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The glow of the microwave clock, an untouched Advent wreath, and a pile of unwrapped gifts—sound familiar? We open with a scene that many parents know too well and move toward a countercultural claim: December isn’t a test of endurance, it’s a training ground for unity. Through a vulnerable story about trying to do everything alone, we explore the moment a marriage turns from survival to connection and how that pivot reshapes the entire season.

We look to Mary and Joseph for a framework that’s both spiritual and practical. Their first Advent was anything but curated: confusion, travel, risk, and exhaustion were all there. Yet they walked together—Joseph listening and acting with steady courage, Mary trusting with humble strength. That unity didn’t erase hardship; it allowed peace to enter the chaos. Drawing from their example, we invite parents to redefine success: not a perfect tree or matching pajamas, but a home where mom and dad choose each other and make space for Christ in everyday routines.

You’ll leave with clear, doable practices to anchor your days. Start with one small act of connection: a long morning hug, a short bedtime prayer, or a simple text that says “I’m with you.” Then try the ten-touches challenge to flip the script on phone time and elevate your marriage. These tiny habits soften stress, stabilize the household, and become the living nativity your kids remember—love steady, Christ present, and parents united. If this resonates, subscribe, share it with your spouse, and leave a review to help other families find a gentler, holier way to walk through Advent together.

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(RE-BROADCAST) On this episode of Respect Life Radio, hosts Emma and Jennifer interviewed our very own podcast host & Executive Director of Families of Character, Jordan Langdon.

In this interview, Jordan shares her personal journey of marriage and raising three children, reflecting on how embracing this Christ-centered model transformed her family life. Through seasons of struggle and growth, she and her husband discovered the power of viewing family as a team—one rooted in love, joy, and mutual service. Jordan also emphasizes the importance of prayer, and how transformative it is in the foundation of marriage and family life.

Check out other episodes of the Respect Life Radio show.

Contact Jordan at jordan@familiesofcharacter.com for any speaking opportunities or parenting workshops.

The Thriving Family Accelerator provides an easy, 3-step process to lower stress, parent as a united team, and enjoy a true friendship with your spouse & relationship with your kids. Sign up now for this live parent coaching with proven methods for positively engaging your family and redistributing the mental load.

Support the show

Give $20 to keep the mic on. We're a 501 c(3) non-profit and produce this show for parents around the globe.
Discover the secrets to building a connected + thriving family. All you'll need is a few minutes of your week—it's easy!

our website

Send us a Text Message and suggest a topic or guest!

What if the most powerful way to raise courageous kids is hidden in small, repeatable moments at home? Former Navy SEAL and father of four Jimmy Graham joins us to share the lived wisdom behind his new children’s book, How Do You Love a Fish?, a field-tested guide to forming character through short stories, scripture, and simple nightly rituals. We explore how parents can lead with clarity in a chaotic world by pairing modeled behavior with true words that bless and build.

Jimmy walks us through practical tools you can use tonight: the “High Five” confidence cue (posture, eye contact, handshake, strong voice, smile), a family liturgy of affirmation that becomes oxygen for the soul, and the powerful reframe that love means meeting needs, not projecting preferences. We talk about teaching kids to say “May I please” and “Thank you,” why manners are a form of respect and self-mastery, and how choosing silence over venting can be strength, not weakness. From “don’t be distracted,” accountability, to “say true words” & have integrity, this conversation turns faith into action without fluff.

We also take on the so‑called war on decency with a calm, constructive plan: turn devices off, read a short 3 pg chapter of this book with your child, ask three questions, set a small challenge, and close with a promise and a prayer. Jimmy also shares about the tender practice of telling your children, “You are my treasure,” so they carry that truth wherever they may be in life.

"How Do You Love a Fish" is a rich, honest, and highly practical blueprint for parents who want their kids to grow up safe enough to play and strong enough to stand.

If this conversation encourages you, share it with a parent who needs a boost, subscribe for more character‑first parenting, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. Then grab a copy of How Do You Love a Fish? and start one small practice tonight.

To access other episodes with Jimmy Graham, go to #72, #131 & #167.

The Thriving Family Accelerator provides an easy, 3-step process to lower stress, parent as a united team, and enjoy a true friendship with your spouse & relationship with your kids. Sign up now for this live parent coaching with proven methods for positively engaging your family and redistributing the mental load.

Support the show

Give $20 to keep the mic on. We're a 501 c(3) non-profit and produce this show for parents around the globe.
Discover the secrets to building a connected + thriving family. All you'll need is a few minutes of your week—it's easy!

our website

Send us a Text Message and suggest a topic or guest!

Holiday gatherings don’t have to feel like conversational minefields. We explore a practical, heart-forward approach to keep the peace without tiptoeing around every topic: lead with curiosity, set kind boundaries, and make service your default setting. Instead of avoiding politics, religion, or health decisions by staying silent, we share scripts and strategies that let you engage without getting dragged into a win-or-lose debate. We trade the tired “don’t talk about it” rules for a better plan!

We also discuss:
• reframing the goal from winning to harmony
• shifting from opinions to stories and experiences
• using open questions to deepen understanding
• setting friendly boundaries and graceful exits
• applying self-deprecating humor to defuse tension
• practical self-care: limits, sleep, breaks, helping the host
• modeling calm connection for kids and family culture
• serving others to reduce conflict and build trust

If you aren’t part of our parent community, please join today! Visit our website and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

And if you’re in the Denver area, be sure to check out the Denver Events tab to see what community gatherings we have going on!

