Stay ConnectedHas something simple ever changed your life? A lunch box note changed mine. A few years ago, my husband wrote a timely message to our son that said: BE STRONG, PROTECT THE WEAK, LOVE EVERYONE. Those six words ignited our family’s mission to love others well.
Each week on Be Love. Do Good. podcast, we’ll share ideas, encouraging words, and stories that inspire you to love outside your comfort zone.
Today I have the lovely Lauren Chandler on the podcast. Lauren is passionate about writing, music, and leading worship at her home congregation, The Village Church, and across the country. She is the author of two Bible studies, including With Us in the Wilderness, and two other books including one for children: Goodbye to Goodbyes. Lauren and her husband, pastor Matt Chandler, live with their three children in Flower Mound, Texas.
Today we talk about what it looks like to praise God in all seasons of life. The good and the bad, which inspired her new children’s book, Praise Him. Lauren’s lyrical lines are accompanied by whimsical illustrations and encourage children that no matter day or night, wherever they go, they can praise God continually.
You will fall in love with Lauren and her heart.
Get to know Lauren here:
Grab her book Praise Him.
Kayla Stoecklein became an unexpected widow in August 2018 when her husband, Andrew, the pastor of their large church in California, died by suicide. With three young boys also grieving and a heart full of pain, it became her mission to bring hope and help to others who have faced unexpected hardships. (GMA interview)
A few years ago in a conversation with a friend Kayla shared these words with her, “I had this beautiful life, I had everything I could have ever asked for and more, and it’s like that whole life died with Andrew and I was handed a brand-new life that I never saw coming. And I so desperately want to believe that this new life, even though it looks really different than before, can still be beautiful too. It’s as if I am rebuilding beautiful.”
Sometimes, the journey from agony to awe takes time. Kayla’s book Rebuilding Beautiful is the perfect roadmap for anyone who's on the path from heartache to a life that is a new kind of beautiful.
Sometimes, the journey from agony to awe takes time. Rebuilding Beautiful is the perfect roadmap for anyone who's on the path from heartache to a life that is a new kind of beautiful.
Get Kayla’s book here:
Get to know Kayla
I am so honored to have NYT best-selling author Max Lucado on today.
Max’s books have sold more than 96 million copies in 56 languages worldwide with more than 145 million total products in print branded with his name and words.
This was a dream interview for me as I have always been a Max Lucado fan and so many of his books have touched my life. We talk about his new book, Help is Here: Finding Fresh Strength and Purpose in the Power of the Holy Spirit.
You will love Max and the way he speaks simply with compassion. You can hear his heart for others in everything. If you have ever been overwhelmed by life, circumstances, or wonder how you can do it all, this is the podcast interview for you.
Get Max’s new book here:
Connect with Max here:
Some say the most important times with our kids are the beginning of the day and the end of the day with, but those had become some of the most stress-filled, rushed, chaotic moments of our time together.
We were rushing out the door, many times there were tears from me or the kids in the mornings. At night I was counting down the moments for alone time because I was done for the day.
This short 10-minute podcast I give two things that helped me make mornings a little calmer and more carefree, and bedtimes more peaceful.
If you ever struggle with either of those times of day, this one is for you.
Get our children’s book here:
If this was an encouragement to you, please leave us a review.
Have you ever wondered why people act the way they do, or why you and your spouse see the same thing so differently? Why our kids can’t seem to just “get” it. Why can’t people think like you?
It can be frustrating at times, but when we learn to see through the lens of others, it helps us tremendously love others the way they need loved.
That’s why I wanted to have Enneagram Experts Jeff and Beth McCord on the podcast. We talk about who we are and why it is so crucial to be aware of how we view ourselves and the world. I have found the more I know about myself and others, the more love and grace I can give myself and others around me.
Part of their mission is to help others, break free from self-condemnation, fear, and shame by knowing and experiencing the unconditional love, forgiveness, and freedom in Christ.
Beth and Jeff McCord, founders of Your Enneagram Coach: Their upcoming book More Than Your Number: A Christ-Centered Enneagram Approach to Becoming AWARE of Your Internal World is the enneagram book I’ve been looking for years. If you feel like knowing your enneagram number is limiting and even debilitating, the McCords show how everyone has a bit of all nine enneagram numbers in them. They have ideas to show how empowering and enlightening the enneagram can be for parents. (I also love how well they fuse the Gospel into the enneagram. It is powerful.)
