Can we find freedom from past hurts or trauma? The answer is YES!
If you know me, you know that I am a HUGE advocate of mental health! Not only have I invested in years of personal counseling, but I attend a recovery group on a regular basis for my own serenity. A decade ago, I struggled with major depression and spending a year in counseling and medication delivered me back to wellness.
The lesson that I've learned is that good mental health is a daily investment and when we don't invest in ourselves, we rob ourselves of the peace and joy that God promises. Don't rob yourselves, friends. You matter!
My guest on this episode of the Better Together podcast is clinically-trained marriage and family therapist, Stacy Lynn Harp, the host of Bible News Radio.
Stacy Lynn grew us as the middle child between two brothers and to a mother who often said, "Stacy, I wish that you were never born." When Stacy Lynn was seven years old, her mother had an affair with Stacy's paternal uncle. Eventually, Stacy's mother left her father, packed up the kids and moved to California with the uncle. For many years, the uncle sexually and physically abused Stacy on a daily basis."He was sadistic," recalls Stacy in another interview.
During our conversation, Stacy Lynn gives a recap of her story and explains the tragic reason behind why her uncle never went to jail, even though Stacy Lynn reported him to the police.
If you're an adult, but you've still got a lot of baggage left over from your childhood, Stacy Lynn shares her journey from sexual abuse survivor to finding freedom from her struggles.
Our conversation today includes:
- Why NOT paying for therapy is the most expensive mistake of your life;
- What does freedom look like;
- How to spot unhealthy people;
- Lessons in faith from her soon-to-be-finished book, Pickleball Faith.
LINKS TO TODAY'S PODCAST
Stacy Lynn Harp website | Bible News Radio
STACY LYNN HARB BIO
Stacy has appeared on the Fox News television show Dayside, as well as numerous radio programs nationally and internationally, discussing issues pertaining to the family, sexuality, social media, Christian persecution and Internet related issues.
Stacy earned a Masters of Science in Clinical Psychology from Vanguard University of Southern California, and is a gifted therapist and coach. Stacy has spoken at various academic and professional conferences concerning Internet safety issues and the topic of homosexuality. She has been described as someone who has a firm grasp on the issues and communicates passionately but with humor.
ABOUT HOST BARB ROOSE
Barb Roose is a popular speaker and author who is passionate about equipping women to win at life with Christ-empowered strength and dignity. Barb loves speaking at women’s conference and leadership events such as the Aspire Women’s Events, She Speaks Conference and the UMC Leadership Institute.
Barb is the author of multiple books and Bible studies, including her newest releases: Winning the Worry Battle: Life Lessons from the Book of Joshua and Bible study called Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle. Barb’s writing has been featured in magazines or blogs such as Simple Truth Magazine, iBelieve.com, Crosswalk.com, More to Life Magazine, Just Between Us Magazine, Cherished, InCourage and Women of Faith.
Barb is an avid traveler, reader, and lover of all things chocolate-peanut butter, Barb and her family live in NW Ohio with their dog, Quimby and a very grumpy 10-year rabbit. Visit Barb’s online home at barbroose.com.
How many times a week do you say, "I'm so tired"?
Here are some signs that you're might be exhausted. If you say "yes" to one or more of these, keep reading!
- Do you get sick often - like sinus infections or headaches?
- Is your mind so cluttered that you can't concentrate?
- Do you feeling like your floating around aimlessly or that your life doesn't have true purpose or calling?
- Do you feel too drained to be around people or you often feel people are judging you?
Believe it or not, but these are the warning signs of rest deprivation. Too often, we think about rest as just getting a good night's sleep or watching hours of tv.
Rest is much more than that! But, if we don't figure out how to really rest, then we're going to end up living really messed up lives.
Let me introduce you to someone who can give you the help and hope that you need today!
My Better Together guest is Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, an author, speaker, and board-certified internal medicine physician. She has an active medical practice in Alabama (near the Birmingham area).
Dr. Dalton-Smith is a national and international media resource on the mind, body, spirit connection and a top 100 medical expert in Good Housekeeping Doctors’ Secrets. She has been featured in many media outlets including Women’s Day, Redbook, First For Women, MSNBC, and Prevention. She is the author of Set Free to Live Free and Come Empty (winner 2016 Golden Scroll Nonfiction Book of the Year and 2016 Illumination Award Gold medalist).
Her newest release is Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity, including ground-breaking insight on the seven types of rest needed to optimize your productivity, increase your overall happiness and live your best life.
Today, Dr. Dalton Smith answers these pressing questions about rest:
- How can we get a better night's sleep?
- How do we know when we're rested?
- What are some warning signs that we need to know?
- Why is there more than one type of rest?
- Why do women struggle with rest?
LINKS FROM TODAY'S EPISODE
Saundra Dalton-Smith: website | facebook page
Rest Test Quiz: http://ichoosemybestlife.com/quiz/rest-quiz-test/
ABOUT YOUR BETTER TOGETHER PODCAST HOST
Barb Roose is a popular speaker and author who is passionate about equipping women to win at life with Christ-empowered strength and dignity. Barb loves speaking at women’s conference and leadership events such as the Aspire Women’s Events, She Speaks Conference and the UMC Leadership Institute.
Barb is the author of multiple books and Bible studies, including her newest releases: Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle Bible study and book, Winning the Worry Battle: Life Lessons from the Book of Joshua. Barb’s writing has been featured in magazines or blogs such as Simple Truth Magazine, iBelieve.com, Crosswalk.com, More to Life Magazine, Just Between Us Magazine, Cherished, InCourage and Women of Faith.
An avid traveler, reader, and lover of all things chocolate-peanut butter, Barb and her family live in NW Ohio with their dog, Quimby and a very grumpy 10-year rabbit. Visit Barb’s online home at barbroose.com.
"Don't burn bridges. Be graceful in all of your converations, especially when people say or do hurtful things."
-Lisa Toney, speaker, author & leader
On this week's Better Together podcast, we're talking about one of my favorite ways for us to get better together. On today's episode, we're talking leadership! Not only that, but our leadership inspiration is Lisa Toney, an executive and teaching pastor from Purpose Church in California. She's a seasoned leader who loves investing in both men and women, equipping them to lead at the highest levels of God's call on their lives.
Lisa is the author of Thrive: Live Like You Matter and her new book, The Scripture Challenge releases this fall.
Not only that, but Lisa is a new voice in the next generation of Women of Faith. Any Women of Faith fans out there? Me! For over 20 years, WOF events around the country mobilized hundreds of thousands of women and now, a generation of voices, including Lisa's are on deck to make a global impact. Lisa tells us all about WOF's vision to reach the world and how YOU can be a part of it.
In my humble opinion, today's conversation is like a min-leadership retreat that packs a big punch! Who should listen to today's podcast:
- If you've been struggling with confidence;
- If you're trying to figure out how to be a leader, wife, mom and friend;
- If you're just tired and wanting to give up.
Friends, if any of those fit, then I believe that today's podcast is exactly where you should be right now!
Let me share a few bits of Lisa's inspiring wisdom:
"This competeition thing that we have between women doesn't get us very far. When I get together with other women and we exchange ideas, all of our lives get so much better!"
