With the new year approaching, our team has some exciting news about the new year and what it holds for all things Hooks2Crook Ministries, including the Red Rover Podcast. Today I invited my friend Marime Maya on the show to help me share the news by interviewing me. Crazy, right for the host to give control to someone else. Well, I knew I could count on Mariem to help me out by the two of us talking shop, knowing you guys would be listening in to our conversation.

I also want to take a moment to thank each of you for listening to the Red Rover Podcast this year. It has been phenomenal to see the different countries appear and the number of people who keep tuning in, writing reviews and spreading the word. You guys are making an impact in the world as you continue to be salt and light as an everyday child of The King. Our team is grateful to each of you. We wish you all a blessed New Year may 2023 be brighter than ever.

To stay informed and up to date on other changes and even new adventures, join our email list when you visit hooks2crook.com

Today we have a special show for you. Christmas is in a few days, and we thought what a great way to celebrate by bringing someone on who specializes in Israel and leads trips or pilgrimages through the Holy Land and talk about the little town of Bethlehem. I invited my friend Brain Haynes on the show today to help me unpack some of the really neat aspects of Bethlehem and the importance of why God chose this location for the Prince of Peace, God’s One and Only Son, to be born here.

Brian Haynes serves as lead pastor of Bay Area Church and Christian School in League City, Texas. He graduated from Baylor University, Southwestern Seminary, and Liberty Theological Seminary, where he earned a D.Min for his work in discipleship and family ministry.

Pastor Brian is an author and influencer having written Relentless Parenting: The Crucial Pursuit of Your Teen’s Heart (co-authored by his wife Angela), Shift: What it Takes to Finally Reach Families Today, and The Legacy Path: Discover Intentional Spiritual Parenting. He is a contributing author for Recalibrate: A New Measure for Family Ministry and Family Ministry and the Church. His newest book, War in the Wilderness: Fight for Your Family When Life Isn’t as it Should Be, is set to release in the spring of 2023.

To find out more about Brian or read about his books:

www.brianhaynes.org, www.bayarea.church, twitter @MBrianHaynes, Instagram @mbrianhaynes, Facebook @drbrianhaynes and @pastorbrianhaynes

The intro for today's episode was by Merry Christmas Charlie Brown 

Would you like to email Candice R. Reyes? Feel free to email her at [email protected]

Find out more about Hooks2Crook Ministries by visiting our website: www.hooks2crook.com. Become a Patreon Member to support Hooks2Crook Ministries. Hooks2Crook Ministries is a 501(c)(3), and all donations are tax-deductible. EIN# 86-1631718

With the NEW YEAR coming soon, are you thinking about New Goals or Habits you want to start in 2023? Our guest today is Mike Brennan, who created a Daily Creative Habit. When he started small, he focused more on the process than the product. He gives us tips on how to find Joy when we start a Daily Creative Habit.

Mike Brennan, a Creator & Communicator, tells stories on pages & stages. His childhood dream was to be a cartoon. (Zoinks!) When he realized that wasn’t possible, he became the next best thing – an Artist. Mike loves sharing experiences and making connections through his art, and helping fellow frustrated artists and creatives establish a daily creative habit of their own.

I can not wait for Mike to unpack for you how to create a daily habit for the new year. So grab some paper and pen with your favorite cup, and let's dive into my chat with  Mike Brennan.

Would you like to Create a Daily Habit? Find out more when you visit:

www.MikeBrennan.me

www.Dailycreativehabit.com

Plus, purchase Mike’s new book that gives you prompts to help you find your creative habits:

https://www.amazon.com/Daily-Creative-Habit-Journal-Brennan/dp/B0BMSP2CXD/ref=sr_1_1?crid=398JD90JYTGVJ&keywords=mike+brennan&qid=1670253874&sprefix=%2Caps%2C77&sr=8-1

Today we talk about how God is Bigger than our fear, and Amy Debrucque speaks about her own journey with fear.

Amy is a wife, mother, survivor, encourager, and believer. Amy is also a published author and host of the Life On Purpose Podcast. Her faith in God gives her the courage to be intentional in all areas of her life. Surrendering to Him has changed her in a profound way, and she is grateful that she'll never be the same.

Amy shares, “Don't let fear blind you from trusting God's plan for your life. Set aside any pride or shame and remember that His love never fails, but we need to be willing and focused to receive it and feel it.”

If you would like to follow Amy and become one of her peeps, check out her website: 

https://www.amydebrucque.com

https://www.instagram.com/amydebrucque/

https://www.facebook.com/surrenderyourfear

If you would like to learn more about Hooks2Crook Ministries, visit us on our website: https://hooks2crook.com

Christmas is around the corner. There are a lot of emotions tied to the holidays. We remember the loved one that was lost. Or their child won’t be home for Christmas.  Or for some being around family is stressful. But did you know you can still find JOY in those moments? It's all about how you define JOY.  And our guest today, Christine Trimpe will break it down for us and highlight ways she keeps her Joy even when her circumstances are challenging. 

