Bold, Brave & Beautiful Podcast with Barb Roose

Are you tired? Does taking a day off to rest seem impossible?

Listen to one of Barb’s teaching messages on the topic of REST. The big idea of her message is this: We are blessed when we rest.

In this upbeat and equipping message, Barb talks about why and how Jesus championed rest for us.

Some of the highlights from this message:

• We are blessed when rest.
• When we are exhausted, sin starts looking good.
• Rest realigns us with God’s purpose for our lives.
• Rest reconnects us with God.
• Rest revives us.

Sabbath (Rest Day) Prayer: God, I will rest in you today. I will be blessed as I rest today. I trust that you are my provider and I give you what I have and trust you for what I don’t.

About your Better Together podcast host...

Barb Roose is a popular speaker and author who is passionate about equipping women to win at life with Christ-empowered strength and dignity. Barb loves speaking at women’s conference and leadership events such as the Aspire Women’s Events, She Speaks Conference and the UMC Leadership Institute.

Barb is the author of multiple books and Bible studies, including her newest releases: Winning the Worry Battle: Life Lessons from the Book of Joshua and Bible study called Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle. Barb’s writing has been featured in magazines or blogs such as Simple Truth Magazine, iBelieve.com, Crosswalk.com, More to Life Magazine, Just Between Us Magazine, Cherished, InCourage and Women of Faith.

An avid traveler, reader, and lover of all things chocolate-peanut butter, Barb and her family live in NW Ohio. Visit Barb’s online home at barbroose.com.

When I use the phrase "racial justice" how do you feel?

Perhaps you're feeling uncomfortable or you're frustrated because you love people like Jesus does so a conversation about race feels unnecessary. As an African-American woman who also loves Jesus, I promise you, this conversation is necessary. And I want to give you permission to feel uncomfortable and even disagree with what you hear - as long as you're willing to stay engaged and don't give up on listening!

In today's Better Together podcast, I'm talking with author Cara Meredith about her new book, The Color of Life: A Journey Toward Love and Racial Justice. She's a Caucasian-American woman who married an African-American man named James Henry Meredith, who happens to be the son of Civil Rights activist and icon, James Howard Meredith. Not sure who he is? Cara talks about her father-in-law at the beginning of our conversation and here's an article where you can see photos.

Here's what Cara and I talk about in this episode:

• Her father-in-law, James Howard Meredith and his pivotal role in US Civil Rights;
• Why Cara decided to lean into racial justice instead of assume that it wasn't her fight;
• Why the term "white privilege" is uncomfortable or offensive to some Caucasian-Americans;
• Practical tool that Cara uses to engage in conversations about race when she doesn't understand or agree.

Connect with Cara Meredith: Facebook  |   Instagram   |  Twitter 

About Cara...

Cara Meredith is a spiritual writer, speaker, and sought-after conversationalist. The Color of Life, a spiritual memoir about her journey as a white woman into issues of justice, race, and privilege, released last month from Zondervan. She holds a Masters of Theology from Fuller Seminary, writes for numerous print and online publications, and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.

Are you a caregiver who would love it if someone would stop and ask how YOU are doing?

In our culture today, many women find themselves caring for older parents or chronically ill loved ones. Even as medicine has advanced so much, the support for the endless job of caregiving hasn't kept pace. How do you stay uplifted and encouraged when carrying the responsibility of caring for a loved one?

On today's Better Together Podcast, I'm talking with Sarah Forgrave,  author and speaker who loves encouraging others toward a deeper walk of faith. As one who experienced several years of surgeries and slow recovery, Sarah understands the fears and frustrations of not getting better. But, as the caregiver after her sister's heart transplant ten years ago, Sarah also learned many lessons about the the difficulties of caregiving.

Her prayer devotional for those dealing with medical illnesses, Prayers for Hope and Healing, released with Harvest House Publishers in 2017. Sarah's newest book, Prayers of Hope for Caregivers, releases April 2nd. 

Today, Sarah ministers to those of you who wish that someone could explain how it feels to carry the weight of another's care. We talk about when not to take things personally and how to clarify expectations. I love that Sarah speaks openly and honestly about suffering and how it drew her closer to God. So much good stuff today!

