Flourish-Meant: You Were Meant to Live Abundantly

Could you become a woman of influence?

Today's guest, Kathleen Cooke, shares how God sees who we are and chooses us for a specific calling to influence the world for his purposes.

Kathleen Cooke is an award-winning media and entertainment producer, actor, speaker and writer, and co-founder of Cooke Media Group and the nonprofit The Influence Lab. She leads Influence Lab Women in Hollywood and now also in Atlanta for Christian professionals. Kathleen is the author of the devotional Hope 4 Today: Stay Connected to God in a Distracted Culture, now in its 2nd edition, and posts the weekly online Influence Lab Journal and a weekly blog mentoring women in media, entertainment and leadership. She speaks globally and has been interviewed on numerous top national and international radio shows and podcasts as well as Christian TV networks such as CBN, TBN and The Hillsong Channel.

From her expertise in the area of influence, Kathleen explains our choice to serve by getting off our hands and obeying a call from God. We discuss the joy of allowing the Lord to pour influence through us.

Kathleen Cooke delves into the Biblical imagery of water associated with the influence of women. She explores the way the trinity was represented in scripture. Cooke highlights the significance of women as seen in the specific story of Miriam in the Old Testament.

Kathleen and I concur about how God values women and calls us to partner with him. We discuss seeking support if barriers consist of clinical depression, anxiety, or other counseling needs. Kathleen emphasizes the need for women to strengthen one another.

Kathleen encourages listeners to visit influencelab.com for support and resources. You can also connect with her at kathleencooke.com

Are you thriving in your mother-daughter relationships? Today's episode shares how to heal and create blessings from imperfect relationships between moms and daughters.

Our guests, Dr. Helen McIntosh and Blythe Daniel, offer the keys to healthy mother-daughter relationships. Blythe Daniel is a literary agent and author, whose articles have appeared in various magazines. She and McIntosh have written I Love You, Mom! and Mended: Restoring the Hearts of Mothers and Daughters.

Dr. Helen McIntosh (EdD, Counseling Psychology) is a counselor, speaker, educator, and author of Messages to Myself and Eric, Jose & The Peace Rug®. Her work has appeared in Guideposts, ParentLife, and HomeLife magazines.

Helen and Blythe discuss share how their books offer discussion starters and a framework of words to help mend and improve strained relationships between moms and daughters. Daniel explores the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation.

We discuss the ways to cultivate healthy parent-child relationships when kids or parents have been adopted. Dr. McIntosh shares the importance of mother-daughter relationships as a legacy of love for ongoing generations.

Blythe and Dr. McIntosh emphasize the importance of checking in regularly with your mom or daughter to determine how you are doing in the relationship. Helen notes the importance of asking permission to give feedback.

Blythe and Helen offer tips on setting healthy boundaries in mother-child relationships. Dr. McIntosh shares her term, "over-love," and notes how we can avoid suffocating one another in our relationships. Helen describes her process of learning to let go of Blythe when she went off to college.

How to say "no" and "yes" appropriately by setting healthy boundaries in our relationships is discussed. Dr. McIntosh explains that proper boundaries help us avoid blaming others for our issues.

We discuss the importance of clear communication. Daniel emphasizes how good relationships require intentionality and work. Helen highlights Matthew 7 and the need to remain faithful in tending to our own responsibility in the relationship rather than only focusing on what the other person should do or not do.

Dr. McIntosh emphasizes the power of praying blessings over those who wounded us.

We also explore the rejuvenating and bonding power of spending time in fun activities together. Blythe and Dr. McIntosh recommend finding time to relax, laugh, and play together in our adult and parenting relationships.

Connect with Blythe Daniel and Dr. Helen McIntosh at ourmendedhearts.com or on social media. I Love You, Mom and Mended are available on Amazon or from your favorite book retailer.

How do you overcome traumatic brain injury and family loss?

Today's special guest, Benny DiChiara, shares his powerful story of suffering the grave prognosis of a traumatic brain injury and the loss of his father. Amid a stellar career as a chart-topping Christian rock star, DiChiara experiences the loss of basic functions such as language processing and speech.

Benny shares his inspiring story of hearing directly from God during the darkest moments of his life. He relates the details of his struggle and recovery from what seemed an impossible medical situation.

DiChiara emphasizes the sovereignty and foresight of God, echoing the constant comfort of the words, "But God."

