Whatever Is Excellent with Leanne Tuggle

Leanne
  • 5.0 (13)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

Encouragement and Inspiration for women choosing to rise above the “just survive” mentality and instead set their mind on thriving in all that they say and do. The ultimate goal is to equip you to pursue whatever is excellent in the midst of your ordinary life and in all that you say and do. 

  1. 5d ago

    95: A Well-Stewarded Christmas

    Holiday stress doesn’t usually show up all at once. It stacks up quietly, one “yes” at a time, one unplanned expense at a time, and one more late night that leaves you running on fumes. After a simple monthly marriage meeting and a gentle reminder to stay on budget, we zoom out to a bigger, steadier idea: Christmas preparation is really about stewardship. If God has entrusted us with resources, then planning the next three months is spiritual work, not just logistics. Unpack what it means to steward time with wisdom, including how fear drives an overloaded calendar and how clarity brings peace. Let's talk through practical holiday planning with your spouse: choosing traditions you love, releasing what feels like obligation, deciding commitments early, and giving yourself permission to make choices based on what fits your family in this season. If you want better holiday time management and fewer rushed weeks, this is your roadmap. Then we get concrete with money. I'll walk you through a realistic Christmas budget, why “counting the cost” matters, and the common categories that blow up spending: gifts, food, travel or hosting, Christmas cards, teacher gifts, wrapping and mailing supplies, and special activities. I also touch on how to teach kids healthy expectations and why generosity isn’t measured by dollars. Finally, let's talk about the overlooked resource: energy. Just because you have time to do something doesn’t mean you have the capacity, and the holidays don’t have to be a burnout contest. If you want a faith-based approach to holiday planning that leads to more peace, more margin, and a more meaningful Christmas, listen now, then subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review so more families can find it. Recommended Resources: She Reads Truth Advent 2026  Connect with me! You can find me on Instagram @mrs.leannetuggle or you can email me at leanne.tuggle@gmail.com. I love hearing from you! Would you like more weekly encouragement? Subscribe to my newsletter Whatever is Lovely and be inspired to open your inbox again. https://leannetuggle.myflodesk.com/v3r2zwdaik If this is your first time here and this episode resonated, hit “subscribe” and submit a 5-star rating if you feel genuinely inspired to. Your positive feedback means the world to me! Episode Sponsors: Rodan + Fields - Take this brief quiz to find your customized skincare routine! Whatever is Lovely - Subscribe here to the weekly newsletter designed to encourage you with words of wisdom and relatable content. Be inspired to open your inbox again.

    95: A Well-Stewarded Christmas

  2. Sep 22

    94: For the Love of the Home (Part 3)

    A messy house can make you feel like you’re failing, even when you’re working hard all day. We’re pushing back on that pressure by naming a better target for Christian homemaking: not a perfect home, but a faithful one. When the goal becomes loving and serving the people God has entrusted to you, routines stop feeling like a scoreboard and start feeling like support. We talk about wisdom, creativity, and why “how people feel in your home” is a surprisingly honest measure of progress.  Then we get very practical. I walk through a simple way to build homemaking systems that actually fit real life: list your tasks as daily, weekly, and monthly, assign them to specific days, and commit to follow-through. We also talk about adjusting expectations by season, including what it can look like to get help when you truly can’t do it all. If your home has ever felt chaotic, we connect rhythms and peace to a God who is not a God of confusion, and we bring that belief down to the level of laundry days and kitchen resets.  We also cover minimalist decorating, decluttering, and how to create a cozy home without buying more. You’ll hear ideas like “everything has a place,” a nightly 15-minute tidy to “put your home to bed,” and a “minimum day” plan for sickness, new babies, or moving chaos so you can keep the house functional without spiraling into guilt. We close with clear homemaking guidelines, a reminder that Christ is the center of the home, and an encouraging hymn that calls us back to faithful work done with joy.  If this brought you clarity, subscribe, share this with a friend who feels overwhelmed at home, and leave a review so more women can find practical, biblical encouragement for homemaking. Recommended Reading: Welcome Home by MyQuillyn Smith Eve in Exile by Rebekah Merkle The Daily Connoisseur's Guide to Living Well at Home by Jennifer L. Scott Connect with me! You can find me on Instagram @mrs.leannetuggle or you can email me at leanne.tuggle@gmail.com. I love hearing from you! Would you like more weekly encouragement? Subscribe to my newsletter Whatever is Lovely and be inspired to open your inbox again. https://leannetuggle.myflodesk.com/v3r2zwdaik If this is your first time here and this episode resonated, hit “subscribe” and submit a 5-star rating if you feel genuinely inspired to. Your positive feedback means the world to me! Episode Sponsors: Rodan + Fields - Take this brief quiz to find your customized skincare routine! Whatever is Lovely - Subscribe here to the weekly newsletter designed to encourage you with words of wisdom and relatable content. Be inspired to open your inbox again.

