As summer comes to a close we know you are getting back into your fall routines. This likely means you are busier and you still need to make dinner.
The problem is what to make? Amiright?
Krista and Alex talk through their own pantry staples, what they consider a great weeknight meal, and then ten actual dinner ideas that are healthy, taste good, and most of all SIMPLE!
Listen in to get ideas going and find recipe links below. Because dinner should be nourishing for those who eat it and enjoyable for those who make it.
IDEAS, RECIPES AND SUCH MENTIONED ON THE EPISODE:
1. Garlic Spinach Shrimp (with or without Orzo)
3. “Healing Chicken Noodle Soup” from Food Family Style: Simple and Tasty Recipes for Everyday Life by Leigh Vickery
2 Tbs. olive oil
3/4 cup celery, diced
1 – 1 1/4 cups carrots, diced
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 qts. chicken stock
2 1/2 cups wide egg noodles
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 tsp. fresh thyme
Heat oil in large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add celery, carrots, onion, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Slowly pour in chicken stock. Bring to a boil, and add egg noodles. Stir once, and allow noodles to cook 10 minutes (do not overcook). Add chicken and thyme and heat through. Serve hot.
4. Lemon Garlic Salmon or Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon
Half-baked harvest salmon bowls recipe
5. Taco Salad (old school, but customizable and really can be yummy also back to what we always have in stock)
6. Sheet pan lemon chicken or sheet pan Kielbasa with roasted vegetables
7. Mediterranean Plate (olives, hummus, pita, gyros meat or prosciutto, cheeses, crackers, fruit)
Homemade hummus recipe
8. Meatball Soup or meatball Subs or Spag and meatballs
9. The formula = protein + carb + veggies allows for mix and match anything (pork chops, chicken, sausage, steak) (quinoa, potatoes, cous cous, rice, and BREAD), salad / veggies (just don’t forget to use them!)
10. Zucchini boat pizzas (can do homemade pizzas on premade crusts or TJ flatbread pizzas)
BONUS: CURRY!
Episode 201 Fall Kitchen Series: The Everyday Table with Abby and April
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:
-What are three staples you can add to your pantry that you can always have on hand?
-What are three go-to meals you can use in a pinch?
-What are three new recipes you’d like to try?
The start of the new school year also signals each of us to get back to our routines. Whether we have kids in school or not, it’s a natural time to hit the reset button.
In this episode we talk about getting one percent better, how to make our brain work for us rather than against us, what daily habits matter and how we can cast a vote towards who we want to become.
We learn to boss our brains and make pre-decisions that help us get to where we want to go. If you are wanting to reset your mind and systems this fall, you’ll love this conversation.
SOME THINGS YOU HEARD ON THE SHOW:
Atomic Habits by James Clear
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Krista’s Daily Dozen Checklist
Kelly Minter’s podcast episode
Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith’s podcast episode on rest
QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE
Take some time to journal or talk through these.
- What is one area where you are 2 degrees off?
- How can you course correct in this area?
- What pre-decisions or pre-decision do you need to make?
- In what area do you need to boss your brain?
- What is the one change you want above all others in your routine this fall?
LET’S CONNECT!
Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend.
Or message us on Instagram – we’d love to hear from you!
Sometimes the signs of a growing season are not exactly what we're looking for.
When we think growth we don't always think discomfort, but the term "growing pains" exists for a reason.
In this episode we talk through disappointment, feeling stuck, frustration, loneliness, and letting go.
Whew! That's quite a list.
It's also an opportunity to check your circumstances and ask if there is an opportunity for growth.
As we talk about rising up to meet life's challenges, this episode names the what and the how of that process which in the end can result in personal growth.
And isn't that what we want? To grow to be the best version of ourselves that God is calling forward when we meet these uncomfortable circumstances.
It is our time to rise.
Follow Ashley
On Instagram, TikTok, or check out her website
Listen to this episode
On iTunes or watch it here:
Things mentioned on this episode
Proverbs 31 Ministries
Ashley's new book Tired of Trying: How to Hold On To God When You're Frustrated, Fed Up, and Feeling Forgotten
Questions for reflection
- Are you feeling frustrated, forgotten, or lonely? What circumstances have led to those feelings? Where might there be a place for you to rise up and grow?