"When I think about work life balance, I just laugh. Is it ever balanced? I don't know. I love living every day to the full."
"I want people to see Jesus in me because that's evidence that I'm living the call that God has placed on my life."
SHARE YOUR COMMENT: Have you taken Myers-Briggs (MBTI), Strengths Finders, Enneagram or other personality tests? Tell us about your results below.
LINKS FROM TODAY'S CONVERSATION:
Lisa Toney website | Facebook | book
Women of Faith Facebook Page (To find Scripture Challenge and Aloud)
About your Better Together podcast host...
Barb Roose is a popular speaker and author who is passionate about equipping women to win at life with Christ-empowered strength and dignity. Barb loves speaking at women’s conference and leadership events such as the Aspire Women’s Events, She Speaks Conference and the UMC Leadership Institute.
Barb is the author of multiple books and Bible studies, including her newest releases: Winning the Worry Battle: Life Lessons from the Book of Joshua and Bible study called Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle. Barb’s writing has been featured in magazines or blogs such as Simple Truth Magazine, iBelieve.com, Crosswalk.com, More to Life Magazine, Just Between Us Magazine, Cherished, InCourage and Women of Faith.
An avid traveler, reader, and lover of all things chocolate-peanut butter, Barb and her family live in NW Ohio with their dog, Quimby and a very grumpy 10-year rabbit. Visit Barb’s online home at barbroose.com.
“If we hide the fact that Dad drinks too much, then no one will know.”
Did you grow up in a home where things like drinking or drugs weren't talked about? Too often, when someone that we love is struggling, silence seems easier than saying something or possibly the wrong.
Today, I'm talking with author Kimberly Dewberry about her new book, Three Weeks to Forgiveness, which tells her story of God’s redemption in the dark places of addiction. In our conversation today, Kimberly talks about what it was like growing up with an addicted parent and perhaps, her reflections and stories might hit close to home.
Here is a recap of some of the questions that I asked Kimberly today. I'd encourage you to listen to and share today's interview if you grew up with an alcoholic family or you know someone currently living in that difficult situation.
What are your earliest memories of your dad’s addiction on your life?
“I remember going through hiding places where my dad would hide his partial or empty bottles. My mom wanted me to help her get rid of my Dad’s alcohol and get it out of the hose. But I didn’t understand what we were doing. At that point, I started to blame myself. Somehow, I thought that I was the one who made my dad start drinking again. I thought that I was being punished for something. At the time, I didn’t understand the feelings that I was having until I began going through recovery later in life.”
If you could go back and talk to yourself at 15 years old, what would you tell her?
"If I could go back and talk to my 15-year old self I would say, 'You did not cause this. This isn’t something that we cause or something that we could control. Honey, your mom doesn’t know what to do. She’s desperate. She reached out to you because she didn’t know what else to do.'"
As a teen, how did you react to your dad’s alcoholism?
“I was rebellious. I made horrible choices as a teenager and during much of my adult life. I was constantly searching for something and at the time I didn’t know what I was searching for. Now, I know that I was searching for confirmation that I was loved.”
How did your dad's alcoholism make you feel about yourself?
“I equated my dad’s isolation and silence with lack of love. That carried over to other relationships. So in other relationships, I felt that if they weren’t talking to me, then they didn’t love me.”
What role did God play in your life? Why did you turn away from God?
“Our family didn’t go to church when I was a kid. I got saved in my 20’s but one of the most important things that I didn’t have was a good mentor to help me or guide me. I was trying to do it on my own, but I didn’t know what to do. So, when I turned away from God, it was really out of selfishness.
I wasn’t angry or bitter at God. But I had done so many bad things that I didn’t feel like God could love me anymore. I felt like God was so disappointed with me. I thought that I was too far gone, so that’s why I turned away from God.”
What negative behaviors/patterns did you struggle with during your adult years?
“I’ve been married three times. I constantly sought my value in relationships, especially with men.” I also struggled with co-dependent tendencies. I thought that I’d be happy as long as everyone else is happy. So, I tried to control people, situations, finances, outcomes and kids. I felt so out of control on the inside that I tried to control everyone else on the outside.”
How did your dad come to live with your family before he died?
“After years away from the family and living on the streets, my dad was diagnosed with cancer. He was released from the hospital and since he had nowhere to do, he came to live with me. It had been five years since I’d seen my dad.
It was through those three weeks of dad living in our home, that was the major event though God broke down the walls of anger, bitterness and how to show grace and forgiveness to my dad. I had a brick wall around my heart and God broke that wall down during those three weeks.”
What does it mean for you to find recovery as an adult child of an alcoholic?
“Who I am isn’t defined by my past. Who I am is defined by Christ. And I could not have realized that if it hadn’t been for God bringing Dad back into our lives for such a short period of time. After Dad died, I was grieving a lot. I got help from a Christian counselor and that’s when I heard terms like “adult child of an alcoholic” and “recovery.” I was realized confused because I thought that it was my Dad with the problem. But, I realized that I needed help, so I started with Al-Anon and then moved over to Celebrate Recovery.
In recovery, I realized that I had a problem, too. I have issues that I need to work on. I cannot control what other people do, I cannot control what other people say and I cannot control how other people act. Through recovery I was able to see that God is in control and He is the one that plans our steps. It’s our decisions and our free will that allow us to either go God’s way or our own way. I have learned that by going God’s way that I can have peace, serenity and love."
Who needs to attend a recovery program?
Sometimes, we don’t know that we need recovery until we start going. If you are feeling out of control and yet you try to control everyone, then consider talking to a licensed therapist/counselor, Al-Anon or Celebrate Recovery.
Connect with Kimberly - Three Weeks to Forgiveness Book | Facebook | IG | Twitter
About Kimberly Dewberry
Kimberly Dewberry struggled for 25 years to cope with the pain, hurt, guilt, regret, unworthiness, and shame brought on by her father's addictions. Because of the loving grace of Jesus Christ, she has broken free from the shackles of rebellion and anger, and made it her life’s mission to share her journey through courageous prose.
Kimberly and her husband Patrick are the parents of 6 grown children between them and live in the Dallas area with their two super cute Boston terriers, Delilah and Daphne. Kimberly enjoys writing, reading, Bible art journaling, participating in Bible studies, and dating her husband.
If you’ve struggled with praying, figuring out what to say, felt guilty about not praying enough or wondered about does prayer even make a difference, today’s episode is for you!
This week’s Better Together guest is best selling author, Janet McHenry. Janet is a national speaker and author of 23 books, including six on prayer—most notably the best-selling PrayerWalk and her new book, The Complete Guide to the Prayers of Jesus, which is being released this week.
Janet's prayer walking practices have been featured in magazines such as Health and Family Circle, and she has been interviewed widely on national and local radio programs about prayer and prayer-walking. A recently retired English teacher and academic advisor, Janet and her husband Craig have raised four children in the Sierra Valley, where she loves walking with her Personal Trainer, Jesus.
On this week's episode, Janet and I talk about:
- How falling down her steps helped Janet discover a new way to pray;
- How God used a baby and single dad to teach Janet a powerful lesson about praying for others;
- How to pray "two-sided coin" prayers (love this!)
