Digital Thorns: Minimizing Proximity to Our Phones + Choosing Hope Over Resignation (w/ Joey Odom of Reclaimwell)

The Intentional Parents Podcast

Intentional

Christianity, Kids & Family, Religion & Spirituality

4.9 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 17 December 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode, we sit down with our dear friend Joey Odom of Reclaimwell for a timely and challenging conversation about reshaping our relationship with our phones. Reclaimwell exists to help people put technology back in its proper place, and Joey shares his own story of struggle and growth, along with honest examples of both failure and success. He names the urgency of our moment, reminding us that the opposite of hope isn’t hopelessness, but resignation — and that without action, distraction quietly forms our lives.

Joey explains why our phones have such a powerful grip on us, highlighting the “PID Loop,” where proximity leads to interaction, interaction to dependence, and dependence back to constant proximity. With most of us (91%!) living near our phones at all times, the solution sounds simple but feels difficult: put the phone down. Like Jesus’ teachings, it’s straightforward, yet costly. Rather than relying on willpower, Joey invites us to shape our environments and remove shame from the conversation.

We explore practical ways to reduce proximity, including spending intentional time away from your phone each day, aligning with your spouse around sacred times and spaces, and implementing simple practices like a date-night phone swap. The conversation names distraction for what it is: anything that gets in the way of our intentions, and connects it to Scripture’s call to remove what hinders love. Joey frames our phones as modern “digital thorns” that choke out intimacy through constant worry, striving, and pleasure. The episode closes with a compelling vision of presence as witness — preaching the gospel not just with words, but by being fully present and off our phones in order to notice and tend to the world around us.

Scripture Mentioned: Matthew 5:30, Matthew 13:1-23 + 1 Corinthians 13:13

Submit Questions: Send a voice recording to hello@intentionalparents.org, mentioning your name and where you’re from.

Intentional’s Year-End Match Campaign: Every $25 equips a family for a full year of spiritual formation. All gifts given through December 31 are matched up to $200,000. Make a donation to double your impact!

Download the FREE Reclaimwell App + Join Our Prayer Challenge in January

Purchase the Aro Box

Sowing a Hidden Seed

Intentional Fatherhood Retreat: February 19-21, 2026 in Costa Mesa, CA

Intentional Motherhood Retreat: April 23-25, 2026 in Franklin, TN

Join Our Legacy Builders

FREE Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Parenting PDF

FREE Text Message Daily Devotional

Raising Passionate Jesus Followers

The Intentional Film Series

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hey friends, it's Brooke. Before we get into today's conversation, I want to invite you into something important.
0:06.6	We're stepping into our year-end campaign and a small group of generous donors have given $200,000 to match every gift in December.
0:15.1	That means whatever you give this month is doubled. And every $25 equips one family for a full year of spiritual formation.
0:23.3	We also have early bird registration open for the intentional motherhood retreat in Franklin, Tennessee,
0:28.6	April 23rd through 25th, 26. Sign up now. And for the father's group rates are live right
0:35.0	now for the intentional fatherhood retreat in Costa Mesa,
0:38.2	February 19 through 21, 2026. And last thing, my new book, Sowing a Hidden Seed, Daily
0:44.0	Prayers for Your Child's Spiritual Growth is officially out and available only on our website.
0:48.8	So go grab a copy now. All right, let's get into this week's episode.
0:56.4	You're listening to the Intentional Parents podcast, brought to you by Intentional.
1:01.5	Intentional is all about spiritual formation in the family.
1:05.4	We desire to bring biblical hope and practical hope.
1:08.8	Enjoy this week's conversation.
1:18.9	Thank you. hope and practical hope. Enjoy this week's conversation. Today on the show, I am so excited to welcome my friend Joey Odom. Now, Joey's the co-founder of Reclaim Well, which is a movement helping people rethink
1:24.7	their relationships with technology and to recover what really matters.
1:28.9	At its core, Reclaim Well is about creating space for attention, presence, and formation in
1:34.2	everyday life. That heart is exactly why intentional is actually going to be partnering with
1:39.0	Reclaim Well this January for a 31-day prayer challenge for families. So here's how it works. From January 1st,
1:45.9	through the 31st, you'll be guided through daily prayers from sewing a hidden seed.
1:50.0	And for this challenge, there are five brand new prayers focused specifically on digital redemption.
1:56.4	Now, these five prayers are only available inside the Reclaim Well app. So all you need to do is click on the link in the show notes, download the app for free,
2:05.0	and join the January challenge.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Intentional, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Intentional and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.