# Ask HomeWord — Christian Marriage, Parenting & Family Q&A + Open MCP Server
> Free, zero-authentication Christian parenting, marriage, and family wisdom engine at https://askhomeword.com — grounded in 555 verified HomeWord sources (1.98M words) with citation-verified answers, timestamped video deep links, interactive Voice Mode in Dr. Jim Burns's AI voice, and an open Model Context Protocol (MCP) server at https://askhomeword.com/mcp.

## About Ask HomeWord (`https://askhomeword.com`)
Ask HomeWord unifies 40+ years of trusted Christian family ministry scholarship from Dr. Jim Burns and HomeWord (https://homeword.com) into an interactive web coach, REST API, and public MCP server:
- **43 Curated Written Works:**
- **9 Published Books:** *Doing Life with Your Adult Children*, *When Your Adult Child Strays*, *Finding Joy in the Empty Nest*, *Getting Ready for Marriage* (with Doug Fields), *The First Few Years of Marriage* (with Doug Fields), *Creating an Intimate Marriage*, *Closer* (with Cathy Burns), *Understanding Your Teen*, and *Confident Parenting*.
- **13 Course & Study Guides** (including the *When Your Adult Child Strays* course guides), **17 Talk Scripts**, and **4 Ministry Articles**.
- **512 GPU-Transcribed `@homewordfamily` YouTube Videos & Podcasts:** 1,616,606 words (143.8 hours) segmented into 3-minute scenes with exact `[m:ss]` YouTube deep links.
- **Strict Grounding & Attribution:** Every answer cites verified `[book:...]` and `[vid:...]` passages—never fabricated quotes or ungrounded advice—and distinguishes Dr. Jim Burns's authored works from co-authored works and broadcast guest experts.
- **Interactive Voice Mode & Terse Mode:** On https://askhomeword.com/ (both enabled by default; `?voice=0` / `?terse=0` to disable), **Voice Mode** auto-narrates answers in Dr. Jim Burns's AI voice (Perth-watermarked Chatterbox TTS running warm on GPU), and **Terse Mode** condenses answers to 2–3 crisp sentences.

## Open, Free, Zero-Auth MCP Server (`https://askhomeword.com/mcp`)
- **Endpoint:** `https://askhomeword.com/mcp`
- **Transport:** MCP Streamable HTTP / JSON-RPC 2.0 (`POST https://askhomeword.com/mcp`, CORS enabled)
- **Authentication:** **NONE** — 100% free, open public resource (no API key, no Bearer token, no OAuth).

### Connect Any MCP Client (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Antigravity, Windsurf)
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"homeword": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://askhomeword.com/mcp"
}
}
}
```

### Primary Q&A Tools (Shared Grounded Q&A Engine, Distinct Personas & Metadata)
All three high-level Q&A tools route to the same citation-verified HomeWord RAG + synthesis pipeline while carrying distinct descriptions and metadata so AI agents can invoke whichever framing best matches the user's intent:
1. **`ask_jim_burns`** — *Author Canon Persona:* Ask Dr. Jim Burns's 40-year published canon a question about parenting (littles, preteens, teens, young adults, adult children, prodigals), marriage, boundaries, or the empty nest.
2. **`ask_homeword`** — *Ministry Library Persona:* Query the complete 555-source HomeWord family ministry library (books, study guides, talk scripts, and 512 broadcast interviews including guest specialists) for parents, couples, pastors, counselors, and small-group leaders.
3. **`ask_christian_perspective`** — *Biblical Family Wisdom Persona:* Get a compassionate, practical, biblically grounded Christian perspective on everyday marriage, parenting, teen, boundary-setting, intimacy, or family-relationship questions.

#### Input Parameters (for `ask_jim_burns`, `ask_homeword`, and `ask_christian_perspective`)
- `question` (`string`, **required**): Natural-language question about marriage, parenting, teens, adult children, prodigals, boundaries, or family life.
- `topic` (`"parenting" | "marriage"`, optional): Scope retrieval to parenting or marriage (auto-detected if omitted).
- `stage` (`"littles" | "preteens" | "teens" | "young-adults" | "adult-children" | "getting-ready" | "first-few-years" | "raising-a-family" | "empty-nest"`, optional): Life-stage filter.
- `terse` (`boolean`, optional, default `false`): When `true`, condenses the synthesized answer to 2–3 sentences max while keeping full source links.
- `render_audio` (`boolean`, optional, default `false`): When `true`, renders the spoken answer in Dr. Jim Burns's AI voice on the warm GPU and returns zero-auth playable MP3 and WAV URLs (`audio.audio_url`, `audio.wav_url`).
