In This Together With Dr. Josh + Christi

Josh recently spoke at the Focus on the Family chapel service about navigating today's cultural moment as a family. Since so much of what Josh has been trying to live out in his own life was presented in this talk, we wanted to share it with you here on the podcast. In this episode, Josh talks about:* How to live and lead well in a world plagued by fear.* The ripple effect of showing up as the best version of yourself.* Figuring out and maintaining healthy rhythms in your household.* Why being an effective parent has more to do with the person you are becoming than a direct relationship with your child.* How the decisions you make today influence more than you realize. Show Notes:SIGN UP FOR YOUR FAMILY PURPOSE! Our online family series is a step-by-step plan to help you create a family of connection, celebration, and purpose.BUY A COPY OF 25 DAYS OF THE CHRISTMAS STORY WHILE IT'S ON SALE! For a limited amount of time, Josh and Christi's book 25 Days of the Christmas Story: An Advent Family Experience is on s

While the Christmas season is meant to be fun, special, memorable, and joyful, it can also be stressful and exhausting for parents. Whether it's trying to find the perfect gift for your kids, fit in holiday traditions while balancing your work load, or feeling the loss of past loved ones--each parent feels the weight of the holidays in some way. But what if you could find a way to make it feel a little lighter? To redeem some of the magic? To soak in more of the joy?In this episode, Josh and Christi talk about 5 ways to make this Christmas memorable, in a way that is special for your entire family.Josh and Christi talk about:* How to be fully present this Christmas, taking circumstances for what they are each day and being grateful for them.* The surprising power of changing how you think about expectations* How the 25 Days of the Christmas Story: An Advent Family Experience can help make this Christmas memorable for your family.Show Notes:ORDER 25 DAYS OF THE CHRISTMAS STORY: AN ADVENT FAMILY EXPERIENCE! For

Josh posted on Instagram a few weeks ago about his changing relationship with social media and his phone. The post had many people asking questions related to what he is learning, with some even asking him to talk about his experience on a podcast episode. Alas, this is that episode. In a world so driven by social media and technology, we don't recognize how enslaved we are to the things that keep us from being fully present in the moment with others--especially our loved ones. In this episode, Josh talks about two significant ongoing practices that have helped him show up well and inch closer to his true self: daily rhythms and ordering his inner world.Josh talks about:* The definition of "continuous partial attention" and the negative effects it can have on your children.* The importance of recognizing the root of your busyness and what is taking you away from time with the Lord and loved ones.* The power of doing the one thing that will help you show up as the best version of you.Show Notes:FOR MORE INFOR

If you've found it difficult to get your kids to read the Bible, pay attention to you as you read it, or keep them engaged in learning about the faith, you will find great solace in this episode. Author and fellow Dad, M.J. Thomas is on this week's episode to talk about his book series The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls and how it helps kids travel back in time and explore major events in the Bible. This book series is a household favorite in the Straub home!Josh and M.J. talk about:* The power of engaging stories to help the Bible come alive for kids. * The inspiring story behind why M.J. Thomas decided to write The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls and how he was able to connect stories from the Bible to his real-life characters in the book series.* Helpful ways to help your kids tangibly comprehend the meaning of the Bible.Show Notes:PURCHASE THE SECRET OF THE HIDDEN SCROLLS BOOK SERIES BOX SET AND GET ONE BOOK FOR FREE AND AUTOGRAPHED! Join Peter, Mary, and their dog Hank as they discover ancient scrolls and tr

Making his Famous at Home podcast debut is Josh and Christi's son, Landon. In what you'll find to be quite an endearing episode, Landon joins his Dad this week to talk about making Christmas count. With Advent just around the corner, making Christmas memories doesn't just happen.In this episode, Josh interviews Landon about his favorite Christmas characters, family activities, and memories. You may even hear a few jokes between father and son as well. Talking about what makes Christmas count, this episode may very well get you in the spirit to make this Christmas the most memorable yet for your family!Show Notes: Get 25 Days of the Christmas Story: An Advent Family Experience today for only $7.49! If you buy 10 or more, get the book for just $5. Make a great early Christmas GIFT!

