In this final episode in our Advent “Make Room” Series, we are focusing on the greatest virtue of all: LOVE.

Jamie Finn, author, advocate, and speaker joins us to discuss her ever evolving definition of love. We explore the sacrificial nature of love, the complexity of love, and what it mean to first receive love from God so we are enabled to truly love others, even when it’s hard.

The conversation culminates in a reminder of the essence of Christmas: God’s sacrificial love for humanity. This is a great episode to listen to as you prepare your heart for Christmas week. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

A FEW THINGS MENTIONED

Jamie's Books

• Foster the Family
• Filled- Devotional

QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE

1. Who feels inconvenient for you to love this Christmas season, and how can you ask God to join you in loving them?
2. How can you receive love from God this season?
3. How will this better prepare you to love others?
4. Where do you need to embrace humility?

LET’S CONNECT!

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As we consider joy during Advent we ask why don't we experience it more here on earth. Our guest this week, Paul Robie, says Christians should be the most joyful people on the planet. We have the Good News to direct our steps and our spirits.

This wrestling with joy is likely why joy is an Advent theme since the beginning of Advent themes. We can collectively consider what it means to hold joy in our lives. We can also encourage each other in the practical ways we can cultivate it. Paul is a lifelong pastor, current church consultant, and mentor to seminary students. Practices of faith and how they form us are what he talks about all day long and we get the benefit of his wisdom in this series.

Whether you are wondering why others aren't more joyful, or wanting to experience joy this Advent and in the new year, this episode is for you.

A FEW THINGS MENTIONED

-One Thousand Gifts- Ann Voskamp

-Happiness- Randy Alcorn

-Happiness Is a Serious Problem- Dennis Prager

-The Road Less Traveled- Scott Peck

-Psalms 1

-John 15

QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE

1. How have you separated happiness and holiness?
2. Do you agree that Christians should be the happiest people in the world?
3. Who or what am I allowing to steal my joy?
4. What expectations can you let go of in order to make room to be surprised by joy?

LET’S CONNECT!

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Or message us on Instagram – we’d love to hear from you!

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December is starting to move quickly, who could use some peace right about now? We are in an Advent series and today we are making room for PEACE.

Joining us is pastor, seminary professor, and coach Jim Singleton. In this insightful and compelling interview, Jim helps us explore the concept of peace in a chaotic world, focusing on the need for both external and internal peace.

We dive into the historical context of peace, the impact of digital distractions, and the importance of spiritual practices. Jim highlights the cost of true peace, the concept of holy indifference, and the deeper meaning of SHALOM as peace amidst conflict.

If you want practical steps to access shalom, hear about the role of community in finding peace, and discover the connection between creativity and spiritual well-being, this rich conversation is for you.

A FEW THINGS MENTIONED

- Joshua 3

-Mark 1

-Philippians 4

-Acts 16

QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE

1. What distraction are keeping you from following the Ark?
2. What high reward are you looking for at a low cost?
3. Does your peace feel more like broth or stew?
4. Whether you are having broth or stew, where is the connection in your daily practices to that, how does the feeling that you are either eating broth or stew how are your daily practices supporting that or not supporting that?
5. How can you use Godly community to encourage and grow the shalom of God in your life?

LET’S CONNECT!

Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend.

Or message us on Instagram – we’d love to hear from you!

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Advent is the season anticipating Christmas. This first week of Advent we kick off a four-week series covering the timeless themes of hope, peace, joy, and love.

We start this week with hope.

Hope is the anticipation that good can happen. And when we know God is good, we can believe he can make good happen. Hope is also believing Christ will return. This is why we focus in on hope during Advent.

Whether you light an Advent candle on a wreath, read a special devotion, or simply consider the miracle that is God coming as a human baby, we hope you will take a moment to consider what it means to anticipate the coming of Christ. Then and again.

SOME THINGS YOU HEARD ON THE SHOW

Krista's Advent EBOOK you can download and use with your friends or family

-Matthew 1:18-21 NIV

-Abigail Luxury Travel Advisory

-Loving My Actual Christmas

QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE

1. How would you like to celebrate Advent this season?
2. What are you hoping for that is out of your control?
3. Are you trusting in God's larger plan? If so, how? And if not, why?
4. What can you do today to articulate your expectations for the next few weeks to yourself, to God and to a friend? How can you right size those expectations?

LET’S CONNECT!

Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend.

Or message us on Instagram – we’d love to hear from you!

Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happi

Let's get ahead of the holiday season this year rather than feeling stressed all the way through it. We want to enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas as much as the people around us!

In this episode, we share five practical and helpful tips for navigating the Christmas season with joy and intention. We dive into the importance of embracing the true meaning of Christmas while managing the chaos that often accompanies the holidays.