In addition to blogging about prayer, faith, and friendship on her website, Sarah is a monthly contributor to TheChristianMommy.com and has contributed to Guideposts’ A Cup of Christmas Cheer and many other websites and anthologies. Outside of writing and speaking, she is the busy mom of two preteen children and the wife of an energetic entrepreneur and toy inventor. When she has a moment to herself, she loves to shop the aisles at Trader Joe’s or curl up with a good book and a cup of tea.

CONNECT WITH SARAH: Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram

Prayers of Hope for Caregivers by Sarah Forgrave (Release April 2019)

About your Better Together podcast host...

Barb Roose is a popular speaker and author who is passionate about equipping women to win at life with Christ-empowered strength and dignity. Barb loves speaking at women’s conference and leadership events such as the Aspire Women’s Events, She Speaks Conference, and the UMC Leadership Institute.

Barb is the author of multiple books and Bible studies. Her writing has been featured in magazines or blogs such as Simple Truth Magazine, iBelieve.com, Crosswalk.com, More to Life Magazine, Just Between Us Magazine, Cherished, InCourage, and Women of Faith.

An avid traveler, reader, and lover of all things chocolate-peanut butter, Barb and her family live in NW Ohio with their dog, Quimby and a very grumpy 10-year rabbit. Visit Barb’s online home at barbroose.com.

"Prepare your bucket list and live your life well.”

These are the words a doctor spoke to Heather Dixon in 2015. She's speaker, author and bible teacher who understands the challenges of living with a story that is not easy.

Diagnosed with an incurable and terminal genetic disorder that she inherited from her mother, Heather is passionate about encouraging and equipping women to trust in God, face their greatest fears, and live with hope, especially in the midst of difficult circumstances.

When she is not blogging at The Rescued Letters or speaking at women’s conferences and events, Heather loves to make the most of everyday moments such as cooking for her husband and son, brainstorming all the possible ways to organize Legos and superheroes, checking out way too many library books, or unashamedly indulging in her love for all things Disney.

Heather is the author of Ready: Finding the Courage to Face the Unknown and a regular contributor to Journey magazine. Her second Bible study, Determined: Living Like Jesus in Every Moment, a six-week study of Luke, will be available in April 2019.

In today's podcast episode, Heather and I discuss:

• The blessings of daily "Bucket List" living;
• How God used her young son to draw her back into faith after the sudden loss of her father;
• How we can pursue spiritually abundant living;
• How Jesus modeled intentional living for all of us because he knew that his life on earth was limited.

CONNECT WITH HEATHER: Website | Facebook | Determined: Living Like Jesus in Every Moment Bible Study

About your Better Together Host...

Barb Roose is a popular speaker and author who is passionate about equipping women to win at life with Christ-empowered strength and dignity. Barb loves speaking at women’s conference and leadership events such as the Aspire Women’s Events, She Speaks Conference and the UMC Leadership Institute.

Barb is the author of multiple books and Bible studies, including her newest releases: Winning the Worry Battle: Life Lessons from the Book of Joshua and Bible study called Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle. Barb’s writing has been featured in magazines or blogs such as Simple Truth Magazine, iBelieve.com, Crosswalk.com, More to Life Magazine, Just Between Us Magazine, Cherished, InCourage and Women of Faith.

An avid traveler, reader, and lover of all things chocolate-peanut butter, Barb and her family live in NW Ohio. Visit Barb’s online home at barbroose.com.

"Hope is knowing that one day I will hold my babies in heaven." -Kaila Mugford

Today's episode is one of the most powerful and emotional conversations that I've ever had on the Better Together podcast.

I'm talking with my brave and courageous friend, Kaila Mugford about her journey as a mother with two children living with her on earth and two precious little boys in heaven. If you or a friend has suffered a miscarriage or infant loss, Kaila's speaks with bare honesty and vulnerability about her complicated feelings about God, faith, others' advice and how to stand by friends who suffer a miscarriage or infant loss. After you listen to today's episode, please share it with a grieving friend and let her know that you love her.   Kaila blogs about her family’s grief and loss of two children at kailamugford.blogspot.com. Writing is healing for her, and she hopes that her words can bring comfort to others grieving too.

LINKS FROM TODAY'S SHOW:

Kaila's blog

Still Standing Magazine

Did you grow up in a home where things were kept silent? Did your parents ask you to keep secrets or warn you not to talk about certain family problems outside of the house?

In today's Better Together podcast, we're talking about how to stop suffocating in silence and learn how to have hard conversations. Even as Jesus taught that the Truth of the gospel would set us free from eternal condemnation, we also know that speaking God's Truth also frees us from the strongholds of secret sin, generational curses and other dysfunctional behaviors.

