Our Time to Rise in Midlife

Latest Episodes:

Ep.51: Sarah Jakes Roberts Mar 21, 2017

Show notes

Sarah Jakes Roberts grew up in the spotlight. As the daughter of Bishop T.D. Jakes her teenage insecurities were fueled by living in the public eye. She became pregnant at 13, had her baby at 14 and began her parenting journey. Now the mom of 6 with her husband Touré Roberts, Sarah is maneuvering the life of a blended family while co-pastoring their own church in Hollywood, CA.

In this episode Sarah's life experience is evident. Her wisdom is clear as she talks through how to find your place as stepmom (and how to support your children's stepmom), what it means to teach kids about healthy boundaries through living in overflow, and the need to "forgive and remember" in order to prevent entering into familiar yet unhealthy patterns. Her tone is warm and her words ring of truth. You can tell she wants the best for women and uses honesty about her own life as a starting place to talk through choices and responses.

This transparent conversation with Sarah is quintessential Open Door Sisterhood because it is both practical and inspirational. You will leave feeling understood, spurred on to do better, with some practical approaches to facing the uncomfortable in order to thrive. This isn't a show about skimming over the issues, but rather recognizing the pain that might be hidden and how it informs our decisions today.

Ep.50: Esther Fleece Mar 14, 2017

Show notes

Though Esther Fleece is in one of the happiest seasons of her life, having just exchanged wedding vows only a couple of months ago, this wasn't always the case. Abandoned by both of her parents by the time she was a teenager, Esther is no stranger to deep and profound loss.

With heart-breaking honesty, Esther opens up about a pivotal moment in her childhood when she was positioned in a court room to divide her parents. This set her on a course to hide her pain, pretend she was okay, and "suck it up." And she did... for many years.

After traveling the world with a well known organization, speaking to large crowds, and climbing the ladder in her career, Esther's world came crashing down when she could no longer run from the painful past that haunted her. It was then that she went on a journey that led her to the language of lament.

In the interview we not only talk about her personal story, but also discuss what lament is, why we need it, and how it heals us. We also dive into what mental illness does to a family, why the church must be careful about what it says about pain and loss, and how we can use scripture to guide us toward wholeness.

This interview invites us into the language of lament and how we can learn to speak it in our own lives. Join us!

Ep.49: How to Have a Healthy Sex Life in Marriage Mar 09, 2017

Show notes

Culture is talking about sex. The music and movie industry is talking about sex -- all.the.time. Is the church? Are we communicating enough about what healthy sex looks like in marriage? Real-life sex, not just how it is portrayed on the silver screen.

Do men have a greater sex drive than women? What is mutual sex? How is pornography affecting the marriage bed? How do we have honest conversations with our spouse about this topic? What is the deal with the 50 Shades craze? Krista covers all of this and more with guest Dorothy Greco.

Dorothy Littell Greco is a photographer, writer, and author. She writes on how following Jesus changes everything in places such as Christianity Today and Relevant Magazine. Her first book, Making Marriage Beautiful, was released at the beginning of 2017.

Listen in on our conversation today about how to improve sex in marriage in order to breathe new life into our primary relationship.

Ep.48: Jessie Minassian Mar 07, 2017

Show notes

Jessie Minassian just made a big move and finds herself nestled in the middle of a national forest, hours from anything more than a country store. Her relocation to Hume Lake with her family was a big transition, but an answer to her prayer of "Lord send me". A woman willing to join God in what he is already doing, this is just one ways that Jessie has said "yes" in recent years to the open door in front of her.

Jessie's warmth shines through our conversation as she talks through parenting teenagers, writing Bible studies, and transitioning her own girls out of homeschooling. Her desire to walk through the doors God opens, whatever they might be, is evident in every aspect of her life. She is a woman who loves a good pen and Amazon Prime, and maybe, just maybe, sunbathes on her dining room table (you'll need to listen to the end to hear about that).

You won't want to miss this delight of a mom, friend and sister that joins us for this round of The Open Door Sisterhood Podcast.

Ep.47: Jennie Allen Feb 28, 2017

Show notes

Founder of the IF:Gathering, author, and Bible teacher, Jennie Allen inspires women to encounter God. She works hard at the work in front of her and a few years ago realized she might be working too hard, trying to prove to everyone that she was good enough, up to the task. Her journey to let go of expectations and allow God to do his job is chronicled in her new book Nothing to Prove: Why We Can Stop Trying So Hard.

