Rooted By The River: An SRC Parenting Podcast

The Unhurried Family with Dan Houmes (Part 1)

Are you raising a family — or just managing a schedule?
In this episode of Rooted by the River, John and Dan Houmes, Therapist and Counselor, unpack the characteristics of the unhurried family and how modern pressures are reshaping families, parenting, and spiritual life.
Many modern families are stretched thin. Parents are doing their best to maximize their children’s younger years to set them up for future success and independence. How do we do that without compromising family time, communication, finances and health?
#familyculture #Proverbs18:13 #kidsandsports #BusyFamily #HealthyRhythms #familystress
Chapters:
00:00 🎙️ Introduction
02:02 🌿 What Is the “Unhurried Family” — and What Does It Look Like?
03:27 💰 9 Characteristics of an Unhurried Family
03:54 🚨 2 Symptoms of a Hurried Family
04:01 🗣️ Symptom 1 — Lowered Communication
05:54 💔 Symptom 2 — Diminished Intimacy & Increased Tension
07:16 🍽️ The Importance of Family Meals
09:15 📱 Increased Technology & Lowered Free Time
10:48 🙏 Little or No Personal Quiet Time
12:15 📅 Excessive Social & Service Activities
17:23 🙌 Closing Comments — Part 1 of The Unhurried Family

Raising Kind Kids in an Angry World with Torrey Roberts

In a culture shaped by outrage, algorithms, and constant noise, how do Christian parents intentionally raise kind, empathetic children?
In this episode of Rooted by the River, John Houmes interviews Torrey Roberts about teaching kindness in the home—especially in a world shaped by anger, polarization, and online influence. Together, they unpack what kindness really means, why it isn’t weakness, and how parents can intentionally train their children to see others, respond with empathy, and reflect the heart of Christ.
#parenting #kindness #empathy #culturewar
 
Chapters
⏱️ 00:00 – Welcome & episode overview
🔥 01:15 – Why kindness matters in today’s angry culture
💬 03:26 – What is kindness?
⚖️ 04:46 – Kindness vs. niceness: what’s the difference?
🏠 06:21 – Teaching empathy through everyday moments at home
👫 06:33 – Sibling relationships and “kind hands”
👀 07:30 – Modeling kindness as parents
🕰️ 10:33 – Creating family rhythms that shape character
🧩 12:47 – Parenting plans, framework, and flexibility
🚫 14:07 – Responding to unkind or cruel behavior
🗣️ 15:48 – Teaching kids how to express needs respectfully
🙏 18:18 – Gratitude, thank-you notes, prayer, and serving
❓ 20:05 – Answering “why” being kind matters
📝 25:17 – Final thoughts and takeaways

Children: Healthy Individualism and Family Membership with Torrey Roberts

How do parents nurture a child’s God-given individuality without letting that individuality run the family?
🎙️ In this episode of Rooted by the River, host John Houmes sits down with Torrey Roberts, Engagement Director at Oceanview Baptist Church and longtime family ministry leader, to talk about one of the most common (and confusing) parenting tensions: raising unique children while building a unified family culture.
Drawing from her experience as a behavioral specialist at Sheridan House Ministries and her 15 years co-hosting the Parenting on Purpose podcast, Torrey offers practical wisdom for Christian parents who want to raise kids who are faithful, resilient, and grounded in truth—without overcorrecting, micromanaging, or reacting out of fear.
✨ This conversation is especially helpful for parents navigating strong-willed children, teens, or siblings with very different personalities who want to parent with grace, truth, and wisdom.
#parenting #individuality #children #personality
Chapters
⏱️ 00:00 – Welcome & introduction⚖️ 02:20 – Individuality vs. family culture🌱 02:50 – “The way they are bent” (Proverbs insight)🚩 05:47 – Signs parents might be struggling stewarding kids’ individuality😨 07:59 – Parental fear, control, and need for perfection🧠 10:17 – How to let kids fail and self-awareness🌍 14:32 – Cultural radical individualism vs. biblical identity📚 17:16 – Being a student of your child and God’s purpose for them🕰️ 20:41 – Family rules, consistency, and rhythms✅ 22:46 – Preferences vs. right and wrong💍💼✝️ 24:07 – Raising kids to be marriageable, employable, and God-honoring📝 25:34 – John’s reflections and takeaways