Join us as we discuss setting boundaries, effective communication, meal prep strategies, decorating tips, and the significance of maintaining a positive mindset throughout the festive season.

Join us holiday magic makers!

SOME THINGS YOU HEARD ON THE SHOW

Amish Cinnamon Rolls

Holiday 3 Ring Binder

Definition of Metacognition: awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes.

Colossians 3:12-15

QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE

1. Are there boundaries you need to set for this holiday season?
2. Who do you need to communicate with around plans, how can you communicate with them today?
3. What cooking can you do now to save time in the heavy Christmas weeks?
4. Is there a mindset change you need to make about how you're going to think about coming events, how can you decide now to think differently?

LET’S CONNECT!

Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend.

Or message us on Instagram – we’d love to hear from you!

Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier

Marriage in midlife is no joke! We have often spent exhausting years caring for kids and have given each other the left over time and attention. We also are being introduced to new stressors and need to figure out how to navigate this together. It's hard. It's also worth the work.

We invited Dave and Ann Wilson back to the podcast to talk specifically about cultivating love during this changing and often challenging time. Thank goodness we aren't alone in this journey. Dave and Ann are honest about their challenges, about the changes happening now and offer hope that midlife can be a time of deep love and connection for couples. A refreshing take for those of us that need hope or healing in our marriage.

FIND MORE ABOUT DAVE AND ANN WILSON

Dave & Ann's– Website and Instagram

A FEW THINGS MENTIONED

Romans 15:5-6

Episode 180 with Dave and Ann Wilson

James Davis Book-Doing Life with Your Adult Children

QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE

1. How has marriage in midlife been for you, how are you and your spouse connecting?
2. What topics are difficult for you to navigate?
3. How has parenting adult children surprised you, and how has this phase of parenting impacted your marriage?
4. How can you get to a level five deeper conversation with your spouse?
5. What are a few questions that you can ask?
6. Where would you like to be running hard together, what steps do you need to take?

LET’S CONNECT!

Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend.

Or message us on Instagram – we’d love to hear from you!

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We're headed into the cozy season of the year and there is nothing better than soup on the stove when the weather turns chilly. It's also a time when we get out the soft blankets and curl up on the sofa to take a breath, read a book, or sit by the fire.

In today's episode we are talking all about SOUP and SABBATH - nourishing our bodies and our souls with author and speaker Kathi Lipp.

We talk about the importance of meal planning (and the best free meal planning tool there is), the significance of the table, Kathi's favorite soup recipes, involving family in the preparation of a meal, and the value of making meals ahead of time so we can rest.

Kathi helps us grow in our understanding of sabbath, and the need for self care. You are going to love this well-timed episode!

FIND MORE ABOUT KATHI LIPP

Kathi Lipp's – Website and Instagram

Kathi Lipp's Book- Sabbath Soup

A FEW THINGS MENTIONED

Gin -Tomato Soup

From Overwhelmed to Organized: A Step-by-Step Guide to Clutter-Free Meal Planning

Motion App- To stay organized

Chatgpt- Meal plan

Sam's Club- Order App

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

Accidental Homesteader

QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE

1. In what ways can you set yourself up for success in this season?
2. What do you need to launch, leverage and let go off to have that success
3. What can you do to meal plan more efficiently to save some stress in your life?
4. How can you be looking ahead to the holiday season and prepare so that you can rest and enjoy when you are with your people?
5. In what ways do you need to pay attention to your balance of peace and joy?

LET’S CONNECT!

Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend.

Or message us on Instagram – we’d love to hear from you!

Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happi

Grief is something we don't choose. It arrives and we have to decide how we are going to deal with it. In midlife we can be faced with new types of grief. We want to live with it and move through it with health. The question is how?

Our guest, Mattie Jackson understands deep grief. The loss of her husband in an accident less than one year after they were married took her to her deepest pain. She talks us through her own healing and how her friends supported her. The wisdom she shares is valuable for anyone who wants to stand with those they love.

If you are experiencing grief, know someone who is, or want to be prepared when the unexpected happens, this conversation is for you. Truly, you don't want to miss Mattie's insights. You will be better for it.

FIND MORE ABOUT MATTIE JACKSON

Mattie Jackson - Website and Instagram

Mattie Jackson's Book- Through the Valley of Grief

A FEW THINGS MENTIONED

"When grief opens a door it yells out to all the past griefs to come and get through that door with it" Dr Curt Thompson

Happiness co-exists with unhappiness.

QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE

1. How can you lean into God with your grief, rather than avoiding it?
2. When have you felt grief's door open and all of the past griefs come running?
3. When have you been given an identity that fear said would define you the rest of your life?
4. What is the one most important takeaway for you in the interview today?

