Would you say that your thoughts are more positive or negative? Too often we underestimate the damage that negative thinking and toxic beliefs have on our faith. Barb’s guest author, speaker and music artist Denise Pass discusses how to overcome negative mindsets and position ourselves fully in God’s truth and how we can live that out. As one who has faced some of life’s greatest disappointments and heartaches, Denise offers powerful Scriptural insights and hope for you today.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
Make Up Your Mind: Unlock Your Thoughts, Transform Your Life
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Biblical mindset coach, author, speaker, worship leader, songwriter, and podcaster, Denise Pass holds an MA in Biblical Exposition and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Biblical Exposition at Liberty University. Denise is the author of Make Up Your Mind, Shame Off You, 31 Days of Hope Reinvented and creator of The Bible Tribe® podcast. Denise serves on the writing teams for P31 First 5 app and COMPEL blog, and writes for her ministry, Seeing Deep Ministries, encouraging women to overcome the battles of the mind with the word of God, heal shame and find hope in God’s word. Denise has also written songs that received radio play, including “You Are Worthy,” “Seeing Deep EP”, and songs from her album, Praying For You. Denise homeschooled her 5 children and she and her husband serve together at their church in Spotsylvania, VA, where Denise is the Director of Family Ministries and Worship Arts.
Do you believe in Jesus, love God, but you don’t trust what you see happening in church? In the wake of scandals, abuse claims and questionable leadership, perhaps you’ve grown weary and found yourself wondering whether the church is redeemable and whether you should even stay.
Today, Barb talks with author Kate Boyd about her new book An Untidy Faith and has an honest conversation that we believe will give voice to those of you who are desperately trying to hold on to your faith but you’re not sure what exactly your faith means anymore. Through her own journey of disentangling from toxic religion as well as her life-giving travels around the world to meet other believers, Kate talks about the questions that you’ve been afraid to ask and she casts a vision for how you may find freedom and joy in following Jesus again.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
An Untidy Faith: Journeying Back to the Joy of Following Jesus
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Have you ever felt like your faith is failing? Like your suffering and pain is just too much to handle?
Join us for today's conversation as Barb speaks with author and speaker, Michele Cushatt, about how we can develop a faith that will not fail. From divorce, to struggles with motherhood, to walking through three bouts of cancer, Michele is no stranger to suffering. Yet through it all, her faith has endured.
If you feel like you are at the end of your rope, you are not alone. There is hope, friend, even when it's hard to see it. May this conversation serve as a warm hug and a reminder that you are seen, known, and dearly loved.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
A Faith That Will Not Fail: 10 Practices to Build Up Your Faith When Your World Is Falling Apart
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Who struggles with their body? Most of us do. Our guest, Jennifer Taylor Wagner, today shares her journey as a chronic dieter. After a lifetime of struggle she lost 150 pounds and kept it off. Instead of giving us meal plans, dieting tips, and rigid exercises, Jennifer teaches us how to make peace with food, to eat foods we love, and to nourish our bodies with foods we love. A recovering chronic dieter herself, Jennifer understands how hard it is to shift our mindset around food. As we embrace freedom in the foods we eat, we can walk toward our healthiest selves yet.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
Your Good Body: Embracing a Body-Positive Mindset in a Perfection-Focused World
Check out Jennifer's YouVersion Devotional
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Relationships are messy because we live in a messy, sinful world. Is it truly possible to love the people in our lives who hurt us, disagree with us, or just rub us the wrong way?
Join us for today's conversation as Barb speaks with Becky Keife, general editor of Come Sit With Me: How to Delight in Differences, Love through Disagreements, and Live with Discomfort. After experiencing the divorce of her parents and the resulting tension she had to navigate for the majority of her life, Becky knows what it's like to be hurt by relationships. However she also has experienced God's redemption. Listen in as she speaks about learning how to listen well, stay curious, choose tenderness, and open our hearts to hope.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Navigating conversations about race doesn't always have to feel like a minefield.
Join us for today's episode as we chat with Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith and Lori Stanley Roeleveld, two unlikely co-authors who God brought together to write a book called Colorful Connections: 12 Questions About Race That Open Healthy Conversations. Together we will discover how to talk about race in a way that values the experiences of others, emphasizes listening over just getting a point across, and is filled with grace.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
Purchase your copy of Colorful Connections!