Benny shares how he recovered in time to minister to his dying father. We discuss the amazing culmination of all DiChiara's ministry from the stage in the moments he shared the gospel with his dad. While grieving this loss, the Lord equipped DiChiara to write a song (Daddy's Song) to honor his father's arrival in heaven.

Find out more about Benny DiChiara and his chart-topping band, Empowered, by visiting rockin4jesus.com/. Check out the recent album, Three Days, and the heart-lifting single, Daddy's Song.

Could you be useful to God?

Today's guest, Dr. James Spencer, relates his journey of recognizing his academic, ministry, and career accomplishments failed to render him useful to God. He shares his moment of realization about having used God as a resource instead of a ruler. Dr. Spencer notes how he reflected upon Malachi 3 and the letters Dr. Dwight L. Moody wrote to his family to discover deeper levels of faith and connection with God.

We discuss the struggle of shifting from self-reliance to obedience and submission to God. James describes the joy and peace of letting go of the things we once held onto tightly in order to center on life-giving priorities in Christ.

Dr. Spencer describes D. L. Moody's authenticity in seeing the world from a perspective of profound, and yet simple, faith. James shares how the letters challenged him to deepen his relationship with God.

We explore the way knowledge and circumstances can sometimes distract us from the core of belief. Dr. Spencer outlines the three principles D.L. Moody set for gathering: pray, worship, and experience the Holy Spirit.

Dr. Spencer highlights the benefits of a social media fast to center on dwelling in the presence of Christ. He invites listeners to participate in the social media fast organized by Shine Bright and the Moody Center.

Dr. James Spencer is President of D. L. Moody Center, as well as an instructor, theologian, and author. He leads the Shine Bright Project which seeks to mobilize God's people to be and make disciples James earned his PhD in Theological Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and served as an administrator and leader in Christian higher education overseeing education marketing and finance, instructional design, part- and full-time faculty, call center operations, and program design and development. He continues to consult with Christian colleges and seminaries, as well as non-profit organizations to help them build stronger organizational capacity, design strategic products and programs, and improve marketing, recruitment, and enrollment efforts.

His book titled Useful to God released in March 2022. He previously published Thinking Christian: Essays on Testimony, Accountability, and the Christian Mind, as well as co-authoring Trajectories: A Gospel-Centered Introduction to Old Testament Theology. James contributed to The Moody Bible Commentary, The Moody Encyclopedia of Messianic Prophecy, and Marriage: Its Foundation, Theology, and Mission in a Changing World. James is a regular instructor for Right On Mission where he teaches courses including Developing the Christian Mind, Prophets and Whistleblowers, Secular Ideologies, Cultural Maturity, and Biblical Interpretation.

Connect with D.L. Moody Center by visiting moodycenter.org or follow the ministry on Facebook or Twitter

How do you raise a Godly generation of boys?

Today's guest, Mark Hancock, shares the basic principles of leading boys to grow into healthy and Godly maturity.

Mark Hancock is the award-winning author of "Why Are We Sitting Here Until We Die?" as well as two booklets "Let Boys Be Boys: 3 Winning Strategies for Leaders of Boys" and "5 Critical Needs of Boys." He is a conference speaker with two Masters Degrees in the Mental Health Counseling field and he serves as Chief Executive Officer of Trail Life USA.

We discuss the need to allow growing through challenges and learning from failures in a safe environment. Mark also highlights the specific needs of a boy's social and brain development. We share how to develop communication and interpersonal skills through in-person, off-screen experiences. Hancock emphasizes the need to restore a sense of purpose for boys.

Mark details the ways an adventure program like Trail Life meets the unique needs of boys and young men for healthy development. He also notes the additional support the program offers to help men serve as Godly leaders.

To find out more about Trail Life, visit https://www.traillifeusa.com/.

Have you ever wondered how to take the next step--or maybe even the FIRST step--into your God-given purpose?

Today's guest, Laura Woodworth, shares how to identify your objectives and goals toward living your divine mission.

Laura Woodworth is a development executive for Cooke Media Group in Los Angeles, a freelance writer-producer-director and a script consultant for Stage 32. With a B.A. in Ministerial Studies and postgraduate work in UCLA's Professional Program in Producing, her awards include the International Christian Film Festival's "Most Inspirational Short Film" and the Telly award-winning documentary, Asia: The Great Wall and Beyond of the TBN television series Inexplicable. A contributor to FamilyChristian.com, iDisciple and Pure Flix Insider, her YouVersion devotional plans have gained over 130,000 subscribers. Her new devotional Through the Valley: A 40-Day Spiritual Journey to Move Your Life Forward in God published by iDisciple Publishing is slated for a summer 2022 release.