    94: For the Love of the Home (Part 3)

  3. Sep 15

    93: For the Love of the Home (Part 2) with Sarah Eddlemon

    Culture is loud about what “success” should look like, but the heart knows when something doesn’t fit. I sit down with my friend Sarah, a military spouse and mom of three boys, to talk about homemaking, motherhood, and how God’s design for women reshapes what a meaningful life really is. We get practical and personal about why staying home can be a calling, not a consolation prize, and how faithfulness in the home can outlast any public achievement. We dig into the deeper questions many Christian moms quietly carry: Why does the repetitive, unseen work matter? How do you stay encouraged when laundry and dishes never end? Sarah shares a perspective shift that reframes homemaking as service to God and to people, and we talk about the freedom that comes from moving from “I have to” toward “I get to.” We also unpack how motherhood sanctifies us, exposing selfishness and inviting daily surrender. You’ll also hear what discipleship at home can look like without turning your family life into a rigid curriculum: building trust, welcoming hard questions, praying often, reading the Bible together, memorizing Scripture, showing up at church consistently, and letting kids see real repentance and real faith in motion. If you’ve felt torn between outside expectations and what you sense God is asking of you, this conversation offers clarity, comfort, and courage. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Recommended Reading: Simplified Organization by Mistie Winckler Connect with me! You can find me on Instagram @mrs.leannetuggle or you can email me at leanne.tuggle@gmail.com. I love hearing from you! Would you like more weekly encouragement? Subscribe to my newsletter Whatever is Lovely and be inspired to open your inbox again. https://leannetuggle.myflodesk.com/v3r2zwdaik If this is your first time here and this episode resonated, hit “subscribe” and submit a 5-star rating if you feel genuinely inspired to. Your positive feedback means the world to me! Episode Sponsors: Rodan + Fields - Take this brief quiz to find your customized skincare routine! Whatever is Lovely - Subscribe here to the weekly newsletter designed to encourage you with words of wisdom and relatable content. Be inspired to open your inbox again.

    93: For the Love of the Home (Part 2) with Sarah Eddlemon

  4. Sep 8

    92: For the Love of the Home (Part 1)

    The culture has a lot to say about women and the home, but most of it leaves us either defensive, exhausted, or quietly ashamed. I want to start somewhere steadier: what Scripture actually says home is for, and why our longing for it might be pointing to something deeper than cozy fall feelings.  Part 1 of my For The Love Of The Home mini-series builds a biblical vision of the home as a place of belonging, protection, hospitality, and discipleship. We look at why the home matters in Genesis and Deuteronomy 6, how it can reflect God’s character through daily rhythms, and why our earthly homes even echo the promise of a heavenly home in John 14 and Revelation 21. I also name the real pain many of us carry from family life and how that brokenness can tempt us to treat home as either a trap or an afterthought.  From there, I challenge two modern extremes and return to God’s design for women as image bearers and “helpers” meaning equal in worth, different by design. We walk through Titus 2 and Proverbs wisdom to show that loving your husband, discipling children, and working at home takes training and intentionality, and that excellence in unseen work can bless the entire family. I share my own pivot away from hustle culture, plus a simple question that clarifies priorities fast: which direction are you pointed?  If you want a Christian perspective on homemaking, motherhood, women’s roles, and building a life-giving home without the noise, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more women can find the series. Recommended Reading: Eve in Exile by Rebekah Merkle Keep a Quiet Heart by Elisabeth Elliot The Crucified Life by A.W. Tozer Connect with me! You can find me on Instagram @mrs.leannetuggle or you can email me at leanne.tuggle@gmail.com. I love hearing from you! Would you like more weekly encouragement? Subscribe to my newsletter Whatever is Lovely and be inspired to open your inbox again. https://leannetuggle.myflodesk.com/v3r2zwdaik If this is your first time here and this episode resonated, hit “subscribe” and submit a 5-star rating if you feel genuinely inspired to. Your positive feedback means the world to me! Episode Sponsors: Rodan + Fields - Take this brief quiz to find your customized skincare routine! Whatever is Lovely - Subscribe here to the weekly newsletter designed to encourage you with words of wisdom and relatable content. Be inspired to open your inbox again.

