There’s no secret that love and relationships can be hard, difficult, and at times take a lot of work. However, when things get hard, I believe people too often quit or settle for comfort or familiarity. That being said, some of the best advice I’ve ever been given regarding love and relationships came from our guest today, when he reminded me that “What’s natural early on needs to be followed by intentional later on.” Joining us today to discuss this incredible advice is Founding and Lead Pastor of Woodland Hills Family Church in Branson, MO, nationally acclaimed speaker, author, comedian, and relationship expert, Ted Cunningham. During this episode, we will be discussing and dissecting 5 practical and intentional steps you can begin taking to finding and fostering the intentional love so many seek yet too often neglect. These steps include: Connection, Communication, Celebration, Confession, and Consistency. Our prayer is that through this episode you would be encouraged to make intentional decisions that would allow the relationships within your life to flourish. Remember, “What’s natural early on, needs to be followed by intentional later on. But when done intentionally, it it can start to feel natural again.”

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With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, love and relationships are a hot topic of conversation. Therefore, throughout this month, we wanted to sit down with some of the best relationship experts in order to identify some healthy habits we can begin implementing within our daily lives to cultivate the love we so desperately seek. That being said, joining us today is a Licensed Professional Counselor and nationally acclaimed speaker who specializes in relationship and marital issues as well as mental and emotional health, Debra Fileta. Debra is also the author of six books and host of the Love + Relationships Podcast where she is passionate about spreading the message that healthy people make healthy relationships. The truth is, we all have the innate longing or craving to be loved, to be accepted, or to feel like we belong, but unfortunately too many of us get into relationships for all the wrong reasons. However, as Debra reminds us today, we can’t come to the table “half-full”, expecting someone or something else to fill, fix, or complete us. We need to be the one’s taking our burdens, pasts, and toxic patterns to the Lord as well as implementing the steps necessary to cultivate healthy habits which generate healthy relationships. No matter what your relationship status says, this episode will remind, challenge, and push you to keep looking upward and inward before looking outward. 

Lastly, be sure to check out Debra’s new book, “Reset: Powerful Habits to Own Your Thoughts, Understand Your Feelings, and Change Your Life.” This book will help you find the freedom and breakthrough  you may be looking for. It officially launches March 14th but you can Pre-Order the book at this link: https://amzn.to/3I0QCsh

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I think we can all attest to the fact that times will inevitably come in life that seem too hard to bear. Challenge and adversity keep piling up leaving us doubtful and discouraged for what lies ahead. However, it’s in these difficult yet defining moments where the trajectory of our lives can be transformed. For today’s guest, Dr. Rick Rigsby, his defining moment took the place of him weeping at his late wife’s funeral after her bout with breast cancer, when he looked up to his father and breathed the words, “Dad, I’ve lost hope.” His father’s response however changed the trajectory of his life… “Son, you can’t lose something God gave you. You haven’t lost hope, you’ve lost perspective.” Because of that timely reminder, Dr. Rigsby is now a best-selling author, podcaster, and one of the most sought after inspirational speakers of our day and age. Many may know about him from a powerful message he delivered at a commencement ceremony that went viral a few years back titled, “Lessons I Learned from a 3rd Grade Dropout!” In and throughout this episode, Dr. Rigsby shares some of those lessons and wants to help you understand that the Storms in this life are what help us see the Savior. Give this powerful message of Hope a listen today!

