Raising Godly Girls

Motherhood, marriage, ministry—each of these roles is a beautiful gift from God. But even good gifts can quietly drift into first place in our hearts. Somewhere along the way, we can begin to measure our worth by how well we love, lead, serve, and sacrifice—rather than by the unchanging truth that we are already chosen and beloved daughters of the King.    Before we were anyone's wife, mother, mentor, or friend—we were His. Redeemed. Named. Known. And that identity does not shift with the seasons of life.    In today's culture, women are told to do more and be more. Even within Christian circles, it can sometimes feel as though a woman's value is tied to the strength of her marriage, the success of her children, or her ability to "do it all" with grace. But the Gospel paints a different picture. Scripture calls us to undivided devotion—to love God above husband, family, possessions, and even self—and to let every other role flow from that primary relationship.    In this powerful weekend conversation, Patti Garibay welcomes bestselling author, Bible teacher, and speaker Vicki Courtney to the Raising Godly Girls Podcast. Together, they tackle a challenging but freeing question: Is motherhood my highest calling?    Vicki shares the "fire in her belly" that fuels her ministry to girls and women, helping them anchor their identity not in roles but in relationship with Christ. Patti and Vicki discuss how easily motherhood can become an idol in Christian culture, how rooting our worth in our children can unintentionally shape our daughters' own identity struggles, and what it looks like to love our families deeply without finding our ultimate meaning in them.    This episode will gently challenge and encourage you to examine your heart, realign your devotion, and rediscover the peace that comes from belonging to God first. Because when we love Him most, we truly love others best.    Scriptures Referenced in This Episode:    Luke 14:26–27  Matthew 22:37  Exodus 20:3  Galatians 2:20  1 John 4:19    To learn more about Vicki Courtney, visit vickicourtney.com   Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.      Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.       

On this Thursday episode, hosts Rachael Culpepper and Melissa Bearden continue unpacking Biblical womanhood, this time through the lens of control and the importance of mother's modeling a healthy release of control for their daughters. Launching from a book quote by Dr. Larry Crabb on Biblical femininity, Rachael and Melissa reflect on their own notions of God's design for women—specifically whether it's oppressive or liberating.     Melissa shared her own journey through self-control and balancing her natural wiring with expectations for girls and women of the time. Ultimately, Melissa feels that the Fruit of the Spirit as laid out in Galatians 5:22-23 open the door for joy and contentment in a girl as the Holy Spirit cultivates each virtue in her life into womanhood.     Melissa fuses Patti Garibay's Raising Godly Girls Minute with her own daughter's journey through middle school anxiety, resting in the truth that God was gently shepherding her through a season learning to release control and let Him take the driver seat.     Rachael cultivates the roots of Biblical wisdom regarding control encouraging Christian parents and their girls to embrace surrender, let God lead in the places that are already His, and to lean on Scripture as a heart healer when a girl mistakenly thinks she controls her world.     Ultimately, listeners will leave this conversation with a clear sense of God's authority and the gift of a Biblical woman learning to follow His lead.       Three Things to Consider:    Embracing surrender is powerful as a Biblical woman.   God's in control, so His ways and timing will likely look different than yours.   Scripture is a great revealer and healer when your heart is stuck under the idol of control.     Scriptures Referenced in this Episode:  Galatians 5:22-23    Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.       Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.     

As the Raising Godly Girls Podcast launches another week of insightful Christian parenting conversation, hosts Rachael Culpepper and Melissa Bearden dive into the world of Biblical womanhood, especially as it relates to idols. After sharing prominent women and celebrities they idolized as girls, both hosts reflect on the many different ways idolatry can seep into modern Christian life in America.     Melissa took on the potential for even a medial diagnosis to become an idol label, shifting a girl's focus onto self and limiting the resilience the Holy Spirit might seek to produce in her heart. Rachael tags in to warn against the tendency for extracurricular activities and dedication to take an idol-type place in the family calendar.     Rachael shifts into asking insightful and key questions to determine if your girl might have an unhealthy relationship with things or areas of her life, which take the place that God set up for Himself to reign. Melissa roots the discussion with a gentle reminder that idolatry in the Old Testament of the Bible is not gone today, and Christian families must always be on guard to protect our hearts and minds from that way of life.       Three Things to Consider:    Has her idol taken over the majority of her day—every day?   Is there an absence of contentment and joy in her these days?   How does she react when an idol is pulled out of her everyday life? If she can't function, that's a clear sign, something needs to change.       Scriptures Referenced in this Episode:    James 4:13-16  Exodus 20:4-6  2 Chronicles 14-15    Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.          Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.     

