Welcome to Building Strong Homes, the podcast where faith meets family in the most practical and powerful ways. I’m your host, Carol Roper, wife, mom and former home designer who used to spend my days drafting floor plans and designing details, but now I help wives and moms design lives based on God’s word.
This podcast is for women who want more than survival mode. You want clarity. You want purpose. You want a home that stands strong—not just physically, but spiritually. Inside each episode, you’ll find practical tools that include:
If you’ve ever wondered how your ordinary days could build something extraordinary, you’re in the right place. Discover biblical blueprints for shaping a legacy that reflects God’s design—one brick of faith at a time.
Podcast series
The Kitchen Table episodes are my solo reflections, released every other week. I share life experiences, Jesus moments, and lessons learned—stories from my own journey that I hope will encourage and inspire you.
Why the kitchen table? For me, it’s where family gathers, hearts connect, and meaningful conversations happen. These episodes are meant to feel the same way—as if we’re sitting together over coffee or tea, sharing life’s ups and downs, and learning from God’s faithfulness in the everyday.
Think of these episodes as a little time set aside for honest conversations and encouragement, just like we’d share around my own kitchen table
Mary Marantz knows how fear can hold us back. Even though she was able to leave the musty single-wide trailer of her childhood in West Virginia and make her way to Yale Law School, she always carried the fear that she would be found out. Even though she had worked...
If you’ve ever wondered whether your story really matters — or questioned how your past, your personality, and your experiences fit into God’s calling for your life — this episode is for you. I’m sharing the behind‑the‑scenes story of how I stepped into women’s ministry, the unexpected ways God used...
What if one weekend could breathe life back into the parts of you that feel worn thin? This October, I’m hosting The Flourish Retreat in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina — and I want you to come with me. If you’re a wife or mom who’s been pouring out for everyone else, this is...
George Carneal grew up in the ’70s, raised by a Southern Baptist minister in the ultra-conservative Bible Belt where his world revolved around the church, country fried chicken and trying to fit in with other boys. As disco music pulsated through the speakers in his bedroom, he plotted his escape...
You wouldn’t think a breast cancer diagnosis would lead a couple into a marriage that was more joyful than they could have ever imagined, but that’s what happened with Glen and Kelly Daigle. They had both been married before they met and were ready for a fresh start, having each...
Catch the latest episode of Building Strong Homes: Blueprints to Strengthen Your Faith & Family.
Best 100 Christian Family Podcasts in the US. Welcome to Building Strong Homes, the podcast where faith meets family in the most practical and powerful ways. I’m your host, Carol Roper, wife, mom and former home designer who used to spend my days drafting floor plans and designing details, but now I help wives and moms design lives based on God’s word.
This podcast is for women who want more than survival mode. You want clarity. You want purpose. You want a home that stands strong—not just physically, but spiritually. Inside each episode, you’ll find practical tools that include:
*How to strengthen your marriage and motherhood through biblical truth
*Candid conversations with men and women who’ve faced real challenges and found God’s grace
*Encouragement to stand firm, even when culture says otherwise
*Actionable ways to bless your home and influence your community
If you’ve ever wondered how your ordinary days could build something extraordinary, you’re in the right place. Discover biblical blueprints for shaping a legacy that reflects God’s design—one brick of faith at a time.
Mary Marantz knows how fear can hold us back. Even though she was able to leave the musty single-wide trailer of her childhood in West Virginia and make her way to Yale Law School, she always carried the fear that she would be found out. Even though she had worked hard and earned every grade and scholarship she received she thought others saw her as an imposter. So, she strove to be the best at everything she did, and she was.
But the life of perfection has a way of draining the joy out of you. Mary finally realized that fear was holding her hostage to a life that didn’t provide freedom and that he is a boring liar. In this episode she shares part of her fascinating story of growing up in rural West Virginia, which is the topic of her first book, Dirt, with a dad who was a proud eighth generation logger, a mom who cleaned houses and her amazing grandma Goldie.
In her newest book, Underestimated, she shares how she overcame perfectionism, procrastination, people-pleasing and more. She understands the drive to prove others wrong and show everyone just how far you’ve come, while also doubting yourself at every turn. Mary has learned that we all must own the muddy parts of our stories so we can move forward in the purpose God has for us. Because, as Mary says, God does His best work in the muddy, messy, and broken if we’ll only learn to dig in.
Watch on YouTube The Power of an Underdog Story: Mary Marantz on Faith, Grit, and Becoming Who You’re Called to Be with Mary Marantz
Find our more about The Flourish Retreat or Contact Carol with any questions
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