As I look at my life as a caregiver, I can see the temptation I have toward sinning in four specific ways: discontentment, pride, envy, and ungodliness. We're going to look at each one today and remind ourselves of the hope we have in Christ as we grow in godliness!

"Right now, today, I can say, 'God you are good. I have moved into a place with You that I have not been before, and I know it's through these weaknesses and struggles in my life.'" - Gillian Marchenko

Author Gillian Marchenko joins me for episode 038 today as we talk about her depression, my anxiety, and God's hope for all of us who have mental health challenges or love family members with mental health challenges.

This is episode 37, and today I'm chatting with my husband Lee to answer listener questions! We talked about being special-needs parents in ministry, how we create predictable routines that work for everyone, when we find time to talk, advice for cultivating a thriving walk with Christ, and encouragement to those married to an enneagram 1.

We also share how you can join us for an online Bible study with Rising Above Ministries through our book, Held: Learning to Live in God's Grip. It kicks off Sept. 13th.

This is episode 36, and we're going to answer some questions you're struggling with right now. How do we plan for a season unlike any we have lived before? How do we set up routines and rhythms when we don't know what could happen tomorrow? How do we get the most important things done each day, and how do we decide what those are? And how do we make sure our needs are getting met as we meet the needs of everyone else around us? We may not know what's going to happen this school year, but there are principles we can apply and a plan we can create to help. Let's do that today!

This is episode 35, and I thought it would be fun to talk about what I've been reading, watching, and listening to lately! So I have 5 book recommendations, 5 show recommendations, and 5 podcast recommendations for you today! They cover a wide range of topics and interests, so I hope each one of you can find something that sounds interesting. 

This week we're talking about social media through the lens of self-care. If you feel drained, stressed, or even angry after spending time on social media, this episode is for you. We're going to talk about setting boundaries for what we consume and for what we post. I think both are necessary. What we'll talk about today may be tough to hear and put into action, but your time on social media can be positive for you and even bring glory to God. Let's learn how together. 

This is episode 33, and we're talking through how to make a decision about the upcoming school year, or how to make any hard decision actually. I'm sharing three fears we face when making a decision and how to overcome those fears. Then I share 5 questions to ask yourself, and I answer those questions myself as I share our decision about school for my boys this fall. I know how stressful it feels right now. I'm feeling it too. But together we can decrease that stress and turn it over to Christ who cares for us.

The first four downloadable printables for our Abiding Caregiver Planner release today for Patreon fans only! Visit patreon.com/SandraPeoples to learn more!

My guest for episode 32 is Tonya Nash! Tonya and I met through her work with her organization, Autism Faith Network. Their goal is to spread autism awareness and acceptance in faith-based settings.

In our conversation today, we talk about her role as a caregiver to two sons with autism. We talk about how she juggles the needs of both her boys, what support systems she has in place to help, and how she focuses on soul care. I especially enjoyed listening to her thoughts on mental health and the importance of finding the right counselor for you. July is Minority Mental Health Month, and these conversations are important to have so we normalize mental health care. I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as we enjoyed the chance to chat!

We're halfway through 2020, and it's the perfect time to reflect on the first six months of this podcast and share what's coming in the next six months! In this episode I share the top 5 downloaded episodes, my 4 favorites that didn't make the top downloaded list, the guests I have scheduled in the coming months, and big new about my newest product—the Abiding Caregiver Planner! If you're a long time listener, you'll enjoy revisiting some of your favorite topics. If you're a first time listener, this is a great episode to learn more about the weekly content. You'll also hear about this week's sponsor, The Business to Ministry Guide. Listen all the way to the end of the episode to learn how to get over $50 off this helpful resource.

Today we're talking about lessons I'm learning to live by. I turned 40 last year, and it's been my favorite decade so far. Through this season of reflection and growth, I've come up with a few lessons I say to myself at least once a day. They are principles to live by if you want to get formal about it, or mantras to remember. I'm excited to share them with you, especially the last one because I guarantee it's a saying you've never heard before but really need in your life. So let's jump into episode 30 and the lessons I'm learning to live by.

In July, I may not have new episodes each Monday, but I'll still be interacting in our Facebook group, Abiding Caregiver, so join me there if you haven't yet.

Find a transcript and the show notes for this episode at sandrapeoples.com/thepodcast. While you're checking out the show notes, you can also sign up for my monthly newsletter. It comes out the 1st day of each new month. In July's newsletter, I'll be sharing tips on living a Plan Be summer, that's B-e summer, when we focus on being present and being joyful even in the midst of all we have going on.