We live in a culture that constantly urges us—and our daughters—to "find ourselves." To chase affirmation. To define our identity by looking inward. But when our gaze is fixed on the mirror, comparison, anxiety, and exhaustion often follow. For many girls growing up today, the pressure to curate a self can feel relentless. And for moms? The weight of modeling confidence while secretly wrestling with their own identity struggles can feel just as heavy.    Yet Scripture offers a radically different invitation. In Matthew 16:24, Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. Paradoxically, it's in self-forgetfulness—not self-obsession—that we discover true freedom. When we lift our eyes from ourselves and fix them on the character, goodness, and glory of God, something shifts. Peace replaces pressure. Joy displaces comparison. Identity becomes received rather than achieved.    In this special weekend conversation, Patti Garibay welcomes bestselling author and pastor Sharon Hodde Miller to the Raising Godly Girls Podcast. Sharon's newest devotional, Gazing at God, gently guides readers toward a life of humility, surrender, and sacred freedom. Together, Patti and Sharon explore what "self-forgetfulness" actually looks like in everyday motherhood, how comparison silently steals our daughters' joy, and how families can build rhythms that help everyone in the home look up instead of inward.    This episode is for the mom who sees her daughter growing weary from trying to measure up. It's for the girl who feels like she must define herself before she can belong. And it's for every parent longing to create a home atmosphere where identity is anchored not in performance, but in the steadfast love of Christ.    You'll walk away encouraged to model humility, practice surrender in the unseen work of motherhood, and help your daughter experience the deep freedom that comes from fixing her eyes on the Savior rather than on herself.      Scriptures Referenced in This Episode:    Matthew 16:24  Hebrews 12:2  Psalm 34:5  Colossians 3:1–2      To learn more about Sharon Hodde Miller and her books, including Gazing at God, visit sharonhoddemiller.com.    Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.          Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.     

This challenging Thursday podcast episode poses a hope-filled path to Christian parents and listeners: What does it take to free girls from the burden of self-focused living? Hosts Rachael Culpepper and Natalie Ambrose continue the layered conversation on Biblical humility, but today with a challenge to take Scripture at its word and live out Philippians 2:1-9 as Christ did.    From childhood songs to serving others, Rachael and Natalie give a personal perspective on the many ways that God has shepherded each of them over the years when it comes to humility. They also share the science behind service as a benefit to girls experiencing depression, anxiety, or even just an unhealed tendency to navel-gaze, as Rachael often says.     American Heritage Girls resources offer age-based, practical ways for girls to learn and work out this journey of humility with God and one another.     Whether your girl has fallen into a rut of self-loathing or over-confidence, today's podcast conversation will anchor your heart in the wisdom of Scripture, the gentle way of Jesus, and the potential for your daughter to take every step of her journey growing in Christ's image.       Three Things to Consider:    Philippians 2 gives a beautiful snapshot of Godly humility…   It builds unity among Christ-followers   It seeks to serve others   It shows the world who Jesus truly is     Scriptures Referenced in this Episode:  Matthew 22:37-40  1 John 4:20-21  Philippians 2:1-9    Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.          Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.       

In this Tuesday podcast episode, hosts Rachael and Natalie tackle the big question: is it possible for a girl to achieve humility? Through an insightful conversation anchored in Biblical wisdom, Raising Godly Girls aims for a multi-faceted approach to understand and cultivate this Christian virtue throughout a girl's journey without the pressure to live it perfectly.     Under the identity of Christ, a Christian girl's sense of pride and confidence will inherently look different. Host Rachael shares practical truths to help parents guide girls in a Biblical path apart from the need for a spotlight. Listeners will come away with a Biblically-backed sense of God's mercy on a girl's heart when she is given opportunities to grow through 'humble pie' moments. Finally, the hosts talk through humility-gone-wrong scenarios in culture—insecurity and self-deprecation.     This episode shares the solid foundation American Heritage Girls offers girls as they grow in a healthy notion of self through various resources and relationships within AHG Troops. You will leave this podcast conversation feeling both challenged and encouraged as a Christian parent.      Three Things to Consider:    Biblical Humility isn't vying for power, prestige, or position   Healthy Humility is fully aware of God's mercy and responds in gratitude   Biblical Humility doesn't involve a girl putting herself down       Scriptures Referenced in this Episode:    1 Peter 5:5-6  2 Samuel 2:28  James 4:10  Genesis 39-50  Colossians 3:12   Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools. Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.     

