Designed to Win : Ripple to Wave

Host Dara Lee digs deeper into the "notice one, encourage one, help one, include one" challenge, urging listeners to look beyond surface behavior before assigning labels or assumptions. She shares personal stories about her children’s struggles—dyslexia, visual processing issues, hearing loss, autism, PANS, and dysautonomia—and her own health journey, showing how asking questions...

Dara Lee shares a personal story of her daughter being bullied and explores how adults often dismiss children's cries for help. She connects this experience to Matthew 25 and urges listeners to practice four simple actions: notice one, encourage one, help one, and include one. The episode invites listeners to start small, share stories of compassion, and commit to paying attention so they can make...

What happens when God takes something that hurt us and turns it into something we never could have imagined? This week’s Designed to Win is a very personal conversation about prayer, forgiveness, suicide prevention, and the incredible ways God can bring beauty from the ashes of painful and traumatic experiences. I share the story of my daughter and someone who once bullied her. Through forgiveness...

Host Dara explores how, amid today’s overwhelming problems, small acts of attention and specific encouragement can change a life. Using the biblical example of Barnabas, she explains why noticing the gifts beneath behavior and speaking meaningful words matters—especially for students and young adults facing anxiety, comparison, and academic struggle. She issues a practical challenge: f...

Host Dara explores the life-changing power of simply noticing one person, using the stories of Ruth and Boaz and moments from Jesus' ministry to show how attention makes a difference. She applies the idea to schools, families, and communities, urging listeners to put down their phones, learn names, listen without fixing, and accept a weekly challenge: notice one person and let God guide what comes...

In this episode Dara revisits a simple but powerful challenge for students, teachers, parents, and communities: notice one, encourage one, help one, and include one. She explains how small, intentional acts of kindness and attention can make schools safer, more connected, and more loving places to learn. Rather than large programs or blame, Dara urges listeners to start with one person, use their...

Host Dara encourages students, teachers, and parents to embrace differences and treat one another with kindness as the school year begins. She stresses seeing each person’s gifts instead of their weaknesses and offers practical ways to support peers. She issues the "Lift Someone Up Challenge": notice one, encourage one, help one, include one — simple, daily actions that can start a rip...

In this episode the host reflects on what it means to give your best to the things God has placed in your hands, sharing personal stories about helping her daughter open a dance studio and the challenge of balancing responsibilities and distractions. Drawing on Colossians 3:23, she encourages listeners to be faithful in small tasks, take one faithful step at a time, and ask, "What has God put in m...

Host Dara Leigh shares practical advice to help teachers, parents, and students prepare emotionally and practically for a successful new school year. Drawing from more than 25 years of experience in education, Dara talks about choosing a planner that works for you, creating daily routines, managing anxiety and stress throughout the school day, and preparing students to handle conflicts with empath...

This episode urges parents, teachers, and caregivers to prepare children not only with supplies but spiritually and emotionally for the school year: pray over them, teach them Scripture, and help them stand for themselves and others. Listen for practical reminders to watch for changes, seek help when needed, encourage students, and commit to daily prayer and support so every child feels seen, love...

Host reflects on a near-death testimony about seeing a heavenly panorama of life and how God witnesses every choice, both good and bad. The episode brings comfort in God’s constant presence and encourages listeners to stop dwelling on past mistakes, learn from them, and move forward toward the life God calls them to.   WEBSITE :daraleigh.com    click here:  https://www.da...

The host reflects on grief, loss, and the choice to notice the small daily blessings that bring peace and hope. She shares a personal story of healing after her husband’s death and how intentional gratitude changed her home and heart. Practical encouragement includes writing down five small blessings each night, blessing someone else with a kind act, and drawing closer to God through prayer,...

In this episode the host uses a garden and unexpected pumpkins as a metaphor for seasons of barrenness, sharing personal stories of healing, provision, and restored hope. The message centers on trusting God’s timing and recognizing that a harvest may already be growing even when we cannot see it. Listeners are encouraged to keep nurturing their faith—continue praying, speaking God&rsqu...