In our conversation with Jennie we talk through letting go of approval. We cover everything from God taking us to places where trust is required in order to increase our dependence on him, to how and why Jennie prayed "Give us this day our daily bread" this last year, to our call to disciple a few within our immediate reach. This interview will inspire you to trust more and strive less as Jennie reminds us of God's sovereign plans.

If you're a woman who is tempted to perform, who seeks approval from God, who is slightly exhausted from all of the striving, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Jennie challenges us to let go of control and walk in obedience no matter the cost because God's plans are good. His plans can be hard, but they're always good.

Ep.46: Karen Ehman Feb 21, 2017

Show notes

New York Times bestselling author and Proverbs 31 speaker, Karen Ehman, lives on alert. She waits to hear "heart drops", those hints that indicate a way to someone's heart, so she can best love those around her while managing the demands of her busy life. Karen is excellent at taking a broad topic like "loving well" and breaking it down to practical steps we all can follow.

In this interview we cover everything from how to schedule check-ins with friends to how to offer teenagers a soft landing place in your home. Karen's honesty about her own struggles with listening and loving without distraction normalizes the challenges to putting this life of other-centered living into practice. She reminds us how pausing in the middle of our normal busy to focus on someone else's needs and offers hope that small efforts can make big impact.

You won't want to miss Karen's wisdom in both this interview and her newest book. She is simultaneously encouraging and challenging as she reminds us of God's call to love those around us.

Ep.45: Things We Love Feb 14, 2017

Show notes

Valentine's Day....a day of love! Whether you are snuggling up with a honey, making dozens of cookies for class parties, or wondering why we have this holiday in the first place, we invite you to join us for our first annual Things We Love! episode.

This is about fun and practical. Please know that the things most dear to our hearts aren't actually things at all. But if you were to buy us some Valentine's gifts, these might be on our wish lists. And we think you should know about them too (also please know none of these are sponsored responses, they truly are our go-to items.)

So go ahead and listen in. We are delighted you have joined us for this Valentine's Day special. No matter what day of the year you are listening, we hope you feel loved.

Ep.44: Patricia Raybon Feb 07, 2017

Show notes

We go into some interviews knowing the guest will offer The Open Door Sisterhood a wealth of wisdom. Author Patricia Raybon was one of those and so we jumped right into the big stuff. From race relations to divided families we wanted to make sure not a minute of this episode with one of our favorites was wasted. As you listen you will hear Patricia's tender nature and years of life and walking with Christ speak through her.

Patricia shares some about what it is to be "living while black" in today's climate, her relationship with her Muslim daughter, and the simple steps we can take to move toward people (like actually saying "hello" to our neighbors) in a time where divisions feel strong. Her approach is humble and wise. Truly a dear conversation with a woman who does not oversimplify issues and yet does not over-complicate her responses to them.

Patricia's signature honesty speaks to what it is to step into the uncomfortable in order to be more in step with God's purposes on earth. If ever there was an episode of The Open Door Sisterhood worth listening to, it's this one. We are sure you will walk away encouraged to walk through that next open door.

Ep.43: Creating Goals that Stick Feb 03, 2017

Show notes

It's February, and many of the New Year's Goals we created are starting to fade into the distant past. Are you tired of setting goals and failing? In this episode we talk about how to set goals that will actually stick, what the keys are to successful goal setting, and how we can address the mind, body, AND spirit in the process.

This short episode will encourage you and give you practical tools for improving your life - one small step forward at a time.

Ep.42: Erin Loechner Jan 31, 2017

Show notes

Designer and now author, Erin Loechner, is up these days (or we should say nights) with a baby. A baby she went to retrieve from the hospital as soon as she received a phone call. That seems to be how Erin's life works. From starting a website to a show on HGTV.com, Erin and her husband follow adventure. Or adventure follows them.

From the midwest, to Hollywood, back to the midwest, Erin's journey has often been fast and furious. But her new book Chasing Slow is about just that, deciding to live life at a slower pace one intentional decision at a time. Her popular site DesignForMankind.com has reflected that life change. Starting as a holding place for design ideas, the site now peeks into Erin's family life and newfound pace.

Join us as we hear Erin's story and how she is embracing her total parts these days. We cover her whirlwind adoption story, how she found herself in Hollywood and why detours work for her. We know you will find a kindred spirit in this creative mama who jumps right into work and love. We found her to be simply delightful.

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