Over the next couple of episodes, Nicola and I will be taking time to go back and review some of the conversations we have gotten to have with our friends recently. In this episode, we discuss our interview with the Brooks family and their experience of adopting children from different ethnic groups.

Here are some of our main takeaways:

-Their willingness to reevaluate their view of their ethnic group and how they experienced other ethnic groups growing up.-They were intentional to learn and to join their children in their experience.-They were willing to try on the frame of how their children may experience the world differently because of their ethnicity.-They're willing to learn and seek help.-Their experience has helped bolster their advocacy and application of the Gospel.-They were willing to ask hard questions of themselves and their perspective of the world.

We had the privilege of talking with our friend Debbie about her experience of singleness. We discussed the mixed messages that singles often experience from their friends, family, and faith community. Debbie shared this profound thought with us, "I feel called to live out both the joy and grief of singleness—I don't have to choose one or the other." We hope this episode comforts and encourages our single listeners, and also equips the community to do a better job of walking alongside those who are single.

In this episode, Nicola and I interview our friends, the Hicks Family, who recorded this while they were ill. We talked to them about how they have grown in the ability to communicate with one another. We were moved by their vulnerability and how intentional they have been to grow in their marital bond. What really struck us was how they both owned how the moves they made at times contributed to the very issues that frustrated them.

On this episode we had the pleasure of talking with Rickey and Brittany Booker about coming together to get their finances in order. They shared about what led the two of you to begin the journey of becoming debt free, and how the process impacted their relationship with each other and with God.

 

Here is a link to their interview on the Dave Ramsey show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1fnfTJ5S2Y (their interview begins at about minute 28:17)

 

Brittany also does consultation for home organization. You can reach her at [email protected].

 

You can follow us on Facebook @amoreexcelway (https://www.facebook.com/amoreexcelway/ (https://www.facebook.com/amoreexcelway/)) and Instagram @amoreexcelway (https://www.instagram.com/amoreexcelway/ (https://www.instagram.com/amoreexcelway/)). You can email us at [email protected].

In this episode, Nicola and I have an engaging conversation with Dr. Page Brooks and Dr. Ashley Brooks. They shared their journey of coming from a predominately white background and then adopting transracially. They discussed how their presuppositions were challenged and changed. They also shared about helping their kids process their adoption and their ethnic identities.

 

Dr. Paige Brooks is an Army Chaplain, Pastor of Canal Street Church: A Mosaic Community, and Mission Lead over Mosaic Ministries.

 

Dr. Ashley Brooks is VP of Wholistic Services and Trauma-Informed Care at the Restoration Initiative for Culture and Community, and she founded the Restoration Counseling in New Orleans.

 

The Restoration Institute Webpage http://therestorationinstitute.com

 

Restoration Counseling Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/172130099546419/

 

Restoration Counseling Websitehttp://www.restorationnola.com

On this episode we take time to help make sense of the struggles in relationships with emotional struggles or mental health issues. The truth is that we all struggle emotionally but because of medical reasons and life experience some have suffered more than most and it can make connecting in relationship harder than normal for all involved.

Nicola and I have been talking about not taking the people in our lives for granted, and we have also felt challenged to be intentional about giving of ourselves into the lives of others around us.

We take time to let you know more about what our visions and hopes are for this podcast. We flesh out more about how we try to help you flourish in your relationships with God and each other.

It’s our anniversary! In this episode and the  previous episode, we took time to reflect on what we would say to the earlier married us. You know, the us we were in years one to five. This episode is Nicola speaking to the younger married version of herself. It was definitely great to look back at the things we struggled with and see how we have grown. We were also inspired by seeing the growth and realized we will continue to grow and that we can trust the process God has us in.

It’s our anniversary! In the next two episodes, we take time to reflect on what we would say to the earlier married us. You know, the us we were in years one to five. This episode is James speaking the younger married version of himself. It was definitely great to look back at the things we struggled with and see how we have grown. We were also inspired by seeing the growth and realized we will continue to grow and that we can trust the process God has us in.