We explore the difference between the world's ideas of success and God's definition of meaningful impact. Laura shares tips and inspiration on how to center your heart and mindset so you can live fully in the mission God designed for you.

Connect with Laura at LauraWoodworth.com.

Find Laura on IMDb here.

How do I learn to surrender?

When stress, overwhelm, and crisis make us feel desperate or helpless, we yearn for control. Today's guest, Michelle Lazurek, shares how her struggle with anxiety led her to become more equipped for life by learning to surrender to God.

Michelle S. Lazurek is a multi-genre award-winning author, literary agent, and certified writing coach. She describes her personal battle with severe anxiety issues and how she learned to surrender more fully to the Lord.

Lazurek points to Exodus 14, in which the Israelites lay down their weapons so the Lord can fight for them. She explores the idea of surrendering to God instead of fighting on our own behalf as a counter-cultural, counter-intuitive concept.

Michelle recounts a memory of listening to a hymn and considering what areas of our lives we need to surrender more fully to God.

We discuss how anxiety and perfectionism make surrender an even greater challenge.

Areas like finances, children, health and other sensitive issues can prove hardest to lay into the Lord's hands without worry or attempts to control them. Our desire to overcome fear with control has intensified in the wake of the current season.

Michelle discusses the paradox of surrender. She debunks the misunderstanding of surrender as the absence of action. Lazurek discerns the difference between busyness and productivity. Not all good activity serves as activity that proves good for us. Excess, schedule-filling work blocks us from experiencing deep intimacy with God.

Busy work feeds us with a false sense of purpose but fails to fulfill us. When we avoid burnout by saying "no" to excess activities and instead make room for the things God ultimately calls us to do, we have space to deepen our relationship with the Lord and our anxiety diminishes.

Michelle details her journey of sharing her struggle with anxiety openly with her church. She notes how she wrestled with shame lies and prayed through negative thoughts. Lazurek praises her church for their compassionate response to her suffering.

The prayers and cards she received from those who supported her helped Michelle realize she no longer needed to perform in order to receive acceptance from her church family. While a few people did make insensitive remarks, the comments from those who found her transparency validating or inspiring provided strength and encouragement.

Michelle states the central importance of authenticity in the process of surrendering to God.

Lazurek notes the connection between the medical, spiritual, and mental/emotional. She offers examples of helpful and counterproductive ways to respond to someone in crisis.

Michelle recommends meditating upon God's Word. She also emphasizes the importance of taking time to listen during prayer time.

Connect with Michelle Lazurek or get a copy of her new book, I Surrender All (Sort of) on her website at http://www.michellelazurek.com/

If you would like more information, feel free to fill out the contact form there.

People often say they believe in God or identify themselves as Christians. But the way we live our daily lives might not seem to reflect these claims.

Acclaimed author, international speaker, and That's Just What I Needed Podcast host, Donna Jones, joins us to determine how to ensure we're really following God.

Donna Jones distinguishes the question of following God from simply agreeing with our church or upbringing. She notes several important aspects to examine our personal faith journey. Donna highlights self-awareness and spending time meditating on scripture. She emphasizes the foundational importance of a personal relationship with Christ.

Donna and I discuss how we must make intentional choices to shift from being compelled by our emotions to instead follow God. We recommend venting and processing our feelings and concerns with the Lord before the overwhelm spins us out of control. Donna explains the danger of overload using the metaphor of her washing machine spinning its way far out of position and exposing the dirt underneath.

Donna notes that we tend to ask God to change other people. She explores the story of Mary and Martha in scripture to show how Jesus cares enough to address our needs to fulfill our best character and purpose instead of simply acting to "fix" those around us. We discuss how this pattern of responding to prayer by healing our souls demonstrates the love of God rather than judgment.

We explore the battle against complexity to focus instead on the simple following of Jesus. Just like Martha, we tend to fall into worry, distraction, and busyness. Donna notes that worry, distraction, and feeling upset could serve as indicators that we might not be following the Lord.

Donna shares the common issue of becoming driven by fear off our path of following God. We explore the related issues of self-protection, anger, and the underlying hurt which also serve to tempt us away from focusing our steps to follow Christ.

Donna shares a visual image of Christ standing ahead of us in the future of our lives. He beckons us with tender love and encourages us to follow him.

