The Turquoise Table Podcast with Kristin Schell

We love to talk about community around the table, about fostering connection with people on our streets and in our neighborhoods. But we get really inspired when we see people take their Turquoise Table gatherings to the next level by getting together to create connection beyond their neighborhoods. That's why we're excited this week to share an opportunity with you on how you can easily organize a gathering that brightens the lives of children in other countries by packing simple shoeboxes full of toys and goodies. Each year, Operation Christmas Child delivers hundreds of thousands of these shoeboxes, filled by volunteers, to kids all over the world, spreading a message of love in the process. And to tell us how meaningful this little gift can be, we're thrilled to have Yuliya Shubina and Gracie O'Laughlin from Operation Christmas Child on the show to tell us all about the program and how we can participate. Just wait until you hear Yuliya's story—when she was 9 years old, she received a shoebox that changed her life forever. Her story shows us how a simple act of love can have a huge impact. And stay around until the end of the episode, when Kristin shares a delicious sweet-and-salty snack you can make for your own shoebox packing party!

Show Summary:Our guests today are going to help us get ready for the holidays in the best way: they're preparing our hearts for giving to little ones in need.

Gracie O'Laughlin and Yuliya Shubina work for Operation Christmas Child, an international relief organization that shares God's love with children around the world in the form of a shoebox.

At some point, maybe your family has packed a shoebox gift, whether through your school, church, or neighborhood. Today, Gracie and Yuliya are going to walk us through how to pack those shoeboxes, what to put inside, how to host a packing party at your Turquoise Table, and when and where to drop off those boxes.

And just wait, y'all, until you hear Yuliya's story. When she was nine years old, Yuliya was living in Central Asia and actually received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift with a letter from the young girl who packed the box. These shoeboxes of love really do make an impact, and Yuliya is living testament to that. I cannot wait for you to hear her story.

The Turquoise Table has been an Operation Christmas Child partner for a few years now, and it's one of our favorite things to do every year to kick off the holiday season. I am thrilled to have Gracie and Yuliya on the show today to share this wonderful work. And stick around for a super yummy Heavenly Harvest Chex Mix recipe that's a snap to whip up for your shoebox packing party!

Links, Products, and Recipes We Mentioned:

Operation Christmas Child Gift Suggestions (and what not to pack)

Turquoise Table Blog Post: "How to Host a Shoebox Packing Party"

Need help from an Operation Christmas Child volunteer?

Recipe: Heavenly Harvest Chex Mix

Interview Quotes:"God, we know, doesn't waste any seasons in any of our lives "

– Yuliya Shubina, Operation Christmas Child

"I remember [my stuffed puppy dog in my OCC shoebox] was the nicest toy that my sister and I have ever owned. And so even though I didn't want to, I had to share this puppy dog with my sister, also with my cousins. This puppy would travel to their house, stay with them a week or two at a time. They would play with it, and then we would get it back—not to mention, all of the neighbor kids who also got their turn playing and petting this puppy dog."

– Yuliya Shubina, Operation Christmas Child

"The most important item [in my shoebox], actually, wasn't a puppy dog. It was the letter from the girl who packed it for me. . . . She wrote, 'I am praying for you. God loves you.' And I remember reading and translating that very simple letter, and getting to these last two sentences and just wondering why would a stranger, who has never met me, who lives all the way across the world from me, who doesn't know me, would not only bless me with a beautiful shoebox gift that is packed with so many wonderful items, but also tells me there is God out there who loves and cares for me and that she is praying to this God on my behalf. "

– Yuliya Shubina, Operation Christmas Child

"I will never forget the feelings that those words left in my heart. I remember carrying that sentence with me for years and continuing to wonder, Who is this God that she's praying to. And once again, why would a stranger do something like that?"

– Yuliya Shubina, Operation Christmas Child

"There's just something so approachable about the simplicity of this. . . . When we just show up and do something so simple, it allows God to do what only God can do. That's the beauty of it."

– Kristin Schell

"It's fun to pack fun items such as toys, school supplies, hygiene items in the shoeboxes, but that's not the most important part about this ministry. The most important part is prayer that we packed the shoeboxes with."

– Yuliya Shubina, Operation Christmas Child

"There are millions of stories that we have heard. The most surprising for me is when a child has been praying for a very specific item, a child or a family praying for a very specific item, and then that item shows up in a shoebox. "

– Gracie O'Laughlin, Operation Christmas Child

Connect with Operation Christmas Child:

Website

FacebookTwitterInstagram

Busyness takes a toll on everyone. Sometimes it takes calling your own bra at the airport to realize you desperately need to slow down. That moment launched Alli Worthington into a year-long quest to change her pace and to begin cultivating a life filled with more contentment. Alli is a speaker, a business couch, an entrepreneur, an author, and a podcaster. On top of that, she's also a wife and a mother of five sons. Needless to say, she's got a lot going on. Her latest book is The Year of Living Happy: Finding Contentment and Connection in a Crazy World. And on today's episode, Alli dives in and gives us practical tips, ideas, and lessons she learned in her fifty-two weeks of striving to live with more happiness. You'll definitely want to follow Alli's suggestion and make a "Stop-Doing" list today—it'll change your life. And y'all be sure to listen all the way to the end, because Alli is going to share her husband Mark's killer stir-fry recipe, then I'm sharing one of my favorite recipes that will go fabulously with it.

