Our Time to Rise in Midlife

Latest Episodes:

Ep.71: Ruth Bell Olsson Jun 20, 2017

Show notes

Ruth Bell Olsson has ended up in some places she didn't expect. Whether in the middle of The Congo talking with victims of sexual violence, or leading a needle exchange for intravenous drug users in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan, her destination is often not what she had in mind when beginning her journey. But it is always people that bring her to these unexpected places. Those she is journeying with who challenge her to think in a new way about God's world, and those she is serving in the moment who help her see God's love with more clarity. People and their stories draw her in. One step leads to another and...voila...another unexpected place.

We are sure you will feel inspired, challenged, and moved by Ruth's description of her journey as an adult, going deeper in her faith to love her neighbor in new and difficult ways. You'll hear how her church experience put her in a position to learn about HIV/AIDS, advocate for those living with the disease, and grow in friendship with unlikely partners. We hear Ruth's desire to be available for God and others, what it means to her to have a teachable spirit, and how she avoids clutter of any kind. Ruth's is a story of growth and transformation. One that begins with the plea for others to teach her and show her and for her willingness to listen.

You won't want to miss this interview with Ruth. She calls herself an advocate. We call her a friend to many. An hour of The Open Door Sisterhood Podcast well worth your time.

Ep.70: Fathers - How to Be the Real Hero Your Child Needs Jun 16, 2017

Show notes

Whether you had an amazing father growing up, or one that caused deep wounds and pain, every one us can speak to the power of a father. The relationship we have with our father affects us in profound ways.

In this special Father's Day episode, Dr. Meg Meeker, author, renowned speaker, and pediatrician, joins me in talking about how every father has within him the ability to be the hero his children need. We also talk about how women and specifically, moms, play an important role in making this successful. Whether you are married, divorced, or widowed, this is an episode you don't want to miss. Our children desperately need their fathers and this vital relationship will determine the stability they feel in the world and determine the future decisions they make.

As the author of Hero: Being the Strong Father Your Children Need, Dr. Meeker takes us by the hand and mentors a nation on how fathers can put on not only the name father, but hero.

Ep.69: Kelsey Hency Jun 13, 2017

Show notes

Kelsey Hency was looking for a place to read and write. She couldn't find what she was looking for, so she created something new. Fathom, an online magazine for Christians who wrestle with the issues, who don't always find their voice in the current narratives, who perhaps ask more questions than they find answers. If you are a reader, a person who wonders, a question asker, even a doubter, join us for this conversation with Kelsey. You won't be disappointed.

In this hour we cover Kelsey's journey to create Fathom, some great reads and her favorite cookbooks. (Spoiler alert: both she and Krista have made marshmallows from scratch, Alex is nowhere in their culinary category.) We talk about curiosity, how to utilize the people around you when working within the limits of your actual life, and of course a few cooking tips. Kelsey may be as close to a Renaissance woman as the sisterhood as yet to find. She covers art, writing, seminary, living overseas and the candy thermometer in less than hour.

We are sure you will be just as smitten with Kelsey as we now are.

Ep.68: Kristin Schell Jun 06, 2017

Show notes

Kristin Schell wants to be a front yard person. In an effort to do life in a way that was accessible to her neighbors, to facilitate relationships in their everyday experiences, she put a picnic table in her front yard and painted it turquoise. She had no idea that would become a movement of turquoise tables around the country.

You'll hear in this episode that Kristin is a dear friend to both Alex and Krista. She shares a love of hospitality, food and the table. As she discovers ways to get to know and build connections with her own neighbors, she shares tips with her readers.

In this episode, on the actual launch day of her new book, The Turquoise Table, we talk about hospitality, what can happen at a front yard table, how shepherds' pie can be modified without lamb, and Kristin's new partnership with the Tuesday Morning retail chain. Don't miss this conversation in our own virtual front yard. May the sisterhood be a turquoise table right here for you to stop by, listen, and make new friends.

Ep.67: How To Be A Tech-Wise Family Jun 01, 2017

Show notes

Does it feel like technology is taking over your life? Do you feel frustrated, sad, and discouraged when every person in your family is glued to a screen rather than interacting with one another? You're not alone. Research shows that we all are struggling with the screens that sits comfortably at our fingertips.

Andy Crouch, executive editor of Christianity Today and author of The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place joins Hey Sister! today to discuss how we can utilize the best parts of technology for good, but also reclaim our relationships and balance with our devices.

Making good choices about technology in our families is more than just using internet filters and determining screen-time limits. It's about building character, wisdom, and courage rather than accepting technology's promises of ease and instant gratification. It's about developing our heart, mind, soul, and strength when were tempted to settle for entertainment and consumer satisfaction.

You will not want to miss this episode that addresses one of the biggest issues facing our generation. You will walk away with a better idea of what family is for, what we can do to put technology in check, and how we can cast a larger vision for what kind of people we want ourselves and our family members to become.

