Girls Talking Life

What is holding you back from building community? Are you an inviter? How do you make time for friendships?

I am joined today by not one, but two lovely ladies who are part of a trio called The Ruth Experience. These ladies created a community, a modern day "Tea and Testimony," where women come together and share their joys and sorrows and how God is at work in their lives, much like the way Ruth and Naomi interacted in the Old Testament.

Kendra and Kristin encourage us to start where we are, to build our community in the places we already go. Kristin says, "we have to be the ones who are looking, we have to be the initiators who are going out and trying to find that community." But this can be intimidating. Fear of rejection can stop us in our tracks. Kendra and Kristin give terrific ideas on how to push past those fears and do the inviting.

Kendra and Kristin also tell us that prioritizing our friendships is key. We need to make time for them and add them to our to-do list just like anything else. They also give some creative ways to nurture relationships when we can't physically be together. We chat about the value of befriending women in different life stages and what healthy sisterhood looks like.

Kristin Demery, Kendra Roehl, and Julie Fisk are three Central Minnesota authors. They believe in the immense power of authentic community and of intentionally living one's faith out loud through kindness and friendship. They have several published books, including the One Year Daily Acts of Kindness devotional, with their most recent being the One Year Daily Acts of Friendship: 365 Days to Finding, Keeping, and Loving Your Friends.

The One Year Daily Acts of Friendship: 365 Days to Finding, Keeping, and Loving Your Friends

The Ruth Experience

5 Creative Friendship Goals for the New Year

Eden's Garden Essential Oil Blends

Breath by James Nestor

Emma Movie

Modern Roots Crème Brule Candle

Universal Yum Subscription Box

House Plants

Fluffy Blanket

Hallmark Movies

Morning Cup of Coffee

Cozy Front Porch with Heater

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You have your Word of the Year. Now what? Make it meaningful by studying what the bible says about your word.

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Happy new year! Today we are kicking off a brand new series. The heart behind Girls Talking Life is providing girl time when you can't be with your girlfriends, but ultimately I want to encourage you to be in community with the women in your actual life. Gather, have conversations, create meaningful connections, and listen to each others' stories. But sometimes that's easier said than done.

Adult friending is hard and because of last year it's even harder.

So over the next several episodes, I'm going to bring you incredible guests and also some resources! We're talking all about cultivating community, creating meaningful connections and building lasting friendships!

Mama Needs Subscription Box – February theme: Mama Needs Friendship – available to order through January 31st and will include Girls Talking Life conversation cards! Use the code PODCAST for free shipping on your first box!

Word of the Year – Word Study

New GTL Community Group

Sermon by Pastor Jeff Bogue – Grace Church

The Ruth Experience – Creative Friendship Goals for the New Year

"Having friends is good! And they are good for you! Therefore, if you are passionate about self-care then you should be making friends and enriching those relationships. Investing in friendships is investing in yourself." Hanna Gilland – It's not just you: Making other adult friends is hard

Coffee Maker Auto On

The Bible Recap

Faster Way to Fat Loss with Abby Miller

Madewell Jeans

Geranium Lime Body Oil

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I'm talking with Jenn Collins, Chief Self-Care Officer of the Mama Needs Subscription Box. Jenn is sharing a little of her story, how her business came to be and practical things we can do to get ready for the holidays while taking good care of ourselves in the process.

Most women are the executors of Christmas in their homes. The party planners, the gift buyers, the chefs and the decorators! Jenn preaches self-care all year long, but this show also seeks to encourage you to do all you can to take care of yourself during this season. The holidays are supposed to be full of joy and cheer, not stress an exhaustion.

Jenn and I chat about practical things we can do to make this month easier because we want to serve the people we love from a place of abundance, not overwhelm.

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Use the code PODCAST for free shipping on your first box!

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Do you love a good God story? Does it boost your faith to hear someone sharing the great things God's been doing in their life? If you're feeling distant from God for any reason, today's show is sure to rekindle your love for Him.

Kristan Dooley sits down with me today to share her story of following Jesus off the beaten path. He asked her to turn left, and even though it didn't make a lot of sense, Kristan accepted His invitation. She prepared her heart and payed attention to what God was revealing to her.

Kristan says there was a lot fear and some days it felt like a disaster, but she surrendered and trusted her Father. She says "we say we trust someone as long as all of the circumstances around us are what they should be, that kind of trust comes naturally. But then all of the sudden, the ground comes out from under us and we have to ask ourselves, do I have the faith to do it anyway?"

Kristan and I talk about the place of prayer and worship she set up in the red light district and how the crowd and energy there was nothing like a typical church setting. She tells us about the sweet gifts God gave her in that season, including completely changing her heart and their relationship. Kristan says, "anywhere he takes us, it's not about what we have to give…it's more about what we have to receive."

