The Connected Mom

Make time to listen as Carol McLeod chats with Becky and Sarah about how she found JOY in tremendous loss and depression. You are sure to relate with parts of her story or know someone who needs to hear her message. How can we experience the fullness of JOY even in the hardest parts of mothering? We're glad you're listening in.

ABOUT OUR GUEST
Carol McLeod is a best-selling author and popular speaker at women's conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor.  

Carol is a prolific author and loves digging for truth in the Word of God. 

In her 15th book, Meanwhile: Meeting God in the Wait, which released July 2022, Carol examines the life of Joseph and what it means to “wait well” as God strategically labors behind the scenes to work all things together for our good and for His glory. It will have an accompanying video Bible study series.

Rooms of a Mother’s Heart, a devotional for moms, was released in 2021, winning the 2022 Director’s Choice Award from the Blue Ridge Writer’s Conference. Her teaching DVD, "The Rooms of a Woman's Heart", won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award, for excellence in religious programming. 

Carol has two podcasts: “A Jolt of Joy!” on the Charisma Podcast Network and “Significant Women” available on iTunes, Google and Stitcher. “A Jolt of Joy” is in the top 5% of podcasts, with “Significant Women” in the top 10%.

Carol has been married to her college sweetheart, Craig, for 44 years and is the mother of 5 children in heaven and 5 children on earth. They enjoy being “Marmee” and “Pa” to their 9 delicious grandchildren ... whom Carol refers to as “The 9 Wonders of the World!”

CONNECT WITH CAROL
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As moms, we want to do all we can to avoid hard times for our family. On today's podcast, we chat with Grace Fox about what we can do when those hard times inevitably come. Listen for "hope" as we discuss these topics: 

• How to deal with the anxious "what ifs"
• Choosing joy over fear
• How pain can mold/shape our kids
• Identifying joy-stealers
• How we can change our view of "weaknesses"

ABOUT OUR GUEST
Grace Fox is an author and speaker whose passion is to connect the dots between faith and real life so her audiences might live the life God intends. Drawing from Scripture and from personal experiences learned while living on Canada’s rugged coastline, in urban U.S.A., and in Nepal’s Himalayan mountains, she uses the written page and the public stage to build Christ-based confidence in audiences worldwide.

She and her husband married in 1982 and celebrate three grown children and eleven grandchildren. They live full-time on a sailboat near Vancouver, British Columbia. Everywhere she goes, she exudes a contagious desire to know Jesus Christ intimately and to love His word.

Get Grace's book: Keeping Hope Alive: Devotions for Strength in the Storm
Life changes in a nanosecond when storms sweep in, often without warning. They leave our knuckles white and our hearts broken. With minds barely able to think clearly, we often set our Bible aside. In reality, that’s when we need its comfort and strength most. This devotional is written for those in crisis, for those longing for hope but lacking the ability to focus on a lengthy Scripture passage. These minute-sized devotions offer respite to readers caught in the storms of life.

Connect with Grace:
Website
Facebook

As the new year approaches, we recommend becoming "Soul Strong." What does that mean? Our special guest Lucinda Secrest McDowell talks with us about her book Soul Strong: 7 Keys to a Vibrant Life. These concepts are a great way to begin 2023. Make it the year where you go deeper in your connection with God.

ABOUT OUR GUEST
Lucinda Secrest McDowell, M.T.S., is a storyteller and seasoned mentor who engages both heart and mind while “Helping You Choose a Life of Serenity & Strength.” A graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Furman University, McDowell is the author of 15 books and contributing author to 30+ books. Her award-winning books include new releases Life-Giving Choices(2019) and Soul Strong (2020), as well as Dwelling Places, Ordinary Graces, Refresh, and Live These Words.  Lucinda, a member of the Redbud Writers Guild and AWSA, received Mt. Hermon “Writer of the Year” award and guest blogs for The Write Conversation, Blue Ridge Christian Writers Blog and (in)courage.

CONNECT WITH LUCINDA
Website
Blog
Facebook

ABOUT HER BOOK
Do you have the strength of soul you need to live out God’s story for your life? Let award-winning author Lucinda Secrest McDowell show you how to become soul strong!

Seven key decisions can give you soul strength for the story God calls you to live. 