- Hope if you've been wondering if prayer really matters.
Janet will be such an encouragement to you if prayer has been tricky. She gives some great advice as well as shares stories from how others have leaned into prayer for everyday life.
Janet’s book, The Complete Guide to the Prayers of Jesus: What Jesus Prayed and How It Can Change Your Life Today, is now available at Christian bookstores and all online booksellers. So many speakers and authors that I admire have amazing things to say about this book.
BEST OF ALL! Janet also sent me a copy to give away to one of you! Just leave a comment on the blog about this episode and I’ll pick a winner on Wednesday, June 13. Easy-peasy.
LINKS FROM TODAY'S SHOW:
Janet McHenry's website | Facebook | Prayer Walking
The Complete Guide to the Prayers of Jesus: What Jesus Prayed and How It Can Change Your Life Today
About the Better Together podcast…
Barb Roose is host of the Better Together podcast. She is a speaker and author with a passion to help women win at life with strength and dignity. Barb has been speaking at women’s conferences, events and retreats since 2005. She is the author of multiple books and Bible studies, including the new book Winning the Worry Battle and Bible study Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle.
Barb and her husband, Matt are the parents of three daughters, Kate, Sami and Abbie. They love their dog, Quimby and a now 10-year old rabbit that threatens to live forever. She loves Jesus, new adventures, her FitBit, chocolate peanut butter ice cream and fabulous high heels.
What are you're missing out on if you aren't connected with any millennials?
It's become really easy for us to criticize the Millennial generation, those individuals born between 1981 and 1996 (according to Pew Research). How many times have you heard or maybe your referred to Millennials "entitled" or "they have a poor work ethic"?
My Better Together guest today is the exact opposite of the common (and untrue) stereotypes attributed to today's Millennials. Lauren Gaskill is a speaker, author, podcaster and entrepreneur - and she's 25 years old. That's right! Seriously, what were you doing at 25?
Best part is that Lauren has been my friend for a long time - I'm so excited that you get to meet her. Lauren emailed me years ago because she wanted to connect with women in ministry who were farther down the road in experience and faith. But, friends, I've learned so much from this brilliant young woman.
Her first book, Into the Deep, comes out in November 2018 (Abingdon Press). A long-time competitive swimmer, Lauren uses water as a word picture and writes about intentionally stepping out in faith and asking Jesus to show up big in our lives. While many of us get accustomed to playing it safe, this young woman just might light a fire under your complacency as you listen to her today.
Lauren knows what it's like to face real struggle, both in circumstances and faith. She was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome years ago. It's a connective tissue disorder that often leaves her in tremendous pain and suffering from anxiety.
“A year ago, I was in a pretty bad spot. I remember looking at my husband and saying, “I think that I might need to be in a pysch ward. It was a scary place. I am so glad that my faith got me through it. The Jesus inside of me is stronger than the darkness that tries to overtake me.”
Girl, preach.
During today's conversation, you get the chance to hear from one of the best and brightest leaders that we have, especially in the Church today.
CONVERSATION STARTERS WITH MILLENNIALS
If you feel like God wants you to invest more of your life and time into the young people at your church or in your community, here are few "conversation starters":
- Who are the people that you admire?
- What kind of parent do you want to be?
- If you could fix any problem in the world, what would it be?
- What are some issues that older adults get crazy about that you don't understand?
- In addition to preaching the Gospel, how else can the Church help you grow in your faith?
- How can I help you?
LINKS FROM TODAY'S PODCAST
Lauren Gaskill Website | Facebook
Ticket information - She Found Joy Tour (Fall 2018)
About the Better Together podcast...
Barb Roose is host of the Better Together podcast. She is a speaker and author with a passion to help women win at life with strength and dignity. Barb has been speaking at women's conferences, events and retreats since 2005. She is the author of multiple books and Bible studies, including the new book Winning the Worry Battle and Bible study Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle.
Barb and her husband, Matt are the parents of three daughters, Kate, Sami and Abbie. They love their dog, Quimby and a 9-year old rabbit that threatens to live forever. She loves Jesus, new adventures, her FitBit, chocolate peanut butter ice cream and fabulous high heels.
Are you or someone that you know a planning a wedding? Are you a soon-to-be-bride, mother-of-the-bride or mother-of-the-groom?
If so, this episode of the Better Together podcast is a must-listen for some of the do’s and don’ts when it comes to wedding fashion and family dynamics.
My guest this week is my fabulous friend and American’s leading Christian fashion consultant, Shari Braendel. She’s a popular guest on my Better Together podcast and on this episode, Shari shows up with some important rules and must-do’s when it comes to weddings.
Not only does she provide helpful information, but as Shari will be the mother-of-the-groom at her son’s wedding in just a couple of weeks, she lets us into what God has been teaching her about letting go of her son – it’s a touching, emotional conversation that any mom with a wedding coming up needs to hear. (You might want to grab a tissue!)
In today’s conversation, Shari answers questions like:
- What are the rules for when the mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom decide to pick their dresses?
- What kind of dress is best for your body types?
- When it comes to making decisions about the wedding, who should get first choice?
- How can you navigate hurt feelings and difficult moments while planning the wedding with the other side of the family?
- How can a mother-of-the-bride or mother-of-the-groom prepare her heart for the emotional “letting go” on the wedding day?
For the rest of us, Shari talks us through the different types of weddings and how we can dress appropriately for each type.
There’s so much practical advice and heart-talk that you might want to grab a tissue or two before you listen.
If you’ve got wedding fashion questions or questions of the heart, Shari would love to answer them. Leave them on the blog page of this podcast!
GET CONNECTED TO SHARI - Website | Facebook
Shari's 27 Hangers Online Course
Shari's book Help Me Jesus, I Have Nothing to Wear
Breakaway 2018 Conference on June 15-16 in Concord, NC
About Barb...
Barb Roose is the host of the Better Together podcast. She's a popular conference speaker and author of multiple books and Bible studies including her new book, Winning the Worry Battle and six-week Bible study called, Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle. Barb and her family live in NW Ohio. She loves travel, chocolate peanut ice cream and fabulous high heel shoes. Connect with Barb at Barbroose.com for new episodes of the Better Together podcast on the first and third Wednesdays of each month.
“Focus on the person you are fighting for, not the person you are fighting with.” -John Guerin
Do you have a secret that you’re keeping from your husband? Some of us might sneak in a few pairs of shoes inside brown grocery bag or perhaps there is a secret Amazon account attached to an off-the-radar credit card, secrets are never good for a relationship.
But what about a bigger secret?
Are you hiding secret feelings from your husband about the guy at the office who gives great shoulder rubs?
Do you feel a growing affection for your neighbor who always has time to fix something when your hubby is busy?
On this episode of the Better Together podcast, I’m talking with speaker and author Shannon Geurin. Shannon and her husband, John live in Colorado and they are parents of two daughters.
Twelve years ago, Shannon began an emotional affair with a man that led to a physical affair. As Shannon says, "And that affair led me to do the unthinkable. I was going to leave my family - husband and my little girls."