Kristan has worked in ministry for almost twenty years. Most recently, she serves as the Discipleship pastor at Anthem House church in West Chester, Ohio. She also works as a coach for Gravity Leadership and is the director of Renewal Women's Ministry. Kristan just released her third book, Left Turns, Following Jesus off the Beaten Path, in hopes of encouraging her reads to follow Jesus wherever he invites.

Left Turns: Following Jesus off the Beaten Path

Made to Love

Isaiah 30:21 – and whenever you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: "This is the way. Walk in it."

Anthem House Church

Anatomy of the Soul by Curt Thompson

Pumpkin Spice Coffee and Creamer

Nike Leggings

Boating Season

Contentment in Her Heart

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Prep Dish is a healthy subscription based meal plan service. When you sign up, you'll receive a weekly email that contains your menu for the week, an organized grocery list and easy to follow instructions for prepping your meals ahead of time. After a couple of hours in the kitchen, all of your meals are ready for the entire week!e – 50% off all subscriptions Black Friday through Cyber Monday with code HARVEST20!

Do you find yourself struggling to see the gifts of the season you're in? Did you know that the daily practice of gratitude has the power to impact the neurotransmitters in your brain?!?⠀ Have you ever wanted to implement a weekly Sabbath into your family's rhythm?

Amber Cullum joins me to talk about the daily practice of gratitude and introducing a rhythm of family Sabbath.

Amber is a wife to Sam, mom of 3, and the host of Grace Enough Podcast. A podcast designed to encourage the believer that God can use you to impact His kingdom no matter your story.

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Prep Dish is a healthy subscription based meal plan service developed by chef & dietitian Allison Schaaf. When you sign up, you'll receive a weekly email that contains your menu for the week, an organized grocery list and easy to follow instructions for prepping your meals ahead of time. After a couple of hours in the kitchen, all of your meals are ready for the entire week. No more answering the question, "What's for Dinner?!" Meal time stress is replaced with a healthy, whole food meal made by YOU!

To give Prep Dish a try for free, go to prepdish.com/girlstalkinglife

Are you busy with a never-ending to do list? Is your mental busyness too loud in your head?

Yvonne Marie sits downs with me for a conversation about killing the busy (physical or mental) and saving and the bee (you) by being still and knowing that God is in control.

Yvonne tells us that being still is more than quiet reflection or rest, it's actually about surrender. She gives practical ways to kill the busy in our lives and explains that by doing that, we can actually become more productive.

Yvonne compares bees and their work in the hive to followers of Jesus and their work for the kingdom of God. She talks about solitude and how we can go about finding it. Yvonne and I talk about cultivating a deeper relationship with God and how you know when you're hearing his voice. Yvonne shares how she connects what she's learning about God in her head to how she feels about him in her heart through studying, journaling and prayer.

Yvonne Marie, M.Ed. is an author, artist, poet, and teacher. She has spent most of her adult life serving in Christian ministries such as worship, discipleship, leadership, and women's ministries. She works as an associate professor teaching freshmen college students the joy of composing a valid, worthy, and credible argument. Yvonne Marie is married to a very handsome and highly skilled photographer and they have two remarkable sons.

Kill the Busy Save the Bee: What it Really Means to Be Still and Know

Psalm 46:10 – Be still, and know that I am God.

War Room Movie

Philippians 4:6 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Jude by Jackie Hill Perry

He Speaks to Me by Priscilla Shirer

Philippians 4:8 – Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Time with Family and Her Church Family

Trailblazers Group

Books (Jude by Jackie Hill Perry and Homecoming by Yaa Gyasi)

Painting and Drawing

Wrap Life Head Wraps

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Join Abby Miller's new client group beginning October 26th for simple, effective, cutting edge fitness and nutrition strategies including meal plans, daily 30 minute workouts, community support and nutrition coaching from Faster Way to Fat Loss. Hear more of Abby's story on episode #2.

A discussion about engaging in the political conversation, making biblical-based decisions and practically preparing to go to the polls.

vote411.org

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Whether you're waiting for something that will change your life or you're waiting in line at the grocery store, we can all relate to the frustration of our needs or wants not being immediately satisfied. We all wait. Rebecca Brewster Stevenson joins me to take a deep dive into the heart behind our frustration and gives ideas on where we can place our focus during our waiting.

Rebecca writes in Durham, North Carolina, where she lives with her husband and children. In 2012 she left teaching to pursue writing full-time, and is author of the critically acclaimed novel Healing Maddie Brees. She is a speaker and a regular teacher at The Well, a women's Bible study at Chapel Hill Bible Church. She recently released her second book, Wait: Thoughts and Practice in Waiting on God.