In a world filled with noise, pressure, and uncertainty, many families are longing for something deeper than surface-level calm—they're searching for true peace at home.  This week on the Raising Godly Girls Podcast, we've been exploring what it means to cultivate a home marked by shalom—the kind of deep, abiding peace God intends for His people. Not a peace dependent on perfect schedules or spotless kitchens, but a wholeness rooted in knowing who God is and trusting the story He is writing, even when life doesn't unfold the way we hoped.  In today's conversation, host Patti Garibay sits down with Bible teacher, theologian, and author Elizabeth Woodson to explore how understanding God's grand redemptive story—from beginning to forever—can transform the way families experience peace, purpose, and joy. Elizabeth helps parents see how theology isn't meant to stay abstract, but to shape everyday life right at home: in our expectations, our disappointments, and the way we model faith for our daughters.  This episode is for the mom who feels stretched thin, for the family navigating tension or unmet expectations, and for every parent who wants her daughter to grow up anchored in God's truth rather than the world's definition of peace. You'll be encouraged to stop striving for control and instead receive the shalom that comes from surrendering your home—and your story—to the Prince of Peace.  Scriptures referenced in this episode:  Isaiah 9:6  John 14:27  Colossians 3:15  Psalm 127:1  Genesis 1–Revelation 22    To learn more about Elizabeth Woodson's work and her book From Beginning to Forever, visit thewoodsoninstitute.org  Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.     Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.    

Is your home a place of refuge—or a source of overwhelm?    In today's busy world, moms are carrying more than ever. Between mental load, schedules, discipleship, and daily responsibilities, the state of our homes can quietly shape the tone of family life. On this Thursday episode of the Raising Godly Girls Podcast, hosts Rachael Culpepper and Melissa Bearden turn their attention to the environment of the Christian home—and how order, stewardship, and shared responsibility can create space for peace, connection, and spiritual growth.    Together, Rachael and Melissa talk candidly about clutter, stress, and the unseen weight many moms carry. You'll hear why disorder often impacts women more deeply, how grace and realism matter when raising girls, and why a home doesn't have to be perfect to be purposeful.    You'll also hear a timely Raising Godly Girls Minute from Patti Garibay, AHG Founder & Executive Director Emeritus, reminding moms that clutter is rarely the real issue—it's the cumulative pressure of life. With biblical wisdom and practical encouragement, this episode invites families to work together toward homes that reflect peace rather than pressure.  If you're longing for a home that supports discipleship instead of competing with it—this conversation is for you.    Three Things to Consider:    Choose order over clutter. A peaceful home doesn't require perfection, but intentional stewardship creates room for connection and calm.  Give discipleship a place. Designating a consistent space for Bible reading, prayer, and faith conversations helps build lasting rhythms.  Make tidying a team effort. Moms aren't meant to do it alone—shared responsibility teaches girls leadership, service, and care for others.    Scriptures Referenced in This Episode:    Proverbs 24:3  Matthew 11:28  1 Peter 5:7    Explore more resources to raise girls rooted in Christ at raisinggodlygirls.com.      To find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your area, visit americanheritagegirls.org.      

