Dear Daughters

Latest Episodes:

Creating Meaningful Memories | Jessica Smartt | DD 81 Feb 06, 2019

Show notes

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 you need to do. Put down the phone, stop the frantic cleaning, and don't worry about rushing to the next place you need to go. Enjoy your children! Now take a deep breath — whatever you are worried about, God has it handled. You don't have to manage the entire universe. One day, one moment at a time. When you feel lost or anxious or guilty, go back to the basics and back to the rituals that bring you and your family life. You know what's important! Ask God for help and go do the right thing.

Want to write a letter to your younger self?

Get the free GRACE GUIDE here

… grateful, grateful for Davis sharing their music for the DD Podcast. :)

How to Deal with Disappointment | Liz Carter | DD 80 Jan 29, 2019

Show notes

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 favorite tea: Yogi Breathe Deep Tea :)

LIZ'S LETTER TO HER YOUNGER SELF

Dear Younger Liz,

Here's the thing I want you to know most of all, though: God hasn't let you down. God's not given up on you, or made you sick deliberately, or refused to heal you because you don't deserve it. God loves you passionately within your illness, and something else, too. God feels your pain. Sits next to you and weeps with you when it hurts too much, holding your hand, saying 'I'm here.' God has never forsaken you or left you alone, even in those times you feel more alone than ever. It's like David says in Psalm 139 – even our darkness is light to God, and God will be there wherever we go, whether to the heights or to the depths. And God's right there in your depths, dear one, so hang on. Keep on holding on.

Want to write a letter to your younger self?

Get the free GRACE GUIDE here

… grateful, grateful for Davis sharing their music for the DD Podcast. :)

8 Habits to Transform Your Life | Justin Earley | DD 79 Jan 23, 2019

Show notes

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 to meet him. Here's the interview on the Dear Daughters Podcast Episode 79.

SUBSCRIBE IN ITUNES SHOW NOTES

Visit Justin's website here.
Buy The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction
Pre-order Dear Daughters: Love Letters to the Next Generation
Sign up for my weekly newsletter and be the first to know about upcoming events.

JUSTIN'S LETTER TO HIS YOUNGER SELF

Knowing what I know now, I would have first, gently told myself, there is SO much hope. Suffering and trials and personal failure are real but God's grace and redemption means that EVEN those things will be used for his good. It doesn't erase the suffering, but it does help in walking through those things differently.

Want to write a letter to your younger self?

Get the free GRACE GUIDE here

… grateful, grateful for Davis sharing their music for the DD Podcast. :)

On Creating Healthy Boundaries | DD 78 Dec 05, 2018

Show notes

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 the holidays in a healthy way with the people in her family. Because she recognizes unhealthy patterns in her family of origin that she doesn't want to get sucked into. She recognizes that she is susceptible to walking into situations without boundaries, which creates all kinds of crazy for her.

So we're going to talk boundaries. Because boundaries are insulators. And we're going to talk about boundaries because the holidays are coming up and that's often the time we need healthy boundaries most of all.

Here's the interview on the Dear Daughters Podcast Episode 78.

SHOW NOTES

Wanna talk over lunch? Sign up here!
Barbara Taylor Brown's An Altar in the World
DD 66 Episode: Boundaries for Soul with Allison Cook
Allison's book: Boundaries for Your Soul
Sign up for my weekly-ish newsletter here.
Dear Daughters Mentorship Program in 2019
Davis Music Tour Dates

The Thanksgiving Table with Kristin Schell | DD 77 Nov 08, 2018

Show notes

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 my Instagram to enter to win!

SHOW NOTES

Kristin's DD Episode 6
Cranberry Jalapeno Salsa
Musings for Gatherings
Rebecca Rather's Apple Pie Recipe
Sarah Harmeyer's Neighbor's Table
Dear Daughters Mentorship Program in 2019

… grateful, grateful for Davis sharing their music for the DD Podcast. :)

The Thanksgiving Table with Jen Schmidt | DD 76 Nov 01, 2018

Show notes

Need some good recipes and gathering ideas for the upcoming holidays? Yeah, me too. So I called on the experts. Last week on the Dear Daughters Podcast | Episode 75, I talked with Bri McKoy. We talked about the most important part of the holiday and how to mix in gratitude when you're feeling lonely.