This episode explores the question "Can God really forgive me?" as the host shares personal struggles, reflects on Psalm 139:13–19, and explains how Jesus' sacrifice demonstrates God's unconditional love and forgiveness for every past mistake. Listeners are invited to accept Jesus, receive forgiveness, and find hope, healing, and a restored relationship with God, with encouragement to share this m...

The host reflects on a barren patch in her yard as a metaphor for seasons of waiting and encourages listeners to keep praying, working, and trusting God even when growth isn’t visible. She emphasizes that God cultivates our hearts and timing matters, and introduces a new segment "Conversations with God" to answer listeners’ faith questions.   WEBSITE :daraleigh.com    click here:  https://www.dara...

In this first episode of "Conversations with God," the host explores the question "How do I know when God is speaking?" She explains how God communicates through Scripture, inner promptings from the Holy Spirit, emotions, everyday circumstances, and confirmations from other people, and shares personal examples like praying for a stranger and receiving a comforting hug. Join her weekly on Wednesday...

In this episode, a backyard patch of dirt becomes a powerful metaphor for unseen growth in our lives. The host reflects on roots, patience, and the importance of trusting God while we water and sow faithfully—even when there’s no visible fruit. She also announces a new Wednesday segment, "Conversations with God," inviting listeners to submit questions about faith, scripture, and life f...

Host Dara and her daughter Jesi share an honest conversation about Jesi's year-and-a-half journey through severe OCD, depression, grief, and suicidal thoughts, and how faith, therapy, community, and practical changes helped her find healing. They cover triggers like social media and hormonal/genetic factors, the power of reaching out, and Jessie’s new calling as the owner of Peace in Motion Dance...

In this honest episode the host shares a morning of fatigue and grief and reflects on the phrase "beauty from ashes," drawing inspiration from Proverbs 31. Using quilts and jewelry as metaphors, she explains how God repurposes broken pieces and hard seasons into new purpose. Through personal testimony about loss and resilience, she encourages listeners to rest, trust God’s timing, and believ...

In this episode the host reflects on the people God placed in her life at key moments — mentors, parents, teachers, friends, and strangers — who helped her move forward through hardship. She shares personal stories: receiving a study Bible, recovering from an accident that left her a paraplegic, grieving the loss of loved ones, and receiving a timely hug that brought peace. The episode...

Host Dara shares a personal story about finding a hidden note from a former student tucked behind a broken picture frame, and how that message reminded her that God sees, cares, and has a purpose for our lives. This short episode encourages listeners to slow down, pay attention to the ways God may be speaking—through scripture, people, memories, or unexpected moments—and to trust that...

Host Dara shares a personal reflection on James 1:4, revealing how seasons of trials over the past seven years matured her faith and strengthened her trust in God. She invites listeners to embrace stillness, trust God in the hard moments, and recognize that God is working behind the scenes to prepare them for what’s ahead.   WEBSITE :daraleigh.com    click here:  https://...

Host Dara explores how the words we speak shape our emotions, relationships, and spiritual life, drawing on scriptures like Proverbs 18:21, Ephesians 4:29, and Matthew 12:37. She encourages replacing negative talk with gratitude and intentional blessings, offers practical examples for changing daily speech, and challenges listeners to speak more life-giving words. Listen for a gentle, faith-based...

Dara, the host of the Designed to Win podcast, shares her journey of faith, identity, and healing. While walking outdoors, she opens up about struggling to choose a niche, using multiple gifts, and how Scripture and life experiences — including homelessness, loss, and car accidents — shaped her purpose. She encourages listeners to be still, lean into God, and find hope, practical solutions, and pu...

On a walk with his dog, the host reflects on a podcast about his book on procrastination, arguing that fear and chronic overwhelm—fueled by a "microwave" culture of constant busyness—keeps people stuck. He suggests slowing down, embracing rest, and noticing the simple rhythms of life (like a dog’s unhurried walk) as practical ways to move from paralysis to purposeful action. WEBS...