The Bitter and The Sweet Podcast

How does loss impact our sense of identity? October is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness month. It's good and right to have a month to remember, but for those of us with babies in Heaven, we know we remember all the time. My dear friend Hannah Clements has walked the hard road of infant loss. God has used her greatest pain to bring something beautiful to our community, and I'm so glad and grateful...

We've been talking a lot about identity around here, and today we are digging into who we are in the context of community and why that matters with a new friend of mine, Vivian Mabuni. Vivian has her MA in Biblical Theological Studies from Denver Seminary. She is a wife and mom, national speaker, a cohost of the God Hears Her podcast, and the author of two books, including her debut, Warrior in Pi...

In this short solo show (just under 10 minutes!), we are digging into who Jesus is and what that means about our identity in Him.  Connect with Kayla on Instagram Connect with the show on Instagram

In this quick (less than 10 minutes!) solo show, we are digging into what it means for us to be God's masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10), remaining and abiding in Christ, walking in all He has for us, and perseverance in doing good.    Connect with Kayla on Instagram Connect with the show on Instagram

As we are digging into our identity in Christ, living as the people God created us to be in light of who He is, I wanted to revist a conversation we had earlier this year about trusting God's love for you.    We may "know" God loves us in a general sense, but we have a hard time understanding His love and trusting His affection for us, personally. My friend, Rachael Adams, is here to help us with...

So much of understanding who we are and who we were made to be hinges on our perception of God's love for us.  Maybe, before today, you've never heard that God loves you. Maybe you have, but you struggle to believe it. For those of us who have heard and do believe it, we may know God loves us, and we may understand that intellectually and accept it as fact, but are we living as loved people? We're...

It's our first birthday * insert confetti poppers + party horn sounds* and we are celebrating BIG around here! Joining me for our first birthday celebration is our very first guest and my dear friend, Jennifer Bishop Smith.  Jenn is turning the tables (or the mics, as it were) and interviewing me all about the show.  We got some great listener questions via Instagram that Jenn and I had the best t...

We've done FIFTY episodes and ONE WHOLE YEAR together here at The Bitter & the Sweet podcast, and the best part is, we are just getting started! In just 2 minutes, look back with me over our first year and look ahead to what's in store for season 4, as we get really clear on who we are in light of who God is. Season 4 kicks off September 2, 2025. Let's go!   Connect with Kayla on Instagram Connect...

This is EPISODE 50 of our show! Can you even believe it?! Fifty episodes is a fun and special milestone in podcasting, and we've got a fun and special episode for you to celebrate! Episode 50 is also our season 3 finale, and we are talking about what it looks like to live both healing and whole in our churches. There is no one better to join me for this conversation than Pastor Dusty Smith. Pastor...

As a former math teacher (true story!) and as a mom, school is a place that is near and dear to my heart. How can our local churches love and support our local schools? Here to talk about it with us is a dear friend of mine, Maegan Little.  Maegan is a former special education teacher and the Kids Director at Depot Church.  Join Maegan and I as we talk about:  the gifts and challenges found in our...

We have talked about living healing and whole in our minds, bodies, and relationships, and this week, we make the shift to our places.  Home is where we are our truest selves, so I'm thrilled to start here with a new friend of mine, Julia Ubbenga.  Julia is a wife, mom of 5, creator of the blog Rich in What Matters, and author of Declutter Your Heart and Home: How a Minimalist Life Yields Maximum...

Living wholeheartedly in the midst of a story you wish were different is no small thing, especially when it comes to matters of the heart.  When I wanted to talk about living both healing and whole in relationships, I knew that we could not miss talking about singleness. Admittedly, it's been a while since I've been single, and that's why it's so important we have friends that can share their expe...

We advocate for strong and healthy marriages, but things don't always work out the way we hope. How does one find hope in the midst of divorce, and how do we support our friends walking through it?  My friend Melinda Olsen is here to help us do this better! Melinda is a writer and coach who helps women rebuild their lives after divorce and find their way back to hope, strength, and joy.  Join Meli...