How to Help Kids Regulate Their Emotions with Jill Dagistino

In this episode, host John Houmes talks with therapist Jill Dagistino about emotion regulation in parenting.
They explore how emotions impact both parents and children, why emotional awareness matters, and practical tools parents can use to help kids understand and manage big feelings.
Jill shares the RAIN Method, explains the difference between guilt and shame, and highlights why connection and vulnerability are essential for emotionally healthy families. This episode offers practical, faith-based insight for parents raising children in today’s world.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:33 The Role of Emotion Regulation & Definitions
05:15 Cultural Perspectives & Misconceptions on Emotions
10:06 The RAIN Method for Emotion Regulation - Core Emotions
19:52 Training Children to recognize their Emotions
23:13 Navigating Emotions while Parenting
24:18 The Importance of being Honest
26:42 Guilt vs. Shame & Vulnerability in Parenting
30:00 Closing Thoughts/Takeaways and Prayer
 
#guiltvsshame #kidsandemotions #parentingkids #emotionalregulation #raisingemotionallyhealthykids
Resources
Feelings Wheel
Jill Dagistino — Spanish River Counseling Center
 

Nourishing Teens: Food, Faith, and Family Meals with Jenna Braddock

Parenting teens around food can feel like a constant balancing act. One day they’re not hungry, the next they’re starving—and underneath it all are deeper questions about body image, control, comparison, and faith.
In this episode of Rooted by the River, John talks with registered dietitian Jenna Braddock about helping children and teenagers develop a healthy, God-honoring relationship with food. Together they explore how family rhythms, shared meals, and grace-filled conversations can shape both physical health and spiritual formation.
This episode offers practical encouragement for parents who want to:
Teach healthy eating without shame or fear
Address body image in a faith-filled way
Stay connected to teens navigating comparison
Use family meals as a place of discipleship
“Shared meals can change lives.” — Jenna Braddock
Whether you’re a parent, pastor, or caregiver, this conversation will help you approach food, faith, and family with wisdom and peace.

Married in the Middle: Why Years 7–21 Are the Hardest—and Most Important with Rodney Wilkinson

Marriage starts with hope—but for many couples, years 7–21 bring unexpected challenges.
In this episode, John talks with Pastor Rodney Wilkinson, pastor at Gospel Fellowship Church and host of Married in the Middle, about the realities of navigating marriage during its most demanding season. These are the years filled with pressure from work, parenting, emotional distance, and unresolved pain—especially for men who often feel unseen or unheard.
You’ll discover:
Why the middle years of marriage are often the hardest
How past trauma affects present-day connection
The emotional struggles men face in marriage
Practical ways to stay connected through active listening
Why staying committed through the middle leads to lasting reward
This conversation offers biblical perspective, honest insight, and hope for anyone committed to building a healthy, enduring marriage.
⭐ Subscribe, rate, and review to help others find this episode.
#ChristianMarriage #MarriagePodcast #MarriageHelp #MenInMarriage #HealthyRelationships
Resources:
Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson
The Deep-Rooted Marriage by Dr. Allender
Rodney’s Podcast — Married in the Middle
Make Sense of Your Story: Why Engaging Your Past with Kindness Changes Everything: Adam Young, Dr. Allender
 
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
02:05 Marriage in the Middle: Why married people struggle in years 7 to 21.
05:35Opportunities and Dangers within these years
09:19 Pain and trauma from our past and today 14:12- 25:20 The struggles of men in marriages
25:21 How “active listening” and staying connected is important 31:58-37:41 Takeaways

How to Raise Boys with Character | A Coach’s Wisdom on Integrity, Accountability & Faith