This is a raw conversation, friends. Shannon speaks with humility about the mistakes that she made, the lies that she believed, the forgiveness that she received and the long five-year road that she walked with her husband after her affair.
Even if you think that it isn’t possible for you to even find yourself in Shannon’s situation, there are plenty of other ways in life when we can get off-track in life. Listen as Shannon shares not only the warnings signs, but take heart and have hope as Shannon also shares how you can find your way back if you’ve made big mistakes and you’re wondering if you can ever overcome them. In Jesus’ name, you can!
THREE STEPS TOWARD FORGIVENESS & RESTORATION:
- Surround yourself with people who are supporting the decision that you are making.
- Write down God’s promises and post them where they can encourage you.
- Don’t let shame and guilt rob you of God’s forgiveness and your future.
LINKS FROM TODAY'S SHOW:
Connect with Shannon: Email | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
Finding Joy Ladies Night Out Tickets - click here
Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle Bible Study by Barb Roose
Barb Roose is the host of the Better Together Podcast.
I love the word “gutsy.” In fact, a gutsy woman is always inspiring to me! She’s the kind of gal who knows that the odds are stacked against her, but she makes a big move anyways. There have been so many gutsy women in my life – I could take up this entire blog listing them. In a world where women are fighting against so much, we need brave, courageous women who are willing to risk it all for something better.
Sometimes, the greatest gutsiest risk we’ll ever take is the one that involves confronting our painful past and choosing to walk the road of healing.
Today, my Better Together podcast guest is Jennifer Renee Watson. I caught up with Jennifer as she was hiding out in a hotel room writing her upcoming book called Freedom: The Gutsy Pursuit of Breakthrough and Life Beyond It" (February 2019). Jennifer is a speaker, writer, pastor’s wife, student ministries leader and mother of two. Her life journey has been one of brokenness and healing. Now, Jennifer’s passion is to equip others to take their healing journey as well.
As the child of an alcoholic and divorce, Jennifer spent her younger years trying to cope with the ache and pain of the loss of her dad to addiction and the break-up of her family. “My dad had such a great heart and loved people but over the years, his addiction became bigger and louder than who he was as a man.”
Jennifer came to faith in Christ when she was 11 years old. Her new life and hope in Christ helped Jennifer to see that she needed to deal with the brokenness in her life. “When I was in my teen years, I worked hard to deal with my junk. I wrote stories, angry poetry, danced – I needed an outlet to work through things.” Not only that, but young Jennifer made one of her first gutsy moves in life and said “yes” when she felt God putting a life of ministry on her heart.
During today’s conversation, Jennifer talks through what her “healing journey” looked like. Most of all, Jennifer tells us about the powerful way that she knew that healing had taken place when she got the word that her dad died three years ago.
There are times when we hear women talk about the shock-n-awe brokenness of their lives, but Jennifer longs for us to not let our brokenness define us. Rather, she invites us to learn how to offer the fractured parts of our lives to God and let those broken places be a platform to glorify Him.
On today’s Better Together Podcast, we talk about:
- What it means to be a “gutsy” woman;
- How you can use creative outlets to work through your junk;
- What you need in order to take a “healing journey”;
- How to let your brokenness glorify God instead of letting it define your life.
LINKS FROM TODAY'S EPISODE
Jennifer Renee Watson website | Facebook
Finding Joy Ladies Night Out Tickets - click here
About your host...
Barb Roose is the host of the Better Together podcast. She's passionate about teaching women how to win at life with strength and dignity. Barb's new book, Winning the Worry Battle and her new six-week Bible study on the book of Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle release in April 2018. Both products are available at your favorite online retailers and stores across the country.
“On what should have been the most beautiful day of my life, a switch flipped in my body…”
Have you or someone you know struggled with chronic pain? For 20 years, speaker and author, Melinda Means fought chronic pain and autoimmune disorders that she jokingly referred as the “gift that keeps on giving.”
Melinda is the author of the book, Invisible Wounds: Hope While You are Hurting. As we talked today, she reflects on the years on constant doctors appointments, diseases and treatments, she felt like the woman in New Testament who struggled with uncontrolled bleeding for 12 years (Mark 5).
“I tried everything to heal myself. I tried every diet, vitamin – everything. But nothing worked.”
Raging within Melinda’s suffering body was a spiritual wound that spread deep and wide. “I didn’t understand how God could love me and still let me suffer. I know that my earthly father would have healed me from my debilitating pain if he could. So, if my earthly father would heal me because beloved me, then why wouldn’t my heavenly father heal me?”
During my conversation with Melinda, we talk with great candor about the difficult questions that we ask God when we’re in physical, emotional or spiritual pain. If you’ve ever grappled with questions like why God hasn’t taken away your pain or why your prayers for healing have gone unanswered, then today’s podcast conversation is for you.
What you’ll hear in this week’s podcast:
- The story of Melinda’s 20-year struggle with chronic pain and spiritual struggle with her faith;
- What happened when Melinda prayed a radical prayer in the midst of her pain;
- The ONE thing that you can do if you are in the midst of a physical/spiritual struggle;
- A beautiful new gift God bestowed on Melinda that you can enjoy and download for yourself!
PODCAST EPISODE RESOURCES:
Melinda’s website | Melinda's book | Melinda's Facebook page
Finding Joy Ladies Night Out Tickets on iTickets
Powerful Quotes from this week’s podcast:
“For years, I went to every doctor and tried every remedy. But as I prayed that day, felt God speak to my spirit and say, ‘Melinda, I’m your only hope.’”
“I didn’t need to wait for God to heal me before I could minister to others. I realized that my ministry happened from the place of my brokenness.”
“While I prayed, I realized that if I wanted more of God, then I needed to stop consuming so much of everything else.”
“I realized that God wanted me to seek Him, not just seek what I wanted from Him.”
About this podcast...
The Better Together podcast provides hope, help and the practical next steps so that we can get better together. This podcast launches new episodes on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays each month. Miss an episode? You can listen to the podcast library at barbroose.com/bettertogether.
Barb Roose is the host of the Better Together podcast. She's passionate about teaching women how to win at life with strength and dignity. Barb's new book, Winning the Worry Battle and her new six-week Bible study on the book of Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle release in April 2018. Both products are available at your favorite online retailers and stores across the country.
"They took me into the counseling room. The doctor gently told me that they tried everything that they could, but they were not able to revive my husband. So, I went home to do the hardest thing that I ever had to do."
Lisa Appelo's life changed forever in just one night…
On this new episode of Better Together podcast, I have a heartbreaking, yet hope-filled conversation with writer and speaker, Lisa Appelo. She’s a Florida native and a homeschooling mom to seven kids, now aged 27 to 10.
During our interview, Lisa tells us about the night in summer 2011 when she woke up in the middle of the night and realized that her 47-year old husband Dan was having a heart attack. After the paramedics took her husband to the hospital, Lisa went upstairs and noticed her kids huddled together with their arms around each other.
Not only did Lisa face the devastating loss of her high-school sweetheart husband, but the reality of being alone and a single mom to seven kids from college-aged down to just four years old.
In the difficult months that followed, Lisa remembers the powerful presence of friends and prayer holding her family up.