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The promises of the Lord are truly so comforting to me. One of my favorites includes the promise found in Isaiah 43 where God promises that He will always be with us. No matter what we are going through, no matter if it's a hill or a valley, He is there. He says in Isaiah 43:2, when we pass through those dark waters He's still there, and when we walk through the blazing hot fire, He has everything under control. Why? Because, God doesn't want us going through this life alone. He wants us to constantly be reminded that we are never alone, and I believe this reminder is best done the power of community and relationships with others. God loves to use others as messengers or conduits through which He can produce change in someone else’s life. Today, we will be hearing from a man who has many accolades and has served in countless leadership positions, but one of his greatest joys is seeing others in their time of need and reminding them of their worth, value, and potential. Joining us is Dr. Ron Hawkins who currently serves as the Chairman of the National Advisory Board for us here at the American Association of Christian Counselors. Before his time with us at the AACC, he served in numerous academic positions including Provost and Chief Academic Officer at Liberty University, he started out his career as a Pastor, he’s been a Seminary President, he’s a Licensed Professional Counselor, and he is simply a man of great wisdom who leaders continue to look to for sage and timely advice. However, in today’s episode Doc shares with us a pivotal moment in his life where someone became the hands and feet of Christ, choosing to see Him through the eyes of God in a time of need and stepping up and into the moment to breathe some life and fight back into him. The cool thing? You have the opportunity to do that very same thing for someone today and every day. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” Our challenge to you throughout today’s episode: See others in their time of need. Be willing to step up and into that moment. Provide them with the comfort you have also received from the Lord.

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Change is inevitable, but growth is intentional. In other words, in order to make positive change, a decision has to be made. A decision fueled by determination, sacrifice, and conviction. Unfortunately however, many people get “stuck” in life. Whether it being a difficult past, previous mistakes, attachment wounds, settling for comfort and convenience, fear, or more, this life will throw as many knockout punches as possible causing many to lay stagnant on the canvas of the ring in life. Thankfully though, today’s guest is a man who has dedicated his life to helping others implement and produce change in their own hearts and lives! Joining us is President of the American Association of Christian Counselors (www.aacc.net), Executive Director of the Global Center for Mental Health, Addiction, and Recovery at Liberty University, and cohost of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, heard on over 1,400 radio outlets daily, Dr. Tim Clinton! In and throughout today’s episode Dr. Clinton will equip us with 6 very practical steps that we can begin implementing to spark and sustain the change we are looking for! Beyond the many roles Dr. Clinton fills, my personal favorite is that I get to call him Dad and my best friend! My prayer is that my dad would remind you today, that if you still have breath in your lungs, you still have some FIGHT left in you!

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It’s a week into the new year, and we all know what that means…  a lot of people are trying to hang on and follow through with their big dreams, goals, and resolutions for the new year. Interestingly, many of those resolutions involve getting in better shape or becoming more physically fit or healthy. I’ve already heard several resolutions this year that sound something like, “I want to work out more, I want to eat better, I want to run a marathon or do a Spartan Race, I want to get a 6-pack, or I want to lose this much weight.” However, the statistics have revealed that 90% of people who make New Years resolutions will fail, noting that 50% of those resolution makers will fail by the end of January. So what’s the secret? What’s the strategy to maintaining your goals throughout this entire year? One word: DISCIPLINE. Therefore, to speak on the topic of discipline, I have invited one of the most disciplined people I have ever met to join us on the show this week. Joining us is a man who has over 16 years of coaching experience and currently serves as a Human Performance Specialist for the United States Army Special Operations Command, Coach Shelton Stevens. Prior to his position with our U.S. Military Coach Stevens worked with several Division I institutions as a strength and conditioning specialist. Additionally, he and his wife Macie have started 13 Bar Performance (http://13barperformance.com) where their goal is to provide elite performance programs for individuals who strive to reach their full maximal potential. Ultimately, in and throughout this week’s episode, our hope is that you would be educated, equipped, and encouraged as to how you CAN make the daily choices to follow through with your goals ONE decision at a time. Remember, successful people do consistently what other people do occasionally. Let’s Roll.

