The Connected Mom

You make time for so many tasks as a mom. But we're here to remind you that finding time to have JOY in your life is critical. Our guest, Linda Evans Shepherd, shares her personal story of finding joy even when she found herself in several tornados--both physical and figurative. You'll want to hear how she finds joy!

ABOUT OUR GUEST
Linda Evans Shepherd is an award-winning author, a successful speaker, and a media personality. The president of Right to the Heart Ministries, she is the author of 37 books, including When You Don't Know What to Pray, Praying God's Promises, and Prayers for Every Need. She lives in Colorado. For more, visit www.sheppro.com.

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ABOUT HER BOOK
Make Time for Joy: Scripture-Powered Prayers to Brighten Your Day

Does your prayer time consist of an ever-lengthening list of requests for yourself and other people? Perhaps you spend a lot of time praying for the health of family or church members, guidance for a child or grandchild, or that God would intervene in global crises. But did you know that you can pray about more than just the things in life that seem to be going wrong? In fact, you can pray that God will transform your anxious and tired heart into a joyful one!

It's time to set aside the trials of life for a while and make joy a priority. Not sure how? Let this collection of Scripture-powered prayers from beloved author Linda Evans Shepherd be your guide. Packed with prayers of gratitude, praise, and hope, this inspiring collection will change your perspective, your life, and your heart as you press into pure, God-given joy.

The perfect gift for yourself or someone else, Make Time for Joy will help you transform sadness into gladness as you rest on the love, joy, and provision that comes from God.

How can you help your kids be filled with gratitude . . . and how can you make that fun? Gratitude is something God honors, and according to the research, it actually makes people more happy in their adult life. Who knew? Today Becky shares lots of ideas to make gratitude fun at any age--from toddlers to high schoolers. We even throw in a few tips for grandparents!

Mentioned:

• Thank You Bear book suggestion for toddlers
• Mission trip opportunities

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Authentic, passionate, funny and Biblical all describe, Becky Harling. A best-selling author, Becky is a popular speaker at conferences, retreats and other events. She is a best-selling author and has written eleven books including, How To Listen So Your Kids Will Talk and the author of Psalms for the Anxious Heart. Becky is a certified coach with the John Maxwell Team and offers parent coaching.

Becky and her husband, Steve have traveled and ministered in over 60 countries around the world. She is the parent of four grown married kids and Mimi to 14 grandchildren!

You can connect with Becky at www.beckyharling.com and www.harlingleadership.com

Facebook www.facebook.com/beckyharlingministries, Twitter @beckyharling, or Instagram @BeckyHarling

GET HER BOOK:
Becky shares tips for connecting with your children in How To Listen So Your Kids Will Talk. 

Motherhood is a journey filled with ups an downs…so how can we keep the journey fun? Join Becky and Sarah as they talk with Victoria Lydon about how she kept FUN in her family...despite single parenting, homeschooling, and living on a tight budget. She is the perfect example of making the best of your situation with God's help...and making sure that it includes fun!

ABOUT OUR GUEST
Victoria Lyon is a Christian Author, Certified Christian Life Coach, Host of the Choose 2 Think Inspirational Podcast, Entrepreneur, Director & Educator at Choose 2 Think Academy, Speaker & University Instructor with nearly 30 years of teaching & advising experience, Victoria's mission is to coach women how to live their best thought life in the four main areas of life:

• health
• wealth and purpose
• relationships
• faith

Over the years, she's  blogged, written Bible studies, taught Sunday School, led small women's groups, and authored two books. She currently writes devotionals for Guideposts Strength & Grace magazine and released her own 365-day devotional and the companion journal called Choose 2 Think: Find Peace, Joy, Hope, Health & Freedom Every Day.  She geeks out on neuroscience and your brain's neuroplasticity - a frequent topic on the Choose 2 Think podcast. Her passions are God, family, baking, playing pickleball with her husband Jim, and traveling.

There's a lot of talk about "Self Care" but we want to lean in on care for your soul. Join us as we talk with Edie Melson as she talks about how we can use creativity to connect with God.

Buy the Book: Soul Care When You're Weary
Description: Edie Melson helps you find Soul Care solutions using devotions and prayers and opportunities for creative expression. She has learned that sensory involvement deepens our relationship with the Father and gives rest to our weary souls. She will teach you to tap into your creativity. Reconnect with God using your tactile creativity.

About Our Guest
As an author, blogger, and speaker Edie Melson has encouraged and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. She’s penned numerous books, including While My Child is Away a book of prayers for when we’re apart. As a leading professional within the publishing industry, she travels to numerous conferences as a popular keynote, writing instructor and mentor. Her top-ranked blog for writers, The Write Conversation, reaches thousands each month, and she’s the Director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.

 
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If you're a single mom...or you're the friend of a single mom, listen in for practical encouragement from a mom who knows that road. Our guest, PeggySue Wells, is the bestselling author or coauthor of nearly 30 books, including The Slave across the Street with Theresa L. Flores. A history buff and lover of tropical islands, she parasails, skydives, snorkels, scuba dives, and has taken (but not passed) pilot training. Living and writing in Indiana, PeggySue helps people implement the life-giving rhythms of working hard and resting well to live better, together.