When your time, attention, and energy are pulled in so many directions, how do you have anything left to give your family? By the end of the day, it may feel like your spouse and kids need more from you than you have to give. But what if the one thing they really needed from you brought you to life just as much as it brought them to life? In this episode, Josh and Christi talk about the importance of prioritizing your emotional health and letting go of distractions, so that you can show up at home as the best version of you.Josh and Christi talk about:* What it means to show up as the best version of yourself.* How to use your greatest pain point as your greatest tool for prioritizing your emotional and spiritual growth. * The sum difference of taking responsibility for and owning daily choices, rather than seeing yourself as a victim of your circumstances.Show Notes:JOIN THE LEADER'S HEART SPRING 2022 WAITLIST! Don't miss out on our upcoming year long cohort to connect with like-minded leaders, build healthy

Emotions are the gateway to the heart. When we use words that communicate emotion in our home, the environment changes. In this episode, Josh and Christi talk about why it's important to understand the difference between emotions and feelings, especially for the intimacy in our marriage and how we connect with and guide our kids.Josh and Christi talk about:* The difference between emotions and feelings.* Our six core emotions and how to discern what they mean for us in our day-to-day lives.* How naming our feelings helps us label our emotions.* The role of emotions in "guarding your heart."* How congruence can help us "be at home" with ourselves again.* How to use emotional awareness to become a more connected spouse and parent. Show Notes:JOIN THE KIDSEQACADEMY WAITLIST! On-demand courses to help your child manage big feelings in a little body. Each course in KidsEQAcademy teaches your kids the life skills they need to develop emotional intelligence. ORDER A COPY OF WHAT AM I FEELING? What Am I Feeling? offe

One of the biggest challenges we face, as parents, is learning what to say yes to and what to say no to as a family. Whether it's serving in church, putting your kids in sports, hosting friends at your home, going on work trips--everything is dependent on the season you are in. In this episode, Josh and Christi talk about how to prioritize what brings your family life, and how to put on the chopping block the things weighing you down.Josh and Christi talk about: * Why it's important to discern if you're saying yes out of a conviction of the Holy Spirit, or compulsion due to pressure from others.* Why it is vital to understand what you are assigned to in this season, and what your values/mission are as a family, so you can show up as the best version of yourself everywhere you go.* What it looks like to say yes to the right opportunities, and the power in inviting your kids into it.Show Notes:SIGN UP FOR MARRIAGE AND FAMILY COACHING! We offer a transformative coaching journey to help your family build a rock s

Whether it comes to parenting style, money, sex, or even how we spend the holidays as a family, it’s not uncommon to hold a different point of view than our spouse. But what happens if we sense our spouse go to the opposite extreme on an issue? Is too lenient with the kid’s discipline. Spends more money than we feel comfortable. Desires sex more than we have the energy for. So often, their lop-sided approach (in our mind anyway) creates a reaction in us to go to the opposite extreme on those issues in order to create balance. But when we do, it creates more tension and often a impasse on the issue. In this episode, Josh and Christi talk about ways to find common ground on these sometimes tense issues in marriage, and use teeter totters as an analogy to describe what happens when we go to the opposite extreme of our spouse.Here are some highlights:* When we fail to name our teeter totter (the issue at hand), we end up making our spouse out to be our opponent. * Inching closer to your spouse can be difficult, b

Google recently found, in a major study of its hiring process, that its top employees possess empathy, emotional intelligence, and emotional safety (at the top of the list). These “soft skills” have now become the basis for what companies desire most in their leaders.That’s why the environment of emotional safety and the principles of emotional intelligence are the foundation of who we are and what we do with at Famous at Home. In this episode, Josh and Christi talk about why emotional intelligence matters from a young age and how to build emotional intelligence in your kids.Josh and Christi talk about:* Why it's important to "dose" your kids instead of "doucing" them when you feel them becoming emotionally distant.* How to begin using emotional vocabulary in your home and why it's important.* How to create an emotional growth environment for your kids.Show Notes:APPLY NOW FOR THE LEADER'S HEART MEN'S COHORT! Join our year long cohort to connect with like-minded leaders, build healthy work-family rhythms, and

