Bold, Brave & Beautiful Podcast with Barb Roose

Are you or someone that you know a planning a wedding? Are you a soon-to-be-bride, mother-of-the-bride or mother-of-the-groom?

If so, this episode of the Better Together podcast is a must-listen for some of the do’s and don’ts when it comes to wedding fashion and family dynamics.

My guest this week is my fabulous friend and American’s leading Christian fashion consultant, Shari Braendel. She’s a popular guest on my Better Together podcast and on this episode, Shari shows up with some important rules and must-do’s when it comes to weddings.

Not only does she provide helpful information, but as Shari will be the mother-of-the-groom at her son’s wedding in just a couple of weeks, she lets us into what God has been teaching her about letting go of her son – it’s a touching, emotional conversation that any mom with a wedding coming up needs to hear. (You might want to grab a tissue!)

In today’s conversation, Shari answers questions like:

• What are the rules for when the mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom decide to pick their dresses?
• What kind of dress is best for your body types?
• When it comes to making decisions about the wedding, who should get first choice?
• How can you navigate hurt feelings and difficult moments while planning the wedding with the other side of the family?
• How can a mother-of-the-bride or mother-of-the-groom prepare her heart for the emotional “letting go” on the wedding day?

For the rest of us, Shari talks us through the different types of weddings and how we can dress appropriately for each type.

There’s so much practical advice and heart-talk that you might want to grab a tissue or two before you listen.

If you’ve got wedding fashion questions or questions of the heart, Shari would love to answer them. Leave them on the blog page of this podcast!

GET CONNECTED TO SHARI - Website | Facebook 

Shari's 27 Hangers Online Course

Shari's book Help Me Jesus, I Have Nothing to Wear

Breakaway 2018 Conference on June 15-16 in Concord, NC

 

About Barb...

Barb Roose is the host of the Better Together podcast. She's a popular conference speaker and author of multiple books and Bible studies including her new book, Winning the Worry Battle and six-week Bible study called, Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle. Barb and her family live in NW Ohio. She loves travel, chocolate peanut ice cream and fabulous high heel shoes. Connect with Barb at Barbroose.com for new episodes of the Better Together podcast on the first and third Wednesdays of each month.

“Focus on the person you are fighting for, not the person you are fighting with.”  -John Guerin

Do you have a secret that you’re keeping from your husband? Some of us might sneak in a few pairs of shoes inside brown grocery bag or perhaps there is a secret Amazon account attached to an off-the-radar credit card, secrets are never good for a relationship.

But what about a bigger secret?

Are you hiding secret feelings from your husband about the guy at the office who gives great shoulder rubs?

Do you feel a growing affection for your neighbor who always has time to fix something when your hubby is busy?

 

 

On this episode of the Better Together podcast, I’m talking with speaker and author Shannon Geurin. Shannon and her husband, John live in Colorado and they are parents of two daughters.

Twelve years ago, Shannon began an emotional affair with a man that led to a physical affair. As Shannon says, "And that affair led me to do the unthinkable. I was going to leave my family - husband and my little girls."

This is a raw conversation, friends. Shannon speaks with humility about the mistakes that she made, the lies that she believed, the forgiveness that she received and the long five-year road that she walked with her husband after her affair.

Even if you think that it isn’t possible for you to even find yourself in Shannon’s situation, there are plenty of other ways in life when we can get off-track in life. Listen as Shannon shares not only the warnings signs, but take heart and have hope as Shannon also shares how you can find your way back if you’ve made big mistakes and you’re wondering if you can ever overcome them. In Jesus’ name, you can!

THREE STEPS TOWARD FORGIVENESS & RESTORATION:

1. Surround yourself with people who are supporting the decision that you are making.
2. Write down God’s promises and post them where they can encourage you.
3. Don’t let shame and guilt rob you of God’s forgiveness and your future.

LINKS FROM TODAY'S SHOW: 

Connect with Shannon: Email | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Finding Joy Ladies Night Out Tickets - click here

Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle Bible Study by Barb Roose

 

Barb Roose is the host of the Better Together Podcast. 

I love the word “gutsy.” In fact, a gutsy woman is always inspiring to me! She’s the kind of gal who knows that the odds are stacked against her, but she makes a big move anyways. There have been so many gutsy women in my life – I could take up this entire blog listing them. In a world where women are fighting against so much, we need brave, courageous women who are willing to risk it all for something better.

Sometimes, the greatest gutsiest risk we’ll ever take is the one that involves confronting our painful past and choosing to walk the road of healing.