Connect with Dr. Saundra on IG!
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUESTS
Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith is a board-certified internal medicine physician, work-life integration researcher, speaker, and host of the I Choose My Best Life Podcast where she shares biblical ways to help you live fully, love boldly, and rest intentionally. Her previous books include Sacred Rest, Set Free to Live Free and Come Empty. Learn more at ichoosemybestlife.com.
Lori Stanley Roeleveld is a Christian coach, author, and speaker with degrees in psychology and biblical studies. Lori's previous books include Jesus and the Beanstalk and Running from a Crazy Man (and Other Adventures Traveling with Jesus). She also writes a popular blog at www.loriroeleveld.com.
Come laugh with us today on The Better Together Podcast! I’m talking with my longtime friend and Aspire Women’s Event sister, comedian Sally Baucke. Today, we are talking about tiaras, tweezers, and how to find healing in our hearts when life hurts. Sally grew up in a home where she didn’t always feel seen and loved but she now stands on stages across the country to make audiences laugh and so they know how much God loves them. If you need a dose of laughter and love, you don’t want to miss my chat with Sally!
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
If your pastor called and asked if you would take in a Middle Eastern family who escaped from their homeland, what would you do? Chicago pastor, Joshua Sherif, escaped from his home in Egypt as a new believer to come to America. In this episode, Joshua and I talk about what it was like for him to leave his homeland, Islam, and encounter resistance in America. During our conversation, Josh tells us the 3 ways that believers need to stop hardening their hearts towards strangers and practical ways for us to love and disciple the immigrants and refugees that God puts in our path.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
The Stranger at Our Shore: How Immigrants and Refugees Strengthen the Church
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Joshua Sherif was born in Egypt to a Muslim family and immigrated to the United States, where he later came to faith in Jesus. Before transitioning to a new role, he planted and pastored in Albany Park, Chicago, IL, one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the country for a decade. Joshua has enjoyed his years equipping and coaching other missionaries and pastors around the world. In his new role, Joshua now works bi-vocationally to equip churches to reach their cities. His story was featured in Love Costs Everything, a documentary produced by CIY and Voice of the Martyrs, concerning Christian persecution.
Calling all book lovers! If you are a fan of Christian fiction, then chances are, you’ve heard of best-selling author Tessa Afshar. Guess what?! I recently talked with Tessa and in this new episode, we’re discussing her new novel, The Hidden Prince, as well as Tessa’s fascinating background. She was born in the Middle East, survived boarding school in England and then moved to the United States and came to Christ in her 20s. During today’s conversation, you’ll find out about how Tessa writes novels to help you embrace God’s love and truth in powerful ways.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Tessa Afshar’s book have been translated into 11 languages, and loved by fans around the world. Her novels have been on Publishers Weekly and CBA best-selling lists. Her book, The Way Home, God’s Invitation to New Beginnings, is the winner of the Christian Book Award in the Bible Study category. Afshar’s biblical and historical novels have won a number of awards including the Christy and INSPY, and been named as one of top five Christian fiction titles of the year by Library Journal. Tessa holds a Master of Divinity from Yale, where she was co-chair of the Evangelical Fellowship at the Divinity School for one year. She served in women and prayer ministry for twenty years before becoming a full-time writer and speaker. She is a devoted wife, a mediocre gardener, and an avid lover a chocolate.
Sometimes it’s hard to determine whether we are hearing God’s voice or whether it’s our own thinking. It’s possible to learn how to hear God’s voice in your life!
In this new episode, Barb talks with the founder of Equipping Godly Women, Brittany Ann about the 6 tips to help you hear God’s voice loud and clear in your life. Brittany Ann leads a large online community committed to helping Christian women live all in for Jesus. She’s a wife, mom, and Bible teacher who loves to challenge and encourage women to grow in their faith.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
Follow God's Will: Biblical Guidelines for Everyday Life
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Brittany Ann is an ECPA bestselling author, speaker, and founder of EquippingGodlyWomen.com, a popular Christian-living website dedicated to helping busy Christian moms find practical ways to go "all in" in faith and family. Brittany is the author of books including “Fall in Love with God’s Word: Practical Strategies for Busy Women” and “Follow God’s Will: Biblical Strategies for Everyday Life.” Her work has been featured on CBN, The Christian Post, Crosswalk, and more.
