This week on the Cultivating the Lovely podcast, MacKenzie Koppa sits down for a heart to heart chat with her real life friend, author Tricia Goyer. Tricia is a wife and mother of 10, as well as caretaker for her 90-year-old grandmother, aside from being a busy speaker and author. This conversation centers around Tricia's new book The Grumble-Free Year. (Affiliate links are used in this content.)

• How and why Tricia embarked on the big family social experiment that became this book
• Learning to go to God for help with changing attitudes instead of relying on ourselves
• The difference between grumbling about something and being able to share our struggles with people who care
• Choosing to focus on the solutions instead of just the problems
• Acknowledging the hard things instead of trying stuff them inside while still deliberately choosing gratitude
• Pointing out the things our children are doing well instead of picking on the things they are doing wrong
• The power of apologizing and humbling ourselves to admit to our kids when we've messed up
• Being aware of times when grumbling is more likely to happen and getting to the heart of the issue
• Tricia tells the story of the Build-a-Bear incident
• The reward of successfully working as a family to have better attitudes
• Join the Grumble-Free 30 Day Challenge with Tricia during the holidays
• A typical day in Tricia's family right now

Tricia: making time for family dinners on a regular basis

MacKenzie: enjoying doing the Morning Show in the CTL Patreon group again

The Grumble-Free Year

Twice-Rescued Child

You can find Tricia at triciagoyer.com, and listen to her Walk It Out podcast. You can also follow her on Facebook,Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.

You can find MacKenzie Koppa on Instagram, Facebook, and the CTL Facebook Group, of course! You can also listen to her family-friendly podcast The Same Page!

Cultivating the Lovely is sponsored by Blume Hug Me deodorant. Get 25% off your first stick, plus free shipping, when you visit Blume.com/Cultivate. 

Hello Fresh meal kit delivery service also sponsored this episode of Cultivating the Lovely. Get 9 FREE meals when you go to HelloFresh.com/CTL9 and use code CTL9 at checkout.

Thanks to VistaPrint for sponsoring this episode of CTL. Get up to 50% Off of holiday photo cards and calendars when you go to VistaPrint.com enter promo code LOVELY50.

Today's episode of CTL is brought to you by BioClarity. Right now you can save 15% off everything at BioClarity.com when you use coupon code LOVELY at checkout.

This week on Cultivating the Lovely, MacKenzie has a chat with author and speaker Gary Thomas about his new book When to Walk Away: Finding Freedom from Toxic People. Gary and his wife of 35 years have three children and live outside of Houston, TX. He has a heart for marriage, family and the church, and that love for people shines through this conversation with MacKenzie.

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• How Gary realized this book needed to be written through his own encounter with a toxic person
• Gary shares his heart for marriage while being real about abuse
• The danger of telling others to stay in relationship with toxic people
• Biblical examples of how to deal with toxic relationships
• Challenges from within the church to victims of abuse
• Gary identifies some warning signs that you may be in relationship with a toxic person
  • If someone is stopping you from fulfilling God’s mission for you
  • If someone is destroying your spirit
  • If someone is controlling you
  • If someone is gaslighting you or making you feel crazy

Gary: diffusing essential oils in his office at work

When to Walk Away

The Five

Brainfood/The Knowledge Project

Joe Rogan

About Time

You can find Gary at garythomas.com. You can also follow him on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

You can find MacKenzie Koppa on Instagram, Facebook, and the CTL Facebook Group, of course! You can also listen to her family-friendly podcast The Same Page!

CTL is brought to you by Plan to Eat meal planning service. Their big 50% OFF sale is coming November 29, 2019! Visit PlanToEat.com/LOVELY to start your free 60-day trial instead of the normal 30-day trial.

This week’s episode is also sponsored by EverlyWell. For 15% OFF you own at home lab test kit, go to EverlyWell.com/LOVELY and enter code LOVELY at checkout.

Today’s episode of CTL is brought to you by Policy Genius. Go to PolicyGenius.com to find the right coverage for you and your family.