Ep.66: Mary DeMuth May 30, 2017

Show notes

Mary DeMuth strives to live with a generous spirit. And by all measures we think she is living out her desire. A writer and speaker in her career, she makes it her business to help other writers with their business. Whether in a mastermind group or on her website, Mary promised herself years ago that she would not hide any insider tricks, but rather would help others as they pursued their call to write out words for God's glory.

In our conversation on the podcast we hear about Mary's love of cooking, how her palette changed when she lived in France, how she formed her own personal prayer team, and how the garden taught her to choose small and tend large. We hear about her decision to write about her family despite hurtful details, what her word for the year is and why she works to build an email list of readers. In true Open Door Sisterhood form, this is an interview that is part practical, part inspirational.

For any person who wonders how to get feedback from others, who wants to change patterns developed in their early years, who finds gardening or cooking a metaphor for life, this episode is for you. We invite you to get to know Mary better as we talk through the open doors she has walked through in the last decade.

Ep.65: Lisa Jo Baker May 23, 2017

Show notes

Lisa-Jo Baker knows a few things about friendship. As the manager of the (in)courage community she has set a space for women to experience belonging in both the online space and real world arena. Her new book, Never Unfriended, tackles the tricky dynamics of female friendships: why are they important, the roadblocks to finding, growing and sustaining healthy relationships, and how we can move past those blocks toward healthy, mutual friendships.

In our conversation with Lisa-Jo we hear about her most recent move in the D.C. area, how that put her in a position to look for new friends and how awkward always plays a part in that process. We cover reaching out to the "new girl" when our lives already feel full, how to move past friendship wounds from the past, and how God meets our needs in ways no friend (or husband or child or parent) ever can.

We are sure you will love Lisa-Jo as much as we do. She is honest, fun and insightful as she talks through a topic all women must deal with: friendships. Whether you feel confident in this area or can name specific wounds from the past, you will gain insight into how to be a good friend to others while experiencing the joy of God-gifted friendships.

Ep.64: Becoming Vs. Doing: The Key To Waking Up To Our Dreams May 18, 2017

Show notes

Drained. Exhausted. Empty. Barren. Does this describe how you feel? Most of us reach a point at some time in our lives where we feel like we're camped in dry land. When we get to this place we don't have the energy or the motivation to dream or move forward in our areas of giftedness and calling.

Suanne Camfield joins us today to help us find water in the desert. She guides us through what it feels like to have a stirring deep inside of us and how God guides and shapes us through that sense of calling. We talk about how our goal shouldn't be a vocation or even discernment, but rather how our aim should focus on becoming the person God designed us to be. It is about having the wisdom and courage to step into the places of our most vulnerable longings.

Ep.63: Elisa Morgan May 16, 2017

Show notes

In this episode of The Open Door Sisterhood Podcast, Elisa Morgan does what she does so well, she draws us in with her combination of storytelling, humor and insight. A communicator on the stage, page and radio waves to audiences around the world Elisa is an author of 25 books, speaker, radio host, mom, wife, grandmother and President Emerita of MOPS International. She has a lifetime of leadership experience. It has not all been easy (perhaps the biggest understatement of they year!), but she has done her best to be obedient in each call and season.

Our conversation with Elisa covers parenting the teenager who is in rebellion mode, what it means to be called and "uncalled" in ministry, and how she lives these days as interruptible as possible. From marriage after the kids leave home to reminding our teenagers about who they uniquely are, Elisa offers wisdom for women wanting to love those around them well. She is bold and fun and vulnerable in this hour of conversation.

In true Elisa fashion we are laughing as we are learning through her storytelling and insights throughout our conversation. You won't want to miss this part tender, part truth-filled episode of the podcast. A perfect addition to your hour long commute or chores at home. Push play and join the sisterhood!

Ep.62: Christie Purifoy May 09, 2017

Show notes

Christie Purifoy gets her hands dirty. Her garden and property Maplehurst, are her current places to create. As a former English professor she lived for years in a thought-centered creative space. Her new physical space and work feed her writing in a different way. A mom of four she fit right in with Alex and Krista as they talked books, cooking and having space for people to enter a family home. Join their conversation as they cover seasons, grief, and some of this former English's professor's favorite reads.

This episode is perfect for Spring as many of us are looking outside and even planting a few seeds in our own gardens. You will hear how Christie landed at her Pennsylvania farmhouse named Maplehurst, the things she was looking for in her new home and the process of letting go of the career track she'd always pictured. Tragedy hit Christie's family this year. We talk through what that has meant for her and how her book's release landed right in the initial weeks of grief.

We are certain you will enjoy this talk about writing, expectations, cycles of creation, cooking, making, gardening, and the creative life. We found an instant friend in Christie and we think you will as well. A completely delightful hour that we invite you to enjoy.

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