Stay ConnectedMany women feel overwhelmed with the chaos of life, struggle with the fact that life, relationships and marriage are hard, and lack what they need to truly thrive.
The Thriving Beyond Belief podcast, with host, Cheryl Scruggs, and online community provide women with encouragement & support, to better manage their stress, create healthy relationships, and build a life that thrives beyond belief.
Copyright: © 2018 Thriving Beyond Belief / Hope Matters Marriage Ministries, Inc., a 501c3
What If It's Wonderful?
Author and marriage and family therapist Nicole Zasowski knows that it's difficult to trust joy and find the courage to celebrate when you have endured seasons of disappointment and despair. When God has been your faithful anchor in the storm, does joy then leave you unmoored? Nicole reminds us that we can stay tethered to the hope of Christ in seasons of celebration, because even joyful days hold the learning, growth, and intimate encounters with Jesus that our hearts crave.
What If It's Wonderful? offers a new perspective. With a compelling psychological and spiritual case for the importance of embracing joy and celebration, even when it feels scary.
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"Imperfect follower of Jesus and really imperfect mother to two amazing human beings! Grateful to be able to do what I love!" - KLG
New York Times bestselling author Kathie Lee Gifford reveals heartwarming, entertaining conversations between people and personalities who both agree and disagree about who Jesus is, his role throughout history, and his presence in our lives today.
For decades Kathie Lee has had deep conversations about her faith with anyone who is interested in talking about it. What she discovered early on is most people are very willing to talk about Jesus: atheists, agnostics, Scientologists, Jews, broken-hearted Catholics, confused Baptists, Pentecostals, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Hindus alike.
While some of the people Kathie Lee has spoken with do not share her belief that Jesus is the Messiah—as prophesied for centuries by prophets in the Hebrew scriptures—they nonetheless have a universal fascination with Him. This singular man who lived more than two thousand years ago, and never traveled more than one hundred miles from where He was born, managed to change the entire world. Even the way we delineate history (BC/AD) comes from His short thirty-three years of life.
In The Jesus I Know, Kathie Lee shares cherished conversations that she's had with others who find Jesus to be an ancient historical figure who somehow continues to be an undeniably magnetic, relevant presence in the modern world. Those conversations include
Using Kathie Lee's favorite Scripture passages as scaffolding, these thought-provoking exchanges will bring His teachings to life before your very eyes.
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All of us are products of our upbringing and experiences, and whether we realize it or not, have come to believe things that aren't actually true. Those false beliefs hold us back. They are like recordings that constantly play in our minds, condemning us, accusing us, shaming us, and blaming us. Is it possible to silence these thoughts in our heads that have tied us up in knots for so long? Can we ever find peace?
Yes! The Bible promises we can be transformed by renewing our minds.
In Unraveling the Lie-Knots, Sheryl Giesbrecht Turner offers encouragement and hope for those who are ready to search out the truth in the Bible. She equips you with practical ways to uncover and dispel lies, even those you may have believed since childhood. She shows how, with the Holy Spirit's help, you really can untangle knots of deception, discover the lies behind fears, dispel depression, and defeat the effects of trauma.
Discover how to identify and unravel the lie-knots so that you can move forward and become a fruitful disciple of Jesus.
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My interview this week is a solo episode with myself, host, Cheryl Scruggs. Join me as I talk about thriving along with physical abundance.
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My interview this week is with Jamie Ivey. Jamie hosts a podcast called The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey, she lives in Austin, TX, is a wife to Aaron, and together they have four kids under the age of 13.
On the podcast this week I want to focus on an incredible book Jamie just finished writing entitled If You Only Knew: My Unlikely, Unavoidable Story of Becoming Free. Her book is scheduled to be released January 2018.
In this book, she is honest, vulnerable, and raw with personal stories about her walk from failure to freedom. Jamie travels and speaks to so many women and has learned that our stories, when seen through the eyes of the gospel, are not the obstacles to our freedom, they are the key to unlocking our freedom!
