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
Excerpt from Thriving Beyond Belief: Courageous, Rooted, Thriving Women
Quote from Chapter 1:
"LIFE, MARRIAGE, SINGLENESS, WORK, PARENTING,
and relationships can be hard and the struggle is real. But I know women who are learning to thrive in the midst of it all. This book you're holding is an outlier. It frames thriving in a new way. And it paints a different picture of abundant living and prosperity than what you often hear.
My vision is for women to live an abundant life from the inside out in every area and practice the lost arts of being a vibrant human being. I envision woman who are energized and enjoying more of what matters most spiritually, emotionally, physically, mentally, and relationally. I want to show women in practical ways how to "be known" to themselves and to others as they really are and learn to be vulnerable. I've seen it happen time after time in my work with women over the years. Real, lasting satisfaction comes from women knowing who they are—and accepting what they discover about themselves. And it starts with knowing who God made them."
- Cheryl Scruggs, Author of the new book Thriving Beyond Belief
ResourcesSocial Media Links
Billie Jauss is an author, speaker, and podcaster. She encourages women to live with purpose while navigating life's obstacles. She provides biblical guidance helping women find peace and purpose. Billie and Dave, a Major League Baseball coach, spend the baseball season on the road and the off-season in southwest Florida.
Guest Links:Dr. Daniel Emina is a child/adolescent and adult psychiatrist and Associate Medical Director of Amen Clinics—a chain of nationally recognized outpatient healthcare clinics that has pioneered innovative techniques in mental health diagnosis and treatment. He's experienced in treatment for anxiety, suicidal ideation, mood disorders, addiction, ADD/ADHD, impulsive/disruptive behavior disorders, autism spectrum, psychotic disorders, OCD, PTSD, and TBI. Dr. Emina is a board member of the University of San Francisco's Center for Child and Family Development and a member of the One Hit Away Advisory Council. He's also a board member and treasurer for the Extended Arms Initiative in Los Angeles, a nonprofit organization focused on homeless outreach and overseas medical missions. Dr. Emina is married to Emily and has one daughter.
Rick Lawrence is an award-winning author, journalist, cultural researcher, editor, and national speaker. He's been executive editor of GROUP Magazine for 32 years. He creates and leads interactive learning experiences for church and cultural leaders, parents, and teenagers. Lawrence has authored hundreds of magazine articles and is the author, co-author, or editor of 39 books and curricula. He's the general editor and chief contributor of the bestselling Jesus-Centered Bible. He hosts the popular podcast Paying Ridiculous Attention to Jesus, now in its fifth year. He and his wife, Beverly Rose, have two daughters.
Guest Links:Laura L. Smith is a popular speaker and best-selling author, Smith speaks around the country sharing the love of Christ with women at conferences and events. She shares her own brokenness to write 'Restore My Soul: The Power and Promise of 30 Psalms', offering much-needed comfort and hope for others who are feeling broken and scared in a strife-torn world. She has selected 30 of the Bible's best-known psalms, including
Through her transparent, thoughtful reflections and a careful study of Scripture, Laura shares how experiencing these psalms allows her to open up to God about everything and turn her troubles into a time of worship.
With an interactive Restore segment at the end of each chapter and a Spotify playlist at the back of the book to go along with each psalm, she invites readers to let the Psalms have a similar effect in their lives. For Smith, Restore My Soul comes from a very personal and broken place. "I've been searching my whole life for beauty," she says. "Not in the world—the world is filled with beauty. But beauty in me? Well, that was another story."
Growing up, Laura's father repeatedly told her how ugly and awkward she was. How clumsy and gangly she was. How her voice was too high and too loud. He left her family numerous times over the years. Laura reflects now: "As a little girl I couldn't understand that my dad was the one struggling. I felt when he left, he was leaving me—that I wasn't good enough . . . and that I would never be good enough." Through high school and college and beyond, Laura jumped on the performance treadmill in desperation to find approval, love, acceptance. She also gave her heart away over and over again to various guys, hoping they would love her. "Each time there was a breakup," she says, "it just reminded me how unlovable I was. I felt even more ugly, more clumsy, and more desperate." At an extremely low point after college, God bent down and picked her up, reminding Laura that she was beautiful because He'd made her. He showed her that not only was she lovable—but fully loved. Always had been. Always would be. Despite what she'd done. Despite what she'd believed. "He restored my soul," she says. "And it was in this soul restoration, this discovering of my true beauty, that I realized my voice had been muffled for too long. And now I use my voice to share what I learned: That each of is marvelously made by the Creator of the universe to inspire awe.
No matter what the world tells you, no matter what you tell yourself, no one can rob you of the incredible true identity God has instilled in you. No one can cancel His great love for you." The Psalms help her remember these truths. "No matter what the psalmists experienced or felt," she says, "God was with them. He was faithful. He hemmed them in, picked them up, reminded them that they were fearfully and wonderfully made, stood over them like a watchman, led them to green pastures, and yes, restored their souls. He does the same for you and me." Restore My Soul: The Power and Promise of 30 Psalms is available July 5, 2022 everywhere books are sold.
Guest Links:"It's hard to be lonely, isn't it? To miss someone who should be here?"
Jodi Stuber wasn't looking for another horse for her struggling therapy ranch—let alone one like Solomon. After losing his herd, he was solitary and sad, spending his days standing near the plastic deer in his yard for company. No stranger herself to loss and heartache, Jodi knew she had to give Solomon a home.