We all know the benefits of hospitality: human connection, community building, relationship bonding. However, our ability to be hospitable can have a larger effect—one that brings awareness to the plight of others and leads us into ways we can help limit human suffering. One issue that gets a lot of attention on a global scale is the issue of human trafficking, but what many of us don't realize this huge problem isn't just happening overseas, but in our own backyards. Law enforcement says the number-one way to fight human trafficking is to raise awareness around the issue. That's why today's guest, Terri Ingraham, founded the nonprofit beLydia, which empowers women to raise awareness around human trafficking. beLydia equips people to facilitate ways to talk about this issue and learn what it looks like in your neighborhood, what to do if you see it, and how you can help prevent it. In our discussion today, Terri is going to educate and inform us, and walk us through how we can fight this problem by opening up the conversation with our neighbors.

[Parents, this is a tough topic. We're going to talk about some situations right off the bat regarding the horrors of human trafficking, which may not be suitable for younger kids.]

We need to feel like we belong before we can extend an invitation to others. That's what today's guest at the Turquoise Table, Whitney Bell, reminded Kristin a few Sundays ago as Whitney gave a sermon at Kristin's church. Whitney is the middle school ministry director at Kristin's church in Austin, and she's guided not only Kristin's four kids, but scores of middle schoolers in her tenure. And whether you're in the trenches with teens or looking for more inspiration on how to love deep, you'll drink deeply from Whitney's advice. Today Whitney and Kristin talk about practical and creative ways to connect with your teen, even when they shy away from deep conversations, and why it's important for kids to have trusted adults in their lives in addition to their parents. Kristin and Whitney share insight not only for those of us with teens, but wisdom we can all take away about the power of connection: sometimes the best way to love someone is to sit with them and be, accepting them just as they are. And be sure to stay till the end for a delicious snack recipe that that'll make your house smell like heaven and become a fall favorite.

Natasha Red grew up loving food and hospitality. But when she married and started a family of her own, as Natasha says, "It was like everything I knew about feeding myself and my family just blew up." Natasha found it impossible to create the beautiful, healthy dinners she was once did and care for a fussy newborn. She noticed other moms were as overwhelmed as she was, and she knew she had to do something about it. Out of that need, Natasha created the Seasonal Meal Planner, an adaptable system to help women organize meals and create an intentional plan for hospitality. You'll love meeting Natasha and hearing all about how she plans meals for her family. You'll be encouraged by all the great things she has to say about feeding ourselves and our loved ones, and why it's so important to have people over, even in the season of temper tantrums at Target and crushed Cheerios in the carpet. And you'll definitely want to make her easy chili and delicious paleo cornbread, perfect for game days and chilly fall nights ahead.

In 2011 Joplin, Missouri, was devastated by an EF-5 tornado. The storm ripped up 15 miles of the town, killing 161 people. Turquoise Table community member Ann Leach survived, but lost everything. Ann tells us her remarkable story of rebuilding after the storm, the miracle of the human spirit, and the beauty of a community coming together to survive and thrive. A grief counselor and life coach, Ann gives us tips on how to help those in our community who are hurting, what to say when you have no idea how to say it, and how we can find hope in the most dire situations.

In today's fast-paced world, keeping a Sabbath can seem impossible. Where do we find the time to rest? How does Sabbath work in a life filled with notifications? Enter Shelly Miller, an expert Sabbath Keeper and author of the popular book Rhythms of Rest: Finding the Spirit of Sabbath in a Busy World. Shelly takes us through Sabbath Keeping 101 and tells us how her journey began with cleaning up Christmas decorations, how Sabbath Keeping helps us offer hospitality, and why napkins can help us celebrate. And stay tuned to the end of the episode, when Shelly and Kristin dish on their favorite one-pot and slow cooker meals!

When we open our homes to hospitality, how do our day-to-day lives change? Jen Schmidt is the popular lifestyle blogger behind Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, and she's the author of the brand-new book Just Open the Door: How One Invitation Can Change a Generation. Jen is Kristin's kindred spirit, and today they trade tidbits of wisdom about shepherding guests into their homes. And stay tuned to the very end of the episode, where Jen reveals her favorite ways to get folks to the table (hint: brunch is involved).

Lauren Flake is Lauren is an author and blogger from Austin, TX, and a member of our Turquoise Table community. Lauren has been using her table in really powerful, special ways since she lost her mother Dixie to early-onset Alzheimer's Disease. Today Lauren shares her story and walks us through what community looked like for her during and after her mother's illness. She gives us first-hand advice on how not to fix the problem, but how to show up to simply be present with those who are grieving, and what that looks like.

What does "loving the stranger" mean? And how do we start a friendship with someone who seems so different from us? Today's guest, Rosaria Butterfield, gives us the first step: practicing "radically ordinary hospitality." Rosaria is an author, speaker, pastor's wife, and homeschool mom in Durham, North Carolina. Her newest book The Gospel Comes with a Key tells how Rosaria and her husband Kent use their home as a mission field as they dine with guests every night, and how they've opened their not-really-a-spare-bedroom to house guests. Rosaria shares the struggle of becoming a bridge for hospitality, the crippling pain of loneliness, why she kept a man running meth lab in her neighborhood as her house guest, and her recipe for a hearty minestrone soup.

----------------------------------------------

Show Sponsor: Shipt: Grocery Delivery

The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World by Rosaria Butterfield