Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol

Christianity has always been an embodied faith—rooted in presence, touch, community, and shared life. But we now live in a world of digital discipleship, online relationships, and increasingly, AI-shaped interactions. What does this mean for the church, for our spiritual formation, and for the kind of community our hearts were made for?


In this episode in our series AI and the Soul, Dr. Carol sits down with Jay Kim, pastor and author of Analog Church and Analog Christian, to talk about why physical presence matters more than ever. They discuss how AI and digital tools can help or hinder real-life connection, what gets lost when faith becomes mediated through screens, and how followers of Jesus can cultivate embodied practices in a culture of instant convenience.

If you're longing for deeper connection, wondering how AI will affect Christian community, or trying to navigate technology with wisdom, this episode offers both challenge and hope.

Find out more about Jay Kim on his website, Facebook, X, or Instagram
Find Jay's book Analog Christian: Cultivating Contentment, Resilience, and Wisdom in the Digital Age      


Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness.       
Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol       
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

Artificial intelligence is becoming woven into everyday life – our work, our personal lives, even our emotional and spiritual reality. But what does this technology do to us as people made in the image of God?

In this first of our series on "AI and the Soul", Dr. Carol talks with Dr. John Dyer, professor, author, and leading thinker on theology and technology, about how our tools shape our souls. You'll hear why AI is a helpful tool, but also how it quietly forms our desires, habits, and spiritual practices in ways we rarely notice.

Together they explore what makes humans unique, how AI might influence discipleship and our relationship with God, and how Christians can use emerging tools wisely without losing what makes us wonderfully human. This conversation will help you wrestle with how AI may be discipling you in ways you don't realize, and provide a thoughtful, theologically grounded perspective on this hot topic.


Find out more about Dr. John Dyer on his website or through his Dallas Theological Seminary page.  

Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness.       
Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol       
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

In this episode, we take up one of the most painful and frequently asked questions in the church: What about God and divorce? Whether someone is in a miserable marriage, has been left by a spouse, or is carrying the wounds of divorce, this conversation is both challenging and important. 

We unpack the biblical meaning of covenant, and why divorce is so devastating—not because it ranks highest on some hierarchy of sins, but because it tears apart something God intended to reflect His faithful love. "God hates divorce" is not condemnation, but is a window into the grief of a Father who sees His children wounded. Jesus' own words acknowledge that divorce exists "because of the hardness of human hearts," naming both the reality of human cruelty and the complexity of real-life situations.

And we offer careful discernment rather than simplistic rules. There are reasons not to leave a marriage, and there are situations where separation or divorce may become necessary. This episode invites listeners to seek God's wisdom above all else, to invite trusted voices who will ask hard questions, and to pray honestly, "Lord, who are You calling me to be in this season?" Throughout Scripture, God speaks to His people as a betrayed yet faithful spouse—and this episode holds that tension: the seriousness of covenant, the pain of its rupture, and the relentless faithfulness of a God who does not abandon us, even when we break faith with Him.

These articles from Dr. Carol may be helpful for you: 
5 Ways to Pray About Your Troubled Marriage
Is My Marriage Toxic?
How to Know if You Are Released From Your Marriage
Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness.       
Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol       
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

Today Dr. Carol is joined by Lindsey Maestas, a writer and podcast host known for saying the hard things gently, and for telling the truth about love with honesty, depth, and compassion. Together, we talk about what happens when the feeling of being "in love" begins to fade, and why romance alone is never enough to sustain a relationship. Lindsey shares vulnerable stories about her own marriage, including a season when she was ready to call it quits, and the inner shifts that led her to choose staying, growth, and daily faithfulness instead of walking away.

We explore common relational patterns that quietly erode intimacy over time, including attachment dynamics, icing one another out, and making a partner responsible for needs only God can truly meet. She also speaks candidly about phone addiction, modern distraction, and the ways divided attention weakens connection and intimacy.

And there's plenty of hope and practical wisdom, contrasting grand gestures with the power of daily consistency. We talk about habits, self-discipline, and small, repeated investments that keep love alive over the long haul. This conversation invites listeners to embrace a deeper, steadier vision of love, one rooted not in fleeting feelings, but in presence, intention, and choosing one another again and again.

Connect with Lindsey Maestas on her website or Instagram.
Find Lindsey's book Don't Burn Your Own House Down: Prioritizing Your Marriage, Your Spouse, and Yourself for a Deeper Connection    


Check out the marriage resources at Dr. Carol Ministries
Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness.       
Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol       
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

You've heard of the Five Love Languages. But what's next? In this episode, we're joined by marriage and family therapist and author Leslie Parrot to explore what it really means to love in ways that are not just well-intended, but deeply felt. Good intentions alone aren't enough, but empathy and curiosity help bridge the gap between how we express love and how it's actually received. Drawing from decades of clinical experience and relational wisdom, Leslie offers insight into why a deeper understanding of love languages matters, not as a formula, but as a pathway to deeper connection.

And what fills your "love tank", or that of someone you care about? This isn't only for marriage; we also widen the lens to consider how these principles apply in friendships, families, and other relationships. We discuss how personality shapes the way we give and receive love, why each love language includes different "dialects," and how becoming a better listener is central to loving well. This episode invites you to slow down, listen more deeply, and practice a kind of love that doesn't just get expressed, but truly lands.

Connect with Les and Leslie Parrott on their website, Facebook, or Instagram.
Find the book by Gary Chapman, and Les and Leslie Parrott: The Love Language That Matters Most: How to Personalize Love So They Really Feel It   
Check out the 5 Love Languages® Premium Assessment
Join Les and Leslie Parrott and other experts online during National Marriage Week, February 7-14. Check it out.

Check out the marriage resources at Dr. Carol Ministries
Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness.       
Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol       
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.