My guest is Lori Roeleveld, author of the new book, The Art of Hard Converations: Biblical Tools for the Tough Talks that Matter (2019). Today, Lori explains why we struggle to have hard conversations and how to learn how to have them. 

I know first hand how secrets are strongholds that can drain the hope of even the strongest families. If you've been sitting in silence and afraid of speaking up for any reason, Lori's words just might be divine timing for you.

Here's what we'll cover:

• Three conversational styles: Turtle, Hawk or Chameleon;
• Two questions that you need to ask before beginning a hard conversation;
• How to create a safe culture in your home so that you kids learn how to have healthy hard conversations;
• How to embrace hard conversations with adult kids and not alienate them.

Connect with Lori!

Website |  Facebook |  LinkedIn |  Twitter

The Art of Hard Conversations Book

About today's guest...

Lori Stanley Roeleveld is an author, speaker, and disturber of hobbits who enjoys making comfortable Christians late for dinner. Biblical, funny, and real, she inspires courage and Christ-centered confidence. She’s authored three non-fiction books including Running from a Crazy Man, Jesus and the Beanstalk, and the upcoming, The Art of Hard Conversations, as well as a novella, Red Pen Redemption. Though she has degrees in Psychology and Biblical Studies, she learned the most from studying her Bible in life’s trenches. Blogger. Wife. Mother of adults. Part-time giant-slayer. Not available for children’s parties. Though she once tried to escape, she adventures with Jesus in a small town in Rhode Island where her husband is renovating his dream house. To join the adventure, knock on her door at www.loriroeleveld.com.

Did you grow up with a father who was absent from your life? Have you felt the emptiness and ache that accompanies the absence of his love and involvement?

On this week’s episode of Better Together, I’m talking with Kia Stephens about her story, her healing and her mission to help women deal with their father wounds. Kia is the found of the Father Swap Blog as well as Entrusted Women, an online community to encourage, equip and uplift writers, bloggers, speakers and authors who happen to be women of color.

She a wife and homeschooling mom of two who is passionate about helping women know God as Father. For this reason, she created The Father Swap Blog to help women exchange their father wounds for the love of God the Father.

During today’s podcast, Kia will talk about not only the definition of a "father wound", but she's explain how this kind of loss can wreck woman’s emotions and relationships with men if unaddressed.

When a father isn't a part of a woman's life, that loss can have a painful and negative impact on her relationship with God. If you've struggled with God because of your relationship with your father, Kia will speak to that struggle. She will share how her relationship with God helps her to walk in freedom and healing as well as practical tips, like how to write a forgiveness letter.

One of my favorite parts of the episode is when Kia preaches scriptural truth to us, especially if you’ve felt unloved, rejected, unwanted or alone, let her bless you with God’s truth.

Do you know a woman that you know struggles with the pain that comes with not having a loving or attentive father in your life? Please make sure to share this podcast on your social media.

LINKS TO RESOURCES

•  Kia's Contact Info:  Father Swap Blog |  Entrusted Women Facebook
• Entrusted Women Retreat - June 27-29, 2019
• How to Forgive a Father Who Wasn't a Good Dad by Kia Stephens
• Free eBooks! Hope for Women with Father Wounds and Forgiveness Hacks

About your Better Together podcast host...

Barb Roose is a popular speaker and author who is passionate about equipping women to win at life with Christ-empowered strength and dignity. Barb loves speaking at women’s conference and leadership events such as the Aspire Women’s Events, She Speaks Conference and the UMC Leadership Institute.

Barb is the author of multiple books and Bible studies, including her newest releases: Winning the Worry Battle: Life Lessons from the Book of Joshua and Bible study called Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle. Barb’s writing has been featured in magazines or blogs such as Simple Truth Magazine, iBelieve.com, Crosswalk.com, More to Life Magazine, Just Between Us Magazine, Cherished, InCourage and Women of Faith.

 An avid traveler, reader, and lover of all things chocolate-peanut butter, Barb and her family live in NW Ohio. Visit Barb’s online home at barbroose.com.

Are you a woman that likes to get things done?

If you’re love to-do lists, then you’re going to love my conversation with Katie M. Reid, author of Made Like Martha: Good News for the Woman Who Gets Things Done. Katie is a self-described modern-day Martha who struggled with the well-known story of two women with two different approaches to life in Luke 10.

