Conversations & Connections with Sandee Macgregor

Episode 56 with Dorice Lusuli: A Story of Hope and Resilience.

I’m thrilled to share my conversation with Dorice Lusuli, whose inspiration led to my new children’s book, The Sun Will Shine on My Tomorrow.

She has bravely chosen to share her story with the world. It is a story of hope and resilience. Dorice is a wife, mother of two beautiful children, and the Program Manager with BabaNyumbani in Kenya. Join me as Dorice shares her journey as a young girl struggling to navigate hopelessness, loss, and grief, only to be met by a community of loving people who saw her need, met it, and walked with her through the hills and valleys of life. It is an honour to call Dorice myfriend.

Dorice's life is a powerful testimony of hope and resilience in the face of significant challenges. After meeting with Dorice and getting to know her, I quickly knew we had an incredible connection as friends. I heard her journey and, by God'sgrace, reflected it in a children's book.

My new children’s book,The Sun Will Shine on My Tomorrow, is now available!

About the book, The Sun Will Shine on My Tomorrow:

“After losing her parents, young Dorice felt overwhelmed by fear, grief, and sadness. She fervently prayed to God for food, school fees, and protection for her siblings and grandmother. With her grandmother’s loving support and the help of avisitor she met at church, Jim from Baba Nyumbani, a ministry dedicated to serving orphans by providing a safe place to flourish and be loved, Dorice found hope! God answered her prayers, revealing opportunities she never dreamedof. Follow Dorice as she courageously recounts her inspiring journey from despair to hope.”

www.castlequaybooks.com

www.babanyumbani.org

Faye Hall is an extraordinary artist and storyteller. I’m so glad I’ve been able to connect with her through my latest children’s book, The Sun Will Shine On My Tomorrow. Combined with her love for the Lord and artistic genius, expressed through both realistic and abstract art, you will be inspired!
Her skill is extraordinary, and her storytelling ability is beautiful. I am excited to share our conversation about her journey into art and what it has meant to her over the years! Stay tuned for the full conversation this Thursday!
“Art tells the truth through beauty – enabling us to see and attend, paying attention to something and each other. Faye Hall’s paintings tell stories – whether the paintings are for the books that she’s illustrated or stories about family and friends, her energetic repertoire will tell a story or remind the viewer of their own.”www.fayehall.co,

www.babynyumbani.org

Coming this week on the podcast is my conversation with award-winning Christian author, speaker, and brand coach Helena Smrcek. Helena is passionate about connecting with writers across North America through various groups and conferences, walking alongside them as they create their stories and build their platforms.Helena has an incredible story that began in Czechoslovakia and, all these years later, continues here in Canada. It was a very special gift from missionaries that opened her eyes to the love of Jesus and the gospel.Please join me for my conversation this Thursday. I am excited to share her passion for writing and her love for Jesus!Stay tuned for details about her latest book, A K-9 Mountain Promise, arriving at the end of this month. You are going to love her delightful characters and heartwarming storyline.New Podcast | Conversations and Connections | Author | Faith Stories Romance Novels | Historical Fiction |Suspense | Helena Smrcekhttps://www.helenasmrcek.com/books/

This week, I welcome Cheryl Weber to the podcast Conversations and Connections! It was such a delight to hear her story and the incredible ways God moved in her life from her early beginnings through the unexpected twists and turns that led her into a missional mindset and a media focus! Cheryl has a tender heart for international missions and a passion for sharing stories locally and abroad. Cheryl has over 20 years of experience as a media leader, TV host, international speaker and global humanitarian. She co-hosts Canada’s longest-running daily talk show, 100 Huntley Street, and serves as Director of Crossroads Cares Relief and Development. Cheryl’s work has brought her face-to-face with both high-profile celebrities and everyday heroes, and her passion for justice has taken her from the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro to some of the world’s most remote, desperate regions.

The newest episode on the podcast highlights Rebekah Ronald, wife and mom to three beautiful children and a story of hope and healing through adoption. Rebekah was adopted from Romania in the early 90s. Her story is a miracle after miracle. God kept showing up in tangible, loving ways, reminding her that God is never late. The full episode is now available on Spotify, YouTube and Apple. A few details from Rebekah about her story.“I was born in 1988 in Romania, and at the time, it had been 40 years of hardship, with limited freedom of speech, very little heat and electricity, and low food supplies. Romania's communist rule ended in December 1989. During this time, many families grew, and the orphanages began to overflow. So, Romania had to find a way to let the world know that there was a need for the kids to be adopted.They started a show called A Shame of a Nation in 1990. It highlighted the high demands and needs in Romania and in the orphanages. Everyone around the world knows about this show, and that's when many Christian families and believers reached out to help. My adopted Mom and Dad had three boys and were among the many families called to adopt.After much prayer, discernment, and reaching out to their church family to walk alongside my Mom and Dad, they hired a translator and went to Romania in 1992. With high adoption demand, all the translators knew where to take the families: the inner cities, where orphanages were overflowing. Most people did not think twice about the orphanages in the suburbs. Back then, they would send the healthy kids to the cities and the kids with intellectual or physical disabilities to the suburbs. The Lord made it very clear to my Mom and Dad where to go in Romania.” Tune in to hear the rest of her story of hope and healing! #newpodcast #faithstories #hope #podcast #conversationsandconnections

This week on the podcast, I am excited to share aconversation with Paige Gallant. Paige is a follower of Christ, a wife, and the mother of three children, and she has been homeschooling for 10 years without looking back!
It was such a pleasure to learn more about her, how she came to know the Lord, and how homeschooling became part of their family. Paige shares meaningful insights, wisdom, and experiences from her homeschooling journey, includingwhat she has learned and how she has grown. That’s what I love so much about this podcast: the opportunity to meet new people, gain valuable insights from their lives, and build new friendships!

