Raising Godly Girls

What happens when the things we most desperately want to change are the very things we cannot control? For mothers, the desire to protect our daughters, fix what hurts, and help their stories turn out well can easily become an exhausting pursuit of control. But what if true peace doesn't come from finally getting everything under control—it comes from knowing Who is? 

On this special bonus episode of Raising Godly Girls, host Rachael Culpepper welcomes bestselling author, Bible teacher, and Proverbs 31 Ministries founder Lysa TerKeurst for a powerful conversation inspired by her new book, Making Peace with What I Can't Control. Lysa draws from her own difficult circumstances and decades of helping women navigate life's hardest moments to unpack why we reach for control, the deeper longings that fuel it, and what it looks like to surrender what we cannot control to a trustworthy God. 

For moms, this struggle can become especially personal when it involves a daughter. As girls grow, they make their own choices, face their own challenges, and experience circumstances their mothers cannot always prevent or fix. Rachael and Lysa explore how moms can discern what God has actually entrusted to them—and what they need to release back to Him. They also tackle an important distinction: surrendering control doesn't mean caring less, becoming passive, or stepping away from the God-given role of motherhood. It means learning to trust God more deeply while continuing to love, pray, guide, and faithfully show up. 

If you're carrying a circumstance, relationship, fear, or outcome you desperately wish you could change, this conversation offers a gentle invitation to ask: Is this actually mine to carry? Because there will be things we cannot change, choices we cannot make for our daughters, and outcomes we must ultimately place in God's hands. The good news is that we don't have to carry what God never asked us to carry. Tune in to discover how surrender can lead not to resignation, but to freedom, deeper faith, and the peace that comes from trusting the One who loves our daughters even more than we do. 

 

Scriptures Referenced: 

Proverbs 3:5–6 


Philippians 4:6–7 


1 Peter 5:7 


Matthew 6:25–34 


 

To learn more about Lysa's ministry work and to get her new book, visit lysaterkeurst.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.

What do you do when your strong-willed daughter pushes back, challenges your opinion, or seems determined to turn every disagreement into a battle? On this episode of the Raising Godly Girls Podcast, Rachael Culpepper and Melissa Bearden put consistency under the spotlight and explore how parents can lead strong-willed girls without breaking their spirit—while helping them develop the wisdom, resilience, and leadership skills God can use for His Kingdom. 

Parenting a strong-willed girl can sometimes feel like navigating a minefield of opinions, emotions, and potential power struggles. But Biblical parenting isn't about finding a formula that guarantees the right outcome. It's about faithfully seeking the Lord, staying connected to His Word, and depending on the Holy Spirit for wisdom in the moment. Rachael and Melissa unpack the tension between overly rigid approaches and overly permissive parenting, reminding parents that consistent, steady leadership can provide the security a strong-willed girl needs to flourish. 

In a Raising Godly Girls Minute, AHG Founder & Executive Director Emeritus Patti Garibay encourages parents to embrace respectful disagreement and remember that their daughters will inevitably develop opinions of their own. Rather than treating every difference of opinion as a battle to win, parents can model the respect, grace, and humility that build lasting relationships. Rachael and Melissa then explore practical ways to parent through conflict, including maintaining a steady response, asking whether an issue is truly a "hill worth dying on," and making genuine prayer together a place where both parent and daughter can seek the Lord's wisdom. 

The conversation also highlights an important truth for parents of strong-willed girls: consistency builds trust. When parents respond with gentleness and steadiness rather than allowing a daughter's outbursts to dictate the emotional temperature of the home, they demonstrate what secure leadership looks like. Over time, those repeated moments of respect and consistency can help a girl learn to navigate disagreement with wisdom rather than simply reacting from emotion. 

Listeners will also hear how American Heritage Girls provides girls ages 5 to 18 with opportunities to develop Christlike character, serve others, and grow into confident leaders. Through AHG Troops, the Raising Godly Girls parent resource, and resources such as the Social-Emotional Health Emphasis and Embracing Emotions Chat Sessions, families can find encouragement and practical support as they navigate the many challenges of girlhood. 

For every parent wondering how to respond when their strong-willed daughter digs in her heels, this episode offers a hopeful reminder: the goal isn't to win every argument. It's to faithfully walk alongside the girl God has entrusted to you, building trust over time and helping her learn to respond to conflict with wisdom, respect, humility, and prayer. 

 

Three Things to Consider: 

Build trust and loyalty over time by consistently respecting your daughter, especially during conflict. 


Not every disagreement is worth the battle—ask whether the issue is truly a "hill worth dying on." 


Make genuine, humble prayer together a place where both you and your daughter can seek God's wisdom and find common ground. 


 

Scriptures Referenced: 

Proverbs 15:1 


Proverbs 26 


 


 

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.

What happens when your strong-willed, opinionated girl discovers the world of "hot takes," rage bait, memes, and unpopular opinions? On this episode of the Raising Godly Girls Podcast, Rachael Culpepper and Melissa Bearden explore why these bite-sized cultural opinions can be so appealing to girls—and how parents can help their daughters develop something far more lasting: Biblical wisdom, character, and integrity. 

In a culture where humor, likes, outrage, and social influence can reward the loudest or most provocative opinion, Christian girls need to learn how to discern what is worth embracing and what should be left behind. Rachael and Melissa unpack what it means to live "in the world and not of the world," reminding parents that a Biblical Worldview doesn't mean a girl has to lose her sense of humor or cultural awareness. Rather, it means learning to recognize the dignity of every person as an image-bearer of God and knowing when a trend crosses the line into humiliation, cruelty, or disrespect. 