Have you ever read the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10? It’s a story of two women named Martha and Mary. In one particular situation, Martha worked to get her home prepared to offer hospitality while her sister, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet. When Martha asked Jesus to instruct Mary to help, Jesus answered with the following words: “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all of these details. There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke 10:41-42 NLT)

Too many of us have read this story and walked away with the conclusion that Jesus was criticizing Martha for trying to get things done. However, Katie challenges us to consider that Jesus didn’t condemn Martha’s method. Rather, Jesus invited her to change her mindset. Instead of being worried and distracted, Martha was encouraged to experience Jesus’ inner peace instead of trying to live up to unrealistic expectations.

So, if you’re made like Martha and you’re tired of trying to do it all, live up to unrealistic expectations or you’re beating yourself up for not being perfect, today’s conversation is just for you.

Join today’s conversation and listen as Katie and I discuss:

• How to stop beating yourself up for being a hard-working Martha;
• How to say “yes,” “no” and most importantly, when to ask for help;
• How to swap out trying to balance our lives and learn how to “steward” our lives instead;
• Helpful tips to enjoy being made like Martha and get things done without getting burnt out.

Bonus! Talk back to us and share your answers to the following:

• Should bathroom toilet paper be hung over or under?
• Do you squeeze toothpaste be squeezed from the middle or rolled from the bottom?
• Do your fold or crumple your toilet paper before wiping?

LINKS FROM TODAY'S EPISODE

Katie M. Reid   Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter

Made Like Martha: Good News for Women Who Like to Get Things Done

About your Better Together podcast host... 

Barb Roose is a popular speaker and author who is passionate about equipping women to win at life with Christ-empowered strength and dignity. Barb loves speaking at women’s conference and leadership events such as the Aspire Women’s Events, She Speaks Conference and the UMC Leadership Institute.

Barb is the author of multiple books and Bible studies, including her newest releases: Winning the Worry Battle: Life Lessons from the Book of Joshua and Bible study called Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle. Barb’s writing has been featured in magazines or blogs such as Simple Truth Magazine, iBelieve.com, Crosswalk.com, More to Life Magazine, Just Between Us Magazine, Cherished, InCourage and Women of Faith.

An avid traveler, reader, and lover of all things chocolate-peanut butter, Barb and her family live in NW Ohio with their dog, Quimby and a very grumpy 10-year rabbit. Visit Barb’s online home at barbroose.com.

“Never give up!”

That’s the philosophy of Vicki Fitch, an award winning leader, international business consultant and direct sales expert. If you’ve ever dreamed of making extra money to support your family through direct sales or multi-level marketing companies that offer great incentives with flexible schedules for your family, then you’ll definitely want to listen to Vicki’s story on today’s Better Together podcast.

Vicki started her first business when she was 12 years old. She purchased her first home at 19 years old and began her first company a year later. As a “serial entrepreneur,” Vicki builds and sells business as a way of life. She’s been in the direct sales business for 20 years, consistently performing at the top 1% of her company and winning the kinds vacations, trips and bonuses that we dream about for our families.

But, Vicki’s “never give up” philosophy comes from the difficult experiences in her early stages of her life. In today’s conversation, Vicki and I discuss her struggle to feel loved and valued by her parents as well as her volatile first marriage to a drug addict. As Vicki shares her life and her success, you’ll be encouraged by her authenticity and vulnerability when talking about the highs and lows of her life. Vicki and I are tall girls who share a love of high heels and we share a lot of fun moments during today’s conversation.

If you are a leader who dreams of achieving big goals, you’re going to absolutely love my conversation with Vicki. In this episode, you’ll learn more about:

• Dealing with the bullies in your mind that undermine your confidence;
• Why mentors are important if you want to achieve your highest dreams;
• How do identify whether or not you’re an entrepreneur (even if you think that you’re not).
• Why Vicki is so passionate about her new global initiative’s #youareenough as well as her #12books12months goal of writing 12 books and 12 months – this is a great story!

About Vicki Fitch...

Vicki lives in Southern California with her husband, Terry and their two boys. She is blessed to have two amazing stepchildren and five grandchildren that fill Vicki’s heart with great joy. Her business is her ministry and she believes that God has blessed her greatly and she gives back every chance that she can.

