In this episode of Courage Becomes Her, host Laurel Emory shares a decision she has made concerning the podcast and invites you to take a listener survey about the future of the Courage Becomes Her podcast.

 Resources:

·         Take the survey about the future of Courage Becomes Her

·         Corey and I share what we have been going through in our marriage

·         Michele talks about her new book: A Faith that Will Not Fail

·         Michele and I talk about friendship and mid-life

·         Erin and I talk about pivots in business

·         Lisa and I talk about choosing to not launch a business

·         The Mighty as a Mother podcast ladies talk about when to stop something

·         Seven areas where I am being called to have courage

·         Take the listener survey 😊 (by October 30th)

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In this episode of Courage Becomes Her, Dr. Bev Wiens talks about sexual intimacy in mid-life. She shares that a satisfying sexual relationship is the result of a satisfying relationship outside of the bedroom. She educates us about the different types of sex drives and how our drives impact our sexual intimacy. She talks about the impact that perimenopause and menopause have on our sexual intimacy, and how our aging bodies can limit our sexual enjoyment. She shares, from her personal experience, about the impact that physical pain and disability have on sexual intimacy. She talks about the difficulty of enjoying sexual intimacy when we don’t feel comfortable with our bodies.

 Dr. Bev Wiens has over 50 years of teaching psychology and counseling related subjects at several northern California colleges and universities. She is passionate about helping our relationships be richer and more loving and helping us to be better communicators who express gratitude to one another.

 Dr. Bev would welcome to connect with you through email – [email protected]

Resources from my conversation with Dr. Bev:

·         Come Away My Beloved by Frances Roberts

·         Hidden Bedroom Partners by Frank Hajcak, Ph.D. & Patricia Garwood

·         Replens Lubricant

·         Conversation with Rhonda about self-care

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In this episode of Courage Becomes Her, Joanna Teigen shares about major mid-life transitions, including going back to school, adopting a foster child, moving back to her home state, welcoming adult children back home, and facing unknowns in her physical health. She talks about how she has navigated these changes and how she has learned to view them as invitations to grow. She talks about the necessary trade-offs in times of transition and learning trust and humility by doing so. She talks about how she has learned more about herself and has grown in confidence about who she is because of transitions. She talks about the importance self-compassion and shares some tips for how to recover after transition.

 Joanna Teigen is an author who is passionate about helping us grow strong and healthy marriages and to have wisdom in parenting. She has written a dozen books, devotions, and conversation starter cards to help us in our family life. She and her husband, Rob, have been married for more than 30 years and have five children, a daughter-in-law, a son-in-law, and two grandchildren. Joanna loves nothing more than to fill their West Michigan home with family, friends, church family, and students.

 Joanna would love to connect with you through Instagram, Facebook, or her website where you can get a free resource that will help you with your marriage.

Resources from my conversation with Joanna:

·       Books and conversation starters by Joanna

·       Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss

o  Read my review of this book on my 2021 book list

·       Joanna and Rob’s podcast, Growing Home Together

o  My conversation with them about rest

·       Conversation about control in mid-life with Michele Cushatt

·       Conversation with my marriage coach, Jill Savage

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In this episode of Courage Becomes Her, Laura Tremaine talks about her experience with loneliness and going through a season without friends. She shares about how friendship does change with the seasons of life and that it is good to be forward-thinking about what we expect out of friendships both now and in the future. She encourages us to flex the muscle of putting effort into our friendships and to default to saying yes more than we say no to relationship. She talks about the value of consistency in friendships and her belief that women in mid-life do that well. She shares about the changes she is seeing in her friendships as she moves into mid-life.

 Laura Tremaine is a writer, avid reader, and podcaster. She is the host of the 10 Things to Tell You podcast and author of two books. Laura grew up in Oklahoma and moved to Los Angeles sight unseen when she was 22 years old. She worked in film and television production for many years before pursuing writing full-time. Laura has been sharing her life online for over a decade, particularly focusing on friendship, anxiety, motherhood, and marriage. Her posts and podcast episodes resonate with women looking for ways to connect more deeply with others. Laura lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children.

 Laura would love to connect with you through Instagram, Facebook, or her website.

Resources from my conversation with Laura:

·         Laura’s books: Share Your Stuff. I’ll Go First. and The Life Council

·         It by Stephen King

·         The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown

·         Bri McKoy’s book, The Cook’s Book

·         Sara McDaniel of Simply Southern Cottage shares about the renovation of her historic villas

·         Simply Southern Sisterhood – join by Oct 1st to be a Founding Member

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Southern lady, Rhonda Nelson, is an author, motivational speaker, and philanthropist. Her love of music led her to meet her husband while watching his band, the Little River Band, in a concert in Nashville in 1999. Rhonda loves sharing her gifts and talents with people and organizations and is grateful for the ability to support good work being done for children’s charities, cancer research, animal rescue, and women’s empowerment. She is passionate about helping women embrace middle age and discover what fulfills them and to love the life they live.

 In this episode of Courage Becomes Her, Rhonda Nelson talks about how women in mid-life are often forgotten, and their identities often get lost in the roles that they play in life like wife and mom. She talks about her journey of discovering and defining her true self apart from those roles, titles, and expectations, and finding contentment and happiness. She talks about what it looks like to take care of ourselves in this season of life and how that enables us to adapt to changes and more easily work through life’s obstacles.

Rhonda would love to connect with you through Instagram.

