A Cup of Gratitude

This week I speak with Nancy Lavo. A love of happy endings and a fiction writing course at the community college started award-winning author Nancy Lavo on the road to publication. She’s published her lighthearted romances in both the traditional and inspirational market. Nancy and her husband live in the great state of Texas. We look at her childhood up to the present to find the beautiful thread...

This week, I speak with Kimberly Haar, who is a licensed therapist, author, and speaker with nearly two decades of experience in trauma recovery and marriage and family therapy. Blending clinical insight with deep faith, she helps others move from pain to purpose. Drawing from her own story of healing, Kimberly shares a message of hope and restoration, reminding others that with God, no story is t...

Are You Ready for our last special episode of the year? On this episode of A Cup of Gratitude, I share personally a bit about my upcoming talk for the Prudent Woman Retreat - And I share about practicing the attitude of listening and then leaning into a word of the year from God for 2026, available tomorrow on all podcast platforms & we will join you next week for Season 11✨ Happy New Year!!!

This week on Special Episode #4 of the Christmas Break series, I speak with Arrica Hess, who is a follower of Jesus Christ, a pastor’s wife, a women's ministry leader, and a homeschooling mom of four kids ages 18, 17, 14, and 10. Ever since she had her second child, she has been a stay-at-home mom. Through raising and observing her children, God has used them to teach her valuable lessons abo...

Special episode 3 is this week. I speak with fellow Prudent woman Retreat speaker Tracy Harper who is a Christian author and speaker with more than twenty years of experience mentoring young adults through campus ministry. Her journey—from the East Coast to Hawaii—has taken her across the country and into countless conversations with young women wrestling with faith, identity, and emotional overwh...

Welcome to episode 2 of the Special Christmas Break episodes. This week, I speak with Gayl Wright. In upstate South Carolina, from her log home bordering the woods, Gayl loves to encourage others as she writes from her heart about life and faith. She has been married to Steve for over 50 years. Daily, they enjoy reading and discussing the Bible and other books. They are parents of 7 (one son is no...

Welcome to the first Christmas Break special episode of a Cup of Gratitude. All of December, I will be sharing fellow speakers from the Prudent Woman Retreat. This week, I speak with the founder, Dr Ifeoma Samuel, your down-to-earth Bible Study writer and speaker, passionate about helping women grow in faith through the Word. She is happily married to her heart throb, Obiora, and together they are...

This week I speak with Deborah Rutherford, who loves Jesus, being a wife to Don, singing old hymns, and nature walks. She is an author, poet, podcaster, and an award-winning makeup artist who has swapped her brushes for a pen. She is the founder of the Behold-Her Beauty Podcast and Blog, where she enjoys cheering others on. Her books include "Unexpected Blessings: 40 Days of Discovering God&a...

This week, I speak with Na’Kedra Rodgers, who is a powerhouse Christian Motivational Speaker, Author, and Entrepreneur who brings a burst of sunshine wherever she goes! Famous for her boundless optimism and grit, to sprinkle biblically rooted encouragement across the globe, lighting the way for women wrestling with faith or on a quest for purpose. Na’Kedra is a multi-time published author who writ...

Today I speak with Janet Hart Leonard, who is an award-winning newspaper columnist, author, and speaker. She speaks to women who think that God has written only a one-hit wonder for their lives. In her unique and quirky way, she shows them through scripture that He is writing a Greatest Hits Album for them throughout their lives. (Look at Naomi in the book of Ruth.)  Janet is a cheerleader, withou...

This week, I speak with Jac Filer, a lifelong resident of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, who presently lives with his family and dog. Since 2020, he has been enjoying a second career as a writer. Jac’s books include the Advent devotional Preparing for Jesus , the Biblical novel Coin and Dagger, and his new memoir , The Widower and the Washer. We look at his childhood up to the present to find the bea...

This week I speak with Dr. Jerry L. Woodbridge who is a Christian author and educator specializing in grief support and education. After experiencing the sudden loss of her husband, she guided her own children through grief, inspiring her to write books that offer hope and healing. Her works include Trading My Sorrows: For the Joy of the Lord, which explores widowhood and faith-based healing. Joy...