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On today’s episode of Cultivating the Lovely, host MacKenzie Koppa talks with author and speaker Rebekah Lyons about her new book Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose. Rebekah and her husband Gabe, along with their four children, live and work in Franklin, Tennessee. Together MacKenzie and Rebekah talk about both the why’s and how’s of creating your own rhythms of renewal, including:

• How Rebekah came to write this book on the topic of rest and renewal
• Some of the challenges we face in the digital age to establishing good habits of rest and health
• How our bodies are wired to deal with stress and trap trauma
• The problem with just medicating to cope instead of truly healing
• Recognizing the need to get back in touch with our humanity
• Addressing the real physical components of holistic healing
• The power of true forgiveness in our own lives (MacKenzie mentions this episode of The Ultimate Health Podcast featuring an interview with Dave Asprey. The forgiveness and gratitude link portion begins around 57:13.)
• Seeking God’s created natural rhythms for wellness
• Seeing the way that faith and science actually work together
• How much God cares about rest and Sabbath
• The destructive affect of the digital and virtual reality age on relationships and intimacy
• The problem of shame
• How being creative helps us come alive
• Borrowing hope from others
• What Rebekah’s typical day looks like

Get ready for the coming year in the Cultivating the Lovely community by getting your PowerSheets from Cultivate What Matters. Go to boldturquoise.com/powersheets to order.

Rebekah: bringing in fresh flowers and growing herbs

MacKenzie: adjusting to the darker evenings with lower light

Rhythms of Renewal

The Soul of Shame

You can find Rebekah at rebekahlyons.com. She and her husband have a podcast called Rhythms for Life. You can also follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

You can find MacKenzie Koppa on Instagram, Facebook, and the CTL Facebook Group, of course! You can also listen to her family-friendly podcast The Same Page!

Cultivating the Lovely is sponsored by Blume Hug Me deodorant. Get 25% off your first stick, plus free shipping, when you text CULTIVATE to 797979.

This week’s episode is also brought to you Yumi Organic Baby Food. For $60 off your first month, go to HelloYumi.com and enter promo code LOVELY at checkout.

Today’s episode of CTL is brought to you by Honey, the smart online shopping assistant. Get Honey for free when you go to joinhoney.com/lovely.

Today’s episode of CTL is brought to you by BioClarity. Right now you can save 40% offSkin Care Routines, plus 15% off everything else at BioClarity.com when you use coupon code LOVELY at checkout.

(Affiliate links are used in this content.)

This week on the CTL podcast, MacKenzie Koppa chats with author and speaker Amanda Anderson about her book All My Friends Have Issues: Building Remarkable Relationships with Imperfect People (Like Me). Together MacKenzie and Amanda cover a range of topics related to building healthy friendships and maintaining good boundaries, including:

• Amanda talks about her book-writing journey
• MacKenzie and Amanda discuss the faithfulness required to move toward your goals
• Authenticity versus intimacy in building relationships
• Not every friendship needs to be at the same depth
• Amanda talks about how the idea of “finding your tribe” may not be all that helpful to us in building friendship today
• Cautions against placing expectations on friends that are too high, unhealthy, or unrealistic
• The value of having several different people to speak truth into your life
• Toxic relationships and setting healthy boundaries
• Rebuke versus restoration in the church
• What it’s like to have friendships in which you can give and receive correction
• The difference between hearing hard truths from friends instead of from your spouse
• Amanda’s typical daily routine
• Be sure to check out the audio version of All My Friends Have Issues to get the extra bonus chapter that didn’t make it into the print version!

Amanda: finding time to do creative things like sewing projects

MacKenzie: listening to music on Pandora for a change

All My Friends Have Issues

When Harry Met Sally

Talladega Nights

You can find Amanda at heartintraining.com. You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

You can find MacKenzie Koppa on Instagram, Facebook, and the CTL Facebook Group, of course! You can also listen to her family-friendly podcast The Same Page!

Today's episode of CTL is brought to you by Plan to Eat meal planning service. Visit PlanToEat.com/LOVELY to start your free 60-day trial instead of the normal 30-day trial.

Cultivating the Lovely is also sponsored by the Homer reading app. Visit learnwithhomer.com/lovely for a free 30-day trial.

This week's episode is also brought to you Yumi Organic Baby Food. For $60 off your first month, go to HelloYumi.comand enter promo code LOVELY at checkout.

On this week's episode of Cultivating the Lovely, we get to hear the rest of MacKenzie's conversation with Brooke Rasmussen. Last time we left off on the cusp of Brooke's family moving to Israel, so we pick up at that point in their story. If you didn't listen to the first half of MacKenzie and Brooke's chat, go back and listen to Episode 137 here.