It’s not over yet! If you are still breathing, then God has big dreams for you! Join me on this new episode where I’m talking with speaker, author, leader and someone that I’ve admired from afar for many years, Jo Saxton. She has powerful words and wisdom to share with you about owning your voice, living out your purpose and how to stop apologizing for your desire for more.
Jo is the founder of the Ezer Collective and dedicated to investing in women leaders around the world. She was born in Nigeria, raised in London and now lives in Minneapolis with her family. Jo's message will encourage and inspire you to go further than you ever could have imagined!
NOTE: There is a slight echo in the beginning of this episode due to tech issues, but it does not last more than 2 minutes or so!
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
Jo's Upcoming Ezer Collective Events!
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Jo Saxton is a speaker, podcaster, author, guest TV host and leadership coach. She is the founder of the Ezer Collective and dedicated to investing in women leaders around the world, equipping them to own their voice and embrace their purpose and catalyze their calling. Born to Nigerian parents and raised in London, England, Jo now lives in Minneapolis with her husband, and two daughters. She loves the everyday stuff like good music, good food, and good friends. And Target. She really, really loves Target.
When it comes to the topic of race and racial healing, many of us have one of two responses: hide away from the uncomfortable conversation or become overzealous and use our words to cut and hurt others. In today's episode, our special guest, Dr. Lucretia Carter Berry, shows us a new approach that is characterized by understanding, growth, and grace.
In today's conversation we talk about accepting God's call to dive into the deep (and at times terrifying) waters, taking the time to learn, and rising up to teach and educate our families as well as others in our lives.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
Teaching for Justice and Belonging: A Journey for Educators and Parents
Hues of You: An Activity Book for Learning About the Skin You Are In
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Lucretia Carter Berry, PhD is an author, educator, speaker, and the founder of Brownicity, an agency committed to making important, scholarly-informed, antiracism education accessible, and the director of its learning community. With the tagline, Many Hues, One Humanity, Brownicity’s mission is to foster education designed to inspire a culture of justice and true belonging for all. Lucretia earned her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction and MA in English from Iowa State University, and her BA from South Carolina State University. A former college professor, Lucretia’s research, experience, and accomplishments lie at the intersections of curriculum and instruction, antiracism education, and instructional technology. As a wife in an interracial marriage and mom of three multiethnic children, Lucretia brings her personal and professional experience to the public sector where she is passionate about serving children and their adult decision-makers. Her books, courses, and TED Talk quell fears associated with racial literacy. Her learning-centered approach is inspirational, appreciated, and celebrated. Lucretia is married to Nathan; they live in North Carolina with their three daughters and two aussie-doodles. Lucretia authored 'Hues of You - An Activity Book for Learning About the Skin You Are In' (2022), 'What LIES Between Us - Fostering First Steps Toward Racial Healing' (2016) and co-authored 'Teaching for Justice and Belonging - A Journey for Educators and Parents' (August 2022).
Are you grieving and desperate for people to understand how you really feel?
After author Gwendolyn Burton’s 26-year old son died suddenly from an epileptic seizure, no one around her could say anything to help her feel better. She’s spent years working through the grieving process and has captured her journey and the lessons learned in her new book “You Don’t Know Just How I Feel”.
During our conversation, Gwendolyn explains why we should never tell a grieving person, “I know just how you feel.” Grief is so personal, but in this episode, Gwendolyn shares practical boundaries, grief self-care, how to handle social media as well as how to find hope after devastating loss.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
You Don't Know Just How I Feel
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
After three miscarriages and an adult son who passed away from sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), Gwendolyn Burton is uniquely qualified to help others navigate their grief journey by discussing common challenges and misconceptions. She studied with grief expert David Kessler, founded Sisters in Solace (SiS), a support group for mothers of child loss, and is a Certified Grief Educator. Gwendolyn enjoys physical fitness and lives in Aurora, Colorado, with her husband, son, and three dogs.
