Made for Hope: Conversations for Christian Women

Do you struggle to overcome shame or past failures? Is is hard for you to celebrate small wins?

Today, we welcome life coach Taryn Nergaard who will help us to understand how to process shame and failure in a healthier way. She’ll teach us how to celebrate our progress, no matter how small.

You’re going to find so much encouragement as we chat about the common pitfalls around failure and discouragement and how to break free from them.

In this episode you’ll:

-Learn to find freedom from perfection

-Change your mindset so you focus on progress

-Get practical tools to help you celebrate your wins

Her strategies will empower you to make positive changes you can implement today.

Episode links:

Taryn’s Website

For those who have gone through infertility, you know what a grief trigger Mother's Day can be. It can bring up disappointment, hurt, and messy, complex feelings. But here's the part we don't always talk about: there can also be joy.

Thelma Nienhuis writes about grief, infertility, and extending permission and acceptance for those in the midst of the storm. In this episode we talk about:

—why infertility is grief too (and why we’re reluctant to name it that way)

—how to honor grief in your life and build traditions that allow you to grieve

—why you should extend permission to yourself on Mother’s day and other triggering events

—how we can best support those going through infertility

—finding joy in the place where you’re at.

Links mentioned in the show:

How can we care for our souls in the midst of difficulty? What tools can we use when we’re stuck in negativity, bitterness, grief, and more?

On this episode, Kristin Vanderlip will show us how to use tools to help us become unstuck from our negative emotions. Kristin is a writer who experienced the loss of a child and learned the value of healing through journaling and practicing soul care.

We chat about the proven benefits of journaling and what soul care practices help us to shift our mindsets, change our negative thinking and invite God into our experiences.

Learn how:

-Writing things down improves our health

-Certain practices can shift your attitude and emotions

-To invite God into your practices of writing things down

-To assemble a toolkit for soul care

EPISODE LINKS:

Find Kristin's Life Worth Living Journal and Kids' Journals here:

Do you ever wonder what makes a great Bible study group?

In this podcast episode, I’m joined by Cyndee Ownbey, the author of Rethinking Women's Ministry: Biblical, Practical Tools for Cultivating a Flourishing Community. Cyndee serves as a mentor to thousands of women’s ministry leaders through her website, podcast and Facebook community, Women’s Ministry Toolbox.

In this episode we discuss:

-the benefits of a group study

-how groups make an impact on women personally

-why they’re necessary for accountability and community

-what makes a great Bible study group (helpful tips for those leading or looking for a study!)

Resources to check out

Waiting is something we all have painfully endured. Whether it’s waiting on a decision, waiting for a baby, or waiting for an answer to prayer. Seasons of waiting will happen for all of us.

But how do we wait well?

Jazmin Frank has spent much of her life waiting for the desire for marriage to be fulfilled. She’s journeyed through trusting God wholeheartedly, to doubting his abilities, to trying to get out of the waiting, avoid it, or resolve it.

The one thing she has found consistently helpful in waiting seasons is to keep taking steps toward God and meeting Him in the waiting.

What that looks like practically has been surprisingly simple, and we talk about how to endure your own season of waiting.

Grab your favorite drink and listen as we chat about:

—leaning into the tension of waiting

—taking steps toward God

—finding supportive community while waiting

—supporting someone else as they endure their own waiting season.

Such an important episode that will challenge you to ask the question: Are you waiting well?

Episode Links:

Find Jazmin’s Bible Studies:

Let’s face it, parenting is hard.

When you’re in the trenches of parenting, you need all the help you can get. Sometimes we get stuck just trying to survive the day when we know we should be more intentional in our parenting.

But how do we do that?

In this episode you'll learn:

• what to teach your kids, how to do it, and what ultimately matters
• more about family mantras—crafting a list of values and statements for your family
• checking in with your spouse for family meetings
• making fun a priority

Listen as Katy Epling and Sara R.Ward dive into a conversation on what intentional parenting is and how to take small steps toward being more intentional with your kids.

We include books, resources and great conversation starters for you and your whole family.

Episode Links:

Being intentional in your marriage is challenging no matter whether you’ve been married one year or fifty.

Today's guest is Laura Thomas, who is an author of both romantic suspense novels and Christian nonfiction (and many more). She is passionate about working on her marriage and writing love stories in her romantic suspense novels.

We want to help you build a marriage you can celebrate and rest in. Listen in as Laura shares:

• how to work on your marriage in all seasons
• her best marriage advice (which is spot on!)
• how to have date nights when you don’t have money or time
• how to honor and love your husband well
• who you should surround yourself with to encourage your marriage (hint: it might surprise you!)