"I do remember thinking and knowing that we were being carried by prayer."
Yet, as you listen to our interview, you’ll hear the incredible hope that Lisa share about the blessings and abundance of God. She talks about the pain of walking with her kids through the loss of their dad and the practical ways that she helped her kids open up and talk about their fears and loss.
During this episode, Lisa encourages us to remember:
CONNECT WITH LISA:
Lisa' website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
100 Days with Christ Bible Study Journal and Reading Plan
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FINDING JOY LADIES NIGHT OUT EVENT! Click here for more details!
Barb Roose is the host of the Better Together podcast. Find more episodes at barbroose.com/bettertogether.
“I read Bill’s words as he confessed that he had lied to his family and had stolen, and spent, $1,000,000 from his aunt’s trust fund. It was obvious he confessed at trial to get a reduced sentence. I was numb and in shock…I had asked God for the total truth but had never dreamed that the truth would be so painful. How could my husband and best friend, who I had known since I was five, be a liar, a thief
How could my husband and best friend, who I had known since I was five, be a liar, a thief and a convicted felon? It was excruciating.” -from Lynn's Story: A Journey of searing, Inspiring Growth and Ultimate Healing
For over 30 years, former corporate trainer Lynn Kampfer lived what most people would consider the American Dream. Married to her childhood sweetheart and raising two kids, Lynn and her family enjoyed the best that life had to offer.
Yet, as Lynn began to search for God the outer edges of her lovely life began to crack and crumble. In this episode of the Better Together podcast, Lynn shares not only her dramatic story but more importantly, incredible lessons learned about God’s faithfulness, provision, forgiveness and hope. Lynn will definitely inspire you as she shares about surviving breath-taking heartache and how to thrive even as life takes an unwelcome left turn.
As you listen to today’s podcast, I want you to draw hope and encouragement from Lynn’s story – especially if you feel like your life is falling apart.
What you’ll hear from today’s podcast:
- How God plants seeds in our lives, even when we’re unaware;
- Even after rock bottom, things can always get worse;
- When you don’t forgive, you’re in a prison doing hard time with the person who hurt you;
- Two important things to know and do when beginning the journey toward forgiveness;
- How God never abandons us when the unthinkable in life actually happens.
Forgiveness is a difficult and often misunderstood concept.
There's not enough space in this post to properly cover the topic, but I hope that you listen to Lynn's podcast because you can learn a lot from her journey to forgiveness. It wasn't easy, but she is so wise in how she journeyed through it.
POST A COMMENT ON THE BLOG: Can you tell us about your forgiveness journey? What was hard? How did God help you? If you're still struggling, how can we pray for you?
I'd love to hear your questions and comments about today's show! Email me at barb@barbroose.com
Click here to listen to other episodes of the Better Together podcast.
Barb Roose is the host of the Better Together podcast. She's a women's conference speaker with a passion to teach women how to win at life with strength and dignity. Barb is the author of multiple books and Bible studies, including her new book, Winning the Worry Battle (2018) and Bible study, Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle (2018).
Connect with Barb!
Are you tired of cleaning up the same messes day after day? Are you tired of making dinner, changing diapers or driving carpool day after day?
If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, you aren’t alone! In fact, you’re invited into a guilt-free zone for a precious conversation today about embracing God’s grace in the messiness of motherhood.
On this episode of the Better Together podcast, my guest is speaker and author, Amy Seiffert. She’s the author of the new book, Chin Up: Wearing Grace, Strength and Dignity When Motherhood Unravels Our Soul. Amy and her husband, Rob live in NW Ohio and they are the parents of three kids. For the past 16 years, Amy has been writing and speaking on staff with Cru and she's the Director of Outward Movement at Brookside Church in Bowling Green, OH. 
Before she became a mom, Amy pictured motherhood as a beautiful dress that she saw her friends wearing so beautifully. However, Amy felt that her motherhood dress felt floppy and didn’t fit quite right. She says that every time she tried to adjust or change, her motherhood dress would shift and expose the things that she wanted to keep covered up.
Amy and I talk about how she found God’s grace in the mundane and maddening tasks of motherhood. If you’ve ever struggled with endless laundry, Mom, I’m hungry, hated playing Barbies or was tempted to burn your kids’ puzzles, Amy’s been there.
One of the most powerful parts of our conversation centered around changing our perspective on the endless loads of laundry or those long sleepless nights. I love how Amy’s former seminar professor calls those seemingly mundane tasks “maintaining and sustaining.” In her book, Amy writes that when we see the sunrise and sunset or the seasons change, those are examples of how God maintains and sustains our world. Amy was encouraged when she realized that her maintaining and sustaining tasks like laundry, making dinner and changing diapers mirrored God’s work in our world. I hope that you listen in for that powerful conversation.
As we talk about Chin Up, Amy shares her struggle to overcome anger, letting go of unrealistic expectations and most of all, how she's learning to embrace God’s grace in motherhood., if you’ve been beating yourself up for not being the kind of mom that you want to be or think that you should be, Amy’s story is you’ve been beating yourself up for not being the kind of mom that you want to be or think that you should be, Amy’s story is
Sweet friend, if you’ve been beating yourself up for not being the kind of mom that you want to be or feeling guilty about not always enjoying motherhood, Amy’s story is perfect encouragement for you.
LINKS:
Amy Seiffert's website
Connect with Amy on Facebook
Buy Chin Up on Amazon.com
Barb Roose is the host of the Better Together podcast. Barb is passionate about reaching women and teaching them to win at life with God-empowered strength and dignity. She loves speaking at women's conferences and events on the topics of fear and worry, self-care and leadership. Barb is the author of multiple books and Bible studies, including April 2018 releases, Winning the Worry Battle (book) and Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle (Bible study). Check out Barbroose.com for more information.
Who taught you about sex as a child? If you’re a parent, how do you feel about talking to your child about sex?
According to a survey conducted by Knowledge Networks, 57% of parents feel uncomfortable talking to their kids about sex and 64% reported that their parents didn’t do a good job talking to them. How do we engage in this important conversation with our kids with confidence as well as effectiveness?
On this episode of the Better Together Podcast, I’m talking Lauren Snyder, Executive Director of Ministry at CedarCreek Church in Perrysburg, OH. Join our conversation as we have a conversation about a topic that we hate talking to our kids about: SEX.
During this podcast, you hear and learn:
- A fun story about the unconventional way that Lauren learned about the birds-and-the-bees;
- Why parents must be the first and primary voice in their children's life regarding sex;
- Lauren will equip you with phrases that we need to repeat early and often to our kids to keep them from developing body-related or sex-related shame.
During our podcast, Lauren also named a few of the resources that she provided to Lydia. We’ve also included those links for you:
- The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Younger Girls, Revised Edition Paperback (2012) by Valorie Schaefer (Author), Josee Masse (Illustrator)
- The Care and Keeping of You 2: The Body Book for Older Girls (Paperback – 2013) by Cara Natterson (Author), Josee Masse (Illustrator)
- God's Design for Sex Series (4 books) By Stan Jones and Brenna Jones
As Lauren recommends, please read these resources before handing them off with your kids. You’ll want to be aware and equipped to receive the questions that your child might ask, rather than scrambling to do damage control or untwist any misconceptions.