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Let’s be honest, sometimes the weight of our past, our mistakes, shame, and guilt can be too much to bear. Sometimes these very things can hold us in bondage from the calling God has bestowed on our lives. However, our Built Different Guest today wants to remind you that as we head into a new year, you have the power and ability to cross over into this new year without carrying over the baggage from the previous. Joining us on the podcast today is one of the most gifted communicators and Bible teachers we have ever heard serving as the Senior Pastor of Celebration Church, Pastor Tim Timberlake. Trust us when we say this is a captivating, Spirit filled and led episode that you will want to have a pen and paper ready in order to write down as many notes as possible. Ultimately, Pastor Tim wants to remind you that making the most of every minute in a day, making change, and living the life God intends for you is up to you! Too many of us have uphill hopes, but downhill habits. While change may be natural, growth is intentional. After listening to this episode, we pray that your heart, mind, and spirit would be prepared to begin cultivating intentional growth and building lasting habits that will allow you the opportunity to look expectantly toward all that God has in store for you in 2023!

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We’ve all heard of positivity and optimism, but the truth is, there are days where being negative or being an energy vampire can almost seem natural. Sometimes it’s hard to be optimistic when life just isn’t the way it’s supposed to be and our fiery furnace moments in life seem like they are too much to bear. There may even be some people reading this today who had a tough 2022 and are feeling discouraged and maybe even afraid of what’s to come in the new year. Thankfully though, our Built Different Guest today, Jon Gordon, is here to remind you what it truly means to embrace the power of positivity. For those that may not be aware, Jon is a New York Times best-selling author having written well known books such as the Energy Bus, The Power of Positive Leadership, Training Camp, The Carpenter, and so many more. He is also one of the greatest motivational speakers of our day having poured into countless individuals, Fortune 500 companies, high schools, as well as collegiate and professional athletic teams across the world. In understanding that pain is inevitable, Jon comes with an inspirational message reminding us that positivity is not about pretending like challenge doesn’t exist in life, but rather it’s all about choosing optimism, joy, and a positive perspective despite the adversity you may be up against. And remember, God gives us Friends for the Fire. There is Power in finding community that will help you Row the Boat! With God and those He has hand selected to place by your side, you will never have to suffer alone!

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Can you believe it’s already Christmas?? What a magical time of the year! The lights, trees, decorations, Santa, but most importantly the true reason for the season which is a time of reflection and celebration for the Lord sending His One and Only Son Jesus to this world. You see, on that day, over 2,000 years ago, Hope, entered the world, because Hope has a name and His name is Jesus! But we are not naive enough to understand that there can be moments in our lives that distract and discourage us from pressing into that Hope. Let’s be honest, there are some days that just seem darker than others. Life can be flat out painful when the wheels are falling off the bus, and things just aren’t the way they’re supposed to be. But it’s in those moments that Hope is needed more than ever! Thankfully, our Built Different Guest today who will be celebrating our 100th episode with us here at the Built Different Podcast is the one and only, Annie F. Downs!!! For those that may not know Annie, she is a best-selling author, nationally known speaker, and the host of the awesome “That Sounds Fun” podcast. Annie, comes with a powerful word reminding us that God never wastes our pain and how even in our darkest moments in life we can cling to the promise that Light is Coming! Listen Now, and enjoy an incredible episode with Annie!

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A word that often comes to mind during this Christmas and Advent season is worship. But what does it truly mean to worship God? Worship in its purest form has simply been described as reverence and adoration for the Lord. One can actually be going through one of the most difficult times or seasons of their life, but still, come to God in reverence and adoration for WHO He is. Therefore, the worship we ought to bring should not be dependent on whether or not we’ve had a bad day or a bad life journey thus far. We are called to come to Him as we are, in our brokenness – with our “broken hallelujahs”. Joining us today to take a deeper dive into how we can experience the presence of God through the power of worship is one of the most well-known and renowned musicians and worship leaders of our day, Mack Brock! Mack has written and sang countless number 1 songs that so many of us play over the loud speakers of our cars and sing during Church! But today Mack discusses with us how worship has carried him through some of the most difficult times and seasons of his own personal life. Yes, worship is more than just a song. Our prayer is that that no matter what you may be going through, that after listening to this episode you would begin developing a heart postered toward worship today and throughout this holiday season.

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