Our Time to Rise in Midlife

John Trent and his daughter Kari Trent Stageberg understand family dynamics. They want families to be strong and welcoming. But how? How do you offer a blessing to those you hold most dear? The father-daughter duo take a fresh approach to the classic book The Blessing to encourage families today to incorporate key Biblical elements so that kids grow up knowing they are loved. Parents are setting patterns for future relationships. Parents pay attention. No matter the age of your children - you can give them building blocks to receive God's love. Push play on this episode for more. FIND MORE ABOUT JOHN AND KARI John Trent's – Website and Instagram Kari Trent Stageberg - Website and Instagram John and Kari's Book- The Blessing FEW THINGS MENTIONED Books The Merge for Marriage Bible verses Genesis 27 Genesis 48 Deuteronomy 23:5 Ephesians 1:1 Ephesians 1:2 Quote "It's not that we fear God's best, we fear how painful His best can be" Cs Lewis QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE Who was it who looked at you with unconditional love and acceptance? What part of this interview felt most relevant to your life now? If you could make one shift or change based on what John and Kari said, what would it be? 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! Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier  

Motherhood and identity often get so tightly woven together that it feels impossible to separate the two. But what if motherhood isn't our highest calling? What if it's a beautiful and significant part of who we are, but not the ultimate definition of our purpose? As our children grow, into their teen and young adult years especially, it becomes crucial to rediscover and redefine who we are beyond motherhood. Today, we are joined by author and speaker Vicki Courtney. Vicki is not only a seasoned writer but also a mother who has walked this journey, learning how to release control and embrace life outside of her children. Moms, this is a conversation you won't want to miss. It's a timely reminder that while motherhood matters deeply, your ultimate identity rests in something far greater. FIND MORE ABOUT VICKI COURTNEY Vicki Courtney's – Website and Instagram Vicki Courtney's Book- Motherhood Is Not Your Highest Calling FEW THINGS MENTIONED Vicki's other books -Move On -5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter -5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Son QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE How does it sit with you to hear that motherhood is not your highest calling? How can we be more intentional about how we speak about our calling and identity with our children? What can you do to cultivate intimacy and growth in your marriage in this season or this week? What can you do to cultivate parts of yourself toward growth and discovery? 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! Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier  

Life is not meant to be lived alone. Throw some midlife stress in the mix and we really aren't meant to handle life's storms without the scaffolding of a community of friends. Toni Collier joins us to share her experience facing huge life challenges and how her friends were there in her darkest moments. What does friendship look like these days for you? Do you feel like you are pulled in multiple directions? You have guilt you haven't offered your friends more of your attention? How about vulnerability? Are you willing to trust those around you? How about repairing when things have been fractured? How can you find friends if you are feeling all alone? We talk through the unique aspects of female friendships in midlife. How to discern who to invest in, who to hold tight, and who to welcome to the larger group. If you are lonely this episode is for you. If you are exhausted this episode is for you. If you want to be a good friend to those around you this episode is for you. FIND MORE ABOUT TONI COLLIER Toni Collier's – Website and Instagram Toni Collier's Book- Don't Try This Alone Toni Collier's Podcast- Still Coloring FEW THINGS MENTIONED -Kurk Thompsons Concept (To be Seen, Soothed, Safe and Secure) -Jim Murphy Book- Inner Excellence -Lysa TerKeurst Book's- Good Boundaries and Goodbyes - Forgiving What You Can't Forget QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE In what area of your life have you been isolating or hiding? Who could you bring into your close circle? If there is one thing you are taking away from this interview, what would it be? 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! Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier  