Bonus: She also shares her favorite love stories!

Listen to this show and let us know what your favorite marriage advice is. 

Find us on social media at @sararward and @katyepling

Episode Links:

Laura’s website: 

If you’ve struggled to stick with a Bible reading habit, or you want to know how to start, today we’re talking about practical tips for incorporating it into our schedules all year long.

Our guest today is Eva Kubasiak. She is passionate about breaking down the barriers to Bible study so beginners can learn and love God's Word.

We talk about:

—how to find time for a new habit

—the difference between Bible reading and study

—what to do if you’ve fallen off the wagon with your reading goal

—how to read through the Bible in a year.

This episode is packed with good tips, great resources and sticking with a habit that's vital to our faith: reading God's Word.

Episode Links

We’re talking about managing your mental health in the new year and how you can take care of yourself and focus more on Jesus this year.

BIG NEWS: I’ve got a new co-host who’s joining me on the Made for Hope Podcast. Katy Epling is a mom to three, including a son with down syndrome. You can hear her interview on Episode 12.

In this episode about mental health, my co-host and I talk about common mental health struggles in the pandemic, the importance of community, how God's Word can help us, and discovering healthy rhythms in your life.

Get some inspiration that will help you deal with your own personal mindset and mental health this year. 

If you want to find more purpose in your life and fill your heart with encouragement, Katy has a new book out called  Life on Purpose: 30 days of reading and reflecting on God’s Word. 

How do you approach a new year without knowing what the year holds? Can you plan for the new year without having goals? You sure can!

Today, I’ll be sharing some inspiring tips that I’ve found useful for the new year including:

—How to set a spiritual focus for the year

—What works better than goal-setting

—The secret sauce for making progress

—The one thing you really need this year

These ideas will give you a fresh perspective on how to approach the new year and can help you to have hope in the midst of your everyday.

Links:

The planner I like:

Are you looking for ways to create smaller, more memorable holiday traditions this year? Today, I have ten ways for you to create a meaningful Christmas in the midst of a different kind of holiday season.

This is the year to discover new traditions or revitalize old ones. Instead of seeing what you can’t do, we can see the birth of Christ in a new way and make special memories with our families.

These 10 ideas are meant to help you think about the why behind your own traditions and give you a new focus on hope this year.

Here are 10 ideas to help you create a memorable Christmas including:

• How we can pivot our traditions or make new ones
• Managing expectations when things don’t go as expected
• How to keep your sense of humor over the holidays
• How to reframe the season
• Keeping your focus on Jesus and my favorite Advent resources.

Episode links

Are you feeling overwhelmed about creating a memorable holiday in the midst of a challenging year? Do you need some new inspiration for your family this Christmas?

Join guest Victoria Duerstock and me for this Christmas edition of the Made for Hope Podcast. Find out how you can simplify the holidays, start stress-free family traditions, and have a meaningful Christmas, keeping Jesus at the forefront.

Victoria Duerstock is a home design enthusiast and author with seven books out. We talk about how to create simple family traditions that foster lifelong memories and Victoria shares tips on how to be intentional during the holidays and manage expectations around family celebrations.

Her latest book release is called Advent Devotions & Christmas Crafts for Families: 24 Scripture reflections & simple projects to anticipate Christ’s birth. It’s a beautiful book filled with fun projects and inspiring devotionals to help you build hope in your home this season.

Links

Find more about the book:

Infertility brings a silent grief that few recognize or acknowledge. Today's guest, Rebekah Fox, talks openly about the journey of infertility and how she found healing through her walk with God.

If you have a friend who is going through infertility, this episode offers a new understanding of what this journey is like and how to support others through it.

Rebekah Fox is a wife and mom who blogs at BarrentoBeautiful.com, where she shares the things that God showed her while she struggled with infertility and secondary infertility.

Episode links:

What is it like to be an adoptive or foster family? 

Today, we hear from adoptive and foster parent, Jillana Goble, and give you an insider’s look, highlighting both the beauty and challenges that come with the foster parenting journey. You’ll gain an appreciation for what every foster family goes through and how you can help a friend who is a foster parent.

Jillana Goble’s story highlights three different stories through her three children. She became a foster mom, biological mom and adoptive mom – in that order –starting in 2003. While many have been seated around her table over the years, five remarkable kids, who have stretched and shaped her, call her mom. 

With over a decade-and-a-half experience of being a certified foster parent, Jillana has the privilege of walking alongside and mentoring many others. She founded Embrace Oregon, which has paved the way for unprecedented partnership between the community and the state’s Child Welfare agency.