- Has God hurt your feelings recently? Write out a prayer that tells him with full honesty how you are feeling.
- Where is one area of your life where you are letting go? How does it offer new space for something new?
We are back after a month off talking about how to create a culture of joy with author and leader Jen Jones.
In this episode we discuss what joy is, how to tap into it, and what it looks like to build culture around it, in our families and in the workplace.
As we turn the corner into a new upcoming school year, let’s lead with joy!
SOME THINGS YOU HEARD ON THE SHOW
Joy is an elevated perspective
Galatians 5:22- being connected to God results in abounding JOY
QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE UP
- What circumstance is robbing your joy?
- How would your perspective change if you made a decision to focus on God in the midst of this circumstance, rather than focusing on the circumstance itself?
- What is something practical you can do to help create a culture of joy in your home?
- What is something practical you can do to help create a culture of joy in your workplace?
- How can you remind yourself daily to hold onto an “elevated perspective?”
Embracing change. It can hurt.
It can be awkward. And it often doesn't come naturally, but embracing the prickly reality of change is the best tactic when dealing with a change we can't avoid.
This week Alex and Krista talk about facing change. In so many ways we know that change is inevitable, and yet we try to avoid it. We fight against it. But what's the point of fighting it if we know it's coming?
Let's embrace it!
This can feel like hugging a cactus.
Why would we want to embrace something so difficult? Because it's better to accept it and move forward, than resist the inevitable. Living with a lens of opportunity gives change a new purpose. It means we can grow! With God's help we can hug that cactus!
Don't miss the conversation between Alex and Krista as they talk about how they are facing changes today.
Mentioned on this show
Interior Freedom by Jacques Philippe
From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life by Arthur Brooks
Questions for Reflection
- How are you facing change right now?
- How are you feeling about the change
- Is there an opportunity for growth for you in your current change?
Do you struggle with caring too little about clothes?
Do you stand in front of your closet and say “I have nothing to wear!”?
Do you keep clothes that are two sizes too small in hopes that you will one day fit in them again?
Do you not know what to buy for your wardrobe so all of your clothes will go together?
If you’ve ever asked any of these questions, this episode is for you! Come learn about how to navigate the world of fashion from a healthy, faith-centered perspective.
Jammie Baker, a professional stylist, joins us today to give us her best tips and tricks.
SOME THINGS YOU HEARD ON THE SHOW
Know your body shape + bring in your natural waist
Sam Ettelman – Oatmeal suede heel
Heel inserts – Dr. Sholls or Vivian Lu
Trouser pant with elastic waist
How to create an intermixable wardrobe: 4 core neutrals + 3-4 colors + a couple of prints
QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE:
- How can you better dress for your body type?
- What “weight” can you let go of when it comes to your closet?
- How can you be more strategic about putting your closet together?
- How can you change your mindset to be more positive when it comes to your body and clothes? Be specific and create mantras you can tell yourself!
“One of the biggest problems is that women don’t transition our closet when our life or body transitions.” – Jammie Baker
We all do it. We look at someone else and bring out the mental measuring stick.
Connect with Sarah
Sarah's New Book
Questions for Reflection to Help You Rise
Life is full of both good and grief. Play and pain. Laughter and tears.
As part of our new podcast format, we will occasionally bring you an episode we call Fun & Fire. Where we talk about one light-hearted thing we are loving these days, which is bringing fun to our actual lives, and one thing that is keeping us up at night and maybe motivating us toward change or at least getting the fire going.
We are airing our first Fun & Fire episode this week where we are literally talking about fun (party tips) and fire (gunfire in schools.) We won't always be so literal in these themes of fun and fire, but this round we are. Our Time to Rise brings with it intentionality and responsibility. This is meant to give you a little more insight into how we're approaching our days, what is silly and sad in our everyday.These are what fuel the topics we select. We hope you enjoy our first ever Fun & Fire.
We'd love to hear what YOUR fun and fires are right now? What is keeping you up at night? What is making your day more enjoyable?
Give us your fun and fire.
A few things mentioned on the show:
Balloon arch form
Reflection questions to help you rise:
Fun:
- What makes a party enjoyable for you as a guest? As a host?
- Who can you recruit to co-host your next event?
- What can you keep as a fun task for yourself and what can you outsource?
Fire:
- Where do you feel the impact of gun violence in your life?