Support the show

Give $20 to keep the mic on. We're a 501 c(3) non-profit and produce this show for parents around the globe.
Discover the secrets to building a connected + thriving family. All you'll need is a few minutes of your week—it's easy!

our website

Send us a Text Message and suggest a topic or guest!

Big feelings don’t check the calendar. Between crowded rooms, shifting schedules, and constant stimulation, kids can tip from excitement to overload in seconds. Parents are left juggling judgment, guilt, and a wailing child at the dinner table. In this episode, we share a practical way to turn holiday meltdowns into moments of connection by reframing tantrums as communication, validating feelings, and co-regulating with calm breath and touch.

We also discuss:
• applying consequences after calm and repair
• using HALT to spot hungry, angry, lonely or tired
• matching support to a child’s temperament
• choosing routine and sleep to prevent overload

If this episode resonates with you, please share with a friend who may also need peace during the holidays!

Need more resources? Visit our website to find our Huddle Up guide to help prepare for the oncoming holidays!

The Thriving Family Accelerator provides an easy, 3-step process to lower stress, parent as a united team, and enjoy a true friendship with your spouse & relationship with your kids. Sign up now for this live parent coaching with proven methods for positively engaging your family and redistributing the mental load.

Support the show

Give $20 to keep the mic on. We're a 501 c(3) non-profit and produce this show for parents around the globe.
Discover the secrets to building a connected + thriving family. All you'll need is a few minutes of your week—it's easy!

our website

Send us a Text Message and suggest a topic or guest!

What if the scoreboard you’ve been chasing isn’t the one that matters? Former Nike executive John Olinger joins us to unpack a life-altering season marked by a 40-day prayer, a sudden family tragedy, and a career fork that forced him to define success on purpose. John shares how losing his mother young and later his father reframed time as both scarce and uncertain and why that urgency pushed him to choose people over projects without abandoning excellence.

In this episode we discuss:
• redefining success from accomplishments to relationships
• the 40-day prayer that reframed career decisions
• counterbalance as a practical alternative to balance
• presence for kids now, training as they grow
• daily couple prayer as a protective habit
• from consuming content to taking courageous action

Be sure to check out John's book, Worthy Wins: Pointing Your Life to What Matters Most, to discover what truly matters in life.

The Thriving Family Accelerator provides an easy, 3-step process to lower stress, parent as a united team, and enjoy a true friendship with your spouse & relationship with your kids. Sign up now for this live parent coaching with proven methods for positively engaging your family and redistributing the mental load.

Support the show

Give $20 to keep the mic on. We're a 501 c(3) non-profit and produce this show for parents around the globe.
Discover the secrets to building a connected + thriving family. All you'll need is a few minutes of your week—it's easy!

our website

Send us a Text Message and suggest a topic or guest!

One in four adults are distant or estranged from a parent. We dig into why that happens and how to reverse the pattern by making home the safest place for truth. With licensed psychotherapist, Catherine Hickem, we unpack the habits that build lifelong closeness and the ones that quietly push kids away.

We discuss:
• the cost of fear driven parenting and hidden expectations
• modeling conflict resolution that heals, not harms
• treating adult kids with respect, curiosity and privacy
• owning mistakes and offering sincere apologies
• navigating holidays and time boundaries with clarity
• processing grief to show up present and kind

Be sure to check out Catherine's website where she offers free tools to strengthen your relationship with your adult children, and purchase her book, Heaven in Her Arms: Why God Chose Mary to Raise His Son and What It Means for You.

If this helped you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review to help more families find these tools.

The Thriving Family Accelerator provides an easy, 3-step process to lower stress, parent as a united team, and enjoy a true friendship with your spouse & relationship with your kids. Sign up now for this live parent coaching with proven methods for positively engaging your family and redistributing the mental load.

Support the show

Give $20 to keep the mic on. We're a 501 c(3) non-profit and produce this show for parents around the globe.
Discover the secrets to building a connected + thriving family. All you'll need is a few minutes of your week—it's easy!

our website

Send us a Text Message and suggest a topic or guest!

Ever feel like money talks with your spouse turn into a maze of receipts, blame, and “we’ll do this when life slows down”? Let’s change the script.

We close our money and marriage series with a simple, powerful exercise that helps you move from logistics and conflict to compassion and clarity—no perfect plan required. With a pen, two sheets of paper, and 30 minutes, you’ll uncover the stories you each carry about money, the beliefs you absorbed growing up, and the hopes you want to build together.

You'll hear:
• why waiting for the perfect time keeps you stuck
• how stories shape money beliefs and reactions
• questions that uncover childhood scripts and adult triggers
• practices to build empathy before budgets
• inviting God into marriage and money through prayer

Did you love this episode? Send me an email (jordan@familiesofcharacter.com) and tell me what surprised you! What did you learn about your spouse through the exercise? Or what new dream did you discover together? And if this episode was a favorite, share it with a friend!

Support the show

Give $20 to keep the mic on. We're a 501 c(3) non-profit and produce this show for parents around the globe.
Discover the secrets to building a connected + thriving family. All you'll need is a few minutes of your week—it's easy!

our website