In today's parenting conversations, one phrase keeps rising to the surface: mental load. The invisible weight of remembering, managing, anticipating, and holding everything together often lands squarely on a mother's shoulders—leaving many moms exhausted, lonely, and quietly overwhelmed.    On this episode of the Raising Godly Girls Podcast, Rachael Culpepper and Melissa Bearden step into this honest conversation with humor, empathy, and Biblical truth. Together, they explore how unseen burdens can quietly rob families of joy—and how God's design for shalom offers a better way forward. Shalom isn't just the absence of chaos; it's the deep, soul-level peace God intends to flourish inside Christian homes today.    Through candid personal stories and a powerful Raising Godly Girls Minute from AHG Founder & Executive Director Emeritus Patti Garibay, this episode addresses the loneliness many mothers feel and the lie that they're meant to carry it all alone. You'll be reminded that community isn't optional for Christian families—it's essential—and that God lovingly places "natural hedges of support" around us if we're willing to lean in.    Whether you're navigating young motherhood, carrying years of accumulated responsibility, or wondering how joy slipped out your front door, this conversation invites you to pause, pray, and reset your heart. God sees your unseen work, and He does not ask you to bear it without His strength—or without help.    Three Things to Consider from This Episode:    Be honest about the state of your heart and cry out to God for help—He meets us in our weakness.  When parenting feels overwhelming, look for the natural hedges of support God has already placed around you, and choose to lean on them.  Don't overlook the basics—hydration, nourishment, sleep, and time in the sunshine can be powerful tools against burnout and isolation.    Scriptures Referenced in This Episode:    Matthew 11:28  1 Peter 5:7  Psalm 70:5  Psalm 42:1–2  2 Corinthians 12:9      Explore more resources to raise girls rooted in Christ at raisinggodlygirls.com.      To find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your area, visit americanheritagegirls.org.      

In a culture saturated with comparison and impossible beauty standards, many girls are quietly asking a deeper question beneath body image struggles: Do I matter? This weekend edition of the Raising Godly Girls Podcast speaks directly into that ache—with truth, tenderness, and Gospel hope.    Host Melissa Bearden welcomes best-selling author and Bible teacher Lisa Whittle for a powerful conversation about body image, identity, and what Lisa calls a whole-body theology. Together, they explore how Scripture reveals the body not as a problem to be fixed, but as a gift to steward—created with intention, dignity, and purpose by a loving God. Drawing from Lisa's new Bible study Body & Soul, this episode invites families to see the physical and spiritual as beautifully connected, not competing.    If you've watched your daughter compare herself to others online, struggle with confidence, or internalize harmful messages about her worth—or if you've quietly wrestled with those same thoughts yourself—this conversation offers a compassionate starting point for healing. You'll hear practical encouragement for replacing cultural lies with Biblical truth, cultivating gratitude at home, and helping girls anchor their confidence in Christ rather than appearance.    As Scripture reminds us, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). When girls learn to see themselves through God's eyes, everything changes. This episode will equip and encourage you to foster a home where truth speaks louder than comparison, where body and soul are nurtured together, and where girls grow up knowing they are not mistakes—but masterpieces, made on purpose for God's glory.      Scriptures Referenced in this Episode:    1 Corinthians 6:19  Genesis 1:27      To learn more about Lisa Whittle, her work, and her books, visit www.lisawhittle.com/   To learn more about Lisa Whittle's book Body & Soul, visit https://www.lisawhittle.com/body     Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.        Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.    

On this Thursday episode of the podcast, hosts Rachael Culpepper and Natalie Ambrose continue digging deeper on body image and practical ways to instill a healthy approach for our girls today.    In a time when cultural messages and marketing language are thrown around 24 hours a day, seven days a week, girls are bombarded by plenty of ways to think about their bodies, but none of it aligns with Scripture. So how can we help our daughters take hold of the messages, strip the lies of their power and urgency, and help girls rest in the Lord content with how He designed their bodies?     It's important for girls to understand that trends come and go—and it happens lightning fast these days! So if she's going to chase trends, she will likely always feel like she can never arrive—and she'll have no money! The Bible talks about the eternal beauty of a Godly girl's life that reflects Christ. This gives a more sustainable framework for girls to confidently navigate, trusting that God is working in their hearts no matter what the outward appearance looks like. Finally, the hosts offer a sobering look at how a mom's own baggage with body image can be inadvertently passed down to a daughter without a Scripture-empowered renewed mind.    Three Things to Remember:    When trends are your girl's measuring stick for beauty, she can be left feeling less-than.  Helping your girl weigh the temporary against the eternal will guide her to order beauty in a mature way.  Since your girl is watching how you handle your own sense of body image, it's important that we model this for her in Christian maturity.      Scriptures Referenced in this Episode:    1 Timothy 4:8  1 Peter 3:4  Romans 12:1-2        Explore more resources to raise girls rooted in Christ at raisinggodlygirls.com.   To find or start an AHG Troop in your area, visit americanheritagegirls.org.  