"God's Word isn't just to be learned. God's Word is to be lived," Donna states. She encourages listeners to saturate their hearts with scripture and also seek to live it out.

Find out more about Donna's books, speaking services, free resources, and That's Just What I Needed Podcast at https://donnajones.org/

Have you struggled with worry, stress, or anxiety?

Today's guest, Caris Snider, shares anxiety coping skills. Caris is an author, speaker, and certified professional coach. She shares her own personal story of misunderstanding the struggle that many people experience with anxiety until she suffered herself.

Caris examines the passage in Mark 14 showing how Jesus felt overwhelmed to the point of death while praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. She encourages us to recognize how Christ understands our issues and demonstrates the way to reach out and get support from God and others.

We discuss the divine prescription of reaching up and reaching out when we face emotional battles. Caris and I also talk about the different levels of support we depend upon in times of need. We often worry about burdening others, but if we share well with others we open an opportunity for mutual blessings.

We discuss the importance of discerning the capacity of the vessels into which we pour our expressed needs. We can ask for prayer support from safe people in our faith community. If our suffering requires in-depth and longer sessions of emotional nurturing, a professional can respond most effectively and offer us a beneficial level of help.

Caris recommends deep breathing exercises to help us pause and move from frantic thinking toward more rational thoughts.

Snider also emphasizes moving from "what if" thoughts to "what is" mindsets. We discuss the counterproductive nature of trying to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

Caris presents the helpful tip of journaling to empty anxious thoughts and replace the fears with truth. She suggests seeking scriptures to use as the replacement thoughts.

Snider highlights the power of gratitude, citing the transformation she has witnessed after just a minute of focusing on gratitude. We discuss the holistic impact of praise and thankfulness.

Caris explains the impact of self-care on anxiety coping. She lists the benefits of physical activity, limiting exposure to certain social media content, and getting adequate rest. Caris encourages listeners to practice healthy margins and learn to say, "no."

We also discuss the impact of caffeine, hydration, and nutrition on our wellbeing.

Caris and I emphasize discovering what works best for you. She encourages listeners to remain patient and persistent, not allowing comparison to steal their joy.

Connect with Caris by visiting her website, carissnider.com. She is also accessible on social media (carissnider) or on YouTube. Her Anxiety for Elephants books, for adults or tweens, are available on her website, on Amazon, or through major book retailers.

Has clutter taken over your mind? Do negative thoughts and busyness overwhelm your thoughts, threatening to drown your with internal noise?

Today's guest, Billie Jauss, addresses how we can de-clutter our minds.

Billie Jauss s a well-known speaker and author. Her podcast "Start Small BELIEVE BIG" is nearing its 300th episode, and is focused on encouraging listeners to value the significance of small beginnings, finding confidence and peace in the big God who knows, sees, and loves us deeply. She and her husband are heavily involved in Compassion International's Survival Program in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic and also see Major League Baseball as their mission field, as Dave Jauss, her husband, has been a coach for more than 25 years. Their 3 sons all work professionally in baseball as well.

Billie starts with contrasting the external distractions of busyness with the inner noise of shame and insecurity. She notes that bullying ourselves will limit us from fulfilling the purpose for which God created us.

After receiving requests to speak more often about internal distractions, Jauss surveyed her audience and discovered the prevalence of loneliness and insecurity. Billie advises listeners to pause, identify toxic thoughts, and replace negative mindsets with truth from scripture.

Billie referenced steps from her book, Distraction Detox, to move from overwhelm to peace. We chat about trusting God to do the bulk of the work to renew our minds and reach others. We simply need to show up and walk alongside the Redeemer.

Jauss emphasizes the need to develop practices to repeat as negative thoughts recur. With healthy habits, we can respond to internal noise more readily.

Billie encourages listeners to write out every negative thought, examine the nature of the thought, and replace each one with truth from scripture. She also recommends journaling how God has shown up in your life.

Jauss invites listeners to find positive scriptures by prayerfully searching the Bible or using apps online. She also recommends writing healing verses on sticky notes to post within view.

Billie references Galatians 5 as a model for living in freedom from slavery to self-limiting thoughts. She warns the enemy wants to shut us down so we don't serve God.

The Lord rejoices in our small steps. Billie encourages listeners to identify and overcome their "yeah, but..." excuses for not living in freedom.

Check out Distraction Detox by Billie Jauss or listen to her Start Small Believe Big podcast at billiejauss.com