If we want to be famous at home, we have to take care of ourselves. In this episode, Josh and Christi talk about emotional and spiritual ways to take care of yourself right now, especially in the midst of the fear and overwhelm in this cultural moment.Josh and Christi talk about:* Practical ways they have intentionally taken care of themselves the last couple of weeks.* Ways to limit screens or other open doors to fear.* How to recognize the one self-care practice you need right now for your soul.Show Notes:APPLY NOW FOR THE LEADER'S HEART COHORT! Join our year long cohort to connect with like-minded leaders, build healthy work-family rhythms, and lead from a whole heart.ORDER SURPRISED BY HOPE TODAY! Many Christians believe our future in heaven is all that really matters. But that's not what the Bible teaches. Surprised by Hope, premier Bible scholar N.T. Wright brings you inside the Scriptures to grasp the full, breathtaking hope Jesus offers the world, and its implications for your life today. 2 TIMOTHY 1:

Life has a way of throwing us curveballs, interruptions in our health, job, or circumstances that force us to slow down or alter our lifestyle. While setbacks aren't that enjoyable at first, they have a way of being perspective-shifting moments that reshape how we live our lives.Last week we touched on things that wake us up. This week, Bill and Laurie Lokey are back to talk with Josh and Christi about how to get through the things that slow us down.The Straub's and Lokey's talk about:* How slowing down forces you to identify areas of your life you took for granted. * What we rob ourselves of when we press the "easy" button. * The power of saying yes to adventure in the midst of being slowed down.Show Notes:APPLY NOW FOR THE LEADER'S HEART COHORT! Join our year long cohort to connect with like-minded leaders, build healthy work-family rhythms, and lead from a whole heart.LEARN MORE ABOUT BILL AND LAURIE LOKEY! Bill and Laurie share their own stories in vulnerable and relational ways to help others know that b

Each of us have experienced a wake up call in some way or another. This could be related to a car accident, a bad health report, losing a loved one, or walking through a divorce. No matter the situation, there is an "in-between" time of living in the unknown. In this episode, Josh and Christi sit down with their dear friends, Bill and Laurie Lokey to discuss how we can live our life to the fullest even in the middle of the unknown. Coaches for the Leader's Heart Cohort, therapists, speakers, and teachers of faith. Bill and Laurie open up about Bill's current journey with cancer, and the lessons they're learning in the unknown.Here are some highlights:* To move forward in our difficulties, we have to stop carrying the keys to doors we no longer live in.* What it looks like to journey with the people in our life in active "withness."* What it looks like to actually trust Jesus in the day-to-day unknowns of our hardship.Show Notes:APPLY NOW FOR THE LEADER'S HEART COHORT! Join our year long cohort to connect wit

How can we share the truth of God's Word to our kids in their early years in a way that's enjoyable for them and doesn't cause us to turn gray so soon? This is a question we ask ourselves often and try to navigate in our own home. Why? Because it's inevitable that your kids will get bored when you try to read the Bible to them or want to talk about something else when you want to pray. Welcome to family discipleship :) In this episode, Josh and Christi talk about the ways they're cultivating a spiritual growth environment for their kids and the lessons they're learning about family discipleship. Here are some highlights:* The meaning of family discipleship and why we need to prioritize it* How to get creative when your kids feel bored* Why and how our own relationship with God overflows to our kids* The power of inviting your kids into your own spiritual disciplinesShow Notes:APPLY TODAY FOR THE LEADER'S HEART! Join our yearlong leadership cohort to connect with like-minded leaders, build healthy work-family