Parenting doesn't stop when our kids turn 18, but it sure does change. In this episode, we're talking about what it really looks like to navigate the young adult years with these children we love so much. We dig into that tricky shift, moving from the role of "director" to more of a "guide on the side." You'll hear honest insights about letting go, building trust, and learning how to communicate in a way that actually works for this new season. It's not always easy, especially when every instinct tells you to jump in and fix things, but there's real beauty when we step back, trust our kids' choices, and cheer them on. Joining us for this episode is Catherine Hickem, a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and the founder of Parenting Adult Children Today. With over 40 years of experience in parenting and therapy, Catherine is dedicated to equipping parents with the tools needed to love and support their adult children effectively. If you're ready to build healthier, stronger connections with your adult kids (and maybe even enjoy the ride a little more), this conversation is for you. FIND MORE ABOUT CATHERINE HICKEM Catherine Hickem – Website and Instagram QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE Is there an expectation you need to grieve when it comes to your adult children inorder to enter with curiosity into their lives? What would a pause or a statement look like if you don't know how to respond? Is there a conversation that needs to be had, in order to move forward with a young adult child? Is there any anger you need to get underneath and what fear or sadness lies underneath that anger? 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! Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier  

Hosanna Wong has been traveling the country (literally, you need to listen to her story) and speaking to women about what it means to know and and believe what God says about us. Our pathway to freedom is allowing God's good words in Scripture to meet us in our daily experiences. It's through the everyday soaking that we can know God better and therefore know ourselves better. We know that childhood messages can set a trajectory for identity and so we talk about how to both counter negative messages we've absorbed along the way, and offer words of hope to future generations. Hosanna is now married and a (little) more settled in San Diego, but she still travels frequently to present to groups about God's love for them.. She often hears women say they wished they'd known and absorbed these messages earlier in life, and so she has created a children's book titled, What God Says About You. Listening to Hosanna's story, her thoughts on friendship, faith, and truth, will remind you of how dramatically God can intervene in each of our hearts. We can live in freedom. Our first step is listening to what God says about us. FIND MORE ABOUT HOSANNA WONG Hosanna Wong's - Website and Instagram Hosanna Wong's Book- What God Says About You FEW THINGS MENTIONED Poem- I Have a New Name Book- Live no Lies by John Mark Comer Book- You are More Than You've Been Told by Hosanna Wong Book- The Seven Primal Questions by Mike Foster QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE How do messages from your childhood impact your understanding of who you are? How are you learning about who God says you are? How can you spend time in scripture that works for how you are wired? In what ways is God calling you to move forward in freedom? 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! Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier

Midlife can feel like standing at a crossroads - full of change, transition, and often, questions we didn't expect. It's a season that can shake our confidence, but it's also a powerful invitation to pause, reflect, and grow. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Terri Watson, a board-certified clinical psychologist, to explore how counseling can be a life-giving tool for women in midlife. Dr. Watson shares wisdom on when therapy might be especially helpful, the unique benefits of returning to counseling at different stages of life, and what to consider when choosing between online and in-person sessions. Whether you've been curious about therapy or are simply navigating the uncertainties of midlife, this conversation will encourage you to embrace support and step more fully into who you're becoming. FIND MORE ABOUT DR. TERRI WATSON Dr. Terri's Book- The Client's Guide to Therapy FEW THINGS MENTIONED Soul Collage The Book of Romans on Hope QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE What thinking has blocked you from considering counselling? How might God use counselling as a vehicle for healing in your life? Who could help you find trusted counsellor in your area? If you did the visualization exercise, how can you keep your word or phrase accessible for when you need it? 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! Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier

Our bodies need our attention. When stress comes knocking, we often don't realize how much we hold. We need a way to slow down and release the physical tension. Our guest Whitney Simpson discovered this need after a major medical crisis. Stretching and holding poses through yoga allowed her to be fully present in her skin while praying and meditating. A Christian spiritual director - she helps people work through practices that are attuned to their whole selves. Much of what we talk about on this episode has to do with slowing down and noticing what is happening in our bodies. It is tempting to ignore how our bodies keep the score, but ignoring doesn't offer what we need. Our bodies need our attention. In a stage of life where you may be caring for people above and below you in age, working hard at your paid job, and feeling new aches and pains, it is often easier to push aside physical discomfort or tension than to acknowledge it. This episode will remind you how to be present enough to notice what your body is carrying and how God can meet you in your movement and breath. FIND MORE ABOUT WHITNEY SIMPSON Whitney Simpson- Website Whitney Simpson Book- With God in Every Breath Whitney Simpson Podcast- Exploring Peace Meditations FEW THINGS MENTIONED Whitney's Other Books Holy Listening with Breath, Body, and the Spirit   Fully Human, Fully Divine: An Advent Devotional for the Whole Self Hebrew "ruach", "nouma"- Breath, Spirit or Wind Alex Kuykendall's Book- Loving My Actual Life QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE If you were to choose one word to describe your relationship with your body now, what would it be? Where in your day could you build in the habit of taking several deep breaths or practicing breath prayer? What practice can you put into place to feel more integrated with your body? Is there a time in the next few days, you could commit to 10minutes of meditation? 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! Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier

Have you ever wondered how science can actually deepen your faith and help you know God more fully? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. William West—respected medical doctor, author of Sacred Science, and someone whose own life has been shaped by both the lab and his faith. Together, we explore how faith and science aren't enemies at all, but beautifully woven together in ways that reveal the wonder of God's creation. Dr. West shares moving stories from his work in oncology and his personal journey of belief, showing how each breakthrough in science can point us closer to the Creator. You'll hear about the divine fingerprints hidden in the details of the universe—and how scripture and scientific discovery can speak in harmony. If you've ever felt torn between your faith and your curiosity, this conversation will remind you: God is the Author of it all. FIND MORE ABOUT DR. WILLIAM WEST Dr. William Book- Sacred Science  QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE What has been your understanding of the connection between science and faith? What did you learn in this interview that reinforced your faith? How can we consider more of what is happening around us and how it reflects God's creation? 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! Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier

You have controlled some aspect of your child's life their entire life and now you are expected to let go?! To let them make mistakes and decisions without you?! Yes and no. Yes to letting go and making decisions on their own. But you don't have to leave them completely alone. This is the fine line of parenting young adults, you are now the coach. In the second part of this two-part conversation, Krista and Alex talk through some of the ways they are letting go as they launch young adults toward independence. There is no one, right way. However there are questions we can ask ourselves as we enter conversations and decisions with intention. What do we pay for? And for how long? Do we speak up if we see a red flag in a relationship? What about when they need to move back home? We know that parenting young adults in today's world can feel a bit like running in the dark. We are here to say you are not alone and this is your moment to rise to meet the newest challenge of the day! A FEW THINGS MENTIONED Phrases to use on your young adult That sounds really hard. I know you will make a thoughtful decision. I believe you will find the courage you need to get through this. You're made for good things and that doesn't change based on what happens today. I know this is your decision, I trust you'll figure it out and I am cheering for you. Quotes "Adolescents may also share what's on their minds as a way to spill their jumbled thoughts on the table where they can survey and perhaps organize them. Adults can help create the space teenagers need to do this. So long as we remember to listen without interrupting and hold back from adding our own thoughts to the pile. Much of what bothers teenagers cannot be solved. We can't fix their broken hearts, prevent their social dramas, or do anything about the fact that they have three huge tests scheduled for the same day. But having a problem is not nearly so bad as feeling utterly alone with it." Lisa Demore QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE How can you take on more of a coaching role with your young adult? What part of your relationship could use some clarity and how can you be kind through clarity this week? How can you encourage your young adult to create a web of supportive relationships? How can you live your faith out authentically in front of the young adults in your life? 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! Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier

