Just Love Them

What happens when four of your five children leave the religion you raised them in?In this powerful conversation, Joy Allen shares how turning to God brought a profound spiritual shift in the way she views agency, motherhood, and faith. Instead of clinging tighter in fear, she learned to lean into love.Grounded in her mother’s simple wisdom — “Love is the answer. Now what was your question?” — this episode offers hope, perspective, and peace for parents navigating faith differences in their families.Gratitude Challenge: Rachaelcurfew.comConnect with Shiree at ⁠shireebest.com⁠ Join the⁠ "Just Love Them" Facebook group⁠Email Shiree at imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

What if the way you’re praying is missing one key element?In today’s episode, I share a spiritual “aha” moment that completely reframed how I understand prayer — especially when we’re asking God for miracles.After reading the book The Circle Maker and wrestling with some questions, I decided to write God a letter.The answer I received changed everything.We’re talking about:Why some prayers seem more powerful than othersThe importance of getting a clear “yes” from GodThe difference between begging and praying with expectationHow intentional focus may impact the miracles you’re seekingI’m sharing this in real time — not as someone who has it all figured out, but as someone learning alongside you. If you’ve been praying for change… this episode is for you.ANNOUNCEMENT: Details about a new online support group for those navigating the pain of a loved one leaving the Church.To get on the support group list, click on ⁠shireebest.com⁠ , fill out the contact form at the bottom of the home page, with the word "Interested". Join the⁠ "Just Love Them" Facebook group⁠Email Shiree at imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

This week’s guest is Lindsay Schiess—speaker, therapist, and professor at the University of Utah—who brings both professional expertise and deep compassion to one of the most tender experiences families face.As a therapist, Lindsay has worked with individuals on both sides of faith transitions. She offers thoughtful insight into why it feels so painful when a loved one leaves their religion—and explains how, at its core, it’s often an attachment wound.In this powerful conversation, Lindsay shares practical tools to help you navigate the swirl of emotions that can surface: grief, fear, anger, confusion, and even shame. She teaches how to honor your own experience without dismissing it, so you can create enough internal safety to truly hold space for others.If you’ve ever felt torn between staying true to yourself and staying connected to someone you love, this episode will help you understand what’s happening beneath the surface—and how real healing begins.Connect with Lindsay: InstagramLinkedinLindsayschiess.comPodcast: Therapist Question BoxConnect with Shiree at ⁠shireebest.com⁠ Join the⁠ "Just Love Them" Facebook group⁠Email Shiree at imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

Why does it seem like God speaks so clearly to some people… but not to you?In this episode, I share a powerful and unconventional way I’ve learned to receive clear, loving direction from God—especially during seasons of confusion, heartbreak, and strained relationships.When a loved one leaves the faith…When family dynamics feel painful…When you don’t know what to do next…We plead for answers. We want clarity. We want peace.Today I talk about:Why God doesn’t communicate the same way to everyoneHow to recognize the way He speaks to youA deeply personal experience that changed how I see my familyA powerful form of prayer that has brought me remarkable clarity and healingThis practice has softened my heart, strengthened my relationships, and brought answers when I desperately needed direction.God is not silent.He is not withholding.He wants to speak to you.If you’re seeking clearer direction and deeper peace, this episode is for you.To receive updates/information about the upcoming support group, go to ⁠shireebest.com⁠  Fill out the form on the home page with the word "interested" in the message box.Join the⁠ "Just Love Them" Facebook group⁠Email Shiree at imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

What do you do when one child leaves and later returns… another passes away from the effects of drug use… and a third relationship feels distant?In this deeply moving conversation, Karen Smith shares her journey as a mother navigating all three realities. With remarkable grace and honesty, she opens up about addiction, grief, hope, disappointment, and the steady love of God that carried her through it all.Karen reflects on:Loving a child who leaves—and welcoming them homeLosing a child to the heartbreaking effects of drug useNavigating family strain and relational distanceReleasing control and trusting God with her childrenLearning to see her children the way God sees themThrough unimaginable pain and uncertainty, Karen discovered a powerful truth: God’s love for our children is deeper, more personal, and more redemptive than we often understand.This episode may gently shift your paradigm—from fear to faith, from striving to surrender, from worry to trust.If you’ve ever wrestled with heartbreak in your family, felt helpless watching a child struggle, or wondered how to keep loving when it hurts, this conversation will meet you there.You will be inspired. And you may never see your children and other loved ones—or God’s love—the same way again.Connect with Shiree at ⁠shireebest.com⁠ Join the⁠ "Just Love Them" Facebook group⁠Email Shiree at imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