If you know someone who has adopted or fostered, or if you want to learn to support those who do, this is an episode that highlights the challenges and beauty of taking this brave and beautiful journey.

Writer Jenny Albers described her life as "normal and average," but all that changed when she had a son who was stillborn. After that, life became unrecognizable. Jenny talks openly about what it’s like to go through the loss of a baby and says if "loss was the hardest thing, then the second hardest thing is pregnancy after loss," when you go through a roller coaster of emotions including grief, joy, doubt, and fear.

If you’ve experienced the loss of a baby or you know someone who has, this episode explores how there is no right way to grieve normally. 

We also discuss about how you can support those going through the loss of a child. Jenny gives practical tips on how to companion those who've experienced pregnancy loss. If you know anyone who has lost a child, this episode will help you to understand their grief journey and how you can support them through the process. 

Episode Links

This month is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Month, a time to remember the moms and dads who remember and grieve the babies they lost.

The Made for Hope Podcast is honoring those families by sharing stories about miscarriage and infant loss this month. 

Our first guest for this special series is Anna Kettle, a writer from England, who shares her story of going through three miscarriage losses. Anna believes in the healing power of words and she offers so much hope for the woman who has suffered a miscarriage.

If you’re unsure how to help a friend in loss, or if you’ve experienced a miscarriage, Anna’s story is a powerful reminder of hope in the midst of ongoing loss and how to press in to Jesus when you’re in grief.

She also offers practical tips on how you can help a friend through loss—what you can say and practical ideas that will show your love and support to those who've experienced miscarriage.

Anna has her first book coming out in the spring, called Sand Between Your Toes, a collection of devotionals about slowing down, simplifying, and savoring a quiet and calm only Jesus can provide.

Links in the Episode:

Do you know someone who has a child with special needs? Today's guest, Katy Epling, shares the story of her son’s diagnosis of Down Syndrome. It’s an episode that not only touches on the shock and grief every parent experiences, but how she found hope and purpose in realizing God had a plan for her son.

Show links

Today we’re talking about broken relationships, which is one of the most painful experiences that we can go through, especially when it’s a marriage. For writer and podcast host, Jodi Rosser, her divorce felt like the death of her dreams. But in the midst of that season, she also learned so much about family, faith, and what it means to have hope in the midst of broken dreams.

I loved this conversation with Jodi, because she is honest about the pain of walking through a divorce and the experience of finding hope again. She explains how she immersed herself in books that helped her heal, started writing through her pain, and discovered a calling to podcasting in the process.

If you’re struggling with your mental health, it’s not uncommon to think you’re the only one. 

For today’s guest, author Lakeshia Poole, her teen years were when her struggle began, leading to thoughts about ending her life. This episode deals with anxiety and depression and ways to help others who struggle.

I love this interview because Lakeshia gives practical wisdom and spiritual truth. She also shows us that we forget to use the tools God has given us, especially the tool of prayer. Lakeshia encourages us not to let fear stop us from reaching out to someone who might be struggling, because we might be the person they need when they’re in a difficult place.

If you have been struggling with anxiety and depression during the pandemic or know a friend who is, you’ll find encouragement and hope in Lakeshia’s story.

Links in the Show

JJ Gutierrez left her six-figure sales career to do something she never thought she’d do: homeschool her daughter.

JJ never imagined herself in the role of homeschooling mom. She was on a career track, but she recognized that something had to change, and this was the next right step.

This is a podcast for any mom who has:

—made a decision that wasn’t “part of the plan”

—helped your child through anxiety or fear (and the signs you need to watch for)

—decided to homeschool your child, whether you wanted to or not

—needed to find your worth in something other than your role

I loved this conversation with JJ because she’s real and authentic in her struggle to change from career woman to homeschool mom. She shares how she dealt with the loss of her career identity and the gifts she found in this new calling.

My favorite quote from our conversation: “I’ve had to let God redefine my value, so it’s not based on a dollar amount or a job title.”

If you’re dealing with big changes or have decided to homeschool, take a listen to JJ’s story.

Be sure to share this episode with a friend who’s made the decision to homeschool this year. 

Show Links

Practical things moms can do when they have a child with anxiety:

Remembering special dates is an important aspect of marking milestones as a family. It’s good to celebrate, but it’s also good to hold space for other kinds of family memories. One that can be particularly healing is remembering a loved one who has passed away.

Today I’m sharing eight ideas on how you can remember a loved one. Our family has done this for years and I’ve learned that this doesn’t have to be a sad event. In fact, reflecting back on your relationship with a loved one can bring back sweet memories. It can foster healing. It can keep our eyes focused on eternity.