What if you’re afraid to teach your kids about sex because you feel ashamed or guilty about your past?
Romans 8:1 says that there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. If God has forgiven you, then you need to let His forgiveness in to clear your heart and mind and not block it with your guilt, shame or self-hatred. If you don't accept God's forgiveness, you'll miss an opportunity to testify to your kids about how God forgives and how we can be set free from guilt and shame.
What if you don’t know what the Bible says about sex?
This is a common question. There are a lot of people who are confused about what the Bible does and doesn't teach about sex. Now, there are an endless list of resources and perspectives. Here is a "starter" list for adults who want to learn more. You're welcome to share your suggestion on the blog page.
The Gift of Sex in Marriage - sermon by Ben Snyder, CedarCreek Church)
If you’re single – Love, Sex and Dating by Andy Stanley
If you’re married – Sheet Music by Kevin Leman
For Women Only – by Shaunti Feldhahn
Pornography - Resources available at XXXChurch.com
What do you do when you hear a child say negative things like, "I'm stupid," "I suck," "I can't do anything right," or "I'm worthless"?
It's a new year and new episodes of the Better Together podcast! Today's episode is a critical conversation for all parents and anyone with influence in a child, teen or young adult's life.
Here's our question: How do we teach a child to get back up again emotionally after getting knocked down by failure, a mistake, bullying or careless words? There's one skill that we must teach our kids because it's not a skill that they learn naturally. Unfortunately, it's a skill that too many adults don't know how to use either. But, we can learn!
Today's Better Together Podcast guest is marriage and family expert, Kim Fredrickson. She's the author of the new book, Give Your Kids a Break: Parenting with Compassion for You and Your Children. You are invited to be part of this critical dialogue that's needed now, more than ever!
Here's what you'll learn about today:
- Why self-compassion is the key to bouncing back quickly from mistakes;
- How to use the language of self-compassion;
- The important difference between self-compassion and self-pity;
- Compassionate words to say to yourself as a parent when you make a mistake with your kids
I'm passionate about today's conversation because I've read Kim's books and I use the language of self-compassion with myself. Self-compassion helps me to get to the heart of my mistakes, own my mistakes, overcome any shame or guilt and not beat myself up.
After you listen to today's podcast, I'm going to ask you to do the following:
First, share this episode with your mom and dad friends. Everyone needs to hear this message. Second, get Kim's book, Give Your Kids a Break, for more practical advice and help. She has a 1-2-3 Start List for beginning the self-compassion conversation with your kids.
Links from today's show
Kim's website (You can find her on social media from her website.)
Give Your Kids a Break by Kim Fredrickson
Give Yourself a Break by Kim Fredrickson (download first chapter for free!)
Better Together podcast is hosted by Barb Roose, a speaker and author passionate about helping women win at life with strength and dignity. This podcast releases new episodes twice a month. Listen to previous episodes at Barbroose.com/bettertogether. Connect with Barb on social media at fb.com/barbararoose or @barbroose on Twitter/Insta.
Did you know that a girl’s confidence peaks at the age of nine?
Statistics report that 7 out of every 10 girls don’t feel like they measure up.
Moms, how can we raise our daughters with the confidence to pursue courageous and fearless lives?
Today's Better Together podcast guest, author and Proverbs 31 Ministry speaker, Lynn Cowell, tells us about her journey to discover what it means to be brave and courageous in her life. As women of all ages fight to find that same confidence, Lynn wants to equip our young tweens so that they can find confidence sooner in life. She is the author of the new book, Brave Beauty: Finding the Fearless, a companion guide written for girls between the ages of 8-12 years old.
I loved so many things about our conversation! One of the most powerful observations was when Lynn explained how culture drives our girls to build their confidence on three shaky foundations:
1. Someone (like a relationship with someone);
2. Some Place (career/status); or
3. Something (beauty, education).
But, all of those things can be lost or taken because much of life is out of our control. So, to help our daughters, let's journey along with them to help them to build unshakeable confidence on an unshakeable God because they can’t lose God!
What if your confidence has been shaken? Lynn has something for you, too!
Lynn has a new Bible study for women titled Make Your Move: Finding Unshakeable Confidence Despite Your Fears and Failures. There are a lot of strong, confident women in the Bible! Lynn has created a Bible study so that you can learn from these women, some of them you might not know, but they will inspire to reach for God's best!
Mom, if you have a daughter in elementary school or junior high, would you do me a favor and check out Lynn's website. Our world is coming hard after young girls, but we can equip them to stand strong and confident in Jesus' name.
RESOURCES
Lynn’s website – including free resources!
Brave Beauty: Finding the Fearless You
Make Your Move: Finding Unshakeable Confidence Despite Your Fears and Failures
Lynn's books can be found at Proverbs 31 or at your favorite Christian Retailers.
ABOUT LYNN COWELL
Lynn Cowell is a Proverbs 31 Ministries author and speaker who helps moms become wise women so they can raise wiser daughters.
Connect with Barb! Barb Roose is the host of the Better Together Podcast. Connect with Barb online at barbroose.com or Facebook.com/barbararoose.
What frustrates you about clothes and fashion?
On this episode of the Better Together podcast, fabulous fashion expert Shari Braendel is back! Recently, Shari asked her audience about their top fashion dilemmas. Over 1000 women responded to Shari's survey and here were the top three questions:
1. How do I dress for my body?
2. How do I pick the right style for my hair?
3. How do I put together an entire look?
In this episode of the Better Together podcast, Shari answers those three questions with fabulous fashion tips and suggestions that you can begin using today! If you've been struggling to figure out a new hairstyle, you'll love her practical tips. I learned so much!
Here's what I just love about Shari - she believes that every woman is a VIP. You might beat yourself up every day, but it doesn't have to be that way! Listen to the podcast and find out about Shari's newest VIP website to help women look and feel put together each day. Trust me, you'll want to check out the link below!
RESOURCES:
- Text the word “fashion” to 44222 and get a free bundle of goodies from Shari! (No strings attached!)
- Click here to check out VIP Membership site
- Fashion Meets Faith Website
In the newest episode of the Better Together podcast, I talk about the following four bridges that build connection with our teen and adult daughters:
1. Kind Words - How do you speak to your daughter? What we say is most often a reflection of our heart, not our daughter's actions. Our kind words can actually heal the emotional and physical pain that our daughters experience in life.
2. Discover Her Love Language - Do you know your daughter's love language? Both of you can take the free test at the fivelovelanguages.com. When you invest 10-15 minutes per day in "speaking" her love language, you build resiliency into her life and she'll have the reserve to dig deep and tackle the problems that she's facing.
3. Ask Before You Accuse - How many of us jump to conclusions when a negative situation happens? We can build a connection instead of creating conflict when we calmly and kindly ask, "Can you tell me what happened?" and listen to what she has to say.
4. "Open the Door" - Getting our daughter to talk can be tricky because she has a lot on her mind. I share a tip to open up communication with your daughter. Listen to the podcast to find out more!
