Just Love Them

What do you do when your heart aches for a loved one who has stepped away from the faith you once shared? In this episode of Just Love Them, we take a closer look at Elder Ronald A. Rasband’s October 2026 General Conference address and his invitation to turn our despair over to Jesus Christ.

But how do we actually do that? How do we let go of the guilt, sorrow, and worry we carry for those we love, and find the peace and rest the Savior promises?

Drawing on Elder Rasband’s message and Shiree's own experiences, we talk about practical ways to begin laying our burdens at the Savior’s feet and allowing Him to carry what was never ours to carry alone.

If you love someone who has stepped away from your shared faith, I hope this conversation brings you comfort, hope, and a little more peace.

For a deeper dive into giving your burdens to God, check out:

"Giving it to God"

A Bonus Meditation

Connect with Shiree athttps://www.shireebest.com/imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

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What happens when the person you’ve built your life and faith with tells you he no longer believes in God?

Diana shares the heartbreak of discovering her husband’s changing beliefs—and the unexpected ways it brought them closer. From learning to love without trying to convince, to finding peace through family history and strengthening a marriage through simple daily practices, Diana’s story offers hope for navigating faith differences with someone you love.

Connect with Shiree athttps://www.shireebest.com/imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

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What if the messages we hear at General Conference have something especially meaningful to teach us about loving someone who has stepped away from the faith?

In this Conference Mash-Up, I’m bringing together powerful messages from our Church leaders that offer hope, perspective, and reassurance for some of our most tender family heartaches.

Listen for the promises woven throughout these messages. Some may be exactly what your heart needs to hear right now.

Connect with Shiree athttps://www.shireebest.com/imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

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What if the very thing we think divides us could actually become a place of connection?

Guest Garet Gardner shares his deeply personal journey of growing up with an inconsistent religious experience. He shares his experience of finding a sure knowledge that God is real, only to lose his faith in later years, followed by eventually finding his way back to a belief in Jesus Christ. Along the way, he discovered something surprising: focusing on Jesus rather than religious differences can open doors to understanding, meaningful conversation, and even healing.

This conversation offers hope for anyone navigating differences in faith, wondering how to talk with someone who has left, or simply trying to find greater understanding with people whose spiritual paths look different from their own.

Connect with Garet:https://theinvite.org

View reels from Garet on this topic:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DiKWEEZe7/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdPPoFlv6eH/

Youtube: https://youtu.be/rlK9FlWiD10

Artwork of Garet's father portrayed as Jesus: https://www.art4god.com

Connect with Shiree athttps://www.shireebest.com/imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

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What happens when someone you love begins to see the Church differently than you do? And what if that person is someone you have always admired and trusted?

In this episode, I share two surprising experiences that challenged me to reconsider how I respond when someone I love begins to question their faith. A statement from a friend helped me recognize something important: It's not my job to convert them. It's my job to love them.

Discover how listening without agreeing, praying with intention, and choosing friendship over persuasion can help us preserve the relationships that matter most.

Because sometimes the most important message we can give someone is this: I love you more than I love the idea that we need to believe the same way.

Connect with Shiree athttps://www.shireebest.com/imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

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When Al Carraway joined the Church in her 20's, her decision changed everything—including some of her closest relationships.

In this powerful conversation, Al shares what it was like to lose friendships, face painful family opposition, and walk a faith journey that often felt lonely and difficult. But she also shares the beautiful story of how patience, grace, and making space eventually helped heal her family relationships.

If you have a loved one whose faith choices have created distance in your relationship, this episode offers a hopeful reminder: relationships can heal, and love doesn’t have to require agreement.

Join us for a heartfelt conversation about faith, family, grace, and what it means to simply let people be who they are—and love them anyway.

Connect with Shiree athttps://www.shireebest.com/imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

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Connect with A on Instagraml: @alcarraway

What if the thing underneath your anger isn’t anger at all?

For years, Shiree didn’t realize how much fear was quietly influencing the way she thought, reacted, and related to the people she loved most. Then a counselor asked her a simple question that began to change everything:

“What are you afraid of?”

In this personal episode, Shiree explores what changed in her relationships when she stopped letting fear be her compass and began learning to trust God instead.

What happens when we stop trying to control the outcome—and trust the One who is driving?