In this episode, you will learn eight special ways to remember a loved one and why this is a healing and necessary process.

Resources Connected to This Podcast:

Know a friend going through a tough time?

Who doesn’t?

Grief and loss are universal human emotions and books can be especially healing. They remind us we're not alone in our pain.

We’re mixing it up for the summer and doing a special summer series called "Things I’d like to know about grief, but was afraid to ask…"

And this includes books!

What book about loss should you buy for yourself? Your friends?

This podcast answers that question for you. (But you have to listen to find out.)

There are several reasons this list is important:

1. When you experience loss, you want to find your way through it. Sometimes books can help.

2. When you have a friend going through loss, you want to help them. But you’re not a counselor or pastor (or maybe you are) and you don’t have all the answers. You need a book.

3. We don’t talk about grief and loss enough. This opens the door to more conversations and equips you to learn more.

Instead of overwhelming you with a ton of books, I’ve picked eight that can really be helpful. These would make great gifts to a friend (or yourself).

For more helpful resources:

We’re mixing it up for the summer and doing a special summer series called "Things I’d like to know about grief, but was afraid to ask…"

Today we're diving into the difficult topic of understanding our friend's grief. 

This episode is for you if you've wondered how to help a friend going through grief or if you've been afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing.

It’s common to wonder what your friend is going through and to feel unsure of how to help.  Or even worse, to worry whether you said or did the wrong thing. 

You want to help. But you don't know what it's like to walk that grief path. 

Join me for this special episode where I talk about the 10 things your friend wishes you knew about her grief. 

Once you know these things, you’ll know how to help. 

This episode is for you if you’ve ever received a difficult diagnosis for your child or you’ve experienced the loss of a child. Even if you know someone who has—this is an incredible conversation around loss and faith that will inspire you to find gratitude and joy, no matter what your circumstances are.

Join me as Bekah Bowman shares the story of her children’s diagnosis and how she has found joy in unexpected places. This is not just a story of loss, but a story of redemption and hope. 

You’ll find incredible inspiration from hearing her perspective on gratitude, suffering, and learning to celebrate God’s goodness in the midst of difficulty.

In this episode, you'll hear:

—how Bekah found a different kind of brave in the midst of her own unexpected plot twists

—how she dealt with the emotions and grief and found hope again

—practical ways to find gratitude and to celebrate God’s goodness, even in the hard moments

Bekah Bowman is the author of Can’t Steal my Joy: The Journey to a Different Kind of Brave. She is a former children’s pastor who is passionate about helping families with disabilities and loss. She uses her knowledge and experience to help the church become a place of belonging for everyone.

Sharing your story feels vulnerable.

Brené Brown said, “Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it's having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it's our greatest measure of courage.”

Today on the Made for Hope Podcast, I’m sharing one of my most vulnerable stories with you.

Christy Cabe experienced tragedy at an early age, but she didn’t let this define her. Instead, she learned how to savor life through both the hard things and the joyful. You are going to love hearing from Christy today because she has so much wisdom to share.

In this interview we talk about:

—dealing with loss at a young age and the biggest thing Christy learned

—the unseen grief of miscarriage and why it's so hard

—dealing with a child's cancer diagnosis

—holding on to God's love in the midst of difficulty

Christy Cabe is the author of If Only It Were a Piece of Cake and Brownie Crumbs and Other Life Morsels. She writes about life through an honest, observant, and down-to-earth voice, connecting with women through both humor and heartache. Christy inspires women to grow in their love for God and for others.

Links mentioned on show:

When Becky McCoy lost her husband while 8 months pregnant, she wrestled with the timing of God’s plan and how to move forward with her two young children. In the midst of grief, she found so many incredible lessons. This conversation is an insightful look into grief, healing, and resilience.  

In this episode, you’ll hear:

—Becky’s before and after moment that changed her family’s life

—how grief isn’t a linear process 

—how community is an essential part of getting through loss

—the struggle of accepting of plan B

—what gifts she’s found in her brokenness

Join us to hear Becky’s story of loss, resilience, and learning to navigate the complexities of being in this new normal.

Becky L McCoy lives on the Connecticut coast with her two precocious and hilarious children. She once enjoyed teaching high school physics and now tells her story of loss, grief, and joyful living on her blog. Having struggled with depression and anxiety and experienced several seasons of grief and struggle, Becky is passionate about creating an online community where people share their stories and encourage one another to choose to live bravely and authentically through disappointment and discouragement.

When fear gets overwhelming, how do you get through? Today, I'm talking with author Niki Hardy on how to face a dreaded diagnosis and overcome fear.