RESOURCES
The Parenting Teens Summit
An online experience designed to help you thrive as a parent of a teenager. Over 40 different Christian authors and thoughts leaders are ready to share their unique insight with you. Featured speakers include Dr. James Dobson, Dr. Juli Slattery, Dr. Paul David Tripp, Craig Gross, Kimm Carr, Craig Groeschel, and Dr. Kathy Koch, among others.
Parenting Teen Summit starts September 11-27! Click here to find out more and register!
FREE eBook
Mom, is your young daughter comparing herself to her friends? Has she made comments about how she looks or shows signs of low self-esteem? Download a free copy of my ebook, 10 Beauty Essentials to Teach Your Daughter. Reach her now with God's beautiful truth so that she can learn how to push back against our culture's impossible beauty standards. It's not too early to help your daughter avoid an ugly struggle with beauty. Click here to download.
How do we learn contentment in a culture that is always pushing us to pursue more? What are we missing out on if we're always searching for the next best thing?
Author Melissa Spoelstra shares lessons that we can learn from her new Bible study, Numbers: Learning Contentment in a Culture of More about the Israelites' journey through the wilderness. While God planned to bring them to the Promised Land, their arrival was delayed because they complained too much.
Listen as we talk about why we default to complaining - even though we know shouldn't. What are some of the secrets to contentment that we can learn from God's word?
Here are the takeaways from today's episode:
1. We can learn to "secret" to contentment, even if everything in our lives are upside-down.
2. Join Melissa's Contentment Project - Have you been complaining a lot lately? Learn to move from complaining to contentment by participating in Melissa's "Contentment Project" starting in early September. Click here to sign up today!
3. Check out Melissa's new Bible study, Numbers: Learning Contentment in a Culture of More. Available at all Christian retailers.
In this episode of the Better Together podcast, host Barb Roose shares five positive statements that women can use before, during and after their shopping experience.
As one who has battled an ugly struggle with self-esteem, self-confidence and self-image, Barb shares godly wisdom for women at every age and stage in life. These five statements reflect God's truth about women.
Here are the five statements:
1. If it doesn't fit, I promise not to buy it.
2. I will buy the best for my budget.
3. This label is not my value.
4. This piece of clothing isn't right for me, but it's right for someone else.
5. I am God's beautiful daughter and trying on these clothes won't change that.
Barb recommends that women repeat these statements when before entering the dressing room, while disrobing as well as after shopping.
Better Together with Barb Roose is on iTunes. Subscribe by clicking here.
Barb would love to hear from you!
Twiiter/IG: barbroose
So, you and you friend have gotten into a fight. What now?
A few years ago, I hurt a friend. It wasn't on purpose. There was a conflict between my friend and another person. I thought that I was being helpful - a bridge-builder per se. I stuck my nosy nose into the situation and gave my worthless two cents. The next day, my girlfriend called in tears to let me know that my well-meaning words put her in an awful position. I felt awful. I'd hurt my friend.
Have you ever been hurt by a friend? Have you ever been the one to hurt a friend's feelings? No matter which side you find yourself on, it's painful all the way around!
After last week's Better Together episode with my guest, Natalie Chambers Snapp, I heard from many women who've dealt with friendship break-ups, heartache, betrayal and pain. It's so hard sometimes!
I love how Natalie shared her "PEG System" to help her think through friendship conflict. Here's an explanation and something that you can consider if you have a friendship that is broken right now:
Pray - Instead of taking our pain to friends, take your pain to God and ask for clarity on what's going on.
Examine - Ask yourself tough questions like:
- What's my role in this conflict?
- Can I be with my friend in the future without replaying the hurt?
- Do I need to talk to her about the problem OR is this a "me" issue that I need to work out with God?
Go Straight to that Person - Direct dialogue, but Natalie lists a few conditions in the podcast.
This podcast is jam-packed with solid Biblical insight about not only friendships, but Natalie challenges our hearts to realize where God needs to work within us.
REMEMBER: I'm giving away a copy of Natalie's NEW Becoming Heart Sisters Bible study! It's available at Christian retailers nationwide, but you can enter to win a copy by clicking here and leaving a comment on the podcast blog page. Winner will be drawn on June 5.
CLICK HERE to leave a review about this episode on iTunes.
About Natalie…
Author Natalie Chambers Snapp uses her own and others’ stories of successes and failures to illustrate what she has learned about girlfriend relationships. Healthy boundaries, honesty, tact, sharing, and agape love all play a part in being and maintaining a circle of close confidants. She also deals with the inevitable challenges that face many relationships including how to handle conflict; life changes like a new baby, move or divorce; and when it is right to “break-up” with your friend.
What is it with women and friendships?
As much as we know that we need good girlfriends, we can't seem to stop ourselves from friendship drama! We're surrounded by a culture that has dipped the term "BFF" in 24 carat gold, so if you don't have a BFF, then you're hopelessly alone forever. On the other hand, we're flooded with "Real" television shows that make backbiting, pettiness and betrayal the norm. Recently, one "Housewife" was kicked off her reality television show because she spread rumors about another housewife plans to drug another woman. What's going on here? Do we even know what good friendships look like anymore?
Today, I'm talking with my friend, Natalie Snapp, author of the Bible study, Heart Sisters: A Bible Study on Authentic Friendships. She's a strong, courageous sister in Christ whose life experiences have given her a passion for helping women develop healthy authentic relationships with each other. Her writings specifically address women who've been hurt by friendships and are looking for healing.
In this episode, Natalie tells us about the bullying that she endured in high school from other girls. She'll also tell us about what happened when she realized that her non-Christian friends seemed to handle friendship conflict better than her Christian friends.
You'll learn about the two ingredients that all healthy, authentic relationships must have as well as learn how your mother's approach to friendship may have impacted your life.
GIVEAWAY: I'm giving away a free copy of Natalie's Bible Study, Becoming Heart Sisters on June 5. Enter by posting a comment on the blog page for this podcast.
About Natalie...
Author Natalie Chambers Snapp uses her own and others’ stories of successes and failures to illustrate what she has learned about girlfriend relationships. Healthy boundaries, honesty, tact, sharing, and agape love all play a part in being and maintaining a circle of close confidants. She also deals with the inevitable challenges that face many relationships including how to handle conflict; life changes like a new baby, move or divorce; and when it is right to “break-up” with your friend.
Last week, it rained for several days straight in my little corner of the world. It rained enough that I regretted passing up that fabulous pair of rainboots that I saw at the store. My soggy sneakers held up just fine...
Since we experience all four seasons in my area of the country, heavy spring rains always seem to wash away the last vestiges of winter and pour in the freshness of the spring season.
Is your life ready to embrace spring?
Did you know that every season has a metaphor? If you aren't familiar with this concept, here's a quick overview:
- Summer = sunny and steady
- Fall= transition and uncertainty
- Winter = reflection and rehabilitation
- Spring = fresh and hopeful
So, now it's spring. Do you feel fresh and hopeful? I'm trying to be! After a long winter, I need to fill my tanks a little after a long winter. So, these days, I'm focused on finding things that inspire me toward godly momentum and creativity.