LET’S CONNECT!

Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend.

Or message us on Instagram – we’d love to hear from you!

Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier

The mother-daughter relationship can be one of the richest and most rewarding bonds we get to experience here on earth. It can also be one of the most complicated, especially in the teen and young adult years.

Today we are thrilled to have Sandra Stanley and Allie Stanley Cooney, authors of Meet Me in the Middle, discussing the importance of foundations in the mother-daughter relationship. They emphasize the need to root our identity in faith and how it affects every aspect of life.

We also discuss the significance of pursuing and valuing the relationship a mother has with her daughter, even during times of tension and conflict, and what it looks like to become students of our daughters. We also cover forgiveness, and the importance of allowing time for healing, not dictating when forgiveness should occur.

This episode is unique because we get to hear from a mother's AND a daughter's perspective. If you are looking to improve your relationship with your daughter, this episode is for you!

FIND MORE ABOUT SANDRA STANLEY & ALLIE STANLEY

Sandra Stanley's- Website and Instagram

Allie Stanley's -  Instagram

Sandra & Allie's book- Meet Me in the Middle

A FEW THINGS MENTIONED

Galatians 6:7-9

3 Superpowers

-Forgiveness

-Gentleness

-Appreciation

QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE

1. Was there anything from the interview you really want to adopt or take with you, maybe it was a phrase, a prayer, or a concept?
2. What is one way you can get healthier as a mom?
3. In the interview Sandra & Allie talked about appreciation, forgiveness and gentleness as a superpower, which one do you most need in your relationship with your daughter right now?
4. How can you continue to pursue your daughter in this stage of your relationship?
5. How could you incorporate more fun into your time with your daughter?

LET’S CONNECT!

Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend.

Or message us on Instagram – we’d love to hear from you!

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The final episode in our ELECTION READY series, today Krista Gilbert is interviewing Alexandra Kuykendall about how we love our neighbor in the midst of an election season.

Seeking out goodness when life is great is easy, but when we have political disagreements or challenges that come our way, this is when it becomes really hard. In today's episode, Alex explores how to maintain a positive outlook, the role of prayer, and the significance of self-awareness and emotional regulation.

She also emphasizes the need for intentionality in finding goodness in others and the importance of loving neighbors, regardless of political differences.

We can feel so helpless when it comes to election season. This is one thing we can control: focusing on God's goodness and drawing close to others as a result. Listen in and be encouraged!

QUESTION TO HELP YOU RISE

1. Who has seen the best in you and made you feel loved, and what did they do to make you feel that way, and how can you mirror those behaviors?
2. What is one thing you can pre-decide about how you want to have election related conversations or just political conversation?
3. How can you pray for the presidential candidates that we have this year and local leaders?
4. Who is one neighbor you can care for this month?
5. In what area do you mostly need a reframe to seek out goodness?

A FEW THINGS MENTIONED

Episode 299 Original Episode on Seeking Out Goodness

Philippians 4:8

James 1:27

Colossians 1:16-17

Fruits of the spirit

• Love
• joy
• peace
• Patience
• kindness
• Goodness
• Faithfulness
• Gentleness
• Self-control

LET’S CONNECT!

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Continuing our “Election Ready” series, we are talking today about the importance of bridge building and having conversations around faith and politics - especially during an election year. If this idea seems impossible to you, it’s even more important to listen in on our discussion.

Joining us is Lindsey Medenwaldt. Lindsey is the Director of Operations at Mama Bear Apologetics, holds a masters in apologetics from Denver Seminary, a JD from St. Mary’s School of Law, and another master’s degree in public administration. Her varied background gives her a unique lens for political conversations.

In this episode we talk about why it’s important for Christians to articulate their beliefs and engage in conversations with gentleness and respect. We also highlight the importance of keeping the gospel as the anchor, and focusing on Christ amidst political disagreements.

Lindsey shares insights on bridge building, including the importance of truth and genuine friendship. But we don’t just talk about these ideas, we also offer practical tips for navigating challenging political conversations.

In the heat of this election season, you’ll be so glad you turned in!

FIND MORE ABOUT LINDSEY MEDENWALDT

Lindsey Medenwaldt- Website and Instagram

Lindsey Medenwaldt- Bridge-Building Apologetics: How to Get Along Even When We Disagree

A FEW THINGS MENTIONED

-1 Peter 3:15

QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE

1. Is there an area of my life where I want people to think like me, if so why is this so important to me?
2. What is God prompting me to let go?
3. In what relationship can I work on listening for understanding?

LET’S CONNECT!

Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend.

Or message us on Instagram – we’d love to hear from you!

Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier