It's that time of year again! Decorating, fa-la-la-ing, Christmas traditions and all the things. Today Toni, Tammy, Sue and Alli talk about traditions, recipes and how to navigate changing traditions when the seasons change with or without your permission. 

I laughed and cried and laughed again. Grab a hot cup of tea and join us for this episode to kick off the Christmas season.

This is a hot topic these days, and not just in the church. Topics we disagree on can range from light to heavy. From whether or not you make your kids make their beds to homeschooling vs. public schooling, SAHM vs. working moms, and trick-or-treat and santa. 

We are joined this week by Pastor Christine, Krystal, Alli, and Toni in this timely conversation delving into how to have holy disagreements without judging, what does a healthy conversation look like, and finding out it's okay to have a conversation and not land in the same place when it's all over. 

How do I disagree with my neighbor and still love them? Check it out.

Between Sisters Retreat Edition continues with Pastor Toni during our final session. The title of this session was Don’t Let Anything Take What God has Awakened. It was a powerful word about guarding the deposits God made in us over the weekend and staying awake. Staying alert. And recognizing the lies of the enemy when he comes so we can walk confidently in what God has created us for. 

The retreat is over. God has come and awakened things in us, just as we asked Him to. Now we get to walk in it. What did He awaken in you? Hold onto it.

We are continuing our between sisters retreat edition with this message from our Friday evening session. Our word this year was awaken and Mrs. Lori Wiebe ministered to us straight from the heart of God with a message titled The Invitation: When Ordinary Spaces Become Sacred Places, transforming us from Fine to Fierce. 

Trust me girls. You're going to want to listen to this one more than once. So good! So many nuggets to encourage and inspire us and to bring us hope. This is one you'll want to share with your girlfriends. 

Are you ready to accept the invitation into a new season with God and go from being just fine to being fierce? Check it out.

Welcome back to between Sisters Retreat edition. Are you ready for part 2 of our Friday morning panel session, Awaken the Wonder: Finding God in Your Everyday Life?

We’re back with Auntie, Kelly and Toni as we jump back into the middle of the conversation. Okay, we’ve been awakened. Now what? What does it look like to walk that out?

When God awakens us, it’s fresh and new and exciting. But it doesn’t take long for what was exciting to become mundane. At times it can even feel like a struggle. How do you stay awake and find God in and through the process of awakening? Let’s find out together.

Welcome to Between Sisters Retreat Edition. There’s nothing like being present in the room during retreat, but we know that isn’t always possible for everyone. So we are thrilled to be able to share the audio from the sessions on the podcast, and we are starting with our Friday morning panel session, Awaken the Wonder: Finding God in Your Everyday Life.

Joining us on our panel were Auntie Cyndie Quinn, Kelly Lagaras, and me, Toni Lagaras. Since we are family, we are talking to each other like we’re sitting around the kitchen table with our cup of tea, talking about all that God is doing in our lives. 

Today, we will talk about what awakening is and what God wants to awaken in us. What does it look like when God is trying to get our attention? What does His voice sound like and how do we recognize when it’s God awakening us? 

Because this session was so long, we are breaking it up into two parts, so here is part 1. Are you ready for God to awaken you?

Welcome to Between Sisters, part of the Sisterhood Collective at The River Church Warren. There are some things you can only share with your sisters. This is a space where we girls can talk about all the things. We'll have deep, meaningful chats as well as fun and lighthearted conversations that will help us connect to God and thrive in life. Sisterhood is where you can find your people and find your purpose.

Get ready to laugh with Toni, Sue, Lindsay, and Andrea in this fun conversation about what Sisterhood is and the importance of community in our daily lives. They share where they're at in their own lives and how living in community with other women has impacted their lives with God. 

We started this conversation at our Vision Night in January and wanted to dive deeper into it, so we brought it to the podcast. Join Toni, Vickie & Lindsay as they talk about minimalizing your life to find God. It's powerful. 

Four words come to mind when I think of Christmas:
Waiting
Watching
Praying
Obeying

In the last three weeks, we looked at Simeon waiting, the shepherds watching and Anna praying. This week we are going to look at all of the participants in the Christmas story and talk about all things obeying. It's not the normal word that comes to mind but it has everything to do with the first coming of Christ. And our obedience has everything to do with His second coming. 

God chooses to work through His people, and obeying directly impacts the plans of the Lord.

What does obeying have to do with Christmas? Let's find out together.

Merry Christmas! Or is it? Christmas isn't always a season of joy for everyone, and we live in the tension of the promise of abundant life here on earth while life feels more like a dark abyss.  

How do we carry grief with us through a season of joy? 

When grief is real and raw and pressing and heavy, how do we celebrate the holidays?

How do you celebrate a season of joy when all you feel is sadness?

How do we honor the history of what we've lost while living in the pain and grief of the present and still have hope about the future being good?

Join Cyndie Quinn, Barb Lagaras, and Toni Lagaras (and a special guest!) as we tackle these questions and so much more. And know that you are not alone. We are praying for you through this season. God is with you, and you are going to make it!