Parenting young adults can feel like walking a tightrope. You're not fully in charge anymore, but your influence still matters deeply. So how do you walk alongside them well? Helpful, but not controlling? Wise, but still letting them make their own decisions? Loving, but with healthy boundaries? In this first episode of a two-part series, we dive into the art of parenting post-childhood: ✅ Building their confidence without overstepping ✅ Practicing healthy emotional detachment ✅ Equipping them with the practical life skills they actually need ✅ Offering the kind of timeless advice that sticks Whether you're guiding a high school senior, a college student, or a 20-something finding their way, this conversation will both ground and encourage you. A FEW THINGS MENTIONED Tyler Lafferty Episode-PART 1:  Helping Your Young Adult Find Their Career Path with Tyler Lafferty Tyler Lafferty Episode-PART 2:  Helping Your Young Adult Find Their Career Path with Tyler Lafferty Mama Bear Legal Forms Donald Miller Great advice- Instagram Reel QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE In what way can you practice healthy attachment with your young adult? As an exercise make a list of "You Are" statements that are true of your young adult that you can offer them or with the young person in your life, help them make a list of "I Am" statements that they can use when they need to fall back on remembering what is true of them no matter what. What practical coaching can you give around one of the practical life skills that we discussed earlier? Where do you need to offer yourself grace, maybe for a past response or maybe a place where you can grow into a new way of responding? 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! Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier    

We often hear the first half of life is about building and the second half of life is about facing limitations. That can be true. What is also true is that many women spend much of their lives investing in others, that the life trajectories we often hear talked about reflect a traditional career path that don't exactly capture a female career path. The same is true for discussions around lifetime spiritual journeys. The people who have written many of the books we follow about spiritual journeys have been men and so naturally their teachings reflect their experiences. Bekah Stewart, author of the new book Permission to Matter, is a spiritual director who has been considering the spiritual journey of women. In midlife many of us are waking up to parts of ourselves that have laid dormant for a long time. This has sometimes been out of survival, other times simply out of our caretaking roles. What would it look like if our spiritual path included reimagining life to its fullest NOW? What if we are to reawaken or rediscover parts of us that have been sleeping for a while? This conversation may bring up some questions for you about the direction you are headed and how God is available to you. Your spiritual journey may be at an exciting juncture as you consider what it means to wake up and stand up. It is our time to rise after all. FIND MORE ABOUT BEKAH STEWART Bekah Stewart – Website and Instagram Bekah Stewart Book- Permission to Matter  FEW THINGS MENTIONED Caretakers of Our Common House- Carol Lakey Hess QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE Which of the two paths she laid out do you resonate with most? The one of ascent and descent or the one of self-abnegation. What is one feature you can identify of your false self? How has it worked to protect you over time? How might you wake up and stand up to hidden parts of yourself? Who has authority over your decisions over your life, how might you offer God the most authority? 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! Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier

It's hard enough dealing with our own grief, but helping children, teens, and young adults navigate grief and loss is another level of hard, one that we often avoid or find ourselves lacking, not knowing how to do it. Grief is never one-size-fits-all—especially for kids, teens, and young adults who are still learning how to make sense of the world. In this conversation, we welcome Clarissa Moll—author, speaker, and widow—who vulnerably shares her personal journey of loss after her husband's sudden death and what it's looked like to walk alongside her own children through grief. Together, we explore how to navigate conversations about death and loss with honesty and care, the unique ways children and adolescents express sorrow, and how presence—more than perfection—is what young hearts need most. From the role of trusted adults to creative outlets for grief expression, Clarissa offers wisdom for every stage of growing up with grief. Whether you're parenting a grieving child, mentoring a teen, or supporting a young adult facing deep loss, this episode is filled with practical tools and hopeful truth. Clarissa reminds us: it's never too late to show up with compassion, courage, and connection. FIND MORE ABOUT CLARISSA MOLL Clarissa Moll's – Website and Instagram Clarissa Moll's Podcast- Surprised by Grief Podcast Clarissa Moll's Book- Hope Comes to Stay A FEW THINGS MENTIONED Clarissa's More Books -Beyond the Darkness -Hurt Help Hope Till We Have Faces-Cs Lewis Grieving Resources -Dougy Center -Refuge Widower QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE How did you experience grief as a child? How does that inform how you talk about grief with your own children? Is there a child in your sphere, maybe not your own child, that you could be a trusted adult for? No matter how long it's been, is there a conversation around grief that you need to have with someone in your life? 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! Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier

Distraction kills our purpose. It keeps us from focusing on what we truly want by throwing our attention to other things.   Social media offers a new type of distraction for humanity and we are experiencing the repercussions. So how do we know if our own social media habits are hurting us? How do we assess we need a break? And then how do we actually take one?   Our guest on the podcast this week, Allie Smith, gives us true and firm words about how social media use can impact quality of life. She also offers some ways to take a break, or "fast", or simply to turn down the volume of the virtual noise. It takes some humility and discernment to look at our own use and how it may be distracting us to a point of trouble.   If you log on to a social media account on a regular basis, this is a great listen. If you have young people in your life that you are trying to guide through the murky waters of social media, listen. Full of practical tips, you won't want to miss this episode. FIND MORE ABOUT ALLIE MARIE SMITH Allie Marie Smith's – Website and Instagram Allie Marie's Podcast- Wonderfully Made Podcast Allie Marie Smith's Book- Social Media Reset A FEW THINGS MENTIONED Allie's More Books -Wonderfully made The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt Psalms 139 QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE What do you want your legacy to be? How does social media serve you, and where is it positive in your life? In what way might social media be harming you? What opportunities would a social media fast provide? What boundaries can you set up to proactively prevent phubbing? (Phubbing means paying more attention to your phone than the person Infront of you) 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! Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will im

Holy Spirit feel familiar? Intimidating? Confusing? This part of the Trinity can be mysterious. And yet the Spirit is an integral part to living a life of faith. Author Margaret Feinberg joins the podcast to talk about the nature of Holy Spirit, how we can engage and access this delightful part of our Christian experience. What have you been taught about Holy Spirit? What questions do you have? How might a life that dances in accordance with the Spirit bring you closer to God and to Jesus? These are questions we can walk through our days without considering, but when we do we discover there is more to our spiritual life than we often access. Let's do this together! LISTEN TO THE EPISODE Does Holy Spirit feel familiar? Intimidating? Confusing? This part of the Trinity can be mysterious. And yet the Spirit is an integral part to living a life of faith. Author Margaret Feinberg joins the podcast to talk about the nature of Holy Spirit, how we can engage and access this delightful part of our Christian experience. What have you been taught about Holy Spirit? What questions do you have? How might a life that dances in accordance with the Spirit bring you closer to God and to Jesus? These are questions we can walk through our days without considering, but when we do we discover there is more to our spiritual life than we often access. Let's do this together! FIND MORE ABOUT MARGARET FEINBERG Margaret Feinberg's – Website, Instagram and Facebook Margaret Feinberg Book's- The God You Need to Know   Margaret Feinberg's Podcast- The JoyCast A FEW THINGS MENTIONED Margaret's More Books -Taste and See -More Power to You Psalms 139 Acts 2 Genesis 1 -Tohu Wahovu-representative of watery abyss( large body of water) Five Prompting from Holy Spirit Is the prompting consistent with the scripture and the word of God? Does the prompting cause me to love God and love others? Does the prompting leave me with deep sense of peace, the shalom? Will the prompting yield the fruit of the Holy Spirit? Does wise counsel affirm this prompting? QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE What has been your experience with Holy Spirit? What would it look like for you to pay more attention to the spirit in your life? What is a journal prompt you can use to help you listen for Holy Spirit to speak? What question can you use to help you discern if what you're hearing is from Holy Spirit? 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! Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier

In all of our excitement this spring we forgot to mention that we are taking the month of June off! No new episodes until July. We will connect with you again in July and until then, remember, it's our time to rise!