Lisa Steven is the author of A Place to Belong, a former teen mom and co-founder of Hope House Colorado, a sanctuary for teen mothers that empowers them to strive for personal and economic self-sufficiency and to understand their significance in God’s sight. Together, we dive deep into the realities of generational poverty, exploring the differences between middle-class and poverty mindsets. Our guest shares transformative stories of resilience and success from Hope House, offering insight into the challenges and triumphs of young mothers striving for a healthy future for their families.

Frozen waffles get canceled because of a listeria outbreak—right after Emily spends a month binging frozen waffles for breakfast. Jayce battles pneumonia and Kaitlin… well, sort of cares. Emily and Matt might just have the worst luck with cars of all time. Emily gets caught being less than truthful. And Kaitlin nearly runs head-first through the bedroom door in the middle of the night.

This might just be the most relatable topic of our generation. Meghan Ryan Asbury joins us to chat about her book, You Are Not Behind: Build a Life You Love Without Having Everything You Want. We talk about how to find true satisfaction between where you are and where you want to be; how to avoid manipulating our hopes; how to deal with unmet expectations, and so much more.

A member of the SWE team is pregnant. Hint…it’s not Scott. And contrary to popular belief, nor is it Kaitlin. Scott and Matt go golfing and are now obsessed. Kaitlin finally admits she has a shopping problem. Emily’s everlasting-simmering-scented-pot draws a lot of attention at a recent family party. Scott is never more offended than when he’s given a subpar rental car. Emily and Scott throw down with the HOA. 

Clarissa Moll is back and she's here to talk about her new book, Hurt, Help, Hope. She co-wrote it with her daughter and it's all about teenage grief. Today we chat about; the difference between intuitive and instrumental grievers, spiritual guidance for dealing with grief, what to do if you have regrets about the person you lost, the hidden gifts of grief, and so much more. Clarissa's book is available starting TOMORROW (October 8th). 

Kaitlin’s sour bread dough journey is going VERY well! Scott is committed to making his smart phone as dumb as possible. Kaitlin discovers Scott’s secret stash of Magic Mind. Julia Roberts. Emily and Kaitlin are supporting their families financially with online shopping returns. Kaitlin’s car eats her credit card.

Emily and Kaitlin get into a bidding war over a Cape May sweatshirt and things turn physical. Scott turns into the hulk when he drinks coffee. Kaitlin’s lettuce edge socks are Scott’s new favorite women’s sock. Barrel jeans are an interesting choice society is making. And everything you’ll ever need to know about sour bread dough. 

Wait...Walmart fashion is having a moment...I'm OBSESSED. Does anyone understand how thrifting actually works? Scott reveals his secret thrifting past. Parker goes flying. Matt’s (never used) razor subscription saves the day when Emily discovers the superiority of men’s razors. Emily and Kaitlin go on a walk from hell. #VoteForScott

Emily chose a career she’s allergic to. Scott doesn’t know when summer ends. Matt annoys the heck out of everyone on the internet with his incessant posting on Facebook Marketplace. Kaitlin has read so many books that she’s starting to unknowingly reread books. Local “newspaper” shouts out local hero, Kaitlin Elliott, for “saving” a man’s life.

Kaitlin and Scott have a cute little date night (meaning…they sat down to record this podcast together). They discuss RIVETING topics like Kaitlin’s hair (again) and nails (again). They discuss Scott’s deep desire to save people from the rain and Kaitlin’s desire to let them soak and deal with their own life choices. Scott also wants to go on a marriage retreat and have lots of deep conversations and Kaitlin does not.

Kaitlin, Caroline, and Emily reminisce about Kaitlin’s bad highlights. Caroline’s apartment gets overrun with gnats, she inhales a bottle of Raid, finds a stray cat, and has a close encounter with an opossum…all in one day. Emily struggles to do basic math. Kaitlin makes an Amazon Wishlist so friends and family can buy her gifts (yes this includes you, listeners).

Emily gives Kaitlin the greatest compliment of her life. The saga continues with the curse of Matt and Emily’s HVAC. Kaitlin and Scott go on a trip to Maryland and revisit the site of Scott’s most “profound” spiritual experience. They also get to see their nephew pitch in front of 40,000 people. His name is Garret Declue. He plays Banana Ball. He’s #17 on the Firefighters. He’s awesome. Go check him out. And in other news, Kaitlin wants to become an internet troll.

Emily gets FIRED UP about her and Matt’s latest HVAC debacle. Kaitlin’s driving is starting to become a genuine hazard for the general public. Everyone debates lazy vacations vs. excursion vacations. Kaitlin gets into a sticky situation with her fake nails. Everyone (except Scott…cough cough…) finally listens to Lights On with Carl Lentz and shares their initial thoughts.

Kaitlin and Emily are experiencing a dog attack epidemic. Nick Canon hosts a Father’s Day meet and greet…for his own children. Matt and Scott have strong feelings about the latest Pixar movie, Inside Out 2 (it might be the greatest movie ever made). The gang gets into politics for the first time...and last. And everyone shares their thoughts on Carl Lentz’s new podcast, Lights On with Carl Lentz.

Scott’s inability to pronounce words in proper English is starting to cause mass confusion. Apparently Toad from the Mario universe has a different name?? Kaitlin nearly has an encounter with a home intruder. Matt and Emily finally upgrade to a king bed and forget how beds work. Scott has a debacle with a watch Kaitlin gifted him.

Meredith Miller is a pastor, parent, and writer with over 20 years experience in children’s ministry and curriculum. Meredith was Curriculum Director for the children’s ministry at Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago, Illinois, where she created the framework for lessons that responds to the latest research on kids and faith formation. In 2019 she and her husband Curtis started Pomona Valley Church –a church on Zoom that wants to live the one-anothers, neighbor well, and do justice. And eat. Today, she joins us to talk about her book, Woven: Nurturing a Faith Your Kid Doesn’t Have to Heal From, where we dive into things like, how to prevent instilling a moralistic faith in our kids, how to help our kids build trust in a good God as opposed to simply obedience training, and faith as a web vs. a wall. Please welcome, Meredith Miller.

While Matt and Emily are off developing gambling habits in Atlantic City (or ya know, attending a Veterinary conference), Kaitlin and Scott cuddle up on the couch for an Elliott’s only episode. It’s been a wild ride of a week in the Elliott household, so buckle up folks!

Emily P. Freeman is a New York Times bestselling author of six books, including the book she’s here to chat about today, How to Walk into a Room: The Art of Knowing When to Stay and When to Walk Away. Kaitlin and Emily discuss when it is time to walk in and out of metaphorical rooms in our lives, why it’s okay to change your mind, and the four steps in the discernment process. Emily is lovely, she’s wise, and a delight to listen to.

SWE Team takes a deep dive into water (not literally...like, drinking water). Kaitlin undergoes her most difficult life trial yet, glue on nails. Kaitlin almost burns her house down with her air fryer/oven/toaster/broiler. Thankfully Emily strongly endorses the fire blanket to keep us all safe. Kaitlin severely over-trusts her GPS when driving and frequently finds herself heading to the wrong destination. Honestly, after listening to this episode it’s a miracle Kaitlin is alive at all.

Author Harrison Scott Key joins us to talk about his book “How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Ever Told.” Harrison shares his story of his wife having an affair (twice) and how they were able to reconcile their marriage; how he leaned into his faith and church community during the darkest time of his life; how his wife felt about him writing a book about her affair; and how they have talked to their children about everything that has gone on in their marriage. It’s a heavy topic, but Harrison is hilarious and brilliantly weaves humor into his story.