Today, my Better Together podcast guest is Jennifer Renee Watson. I caught up with Jennifer as she was hiding out in a hotel room writing her upcoming book called Freedom: The Gutsy Pursuit of Breakthrough and Life Beyond It" (February 2019). Jennifer is a speaker, writer, pastor’s wife, student ministries leader and mother of two. Her life journey has been one of brokenness and healing. Now, Jennifer’s passion is to equip others to take their healing journey as well.

As the child of an alcoholic and divorce, Jennifer spent her younger years trying to cope with the ache and pain of the loss of her dad to addiction and the break-up of her family. “My dad had such a great heart and loved people but over the years, his addiction became bigger and louder than who he was as a man.”

Jennifer came to faith in Christ when she was 11 years old. Her new life and hope in Christ helped Jennifer to see that she needed to deal with the brokenness in her life. “When I was in my teen years, I worked hard to deal with my junk. I wrote stories, angry poetry, danced – I needed an outlet to work through things.” Not only that, but young Jennifer made one of her first gutsy moves in life and said “yes” when she felt God putting a life of ministry on her heart.

During today’s conversation, Jennifer talks through what her “healing journey” looked like. Most of all, Jennifer tells us about the powerful way that she knew that healing had taken place when she got the word that her dad died three years ago.

There are times when we hear women talk about the shock-n-awe brokenness of their lives, but Jennifer longs for us to not let our brokenness define us. Rather, she invites us to learn how to offer the fractured parts of our lives to God and let those broken places be a platform to glorify Him.

On today’s Better Together Podcast, we talk about:

• What it means to be a “gutsy” woman;
• How you can use creative outlets to work through your junk;
• What you need in order to take a “healing journey”;
• How to let your brokenness glorify God instead of letting it define your life.

LINKS FROM TODAY'S EPISODE

Jennifer Renee Watson  website | Facebook 

Finding Joy Ladies Night Out Tickets - click here

 

About your host...

Barb Roose is the host of the Better Together podcast. She's passionate about teaching women how to win at life with strength and dignity. Barb's new book, Winning the Worry Battle and her new six-week Bible study on the book of Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle release in April 2018. Both products are available at your favorite online retailers and stores across the country.

“On what should have been the most beautiful day of my life, a switch flipped in my body…” 

Have you or someone you know struggled with chronic pain? For 20 years, speaker and author, Melinda Means fought chronic pain and autoimmune disorders that she jokingly referred as the “gift that keeps on giving.”

Melinda is the author of the book, Invisible Wounds: Hope While You are Hurting. As we talked today, she reflects on the years on constant doctors appointments, diseases and treatments, she felt like the woman in New Testament who struggled with uncontrolled bleeding for 12 years (Mark 5).

“I tried everything to heal myself. I tried every diet, vitamin – everything. But nothing worked.”

Raging within Melinda’s suffering body was a spiritual wound that spread deep and wide. “I didn’t understand how God could love me and still let me suffer. I know that my earthly father would have healed me from my debilitating pain if he could. So, if my earthly father would heal me because beloved me, then why wouldn’t my heavenly father heal me?”

During my conversation with Melinda, we talk with great candor about the difficult questions that we ask God when we’re in physical, emotional or spiritual pain. If you’ve ever grappled with questions like why God hasn’t taken away your pain or why your prayers for healing have gone unanswered, then today’s podcast conversation is for you.

What you’ll hear in this week’s podcast:

• The story of Melinda’s 20-year struggle with chronic pain and spiritual struggle with her faith;
• What happened when Melinda prayed a radical prayer in the midst of her pain;
• The ONE thing that you can do if you are in the midst of a physical/spiritual struggle;
• A beautiful new gift God bestowed on Melinda that you can enjoy and download for yourself!

 

PODCAST EPISODE RESOURCES:

 Melinda’s website |  Melinda's book  | Melinda's Facebook page

Finding Joy Ladies Night Out Tickets on iTickets

 

Powerful Quotes from this week’s podcast:

“For years, I went to every doctor and tried every remedy. But as I prayed that day, felt God speak to my spirit and say, ‘Melinda, I’m your only hope.’”

“I didn’t need to wait for God to heal me before I could minister to others. I realized that my ministry happened from the place of my brokenness.”

“While I prayed, I realized that if I wanted more of God, then I needed to stop consuming so much of everything else.”

“I realized that God wanted me to seek Him, not just seek what I wanted from Him.”

About this podcast...

The Better Together podcast provides hope, help and the practical next steps so that we can get better together. This podcast launches new episodes on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays each month. Miss an episode? You can listen to the podcast library at barbroose.com/bettertogether.

