Our Time to Rise in Midlife

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Ep.261: Katherine Wolf on Suffering Dec 01, 2020

Show notes

Katherine Wolf was just 26-years old when her life changed forever. She suffered a significant stroke that left her disabled. In a wheelchair, deaf in one ear, blind in one eye, and one hand that doesn't work, she spent years learning to eat and stand up. In this first episode on our new series of Leaving Your Mark, Katherine inspires us with her resilience and faith despite her continued challenges.

Katherine wants us to know her spirits are good now, but there were many dark days. Days when she wondered if God had forgotten about her or simply if it would be better if he'd let her die. She now knows that suffering is always a season. That it won't always be as bad as it is today and that God refines us in the dark places. Katherine's words of encouragement speak directly to our core as she reminds us that everyone suffers as part of life and when we hear God's voice in the midst of suffering we step into a new kind of identity and beauty.

If you don't listen to anything else this Advent season, we encourage you to listen to this conversation with Katherine Wolf. She reminds us that God comes in the darkness. This is exactly what we celebrate at Christmas. You will feel less alone after listening to this episode.

Ep.260: A Thanksgiving Episode Nov 24, 2020

Show notes

We thought we'd do something a little different to close our "Still Home For The Holidays" series.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we chose a section from the "Reclaiming the Table" chapter of Krista's book Reclaiming Home to read to you in the first part of this episode. Krista talk about the importance of the family table and some tips on how to prepare meals in advance.

In the second part of the episode Krista reads a touching story from Alex's book Loving My Actual Neighbor. This story is a reminder that a little bit of kindness and love can make a significant difference in the life of another.

Both of these will encourage and inspire you as you prepare your heart and your home for the Thanksgiving this year.

Ep.259: Tips For Holiday Decorating with Shannon Acheson Nov 17, 2020

Show notes

Looking for practical, helpful, and easy tips on Holiday decorating? You've come to the right place. Shannon Acheson of homemadelovely.com offers her best tips and holiday secrets.

We talk about organizing Christmas decorations, decluttering, how to put together a holiday vignette, what do when everyone has a different opinion on decor, and how to make old items new again.

Before you get your house ready for the holidays, listen to this first!

Ep.258: Home for the Holidays Series: When Christmas Needs to be Different Nov 10, 2020

Show notes

Every year families need to make adjustments to changes and for many families this will be a year of pivoting from holiday traditions. We are bringing our expert holiday merrymakers Jody McNatt and Terri Conlin to the podcast to share with us how they have made holiday changes over the years as their families have grown and what they are doing this year to keep the Christmas spirit going in their homes.

We talk about flexibility around traditions, having an empty seat at the table, incorporating new family members into traditions, and helping those still at home when someone needs to be somewhere else for the holiday. We invited these two women on for this particular conversation because they are especially good at creating spaces and moments that facilitate meaningful connections at home or apart.

Grab your coffee and some laundry to fold and join our sister circle as we talk through how to approach Thanksgiving with gratitude and transition into Christmas practically and spiritually. This holiday may look different than in years past, but it can still be meaningful and memorable (in a good way).

Ep.257: Holiday Hacks with Kendra Adachi Nov 03, 2020

Show notes

We will {still} be home for the holidays this year. This month we are in a series by that title. Our hope is to help you get creative as you navigate a holiday season like no other.

Sharing her best holiday hacks, The Lazy Genius, Kendra Adachi, joins us to talk about decision making, gift ideas, and how to streamline our processes. She also gives us her #1 gift idea for friends and teachers, and offers tools on everything from social media use to decorating.

This episode will get you in the Holiday spirit, offer needed perspective, and equip you with great ideas. Join us as we "lazy genius" this COVID Christmas!

Ep.256: 10 Ways to Increase Peace This Christmas Season Oct 27, 2020

Show notes

If ever there was a year to celebrate Christmas, it's this one. We need the reminder that God loved the world enough to enter our space. Yet, we are coming off of a year of incredible heartache. We are carrying that additional stress into an already hectic (and yes stressful!) time of year. How do we increase peace?

In this episode, Krista and Alex give us their top ten tips to helping create some peace during this unprecedented time. These are steps you can take NOW (yes even at the end of October!) to be setting your family up well for a Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday in the middle of a lingering global pandemic. From practical tips to a bit of inspiration around why we celebrate Christmas in the first place, you will be inspired to make the upcoming season as meaningful as possible.

So don't forget to listen and don't forget to sign up for our Christmas Remake, a 3-week interactive course that gets you organized for everything from meal planning to decorating to shopping. As we say do the work now and your December self will thank your November self for all of the work you did.

Ep.255: What We Learned From The Hard Conversations Series with Alex & Krista Oct 20, 2020

Show notes

For the past five weeks we've been talking about how to have hard conversations around suicide, politics, race, sexuality, and social media. Today's episode wraps up that series with hosts Alexandra Kuykendall and Krista Gilbert sharing their takeaways on the series.

They discuss what they learned, what they are doing differently, what is sticking with them, and how they will approach hard conversations with new strategies. Krista and Alex also describe the difference between peace making and peace keeping (hint: they are not the same thing).

Join us as we finish out this series!

Ep.254: Hard Conversations Series: Politics with Sarah B. Anderson Oct 13, 2020

Show notes

Election Day is 3 weeks away. Whether you're a person who typically likes talking political ideas, or you tend to shy away from these kinds of conversations, we can all agree this election cycle is proving to be tense. Likely you've already had some difficult conversations and you're wondering how to move through the next few weeks (and beyond!)

Our guest Sarah B. Anderson knows what it is to talk politics. She grew up in a family where her parents worked for politicians and they attended White House events. Eventually, her dad even ran for President! She gives us lots of tips on what it is to be a hope-bearer (a world changer for good right where you are) when political differences come up.

Should we avoid tense conversations? Do politics really matter in a kingdom worldview? What's our responsibility as Christians? How should we stand apart from the chaos of the moment? How do we model good civic discourse to our kids? What does unity look like when we have differing takes? All questions we cover in 40 minutes. Don't wait, press play on this timely and relevant interview.

Ep.253: Hard Conversations - Talking About Race Part 2 with Maggie John and Shannon Polk Oct 06, 2020

Show notes

As a nation, we are talking about race. True to the Sisterhood, we are diving into honest conversations around this topic. This is part 2 of a two part series, so go back and listen to last week's episode if you missed it.

Today we are interviewing our guests about their personal stories. We discuss what it is like being a person of color in their communities, workplaces, and families. You will be inspired by their courage and strength, and troubled by some of their experiences.

Both of our guests are professional hard-conversation-havers. Maggie John is Producer and Host of the Canadian television show Context Beyond the Headlines where she does just that, gives context to the day's headlines from her studio outside of Toronto. Shannon Polk is both an attorney and pastor, in the process of merging two congregations (one predominantly white the other predominantly black) into one in Flint, Michigan. They are trusted voices here at the sisterhood and we are so glad to have them for not one, but two episodes as we dive into how to talk about race.

We recorded these episodes a few weeks ago. Even since recording, the headlines have highlighted the reality, tension, and pain surrounding these conversations. They are difficult, yet important, which is why we are not avoiding them. We are approaching them together, as a unified sisterhood, fighting for a better way to have hard conversations.

Ep.252: Hard Conversations: Talking About Race Part 1 With Maggie John and Shannon Polk Sep 29, 2020

Show notes

As a nation, we are talking about race. For some these conversations have been going on for generations and for others open conversations about race are new territory. No matter where you find yourself in the larger conversation, this episode is for you.

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