- What can YOU do to make kids safer in your community?
- Who is already doing something to make a change that you believe in that you can join?
We are stepping off of Memorial Day and into SUMMER!
Who's ready?!
If you're waving your hand in the air, then this episode is for you.
If you're slowly lifting your hand because you're not sure if you're ready, then this episode is for you.
If you are shaking your head, wondering how you are so unprepared, then this episode is for you.
Shawna Sullivan is back to continue the conversation about being intentional with our time in the summer months with kids at home. We pick up right where we ended in the Part 1 episode, so go listen to that first if you haven't already.
In this episode we talk about:
-Life lesson benefits of side-by-side time
-How to create alone time for everyone in your home
-Shawna's summer rhythm of rotating through the different types of time
-Inviting friends, for both moms and kids, along on your activities
-The concept of easy plus one to add the "special" to any part of your day
-Offering kids loose structure as a jumping off point for their creativity
-Using summer as a time to recalibrate to our family's values
If summer feels overwhelming, this episode will give you the confidence to know that it's your time to rise. You can meet the new challenges that summer months bring, and not only meet them, but see them as opportunities for new ways to connect and grow. We are so glad you are joining us in this conversation about smart strategies for summer.
Summer's coming.
And it's coming fast.
Moms need some smart strategies to get us through. Why? Because summer has different rhythms, expectations, and needs. And every summer our kids are different ages than they were in summers past. The old ways may no longer work. It's our time to rise.
In this two-episode conversation, we invite Shawna Sullivan to share her strategies for getting things done while also enjoying her kids. We cover:
-Family principles to fall back on when planning
-How summer offers a reset for time together
-Planning with the end goal in mind
-Doing a family inventory of what an "enjoyable summer" looks like
-On days and off days during summer months
-Face-to-face vs. side-by-side vs. alone time for moms and kids
We are having this conversation NOW, before summer has completely snuck up on us. And the great news is there will be more next week with Part Two!
Get Shawna's free download
As mentioned on the show, Shawna has created a resource for Our Time to Rise podcast listeners. Grab her Ten Simple Strategies to help you enjoy summer rather than dread it or regret it. You can download the here.
Connect with Shawna
Listen here
On iTunes
Questions to help you rise up
For journaling or reflecting with friends, here are some questions to help you rise up to meet what summer presents.
- What do I have time for that I haven’t had time for in the last season?
2. What could I focus on with my kids this summer?
3. At the end of the summer when someone asks me how my summer was, how would I like to answer?
4. What are the principles that
In part two of Rising to Reinvention, Alex and Krista dive right into what keeps us stuck, naming the role of fear in shackling progress. They also give practical tips and tricks to utilize when approaching new or challenging circumstances or situations.
As they explore the process of reinvention, they reveal when transformation happens, how long it takes, and what it requires.
And who needs to stop overthinking and overanalyzing decisions? Yeah, they tackle that too.
If you missed part one, be sure to go back and listen. We can all benefit from some reinvention!
SOME THINGS YOU HEARD ON THE SHOW
Podcast episode with Crystal Woodman Miller Columbine Survivor
Dr. Amy Cuddy Power Pose Ted Talk
Spokane Pivot (Moth storyslam)
“The good work of change happens while we are in motion. It’s a process that we go through. Reinvention is a series of small steps that reinvigorates our internal life.” — Krista Gilbert
QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE UP – ANSWER THESE IN A JOURNAL OR WITH A FRIEND.
- In what area is fear making your decision for you?
- Where are you in “the gap?” How can you shift your thinking to be in “the gain?”
- What area could you focus on for twelve weeks and who could help you get “in motion?”
LET’S CONNECT!
CONNECT WITH US ON INSTAGRAM AND BE SURE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER TO STAY IN THE LOOP.
We are kicking off the rebranded podcast, Our Time to Rise, talking about REINVENTION.
With change come opportunity.
We get to evaluate where we are, where we want to be, and figure out how to move forward with hope, optimism, courage, and faith.
This is part one of a two part mini-series on how we reinvent ourselves, what stops us from doing so, and how we overcome obstacles and rise to the moment we are given.
You are going to love this topic – dive in with us and let’s rise together!