One of my main places of inspiration is walking outside. There's something about the fresh air and walking underneath God's big blue sky that just makes me feel close to God. And I LOVE flowers! Lucky for me, I live in a historical neighborhood filled with lots of amazing gardens.
Another source of inspiration is when I travel to speaking events. As I write out this paragraph, many of your faces that I've met over the past few months float across my memory - and make me smile. I'm inspired when I think about all of the women that I've met and all of the stories that I've heard.
For me, being inspired is all about putting myself in situations where my heart, mind and soul can be connected to God and connected to others who also long to be connected to God.
I don't know about you, but the farther I get away from God, the more draining life seems to be. So, my goal each day is to make purposeful plans to find connections with God and others such as.
Here's a quick list of six ways that I find inspiration:
1. Walking outside and focusing on God's beauty of creation,
2. Sitting with a friend over coffee as she tells me about how God is stretching or growing her faith,
3. Attending a conference or event that will challenge me in my faith or help me expand my skills,
4. Consuming books or listening to podcasts by people who write/speak about their faith or craft,
5. Journaling or reading old journal entries to see how God has stretched and grown my faith.
6. Traveling to new places and meeting new people lets me see faith from lots of different and powerful perspectives.
Now, this is my list. But, it's not the be-all-end-all list. However, if you're looking for some ideas, perhaps my list might motivate you to create your own list.
Don't forget, inspiration is essential for living!
Inspiration keeps us moving forward. Inspiration is essential for resilience and keeping us hopeful. Inspiration keeps us looking toward the future when we're tempted to focus on the past or the negative circumstances in the present.
So, what should go on your inspiration list? Share what inspires you in the comments on the blog page for this podcast episode.
My friend Cathy West joins me for this week's Better Together episode and shares how she finds inspiration for her stories. Her newest book, The Memory of You, just released a few weeks ago and Cathy gives us some inside scoop about a powerful story that many of us can relate to. Cathy also explains why fiction stories have the power to help us work through some of our struggles.
Click here to find out more about this story of a woman who deals with PTSD after the death of her sister. She discovers the freeing power of forgiveness, confession and faith.
About Catherine West...
INSPY Award-winning author Catherine West writes stories of hope and healing from her island home in Bermuda. When she’s not at the computer working on her next story, you can find her taking her Border Collie for long walks or reading books by her favorite authors. She and her husband have two grown children.
Do you ever battle insecurity?
We all do! Even if usually you feel like Confident Connie on a good hair day, there are times when our inner critic pipes up and whispers, "You'll never pull that off."
Some of us grew up in homes hearing "You're useless" or "You can't do anything right." Those words planted seeds of insecurity in our hearts. For others, a big mistake or a crushing failure planted a powerful seed of insecurity in our hearts.
Insecurity whispers "You'll never good enough, no matter how hard you try."
When we're insecure, we're always second-guessing ourselves, even when we know we're doing the right things. When we're insecure, we're afraid to look toward the future in hope because we fear pain and failure.
But, what does God say to us and our insecurities? I love the words of Jeremiah 29:11 - some of you already know these words by heart:
"I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
God is not planning disaster for us. He's not planning disaster for you, my friend. Yes, we'll encounter hardships and tests to grow our faith, but through faith, we can walk with confidence in God's plan for our lives.
If you're always second-guessing yourself, but you want to dream big dreams, I want you to listen to my interview with award-winning author, Catherine West. I met Cathy a few years ago at my literary agency retreat and she's real and lovely and someone that you can totally relate to!
On this episode of Better Together, Cathy and I will talk about her battle to overcome worry and insecurity. All of us will benefit from Cathy's five life lessons about how to get off the ledge of insecurity as well as having the guts to go for our dreams. If you don't have time to listen, click here to access those five life lessons on Cathy's website.
By the way, Cathy's new book The Memory of You just released a few weeks ago - it's amazing! Click here to find out more about this story of a woman who deals with PTSD after the death of her sister. She discovers the freeing power of forgiveness, confession and faith.
About Catherine West...
INSPY Award-winning author Catherine West writes stories of hope and healing from her island home in Bermuda. When she’s not at the computer working on her next story, you can find her taking her Border Collie for long walks or reading books by her favorite authors. She and her husband have two grown children. Catherine’s novel, Bridge of Faith, won the 2015 Grace Award. Catherine’s latest novels are The Things We Knew (July 2016) and The Memory of You (March 2017), Harper Collins Christian Publishing.
Catherine loves to connect with her readers and can be reached at Catherine@catherinejwest.com
Website – http://www.catherinejwest.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/CatherineJWest
Twitter - https://twitter.com/cathwest
GoodReads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4715219.Catherine_West
Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/cathwest/
Google + - https://plus.google.com/u/0/108781711729974539211/posts
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/cathwestwrites/
Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Catherine-West/e/B004RWZUHK/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Oh my, goodness!
Last week, I shared my story about a year-long battle with depression as well as a powerful podcast interview with my friend, Melissa Maimone.
Boy, did I hear from you! I've gotten more notes and messages about this podcast than any other. One woman shared that God used our discussion to confirm that she needed to talk to her doctor about depression. Praise God!
Depression is a medical condition that can make us feel alone, fearful and hopeless. At its worst, depression can make us feel that we're too broken or damaged to be loved. Even by God.
God loves you just the way that you are. There is nothing that you can do to change His opinion about you.
Christians are uncomfortable with depression. By refusing the recognize depression as a medical issue, Christians often downplay, even dismisses its devastating impact on families, our careers and our health. Too often, Christians feel ashamed about being depressed or they're shamed by others who tell them to pray harder or think more positively.
In this week's Better Together episode, Melissa and I tackled depression, God and faith. For years, Melissa felt like she'd disappointed God, which totally wasn't true! She speaks to us in a powerful way about a compassionate God who loves us as we are and gives us the strength that we need. Melissa discovered that depression doesn't mean that she's sentenced to a life of unhappiness. Friends, Melissa is one of the most radiant people that I know!
If you've been dealing with depression or you secretly wonder if you are depressed, I hope that you'll listen to this week's podcast. Also, check out the resource links provided below. You can take a quick screening quiz to find out if you should talk to your doctor about depression. I'm also sharing some other resources that will equip and encourage you.
RESOURCES FOR YOU!
Online depression screening tool *If you take the quiz, please take your concerns and results to you healthcare professional no matter the outcome of the quiz.
Gathering Dandelions: Meditations and Musings on Faith, Fracture, and Beauty Mistaken for a Weed by Melissa Maimone
Mental Health and the Church - Interview with Rick Warren
About Melissa Maimone...
Melissa Maimone is a vibrant, inspirational Christian speaker and author of “Gathering Dandelions: Meditations and Musings on Faith, Fracture, and Beauty Mistaken for a Weed.”
Affected by depression and anxiety from a young age, Melissa inspires women to discover the beautiful strength and grace available to them—even in the darkest of places. With her unique blend of theology, humor, insight, and storytelling, Melissa shares with powerful vulnerability that a hopeful, joyous life is possible no matter what your circumstance.
She lives in Southern California with her husband Danny their two children, Elizabeth and Cole.