We make and use plans for everything from our finances to our meals to Bible reading, but so many of us make no such plans for our relationships, especially marriage. Tondra Gregory is here to help us change that! Tondra is a licensed counselor and co-founder of Journey for Life. She and her husband, George, serve as chaplains for the LA Chargers and are co-authors of their new book  The Marriage...

We are going all in today on one of our most requested topics by listeners: friendship! Here to help us navigate this important conversation is a new friend of mine, Kristen Strong.  Kristen is a wife, mom of three, contributor at (in)courage, and author of multiple books, including her latest, Desperate Woman Seeks Friends: Real Talk about Connection, Rejection, and Trying Again for the Friendshi...

We are continuing our conversations on living both healing and whole, and today we shift our focus to what that means in the context of our relationships. Getting us started with a conversation about loving our people without pretense is my friend, Courtney Doyle. Courtney is a wife and mom of six, Bible teacher, and storyteller, and the host of The MOM Show podcast. Join Courtney and I as we talk...

No one I know is 100% content with their body. Knowing that's the case, I wanted to give us a framework for processing living healing and whole in our bodies.   I could think of no one better to help us do this than one of my very favorite people, my mentor and boss, Lisa Whittle.    Lisa is the bestselling author of nine books and multiple Bible studies, including her latest,  Body & Soul: A Bibl...

How do we live well in our bodies when we have experienced great loss in them?   We are continuing our conversations on living both healing and whole, living fully where we are, even as we are healing in different areas and ways. This week, we shift from our minds to our bodies with a dear friend of mine, Kendall Carver.   Kendall is a wife, mom, and leukemia survivor who lost her second daughter,...

Today's episode is part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Lindsay McVety. Go back and grab part 1 before getting started with this episode!   With so much about trauma online these days, I wanted to give us some handles on what it looks like to be both healing and whole in our minds. I am in no way, shape, or form the expert on trauma, and that's why I brought in Dr. Lindsay!   Dr. Lindsay McVety is...

With so much about trauma online these days, I wanted to give us some handles on what it looks like to be both healing and whole in our minds. I am in no way, shape, or form the expert on trauma, but I have a friend who is!   Dr. Lindsay McVety is a professor and online director at Canada Christian College, Creative Pastor at The River Worship in Ontario, and has her doctorate in Traumatology. Tha...

Whether you've been here from the jump or this is your first time tuning in, I'm so glad you're here! The Bitter and the Sweet podcast is a show where we tell the truth about grief, joy, and the grace that covers it all.  In just 2 minutes, take a look back at where we've been in our first two seasons and where we are headed in season 3, living as people who are both healing and whole. Season 3 ki...

If you've ever asked, "why me?" this episode is for you! My friend Kimberly Haar has been there (me too!). Kim is a therapist and author who has the most incredible story, and you are not going to want to miss it! Heads up: Kim's story includes assault and gun violence. She has experienced incredible healing and redemption, and I'm excited for you to get to hear it today.  Join Kim and I as we tal...

I know you care about caring for vulnerable kids and families as much as I do, and with May being National Foster Care Month, there was no better time for this conversation! This episode is all about caring for kids who are in foster care and the grown ups who care for them. Joining me for this conversation is a new friend of mine, Abbey Roberson. Abbey is the Development Coordinator at Least of T...

May is mental health awareness month, and today, we are talking about mental health in motherhood. So many moms are suffering in silence, and joining me to break that silence today is my friend, Rachael Hunt Elmore. Rachael is a licensed mental health counselor supervisor, expert speaker, and award winning author with over 20 years of experience in the counseling field.  Join Rachael and I as we t...

In the face of tragic loss, how do we grieve with hope?  After losing her husband, Garrett, to brain cancer in May 2024, Mallory Pendergast has walked the hard road of grief with incredible grace, holding onto Jesus with every step.  Mallory is a speech language pathologist, former Miss Texas, and an absolute joy to talk to. She is so generous to share her story and Garrett's with us today. (You a...