SOME THINGS YOU HEARD ON THE SHOW
Ken Wytsma podcast interview on Create vs. Copy
Isaiah 43:19: "See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."
From Psychology Today: On Women and Anger
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
Dr. Sasha Shillcut interview on boundaries
“We undertake all things as if we were establishing immortality for ourselves on earth. If we see a dead body, we may philosophize briefly about the fleeting nature of life, but the moment we turn away from the sight the thought of our own perpetuity remains fixed in our minds. Death is an abstraction to us, something technically true but unimaginable as a personal reality.”
16th-century Protestant theologian, John Calvin
Questions to Help Us RISE UP
(answer these in a journal or with a friend)
- Do an evaluation: where are you? your age, your situation, your stage, your marital status, your job, your kids, your general well being? How do you feel about where you are? Is this where you want to be?
- In what area do you want to move off autopilot and do something differently? What is that area? How can you get uncomfortable and get in a new space?
- Where are you overwhelmed by your reinvention and how can you pick one thing to focus on for 90 days.
CONNECT WITH US ON INSTAGRAM AND BE SURE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER TO STAY IN THE LOOP.
Our Time to Rise is a podcast talking about rising to meet life challenges, seasons, opportunities, and changes with strength, courage, optimism, and faith.
Join popular podcast hosts, Krista Gilbert and Alexandra Kuykendall, as they explore stories, topics, practical ideas, and challenges, and unpack what it looks like to rise to the moment.
Subscribe for updates.
Today is the day! We are announcing the new name of our podcast!
The Open Door Sisterhood is not going anywhere – our retreats will still be called The Open Door Sisterhood Retreats – but the podcast is going to have it’s own name.
On today’s episode we discuss the five reasons we decided to change the name, the names that didn’t make the cut, and we announce the name that was decided upon in two minutes.
We can’t wait to share this with you! Look at us embracing growth and change – let’s do this TOGETHER!
What is something we all need? We do every day? That God made us to do? Sleep!
And yet many of us struggle with getting consistent, quality sleep. Dr. Val is here to the rescue. An M.D. and a sleep specialist, she works with women on creating sleep habits that allow them to be more effective in the world (ahem...world changers for good right where they are.) She joins us in an informative conversation about our sleep challenges and how they change as we age.
Here's the good news: Dr. Val says it doesn't have to be hard! We talk through sleep apnea in women, wind down routines that train our minds and bodies to know it's time for bed, and ways to tell our thoughts they are not welcome at 3:00a.m. If good sleep feels impossible to attain, this practical conversation will explain some of the common challenges women face and small changes we can make to feel more rested tomorrow.
Connect with Dr. Val
Her free checklist of questions to ask your doctor if you're exhausted
A few things mentioned on the show
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
Sleep Is a Skill podcast
Next week
Our big announcement!!! The new name of the podcast will be released and we'll share all of our thinking behind it.
We make a million tiny decisions every day. When our home systems are not strong, those small decisions can become big ones. We can't find the keys. We don't know if we have any tuna. We wonder where that belt has gone. We did have a belt like that right?
When our home systems are strong, our home is working for us rather than us working for our homes and stuff. Professional organizer, Morgan Tyree, returns to the sisterhood to talk about her tips for the hot spots around the house. From the kitchen to the garage, she gives us common trip up points and how we can maximize those areas to work for us.
We can't change some things about our homes, but we can influence what comes into them on the front end and then how we organize what stays. No matter your space set up, Morgan covers how you can make your home work for you rather than you working for your home. That is leading your life in your home!
Connect with Morgan
On her website, Instagram, or Podcast
Listen to this episode
A few things mentioned on the show
Erasable labels from the Container store
Morgan's books Take Back Your Time, Your Hospitality Personality
We hear about the idea of shame, it's a concept that has been talked about a lot the last few years. How do we define it? What is shame? And how should we address it?
Our guest on this episode, Jasmine Holmes, describes shame as the feeling or need to hide, much like humanity felt in the Garden of Eden when sin entered the world. As we leave our Easter celebrations behind us on the calendar, we can remember the victory we find in Christ.
Jesus's resurrection makes a new way for us. This hope and renewal can be true in our shame journeys as well. When we remember the freedom we have in God's grace we can move forward without hiding from God.