You make a lot of small decisions throughout the day that dictate the way you lead your family. But what about the big decisions that come along and have the power to alter the entire direction in which your family is going? This could be related to job opportunities, new living situations, or school choice. In this episode, Josh and Christi talk about how to spiritually lead your family through big decisions, as well as share about a recent experience in doing so.Josh and Christi discuss:* How to be emotionally, relationally, and spiritually in tune with your spouse when making big decisions.* How to invite a circle of trusted advisors into your decision process to gain wisdom and accountability.* The power of shifting how you view your decision away from the lens of the here-and-now, and through the lens of eternity.* How family values can help you be more clear and resolute in your decisions.Show Notes:APPLY NOW TO THE LEADER'S HEART COHORT! Join our yearlong leadership cohort to connect with like-minded l

So many families today don't have extended family nearby. How do we face the challenges that come with raising kids when we don't have that family support? On the flip side are the families who get to do life together with extended family in close proximity. But what happens when they get overbearing or it just feels like too much? How do we set boundaries in love? In this episode, to kick off a brand new family series, Josh and Christi discuss these questions and discuss their own journey on these topics.They talk about:* What it looks like to build a fence around your family and set family values* Why it's important to communicate your boundaries with your kids* Why seeking out "framily" is necessary when you don't have family support nearby* The power in holding grief and joy at the same timeShow Notes:APPLY NOW TO THE LEADER'S HEART COHORT! Join our yearlong leadership cohort to connect with like-minded leaders, build healthy work-family rhythms, and lead from a whole heart.ENROLL TODAY IN YOUR FAMILY PUR

Working from rest and not for it requires boundaries and margin. When there is no margin, we live in a state of lack. In this episode, Josh and Christi talk about how to create margin and why it will allow us to live from a heart of abundance.They talk about:* The intentionality it requires to create margin* How setting clear boundaries can result in respect* The power of tending our heart before productivity and efficiency* How to get your life back by creating space for rest, quality time with your loved ones, and doing hobbies you love* Why the Leader’s Heart prioritizes margin and how it will give you the guidance you need in setting healthy rhythms Show Notes:ENROLL NOW IN THE LEADER'S HEART COHORT! Join our yearlong leadership cohort to connect with like-minded leaders, build healthy work-family rhythms, and lead from a whole heart.

Being a leader can often feel lonely and exhausting. Rather than leading from a full heart, we lead from an empty one. In trying times, we even question if it's worth it. But listen, you don't have to resign to this journey. We lead others best when we lead from a heart of joy. And that's what this episode is all about--leading from a full heart.In this episode, Josh and Christi talk about:* What happens when we're willing to develop the courage of being open to our inner world* Why it's important to surround yourself with other wholehearted leaders* How to find and build trust with other to like-minded people* How to chase your God-given mission from a full heart without losing joy* Why the Leader's Heart is a safe place to develop the tools to become an emotionally healthy leader, focus on your soul, and build healthy relationshipsShow Notes:ENROLL NOW IN THE LEADER'S HEART COHORT! Join our yearlong leadership cohort to connect with like-minded leaders, build healthy work-family rhythms, and lead from a who

Can you really level up as a parent or leader and still live a balanced life? In this episode, Josh and Christi continue their series on the Leader's Heart by talking about how to create a growth environment for those around you. Josh and Christi talk about:* What it looks like to live in the here-and-now, focus on today, and walk in humility.* How to discern the voices in your life and who to surround yourself with.* Why it's important to step out of your comfort zone and be open to change.Show Notes:ENROLL NOW IN THE LEADER'S HEART COHORT! Join our yearlong leadership cohort to connect with like-minded leaders, build healthy work-family rhythms, and lead from a whole heart.START THE YOUR FAMILY PURPOSE SERIES! Our online family series is a step-by-step plan to help you create a family of connection, celebration, and purpose. ORDER WHAT DO I DO WITH WORRY? ON AMAZON! Josh and Christi know that today's children have a lot of real "what-ifs"---about diseases and disasters, friendships and failures, and all-thi

Last week, Josh and Christi touched on the importance of setting expectations on your kids. This week, they talk to us about the power of supporting your kids.