In this episode, hosts Rachael Culpepper and Natalie Ambrose use the analogy of parenting instincts to recognize oncoming illness in their kids as a framework to approach a girl's body image struggles. While parents are usually pretty good at connecting symptoms to oncoming illness in their kids, it's not always as clear when body image issues surface in our girls. So this week the podcast is focusing on body image, and how that is often reflective of a deeper spiritual thing happening in our girls.   Many times, girls hear negative messages about their bodies—that the body needs to be altered in order to fit in with the current notion of beauty. This can leave girls hating their bodies and measuring beauty through a lens that God never intended. How can we parent our daughters to embrace her body as a gift from God?   It's important to let a girl enjoy beauty rather than shame her for wanting to feel pretty. For a Christian girl, the key to a healthy Biblical Worldview on body image is tied to her contentment in the Lord rather than her appearance.   The AHG Ministry has a whole badge frontier designed to instill a healthy view of the body in a girl's journey. Raising Godly Girls also has the Raising Godly Girls Guide to Gender & Identity, which offers parents a great jumping off point to take these conversations into the home.   Two Things to Remember:   § It's Okay for a Girl to Want Beauty, Yes—Even as a Christian § Feeling Beautiful Isn't a Good Source for Contentment, so Address This Gently but Directly in Your Girl     Scriptures Referenced in this Episode:   · Genesis 1:31a     Explore more resources to raise girls rooted in Christ at raisinggodlygirls.com. To find or start an AHG Troop in your area, visit americanheritagegirls.org.

As February fills our culture with pink hearts and romantic gestures, today's Valentine's weekend episode of the Raising Godly Girls Podcast invites families to pause and remember where love truly begins—at home. Before our daughters ever understand dating or marriage, they first learn what love looks like around the dinner table, in everyday conversations, and in the way family members treat one another. Rooted in the timeless truth of 1 Corinthians 13, this conversation reminds parents that real love is patient, kind, and formed through daily faithfulness, not grand gestures.    Host Patti Garibay is joined by beloved author and speaker Jessica Smartt, whose work encourages families to slow down, reclaim childhood, and build homes marked by warmth, joy, and connection. Drawing from her newest book, Come On Home, Jessica shares how intentional rhythms, shared memories, and Christ-centered priorities help families move beyond merely loving one another—to genuinely liking one another. Together, Patti and Jessica explore how Biblical love shapes sibling relationships, strengthens marriages, and gives girls a clear, hope-filled picture of what love is meant to be.    This episode offers encouragement for parents navigating busy schedules, sibling conflict, or seasons of disconnection. With humor, honesty, and practical wisdom, Jessica reminds listeners that a peaceful, joy-filled home is not built overnight—but through small, faithful choices that invite Christ into the center of family life. As Valentine's Day approaches, this conversation reframes the holiday as an opportunity to model Christlike love in ways that will shape a daughter's heart for years to come.      Scripture Referenced in This Episode:    1 Corinthians 13:4-7  John 13:34-35  Psalm 127:1      To learn more about Jessica Smartt and her books, visit jessicasmartt.com    Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.        Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org 

As Valentine's Day approaches, we're shifting the spotlight from romantic love to one of God's most foundational gifts: the love of family. On today's Thursday episode of the Raising Godly Girls Podcast, hosts Rachael Culpepper and Natalie Ambrose invite you into a joyful, practical conversation about Family Game Night—and how simple moments of play can strengthen connection, build unity, and help our families genuinely enjoy being together.    In a culture where screens often compete for attention and schedules stay perpetually full, creating intentional space for laughter matters more than ever. Drawing from Psalm 133:1—"How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity"—this episode reminds us that joy, togetherness, and shared fun are not extras in the Christian home; they're part of God's design. Whether your family loves fast-paced card games, outdoor competition, or classic board games, these moments of play can become sacred ground for connection.    You'll also hear a special Raising Godly Girls Minute from AHG Founder & Executive Director Emeritus Patti Garibay, sharing why laughter and shared experiences help families weather busy seasons and deepen bonds. Rachael and Natalie reflect honestly on the challenges parents face—exhaustion, stress, and competitiveness—and offer grace-filled encouragement alongside practical "pro-tips" to help family game night stay accessible, meaningful, and focused on connection rather than winning.    Finally, the conversation ties directly into the heart of American Heritage Girls, where "faith, service, and fun" work together to shape joyful girlhood and strong families. From faith-based games to creative ways to invite friends into family rhythms, this episode will inspire you to carve out time for fun—and to trust that God uses even playful moments to cultivate unity and love at home.    Be sure to subscribe to the Raising Godly Girls Podcast so you never miss an episode, and join us again this Saturday for a special Valentine's Day conversation about memory-making and protecting the wonder of childhood. Until then, keep raising Godly girls—and don't forget to bring on the fun!      Three Things to Consider:    Be sure the games guarantee that every age of kids can participate! (And if it's Twister, parents you might want to schedule a chiropractic adjustment for the next day!)   While winning is fun, it's not the goal. I'm talking to you, competitive folks!   Make it a regular time on the family calendar that everyone can look forward to.        Scriptures Referenced in this Episode:    Psalm 133:1    Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.        Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.    