In a Raising Godly Girls Minute, AHG Founder & Executive Director Emeritus Patti Garibay compares today's endless stream of hot takes to "junk food" for the heart and mind. Drawing from Proverbs 2:1-6, she encourages parents to help their daughters develop an appetite for the deeper, timeless wisdom found in God's Word. Rachael and Melissa then offer practical ways to shepherd strong-willed girls through cultural trends: familiarize yourself with what she's talking about, invite her into conversation through questions rather than immediate statements, and connect the conversation back to God's character and wisdom. 

The episode also highlights how parents can give strong-willed girls an "on-ramp" into Biblical conversations by respecting their growing agency while still providing a clear framework for wise decision-making. Instead of simply shutting down an unfamiliar opinion or trend, parents can help their daughters slow down, ask questions, examine the consequences, and consider how their choices reflect the character of Christ. 

Listeners will also hear how American Heritage Girls equips girls ages 5 to 18 to grow in character, Biblical leadership, and integrity. From the GRIT with Grace Girls Leadership Curriculum to AHG's partnership with AXIS Christian Parenting, families have resources designed to help girls navigate culture with courage, discernment, and a Biblical Worldview. 

For parents raising strong-willed girls, this conversation offers encouragement that those big opinions and bold personalities don't have to be a problem to solve. With faithful guidance, they can become strengths that God uses to develop women of conviction, wisdom, courage, and grace. 

 

Three Things to Consider: 

When a hot take or cultural trend lands in your home, take time to understand it before leading your daughter through it. 


Approach strong-willed girls with questions that invite conversation rather than immediately making statements that can shut the conversation down. 


Connect cultural conversations to God's character and help your daughter consider the implications of her choices before giving her room to make the next move. 


 

Scriptures Referenced: 

Proverbs 2:1-6 


 

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.

In a culture increasingly defined by division, how can Christian parents teach their daughters to think biblically about race, identity, justice, and unity? On this episode of Raising Godly Girls, Patti Garibay welcomes public theologian, author, speaker, and seminary professor Dr. Krista Bontrager for an honest and hope-filled conversation about raising girls who can engage difficult cultural conversations with both truth and grace.
With conversations about race and identity reaching girls at younger ages—and often through frameworks centered on division, group identity, and power—many Christian parents feel unsure about how to respond. Krista helps parents distinguish between race and culture, understand humanity through the lens of Scripture, and recognize how the Gospel reshapes the way Christians understand identity, belonging, and unity. Together, Patti and Krista explore how parents can have age-appropriate conversations about racism and injustice without surrendering Biblical truth or allowing cultural ideologies to become the foundation of their daughters' worldview.
This conversation also equips parents to help their girls navigate tribal thinking, difficult conversations at school and online, and a world that often encourages people to find their deepest identity in group belonging. Rather than retreating from these challenging topics, parents can teach their daughters to engage them with discernment, confidence, compassion, and a firm understanding of who they are in Christ. Krista reminds families that the Gospel is the ultimate equalizer—and that Christian unity is rooted not in cultural agreement, but in the truth that we are one body in Christ.
If you want to raise a daughter who can pursue unity without compromising Biblical truth, this episode offers practical encouragement and Gospel-centered clarity for the journey. Discover how to move beyond cultural talking points and equip your girl to see herself, others, and a divided world through the transforming lens of Scripture.
 
Scriptures Referenced:
· 1 Corinthians 8:6
· Ephesians 4:4–5
Learn more about Krista Bontrager's work at centerforbiblicalunity.com . Explore more resources to raise girls rooted in Christ at raisinggodlygirls.com.    To find or start an AHG Troop in your area, visit americanheritagegirls.org.

What does it look like to pursue Biblical unity in a world that seems to reward outrage, polarization, and constant disagreement? And how can Christian parents teach their daughters when to stand firm on essential Biblical truth—and when to graciously let something go? 

On this episode of Raising Godly Girls, Rachael Culpepper and Melissa Bearden take a "flip the script" approach to conflict, exploring what it means for Christians to make the Gospel their common ground. From church disagreements and theological debates to friendship conflicts between girls, they unpack the difference between healthy, Scripture-grounded discussion and the kind of strife that slowly pulls believers apart. The goal isn't to avoid every conflict, but to learn how to navigate disagreement with truth, wisdom, humility, and love. 

Rachael and Melissa also explore how the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit gives Christians a beautiful picture of what unity can look like among God's people. They challenge parents to help their girls focus first on what unifies them with others rather than immediately spotlighting their differences. Through the Raising Godly Girls Minute, parents will also discover a simple but powerful strategy for helping girls navigate friendship conflict: learning to consider the other person's perspective. Understanding someone else's point of view doesn't mean abandoning Biblical convictions—it can help our girls become wiser, more gracious, and more Christlike in the way they respond. 

As Rachael and Melissa bring the conversation into everyday family life, they remind parents that we may not be able to control another person's words, choices, or reactions—but we can take responsibility for our own hearts, words, actions, and responses. With Scripture as our common ground, Christian families can model a different way of handling disagreement and show girls that Biblical unity doesn't require uniformity. It requires a shared commitment to Christ and a willingness to pursue peace "so far as it depends on you." Tune in and discover how your family can help bring Biblical unity into friendships, churches, families, and a divided world.  

Three Things to Consider: 

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit commune as One, so we should too. 


Focus on what unifies us as the Church rather than what divides us. 


As Christians, let the Bible be our common ground. 


 

Scriptures Referenced: 

Deuteronomy 6:4 


1 Corinthians 8:6 


Colossians 4:6 


Romans 12:18 


 

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.