• What it was like moving to Jerusalem and being in the place that Biblical history took place
• How Brooke used journalling to find herself in the midst of overwhelm
• The cultural differences between Israel, Poland and the U. S. and learning to change expectations for social interactions
• Why it is often harder for the stay-at-home mom to forge community in a new country and culture than for the rest of the family
• How Brooke felt when she found other people who understood her experience
• Learning to let relationships last for certain seasons
• The Rasmussens' decision to resign from diplomatic service and move to Brooke's hometown
• Enjoying living close to grandparents and having a family different dynamic
• Settling in and learning to live where you are, instead of always looking ahead to the next thing
• A typical day in Brooke's family

Brooke: enjoying running for fun for the first time

MacKenzie: reading fun fiction, listening to entertaining podcasts and trying to distract herself

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Jordan B. Peterson

Lars and the Real Girl

CTL is brought to you by Plan to Eat meal planning service. Visit PlanToEat.com/LOVELY to start your free 60-day trial instead of the normal 30-day trial.

Thanks to VistaPrint for sponsoring this episode of CTL. Get FREE SHIPPING on all business cards, any style, any quantity, when you order from VistaPrint.com/LOVELY.

This week’s episode of CTL is also sponsored by Grove. As a CTL listener, you can get a FREE 5-piece Mrs. Meyers fall cleaning set at Grove.co/LOVELY, plus free shipping and a free 60-day VIP trial with your first order.

You can find MacKenzie Koppa on Instagram, Facebook, and the CTL Facebook Group, of course! You can also listen to her family-friendly podcast The Same Page!

On today's episode of CTL, we have the first of a special two-part series with MacKenzie Koppa and her high-school friend Brooke Rasmussen. Brooke and her husband, along with their seven children, have lived around the world. Today, MacKenzie and Brooke chat all about what it was like to move to so many unique places and adjust to many different cultures.

• Brooke talks about their first tour when her husband was a diplomat in Eritrea, Africa
  • Learning to live with less, especially where food is concerned
  • Changing her perspective on pity versus generosity
  • Equipping their family to handle future challenges
  • Learning that language is not always that big of a barrier
  • Shifting perspective on chasing beauty by cultural standards

• The transition from Africa to Poland, in the States for training
• Brooke talks about life in Warsaw, Poland
  • Ease of travel and abundance of food
  • Enjoying the history and cultures in and around Poland
  • Getting used to having babies amidst transition periods
  • The blessing of having friends nearby for the kids

Tune in next week to hear the rest of MacKenzie and Brooke's discussion and find out about the Rasmussen's time in Jerusalem, plus so much more!

You can find MacKenzie Koppa on Instagram, Facebook, and the CTL Facebook Group, of course! You can also listen to her family-friendly podcast The Same Page!

This week's episode is also sponsored by EverlyWell. For 15% OFF you own at home lab test kit, go to EverlyWell.com/LOVELY and enter code LOVELY at checkout.

Cultivating the Lovely is also sponsored by Plan to Eat meal planning service. Visit PlanToEat.com/LOVELY to start your free 60-day trial instead of the normal 30-day trial.

This week on the CTL podcast, MacKenzie Koppa chats with Erin Moon. Erin is the COO of the PopcastMedia Group and resident scholar of the Bible Binge podcast, plus being a Bible study author. Erin is also a busy wife and mother living in Birmingham, Alabama.

• Erin tells her story, starting with her experiences at Christian summer camp
• How Erin got involved in creating content and writing Bible studies for ministries
• Taking on the responsibility of studying the Bible instead of being intimidated
• MacKenzie and Erin chat about the Bible Binge podcast
• The benefit of having some pushback in discussing the Word of God
• Differentiating between surface issues and creed-level issues of faith
• How Erin came to work with The Popcast and the Bible Binge podcasts
• MacKenzie and Erin chat about how they use their enneagram types in their work and relationships
• Erin talks about her new devotional coming out this week, The Comfortable Words

Erin:doing yoga and morning and evening stretches

MacKenzie:reading fluffy fiction to wind down at the end of the day

The Bible for Normal People

The Big Boo Cast

The Cut

Every Little Thing

Heavyweight

Invisibilia

The Next Right Thing

Revisionist History

Stuff You Missed in History Class

With Friends Like These

Without Fail

Criminal

Notting Hill

Mrs. Winterbourne

From Justin To Kelly

You can find Erin at erinhmoon.com. You can also follow her on Instagram @erinhmoon.

You can find MacKenzie Koppa on Instagram, Facebook, and the CTL Facebook Group, of course! You can also listen to her family-friendly podcast The Same Page!

