Christmas can be a very happy time for families, but it can also be awkward or difficult if relationships are strained. Today's guest Anne Beiler (founder of Auntie Anne's Pretzels) grew up around the table, eating daily meals with her large Amish family. When things got very tough as she went into adulthood, the family still kept meeting around the table and it made all the difference in the world. Anne Beiler will share her story of heartbreak and conflict, of forgiveness and grace--and how she started making pretzels. Anne has a beautiful new cookbook, Come to the Table. In today's holiday conversation, you'll learn: 

4:00 Growing up Amish, coming from a very big family of eight kids 

6:30 My grandmother’s Christmas wreath (you could eat it!) 

8:00 We were dirt poor…Christmas was very sparse 

12:00 I learned how to share and communicate with people around the table (three times a day) 

16:00 When your adult child is doing something you don’t approve of, you still come around the table 

19:50 When I stopped wearing my head covering 

21:40 Out of our pain, our purpose was born

26:00 How God miraculously redeemed my marriage 

31:00 Seeing your first Auntie Anne’s in a foreign country  

Anne Beiler is the founder of Auntie Anne Pretzels, the largest pretzel franchise in the world. She's the author of The Secret Lies Within and Overcome and Lead. Her new cookbook is Come to the Table--you can get it here. auntieannebeiler.com/cookbook

You're invited to the Parents Rising Conference on March 2, 2024 in San Diego, CA. Speakers include Dr. Gary Chapman, Arlene, Bill and Pam Farrel and Sally Burke. Early bird pricing is available now! happyhomeuniversity.com/conference

More Resources for Your Family:

Arlene's Free Marriage Webinar -- Get Unstuck in Your Marriage. If you feel stuck in a rut or you've just lost that lovin' feeling, register for Arlene's free marriage webinar here. 

Subscribe to Arlene's free email list to get tech news and more to help your home.

Watch a VIDEO clip from the podcast on Arlene's Happy Home YouTube Channel @arlenehappyhome