1. Live Loved 
2. Be Authentic 
3. Dwell Deep 
4. Pray Always 
5. Overcome Pain 
6. Extend Kindness 
7. Share Stories  

God wants to give you strength of soul for the story He has called you to live. Let these practical guidelines and prompts help you live authentically and love extravagantly. You can choose today to live Soul Strong!

The demands of motherhood can leave us feeling exhausted and like we hardly have the emotional energy to pull out our Bibles or have a long prayer time. Running between activities, events, and work can feel overwhelming.

On this episode, we get really practical and specific about helping mamas connect with God. At times this goal can feel elusive and ethereal and so we want to have a conversation about what helps us connect with God more deeply. God wants us to know Him as a friend!

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 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, www.harlingleadership.com, 

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

Check out Becky's Devotional: Psalms for the Anxious Heart
Psalms for the Anxious Heart is a short, daily devotional that offers meditations of truth and peace. Each devotion includes a reading of a Psalm, a brief teaching on the passage, a salient truth to cling to, and a suggested song to guide further meditation. Enter the Psalms and find relief and hope for your anxious heart in these trying times.

ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Julie Lavender is the award-winning author of several books, including 365 Days of Celebration and Praise and Creative Sleepovers for Kids!, and coauthor of Come and Behold Him. Her work has appeared in several anthologies and curricula, as well as many magazines, such as The Upper Room, Guideposts, Homeschooling Today, ParentLife, Clubhouse, Today's Christian Woman, and Focus on the Family. Julie has a master's degree in early childhood education, taught public school in three states, and delighted in homeschooling her four children in six states during her husband's Navy career. She writes faith-based articles for her local newspaper and is a regular contributor to several websites and blogs on parenting topics. Julie lives with her husband, David, in South Georgia, not far from the charming city of Savannah.

Today, we’re talking about her book, 365 Ways to Love Your Child.

In 365 Ways to Love Your Child, Julie encourages moms, dads, and anyone who works with children to show kids every day with simple but meaningful gestures and activities how very much they are loved. Join Julie in expressing tangible acts of love to show your kids they are valued by their parents and, most especially, by God.

Connect with Julie:
Website
Facebook
Instagram

In the busyness of the holidays, we can easily lose sight of why celebrations matter. In this episode Becky reminds us that celebrations were actually God’s idea. So, it's worth spending some time thinking about how celebrations and traditions build connection in our family and even our faith.

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. 

Sometimes these BIG emotions can interrupt family life and leave us feeling disconnected. We want to help you--and today's episode is packed with practical advice that can help you and your child deal with the big emotions that come our way.

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 along with 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 a team of counselors as the clinical director of Community Counseling Associates in the Dallas, TX 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 with two school aged children.

Connect with Michelle:
YourMentalHealthCoach.com
Facebook
Instagram

Michelle's books:
Make Up Your Mind
Loved and Cherished: 100 Devotions for Girls

Michelle's Podcast:
Raising Mentally Healthy Kids

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. 

In this episode, we discuss so much! Starting your own business. Managing a budget (not a bad word!). Wise handling of debt. And how to make the best of our crazy economy. Plus, our guest, Katelyn Swiatek shares about her home-based business for women who love fashion and also want to be wise with money.

ABOUT OUR GUEST
Katelyn Swiatek is the founder of SAVOUR Clothing located in Colorado Springs, CO. 

SAVOUR Clothing is an online consignment business that Katelyn started in 2019. Katelyn loved being home with her children, but also missed working. For three years now, the business continues to grow and Katelyn plans to grow it on a national level within the next few years. 

In addition to working on her business, Katelyn has a passion for female entrepreneurship. 

She is also the author of a book addressing biblical financial stewardship, The Stewardship Movement.

In her downtime, Katelyn loves spending time with her husband, Stephen, and their three children Aaron, Adah and Austyn. 

They love to get outside as a family whether it’s on a hike, on the golf course, or camping in the mountains.

Connect with Katelyn & check out her awesome thrift & consignment store business:
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM

We want to say right from the beginning, this is a guilt-free zone! So if you haven't been doing family dinners well, no worries. There's always time to improve. But in this episode, Becky gives some great ideas on how to make time around the dinner table a fun time (you read that right--fun!). It doesn't have to be stressful. It can be fun. Listen in and grab one new idea to try with your family this week!

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 dinner conversations and so much more in her book How To Listen So Your Kids Will Talk.