Listen in and see if this question changes something for you, too.

Connect with Shiree athttps://www.shireebest.com/imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

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In this episode, Shiree and guest Melonie Mullen explore the difference between low-hanging fruit and high-hanging fruit—the thoughts and emotions that come easily versus the higher, more rewarding perspectives that often require intentional effort.

It can be easy to reach for discouragement, negativity, regret, or focusing on what is missing. But reaching higher may lead us toward forgiveness, acceptance, peace, gratitude, and a more eternal perspective.

Together, they discuss how shifting our focus can change the way we see our lives, our challenges, and even the choices of the people we love. Especially when someone we love has chosen a different path, learning to honor agency, let go of what we cannot control, and reach for a higher perspective can bring greater peace and joy.

Sometimes the most meaningful fruit isn't the easiest to reach for—but it may be exactly what nourishes us most.

Connect with Shiree athttps://www.shireebest.com/imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

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We all make assumptions—about what our loved ones are thinking, why they act the way they do, and even what God is doing in their lives. But what happens when those assumptions aren’t true?

In this episode, we’ll look at how assumptions can quietly lead to judgment, misunderstanding, and damaged relationships—especially when someone we love has left the faith.

You’ll discover six simple ways to replace assumptions and judgment with compassion, curiosity, kindness, and greater trust in God.

Connect with Shiree athttps://www.shireebest.com/imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

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Why are so many people leaving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—and what can we do about it?

In this episode, Shiree talks with Jeff Strong, author of Torn, about his deeply researched exploration of Latter-day Saint disaffiliation. Jeff shares what he discovered through years of research, thousands of interviews, and his own family’s experience with a loved one leaving the Church.

They discuss why people leave, the role church culture can play, and how we can respond with greater understanding, faith, and love. Most importantly, Jeff offers practical hope for navigating religious differences without losing the relationships that matter most.

Connect with Shiree athttps://www.shireebest.com/imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

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Have you ever been absolutely sure you understood why someone made a choice—only to discover you didn’t know their whole story?

Shiree shares a powerful story about a woman had a bishop she once disliked and how learning more about his story completely changed the way she saw him.

Shiree also shares her own surprising discovery about judgment—and why she realized she had a blind spot she couldn’t even see.

Could we be doing the same thing with loved ones who have left the faith?

This episode invites us to look honestly at our own hearts, distinguish righteous judgment from unrighteous judgment, and consider what might happen if we replaced judgment with curiosity and love.

Connect with Shiree athttps://www.shireebest.com/imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

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On this episode, guest Tony Faber shares his journey of learning to love his children without trying to control their choices. As a father of nine, Tony has experienced the complexity of family, faith, adoption, and watching children make decisions that differ from his own beliefs. Tony opens up about how recognizing his own need for Jesus changed the way he viewed his role as a parent. Rather than seeing his children as people he must “save,” he began to see them as Heavenly Father’s children—people he is called to love, support, and trust God with. Love doesn’t require agreement. And letting go of control doesn’t mean letting go of hope.

Connect with Shiree athttps://www.shireebest.com/imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

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When someone we love leaves the faith we once shared, it can be easy to focus on what we’ve lost—and wonder, “Where are my blessings?”

In this episode, Shiree explores the principle of compensating blessings: the idea that when we are deprived of something we deeply desire, the Lord can bless us in other ways. Sometimes those blessings come immediately. Sometimes they are subtle. And sometimes we may not recognize them until we look back.

Shiree shares personal examples of compensating blessings she has discovered in her own family, along with stories and teachings from Church leaders and scripture. Most importantly, she invites you to look at your own life with new eyes and ask:

“What blessings have I been given that I might not have recognized?”

If you are struggling with the choices of someone you love, this episode may help you see that God has not forgotten you.

Connect with Shiree athttps://www.shireebest.com/imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

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What happens when someone you love no longer shares your faith?

For many families, those conversations quickly become emotional, painful, and sometimes relationship-changing. But they don't have to.

In this episode, Shiree sits down with Joseph Grenny, New York Times bestselling author of Crucial Conversations, to discuss what actually happens when families talk about faith differences—and why even the most devoted family members often have the hardest time getting these conversations right.

Joseph shares practical tools for staying emotionally grounded, recognizing the stories we tell ourselves, and responding in ways that strengthen relationships instead of damaging them.

