Sep 5 • 22:02
Jessica Robertson visits RIG to talk Dear Valor
Episode:

Jessica Robertson visits RIG to talk Dear Valor

September 5, 2024 • 22:02 • Chrys Howard and Shellie Rushing Tomlinson

Jessica Robertson Visits RIG to Talk about Dear Valor: Jessica talks about the new book she and Jep have written about adoption. While this is a childrens book and not their exact story, Jessica shares how important adoption is and how much it has impacted their family. Join us in this very important conversation.

Podcast:

Rocking it Grand

With Chrys Howard and Shellie Rushing Tomlinson
Many times parents can't "see the trees " because the forest is overwhelming. Can I get an AMEN? Each week, Chrys and Shellie, seasoned moms and grandmas, help listeners see life lessons in the simple events that happen daily. If you could use some Godly parenting wisdom, encouragement and inspiration, along with some fun, real life stories, this podcast is for you! You can follow Chrys and Shellie on Instagram and Facebook or visit their website, RockingItGrand.com.
All Episodes:
Feb 5 • 20:56
Can we safely use AI?

Artificial intelligence is everywhereand it isnt going away.

In this timely and thoughtful conversation, Chrys and Shellie take on AI and the many tools now available to all of us, with one goal in mind: understanding it well enough to use it wisely.

We dont want to bury our heads in the sandbut we also dont want to hand over discernment without asking important questions. If we, as adults, dont understand tools like AI, we cant help our children and grandchildren navigate them safely and responsibly.

In this episode, Chrys and Shellie talk honestly about the benefits, concerns, and boundaries surrounding AI. They remind us that while technology can be a gift, it never replaces relationships, wisdom, or human connection.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

Why AI is something we need to understandnot fear or ignore

The rapid growth of AI tools and what that means for families

Why adult understanding matters before guiding kids

Healthy questions to ask before using new technology

The difference between helpful tools and unhealthy dependence

Why relationships, faith, and discernment still matter most

Rocking it Grand AI Resource for Families

Feb 5 • 28:42
10 Life Lessons from a Winter Storm

After days without power, unpredictable schedules, and families gathered under one roof, Chrys and Shellie reflect on the unexpected lessons learned during a winter storm. From rediscovering gratitude for everyday comforts to seeing communities rally together, this conversation reminds us that hard seasons often reveal what matters most. Whether you weathered the storm personally or are walking through a different kind of challenge, this episode offers encouragement, humor, and perspective for finding light in difficult moments.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

Discovering strength and resilience in unexpected situations

How hardship brings families and communities closer

Learning gratitude for everyday conveniences

Finding humor and memories in inconvenient moments

Why slowing down can sometimes be a gift

How storms reset perspective on what really matters

Seeing Gods presence in both crisis and recovery

Jan 29 • 24:05
5 Things to Do to Host a Large (or small) Gathering

Hospitality has taken a hit in the years since Covid. Many of us want to gather againbut the thought of opening our homes to a crowd can feel overwhelming.

In this episode, Chrys shares five practical, tried-and-true tips for hosting a large gathering without losing your joyor your mind. After recently welcoming 75 people into her home, Chrys walks listeners through what really works, what doesnt matter nearly as much as we think, and how to create an atmosphere where guests feel relaxed, included, and cared for.

From letting others help with the food to holding plans loosely, this episode is a gentle reminder that hospitality doesnt have to be perfectit just needs to be open-hearted.

God calls us to be hospitable and relational. Maybe its time to dust off the extra chairs, open the door, and get back to doing life together.

In This Episode, Chrys and Shellie Share:

Why hospitality feels harder than it used toand why it matters more than ever

The mindset shift that makes hosting doable (even joyful)

Five practical tips for hosting a large group without burnout

Why letting others help is a gift, not a failure

How flexibility can save your gathering (and your attitude)

Encouragement for anyone who feels intimidated by entertaining

Jan 22 • 22:23
Don't Try to Pray Like Her with Shellie Tomlinson

What if the reason prayer feels hard isnt because youre doing it wrongbut because youre trying to do it like someone else?