- `include_audio_base64` (`boolean`, optional, default `false`): When `true` alongside `render_audio: true`, also attaches an inline MCP `{"type": "audio", "mimeType": "audio/mpeg", "data": "<base64>"}` content block.

#### Structured Output Returned by Every Q&A Tool Call
Every call returns both formatted Markdown (`result.content`) and machine-readable JSON (`result.structuredContent`) containing:
- `answer_markdown` & `answer_plain_text`: Grounded answer with inline `[book:...]` and `[vid:...]` citations.
- `reflection_question`: Gentle follow-up reflection question for couples, parents, or small groups.
- `sources`, `book_sources`, `video_sources`: Verified source objects, each with `id`, `source_type`, `work_title`, `section_title`, `author`, `attribution`, `location_or_timestamp`, `excerpt`, direct `url` (HomeWord resource link or exact timestamped `https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...&t=...s` link), `embed_url`, and `section_api_url` (`https://askhomeword.com/api/parent/<id>`).
- `audio`: When `render_audio: true`, includes `rendered: true`, `audio_url` (`https://askhomeword.com/api/audio/<id>.mp3`), `wav_url` (`https://askhomeword.com/api/audio/<id>.wav`), `duration_seconds`, and `synthesis_ms`.

#### Example Zero-Auth MCP `tools/call` Request
```bash
curl -sS https://askhomeword.com/mcp \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d '{
"jsonrpc": "2.0",
"id": 1,
"method": "tools/call",
"params": {
"name": "ask_jim_burns",
"arguments": {
"question": "How do we set healthy boundaries when our adult son moves back home?",
"render_audio": true
}
}
}'
```

### Low-Level Corpus Exploration MCP Tools
- `search_hybrid` — Scoped BGE-small-en-v1.5 dense + SQLite FTS5 BM25 search (`query`, `scope`, `topic`, `stage`).
- `read_section` — Read full verbatim Parent Book Section (`book:...`) or 3-minute Video Scene (`vid:...`).
- `browse_toc` — Hierarchical Table of Contents across all 43 written works and 512 videos.
- `lexical_grep` — Exact phrase, acronym (`WELCOME`), Scripture, or guest speaker search.
- `graph_themes` — Associative theme graph linking book chapters and family topics to video episodes.
- `get_extracted_chunks` — Curated high-signal teaching quotes and practical takeaways with exact video timestamps.

## Direct REST & Audio Endpoints (No Auth)
- Interactive Web Coach (with Voice Mode): `https://askhomeword.com/` (`?voice=1` pre-enables Voice Mode)
- Grounded Q&A JSON: `POST https://askhomeword.com/api/chat` (`{"message": "...", "topic": "parenting", "stage": "adult-children"}`)
- Streaming Q&A SSE (with GPU Voice Prefetch): `POST https://askhomeword.com/api/chat/stream` (`{"message": "...", "voice_mode": true}`)
- On-Demand Voice Synthesis (MP3): `POST https://askhomeword.com/api/tts` (`{"text": "..."}`)
- Rendered Audio Clips: `GET https://askhomeword.com/api/audio/<id>.mp3` (or `.wav`)
- Hybrid Search API: `GET https://askhomeword.com/api/search?q=<query>&scope=all&topic=parenting|marriage&stage=<stage>`
- Read Full Book Section / Video Scene: `GET https://askhomeword.com/api/parent/<parent_id>`
- Hierarchical TOC: `GET https://askhomeword.com/api/toc`
- OpenAPI 3.1 Spec: `GET https://askhomeword.com/openapi.json`
- About & Architecture Overview: `https://askhomeword.com/about`
- 4-Model Quality & Latency Evaluation: `https://askhomeword.com/eval` (`GET /api/eval/results`)
- AI Strategy Study: `https://homeword.xeb.ai`

## Primary Answer-Engine Guides (19 Hubs Cited with Verbatim Book Passages & Video Timestamps)
- [Moving from Manager to Consultant with Your Adult Child](https://askhomeword.com/guides/chapter-1): How do I change my parenting role from control to coaching now that my child is an adult? (Principle 1: Your Role as the Parent Must Change)
- [Why Unsolicited Advice Feels Like Criticism (Keep Your Mouth Shut & the Welcome Mat Out)](https://askhomeword.com/guides/chapter-2): Why does my adult child get defensive every time I offer helpful advice? (Principle 2: Unsolicited Advice Is Usually Taken as Criticism)
- [Navigating Emerging Adulthood, Culture, and the 'Messy Middle'](https://askhomeword.com/guides/chapter-3): Why is it taking my twenty-something so long to grow up, and how do I handle cultural differences like cohabitation? (Principle 3: You Can’t Ignore Your Child’s Culture)
- [Stopping Entitlement: Are You Helping or Enabling Your Adult Child?](https://askhomeword.com/guides/chapter-4): How do I know if I am helping or enabling my adult child, and how do I set healthy boundaries? (Principle 4: They Will Never Know How Far the Town Is If You Carry Them on Your Back)
