Episode 34: Grace at the Table: Loving Family Through Hard Conversations Artwork

Unshaken

A community built on faith, strengthened by family, and grounded in resilience, created for people like you.

Welcome to the Unshaken Podcast, where you don’t have to navigate life alone. Hosted by Tony and Kristy, this show is all about living out Faith, Family, and Resilience, not just as a motto, but as a way of life.

Each week, we explore the real joys and challenges of marriage, family life, and disability through the lens of biblical truth. Whether you're an individual, a couple, or a caregiver, you’ll find encouragement, practical support, and unshakable hope in Christ.

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Episode 34: Grace at the Table: Loving Family Through Hard Conversations

November 11, 2025 • Tony & Kristy • Episode 34

0:00 | 38:58

🎙️ Episode 34: Grace at the Table: Loving Family Through Hard Conversations

Do you dread family gatherings because you know a hard conversation is coming?

In Episode 34 of Unshaken, Tony and Kristy talk about one of the most delicate parts of family life: having hard conversations with extended family when disability, mental health, or real-life needs are in the picture. This is especially for the holiday season, when everyone is together and one careless comment can shift the whole room.

Peace is not the absence of conflict. It is the presence of Christ in the middle of it.

🔵 Explore this episode:
https://unshakenpodcast.org/episodes/grace-at-the-table-loving-family-through-hard-conversations/

Kristy shares a personal example of advocating for a child in a tender mental health season and how setting clear expectations ahead of time protected everyone, including the family members who genuinely wanted to support but did not know what to say. Tony adds the importance of tone, prayer, and remembering you are not on opposing sides. You are on the same team. They talk about awkward questions, unhelpful comments, comparisons between kids, and over-helping that can unintentionally shame someone. They also give practical steps for preparing the conversation, using I-statements, deciding what is non-negotiable, setting boundaries without hostility, and choosing a plan that serves your family even if it breaks tradition. If you need wisdom for a hard conversation you have been avoiding, this episode will steady you.

🔶 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

Speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15): neither harshness nor avoidance leads to growth
Tone matters: how you say it often carries more weight than the words themselves
Prepare ahead: know what they must understand by the end of the conversation
Boundaries can honor God: clarity and love working together (and sometimes walking away is the wisest path)
As far as it depends on you, live at peace (Romans 12:18), and practice grace and forgiveness (Colossians 3:13)

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