In this special episode, Chrys turns the microphone toward her co-host, Shellie Tomlinson, to talk about her newest book, Dont Try to Pray Like Her.

Shellie openly shares how she once struggled when talking to God, feeling unsure, inconsistent, and even discouraged. But through that struggle, God gently led her into a deeper, more personal connection with Him. Along the way, Shellie discovered 15 prayer habits that helped her move past comparison and into a prayer life that felt honest, doable, and deeply meaningful.

With her trademark Southern charm, humor, and honesty, Shellie invites readersand listenerson a grace-filled journey toward practical prayer support that meets you exactly where you are.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

Why comparing our prayer lives to others can be discouraging

Shellies personal struggles with prayer

How God used honestynot perfectionto draw her closer

The 15 prayer habits that helped Shellie go deeper with God

Encouragement for anyone who feels bad at praying

How to develop a prayer life that fits your personality and season

Jan 15 • 23:10
Tackling Anxiety Through a new Childrens Book with Blair Linne

Anxiety is no longer an adult problem. Study after study confirms what parents, grandparents, and teachers are already seeingour children are struggling with worry, fear, and anxiety at unprecedented levels.

In this heartfelt conversation, Chrys and Shellie sit down with poet, speaker, and author Blair Linne to talk about her newest childrens book, Yara the Brave and the Swirling Worry.

After personally battling anxiety, Blair discovered that God is the only true refuge and help when worry begins to overwhelm us. She first explored this journey in her adult book Make the Tremble, and now shes helping children face anxiety through the story of a brave young girl named Yara.

This episode is an important conversation for parents, grandparents, caregivers, and anyone who loves a childand wants to help them learn where true courage and peace are found.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

Why anxiety is affecting children at younger and younger ages

Blairs personal journey with anxiety and faith

How Yara the Brave and the Swirling Worry helps children name and face their fears

How parents and grandparents can talk to children about worry without minimizing their feelings

What it looks like to point children to God as their refuge

Encouragement for adults walking through anxiety alongside the kids they love

About the Host

Chrys Howard and Shellie Rushing Tomlinson

Chrys Howard, the mother of Duck Dynasty’s, Korie Robertson, holds a degree in elementary education and spent ten years teaching children with learning differences. After teaching, she joined their family owned business, Howard Publishing, where she served as senior editor and Creative Director for twelve years.

Chrys, President and Founder of It’s a Mom Thing Ministries, hosted a weekly radio show and website by the same name for ten years. She has authored fourteen books, including the best-selling Hugs for Daughters and Motivationals for Moms, with over 1,000,000 books in print and has co-written two cookbooks and two children’s books with Kay Robertson as well as Strong and Kind and Duck Commander Devotionals for Kids with her daughter, Korie Robertson. Her most current book, Rockstar Grandparent, released in March 2019. Her lifestyle site, Rocking It Grand, with Shellie Tomlinson challenges grandparents to be all they can be to the next generation. Chrys is married to John Howard, has three grown children, fourteen grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. They live in West Monroe, LA.

Shellie Rushing Tomlinson is an author, speaker, Bible study teacher and podcast host known for saying “Life is hard when it’s good, and it’s always better when you’re laughing.” Shellie’s best-selling humor books Suck Your Stomach In and Put Some Color On and Sue Ellen’s Girl Ain’t Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy! led Jeff Foxworthy to call her work, “Laugh out loud funny!” Her non-fiction titles, Heart Wide Open and Finding Deep and Wide are helping countless believers experience a deeper relationship with Christ, and her cookbook Hungry is a Mighty Fine Sauce with its companion devotional Devotions for the Hungry Heart feeds her readers bodies and souls!

Shellie and her farming husband, Phil, live in Lake Providence, Louisiana. They have two married children and six grandchildren. With the help of those grands, Shellie spends her summers trying to wear out a pontoon boat on the lake behind their home, and her winters dreaming of warmer days. According to her beloved labs, Beaux and Hank, Shellie is not spending enough time scratching doggie ears, but she is always trying to do better in that department.

More from Chrys Howard and Shellie Rushing Tomlinson →