Resources from my conversation with Rhonda:

·         Conversation with Sharon Hodde Miller, Ph.D. about image management

·         The Lives We Actually Have by Kate Bowler

·         Good Enough by Kate Bowler

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In this episode of Courage Becomes Her, Dawn Barton talks about being in the “sandwich generation” of parenting a teenager while also caregiving for parents. She talks about making the decision to be a multi-generational family with three generations living on one property. She shares about how her priorities have shifted in the last several years and even though there have been incredibly difficult moments, experiences, and emotions, that she doesn’t see it as a sacrifice and wouldn’t have it any other way.

 Dawn Barton is an author and speaker who leads retreats for women who need encouragement about their gifts and talents and a space to process the changes of life. Despite having experienced significant loss and trauma, Dawn radiates joy and believes that sharing the hard parts of life with each other is what helps us to not feel alone. She lives with her husband, their teenage daughter, her mother-in-law, and her parents near Pensacola, Florida and is a short distance away from her adult daughter, son-in-law, and four grandchildren.

 Please connect with Dawn through Instagram or her website, and for encouragement about mid-life you’re going to want to read her book, Midlife Battle Cry.

Resources from my conversation with Dawn:

·         Attend one of Dawn’s retreats

·         JeriLynne Clifford talks about her transition from corporate America to entrepreneur life

·         Conversation with Sharon Hodde Miller, Ph.D.

·         Conversation with Michele Cushatt

·         Atomic Habits book by James Clear

·         Spiritual Rhythm book by Mark Buchanan

·         Greenlights memoir by Matthew McConaughey

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Jenny Ellis is an Enneagram 9 who loves time with her family and making and sharing beautiful pieces of art. She and her husband have a blended family of five grown children and five grandchildren. She spent her career as a high-end dressmaker and moved into the upholstery world 10 years ago and now has her artistic chairs featured in stores, restaurants, and hotels like the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.

 In this episode of Courage Becomes Her, Jenny Ellis talks about needing to re-invent herself in her late 50s and choosing to learn something new that was artistic, beautiful, and fun. She later realized that the heavy labor of upholstering chairs was becoming more than her body could handle and it was time to pass on her expertise to others through online courses. She talks about what it was like to find a new purpose and get excited about a new venture in what is typically seen as the retirement years.

 You can take Jenny’s courses, purchase her artistic chairs, and reach out to her through Instagram or Facebook.

Resources from my conversation with Jenny:

·         P.I.N.K. Creatives Retreat

·         Wendy, Chair Whimsy’s Life Whimsy book

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In this bonus episode of Courage Becomes Her, we conclude our summer reads series with Karrie Garcia to talk about her new book, Free and Fully Alive: Reclaiming the Story of Who You Were Created to Be. Karrie talks about the value of facing the hard parts of our lives and not just leaving the past in the past but surrendering our stories to the kindness and care of God. She talks about the false freedom that is found in behavior modification and what it looks like to not just settle for relief but to find lasting freedom.

 Karrie is a pastor, author, certified life coach, trauma-informed story coach, and CEO who shares her journey to inspire change in others. Despite facing struggles such as drug addiction and the suicide of her mother, Karrie emerged victorious through her faith in Jesus Christ. She is the founder of the Freedom Movement, a nonprofit that focuses on hope and healing from brokenness and pain. You can connect with Karrie through her website and Instagram.

 Enter the giveaway to win a copy of Free and Fully Alive, as sponsored by Zondervan, through the September 1st post on Laurel’s Instagram.

Resources from my conversation with Karrie:

·       Free and Fully Alive book

·       Redeeming Heartache by Dan Allender & Cathy Loerzel

·       Freedom Movement

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Michele Cushatt is an Enneagram 2 whose tank gets filled by hiking the Colorado Rockies. She is a wife and a mom to six, a three-time cancer survivor, and an executive coach, presentation coach, author, and speaker. Through her lived experiences, she is an expert on trauma, pain, and the deep human need for authentic connection and enduring faith.  

 In this episode of Courage Becomes Her, Michele talks about friendship during hard seasons and what it’s like when your tank is empty and you’re unable to reciprocate or give to your friends. She also talks about how we make peace with mid-life when it’s not what we expected or envisioned, and how we face mid-life with hope rather than pessimism or fatalism.

 Please take time to connect with Michele through her website, Instagram, and Facebook.

Resources from my conversation with Michele:

·         A Faith That Will Not Fail by Michele Cushatt

·         Undone by Michele Cushatt

·         Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Tim Keller

·         Abba’s Child by Brennan Manning

·         Lectio 365 app

·         BEMA podcast

·         July conversation with Michele

·         Conversation with my husband, Corey

·         Conversation with Sharon Hodde Miller

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In this bonus episode of Courage Becomes Her, we continue our summer reads series with Ashley Elliott to talk about her new book, I Used to Be ______: How to Navigate Large and Small Losses in Life and Find Your Path Forward. Ashley helps us courageously process our losses when we enter the realm of what “used to be.” She talks about what it looks like to grieve, the downsides of unprocessed grief, and how feelings like anger are signals of grief. She points us to positive coping mechanisms and how we can neutralize the things that trigger grief within us.

 Ashley and her husband, Chuck, co-wrote the book sharing their personal experiences of loss. They are content creators who have partnered with YouVersion and RightNow Media and have served as advisory board members for the AACC’s International Christian Coaching Association. Frequent speakers and popular workshop leaders, their numerous certifications in psychoeducational programs equip them to help others build relational success. Ashley is a licensed counselor and educator, and Chuck is a pastor. You can connect with them at chuckandashley.com or on Instagram.

Enter the giveaway to win a copy of I Used to Be _____, as sponsored by Baker Publishing Group, through the August 25th post on Laurel’s Instagram.

Resources from my conversation with Ashley:

·       I Used to Be ______ book

·       Option B by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant

·       Two excellent versions of The Bible:

o  The Message and The Life with God Bible

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