Madeline and I chat about the difference in how Gen x, millennials and Gen z all perceive the world and how we can understand and embrace our differences.

This month Amy and I chat about Grief and its biblical companion Lament. We talk about the importance of allowing yourself to feel the feelings even as we acknowledge God is good in all things. And we talk about creating rituals or having something tangible to hold onto inside that grief. We both feel like we could have been more creative about the ritual conversation but hopefully it sparked some ideas of your own.

Rachel started a new app called "Mom Badge". The purpose is to encourage moms along the journey seeing and affirming all the big and small moments in parenting. While this episode is very mom heavy, encouragement is something important for all of us at every season and stage of life. I don't just need to be seen on the day I survive getting pooped on in public, or survived swim lessons, I also need to survive the day I pumped my gas in a snowstorm, hung a picture on the wall straight, found a pair of cheaters I feel cute in, etc.

Searching the internet I found this quote which I did not write down the source but it wasn't me...

"Encouragement leads to confidence, which leads to action, which leads to accomplishment, which branches off to more encouragement."

How can we as women of various ages and stages and seasons encourage one another in both the big and the mundane of life?

That is the sort of courage Becky and I talk about today.

Some questions to consider:

What areas of your life do you think "who am I?" instead of "Who is God?" when making decisions.

When is the last time you were couragous about something?

What community do you have for discerning? Who iare your courage mentors?

If I was a professional podcaster I might have edited this a bit as we start to conclude and then keep talking I think 3 times here. However, this, instead, is the authenticity of conversation.

We had fun talking about creativity, Pam and I always have fun. She shares a broader understanding of how all of us, regardless of artistic talent, use creativity in our day to day life. We were all created in God's image and the first thing he did was...Create! So it is part of all of us as well.

Some questions for discussion:

How are you creative in your life?

How/where do you see creativity in your life?

What are some creativity killers in your life?

This episode I am talking with Andene O'Neil. We are exploring the 2 extremes of studying the word, simply for theological/academic purposes or only for relational purposes. How to we find our way to the middle, what are the pros and cons of each side.  We had fun talking about it and hope you do as well. Here are a couple questions to get the conversation started in your groups:

Which side of the spectrum of study do you tend to fall?

What resources do you like for digging deeper into a passage?

What triggers do you use to refocus on the Lord throughout the day?

I brought Riss on for a fun chat about what we are enjoying in this season of our life. Different perspectives and thoughts between a teenager and a future empty nester.

The rules were simply 5 things that we are enjoying right now. Not too deep, don't over think but what is fun in this season of your life?

Hospitality doesn't equal perfection. In fact maybe it is better if it isn't perfect.  Liz and I explore the topic of hospitality. Some great questions we talk about to think about with your group:

How do you define/think about hospitality?

How do you prepare yourself for hospitality?

What are some fun tips you have as we head into the holiday season?

Steph and I talk about life transitions as she moves her first child to college and asks herself what life looks like minus one child and realizing the other 2 will be following close behind.

We talked about the 3 stages of transitioning: the long good bye, the messy middle and the new beginning. Which stage are you in right now?

Elizabeth and I talk about making both big and small decisions in our life and how God can be present in both.

Questions to talk about in groups:

Share a big or small decision you made recently. What was your process, What did you learn?

Talk about how the small decisions we make help us prepare for the bigger decisions.

Have you every tried on a decision? Did it help give you clarity?