Jasmine Holmes is a mom to three young boys, teaches history, and writes from her home in Jackson, Mississippi. In this conversation, Jasmine walks us through some questions to ask ourselves when we feel the need to hide, and some proactive steps we can take as fallen people to be held accountable by a trusted community of people who love us.
Identifying and working through shame is not a one and done experience, but a process we work out throughout our lives. Jasmine's perspectivepoints us to move toward Christ, instead of hiding from him, when we get those feelings that we've done something wrong. He knows us and loves us already.
We hear about the idea of shame, it's a concept that has been talked about a lot the last few years. How do we define it? What is shame? And how should we address it?
A few things mentioned on the show
The Pilgrim's Progress (modern English version)
The Soul of Shame by Dr. Curt Thompson
Changes That Heal by Henry Cloud
Brene Brown: We Need to Talk About Shame
Jasmine's new book: Never Cast Out: How the Gospel Puts an End to the Story of Shame
Part two of our Lead Your Mindset episodes, today we discuss
+confidence
+why failure and discomfort are catalysts for deep change and growth
+who we can learn from in the world of mindset
+three things we can start doing today to develop and grow our thinking.
Emily Love, life coach and thought leader, is back to help us sort all of this out.
And Krista Gilbert, also a life coach, weighs in on how to structure our morning routine and set our intentions and mindset for the day ahead.
Change your mindset, change your life.
Join us!
Find Emily on her website or Instagram.
SOME THINGS YOU HEARD ON THE SHOW
Self Doubt Questions:
Can I?
Will I?
Do I?
We can turn those into statements:
I can (show up to this meeting professionally)
I am (willing to do hard things)
I will (show up confidently to this event / meeting)
I do (believe in the gifts God has given me and the abilities I have)
“Discomfort is the price of admission to a meaningful life.”
“Pain is the greatest motivator for growth.”
MINDSET INFLUENCES
MINDSET MANTRAS
Matthew 10:29
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Love + Light
“Discomfort is the price of admission to a meaningful life.”
Essence Words: exuberance, wisdom, magic, radiance, love
Sasha Shillcut interview on Boundaries
3 THINGS TO START DOING TODAY FOR MINDSET
- HUNT THE GOOD – Write 3 good things and WHY they happened.
- Write up a T chart – write up the lie and the truth (what we want to be true or what is true)
- Ask these five questions:
what lights my heart on fire?
what keeps me up at night?
what makes me stand out in a crowed room?
what have I dreamt about doing but I’ve never done?
what do other people tell me that I’m good at?
Krista's MORNING MAGIC ROUTINE
- Get 7 hours of sleep
- Get up when your alarm goes off – don’t push snooze
- Practice visualization for 30 seconds
- Spend 10 min. to 1 hour setting intentions for the day and reflecting / spending time with yourself.
- Practice specific gratitude
- Move your body
- Harness the Progress Principle by choosing how you will move one step forward in something you care about
Our thoughts determine our lives. They are that important.
This is why mindset matters. We can’t talk about leading our lives without first talking about leading our mindset.
Emily Love, a certified life coach and thought leader, offers valuable thoughts around how we identify our mindset, how we call out lies we’re believing, what role feelings play, and how we can use a mindset shift to change how we are moving through the world.
Then Krista, also a life coach, chimes in afterwards about resetting the brain and how to use visualization to help set an upward spiral in motion in your thinking and life.
You cannot miss this episode. If you want your life to be better on any level, this episode will help you do that.
Find Emily on her website or Instagram.
SOME THINGS YOU HEARD ON THE SHOW
Mindset – an established set of attitudes held by someone; Your mindset is what you believe to be true about yourself, others, and the world.
Susan David – feelings are a signpost
Mindset for kids:
Right before a test, what do you think?
When you head to that test, here is what you can believe about yourself: I can do this – I’ve prepared.
What would be the ideal thing you would want your coach to say? Now the parent can become the voice of what the child is really hoping to hear.
We are taking a unique look at adventure today as we continue in our Lead Your Life series.
You've probably heard of the hero's journey in literature. On this episode we discuss our own hero's journey and what change, adventure, risk, fear, other people, and God have to do with it.
Jessie Cruickshank holds a degree from Harvard in Mind, Brain, and Education.
She is also a nationally recognized expert in disciple making and the neuroscience of transformation. Added to that resume is mountaineering and a background in outdoor education.