    92: For the Love of the Home (Part 1)

  5. Sep 1

    91: One Simple Family Rhythm for a Peace-Filled Home

    September flips a switch for a lot of us. The pace changes, the cozy months show up, and we start craving a clean slate that’s more than new school supplies and a fresh calendar. We’re kicking off season seven with a grounding reminder from Philippians 4:8 and a simple message that cuts through the noise: God does extraordinary work through women who faithfully embrace excellence in the ordinary. We talk honestly about how easy it is to feel unimpressive when culture rewards visibility, likes, and “going viral.” But most of us are living in the daily loop of meals, laundry, school drop-offs, work, dishes, and discipleship. That doesn’t make your life small. Luke 16:10 reframes faithfulness as the real measure of maturity, and it pulls us away from perfectionism toward purpose. We share how inspiration from books and mentors can be a gift, but “copy and paste” living steals peace when it ignores your season, your limits, and what God is asking of your specific family. Then we get practical with a flexible tradition we’ve adapted over time: a Family Day. Think breakfast, prayer, gratitude, simple goals, clear expectations, shared hopes, and prayer requests all in one place. Whether you’re navigating a new kindergarten season, sending a child to college, homeschooling, living through a military PCS move, or simply trying to reset your home rhythms, this idea can become an anchor that builds unity and belonging. If you’re ready for a calmer, more intentional Christian home and a fresh start that actually sticks, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs encouragement for the everyday, and leave a review so more women can find the show. Recommended Reading: The Life-Giving Home by Sally and Sarah Clarkson Connect with me! You can find me on Instagram @mrs.leannetuggle or you can email me at leanne.tuggle@gmail.com. I love hearing from you! Would you like more weekly encouragement? Subscribe to my newsletter Whatever is Lovely and be inspired to open your inbox again. https://leannetuggle.myflodesk.com/v3r2zwdaik If this is your first time here and this episode resonated, hit “subscribe” and submit a 5-star rating if you feel genuinely inspired to. Your positive feedback means the world to me! Episode Sponsors: Rodan + Fields - Take this brief quiz to find your customized skincare routine! Whatever is Lovely - Subscribe here to the weekly newsletter designed to encourage you with words of wisdom and relatable content. Be inspired to open your inbox again.

    91: One Simple Family Rhythm for a Peace-Filled Home

  6. Aug 11

    90: The Family that Serves Together

    Church can feel like something we attend or something we build. That difference matters more than we think, especially for our kids. I share a personal story that starts with a 13-year-old begging to join a mission trip and coming home with one clear takeaway: knowing the “right answers” is not the same as learning how to share a real testimony that points to Jesus. From nursery volunteering to helping in children’s ministry, I talk about how early serving shaped confidence, spiritual growth, and a deeper sense of belonging in the body of Christ. Along the way, I anchor the conversation in Scripture about serving in love, humility, and using our gifts well. I also dig into why this isn’t just sentimental. Research commonly referenced by Barna, Pew Research Center, and LifeWay highlights a sobering reality about church retention, and it points to a hopeful pattern: teens who serve are far more likely to stay connected long term. I explain why being a contributor creates relational ties, ownership, and community responsibility that attendance alone rarely builds. Then I get practical with family service on Sundays: how to start with prayer, how to weigh your current season of life, and how to serve without sacrificing your primary ministry at home. I share a real example of building a children’s ministry program from scratch after COVID and making it work as a family, plus simple prompts to help you identify where your church truly needs you. If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more families can find it. Where could your family become a contributor right now? Connect with me! You can find me on Instagram @mrs.leannetuggle or you can email me at leanne.tuggle@gmail.com. I love hearing from you! Would you like more weekly encouragement? Subscribe to my newsletter Whatever is Lovely and be inspired to open your inbox again. https://leannetuggle.myflodesk.com/v3r2zwdaik If this is your first time here and this episode resonated, hit “subscribe” and submit a 5-star rating if you feel genuinely inspired to. Your positive feedback means the world to me! Episode Sponsors: Rodan + Fields - Take this brief quiz to find your customized skincare routine! Whatever is Lovely - Subscribe here to the weekly newsletter designed to encourage you with words of wisdom and relatable content. Be inspired to open your inbox again.