When someone you love steps away from the faith you cherish, it can be hard to feel love. It can be hard to be a light. It may be more likely that you feel devastated. Rejected. Afraid. Angry. Sad.So how do you truly love and be a light when your heart is hurting?In this episode, I share three life-changing shifts that helped me love my children who left the church—without compromising my faith or values. You can’t control another adult’s choices. But you can control your heart.And when you change, the relationship changes.If you’re tired of tension, walking on eggshells, or feeling rejected… this episode will give you a path forward.Connect with Shiree at ⁠shireebest.com⁠ Join the⁠ "Just Love Them" Facebook group⁠Email Shiree at imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

Returning guest and family relationship therapist Emil Harker joins the podcast to tackle a question many of you quietly wrestle with: What do you do when “just love them” feels like “let them take advantage of me”?In true, animated Emil-style, he breaks down what healthy boundaries actually look like—not walls, not ultimatums, but respectful limits that protect connection and self-respect. Emil shares practical communication strategies that help you stay loving without losing yourself, and shows how honoring both sides can lead to relationships that feel safer, stronger, and more balanced.Connect with Emil: emilharker@gmail.comEmil's podcast, The Emil ShowWebsite: EmilSpeaks.comConnect with Shiree at ⁠shireebest.com⁠ Join the⁠ "Just Love Them" Facebook group⁠Email Shiree at imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

Sometimes the most dangerous lies aren’t loud or obvious.They sound like your own thoughts.In this episode, Shiree shares a powerful realization that came while sitting in the temple—one that changed the way she understands how the adversary works on faithful, covenant-keeping people.Rather than pulling us off the path outright, Satan often works quietly, whispering discouragement, shame, blame, and defeat in ways we don’t even recognize as deception.This episode explores:Why discouragement and defeat never come from GodHow to recognize when a thought isn’t actually yoursThe “slippery slide” many of us don’t realize we’re onHow the Savior stays close—even when the lies feel loudIf you’ve ever felt worn down, blamed yourself for things you couldn’t control, or struggled to feel peace despite doing your best—this conversation is for you.You are not alone.And awareness changes everything.Connect with Shiree at ⁠shireebest.com⁠ Join the⁠ "Just Love Them" Facebook group⁠Email Shiree at imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

Grief doesn’t only come from loss we can name or explain. Sometimes it comes from shattered expectations—especially when someone we love chooses a path different from the one we imagined for them.In this episode, life coach Lindsey Shumway joins me to share a powerful and compassionate grief protocol she has taught to many of her clients—and recently used herself as her daughter took a direction Lindsay didn’t expect.Lindsey opens up about her own experience with honesty and tenderness, then walks us through a simple but deeply meaningful 4-step process designed to help us move through grief rather than get stuck inside it. This protocol honors both love and disappointment, allowing space for pain without letting it define the relationship—or us.If you’re grieving what could have been, what you hoped for, or what didn’t turn out the way you planned, this conversation may offer exactly the support you’ve been looking for.Lindsey's books: I Chose You, 101 Creative Dates for Latter-day Saints, Teeny Tiny Talks, What Baptism Means to Me are available at www.cedarfort.comThe FREE Heart-Centered Breathing Meditation: https://meditation.hello-bliss.comThe Emotional Guidance Scale:  https://thejoywithin.org/authors/abraham-hicks/moving-up-the-emotional-guidance-scaleConnect with Lindsey at: www.hello-bliss.com, @helloblisslifecoachingConnect with Shiree at ⁠shireebest.com⁠ Join the⁠ "Just Love Them" Facebook group⁠Email Shiree at imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

In this episode, I share a powerful journaling method that helped me move through a season of deep emotional pain—and has the potential to ease both emotional and physical pain.After learning this approach from my friend and past podcast guest Julie Hawkes, I discovered a simple but profound truth: unresolved emotions can keep our nervous system stuck in pain. When those emotions are safely expressed and released, the pain no longer needs to stay.If you’re carrying pain—grief, anger, fear, heartbreak, or even unexplained physical symptoms—I invite you to listen with an open heart and consider giving this “medicine” a try.Connect with Shiree at ⁠shireebest.com⁠ Join the⁠ "Just Love Them" Facebook group⁠Email Shiree at imlivinginjoy@gmail.com