The road to recovery wouldn't be easy. As Solomon struggled to fit in with his new herd and Jodi continued to navigate her own grief, the two developed a deep bond. But just as Jodi and Solomon were both beginning to heal, an unthinkable tragedy struck the therapy ranch. And Solomon was about to teach Jodi the greatest lesson of all.
Written by Jennifer Marshall Bleakley, author of Joey: How a Blind Rescue Horse Helped Others Learn to See, Project Solomon is a powerful story of resilience, sacrifice, and love that reminds us all how much we matter—to each other and to God.
Guest Links:Dr. Amanda Porter is an introvert and writer who is passionate about faith, hope, mental wellness, and recovery. As a nurse practitioner who specializes in Integrative Mental Health, Amanda diagnoses, treats, and prescribes medication to patients of all ages, of every diagnosis, and across all levels of care. She is board-certified in internal medicine, psychiatry/mental health, and addictions and practices at the nationally renowned Lindner Center of HOPE, a freestanding mental health center associated with the local academic medial center, the University of Cincinnati.
Amanda earned her PhD in Mind-Body Medicine from Saybrook University, where her dissertation studies examined the biological basis of depression. She lives in a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband, Joseph, who is a filmmaker and director at Whitewater Crossing Christian Church. Together, Amanda and Joseph have two kids, a boxer mix named Marley, and a COVID cat named Izzy.
Follow Amanda on Instagram @AmandaPorterNP or on her website, AmandaPorterNP.com.
Guest Links:Author and Speaker Daniel Ritchie Helps Christians Cultivate Patience in 'Endure'
Born Without Arms, Ritchie Combines His Personal Experience with Biblical Truth to Encourage Readers to Run the Race
In a culture permeated by the "microwave mentality" and accustomed to getting what we want instantaneously, author and speaker Daniel Ritchie reminds Jesus followers of the importance of patience.
Born without arms, Ritchie has spent his entire life living in a world meant for hands without having the benefit of them. Everything he learned to do in his formative years was an uphill battle of trial and error. While there were several victories, he notes he was marked by consistent failure.
Ritchie's life radically changed at the age of 15 when he accepted Christ. While he admits failure was still a very present part of his life, so was his strong God.
"The circumstances that triggered my inner wounds were still the same, but I now had a way of navigating it all with hope," said Ritchie. "There was no instantaneous fix to the issues of my life, but there was an instant Advocate and Lord with me through it all. My initial assumptions about the speed at which God was going to change my brokenness were totally wrong, but that did not mean He was distant from me. It only meant that He was at work in my life by His means and His timeline. And that is a good thing."
Using his own personal experiences interwoven with case studies of three biblical men whose patience was tried by God – Paul, Abraham and Joseph – Ritchie helps readers of "Endure" understand how patience is necessary for the Christian life.
Guest Links:ABOUT LAUREN and laurenscruggskennedy.com
i started the space LAURENSCRUGGSKENNEDY.COM in 2017 with the hope to cultivate a space where i could share my expertise on healthy living and my passion for vulnerability, style, clean beauty, and nutritious recipes. since then life has expanded in so many ways – i've learned so much, been connected with so many knowledgeable people, inspirational companies, and earth-conscious brands, and my passions have only taken DEEPER ROOTS.
i have been lucky enough to pursue what I call a "LIFESTYLE ROOTED IN BALANCE" as this journey continues, my hope is to further share with you EASY and UNDERSTANDABLE ways to pursue a LIFESTYLE of clean, healthy, and achievable living.
LAUREN'S LINKS:How can you celebrate and thank the mom in your life for all she does? The one who has loved you as a mom or is the mom of your children deserves to know how valuable she is.
In their new gift book/devotional, I Love You, Mom! Cherished Word Gifts from My Heart to Yours (Tyndale House, March 22), mother-daughter duo, Blythe Daniel and Dr. Helen McIntosh, join together to celebrate all things, mom. Perfect for Mother's Day, birthdays, or "just because," this beautifully designed gift book/devotional helps moms to know how much they are loved and appreciated.
This sweet collection of sentiments from mother-daughter duo Helen McIntosh and Blythe Daniel is a deeply sincere tribute to moms everywhere. Whether they are still on the parenting journey or enjoying the grandmothering phase of life, moms of all ages will be blessed and encouraged by these inspirational thoughts and special affirmations of love. Beautifully designed with cheerful full-color artwork in a unique layered hardcover package, this special all-occasion gift is a thoughtful, meaningful way to celebrate Mom and let her know how much you love, cherish, and appreciate all that she is and does!
Using Scripture and personal narrative, Courageously Expecting empathizes with and empowers women to face a pregnancy after loss with faith and courage, despite inevitable feelings of grief and fear that accompany life after losing a baby.
Pregnancy is widely regarded as the most joyful time in a woman's life, but for the mother who has experienced pregnancy loss, a subsequent pregnancy can feel like she's holding her breath and hoping for what she can't control. In Courageously Expecting, Jenny Albers meets women in this difficult season as someone who has also experienced the worst and cautiously hoped for the best. Through the telling of her own story, Scripture, and heartfelt prayer, she encourages readers to cling to faith in the face of fear and guides them to:
Regardless of where readers are on their pregnancy after loss journey, Courageously Expecting is a companion to help them through the days when fear overshadows hope.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