Barb Roose is the host of the Better Together podcast. She's passionate about teaching women how to win at life with strength and dignity. Barb's new book, Winning the Worry Battle and her new six-week Bible study on the book of Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle release in April 2018. Both products are available at your favorite online retailers and stores across the country.

"They took me into the counseling room. The doctor gently told me that they tried everything that they could, but they were not able to revive my husband. So, I went home to do the hardest thing that I ever had to do." 

Lisa Appelo's life changed forever in just one night…

On this new episode of Better Together podcast, I have a heartbreaking, yet hope-filled conversation with writer and speaker, Lisa Appelo.  She’s a Florida native and a homeschooling mom to seven kids, now aged 27 to 10.

During our interview, Lisa tells us about the night in summer 2011 when she woke up in the middle of the night and realized that her 47-year old husband Dan was having a heart attack. After the paramedics took her husband to the hospital, Lisa went upstairs and noticed her kids huddled together with their arms around each other.

Not only did Lisa face the devastating loss of her high-school sweetheart husband, but the reality of being alone and a single mom to seven kids from college-aged down to just four years old.

In the difficult months that followed, Lisa remembers the powerful presence of friends and prayer holding her family up.

"I do remember thinking and knowing that we were being carried by prayer."

Yet, as you listen to our interview, you’ll hear the incredible hope that Lisa share about the blessings and abundance of God. She talks about the pain of walking with her kids through the loss of their dad and the practical ways that she helped her kids open up and talk about their fears and loss.

During this episode, Lisa encourages us to remember:

• Grief comes in many forms and we don’t get over it, but we do learn to “live where we are”; • We learn to live with the love, but without the person; • God has as much abundance planned for us AFTER our loss as before our loss.

CONNECT WITH LISA:

Lisa' website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

100 Days with Christ Bible Study Journal and Reading Plan

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FINDING JOY LADIES NIGHT OUT EVENT! Click here for more details!

 

Barb Roose is the host of the Better Together podcast. Find more episodes at barbroose.com/bettertogether.

“I read Bill’s words as he confessed that he had lied to his family and had stolen, and spent, $1,000,000 from his aunt’s trust fund. It was obvious he confessed at trial to get a reduced sentence. I was numb and in shock…I had asked God for the total truth but had never dreamed that the truth would be so painful. How could my husband and best friend, who I had known since I was five, be a liar, a thief

How could my husband and best friend, who I had known since I was five, be a liar, a thief and a convicted felon? It was excruciating.” -from Lynn's Story: A Journey of searing, Inspiring Growth and Ultimate Healing

For over 30 years, former corporate trainer Lynn Kampfer lived what most people would consider the American Dream. Married to her childhood sweetheart and raising two kids, Lynn and her family enjoyed the best that life had to offer.

Yet, as Lynn began to search for God the outer edges of her lovely life began to crack and crumble. In this episode of the Better Together podcast, Lynn shares not only her dramatic story but more importantly, incredible lessons learned about God’s faithfulness, provision, forgiveness and hope. Lynn will definitely inspire you as she shares about surviving breath-taking heartache and how to thrive even as life takes an unwelcome left turn.

As you listen to today’s podcast, I want you to draw hope and encouragement from Lynn’s story – especially if you feel like your life is falling apart.

What you’ll hear from today’s podcast:

• How God plants seeds in our lives, even when we’re unaware;
• Even after rock bottom, things can always get worse;
• When you don’t forgive, you’re in a prison doing hard time with the person who hurt you;
• Two important things to know and do when beginning the journey toward forgiveness;
• How God never abandons us when the unthinkable in life actually happens.

Forgiveness is a difficult and often misunderstood concept.

There's not enough space in this post to properly cover the topic, but I hope that you listen to Lynn's podcast because you can learn a lot from her journey to forgiveness. It wasn't easy, but she is so wise in how she journeyed through it.

POST A COMMENT ON THE BLOG: Can you tell us about your forgiveness journey? What was hard? How did God help you? If you're still struggling, how can we pray for you? 

I'd love to hear your questions and comments about today's show! Email me at [email protected]

Click here to listen to other episodes of the Better Together podcast.

Barb Roose is the host of the Better Together podcast. She's a women's conference speaker with a passion to teach women how to win at life with strength and dignity. Barb is the author of multiple books and Bible studies, including her new book, Winning the Worry Battle (2018) and Bible study, Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle (2018).  

Connect with Barb!

Website | Facebook  |  Twitter

Are you tired of cleaning up the same messes day after day? Are you tired of making dinner, changing diapers or driving carpool day after day?

If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, you aren’t alone! In fact, you’re invited into a guilt-free zone for a precious conversation today about embracing God’s grace in the messiness of motherhood.