If you want to be encouraged to live a better. more adventurous story - join us for this episode!
SOME THINGS YOU HEARD ON THE SHOW:
Stages of faith development - James Fowler
Starting with IDENTITY:
Fill in "I am" statements.....
Consider - what is the story God is inviting me into?
The hero's journey - Joseph Campbell : Universal narrative that humans repeat in the arc of storytelling
- A person who is called to an adventure
- Who turns down the adventure
- But then life compels her to reconsider and take the challenge
- She meets a guide and a goes on the path.
- On the way she transforms from ordinary to a hero.
Question: Where are you on the hero's journey?
Adventure is the invitation to move outside our comfort zone (physical, emotional, social, spiritual chanllenge)
We continue to talk on the podcast about leading our lives. Prayer brings us into continued relationship with God as we consider how he wants us to move forward. Not only that, when we pray with Scripture, we are being transformed in the process because God's word changes us!
On this episode of the Open Door Sisterhood podcast we sit down with Jodie Berndt who for decades has been helping women learn to pray using Scripture. Jodie shares her own story about how using Scripture as a building block for her prayers gave them extra power and made them more interesting. This new way of praying helped her see the Bible has something to say about EVERY aspect of our lives.
You don't want to miss this honest and tender interview as we talk through common roadblocks women face when praying. We remind each other that God wants to hear our prayers. No topic is off limits with him. Noone is disqualified from coming to God. He wants to hear from us. Jodie ends our time by praying with us. When you push play you will not only hear about prayer, you will experience it with the sisterhood.
Connect with Jodie
On her website or on Instagram
A few things mentioned on the show
Jodie's books:
Praying the Scriptures for Your Children
Praying the Scriptures for Your Teens
Praying the Scriptures for Your Adult Children
Praying the Scriptures for Your Life
Praying the Scriptures for Your Marriage
Sign up for our email list HERE
When we are looking at leading our lives, one of the first places to peek under the hood is time management. How we spend our minutes, hours, and days adds up to a life, and usually we aren’t spending them they way we’d really like to when we take an honest look.
Today Crystal Paine, the Money Saving Mom, joins us to discuss how she gets it all done in a week using her 6:2 system, how to use get enough sleep, drink enough water, and track our habits. Crystal is a woman who runs a full time business, has six children, volunteers at her church, and writes books - her latest on time management.
She is sharing her secrets today and we all get to benefit.
If you want to lead a more intentional life with your time, this episode will help!
Some things you heard on the show:
Crystal’s new book Time Saving Mom
CRYSTAL’S 6:2 PRIORITY AREAS
Friendships / Relationships
Home
Marriage
Business
Kids
Health
Monica Swanson knows what it means to be intentional in relationships at home. She makes decisions with the end goal in mind. She wants kids who love God, like each other, and are helpful by default. Those end goals shape their daily rhythms, how they talk to each other, and even their vacations. We dive right into the Lead Your Life series talking about family relationships because if ever there was a place where we need some intention, it's with those right around us.
Monica comes to us from the Aloha state. A mom to four sons who are growing and leaving home, she is able to look back a bit and evaluate what helped their family get where it is today. There was intentional time together, both as a family, but also with siblings. Their family culture didn't just happen, she and her husband Dave made decisions on purpose. Whether you have mental roadblocks to making some changes at home or logistical ones, Monica gives us the pep talk we need to face what might be holding us back from leading our families in the way we want them to go. This is a part practical, part inspirational conversation that you don't want to miss.
Sometimes the things that matter most to us, get our leftover attention. By leftover we mean the time we have left after all of the pressing things are taken care of. The people in our homes deserve our intentional best. Monica gives us some practical next steps to lead our family relationships. And as we say on the episode, we KNOW she lives what she teaches. She gets us. She knows what it's like to lead a family with intention.
Connect with Monica
On her website, on Instagram, or on her podcast
A few things mentioned
Monica's new book Raising Amazing: Bringing Up Kids Who Love God, Like Their Family, And Do The Dishes Without Being Asked
The latest research on girls and anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation
Our 24 Family Ways: A Family Devotional Guide by Clay Clarkson
Foundations: 12 Biblical Truths to Shape a Family by Ruth Chou Simons
Krista's coaching services
We are starting a new series today called LEAD YOUR LIFE! For this first episode, Alex and Krista are diving into WHY leading our lives is better than defaulting to life – which is so easy to do.