This week, I invited Jen Schmidt to chat all things food, memories, and thanksgiving wonder. She's great at breaking big things down in manageable pieces whether that's cooking for 30 people or handling the holidays with the best mix of hope + reality.

Jen has spent the last decade encouraging, challenging and cheering on women to embrace both the beauty and bedlam of their everyday lives on her popular lifestyle blog, Beauty and Bedlam. She's a wife, mother, and 'accidental author', as well as a fellow table person and thrifter.

I loved hearing from Jen. I know you will too! And ohhhh, don't forget to jump over to my Instagram and enter to win a signed copy of Jen's book + a darling apron + Capri Blue Candle!

Here's the interview on the Dear Daughters Podcast Episode 76.

SHOW NOTES

Episode 49 with Jen Schmidt
Jen's Gratitude Rolls
Jen's Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
11 of my favorite Thanksgiving Recipes (including all kinds of P-I-E!)
Jen's book, Just Open the Door
The Dear Daughters Mentorship Program Info and Waitlist for 2019
Sign up for my weekly-ish newsletter here to keep up with upcoming events, classes and gatherings.

The Thanksgiving Table with Bri McKoy | DD 75 Oct 24, 2018

Show notes

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year. I love gathering around the table with my dearest people, sharing affirmations and bumping elbows as we reach for one more slice of pumpkin pie. This season I'm extra grateful because I have a grandson coming Thanksgiving week ~ oh JOY!!

Thanksgiving often gets overshadowed by twinkly, glorious Christmas, so I thought it would be extra wonderful to highlight Thanksgiving by talking with a few of my very favorite table people over the next three weeks.

My first table friend is adorable Bri McKoy. Bri is a writer, food blogger, air force wife, and a fellow Enneagram 7. Today on the show we talked about how to graciously hold gratitude and sorrow in both hands, and how to be fully present in the Thanksgivings we have, not just the ones we dream of. We also talked some of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes, of course.

I can't wait for you to hear from Bri today! And ohhhh, don't forget to jump over to my Instagram and enter to win a signed copy of Bri's book + Ina Garten's How Easy is That?

SHOW NOTES

Bri's happy Instagram
Bri's earlier interview on the podcast ~> dd episode 38
Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Ina Garten's Herb- Roasted Turkey Breast
Bri's favorite kitchen tool ~ the food mill
Come and Eat: A Celebration of Love and Grace Around the Everyday Table
Interested in the Dear Daughters Mentorship Program? More info here. Or join the waitlist here.
Sign up for my weekly-ish newsletter here and you'll get access to a FREE 4 week Bible study on how to live worry-free.

Finding Contentment at Home | Myquillyn Smith | DD 74 Oct 10, 2018

Show notes

It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. ~ Myquillyn Smith

I'm so excited to have Myquillyn Smith, otherwise known as The Nester, join me on the show today! She's a writer, a homebody and a contentment evangelist. Her motto is, 'It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.' Isn't that just lovely? I love her passion for helping women love their most important space, their home.

Myquillyn, her husband Chad, and their three boys have moved 14 times (!!!) over the course of their married life, so Myquillyn can relate to the challenges of loving your rent house when you aren't allowed to paint, and shopping your home when you don't have the budget to shop.

They now live just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, where she gets to watch her peonies bloom every year and enjoy her happy place, the pool.

On the show today we talked about contentment, coziness and the gift of margin in our homes and in our lives. We talked about how so often the things that we wish were different about our lives eventually become the stories that we share to encourage others, and how they may even be our path to discovering what we love the most. She also shared a few tips for finding the perfect sofa, oh joy!