We talk about the enormous fear she faced being afraid people would know the real "Jamie:" could she step into a marriage, be a pastor's wife, lead youth, but inside be completely unsure if God even loved her?
As her story unfolds, she shares how God kept pursuing her and only through the grace of God, she began to change and learn to truly have an intimate relationship with Him.
Jamie challenges women to ask themselves; are you fearful others will only see you for things you've done, not what Jesus has done in you?
Here's my interview with Jamie Ivey.
Stacey Morgan is always ready with a funny or thoughtful story from her own life; whether it be holding down the home front during her husband's Special Forces military deployments, carpooling, working for the Smithsonian, skydiving, teaching her teens to drive, taking roller-skating lessons, or watching as her husband blasts into outer space. A women's ministry leader for over fifteen years, Stacey is an executive leadership coach for MOPS International. She and her husband, Army colonel and NASA astronaut Drew Morgan, have four children. A true story about making the most of your one incredible life! Stacey Morgan kissed her husband goodbye before he donned his space suit on July 20, 2019, and headed to his waiting Soyuz rocket. With an overwhelming mix of pride, excitement, and terror, she and her children held hands as they watched the rocket ignite and lift off for a nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station.
This is the story of the astronaut's wife—a journey full of unexpected twists and turns. While the love of her life orbited the Earth, Stacey embarked on a knock-your-socks-off adventure right here at home. This season was different from any Stacey had experienced before. The risks were greater, the loneliness was deeper, and the stress was more intense. Filled with both unique challenges and surreal opportunities, this deeply meaningful season taught her rich lessons about
THE Francine Rivers!
New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers has published numerous novels—all bestsellers—and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her novels have been awarded or nominated for many honors, and in 1997, after winning her third RITA Award for inspirational fiction, Francine was inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. In 2015, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Francine's novels have been translated into over 30 different languages, and she enjoys bestseller status in many foreign countries. She and her husband enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren.
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Sandi Brown, the founder and president of the largest Christian radio ministry in St. Louis, JOY FM, bravely reached out to a local therapist in 2019 as she loved God but did not like herself. Brown vulnerably opened-up to Dr. Michelle Caulk and for the first time spoke out loud about her past trauma, abuse, and struggle with self-love. The new book Healing Out Loud: How to Embrace God's Love When You Don't Like Yourselfby Brown and Dr. Caulk - assistant professor and director of clinical experiences at Huntington University – is a unique look at a one-year counseling journey from both sides of the couch: the client and the therapist.
For as long as she could remember, Brown had strong negative feelings towards herself. "I loved God, my family, and my job," Brown said. "I was also intellectually aware of the love they had for me. But for some unknown reason, I still felt unloved and unlovable – and like a complete failure. I didn't like myself and believed, in my own inner cave, that no one else did either."
Healing Out Loud captures the insecurities that many women face and creates an accessible path for readers to overcome their vulnerabilities while using biblical principles. Each chapter includes a journal entry from Brown processing her healing journey, Brown's reflections on that part of her story, and guided questions and reflections from Dr. Caulk centered around issues such as shame, grief, and fractured relationships.
A "Healing Map" created by Dr. Caulk is used as an outline throughout Healing Out Loud to guide the reader's journey from processing inner pain to liking oneself, loving God, and restoring relationships
Sandi Brown is the founder and President of Gateway Creative Broadcasting in St. Louis. She leads two radio stations, 99.1 JOY FM and BOOST Radio, with a combined weekly reach of over 500,000. Sandi's latest book is Healing Out Loud, and she's also the author of the devotionals A Little More Peace and Choose Joy. Sandi currently serves as chairperson for Christian Music Broadcasters. Previously, she worked as a writer and producer for Focus on the Family.
Dr. Michelle Caulk, LPC is a graduate of Argosy University with an M.A. in Mental Health Counseling. Michelle also obtained her doctorate of philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision, and is currently an Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Experiences at Huntington University in Indiana. Michelle currently lives in Chesterfield, Missouri, with her husband Jason. Healing Out Loud is her first book.
