Ready to Thrive

Often when I am overwhelmed I feel paralyzed and I do nothing! Or I procrastinate and spin my wheels getting little things done that aren’t really that important. It is easy to feel discouraged when we are overwhelmed and by not doing anything at all (or not doing the “right” things) we can continue to sit in this pit of overwhelm.

I have learned that I have to be able to choose what I do wisely in that moment and pick the thing that will be a “win” for me and help me build momentum in my life.

Two big things that have also helped have been to ask for help, and to assess how I am actually spending my time. (Let’s talk phone usage!)

I KNOW this episode will help you move one step closer to thriving. I felt convicted and inspired as I listened to it again! Share this episode with someone who could use a little boost of momentum in their life today!

I am a mom of 3 girls and I do not know what it is like to raise boys. BUT, my good friend Bonnie Pue does! She is a mom of 5 boys with a 6th on the way! If you follow Bonnie on Instagram you may wonder, “how is this woman possibly so calm surrounded by this clan of rowdy boys?” I wondered the same thing! So I wanted to have a little deep dive with her and glean a little wisdom for you!

And if you know any mamas of boys click those 3 dots at the bottom left of your screen and share it with them!

Bonnie Pue is a speaker, writer, and podcaster, but most of her time is spent as a homeschooling mother to 5 young sons. She and her husband Bryan have been leaders in their local church community for over a decade. They recently launched The Union Movement, a ministry focused on bringing health in the interconnected areas of sexuality, relationships, family, and church culture. Bonnie lives on the West Coast of British Columbia, and loves nurturing houseplants, journaling, and getting out on the hiking trails nearby when the weather cooperates.

This has been a FULL week! And when my plate is full I can easily get overwhelmed.

But where is my focus? Is it on all that I need to accomplish? Or is it on the one thing I can do or need to do right now? Keeping my mind focused is key to not letting it run off into overwhelm.

This week I’m talking about anticipating something big in our lives. And often anticipating the “thing” can be even worse than the thing itself. Let’s focus our minds today on what is right here in front of us in this moment - not what happened yesterday or what is to come tomorrow. Yes we can plan and prepare but let’s not live in the future in our minds.

How in the world has Lori Beth Auldrige become such a homeschooling expert when her oldest child is only 6? Her answer may surprise you as it did me!

I love chatting with this Maui mama and even if you do not have kids at home or are not online schooling in this season I trust you will find value in this conversation as I did. Lori and I dove into how we have learned how to seek out rest as busy working mamas and how important that is for each of us AND our families. We also talk about our need for adventure and play and how cultivating that in our lives is so good for our mental health.

Has anyone else experienced overwhelm in this season?? Please tell me your hand is raised. Can you see mine?!

I am kicking off this Fall Friday series on Overwhelm. And even though this episode was recorded over a year ago I think we need it even more today! Have you ever felt paralyzed by overwhelm? Have you felt like you’ve been “taken out” by what is going on in the world today, or maybe something that is going on personally? Do you have a clear sense being able to discern the truth from the lies in your head?

If you want a deeper dive into discerning the truth from a lie in your own life I have created a printable worksheet you can access here!

“Don’t fear” is the message we get from the world and also from the Bible. But what about all of the places in the Bible where we are called to fear? Katie unpacks what Holy courage and Godly fear looks like and why the message the world is sending us to be fearless just falls flat when we need it the most. And don’t we all need a little more brave right now?

Katie Westenberg is first a follower of Christ, a wife, and a mom growing

faithfully alongside her four children. She believes boldly in the transformative

power of faith in Jesus Christ. She is the author of I Choose Brave. As an author and a speaker, she teaches women to grow a robust theology of who God is, and encourages them to become students of Scripture and learn to live that truth out with courage. She serves a thriving

community of women at IChooseBrave.com and makes her home in the lovely Pacific Northwest.

Doing something fun for Fridays! Who doesn’t love fun on Fridays?

The Ready to Thrive Podcast has been running each and every week for 15 months and I thought it might be nice to go back to the beginning of why we are here in the first place! The “why” behind Ready to Thrive. So today I am sharing the introduction episode (but I’ve added a new little something special too ;) If you’re new here you may have missed it, and if you’ve been here awhile you might enjoy the refresh.

Every Friday I am going to drop an older episode with a new little something just to give you a boost as you head into your weekend. I know I always need a little re-focus and encouragement and I hope these Friday episodes will be just that for you as well. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get - Ready to Thrive!

Want more? Check out my free Deep Soul Rest 5-day email series.

Extrovert? Introvert? Maybe you feel like an ambivert? Holley Gerth breaks down the ambivert myth and gives permission to introverts everywhere who have often felt like they just don’t measure up in a world that celebrates extroverts. Her new book The Powerful Purpose of Introverts releases Sept. 15th!

Holley Gerth is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, life coach, and speaker with a master of science degree in mental health. She cofounded (in)courage, a site that received almost one million views in its first six months, and cohosts the popular podcast More Than Small Talk. Holley is passionate about empowering people, especially introverts, to embrace who they are and become all they're created to be. Holley lives in the South with her husband, Mark. You can connect with her at holleygerth.com.

Something completely different this week! In early 2017 I was struggling with Post Partum Depression. Looking back I have battled bouts of depression for much of my adult life but I don’t think I would have really acknowledged it or had the words to name what it was I was experiencing. Anxiety wasn’t much of an issue for me until I had kids. And then, whoa talk about sleepless nights!

In today’s podcast I am sharing a talk I gave at my church in 2018. In this talk I share my story of healing. I know this is a really hard topic to discuss because this season has affected so many of us in terms of mental health. This isn’t meant to be a formula for healing but simply an offering of my story of healing and freedom.

Have you ever struggled with your weight? (Every hand goes up…) Have you ever wondered why you reach for the bag of chips, the pint of ice cream, the bag of cookies? Have you tried the pills, the shakes, the fad diets? We know these aren’t the “healthy” route but sometimes we are so discouraged, so frustrated and don’t know how to get to where we want to be.

I am thankful for this honest conversation with Latasha Fergusun who battled obesity for much of her life and was so tired with trying all the things and yet nothing worked. It was only when she began to do the deeper heart work that she was able to finally break free not only from 60 extra lbs but from all that was holding her back in life.

Latasha is a fire-lighting speaker, writer, and ministry leader. Her heart beats for empowering women to overcome anything that dares to stand in between them and who God has created them to be. She is also a passionate educator who has spent the past 16 years serving in the roles of teacher, assistant principal, principal, and now director of instruction.

Latasha’s podcast, Overcome to Become, is set to launch in August 2020. It will be a weekly podcast packed with real talk, life changing truths, and actionable takeaways that will help women become who they were meant to be in every area of their life.

Latasha lives in Florida with her husband of 14 years and their 4 daughters. Her happy place is on the beach with her family and a great book.