How do you respond when life sends its worst?  Do you reach out to others, or do you withdraw? Does it make your relationships stronger, or does it cause a division in your relationships?

 

I am so excited to have Carol & Gene Kent and Cindy & Dave Lambert on the podcast this week. We are going to talk about their book, *Staying Power: Building a Stronger Marriage When Life Sends Its Worst. Just a quick message to all my single friends: I am not married. I am divorced. If I am honest, I was a little hesitant about reading a marriage book, but I have to tell you this book is full of God Stories of when life is hard, and God shows up big and deepens their faith! You know how much I love to talk about how our greatest heartbreaks catapult us to our greatest growth.  I believe that growth can happen individually and in our faith with God. It can also happen in our relationships, which is what this book is all about.

Here is the question they ask on the back of their book: Will the next crisis your marriage faces be your final hour or your finest hour?  To my non-married friends, let me rephrase the question: When you go through your crisis, could that be your finest hour? Could God use that to grow you deeper than ever before? Can it birth a ministry out of you? I cannot wait for you to hear from Carol and Gene and how their greatest heartbreak launched their amazing ministry.  Whether you are married or single, I believe this episode is for you. In fact, I have not highlighted a book on marriage before on the podcast, and so today, on Valentine’s Day, I thought this is the one, the book I want to highlight: Staying Power!

I had so much fun recording with all four of them, and they have so much truth to offer you!  I promise you do not want to miss this episode.

Also, I am so excited for someone to win a copy of Carol, Gene, Cindy and Dave’s book: *Staying Power. All the details of the book giveaway are on my website at jodirosser.com or you can click this direct link: https://kingsumo.com/g/0q1enu/staying-power-book-giveaway

Book Recommendations:

• *The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
• *Townsman by Pearl S. Buck (if interested, you may want to check ebay for this one)
• *What Wives Wish Their Husbands Knew About Women by Dr. James Dobson
• *Love Must Be Tough by Dr. James Dobson
• *A Grace Disguised by Jerry Sittser
• *Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby

Carol and Gene Kent are the founders of Speak Up Ministries, which includes Speak Up Speaker Services, a Christian speakers’ bureau; Speak Up Conferences, events that equip the next generation of speakers and writers; and Speak Up for Hope, a nonprofit organization that benefits inmates and their families. Carol is an international speaker, and she has authored over twenty-five books. Gene serves as chief operating officer of their ministries. They are both fans of tracking down the best cup of coffee in every city they visit, and their favorite activity is watching sunsets together. You can connect with Carol on her website or on Facebook or Instagram.

Cindy and David Lambert have been shaping influences in the Christian publishing world for decades, both as editors and as authors, having authored over twenty published books between them. Together they own Lambert Editorial, serving authors, publishers, and Christian ministries with their editorial and writing skills. They are the parents of six adult children, have nine grandchildren, and love to launch their kayaks together from their own dock in front of their log cabin in Michigan.

Speak Up for Hope is a nonprofit organization that seeks to live out the principle of Proverbs 31:8-9, MSG: “Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the down-and-outers. Speak out for justice. Stand up for the poor and destitute!”

Our Vision:     To help inmates and their families adjust to their new normal.

Our Mission:  We exist to provide hope to inmates and their families through encouragement and resources.

For more information, go to www.speakupforhope.org.

*Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!