  Lisa Appelo writes stories of hope and encouragement when walking through the hard places. She's a former attorney who pushed pause on career to home educate and raise her seven children. Happily married to her high school sweetheart for 25 years and in the throes of a busy household, life as she knew it collapsed around her. Her world shattered into a thousand irretrievable pieces when she awoke in the dark hours one summer morning to her husband's final breaths. As a single mom and unexpected widow, Lisa writes about God's faithfulness in the hard. She peels back the vulnerabilities of heartbreak and fear and an unknown future, anchored always by the practical and spiritual faithfulness of an amazing God. Related Links:  WEBSITE: LisaAppelo.com INSTAGRAM: @lisaappelo TWITTER: @appelolisa AMAZON: Life Can Be Good Again: Putting Your World Back Together After It All Falls Apart 

Lisa Appelo

Many women feel overwhelmed with the chaos of life, struggle with the fact that life, relationships and marriage are hard, and lack what they need to truly thrive. 

The Thriving Beyond Belief podcast, with host, Cheryl Scruggs, and online community provide women with encouragement & support, to better manage their stress, create healthy relationships, and build a life that thrives beyond belief.

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Jane Lee Rankin is a farmer and founder of Apple Hill Farm, an award-winning first-generation farm in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. She is an advocate for farmers through her leadership and involvement in the North Carolina Agritourism Networking Association, Watauga County Farm Bureau, the Watauga County Economic Development Commission, the Watauga County Agricultural Extension, and local chamber of commerce. She frequently speaks about farm tourism and the benefits of diversifying your farm portfolio at conferences locally and nationally. Apple Hill Farm is an agritourism destination for thousands every year who tour, shop, and learn about raising a farm family of animals. With a wide selection of fair trade and American-sourced yarns, socks, and apparel items made from alpaca wool, the Apple Hill Farm Store participates in six yearly craft or fiber shows across North Carolina. The farm and store are open year-round for shopping and tours. Since 2010 more than ninety thousand visitors have come to tour the farm and hear Lee’s story. In 2021, Lee won runner-up for North Carolina Small Farmer of the Year. Lee is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and her first book, Cookin’ Up a Storm: The Recipes of Annie Johnson, is a culinary memoir and tribute to her dear friend and mentor.  WEBSITE: Jane Lee Rankin BOOK: farm family 

Jane Lee Rankin

Stephanie May Wilson: An experienced guide for women navigating life transitions, Stephanie empowers her audience through books, courses, and podcasts, helping them build lives that resonate with authenticity and joy. Fluent in Spanish with a touch of French, she fosters deep connections and enjoys sharing meals with friends. Based in Nashville, originally from Denver, Stephanie delights in the familiar comfort of pizza and treasures time spent in Spain and at home. Her work emphasizes personal development, encouraging women to pursue their genuine desires. Stephanie May Wilson's Links:  WEBSITE: StephanieMayWilson.com FACEBOOK: /LipstickGospel INSTAGRAM: @smaywilson YOUTUBE: @girlsnightpodcast 

Stephanie May Wilson

Robert J. Morgan recently transitioned to serve full time as leader of Robert J. Morgan Ministries, a 501(c)3 nonprofit whose goal is to energize God’s people with a greater understanding and appreciation of the Bible and Christian heritage. Preceding this transition, Rob was involved in pastoral ministry for over 40 years in Nashville Tennessee. He is a best-selling, gold-Illuminations, and gold-medallion winning writer with more than 35 books in print and approximately 5 million copies in circulation in multiple languages. Rob has appeared on numerous television and radio shows. He speaks widely at churches, conferences, schools, and corporate events. Rob was also a homemaker and a caregiver for his late wife of 43 years, Katrina, who battled multiple sclerosis and passed away in November of 2019. He and Katrina have three daughters and sixteen grandchildren. Robert Morgan's Links:  WEBSITE: RobertJMorgan.com FACEBOOK: /RobertJMorganMinistries INSTAGRAM: @robertjmorganministries TWITTER: @robertjmorgan 

Robert Morgan

I started blogging in college on LiveJournal. (Remember that? It was a whole lot of Dashboard Confessional lyrics and was incredibly emo.) In 2007, I moved to WordPress and wanted to bring joy to people through my satirical writing. I wanted to be the next version of “The Onion,” if you can believe it. Then, over the years, the content began to change. I started sharing more about my life and suddenly I realized that there were people reading this blog that weren’t just my dad and my sister. So, while the content certainly changed over the last 13+ years, the mission certainly has not. True joy from within looks different than I thought it once did. When you step into this little space, I genuinely want you to feel like you’re hanging out with a dear friend. So, what are you going to find here? Here I’ll talk about everything from ethical fashion and clean beauty, to my passion for ending human trafficking, child sponsorship with Compassion International, clean beauty (and my favorite mascaras!), real food and some easy recipes, my life as a wife and mom, and so much more. I pray you’re encouraged.  Website: https://www.stillbeingmolly.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stillbeingmolly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stillbeingmolly 

Molly Stillman: If I Don't Laugh I'll Cry

My Story: Finding my voice. My twenties were categorized as driven and successful. My resume boasted of working for influential organizations. I was a popular communicator traveling across the globe to speak to students. And I became an author at the young age of 27.  But then, I turned 30, had kids, faced some rejection and was felt like I had peaked in life. Where the twenties were driven with confidence, my thirties felt like a lonely space. Having accomplished so much in life to that point, I wondered if this was it. I felt like there was a formula to life, a certainty to things. But my thirties proved that life was more uncertain than I had believed.  In those years, I longed to communicate with women again. I longed to connect with others through conversation. In October of 2015, the podcast, Surviving Sarah, was born. It was to be a place where I could use my voice again to help other women know they aren’t alone. It was a place where I could help women survive right where they are—in their life, their relationships, their work and their faith. After years of living and learning, I wrote a new book about how motherhood has raised me. “A Mother’s Guide to Raising Herself: What Parenting Taught Me About Life, Faith and Myself” is a guide that captures that journey of realizing that as I was parenting my girls, I was actually parenting myself. In 2024, I released my next book: “Is Everyone Happier Than Me? An Honest Guide to the Questions That Keep You up at Night.” This book is an honest look at the questions we ask in midlife. It’s a book that helps us navigate those questions and hopefully discover how to find a sense of happiness, peace and connection right where we are. Now, my forties are categorized as a different confidence—a confidence in the journey of discovering who I am and stepping confidently into that person. It’s a journey defined by curiosity and surrendering to the uncertainty of it all. And as Anne Lamont says, “The opposite of faith is not doubt, it’s certainty.” By embracing the uncertainty with curiosity, my faith has been reconstructed.  WEBSITE: Sarah Bragg INSTAGRAM: @SarahBragg AMAZON: Book: is everyone happier than me? 

Lisa Appelo

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