If you find that you take a long time to process, feel emotions strongly, or can be highly stimulated by external factors such as scent and taste, chances are that you may be an HSP (highly sensitive person)! Today on the show, we have the pleasure of hearing from Cheri Gregory, an HSP and the co-creator of Sensitive and Strong, a place where fellow HSPs can grow, encourage one another, and discover the beautiful way that God has made them to function.
Being an HSP is an incredible blessing! So whether you think you may be one yourself or know others in your life who exhibit these characteristics, this episode is for you!
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Through Scripture and storytelling, Cheri Gregory delights in helping women draw closer to Jesus, the strength of every tender heart. She is the co-leader of Sensitive & Strong, the founder of Write Beside You coaching services, and coauthor of five books. Cheri speaks locally and internationally for women’s events and educational conferences. She and her college sweetheart, Daniel, have been married for more than three decades. They’ve spent the last 15 years living and serving on a Christian boarding school campus on the central California coast. You can connect with SensitiveAndStrong.com.
No matter how messy your story is or how challenging your past has been, your story is not beyond the reach of God's redeeming power.
Join us for today's episode as we chat with Bible study author, Shadia Hrichi, about her study Tamar: Rediscovering the God who Redeems Me. Tamar's story was FAR from neat and tidy, yet God used even the messy and broken parts of her life to ultimately accomplish His purposes. Have hope friends, your pain is never wasted.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
Tamar: Rediscovering the God who Redeems Me
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Shadia Hrichi is a passionate Bible teacher, author, and speaker who stirs the hearts and minds of her audience through personal story, illustration, and her unwavering confidence in the authority of God’s Word. She holds a master’s in biblical and theological studies as well as a master’s in criminal justice. Shadia is the author of several Bible studies, including TAMAR, HAGAR, LEGION, and WORTHY OF LOVE and the recipient of the 2022 WCCW “God’s Word is Alive” Award. Residing in northern California, Shadia is often invited to speak at churches, conferences, women’s retreats and other events, and loves to visit the ocean each week for “a date with Jesus.”
Do you struggle with fear, worry, or overwhelm? Sometimes our challenging circumstances can become the breeding ground for anxious thoughts that leave us feeling crippled and afraid.
Join us for today's episode as we dive into Philippians 4 with our dear friend, Jill Savage, as she shares how we can move past fear and anxious thoughts and lead lives of peace and trust. It is possible, friends, and we want to show you how!
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
Mark's episode on The Better Together Podcast!
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Jill Savage is an author, speaker, and coach who is passionate about encouraging and empowering others.
A graduate of Butler University in Indianapolis, IN, and founder of Hearts at Home, a ministry that served moms for 24 years, Jill now travels the world as an author and speaker. Called one of today’s most exciting Christian female speakers, Jill’s honest, engaging communication is strengthened by her ability to make her audience laugh while they learn.
Founder of the online Inspire Speaker Course, Jill is the author or co-author of fourteen books including the bestselling No More Perfect Moms, No More Perfect Kids, No More Perfect Marriages, and her newest release Empty Nest Full Life. She and her husband Mark have five children, four grandchildren, and a whole herd of barn cats.
We all have past mistakes and hurts that we cannot change, but we can choose to not allow our pasts to dictate our futures. Join today's conversation as Barb chats with her producer Tabitha about how we can let go of our pasts (while not ignoring the fact that they happened) and press forward in faith, peace, joy and obedience.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
ABOUT YOUR HOST
Barb Roose is a speaker and author who is passionate about teaching women to live beautifully strong and courageous so that they experience God’s great adventure of faith and purpose for their lives.
Barb is the author of multiple Bible studies including her newest study Surrendered: Letting Go and Living Like Jesus, Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle and several books like Surrendered: 40 Days to Help You Let Go and Live Like Jesus.
Barb lives in NW Ohio and is proud mother of three adult daughters. Whenever possible, Barb prefers to eat dessert first. Visit Barb’s online home at barbroose.com.
Is there something God is calling you to do but you just keep putting it off? Today's special guest, Shari Braendel, knows exactly how you feel. After sensing God calling her to use her passion for fashion to help those in the church, Shari put it off for 7 years before finally taking the leap, and now she is here to encourage us to take a step of faith too! It's time to stop waiting and debating and to start taking action!