Valentine's Day often points our attention toward romantic love—but what if this season became an invitation to strengthen the most formative love a girl will ever know? In this episode of the Raising Godly Girls Podcast, hosts Rachael Culpepper and Natalie Ambrose reframe Valentine's week through a family lens, reminding parents that the home is the first and best place for a girl to learn how to give and receive love.    Together, Rachael and Natalie explore how secure attachment, intentional family rhythms, and spoken affirmation shape a girl's understanding of belonging. From handmade Valentines and quirky family traditions to naming shared values and modeling grace, this conversation highlights how love is learned in everyday moments—not perfection, but presence. When a girl feels seen, known, and anchored in her family, she carries that confidence into every relationship she'll one day hold.    You'll also hear a Raising Godly Girls Minute from AHG Founder & Executive Director Emeritus Patti Garibay, offering a tender reflection on a girl's innate desire for beauty, creativity, and connection—and how those expressions of love can become lifelong markers of belonging. Rooted in Scripture, this episode equips parents to consecrate their homes as places where grace is practiced, forgiveness is spoken, and love is never assumed.    Whether your family is in a season of closeness or rebuilding, this Valentine's week episode invites you to start right where you are—praying over your home, speaking life over your daughter, and trusting God to grow love that lasts far beyond February 14.    Three Things to Consider:    A home consecrated to God's love will be known by God's love.   Grace and Forgiveness are key ingredients for a healthy understanding of love in your home.   Love must be spoken in your home. So don't let it go unsaid!       Scripture Referenced in this Episode:    Deuteronomy 6:9  Ephesians 4:32  Colossians 3:12-13      Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.        Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.    

Friendship is one of God's sweetest gifts—and also one of the most tender places in a girl's heart. From playground dynamics to group texts and even church friendships, many girls are quietly wrestling with the ache of wanting to belong. In a culture that elevates popularity and visibility, it's easy for girls to believe that being included defines their worth. But Scripture offers a far richer and more secure vision of friendship—one rooted in Christ's love and invitation to make room for others.    In this episode of the Raising Godly Girls Podcast, Patti Garibay is joined by bestselling author and speaker Dr. Heather Thompson Day for an honest and hope-filled conversation about helping girls navigate the highs and lows of friendship. Drawing from John 15:12, Heather reminds parents that Godly friendship is shaped not by cliques or clout, but by Christlike love—love that sees, welcomes, and stays faithful even when relationships feel messy or disappointing.    Together, Patti and Heather explore how parents can respond with empathy when their daughter feels left out, how to help girls develop discernment in choosing friends, and how to guide them through conflict with both grace and truth. They also discuss the powerful connection between hospitality and belonging, offering encouragement for families to cultivate homes where others feel seen and valued.    Heather also shares the heart behind her new picture book, Can I Sit Here?, inspired by her daughter's own story and written to help girls understand that belonging doesn't come from fitting in—but from knowing who they are in Christ. For parents worried that their daughter may never find "her people," this episode offers reassurance that God is faithful to provide community in His perfect timing.    If your daughter is navigating loneliness, shifting friendships, or the deep desire to be known, this conversation will equip you with biblical perspective, practical wisdom, and renewed hope. You'll be reminded that when we root our girls' identities in Jesus, we don't just help them build stronger friendships—we help them grow confident hearts that know exactly where they belong.      Scriptures Referenced in this Episode:    John 13:34  Matthew 5:43-48  John 15:12      To learn more about Dr. Heather Thompson-Day, visit heatherthompsonday.com/      Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.        Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.    