On this episode of the Better Together podcast, my guest is speaker and author, Amy Seiffert. She’s the author of the new book, Chin Up: Wearing Grace, Strength and Dignity When Motherhood Unravels Our Soul. Amy and her husband, Rob live in NW Ohio and they are the parents of three kids. For the past 16 years, Amy has been writing and speaking on staff with Cru and she's the Director of Outward Movement at Brookside Church in Bowling Green, OH. 

Before she became a mom, Amy pictured motherhood as a beautiful dress that she saw her friends wearing so beautifully. However, Amy felt that her motherhood dress felt floppy and didn’t fit quite right. She says that every time she tried to adjust or change, her motherhood dress would shift and expose the things that she wanted to keep covered up.

Amy and I talk about how she found God’s grace in the mundane and maddening tasks of motherhood. If you’ve ever struggled with endless laundry, Mom, I’m hungry, hated playing Barbies or was tempted to burn your kids’ puzzles, Amy’s been there.

One of the most powerful parts of our conversation centered around changing our perspective on the endless loads of laundry or those long sleepless nights. I love how Amy’s former seminar professor calls those seemingly mundane tasks “maintaining and sustaining.” In her book, Amy writes that when we see the sunrise and sunset or the seasons change, those are examples of how God maintains and sustains our world. Amy was encouraged when she realized that her maintaining and sustaining tasks like laundry, making dinner and changing diapers mirrored God’s work in our world. I hope that you listen in for that powerful conversation.

As we talk about Chin Up, Amy shares her struggle to overcome anger, letting go of unrealistic expectations and most of all, how she's learning to embrace God’s grace in motherhood., if you’ve been beating yourself up for not being the kind of mom that you want to be or think that you should be, Amy’s story is  you’ve been beating yourself up for not being the kind of mom that you want to be or think that you should be, Amy’s story is

Sweet friend, if you’ve been beating yourself up for not being the kind of mom that you want to be or feeling guilty about not always enjoying motherhood, Amy’s story is perfect encouragement for you.

LINKS:

Amy Seiffert's website

Connect with Amy on Facebook

Buy Chin Up on Amazon.com

 

Barb Roose is the host of the Better Together podcast. Barb is passionate about reaching women and teaching them to win at life with God-empowered strength and dignity. She loves speaking at women's conferences and events on the topics of fear and worry, self-care and leadership. Barb is the author of multiple books and Bible studies, including April 2018 releases, Winning the Worry Battle (book) and Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle (Bible study). Check out Barbroose.com for more information.

Who taught you about sex as a child? If you’re a parent, how do you feel about talking to your child about sex?

According to a survey conducted by Knowledge Networks, 57% of parents feel uncomfortable talking to their kids about sex and 64% reported that their parents didn’t do a good job talking to them. How do we engage in this important conversation with our kids with confidence as well as effectiveness?

On this episode of the Better Together Podcast, I’m talking Lauren Snyder, Executive Director of Ministry at CedarCreek Church in Perrysburg, OH. Join our conversation as we have a conversation about a topic that we hate talking to our kids about: SEX.

During this podcast, you hear and learn:

• A fun story about the unconventional way that Lauren learned about the birds-and-the-bees;
• Why parents must be the first and primary voice in their children's life regarding sex;
• Lauren will equip you with phrases that we need to repeat early and often to our kids to keep them from developing body-related or sex-related shame.

During our podcast, Lauren also named a few of the resources that she provided to Lydia. We’ve also included those links for you:

• The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Younger Girls, Revised Edition Paperback (2012) by Valorie Schaefer (Author),‎ Josee Masse (Illustrator)
• The Care and Keeping of You 2: The Body Book for Older Girls (Paperback – 2013) by Cara Natterson  (Author),‎ Josee Masse (Illustrator)
•  God's Design for Sex Series (4 books) By Stan Jones and Brenna Jones

As Lauren recommends, please read these resources before handing them off with your kids. You’ll want to be aware and equipped to receive the questions that your child might ask, rather than scrambling to do damage control or untwist any misconceptions.

What if you’re afraid to teach your kids about sex because you feel ashamed or guilty about your past?

Romans 8:1 says that there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. If God has forgiven you, then you need to let His forgiveness in to clear your heart and mind and not block it with your guilt, shame or self-hatred. If you don't accept God's forgiveness, you'll miss an opportunity to testify to your kids about how God forgives and how we can be set free from guilt and shame.

What if you don’t know what the Bible says about sex?

This is a common question. There are a lot of people who are confused about what the Bible does and doesn't teach about sex. Now, there are an endless list of resources and perspectives. Here is a "starter" list for adults who want to learn more. You're welcome to share your suggestion on the blog page. 