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Shari Braendel is president of Fashion Meets Faith and author of Help Me, Jesus! I have Nothing To Wear (Zondervan). As president of FMF, Shari has helped thousands of women reveal who they are in Christ and shine outwardly with confidence through her conferences, online instructional videos, podcasts, consultant training, and more.
As a Christian speaker, she has presented over 500 events in 18 states, including Hearts at Home, She Laughs, and She Speaks and has shared the stage with Nicole C. Mullin, Lysa TerKeurst, and Karen Kingsbury. She has appeared on Focus on the Family, The Total Christian Television Network (TCT), K-Love, Crown Financial Network, Moody Global Ministries, and more.
Shari saw firsthand that women didn’t recognize the beauty that God gave them and lacked the knowledge of how to dress themselves with confidence. She knows women often judge themselves based on the world’s standards and are forever coming up short.
As a fabulously fun fashionista, Shari takes women on a trip through the fashion DO’s, explaining why it’s important to dress the body they have, not the one so prominently displayed on the cover of the latest fashion magazine. With electric and exciting stage presence, Shari delivers a message that women no longer need to conform to the pattern of the world, but can be confident and self-assured no matter their size or shape.
In a world full of suffering, heartache, and bad news, many of us are feeling depleted, overwhelmed, and undone. If you are feeling worn out, there's good news: hope is alive. In today's episode, special guest and friend Susan Seay shares how we can walk victoriously despite our circumstances. Whatever you are going through today, we pray this episode helps you feel seen. You are not alone.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
When life feels uncertain and we can't trace the hand of God in the middle of our trying circumstances, it can be easy to wonder if He's really there walking alongside us. In today's conversation we have the privilege of hearing from special guests, Amy Carroll and Lynn Cowell, about their new Bible study, Esther: Seeing Our Invisible God in an Uncertain World. In this conversation, you will be encouraged with the reminder that God is always active, working out His bigger and better plan, even when we can't always see it in the moment.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
Esther: Seeing Our Invisible God in an Uncertain World
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUESTS
Sometimes we can get so caught up in the everyday routines and busy schedules that we fail to take the time to slow down and truly connect with our families. In today's episode, Barb speaks with special guest and friend, Amberly Neese, about how we can start creating meaningful moments with our families by pressing in, building up, and prioritizing connection over perfection. This is an episode you won't want to miss!
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
The Belonging Project: Finding Your Tribe and Learning to Thrive
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
No More Perfect Marriages by Mark and Jill Savage
Courses:
No More Perfect Marriages: Home Edition
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Join Barb on this new episode of The Better Together Podcast as Dianne shares from her new book Two Hundred Tuesdays, and the life-changing conversations that she had with Jim. If you are longing for a life of significance and sweet satisfaction in Christ, you won’t want to miss this conversation!
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
Two Hundred Tuesdays by Dianne Derby
Connect with Dianne on Facebook!
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
An award-winning journalist, Dianne Derby is a longtime television anchor who is currently coanchor for the KOAA News5 weekday team in Colorado Springs. She met Jim Downing at a luncheon for World War II veterans and learned from him every Tuesday for the next five years. Dianne is originally from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and holds degrees from Florida State University, the University of Miami, and the University of Florida. She and her husband live in Colorado Springs with their young daughter and three rescue dogs.
Where is God in the middle of our suffering? How can we come to grips with the goodness of God when so much in life just doesn't seem to make sense?
Join Barb on this new episode of The Better Together Podcast as she speaks with special guest Alexandra V. Hoover. From poverty to abuse to abandonment, Alexandra knows what it looks like to walk through suffering that she just couldn't come to grips with as a young Latina. It was not until she took the time to look back and trace the hand of God in her life that she was able to begin receiving the healing that she desperately needed. And now she wants to help you do the same. This is a powerful conversation that will speak to your heart and remind you of the goodness of God in your past and in your present.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
Eyes Up: How to Trust God’s Heart by Tracing His Hand
Instagram: @alexandravhoover
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Alexandra V. Hoover is a wife, mother of three, daughter, sought-out speaker, and writer. She’s passionate about communicating the gospel’s beauty and hope, whether through writing or speaking, online or in person. Her words spur people on to hope, healing, and their mission. She has the privilege of serving on staff at Transformation Church and spends her days loving on her family, dancing with her kids, and living on mission right where God has her.