Whether you're navigating a loved one's faith transition, family conflict, or any emotionally charged conversation, this episode offers hope and practical skills you can begin using today.

Connect with Shiree athttps://www.shireebest.com/imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

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Family estrangement can leave behind questions that never seem to have answers.

In Part 2 of this series, Shiree explores two additional reasons why someone may choose to cut off contact with family—insights that emerged after conversations with listeners who have lived this painful experience. While every situation is unique, these perspectives may help you better understand what could be happening beneath the surface.

More importantly, this episode offers hope. You'll learn practical, faith-centered principles that can help you grieve, find peace, and begin healing—even when reconciliation isn't possible.

If you haven't already, be sure to listen to Part 1 -When a Loved One Cuts You Off, before diving into this episode.

Link to Part 1 - When a Loved One Cuts You Off

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Email Shiree at imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

Have you ever wondered if you've made too many parenting mistakes? If you've ever worried that you've somehow "wired" your children wrong, this conversation is for you.

Cherise Weber shares how growing up without a healthy example of parenting fueled her determination to do better for her own children. But despite her best efforts, she reached a point of deep discouragement—until a quiet, life-changing moment with God transformed the way she saw herself, her children, and parenting itself.

This episode is a reminder that parenting isn't about perfection. It's about learning, repairing, and trusting that God gives us endless opportunities to love, grow, and begin again.

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Email Shiree at imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

When someone you love leaves the faith, the grief can feel overwhelming—almost like losing them, even though they are still here. In this deeply personal episode, Shiree shares her own experience and how that heartbreaking journey taught her an important truth: the deepest pain does not last forever.

Drawing on her experiences as the mother of children who have stepped away from the gospel, Shiree offers hope to those carrying the heavy burden of faith-related loss. She explores what we know—and don't know—about God's plan, the promises of eternal families, and why trusting the Savior can bring peace even when answers are incomplete.

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Email Shiree at imlivinginjoy@gmail.com

Why do some thoughts leave us feeling trapped in fear, anxiety, worry, and confusion?

According to Christian mentor, speaker, and energy coach Julie Hawkes, it's often because we've unknowingly believed lies that keep us stuck.

In this powerful conversation, Julie shares five common lies that many of us tell ourselves—lies that separate us from peace, cloud our ability to hear God, and keep us living from fear rather than faith.

Julie teaches practical ways to recognize these limiting beliefs, challenge them, and replace them with truth. She explains how fear disconnects us from feeling God's love and how learning to hear God's voice more clearly can help us move forward with greater confidence, clarity, and peace.

If you've been carrying anxiety, overthinking, uncertainty, or fear about the future, this episode offers hope and practical tools to help you break free from what's keeping you stuck.

Julie's original episode on the 5 Lies on her Laws of Peace podcast: HERE.

The Laws of Peace podcast

Link to sign up for Julie's Class: How to Stop Hurrying and Get Your Life Back

Links to Julie on:

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Family estrangement is becoming increasingly common, leaving many parents, siblings, and loved ones heartbroken and confused.

In this episode, Shiree explores the difference between healthy boundaries that create safety and unhealthy boundaries that are used to control, punish, or cut people off.

You'll learn some of the reasons family members choose distance. Shiree also shares a simple self-assessment to help you identify whether you are responding from fear, hurt, and control—or from acceptance, love, and personal responsibility.

Most importantly, you'll discover practical ways to navigate estrangement with greater peace and wisdom. Learn the 3 things not to do, the 4 things that can help, and how to stay open, get curious, release control, and continue healing—regardless of someone else's choices.

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When relationships become difficult, it's easy to close our hearts in fear, frustration, or self-protection. But what if the path to greater peace and connection begins by opening our hearts instead?

In this episode, I sit down with my friend Rachael Curfew to discuss how we can move from fear to curiosity, from judgment to understanding, and from trying to control outcomes to genuinely loving people where they are.

Rachael shares practical insights on keeping an open heart when someone you love makes choices you wouldn't choose, approaching challenges with curiosity and problem-solving, and following the Savior's example of loving others regardless of their decisions.

Connect with Rachael HEREConnect with Shiree at⁠shireebest.com⁠

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Email Shiree at imlivinginjoy@gmail.com