first episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series Open Your Blueprint

Listen to the second episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series How to Build a Godly Home: Choosing the Right Location

Listen to the third episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series Envision Your Dream Home

Listen to the fourth episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series How Building a Dream Home Tests your Marriage-and Your Faith

Listen to the fifth episode in the Blueprints for Building Your Spiritual Dream Home series The Secret Behind a Strong Spiritual Home (Hint: It's Not Being Pinterest Perfect)

Watch on YouTube Why You Matter: The Hidden Strength In Every Home with Carol Roper