Continuing a week of episodes on Godly friendship, hosts Melissa Bearden and Rachael Culpepper put the friend drama under the spotlight. When boy crazy seasons affect girls' friendships to then folding core relational skills that play into a marriage setting, both hosts share personal issues they've parented through personally.     Leaning on the wisdom of healthy boundaries communicated in grace, Melissa and Rachael share a core tenet of maintaining interactions in the midst of oversharing, obsessive tendencies toward boys, and balancing time spent with each friend to avoid jealousy.     The Raising Godly Girls Minute shows gracious wisdom that comes through Biblical loyalty in friendship. When today's girls are used to swiping left to immediately make something (or someone) undesirable go away, it's important that girls don't adopt the same pattern toward one another in real life. Melissa shares her daughter's experience walking through an instance when this was tested in a specific friendship. Discovering that her friend had changed—and preferred her phone over the person in front of her—was revealing to Melissa's daughter, helping her to cultivate important patterns moving forward.     Rachael shares three Biblical approaches to help girls hop off the friend drama roller coaster and adopt a more consistent pattern in their friendships. From getting to know a friend's parents to allowing trusted mentor and pastoral voices speak into conflict, each approach cuts down an addiction to division and embraces a more mature, Godly friendship.       Three Things to Consider:    Knowing the Friend's Family Helps to Offer Context when head-to-head conflict seems to be the norm.    Grace Comes through the Gentle Truth of Scripture to turn the tide on unhealthy friendship patterns.   When Conflict Boils Over, Lean on Your Village—You don't have to go this parenting journey alone.       Scriptures Shared in this Episode:    Proverbs 17:17  Ephesians 4:32  1 Corinthians 13    Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.      Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.  

On this Tuesday episode of the RGG Podcast, hosts Rachael Culpepper and Melissa Bearden launch a week of conversations surrounding friendships—something that Christian girls might struggle to navigate Biblically and often the source of a girl's first heartbreak.     With the banner of John 13 in the spotlight, this episode peels back the curtain on Christian girlhood friendships—by showing the world "who and Whose they are" by how they walk out the bond of friendship with other girls. Melissa unhitches from a worldly notion of cancel culture or even bullying tactics when a friendships go awry. Since conflict is inevitable in friendship, it's important to lead girls to stay aligned with the Lord's character when navigating those difficulties.     The Raising Godly Girls Minute poses a provocative mindset shift—what if girls were to offload the pressure of "best friend forever" and opted to embrace true friendship in loyalty? This slight distinction liberates today's Christian girls to take on a Biblical approach rather than a culture-fueled narrative.     From an older girl parenting to a younger girl parenting perspective, both hosts unpack how they lead their daughters to navigate conflict. 'Friendship breaks' can help a girl rein in her own emotions. Rachael shares about all the drama that often comes along with middle school friendships in the midst of hormonal changes. Both hosts land on a healthy approach to boundaries in order to shut down patterns of manipulation and hurtful behaviors.     Rachael offers three key ways to think of a trusted friendship as a recipe, inviting girls to build something beautiful and let God lead the way in her friendships.     Three Things to Consider:    A Trusted Friendship is Christ-centered.   A Trusted Friendship is Flexible & Adaptable.   A Trusted Friendship brings JOY!       Scriptures Shared in this Episode:    John 13:34-35  1 Corinthians 13:4-6  Proverbs 27:17  Romans 12:15      Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.      Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.  

