Living a Simple Life with a Back Porch View
Grab a glass of lemonade and settle in for a visit! Listen to stories designed to encourage, uplift, and help you Live a Simple Life with a Back Porch View. Find out what that means, and how to shift your own lifestyle. Then relax and enjoy while learning the different aspects of a Simple Life - from following your dreams and passions to handcrafting, cooking, tending to the home and garden, and more. And from time to time, there will even be a recipe and freebie or two!
Episodes
212 episodes
Being a Safe Place for Others
Some people have a way of making others feel at ease — unhurried, unjudged, and free to be honest. In this episode, we talk about what it really means to be a safe place for someone else. We explore how trust is built quietly over time, why pre...
Listening without Fixing
Our instinct to help often shows up as advice, solutions, or quick fixes — even when that’s not what’s needed. In this episode, we talk about why listening without fixing can feel so uncomfortable, and why it’s also one of the most caring thing...
What It Means to Truly Listen
In a world that rushes us to respond, fix, and explain, true listening has quietly become rare. In this episode, we slow things down and talk about what it really means to listen — not with an agenda, not with advice ready, but with presence an...
Ordinary Neighbors, Extraordinary Hearts
We tend to think of “heroes” as people who make headlines. But the truth is, the real heroes are often our neighbors. The ones who don’t talk about what they do. The ones who just notice needs and quietly meet them. The ones who move through li...
Building the Village – Making Others Feel They Belong
Every small town, every cul-de-sac, every neighborhood has its own heartbeat. You can feel it when you take an early morning walk and see someone waving from their porch. But sometimes, when life gets busy or people start keeping to themselves,...
Supporting the Forgotten
Sometimes, the people who need us most are the ones we barely notice anymore. They’re tucked into the corners of our neighborhoods and communities — the quiet ones. They’re not forgotten because we don’t care. More often, it’s because life just...
The Ministry of a Meal, a Visit, or a Smile
It’s funny how often we overcomplicate kindness. Somewhere along the line, we started to think it had to come wrapped in ribbons, require a committee, or have a hashtag attached to it. But really, most of the time, kindness doesn’t need a grand...
Noticing the Needs Around You
Sometimes, being a hero doesn’t mean grand gestures or bold headlines. It’s about slowing down long enough to notice the quiet needs around us — the neighbor who could use a hand, the friend who needs a kind word, or the stranger who simply nee...
Creating a Home with Heart
In this episode, we’re talking about what it truly means to create a home with heart — not a perfect home, but a warm, welcoming one where the people you love feel seen, safe, and cared for. We’ll chat about the small, everyday moments that mak...
Be a Hero to your Children
Love doesn’t have to be loud to be lasting. In this week’s episode, we’re talking about the quiet, steady ways you can show love to your children — whether they’re still at home or have families of their own. Discover how simple gestures — a ki...
Be a Hero to Your Loved One or Spouse
One of the greatest gifts you can give your spouse or loved one is your presence. In a world full of noise, distractions, and never-ending to-do lists, being truly there is a quiet act of love that speaks volumes. Join me as we laugh, ...
The Quiet Heroism of Homemaking
Rediscover the beauty, purpose, and strength found in caring for your home and family. You’ll be reminded that the simple acts of daily life — cooking, cleaning, loving, and tending — are acts of quiet heroism that shape hearts and create a san...
Your Story Matters: Using Your Life as a Light
In this week’s episode, we reflect on how Your Story Matters — how the everyday moments, lessons learned, and quiet choices of your life can become a light for others. We’ll explore the power of simply showing up, sharing your experien...
Finding Your Anchor: Faith, Routine, and Reflection
In this week’s episode, we’re talking about what it means to Find Your Anchor — how faith, simple routines, and quiet reflection help us stay grounded when life gets busy or uncertain. We’ll look at how the smallest daily choices — a p...
Your Story Matters: Using Your Life as a Light
In this week’s episode, we reflect on how Your Story Matters — how the everyday moments, lessons learned, and quiet choices of your life can become a light for others. We’ll explore the power of simply showing up, sharing your experien...
Why Simple Living Creates Everyday Heroes
In this episode, we’re opening the door to our 2026 theme, Be Someone’s Hero, and talking about how a simple life naturally shapes everyday heroes. When we slow down and live with intention, we begin to notice the quiet needs around us —...
Let This Year Help You Plan for the New Year
As the year draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to pause, breathe, and take a gentle look back. In this episode, we’re reflecting on the past year — the blessings, the lessons, and even the challenges — and discovering how each one can help...
Merry Christmas!
It’s Christmas — a time to pause, reflect, and remember what matters most. In this special holiday episode, I’m sharing a heartfelt message from my back porch to yours — one that celebrates the beauty of simplicity, the warmth of home, and the ...
Add Fun to your Christmas Table
Are you looking for a way to turn a predictable Christmas meal into something fun and unique? Listen in for some creative ideas to add a fun touch to your Christmas meal — ways that invite laughter, creativity, and connection around your table....
Lost in a Christmas Aisle – A Survivor’s Guide
Feeling a little lost in the holiday hustle? You’re not alone! In this light-hearted episode of Living a Simple Life with a Back Porch View, we head straight into the Christmas aisle — glitter, chaos, and all — with a tongue-in-cheek s...
Tired of the Holiday Hustle?
The Holiday Hustle starts earlier every year. Before the last of the Halloween candy has been eaten, stores are piping in Christmas music and flashing “limited time only” sales. The commercials tell us that the magic of Christmas comes in a gif...
Happy Thanksgiving!
In this Thanksgiving episode, it’s time to slow down, breathe deeply, and reflect on the true meaning of gratitude. Through faith-filled encouragement and gentle reminders, you’ll rediscover how a thankful heart can transform your home, your ta...
Finding Faith in Yourself
One of the hardest things we can be asked to do is to believe in ourselves. For a lot of us, it’s easy to believe that God is good. We can believe He’s powerful, loving, and able to work miracles. We can believe that He answers prayer and that ...
Finding Time for Devotion
Finding time for devotion is one of those things that sounds easy in theory. We imagine ourselves sitting at a sunny table with our Bible open and a gentle breeze floating through the window. But in reality, we might be snatching a few minutes ...
Integrating Faith Into Your Simple Life
Sometimes, the more complicated life gets, the easier it is for faith to be tucked into the corners instead of standing front and center. It’s not that we ever mean for that to happen. It just seems like the busyness of schedules, chores, unexp...