This week I speak with Sarah Krizek who is the author of Beyond the Surface, published in August 2024. She was born and raised in the Hudson Valley, New York. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Mount Saint Mary College. When she is not writing or reading, Sarah enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and their two children. We look at her childhood up to the present to f...

This week I speak with Sandee Macgregor who was educated and trained as a teacher, an inspired writer, and the award-winning creator and founder of a popular website www.sandeemacgregor.com .  She is the author of two top-selling devotionals, A Mother-Daughter Devotional and Shared Journal Experience for Psalm 119 and A Devotional for Mothers and Sons: Walking in Wisdom Through Proverbs, which bot...

This week I speak with Mama, editor, and writer Elise Tegegne who has published articles at Risen Motherhood , Christian Parenting , and ( in)courage , among others. Her first book In Praise of Houseflies: Meditations on the Gifts in Everyday Quandaries is now available at Amazon , Barnes & Noble , and Calla Press , In addition to serving as the Director of Communications for missions organiza...

This week I speak with Kate Battistelli who is a bestselling author, speaker, and co-host of the Mom to Mom Podcast . She’s written The After Party of the Empty Nest , The After Party Devotional Companion , The God Dare , and Growing Great Kids , and her words appear in the (In)courage Bible for Women , Guideposts , and more. Once a Broadway actress starring opposite Yul Brynner in The King and I...

This week I speak with Theresa Rowe who is a nationally certified fitness professional, author, speaker, and the founder of Shaped by Faith , a ministry dedicated to whole-person wellness—spirit, mind, and body—while shaping bodies and hearts for God's purposes. With over 35 years of experience, she has impacted countless lives globally through her faith-based fitness programs, heart-centered...

This week, I speak with Marissa Busby, a follower of Jesus, whose main mission is to know God and make Him known through living, teaching, speaking, and writing. She is a wife and mother of three, one of whom she adopted when she was 21 and her daughter was 16. Her upcoming book, A Call to Love, tells the journey of discovering the heart of God for herself through the adoption of her daughter. She...

This week I speak with Ron Keres who is a husband to his best friend Jen, dad to three goofy boys and one sweet little girl, and the author of the popular Finn the Frog Collection and Scariest Silliest Stories series. After serving as missionaries for 10 years with his family, Ron is now settled in Geneva, IL, and spends his days writing interactive and laugh-out-loud picture books that families l...

This week I speak with Maureen Graham who is a Master's level, Licensed Professional Counselor and National Certified Counselor. Maureen  specializes in helping individuals and couples navigate anxiety, trauma, relationships, and life transitions with compassion and values-guided action. Drawing from her training in various treatment modalities, she empowers clients to live more fully and aut...

This week I speak with Kim Wyse who is a Mom to one, Stepmom to four, and Grama of four. She is Happily Married and living life in the mountains. Kim says she has become a “ridiculous dog-mom” in her older years, and enjoys her days as best as she can although she struggles with pain and still has bad days from her stroke. She is a relentless renovator and has supervised her way through a complete...

This week I speak with Jessica Luckey, a seasoned marketing professional whose career has spanned the federal government, investment banking, and telecommunications. When an industry shift left her unemployed, she was unexpectedly led into the most meaningful season of her life. In the quiet and uncertainty, Jessica built a deeper relationship with God—one that awakened her true calling and paved...

This week I speak with Julia Taves who is an experienced educator with an M.A. in Educational Leadership. She served for 26 years as a teacher in the states and Principal of two International Schools, in Uganda, Africa, and the Dominican Republic. Julia has seen God work through her own children, and kids worldwide. Realizing these kids could be an encouragement to others, she collected their writ...

This week I speak with Doris Swift, who is a follower of Jesus, speaker, host of the Fierce Calling podcast, and author of award-winning Bible study Surrender the Joy Stealers: Rediscover the Jesus Joy in You . In ministry for over 30 years, Doris is passionate about equipping and encouraging women to walk deeper in God’s word, use their gifts to impact the world for Christ, and to take action whe...

This week, I speak with Jay Gauthier Sr., who is a seasoned pastor and ministry leader with over 38 years of experience faithfully serving the body of Christ. He is the founder and voice behind the Audacious Faith Podcast and the visionary leader of Audacious Faith Ministries, a movement empowering believers to live boldly, walk purposefully, and impact the world around them. Jay is also a multi-b...