LINKS FROM TODAY'S SHOW:

Vicki Fitch   Website | Twitter | Facebook  | Instagram | LinkedIn

Join Vicki's campaign to support her journey! 

About your host, Barb Roose

Barb Roose is a popular speaker and author who is passionate about equipping women to win at life with Christ-empowered strength and dignity. Barb loves speaking at women’s conference and leadership events such as the Aspire Women’s Events, She Speaks Conference and the UMC Leadership Institute.

Barb is the author of multiple books and Bible studies, including her newest releases: Winning the Worry Battle: Life Lessons from the Book of Joshua and Bible study called Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle. Barb’s writing has been featured in magazines or blogs such as Simple Truth Magazine, iBelieve.com, Crosswalk.com, More to Life Magazine, Just Between Us Magazine, Cherished, InCourage and Women of Faith.

 An avid traveler, reader, and lover of all things chocolate-peanut butter, Barb and her family live in NW Ohio with their dog, Quimby and a very grumpy 10-year rabbit. Visit Barb’s online home at barbroose.com.

How do we teach our kids about God when we don't know all of the answers? 

How do we get our kids to participate in family devotions when they don't want to sit still?!!!

Take a deep breath, Mom and Dad. God knows that you're doing the best that you can. When it comes to teaching our kids about Jesus, you don't need to know the answers and there are some fabulous resources to help you out!

On today's Better Together podcast, I had the most delightful conversation with author, Sarah M. Wells. She's the author of the new resource The Family Bible Devotional: Stories from the Bible to Help Kids and Parents Engage and Love Scripture.  

Mom or Dad, if you're reading this today and you're worried about messing up your kids' spiritual growth, relax. It's okay to not have all of the answers. You've got permission to say, "I don't know the answer to that, but let's keep reading and see what we can learn." 

Sarah wrote the Family Bible Devotional as a faith-building experience to give parents confidence in helping their kids fall in love with Jesus.  It includes with 52-devotionals BUT there are NO dates because real life rarely sticks to a schedule! Sarah totally understands the up-and-down rhythm parents face. She deals with that in her own family. "We'll be solid in reading the Bible and doing lessons for a few days and then, a few weeks will go by because life got busy." Sarah says that they just keep at it.

So friends, listen to Sarah's encoruagement today if you've been feeling discouraged about teaching your kids about God OR if you're not even sure where to begin. 

In this episode, we'll talk about:

• How to set realistic expectations for family devotion time;
• Why we feel intimidated talking to our kids about the Bible;
• How to engage your kids in family devotions - even if their not sitting still. 

LINKS FROM TODAY'S PODCAST:

Sarah Wells  website  | Facebook  | Twitter

The Family Bible Devotional

About Sarah M. Wells

 Sarah Marie Wells is the author of The Family Bible Devotional: Stories from the Bible to Help Kids and Parents Engage and Love Scripture (Discovery House Publishers, Fall 2018), a novella-length essay, The Valley of Achor, available on Kindle, a collection of poems, Pruning Burning Bushes (Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2012), and a chapbook of poems, Acquiesce, winner of the 2008 Starting Gate Award (Finishing Line Press,2009). Poems and essays by Wells have appeared recently in Ascent, Brevity, Full Grown People, Hippocampus Review, The Pinch, River Teeth, Rock & Sling, Under the Gum Tree, and elsewhere.

Sarah serves as the Director of Content Marketing at Spire Advertising and as Associate Editor for River Teeth: A Journal of Nonfiction Narrative. She resides in Ashland, Ohio with her husband, Brandon, and their three young children, Lydia, Elvis, and Henry.

About your Better Together podcast host...  

BarbRoose is a popular speaker and author who is passionate about equipping women to win at life with Christ-empowered strength and dignity. Barb loves speaking at women’s conference and leadership events such as the Aspire Women’s Events, She Speaks Conference and the UMC Leadership Institute.

Barb is the author of multiple books and Bible studies, including her newest releases: Winning the Worry Battle: Life Lessons from the Book of Joshua and Bible study called Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle. Barb’s writing has been featured in magazines or blogs such as Simple Truth Magazine, iBelieve.com, Crosswalk.com, More to Life Magazine, Just Between Us Magazine, Cherished, InCourage and Women of Faith.

 An avid traveler, reader, and lover of all things chocolate-peanut butter, Barb and her family live in NW Ohio with their dog, Quimby and a very grumpy 10-year rabbit. Visit Barb’s online home at barbroose.com.