Pre-order their book here.
Learn more about the enneagram coach and all of their resources here.
This week we are focusing on all the back-to-school questions! One of the big ones, is how do we get our kids to open up to us, to tell us what’s really going on? How many times have you asked your kids, “how was your day?” only to get a generic answer like, “good, or ok?”
Today in this short 10-minute podcast I am sharing the two questions that have opened up communication for me and my kiddos. I hope these simple questions might be able to help you too.
Please visit us over on Instagram@bestrongstory and share your questions and tips.
Sopha Rush is married to the most amazing man of God, Anthony Rush Jr., mother to her two amazing boys Harlem & Bronx, and Founder of Livedeeplyrooted. Sopha is passionate about helping others discover their purpose and truth about themselves.
Sopha just came out with a 100 day devotion to help us to live deeply rooted in Christ. As a mom of two littles she has found herself wanting to do it all, but knowing there are seasons for everything, but the one thing she has found that she can’t live without is Jesus.
Sopha gives us some practical ways to stay firmly rooted in Jesus when we are busy, stressed, overwhelmed, and feel like we can’t add one more thing to our plate. Or when life is hard and joy seems unattainable.
If we want to help our kids know and love time with Jesus, we need to model it ourselves. I can’t wait for you to hear Sopha and her practical ways and incredible story of how she found freedom and joy in Jesus when she experienced abandonment at a young age.
Get Sopha’s devotional here:
Get to know Sopha here:
Today I have on Heather Avis who is the founder and chief visionary officer at The Lucky Few, a social awareness brand on a mission to make a more inclusive and loving world with an emphasis on shifting the Down syndrome narrative.
The author of Everyone Belongs and the New York Times bestselling children’s book Different—A Great Thing to Be!
She runs The Lucky Few's hit Instagram account and is the author of a book and co-host of the podcast by the same name. A former education specialist teaching high school students, Heather is a popular speaker and a mother to three adopted children (two with Down syndrome).
Heather and I talk about what it’s like to make spaces where everyone feels like they belong.
We talk about her life with two kids who have down syndrome, and how she wants to help change the narrative.
We talk about how we can make others with disabilities feel welcome, even if we don’t know what to do, and be uncomfortable.
You will gain so much knowledge in this conversation.
Listen to the link here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-love-do-good-with-kristi-hayes/id1451620813
Grab Heathers new book here: Everyone Belongs
Learn more about Heather:
www.HeatherAvis.com / @TheLuckyFewOfficial
Can you believe school is almost here? Some of us can’t wait, and some of us are wondering how we are going to get all the thing done before they head back.
In the midst of reminding our kids to finish their required summer reading, and school shopping, and all the other things we forgot, I want to talk today about preparing our kids hearts for the school year.
Today in this short podcast I talk about two things that we do to help our kid’s hearts and minds prepare for the new year.
If you have little ones here is a children’s book that can help get your kiddos hearts and minds ready.
This month we have some of the best of the best coming your way. We pulled from some of the most listened to podcasts of the year. We didn’t want you to miss some of the most talked about and listened to interviews.
Today we are re-releasing our conversation with the relatable and hilarious Jami Nato is sharing making intentional parenting simple. I love how she gives us permission to not do all the things. Just one thing at a time when it comes to parenting, and it starts with us!
Jami is the best at sharing ideas that all of us can do! Jami is a blogger, amazing mother, speaker, and one of my favorite parent instagram influencers.
Today she talks about so many wise nuggets, especially to make intentional parenting simple, and how it starts with giving grace to ourselves.
Some things we chat about:
God gave us these exact children for a reason.
How to dig into the heart of your child and build intentional relationships.
Give yourself grace. Stop believing the lies that you are a bad parent or not enough.
Resources we talked about:
Connect with Jami
Be love quick tip today is it starts with you? I couldn’t get this point out of my mind, before I can start to intentionally parent my kiddos I have to start with getting myself full. Start small, listen to something uplifting while you drive kids to school or work, while you do laundry, start the morning with some quiet time with God, it’s more
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