Myquillyn does so many wonderful creative things like writing at The Nester, contributing to Hope Writers, and hosting the Nest Fest and other gatherings in her sweet white barn. I absolutely can't wait for you to meet her.

SHOW NOTES

Come to our Austin coffee/book signing to celebrate Myquillyn ~> tickets here!
Myquillyn's newest book, The Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff
Alli Worthington
Study on how clutter effects women ~> The Clutter Culture
One sofa with timeless lines: the camelback sofa
Anthropologie statement pillows
Myquillyn's book launching tiny house/barn
Nest Fest
Teachers Myquillyn admires: Emily P Freeman, Edie Wadsworth (her 'cozifier mentor'), Angela from The Painted House, and Tsh Oxenreider.
Favorite bath products ~ Dr. Teals lavender epsom salts
The Dear Daughters Mentorship Program
Sign up for my weekly-ish newsletter here.

The First Step Back to Joy | DD 73 Sep 26, 2018

Show notes

Hey there, dear one.

I see you wrestling under the sadness, afraid that it'll crush you. I know that the world can be scary and hard, and that our list of losses only grows longer as we get older.

But there is good news.

I believe that if you name what you've lost, if you sit with your grief and let it show you what has been taken from you instead of wrestling against it, that is the first step on the path back to joy.

Today I'm talking about grief and loss, and about how those things can be teachers. How they can make us soft and wise, rather than hardened and angry. I hope that you'll tune in, and take the time to respond to the prompts. Then I hope you'll share it with someone you love who needs to hear it.

SHOW NOTES

My book Unafraid: Trusting God in an Unsafe World
Isaiah 61.3
Best Baked Eggs
Share these show notes with a friend, or rate or review the show on iTunes
Join the Dear Daughters FB group
Sign up for my weekly-ish newsletter
Thanks to Davis Music for use of her song Fifty Seven.

Here's my prayer for you.

That you will be a woman who daily surrenders to God's plans. Even when those plans bump into tragedy or hardship. That you will grieve, list losses and take steps back to joy. That you will be soft and kind and open to God and this great big world full of hurting people. Not hard and angry and loud. But tender and beautiful. I pray that you'll know that you are loved more deeply than you could know, and you are not forgotten. God hears your prayers. He sees what you're going through. And He is with you. Always.

On Contentment | Honey Holden | DD 72 Sep 12, 2018

Show notes

Do you find yourself enduring the season of life you're in, rather than embracing it? Do you find yourself always expectantly looking ahead, putting the opportunities of today on hold because you're distracted by your dreams for what's next? Maybe you don't even want to want to be content with what your circumstance is right now, you just want it to end! Well, today's episode is for you, friend.

I'm so excited to welcome Stephanie Holden, otherwise known as Honey Holden, to the show today. She's a Southern girl, a pastor's wife and a spiritual mama. She radiates such contentment, wisdom and an awful lot of whimsy – so I wanted you to get to know her. Today on the show, we're talking about walking gracefully through life transitions, which I know is something you want to do too. And I think you'll find that what Stephanie shares applies to any season of life where you're feeling discontent, or where beauty and grief are bumping elbows.

Stephanie has been married to her husband Nick for 30 years. And she's being doing ministry with him for 20 years. They have three adult daughters and 4 grandchildren. She loves thrift stores, popcorn, and little celebrations… and isn't Honey just the most whimsical grandma name you've ever heard?

Honey is such a delight. I can't wait for you to meet her.

Here's the interview on the Dear Daughters Podcast Episode 73.

SUBSCRIBE IN ITUNES SHOW NOTES

Tara Royer Steele
Letter to the 16 year old me ~> Dear Me.
Honey's favorite fall recipe is chili… maybe make a big pot + this delicious creamed cornbread recipe from the Bald Pate Inn I talked about on the show.
You'll definitely want to follow Honey on Instagram
Sign up for my weekly-ish newsletter here and let's get in the Bible together.

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