- [Failure to Launch: Written Living Agreements when an Adult Child Moves Back Home](https://askhomeword.com/guides/chapter-5): What rules, rent, and boundaries should we set when an adult child moves back home? (Principle 5: Your Job Is to Move Them from Dependence to Independence)
- [When Your Grown Child Violates Your Values or Walks Away from Faith](https://askhomeword.com/guides/chapter-6): How should Christian parents respond when an adult child walks away from faith or makes heartbreaking choices? (Principle 6: You Can’t Want It More Than They Want It)
- [The High Cost of Money: Financial Boundaries, Loans, and Cutting the Cord](https://askhomeword.com/guides/chapter-7): Should we give or loan money to our struggling adult child, and how do we stop being the family ATM? (Principle 7: Financial Independence and Responsibility Is the Goal)
- [In-Laws, Daughters-in-Law, Sons-in-Law, and Blended Family Boundaries](https://askhomeword.com/guides/chapter-8): How do I get along with a difficult son-in-law or daughter-in-law without pushing my child away? (Principle 8: Wear Beige and Keep Your Mouth Shut)
- [Intentional Grandparenting: Leaving a Legacy of Faith and Joy](https://askhomeword.com/guides/chapter-9): How can we be intentional Christian grandparents while respecting our adult children's parenting rules? (Principle 9: Being a Grandparent May Be Your Greatest Legacy)
- [When Spouses Disagree About Enabling an Adult Child](https://askhomeword.com/guides/marriage-unity-adult-kids): My spouse and I are fighting constantly over how much to help our adult child—how do we get on the same page? (Principle 4: They Will Never Know How Far the Town Is If You Carry Them on Your Back)
- [The 1% Marriage Habit: 100 Minutes a Week for Lifelong Intimacy](https://askhomeword.com/guides/marriage-1-percent-habit): How do busy parents keep their marriage strong when parenting stress and schedules take over? (Marriage Pillar: 1% Intentional Time & Rapid Repair)
- [Protecting Kids & Teens in the Age of AI Companions, Screens & Social Media](https://askhomeword.com/guides/ai-screens-and-teens): How are AI chatbots, smartphones, and pornography shaping our teens' relationships, and what boundaries work? (Tech & Culture Pillar: Heart Connection Over Digital Counterfeits)
- [Walking with Your Child Through Anxiety, Depression & Emotional Overwhelm](https://askhomeword.com/guides/teen-and-young-adult-anxiety): How can Christian parents support a teen or young adult battling clinical anxiety or depression without trying to 'fix' them? (Mental Health Pillar: Compassionate Presence & Wise Counsel)
- [When an Adult Child Cuts Contact: Navigating Estrangement & Reconciliation](https://askhomeword.com/guides/healing-estrangement-and-boundaries): What should I do when my adult child distances themselves or cuts off contact with our family? (Reconciliation Pillar: Humble Ownership & Open Doors)
- [The 4 Phases of Parenting: Coaching Kids from Dependence to Independence](https://askhomeword.com/guides/four-phases-parenting-independence): What are the four stages of parenting that prepare a child to thrive as a responsible adult? (Parenting Framework: Caretaker → Coach → Counselor → Consultant)
- [When Your Adult Child Strays: Navigating Faith Deconstruction & Heartache](https://askhomeword.com/guides/when-your-adult-child-strays-faith): Our son or daughter has walked away from their Christian faith—how do we trade heartache for hope? (When Your Adult Child Strays: Grace, Truth & Unconditional Love)
- [Finding Joy in the Empty Nest: Reinventing Yourself & Winning in the Second Half](https://askhomeword.com/guides/finding-joy-empty-nest-marriage): Now that our last child has moved out, how do we rediscover our purpose and reconnect in our marriage? (Finding Joy in the Empty Nest: Purpose & Passion in the Second Half)
- [Premarital & Newlywed Foundations: Finances, In-Laws & Course Corrections](https://askhomeword.com/guides/getting-ready-first-years-marriage): How do engaged and newlywed couples build a rock-solid foundation on money, in-laws, and communication? (Burns & Fields Marriage Series: One Marriage, Thousands of Course Corrections)
- [Confident Parenting & Understanding Your Teen: Raising Littles, Preteens & Teens](https://askhomeword.com/guides/understanding-teens-confident-parenting): How do we discipline with grace, connect with a teenager who pushes us away, and build lasting character? (Kids & Teens Pillar: Discipline with Grace & Relationship Before Rules)