In this episode we explore why each day is a new opportunity to lead our lives better than yesterday, how different people respond to change, and some areas we are doing well, and some not so well.
Giving some of our best resources for growth, we focus on how to take next, small steps in our actual lives. We are excited to dive into this new series with you!
SOME THINGS YOU HEARD ON THE SHOW
The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth
5 Different Kinds of Fear:
- Fear of failure
- Fear of trading security for the unknown
- Fear of being overextended financially
- Fear of what others will say or think
- Fear that success will alienate peers
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!
We announced last week and that Alex and Krista are available to bring the magic of the Sisterhood retreats to YOUR group!
They are taking their proven strategies and are available for hire to come run a group retreat for your:
- leadership team
- work team
- donors
- executive directors
- ministry groups
- friends
If you are interested, email krista@theopendoorsisterhood.com for more information.
It only happens once a year. It’s not Christmas, but it might feel like it as Alex and Krista give you their best tips, reads, recipes, and fashion items they’ve collected over the last year.
It’s the annual Things We Love episode for the Open Door Sisterhood Podcast!
Yes, we are ready with our favorite lip gloss combo (aka “the triple threat”), our must reads, and the sneakers that make teenagers' heads turn (in a good way!) These are things we love and because we're sisters, we're sharing them with you.
We laugh at ourselves a lot in this one (because, hello, we can be ridiculous). We hope this love vibe shines through the airwaves as you push play this Valentine's Day!
Our favorite things you heard about on the show
BEAUTY
Here’s the triple threat combo from Emily Love’s sister Ashley.
-Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips Lipstick Kim KW – Nude
-Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lip Liner – Iconic Nude
-Fenty Glass Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer – Fussy
Cetaphil daily oil-free facial moisturizer Spf 35
Cerave Skin renewing night cream
GIFTS TO GIVE
30 oz. Stanley Cup in cream $30
Stoneware kitchen sink caddy $15 (can put spray or dish soap and wooden scrub brush )
FAVORITE HOME ITEMS OR DECOR
Smith & Hawken Outdoor black lanterns (I use them inside and outside)
IN THE KITCHEN
Over sink roll up dish drying rack
Magnolia Clear Glass Mixing Bowls
9 x 13 ruffled ceramic baking dish by Crate and Barrel
APPS OR WEBSITES
Gametime (ticket deals for events)
Going.com (formally Scott’s Cheap Flights)
CLOTHING
Nuuly subscription – I’m trying it ($88 for 6 styles)
Costco bras – Bali
FAVORITE TIP
- Put a dash of bleach in your water for flowers to kill bacteria and they’ll last longer
- Make any drink fun with fresh berries, mint, and sparkling something
- Paint and new light fixtures changes any room
FAVORITE NETFLIX OR PRIME
Enola Holmes (Netflix)
The Swimmers (Netflix)
The Rings of Power (Prime)
FAVORITE INSTAGRAM INSPO
hidingintheclosetwithcoffee Amy Betters-Midtvet
MUST READS
The God Shot by Tara Leigh Cobble
The Culture Code: The Secrets of HIghly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle
I Guess I Haven’t Learned that Yet by Shauna Niequist
Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple
MUST MAKE RECIPES
Italian Sausage White Bean Soup – The soup recipe I made up for my friend’s going away party that now everyone loves (Ariana’s Going Away Soup)
Rave Reviews Dip – one of my easiest apps
Almond cherry scones (Easter coming up)
Thank you to our sponsor for this episode
WE'RE ABOUT GOSPEL-CENTERED ENCOURAGEMENT
Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Philippians 4:8
We Create Thoughtful Content, Beautifully Designed.
The Truly Co is a team of women who have purposefully declared where we put our trust as we wrestle with our faith. In a world filled with confusion, chaos, and depression, we choose to walk by faith and be led by the Holy Spirit. Jesus is our source. He is our rock. And we share our stories of the things he has done in our lives. We are friends, sisters, mothers, and daughters. We are creatives, writers, business leaders, and human-lovers who are in various life stages. We invite you to join us. We love partnering with amazing women (that’s you!) as we share our voices through writing, photography, and podcasts or video.