Welcome to The Thriving Family, a Focus on the Family Canada podcast.

Today’s episode is a powerful testimonial of healing through rest and boundaries. When Dave went to Kerith Ministry Leaders Retreats with his wife, Staci, he thought everything was fine. As a rural pastor and father of five, he knew he was tired but believed he just needed a breather. Once at the retreat centre, though, Dave realized how truly exhausted he was. The name “Kerith” comes from First Kings 17 when the Lord sent Elijah to the Kerith Ravine after he made a prophetic declaration to the kingdom of Ahab. God knew Elijah’s calling would consume his energy and leave him weary, so he provided him times of rest, solitude, and renewal. Like its biblical namesake, Focus on the Family Canada's Kerith Retreats values this stillness and provides care to those who are weary. These retreats are offered at our Canadian retreat centres in Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario.

Now, let’s hear from Dave.

Episode notes:

Kerith Retreats Ministry Retreats

www.kerithretreats.ca

Stress and Burnout digital booklet

https://info.focusonthefamily.ca/stress

Work-Life Balance digital booklet

https://info.focusonthefamily.ca/work-life-balance-free-pdf

Understanding Healthy Boundaries digital booklet

https://info.focusonthefamily.ca/understanding-healthy-boundaries-pdf

Free, one-time consultation with a registered counsellor at Focus on the Family Canada over the phone. Give our head office a call at 1-800-661-9800 to request a consult.

© 2023 Focus on the Family (Canada) Association. All rights reserved.

Welcome to The Thriving Family, a Focus on the Family Canada podcast.

Today it’s my great pleasure to introduce Dave Phillips. Dave is an experienced executive mentor and speaker for high performance CEOs and business leaders across North America. His work covers topics ranging from the boardroom to the bedroom in some of the most challenging and even troubling areas of the leader’s life. Dave not only supports CEOs and business leaders, but also their teams to make a greater impact and provide long-term solutions. Those may sound like lofty topics, but in this conversation, Dave shares freely from our hearts about matters of character, integrity, humility, and purpose.

Episode notes:

Free, one-time consultation with a registered counsellor at Focus on the Family Canada over the phone. Give our head office a call at 1-800-661-9800 to request a consult.

Support the podcast

https://www.focusonthefamily.ca/podcastgiving

© 2026 Focus on the Family (Canada) Association. All rights reserved.

Welcome to The Thriving Family, a Focus on the Family Canada podcast.

For today’s episode, we’re talking about emotional intelligence. God created us with the capacity to feel emotions, but as humans living in a broken world, navigating these emotions can be a challenge. The benefits of becoming emotionally intelligent go beyond your own mental and emotional health – this skill will also make all the difference in your marriage.

Episode notes:

Journey to Us marriage conferences and retreats

https://journeytous.ca/

Navigating Conflict in Marriage digital booklet

https://info.focusonthefamily.ca/navigating-conflict-in-marriage

Free, one-time consultation with a registered counsellor at Focus on the Family Canada over the phone. Give our head office a call at 1-800-661-9800 to request a consult.

Support the podcast: https://www.focusonthefamily.ca/podcastgiving

© 2020 Focus on the Family (Canada) Association. All rights reserved.

Welcome to The Thriving Family, a Focus on the Family Canada podcast.

Today’s episode features a truly hope-filled message. Christin Rosa graduated with a bachelor of education degree from the University of Alberta and has taught everything from English at a university in China to kindergarten to employability skills training for immigrant women. In 2013 she gave birth to her son Thomas and stayed home with her kids until returning to work in 2024. It was her prenatal diagnosis in 2016 while pregnant with boy and girl twins that changed everything. It lit a fire in her to do something, anything, to shed light on the injustice of abortion. Today Christin is the author of Saving Nate: Choosing Life After a Devastating Prenatal Diagnosis, and is a prayer leader and devotional writer for a 24-7 prayer room for life in Canada. She loves to spend time in God’s presence meditating on his Word and to share his soul-reviving truth with others through her writing and Bible study leadership. Her website is ChristinRosa.com. Her book, Saving Nate, was published by Focus on the Family, and it was such an honour to sit down and hear more of Christin’s story.

Today’s interview is facilitated by Len DenBraber, chief operating office at Focus on the Family Canada.