Visit @onthecovehomeschool, and you willbe encouraged, blessed, and inspired!

I'm excited to share my upcoming interview with the incredibly wise and talented Sandra Tadros-Guirguis! Sandra’s passion for wellness will motivate you to embrace your health in practical ways that leave a lasting impact. In this podcast,you'll hear her story, her love for Jesus, and all things menopause! This is her second appearance on the podcast, so I will make sure to link to the first episode so you can go back and listen to a more in-depth look into her life story.

Listening to her share her incredible wisdom will inspire you to make wise choices as you navigate the inevitable changes women face.

The full interview will be available this Thursday on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.

This will be episode 50! I have some fun plans for celebrating coming soon! Stay tuned!  

Here is a little about Sandra!

Sandra Tadros Guirguis is a leading authority in holistic wellness, with a diverse background as a LicensedClinical Pharmacist, Certified Wellness Speaker, Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP), mental health advocate, fitness professional, and nutrition expert. She has appeared on CP24, CTV News, 100 Huntley Street,Life FM Radio, various podcasts, and graced the cover of Lifestyle Magazine, sharing her comprehensive approach to health and wellness.https://www.stgwellness.ca/

Episode 49 on the podcast with guest Tim Challies will be available this Thursday! Tim Challies is a follower of Christ, a husband to Aileen, and a father to two girls, one of whom is married, the other newly engaged and one son, Nick, who is waiting in heaven. Tim worships and serves as an elder at Grace Fellowship Church in Toronto, Ontario, and has written many books and blogs daily at www.timchallies.com. Tim began the website in 2002 and has been writing daily since 2003. Through our conversation, we look back at his early beginnings and how that shaped his faith story, learn more about his family and how he found himself in the world of blogging so many years ago. We also dive into his latest books, From the Rising of the Sun (Challies and Kesee) and his first children’s book, The Greatest Race: The Inspiring True Story of Eric Liddell. For the project From the Rising of the Sun, Tim and his co-author, also Tim, spent countless hours preparing, planning and praying for the opportunity to embark on a journey of worship around the world! Truly a spectacular account of various churches, people and cultures that share a love for Jesus.“Whether in a Baptist Church or in an Anglican Church, whether in an isolated village or a bustling city, or whether in a context where the gospel is still taking root or in a context where it has existed for centuries, we were encouraged to see preachers open the Bible, read it out loud, and expose its meaning to the congregation. We were heartened to see and know that God‘s word is being faithfully preached throughout the world.” - Tim Challies.Not only did they co-author the book, but they have also included videos from each place they visited that provide a vivid learning experience that you won’t want to miss! Order the book today and embark on the journey with your family! Join me this Thursday for the full conversation on the podcast. #podcast #newpodcastcoming #fromtherisingofthesun #thegreatestrace #conversationsanadconncections #staytuned #faithstoriesA

It was over 20 years ago when I first heard about author and speaker Jodie Berndt! It’s hard to believe it was that long ago! A dear friend of mine passed along her book Praying the Scriptures for Your Children.That book was incredibly impactful and came at a perfect time in my life, allowing me to begin praying the Word of God over my children very intentionally. I still have the very same book, slightly weathered and well used! I still look at it, open it, and pray the prayers she has written. As moms, we never stop praying, and Jodie’s ministry has been a beautiful encouragement to countless moms. I encourage you to head to her website to see the incredible resources that she has, just for you. Here are some wonderfully wise words from Jodie:“If there’s one thing I’ve learned after watching our kids grow up and head off on their own, it’s that you never stop being a parent. You never stop loving your kids. And you never stop praying, asking God to guide them, protect them, and accomplish his best purposes in their lives.And not only that, but you never stop wanting to be a difference-maker, to life a life marked by productivity, purpose, and joy. Which is a good thing, because that’s what God wants for us too—in every season. The Bible says that those who love the Lord will “still bear fruit in old age” (Psalm 92:14), and I can’t help but believe that every stage of life (including—and maybe especially—the empty nest years) is important and precious to God.”- Jodie BerndtWe talk about the importance of praying for our kids and the gift of motherhood, and learn more about Jodie and her ministry.https://jodieberndt.com/

Amanda Schaefer is a podcast host, award-winning author, and speaker. She carries with her the goodness of looking through a lens of gratitude. The “A Cup of Gratitude” podcast is global, reaching over 123 countries and 3000 cities. As a speaker, Amanda teaches the Bible while challenging audiences to live the way God intends. She has a way of making scripture come alive through everyday examples. Amanda’s books include “Crumbled, A Place for Broken People,” “Daily Instaration,” and “Holy Plot Twists: God is Still Writing Your Story.” She is a contributing author of “Life Changing Stories,” “One Chance, One Dance, Don’t Miss the Moments in Your Life,” and “Courageous Voices Unlocked.” Her books are down-to-earth and packed with Biblical truth. Amanda has also written articles for “The Brave Women Series,” “The Uncommon Normal Gratitude Series,” “The Love Offering,” “The Warrior Women Series,” “Butterfly Living, “The Empty Nest Mom Series,” and “The Season Series.” Connect with Amanda at www.acupofgratitude.org or on Social media. www.instagram.com/acupof_gratitudewww.facebook.com/amanda.f.schaeferwww.acupofgratitude.orghttps://youtube.com/@acupofgratitude?si=PF55x6T4ecrs7jdg