    90: The Family that Serves Together

  7. Aug 4

    89: Build a School-Year Playbook for a Calm Home

    A new school year can feel like a fresh start, but it can also bring a fresh wave of chaos if we try to wing it. We want something better than frantic mornings and frazzled afternoons, so we’re sharing the practical planning process we use to build a calmer, more peace-filled home. Think of it like a simple playbook: a few repeatable rhythms that reduce decision fatigue, increase consistency, and help our kids feel emotionally safe.  We start with the foundation: our own morning routine. Before we plan for our kids, we work backward from the school start time and choose a realistic setup that helps us show up with patience and presence, not depletion. Then we map a kid-friendly morning routine with clear expectations, age-appropriate independence, and a built-in practice week before school begins. We also talk about how breakfast and Bible time can become a steady daily anchor without needing to be complicated or long.  Next, we move to the after-school routine, because the transition from school to home often sets the tone for the whole evening. We share simple systems for snacks, decompression, check-ins, and home logistics like backpacks and lunchboxes. We also dig into calendar wisdom, setting boundaries around extracurricular activities to protect family dinners and white space. Finally, we close with a chore reset that teaches responsibility and keeps the home running as a shared effort.  If you’re craving a more organized school year rooted in wisdom, peace, and faith-based family rhythms, hit play. Then subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review so more parents can find it. Connect with me! You can find me on Instagram @mrs.leannetuggle or you can email me at leanne.tuggle@gmail.com. I love hearing from you! Would you like more weekly encouragement? Subscribe to my newsletter Whatever is Lovely and be inspired to open your inbox again. https://leannetuggle.myflodesk.com/v3r2zwdaik If this is your first time here and this episode resonated, hit “subscribe” and submit a 5-star rating if you feel genuinely inspired to. Your positive feedback means the world to me! Episode Sponsors: Rodan + Fields - Take this brief quiz to find your customized skincare routine! Whatever is Lovely - Subscribe here to the weekly newsletter designed to encourage you with words of wisdom and relatable content. Be inspired to open your inbox again.

    89: Build a School-Year Playbook for a Calm Home

  8. Jul 28

    88: Always Be Ready to Give a Defense

    Middle school hallways can feel like a daily referendum on who your kid is and where they belong. As a parent, that pressure hits me too, especially when the loudest cultural messages say truth is whatever you feel in the moment. I talk through why an identity in Christ is not just comforting language, it’s an anchor that can steady our kids when friendships shift, trends change, and “live your truth” turns convictions into something as temporary as a viral video. I unpack what biblical convictions are and what they are not. Convictions aren’t personalities, preferences, or political opinions. They’re deeply held beliefs formed by Scripture, strengthened through prayer, wisdom, and obedience. Daniel’s resolve in Babylon gives a clear picture of courageous faith without unnecessary conflict, and Jesus shows the perfect balance we’re aiming for: full grace and full truth. I also reflect on the disciples’ fear before the cross and their courage after the Holy Spirit comes, because many of us know what it feels like to be intimidated into silence. Then we get practical. I share how I teach my kids that compassion does not require compromise, and how to resist emotional manipulation without becoming harsh, fearful, or reactive. We can slow the moment down with questions, separate feelings from facts, and respond with gracious words that still hold a clear line. Finally, I explain why biblical literacy and critical thinking belong at the center of Christian parenting, so our kids learn how to think, not just what to think. If you want more confidence to live out biblical conviction with kindness, listen now, then subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review. What conviction do you want to hold with more courage and more love? Recommended Reading: When Culture Hates You by Natasha Crain Toxic Empathy by Allie Beth Stuckey Connect with me! You can find me on Instagram @mrs.leannetuggle or you can email me at leanne.tuggle@gmail.com. I love hearing from you! Would you like more weekly encouragement? Subscribe to my newsletter Whatever is Lovely and be inspired to open your inbox again. https://leannetuggle.myflodesk.com/v3r2zwdaik If this is your first time here and this episode resonated, hit “subscribe” and submit a 5-star rating if you feel genuinely inspired to. Your positive feedback means the world to me! Episode Sponsors: Rodan + Fields - Take this brief quiz to find your customized skincare routine! Whatever is Lovely - Subscribe here to the weekly newsletter designed to encourage you with words of wisdom and relatable content. Be inspired to open your inbox again.

    88: Always Be Ready to Give a Defense
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Encouragement and Inspiration for women choosing to rise above the “just survive” mentality and instead set their mind on thriving in all that they say and do. The ultimate goal is to equip you to pursue whatever is excellent in the midst of your ordinary life and in all that you say and do. 

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