Christine Trimpe is an award-winning author, speaker, joy seeker, and weight-loss warrior. After losing over a hundred pounds in her joy-filled journey of healing, God instilled a passion within her to boldly exclaim the good news of great joy while encouraging others to do the same. A former “casual Christian,” Christine speaks and writes for women worldwide, sharing the freedom Christ offers when we choose to trust God and seek Him in His Word. The Christian Product Book Award winner and Selah Award finalist, Seeking Joy through the Gospel of Luke, is Christine’s debut book. You can find her transformation story and Bible and Beans blog at ChristineTrimpe.com. For speaking inquiries, please email her at [email protected].

Plus, she has Bonus chapters for her book on her website. 

media kit here: https://christinetrimpe.com/seeking-joy-media-kit/ 

Purchase your copy of Christine's book: https://christinetrimpe.com

Have you ever felt like running into a closest because of fear or anxiety over a situation? Today’s guest sure has, and she told me as the enemy led her to her closet, the Lord met her in the closest. Amen.

Melinda Patrick is a speaker, writer, and host of The Even While Podcast. Through the heartache of a fractured family, broken dreams, and hard parenting days, God birthed a passion in her to come alongside and encourage other women in their own waiting season.  She finds joy in equipping and emboldening others to step out in faith and discover the hidden treasures God has for them even while they wait.

If you would like to reach out to Melinda or find out more: https://melindapatrick.org/

If you would like to learn more about Hooks2Crook Ministries: https://hooks2crook.com

In this season, our show has focused on how God is bigger than our excuses. I can claim this as truth because, in my own life, I have seen the power of God eliminate the hold my excuse had on me. So if there is something causing you to pause in the direction God is prompting you, may I encourage you to keep listening to today’s show because our guest has a powerful message designed for you.

Today’s guest is Tracey Mitchel. As one of the nation’s leading Bible teacher and conference speaker, Tracey travels 40-plus weeks a year, speaking to diverse and cross-cultural groups. She is a published author with Harper Collins and Thomas Nelson: Downside Up, Becoming Brave and The Invitation, Executive producer, and co-host of Life From DFW. As Founder & CEO of the THRIVE Conference – Dallas, Tx

Tracey’s Bi-Annual Conference trains and equips leaders and entrepreneurs.

Friend, today’s episode packs a spiritual punch, so grab some paper with a pen and your favorite cup and let's dive into my chat with Tracey Mitchell. Find out more about Tracey and her incredible books when you visit: traceymitchell.com

If you want to learn more about Hooks2Crook Ministries and join our email list, visit: Hooks2Crook.com

We have a fun episode designed with you in mind. All session long, I have invited a friend to join me and share how God is Bigger than our excuses. Today I invited a personal friend who is also on the Hooks2Crook Ministries Advisory Counsel, who I consider to have remarkable wisdom.

I had so much fun chatting with Equalla Foster about a time in her life when she wrestled with God because of fear but saw How God was Bigger than her excuse, so she stepped out in boldness. Her obedience to God is fleshed out in her daily life, and it's one of the reasons I was drawn to her. I couldn't wait to have her on the show.

Equalla Foster is the Co-founder of Inspire To Hope and a Certified Coach specializing in emotional intelligence (health, management, & resiliency). She is the podcast host for the Good Day Leader Show, where topics of discussion range from Christian faith, emotional intelligence, and leadership in the home, workplace, or ministry. Though she functions in many other capacities, nothing trumps the blessing of her being a wife and mother. One of her life mottoes, in the words of Maya Angelou, is "when you learn, teach when you get, give."

Today we talk about fear, which we all face. So grab some paper and pen with your favorite cup, and let’s dive into my chat with Equalla Foster.

www.inspiretohope.org

If you would like more information about Hooks2Crook Ministries and would like to join our email list, visit: Hooks2Crook.com

Meet my friends' husband and wife, Ryan and Christina White. Christina Boaz White, the founder and executive director of the Boaz House, and her husband Ryan White, work with women who struggle with addictions. They have both struggled with addiction most of their lives and finally hit the point where they couldn't hold it together anymore. They surrendered to God and now spend their lives helping others find freedom from addiction through Jesus Christ. For more information about the Boaz House, visit them at www.boazhouse.com.

Here are a couple of verses Christina shares and thought would help if you're struggling with these excuses:

I feel like a fraud- Proverbs 10:9 Whoever walks with integrity walks securely, but he who makes his way crooked will be found out. 

 Speaking from our pain point- 2 Corinthians 12:9  But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you. For my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

Being on a path you don't want to be on- Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

If you want more information about Hooks2Crook Ministries, visit our website hooks2crook.com and join our email list for testimonies of others who have struggled stateside and abroad.