Thanks to Our Sponsors-

Today's episode of CTL is brought to you by Honey, the smart online shopping assistant. Get Honey for free when you go to joinhoney.com/lovely.

This week's episode is also sponsored by BioClarity. Right now you can save 40% off Skin Care Routines, plus 15% off everything else at BioClarity.com when you use coupon code LOVELY at checkout.

Cultivating the Lovely is also sponsored by the Homer reading app. Visit learnwithhomer.com/lovely for a free 30-day trial.

Today on Cultivating the Lovely, MacKenzie chats with radio host Bekah Eaker of Way-FM’s popular The Wally Show. Bekah’s husband has had severe health complications for a few years, and she and MacKenzie go deep with how they deal with prolonged stress. This episode is full of insight and encouragement both for people in similar situations and anyone who knows someone who could use support.

• How Bekah and MacKenzie handle having to keep showing up for a public platform while in ongoing stress
• Learning to do what has to be done in order to move forward
• The importance of therapy or counseling for help to cope and to have an outside person to talk to
• Ways Bekah takes care of herself on a daily basis while also being her husband’s caretaker
• Bekah’s challenges amidst a changing relationship with her husband due to his health issues
• How the Enneagram has helped MacKenzie deal with stress in relationships better
• Building community in order to give and get the support we all need
• Bekah and MacKenzie’s love of the Marco Polo app for building friendships
• Planning and looking to the future when life is full of uncertainty
• Trusting God and wrestling with Him in the middle of really difficult circumstances
• Supporting a friend who is going through a hard time by just agreeing that it is really tough
• A typical day in Bekah’s life as a morning radio show host

Bekah: doing whatever she can to build community

MacKenzie: getting involved with her daughter’s school functions

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Waiting for Tom Hanks

Jason Gray “Not Right Now”

Morning Glory

You can find Bekah on Instagram and Twitter. You can also listen to her on The Wally Show.

You can find MacKenzie Koppa on Instagram, Facebook, and the CTL Facebook Group, of course! You can also listen to her family-friendly podcast The Same Page!

Thanks to our Sponsors-

CTL is brought to you by Plan to Eat meal planning service. Visit PlanToEat.com/LOVELY to start your free 60-day trial instead of the normal 30-day trial.

This week's episode is also sponsored by the Preciousapp. Go to Preciousapp.com/LOVELYfor your free 3-Day trial of Baby Art Unlimited.

Cultivating the Lovely is also brought to you by Literati. For a limited time, go to LiteratiBooks.com and use code LOVELY for $20 OFF your first box. Kids 3 and up also get a free blacklight pen.

Affiliate links are used in this content.

Thanks to VistaPrintfor sponsoring this episode of CTL. Get 500 high quality professional business cards for only $9.99 when you order from VistaPrint.com/LOVELY.

This week’s episode of CTL is also sponsored by Grove. As a CTL listener, you can get a FREE 5-piece Mrs. Meyers fall cleaning set at Grove.co/LOVELY, plus free shipping and a free 60-day VIP trial with your first order.

• Melissa shares a little of her own journey of seeking God's heart in the area of food
• How Melissa came to realize God's use of food to draw her and others closer to Himself
• Learning to see the significance of food as a picture in God's kingdom story
• Getting in touch with the creative nature of God through exercising our own creativity
• How Melissa stayed sane during the Food Network Star filming and competition

• Cultivating an attitude of faith amidst the unexpected in our every day
• Learning the lesson of patience from food and taking it into our lives
• Melissa's experience in France and how that shifted her perspective on food
• Getting back in touch with the gift that food is by growing something yourself
• Melissa's mindset in using her own competitive advantage on Food Network
• The benefits of training in improvisation
• A typical day in Melissa's life

Melissa: making her drive time more lovely by connecting with her daughter and listening to podcasts

MacKenzie: decorating her car interior for fall to make her drive time a little more fun

Tasting Grace

For the Love with Jen Hatmaker

Lewis Howes

Goal Digger with Jenna Kutcher

Rise Together with Rachel Hollis

The Tim Ferriss Show

Greatest Showman

Hidden Figures

You can find Melissa on her website, melissadarabian.net. You can also follow her on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterestand Twitter.

You can find MacKenzie Koppa on Instagram, Facebook, and the CTL Facebook Group, of course! You can also listen to her family-friendly podcast The Same Page!