Connect with PeggySue...
Single Mom Circle
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About the book...
The 10 Best Decisions a Single Mom Can Make
No matter how you became a single mom, you share the same challenges and fears all single moms have. You may feel stretched to the limit. You may suspect your children need more than you're able to give. How are you going to do this on your own?

With humor, Scripture, and sage advice, Pam Farrel (child of a single mother) and PeggySue Wells (single parent of seven children) show you how to
· be decisive
· create a nurturing home
· be proactive
· date wisely
· pray for your child
· embrace your happily ever after
· and more

You are capable of parenting your children with courage, confidence, and clarity.

It takes so much wisdom to be a mom…even when your kids are adults. SO many decisions and interactions in motherhood require big time wisdom! Becky and Sarah talk about how to practically obtain wisdom in motherhood with our guest, Pam Farrel. Hint, hint...we're talking about wisdom in Proverbs.

ABOUT OUR GUEST
Pam Farrel and her husband, Bill, are the authors of 59 books including Men Are Like Waffles—Women Are Like Spaghetti (more than 350,000 copies sold) and Red-Hot Monogamy. In addition, Pam has written 52 Ways to Wow Your Husband and 7 Simple Skills for Every Woman: Success in Keeping It All Together. They are cofounders and codirectors of Love-Wise, an organization to help people connect love and wisdom and bring practical insights to their personal relationships. The Farrels live in California and enjoy spending time with their 3 sons, 3 daughters-in-law and many energetic grandkids. www.Love-Wise.com

Order Book: Wisdom in Proverbs

Most mamas are really good at reading stories to their kids. But what about you? Have you read a good book lately? Something that isn't mom-related? Here's your nudge to treat yourself to a good story! Novelist Nicole Deese joins us and talks about how she writes her fictional characters to overcome life's real challenges.

ABOUT OUR GUEST
Nicole Deese is a Christy and Carol Award-winning, bestselling author of hope-filled, humorous, and heartfelt contemporary romance novels. When she's not sorting out character arcs and story plots of her own, she can usually be found listening to an audiobook and multitasking at least four different chores at once. She's a hoarder of sparkling water, a lover of long walks and even longer talks with friends, and a seeker of fun and adventure. She lives in Idaho with her happily-ever-after hubby, two freakishly tall teenage sons, and one princess daughter with the heart of a warrior.

BUY HER BOOK: The Words We Lost

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The tragedy and heartbreak that have hit our guest, Janet Perez Eckles, is just devastating. But you've never heard a more joy-filled, resilient person. Listen in as Janet tells her story...with the JOY only God can bring.

ABOUT OUR GUEST
Blindness nor tragedy has stopped Janet Perez Eckles from becoming an author of five inspirational books, an international speaker, radio host, and founder of JC Empowerment Ministries. Her writings have appeared in thirty-two Chicken Soup for the Soul titles, and hundreds of print and digital publications. She has been featured on Christian radio and TV programs from Focus on the Family to the 700 Club and on the cover of Hispanic Woman Magazine. Janet lives in Florida with her husband Dale, adult children, and delightful grandchildren. Find our more and get in touch at www.janetperezeckles.com and inspirationforyou.com

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According to the statistics, anxiety and fear are at an all-time high, and many of our kids are struggling! Our guest, Michelle Nietert, is with Becky and Sarah to discuss ways that we can help our kids through fear (and sometimes that means handling our own fear, first). Strong, practical insights on helping your child through fear.

ABOUT OUR GUEST
Michelle Nietert has been a licensed professional counselor for over 25 years and the coauthor of the award-winning book Loved and Cherished: 100 Devotions for Girls and Make Up Your Mind: Unlock Your Thoughts, Transform Your Life and soon to be released God I Feel Sad: Bringing Big Emotions to a Bigger God series.

She leads of team of counselors as the clinical director of Community Counseling Associates in the Dallas, Texas area. A popular speaker on topics regarding mental health, faith, and parenting, she is a frequent guest on national television and podcasts, including her own “Raising Mentally Healthy Kids.”

She and her husband Drew have been married almost two decades and have two school-aged children.

Connect with Michelle at www.yourmentalhealthcoach.com.

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BUY HER BOOK: God, I Feel Scared

We know praying for our families is important. But how do we do that? Join us as Becky and Sarah talk with Tara Furman about the importance of being a praying mom and find encouragement to fight for your family...with prayer!

ABOUT OUR GUEST
Tara Furman founded Knowing God Ministries (KGM) in 2007. A dynamic leader who inspires women to make a difference, Tara has spent more than a decade speaking to women of all ages and across denominations. She equips women through speaking events, books, and social media with a down-to-earth attitude and isn’t afraid to admit she’s not perfect, but God is!  Women relate well to her struggles. Tara is especially gifted at breaking down the barriers from her legalistic background and helping others do the same. She also teaches real life application of God’s principles.

Tara believes knowing God in the messiness of everyday life will forever change a woman’s life.  It’s certainly changed her life!

CONNECT WITH TARA
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ABOUT HER BOOK
Prayer Made Simple is a tool that teaches and trains women to move forward in their prayer life. Praying biblical prayers for the people we love is a way to invite God’s blessings, power and grace into our lives. BUY IT HERE.