How do we raise sons who grow into men of integrity, perseverance, loyalty, and faith—in a culture that often pushes the opposite? Where does character formation really begin, and how do parents lead with both love and accountability?
In this episode of Rooted by the River, a family ministries podcast from Spanish River Church, host John sits down with Coach Brian Braddock, Head Football Coach at St. Augustine High School, to explore how character is shaped in young men—on the football field and at home.
Coach Braddock shares timeless insights on building trust, setting high standards, and holding boys accountable without crushing their spirit. Drawing from years of coaching and mentoring teenage boys, he helps parents translate leadership lessons from the sidelines straight to the dinner table.
You’ll learn:
How to cultivate biblical character in boys and young men
Why trust and warmth are essential for real accountability
How fathers and parents can model integrity—even while wrestling with their own flaws
Practical ways to create a home culture that draws out the best in boys
Why acceptance and discipline must always go hand in hand
“I’ve come to learn that the building of trust is paramount to everything when we want to drive people to high standards and to have the right to hold them accountable to those standards.” — Coach Brian Braddock
Whether you’re a parent of sons, a youth leader, a coach, or someone passionate about forming godly men, this conversation will challenge and encourage you with wisdom that lasts a lifetime.
 
Resources:
Stand Firm and Act Like Men: Becoming the Man You Were Created to Be Instead of Who the World Says You Are, by Joby Martin
John’s Interview with Nancy Pearcy: Forming Godly Men
On Spotify 
On Apple 
Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
 01:06  Character development, maintaining trust and warmth
06:30  Setting bar high for success and requiring accountability
15:22  Wrestling with our own character while molding theirs
31:51  Takeaways

Creating Rhythms of Faith in Your Family

In this bonus episode, John and Virginia Houmes talk on "Spiritual Habits: Creating Rhythms of Faith in Your Family". You'll hear how seizing opportunities and practicing intentionality can shape your family's faith. The talk was given by the Houmes' at SRC's Mom Talks in November of 2025.  Rooted by the River on:
YoutubeInstagram
Resources:
Book Resources
The Bible Project on Youtube
Give Me An Answer (Cliff & Stuart Knechtle on Youtube)
The New City Catechism App
Habits of the Household Class (Winter 2026)
 

Parenting, Boundaries, and the Wisdom of Saying Yes (and No) with Alyssa Hanna

When should parents say “yes” to their children—and when is it loving to say “no”?
In this episode of Rooted by the River, the family ministries podcast from Spanish River Church, John sits down with Alyssa Hanna to talk about healthy boundaries in Christian parenting. Alyssa is a mother of three young children and a licensed counselor who works with teenagers, bringing both professional insight and real-life parenting experience to the conversation.
Drawing from a parenting and boundaries class taught at Spanish River Church, Alyssa and John explore how biblical wisdom, emotional health, and clear boundaries help parents raise children who are secure, resilient, and rooted in Christ.
Whether you’re parenting toddlers, teens, or somewhere in between, this conversation offers practical tools, faith-based encouragement, and hope for overwhelmed parents navigating everyday decisions.
#faithbasedparenting #kids&boundaries #parenting #Christianparenting #boundarieswithkids #sayingyesandnoResources:Spanish River Counseling CenterBoundaries curriculum by Henry Cloud and John Townsend

Marriage and Kids: How to Stay Connected as Husband and Wife with Dan Myers

Marriage doesn’t stay the same once kids enter the picture.For many couples, the relationship slowly shifts into survival mode—focused on parenting, schedules, and responsibilities—until spouses feel more like roommates than husband and wife.
In this episode of Rooted by the River, the family ministries podcast from Spanish River Church, John interviews pre-marital counselor Dan Meyers about how couples can strengthen their marriage after kids, keep the marital covenant at the center of the home, and intentionally grow in connection, communication, and spiritual unity.
This conversation offers practical Christian marriage wisdom for:
Parents navigating the busy seasons of family life
Couples who feel disconnected or stuck
Engaged and newly married couples preparing for the future
If you care about building a healthy, Christ-centered marriage that serves as the foundation of your family, this episode is for you.
#ChristianMarriage #MarriageAfterKids #ParentingAndMarriage #parenting
Resources:
Learn more about Dan Myers
The Meaning of Marriage, by Tim & Kathy Keller
Couples Counseling Groups at Spanish River Counseling Center
Marriage, Family and Parenting services at Spanish River Counseling Center