Wait: Thoughts and Practice in Waiting on God

Healing Maddie Brees

Word Matters Podcast

Christian Analytic Theology by Tom McCall

Visual Art of Hilary Siber

Her Gym

Her Church's Prayer Time

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Join Abby Miller's new client group beginning October 26th for simple, effective, cutting edge fitness and nutrition strategies including meal plans, daily 30 minute workouts, community support and nutrition coaching. Hear more of Abby's story on episode #2.

Brooke Robertson is a Louisiana-based singer/songwriter who grew up riding horses and four wheelers. She started singing as a pre-teen and has been singing ever since. Her debut album, Taking My Voice Back, released earlier this year and marks the first time she has shared her story as a victim of childhood sexual abuse. Brooke joins pop sensibilities and country soulfulness together with her pure vocal tone and heartfelt lyrics, crafting songs centered on the way God's redemption weaves its way through all our life experiences – both heartache and hope.

Brooke joins me to talk about her new album, Taking My Voice Back. We chat about how she got started in music. She shares about how she had a plan for her life and how God closed that door. Brooke tells us that when she didn't have a plan B, she became completely dependent on God to define her path. She says, "you don't really fully understand what trust mean until you're having to walk through something that's difficult."

Brooke tells us that after her first tour, when it was time to write new music, she asked God what people needed to hear. He answered that it was time for her to share her story of being the victim of abuse. She had buried this story deep inside and was reluctant to share it with anyone, and certainly didn't feel ready to share it with the world.

Brooke and I talk about forgiveness and how she felt the need to reach out to the person who hurt her 15 years before. She was able to offer forgiveness and share Jesus. She encourages anyone who is holding on to something painful to try and find healing. She wants you to be "able to live freely because you don't realize how heavy it is to hold onto unforgiveness."

Have My Heart – EP

Taking My Voice Back Music Video

Taking My Voice Back Explanation Video

Unshakable by Christine Cane

Her Coffee Shop's Breakfast

Food Network – The Pioneer Woman

Hiking

Family

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Pure Haven is the maker of fresh, safe, personal and home care products. Their mission is to educate consumers about pure, safe, alternative personal care choices that empower people to live the healthiest lifestyle possible. Their products are 100% free of toxins. Guaranteed.

Go to purehaven.com/girlstalkinglife to shop their whole line and check out these limited release cranberry pomegranate products!(available through September 30, 2020, or while supplies last)

Use the code 272171 to support the show during the month of September.

Kari Kampakis joins me to talk about raising our teenage daughters. Kari is the mom of four girls, has written books for teen girls and has recently released a book for the moms of teenage girls called Love Her Well.

On the show today Kari and I talk about the struggle between nurturing the mother/daughter relationship and directing and correcting our girls as a parent. Kari says it's possible to do both, but it has to be "rooted in love." We talk about choosing our words carefully and how the timing of those words matter too. Kari shares a story about not saying what was on her mind in order to preserve a good moment she was having with her daughter. Sometimes it okay to save the correction for later.

Kari tells us that admitting to our kids when we're wrong can be a game changer in our relationship. They see so much "perfect" in our culture. It's important for them to know that we're not perfect and that's why we need a savior.

Kari and I talk about connecting and having fun with our daughters and that we need to keep extending the invitation to our girls and that some of the best times and deepest conversations happen spontaneously, and they're not fancy at all.

Kari says that our identity as moms is not tied to the decisions our kids are making. We are parenting without guarantees. But God created us "to parent with a spirit of strength and not defeat."

Kari lives in Birmingham, Alabama. Her books for teen girls, 10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know and Liked: Whose Approval Are You Living For?, have been used across the country by youth and church groups. Kari's work has been featured on the TODAY Show, TODAY Parents, Yahoo! News, EWTN, Proverbs 31, and more.

Love Her Well: 10 Ways to Find Joy and Connection with Your Teenage Daughter

The Teenage Brain

The Girl Mom Podcast

Apple AirPods

Barefoot Dreams Blanket

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Fairhope, Alabama

This Is Us

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Show Notes for this Episode | Instagram | Facebook

LISTENER SURVEY

I want to know about YOU!

Pure Haven is the maker of fresh, safe, personal and home care products. Their mission is to educate consumers about pure, safe, alternative personal care choices that empower people to live the healthiest lifestyle possible. Their products are 100% free of toxins. Guaranteed. Go to purehaven.com/girlstalkinglife to shop their whole line and check out these limited release cranberry pomegranate products! (available through September 30, 2020, or while supplies last) Use the code 272171 to support the show during the month of September.