This episode includes personal reflections on pregnancy loss and abortion. Listener discretion advised. This podcast is one family’s story and therefore cannot reflect the various experiences of all families. Many parents in similar situations have not experienced miraculous healing where there was a prenatal diagnosis, despite their prayers and trust in God. If a child did not survive before or after childbirth, or they were born with a disability, there is long-term challenge, pain, and grief. While we cannot understand why this happens, we do know God is near to the broken-hearted (Psalm 34:18) and comforts those who mourn (Matthew 5:4). If a woman has chosen abortion, there can also be immense pain, grief, and shame. God in his great mercy offers love, forgiveness, and hope (1 John 1:9).

Episode notes:

Saving Nate: Choosing Life after a Devastating Prenatal Diagnosis

https://shop.focusonthefamily.ca/Saving-Nate

Free, one-time consultation with a registered counsellor at Focus on the Family Canada over the phone. Give our head office a call at 1-800-661-9800 to request a consult.

Support the podcast: https://www.focusonthefamily.ca/podcastgiving

© 2026 Focus on the Family (Canada) Association. All rights reserved.

Welcome to The Thriving Family, a Focus on the Family Canada podcast.

In today’s episode, we have the joy of introducing Arlene Pellicane. Arlene is a speaker, host of the Happy Home podcast, and author of several books including Parents Rising, Making Marriage Easier and Screen Kids. Arlene has been featured on the Today Show, Fox & Friends, the Wall Street Journal, FamilyLife Today, and Focus on the Family and is the spokesperson for National Marriage Week. Arlene and her husband, James, have three children and live in San Diego. They have raised their kids without social media, video games, and smartphones and inspire others to scroll less and live more. To learn more, visit her website at ArlenePellicane.com. This was dynamic conversation about parenting, navigating screen time, and what it was like collaborating with Gary Chapman!

Episode notes:

Happy Home Podcast

https://arlenepellicane.com/podcasts

Free, one-time consultation with a registered counsellor at Focus on the Family Canada over the phone. Give our head office a call at 1-800-661-9800 to request a consult.

Support the podcast: https://www.focusonthefamily.ca/podcastgiving

© 2026 Focus on the Family (Canada) Association. All rights reserved.

Welcome to The Thriving Family, a Focus on the Family Canada podcast.

For today’s episode, we’re talking about how to help boost your child’s academic potential. We recognize that every child learns differently, and many children require tailored support to thrive in the classroom. But regardless of where and how they learn, a child’s parents will always be their biggest academic supporter. Here are some ways to increase your child’s learning potential!

Episode notes:

The Potential of Children video series

https://info.focusonthefamily.ca/potential-of-children

Free, one-time consultation with a registered counsellor at Focus on the Family Canada over the phone. Give our head office a call at 1-800-661-9800 to request a consult.

Support the podcast: https://www.focusonthefamily.ca/podcastgiving

© 2020 Focus on the Family (Canada) Association. All rights reserved.

Welcome to The Thriving Family, a Focus on the Family Canada podcast.

For today’s episode, you’ll hear from Matt Menzel. Matt is the lead pastor of Centre Church in downtown Vancouver. He and his wife, Melissa, are completely caught up in a vision for the renewal of Jesus’ church in their city. Matt’s greatest joy is to experience the presence of Jesus in daily life and to see Christ do the things that only he can do. Matt truly is making this happen, and you’ll understand how when you hear this beautiful and inspiring conversation.

Episode notes:

Free, one-time consultation with a registered counsellor at Focus on the Family Canada over the phone. Give our head office a call at 1-800-661-9800 to request a consult.

Support the podcast

https://www.focusonthefamily.ca/podcastgiving

© 2026 Focus on the Family (Canada) Association. All rights reserved.

Welcome to The Thriving Family, a Focus on the Family Canada podcast.

For today’s episode, we have the joy of introducing Dede Nicholson, a team member at Focus on the Family Canada. Dede shares her journey of rediscovering the importance of the Sabbath and how she truly experienced God’s rest as a busy mother.

Episode notes:

Work-Life Balance digital booklet

https://info.focusonthefamily.ca/work-life-balance-free-pdf

Drawing Closer to God Through Spiritual Disciplines video series

https://info.focusonthefamily.ca/spiritual-disciplines

Kerith Retreats

https://kerithretreats.ca/

Free, one-time consultation with a registered counsellor at Focus on the Family Canada over the phone. Give our head office a call at 1-800-661-9800 to request a consult.

Support the podcast: https://www.focusonthefamily.ca/podcastgiving

© 2020 Focus on the Family (Canada) Association. All rights reserved.