In this weekend edition of the podcast, AHG Founder & Executive Director Emeritus Patti Garibay welcomes Dr. Jeff Myers, apologist and President of Summit Ministries as a guest. From various book titles to teaching work through Summit, Dr. Myers specializes in guiding families into confidence so they can raise well-equipped kids whose faith tracks throughout their lives.     Patti describes a world where girls who believe in absolute truth are often mocked and that the cultural message of "live your truth" is steeped in deception and a shaky foundation. Dr. Myers wants parents to know that apologetics is worth the effort to learn and practice well but doesn't require expertise or many college degrees.    Through a traumatic upbringing, unanswered questions about his faith, and then a nearly fatal car accident, Dr. Myers describes his journey away from and then toward the Gospel with God using Summit Ministries in his own life.     Patti and Jeff talk about the Charlie Kirk legacy of fielding questions in public settings to clarify and invite people into a Gospel relationship with God. Through 1 Peter 3:15 and 2 Peter 2:24, Dr. Myers had the opportunity to counsel Charlie in order to keep his work focused on a Biblical Worldview foundation. Now after Charlie's death, Patti and Dr. Myers both hope his legacy continues.     Dr. Myers and Patti talk through issues that are pressing in on today's girls, including transgenderism as a social contagion. Jeff feels it's not only important to prepare girls to have a response but to have a solid confidence in God in order to push back against this spiking trend. Parents shouldn't feel like they have to start with the heavy-hitter topics though. Dr. Myers feels that the time to start having apologetics conversations is as soon as children can talk. Through natural questions, cueing conversations, and keeping an ongoing connection with kids, Dr. Myers encourages parents to faithfully embrace their place as primary disciplers of their girls.    Patti brings up the relationship between questions, doubt, and discipleship, to which Dr. Myers offers practical approaches for a sustainable path—one that real-life parents can follow. Jeff's wisdom on Biblical Worldview serves as the foundation for both parents and kids, so it's vital for parents to be willing to learn alongside their girls. Finally, Dr. Myers tells about a young woman who skillfully kept open dialogue going through asking good questions and a willingness to listen—thereby facilitating intelligent and helpful conversation in a very casual setting. Dr. Myers sees the influence of these approaches as a deep blessing to many around Christians who practice their Biblical Worldview in these ways.     Dr. Myers tells about Summit Ministries summer intensive for high school and college students and how the influence of alumnae is shaping the current landscape of apologetics in today's world. Patti's final reminder seals in the strength and dept of God's truth—that it can be trusted and can withstand even the toughest critics.     Scriptures Shared in this Episode:    Romans 12:2  1 Peter 3:15  2 Peter 2:24  Genesis 1:26-27  Colossians 3:23      To learn more about Dr. Jeff Myers work, visit summit.org     Explore more resources to raise girls rooted in Christ at raisinggodlygirls.com.   Find or start an AHG Troop in your area at americanheritagegirls.org.  

To continue this week on the Raising Godly Girls Podcast's deep dive into Apologetics, hosts Rachael Culpepper and Melissa Bearden tease out the basics of how to approach daily conversations so parents can guide girls as they are going in daily life. Both hosts describe 'speechless' moments they each had when they didn't know how to respond to tough questions regarding their faith convictions.     Rachael talks about 'sprinkling apologetics' into normal situations like car rides and daily real life so it doesn't feel like a memorized chorus for girls, rather an infused way of living. Through questions like, "Does that line up with what we know is true?" or "What do you think God is showing us here?" Rachael shares that a girl's faith moves from fragile to fortified one conversation at a time. In an honest moment, Rachael also shares that she doesn't always know 'all the answers' as a mom, so she encourages parents to be willing to learn alongside their girls.     The featured Raising Godly Girls Minute in this episode drops a difficult Bible question that comes up a lot for girls: "God in the Old Testament seems very different from God in the New Testament—are there different God's in the Bible?" With generation alpha's focus on social media algorithm-fueled scroll feeds and YouTube influencer-fed notions (often apart from Scripture), many parents are feeling overwhelmed and hopeless about the current state of the next generation's worldview status.     The hosts remind listeners that real-life apologetics has to happen…in real life! So the old notion of memorized answers and echo-chamber video feeds miss the mark. With three key anchor points, Rachael guides listeners through ways to approach this well. Story Swaps, Debate Club, and Faith Detective all offer creative approaches that easily translate into daily conversation for families. Melissa enthusiastically challenges listeners to 'just start'—at the dining room table, in daily life activities, and often at unexpected times!    Rachael shares her love for the AHG Stars & Stripes Award process, specifically how the Spiritual Walk Essay gives award recipients a chance to unpack their journey in places that God strengthened their faith through adversity.     Three Things to Consider:    Faith is built in the small moments.  Questions are a gift, not a threat.  Equip, don't overwhelm.    Scriptures Shared in this Episode:    Matthew 5:17    Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.      Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.