In this episode, Chrys and Shellie welcome Randy Phillips, lead pastor of LifeFamily Church and founding member of the Christian trio Phillips, Craig & Dean. Randy joins the conversation to share about his new children’s book, Guppy and the Silvery Hook, a beautifully illustrated story that helps children understand the importance of respect, trusting wise guidance, and making thoughtful decisions.

Through gentle storytelling and vibrant artwork, Randy offers families a tool for starting meaningful conversations with children about choices, consequences, and learning to listen to those who care for them most.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Randy’s journey as a pastor, musician, and now children’s author

• The inspiration behind Guppy and the Silvery Hook

• Teaching children about choices in a loving, memorable way

• Why storytelling is such a powerful teaching tool for families

• Helping children understand trust and guidance at an early age

Key Takeaway:

Simple stories often carry the deepest lessons. When children learn early to trust wise guidance and make thoughtful decisions, it helps set a foundation for a lifetime of good choices.

For Families & Grandparents:

This episode encourages parents and grandparents to use stories as opportunities to talk with children about respect, trust, and listening to those who love and guide them.

How do we help children understand why bad things happen to good people?

That’s one of life’s hardest—and most honest—questions.

In this meaningful episode, Chrys and Shellie sit down with author Courtney Reissig to talk about her new children’s book, Seth and the Very Scary Storm.

Drawing from her own personal experiences, Courtney gently helps children understand an important truth: bad things don’t happen because of something they did or said. Instead, this story points young hearts toward a God whose plans are rooted in goodness, purpose, and what is best for His kingdom—even when circumstances feel frightening or confusing.

This insightful and compassionate conversation equips parents and grandparents with language, perspective, and hope as they help children navigate fear, worry, and life’s storms.

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In This Episode, We Discuss:

• How Seth and the Very Scary Storm addresses fear in age-appropriate ways

• Courtney’s personal story and what inspired the book

• Talking honestly with kids about suffering and fear

• How to reassure children of God’s goodness during scary seasons

Artificial intelligence is everywhere—and it isn’t going away.

In this timely and thoughtful conversation, Chrys and Shellie take on AI and the many tools now available to all of us, with one goal in mind: understanding it well enough to use it wisely.

We don’t want to bury our heads in the sand—but we also don’t want to hand over discernment without asking important questions. If we, as adults, don’t understand tools like AI, we can’t help our children and grandchildren navigate them safely and responsibly.

In this episode, Chrys and Shellie talk honestly about the benefits, concerns, and boundaries surrounding AI. They remind us that while technology can be a gift, it never replaces relationships, wisdom, or human connection.

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In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Why AI is something we need to understand—not fear or ignore

• The rapid growth of AI tools and what that means for families

• Why adult understanding matters before guiding kids

• Healthy questions to ask before using new technology

• The difference between helpful tools and unhealthy dependence

• Why relationships, faith, and discernment still matter most

Rocking it Grand AI Resource for Families

After days without power, unpredictable schedules, and families gathered under one roof, Chrys and Shellie reflect on the unexpected lessons learned during a winter storm. From rediscovering gratitude for everyday comforts to seeing communities rally together, this conversation reminds us that hard seasons often reveal what matters most. Whether you weathered the storm personally or are walking through a different kind of challenge, this episode offers encouragement, humor, and perspective for finding light in difficult moments.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

• Discovering strength and resilience in unexpected situations

• How hardship brings families and communities closer

• Learning gratitude for everyday conveniences

• Finding humor and memories in inconvenient moments

• Why slowing down can sometimes be a gift

• How storms reset perspective on what really matters

• Seeing God’s presence in both crisis and recovery

Hospitality has taken a hit in the years since Covid. Many of us want to gather again—but the thought of opening our homes to a crowd can feel overwhelming.

In this episode, Chrys shares five practical, tried-and-true tips for hosting a large gathering without losing your joy—or your mind. After recently welcoming 75 people into her home, Chrys walks listeners through what really works, what doesn’t matter nearly as much as we think, and how to create an atmosphere where guests feel relaxed, included, and cared for.

From letting others help with the food to holding plans loosely, this episode is a gentle reminder that hospitality doesn’t have to be perfect—it just needs to be open-hearted.

God calls us to be hospitable and relational. Maybe it’s time to dust off the extra chairs, open the door, and get back to doing life together.

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In This Episode, Chrys and Shellie Share:

• Why hospitality feels harder than it used to—and why it matters more than ever

• The mindset shift that makes hosting doable (even joyful)

• Five practical tips for hosting a large group without burnout

• Why letting others help is a gift, not a failure

• How flexibility can save your gathering (and your attitude)

• Encouragement for anyone who feels intimidated by entertaining

What if the reason prayer feels hard isn’t because you’re doing it wrong—but because you’re trying to do it like someone else?

In this special episode, Chrys turns the microphone toward her co-host, Shellie Tomlinson, to talk about her newest book, Don’t Try to Pray Like Her.

Shellie openly shares how she once struggled when talking to God, feeling unsure, inconsistent, and even discouraged. But through that struggle, God gently led her into a deeper, more personal connection with Him. Along the way, Shellie discovered 15 prayer habits that helped her move past comparison and into a prayer life that felt honest, doable, and deeply meaningful.

With her trademark Southern charm, humor, and honesty, Shellie invites readers—and listeners—on a grace-filled journey toward practical prayer support that meets you exactly where you are.

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In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Why comparing our prayer lives to others can be discouraging

• Shellie’s personal struggles with prayer

• How God used honesty—not perfection—to draw her closer

• The 15 prayer habits that helped Shellie go deeper with God

• Encouragement for anyone who feels “bad at praying”

• How to develop a prayer life that fits your personality and season

Anxiety is no longer an “adult problem.” Study after study confirms what parents, grandparents, and teachers are already seeing—our children are struggling with worry, fear, and anxiety at unprecedented levels.

In this heartfelt conversation, Chrys and Shellie sit down with poet, speaker, and author Blair Linne to talk about her newest children’s book, Yara the Brave and the Swirling Worry.

After personally battling anxiety, Blair discovered that God is the only true refuge and help when worry begins to overwhelm us. She first explored this journey in her adult book Make the Tremble, and now she’s helping children face anxiety through the story of a brave young girl named Yara.

This episode is an important conversation for parents, grandparents, caregivers, and anyone who loves a child—and wants to help them learn where true courage and peace are found.

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In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Why anxiety is affecting children at younger and younger ages

• Blair’s personal journey with anxiety and faith

• How Yara the Brave and the Swirling Worry helps children name and face their fears

• How parents and grandparents can talk to children about worry without minimizing their feelings

• What it looks like to point children to God as their refuge

• Encouragement for adults walking through anxiety alongside the kids they love

Chrys and Shellie sit down for a fun and faith-filled conversation with Tammi Arrender, media personality, author, and Southern storyteller. Tammi shares about her ten moves between Nashville and Monroe, her life in broadcasting, and the moment she felt God’s call to shift directions.

They dive into her new book, Dishes and Devotions: Make Every Day Delicious, and how one move to a freezing state inspired her to discover the joy of cookie decorating (because it was too cold to go outside!).

This episode is a delightful mix of laughter, purpose, and encouragement for anyone finding God’s plan in unexpected places.

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