The Gift of Sex in Marriage - sermon by Ben Snyder, CedarCreek Church)  

If you’re single – Love, Sex and Dating by Andy Stanley

If you’re married – Sheet Music by Kevin Leman

For Women Only – by Shaunti Feldhahn

Pornography - Resources available at XXXChurch.com

 

What do you do when you hear a child say negative things like, "I'm stupid," "I suck," "I can't do anything right," or "I'm worthless"? 

It's a new year and new episodes of the Better Together podcast! Today's episode is a critical conversation for all parents and anyone with influence in a child, teen or young adult's life. 

Here's our question: How do we teach a child to get back up again emotionally after getting knocked down by failure, a mistake, bullying or careless words? There's one skill that we must teach our kids because it's not a skill that they learn naturally. Unfortunately, it's a skill that too many adults don't know how to use either. But, we can learn!

Today's Better Together Podcast guest is marriage and family expert, Kim Fredrickson. She's the author of the new book, Give Your Kids a Break: Parenting with Compassion for You and Your Children. You are invited to be part of this critical dialogue that's needed now, more than ever!

Here's what you'll learn about today:

• Why self-compassion is the key to bouncing back quickly from mistakes;
• How to use the language of self-compassion;
• The important difference between self-compassion and self-pity;
• Compassionate words to say to yourself as a parent when you make a mistake with your kids

I'm passionate about today's conversation because I've read Kim's books and I use the language of self-compassion with myself. Self-compassion helps me to get to the heart of my mistakes, own my mistakes, overcome any shame or guilt and not beat myself up.

After you listen to today's podcast, I'm going to ask you to do the following:

First, share this episode with your mom and dad friends. Everyone needs to hear this message. Second, get Kim's book, Give Your Kids a Break, for more practical advice and help. She has a 1-2-3 Start List for beginning the self-compassion conversation with your kids.

Links from today's show

Kim's website (You can find her on social media from her website.)

Give Your Kids a Break by Kim Fredrickson  

Give Yourself a Break by Kim Fredrickson (download first chapter for free!)

 

Better Together podcast is hosted by Barb Roose, a speaker and author passionate about helping women win at life with strength and dignity. This podcast releases new episodes twice a month. Listen to previous episodes at Barbroose.com/bettertogether. Connect with Barb on social media at fb.com/barbararoose or @barbroose on Twitter/Insta. 

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Did you know that a girl’s confidence peaks at the age of nine?

Statistics report that 7 out of every 10 girls don’t feel like they measure up.  

Moms, how can we raise our daughters with the confidence to pursue courageous and fearless lives?

Today's Better Together podcast guest, author and Proverbs 31 Ministry speaker, Lynn Cowell, tells us about her journey to discover what it means to be brave and courageous in her life. As women of all ages fight to find that same confidence, Lynn wants to equip our young tweens so that they can find confidence sooner in life. She is the author of the new book, Brave Beauty: Finding the Fearless, a companion guide written for girls between the ages of 8-12 years old.

I loved so many things about our conversation!  One of the most powerful observations was when Lynn explained how culture drives our girls to build their confidence on three shaky foundations: 

1. Someone (like a relationship with someone);

2. Some Place (career/status); or

3. Something (beauty, education).

But, all of those things can be lost or taken because much of life is out of our control. So, to help our daughters, let's journey along with them to help them to build unshakeable confidence on an unshakeable God because they can’t lose God!

What if your confidence has been shaken? Lynn has something for you, too!

Lynn has a new Bible study for women titled Make Your Move: Finding Unshakeable Confidence Despite Your Fears and Failures. There are a lot of strong, confident women in the Bible! Lynn has created a Bible study so that you can learn from these women, some of them you might not know, but they will inspire to reach for God's best!

Mom, if you have a daughter in elementary school or junior high, would you do me a favor and check out Lynn's website. Our world is coming hard after young girls, but we can equip them to stand strong and confident in Jesus' name.

RESOURCES 

Lynn’s website – including free resources!

Brave Beauty: Finding the Fearless You

Make Your Move: Finding Unshakeable Confidence Despite Your Fears and Failures

Lynn's books can be found at Proverbs 31 or at your favorite Christian Retailers.

ABOUT LYNN COWELL

Lynn Cowell is a Proverbs 31 Ministries author and speaker who helps moms become wise women so they can raise wiser daughters.

 

Connect with Barb! Barb Roose is the host of the Better Together Podcast. Connect with Barb online at barbroose.com or Facebook.com/barbararoose.