Raising Godly Girls

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.