Psychiatrist and Ministry Leader Combine Their Clinical and Jesus-Centered Practices to Help End Suicide Epidemic
Associate Medical Director of Amen Clinics and Bestselling Christian Author Collaborate to Offer Strategies to Improve Brain Health in New Book, The Suicide Solution.
"There has never been a more important time in history for The Suicide Solution. It is written with practical solutions that provide a new way forward for this epidemic problem. I highly recommend it."
—Daniel Amen, M.D., founder of Amen Clinics and New York Times bestselling author
Washington, D.C. —Suicide is the second leading cause of death for those 10–34 years of age. With COVID-19, we've seen a scary increase in suicides, and if this horrific trajectory perpetuates, suicide will soon become the #1 killer of teens. Dr. Daniel Emina, a psychiatrist and associate medical. Dr. Emina's therapeutic practices reflect the findings from his clinic's database of brain scans—the largest in the world—including more than three hundred people who have attempted suicide. Combining these findings and years of practice—along with Lawrence's background as a sought-after Christian editor, author, and speaker—The Suicide Solution offers a unique approach to mental health through scientifically informed and theologically informed strategies.
"This book is for those struggling to find their way out of a cave of anxiety, depression, and 'suicidality'—and it's for anyone who cares for someone who's found themselves lost in that cave," write Dr. Emina and Lawrence. "Drawing from the transformational 'whole person' strategies of Jesus and informed by the clinical realities of anxiety, depression, and suicide, our hope is to help others embrace a narrative of life instead of death."
Throughout The Suicide Solution, the authors use computer hardware and software as metaphors for the body's biology and psychology to show how suicide is generally the culmination of a malfunction or failure of these two systems. Dr. Emina and Lawrence also include a vast array of simple, daily habits that enhance brain health—from walking barefoot outside to naming our negative self-stories.
Related Links:Rick Social Media:
Website: ricklawrence.com
Facebook: @rickskip
Dr. Emina Social Media:
Website: https://www.amenclinics.com/team/daniel-emina-m-d/
Instagram: @DocEminaMD
Emotional Abundance (Vulnerability) "My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves. And friends, once that's taken care of and we're no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we're bold and free before God (and others)!"
1 John 3:18-21
John 10:10 says this: (Amplified version)
10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].
What does it mean to have life more abundantly?
The term "abundant life" comes from the Bible verse John 10:10,
"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
"More abundantly" means to have a superabundance of a thing. "Abundant life" refers to life in its abounding fullness of joy and strength for spirit, soul and body.
Where in the Bible does it say live life to the fullest?
In the first 10 verses of John 10, Jesus addresses this important topic. He is discussing his role as the Good Shepherd and in verse 10 states his purpose on earth: "I came so that they could have life — indeed, so that they could have life to the fullest."
When I am talking about being vulnerable, what I'm not saying is you need to be vulnerable with the whole world or everyone!
Being able to be vulnerable needs the element of trust.
Definition of trust:
"…..firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone."
What does it mean to be fully known and fully loved?
Author Timothy Keller: "To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything."
What does it mean for God to know us?
Essentially, we are describing the fact that God knows everything! He has never discovered anything new because He has always known everything. ... Our God is omniscient. You won't find the word omniscience in the Bible, but what you do find is that God tells us in various ways that He knows EVERYTHING about us. He knows everything about you!"
Is that scary to you? Comforting? Peaceful? Anxiety creating?
From 0-10, how vulnerable do you think you are with your (what you consider) your closest inner circle, spouse if you have one, kids if this applies?
Do they truly know you?
Can u be vulnerable with Jesus and trust Him with your emotions?
This is where it starts……..trusting God, then trusting others.
How does this verse resonate with you? "Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way]."
Proverbs 3:5-6
How do you know if you are emotionally mature?
What are the key characteristics?
Are you willing to be known? Why or why not?
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