Inspiring Heights

Happy day after Christmas, Friends! This week is one of transition, planning, reflection, and rest.  In this episode we talk about some ways to lean into the specialness of this week, be where our feet are, and enjoy the moment.  The music in our show today is "Autumn Day" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/license...

In today's episode I got to sit down with our friend, Justin and my husband Ben to talk about the true meaning of Christmas. Justin's knowledge of God's word serves us so well in this episode.  We talk through the main people involved in Christ's birth, and what we can learn from each of them.  This is an episode for the books! The music in today’s episode is found here: We Wish you a Merry Christ...

In this episode we talk about some super quick and simple tricks for making your Christmas baking easier and enjoyable! Quote from Country Living: https://www.countryliving.com/entertaining/g4933/christmas-traditions-around-the-world/ The music in today’s episode is found here: We Wish you a Merry Christmas Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License...

We know that though the Christmas season can be full of great joy, it can also be full of great sorrow and grief for some. In this episode, my friend, Dr. Anna Quinn joins us to talk about some techniques for caring for others and ourselves who may be experiencing grief or trauma during this Christmas season.   The music in today’s episode is found here: We Wish you a Merry Christmas Kevin MacLeod...

We all have expectations of other people, even when we aren’t totally aware of it.  In today’s podcast episode, we talk about managing our expectations around the Christmas season and all that it entails. The music in today’s episode is found here: We Wish you a Merry Christmas Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/li...

In this episode, I got to sit down with my friend, Scott to talk about what it looks like to be generous with our time and resources in our communities.  Scott does a fantastic job of showing us how we can start that journey now, to prepare ourselves to hit the ground running in January!  In the show, Scott mentions the book, When Helping Hurts.  You can purchase that book here: https://amzn.to/3U...

In this episode, my sweet mom, Donna, joins us to share about her rhythms of generosity and hospitality during the Christmas season.  She also gives us some practical advice for growing our hospitality muscles. The music in today’s episode is found here: We Wish you a Merry Christmas Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons....

In this episode, we talk about how to plan and prepare for gift giving during the Christmas season.  So often gift giving can bring undue stress. In this episode we debunk some of the myths that can leave us feeling stuck and pressured while shopping for our people! The music in today’s episode is found here: We Wish you a Merry Christmas Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Com...

In this episode, we talk about thinking through how many “quiet nights” we need this Christmas season and how to build them into our schedules. The music in today’s episode is found here: We Wish you a Merry Christmas Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In this episode we talk about some simple ways to put together a Christmas bucket list, while keeping your specific life season in mind! Quote from Country Living: https://www.countryliving.com/entertaining/g4933/christmas-traditions-around-the-world/ The music in today’s episode is found here: We Wish you a Merry Christmas Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attrib...

In this episode, I had the privilege to sit down with my two sisters, Stacy and Alicia to talk about what it looks like to start new family traditions as we start families of our own.  Starting new traditions while staying tied to our larger families can be tricky to navigate sometimes.  Stacy and Alicia share what their experiences have been and give some tips for navigating those situations.  Th...

In this episode, a special guest, my sweet husband, Ben, joins us to talk about starting new Christmas traditions and why they matter! The music in today’s episode is found here: We Wish you a Merry Christmas Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Decorating for Christmas can be overwhelming! In this episode, we talk about some simple ways to help reduce the stress and bring joy to the process! Below is the link for the command decorating clips discussed in the podcast.  Please note, this is an affiliate link.  This means I earn a percentage of the profit associated with purchase of this item, but it does not cost you any extra! https://amz...

In this episode, I had the great honor of sitting down with my friend, Rhonda Peary, the owner and founder of Fork Real Cafe.  Rhonda is full of wisdom and shares her journey of saying yes to God, and taking one step at a time.  Rhonda also gives us insight into how our generosity can positively impact non-profits in our communities!  Check out the cafe here: https://www.forkrealcafe.org Rhonda me...

Thanksgiving is a great time to gather around the table with family and friends.  If you're the host, it can also come with a bit of stress. In this episode, we get super practical about preparing for hosting a Thanksgiving meal.  We talk about everything from selecting recipes to planning the preparation of food!   The music in our show today is "Autumn Day" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licens...

In episode 21, we continue on with the conversation of hurry.  Diving into the why and how of our hurried lives, we talk about some practical tips for evaluating and pivoting from a rushed life to a quiet unhurried one.   As promised at the end of the show, here is a link for the Zebra pens! https://amzn.to/3sIXqCw * Please note, the above is an affiliate link.  This means I receive a small commis...

Busy is a word most of us use in our day-to-day conversations.  It's an excuse we have readily available in our back pocket to use in a moments notice.  But, maybe our relationship with busy needs to change.  In episode 20, we talk about what both the word and the notion of busy does to our minds and hearts. The music in our show today is "Autumn Day" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under...

In episode 19 we talk all about how creating a fall bucket list can be both freeing and fun! Your host, Vanessa, gives some tips and tricks for working through the process of creating a bucket list.   he music in our show today is "Autumn Day" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

My lifelong best friend, Jami, joins us for episode 18 to give us all her wisdom, tips, and tricks of harvest time canning.  We talk childhood stories, life on a farm/ranch, and how to preserve food for our families.   P.S. We apologize for the poor sound quality of this episode.  Computer issues happened, but the conversation was too fun to scrap!  In the episode, Jami references "The Ball Blue B...

In this episode we spend time exploring the giving and receiving of words of encouragement.  We think through the ways we respond to encouragement, and some ideas for cultivating a humble heart response.  We talk about reasons why we don't and why we should be generous with our words of encouragement.  I hope you leave this episode inspired to speak life over your family, friends, and strangers! ...

In Episode 16 we explore the summer to autumn transition, specifically focusing on our homes and our rhythms.  Join us as we take a look at how to make the transition in our home, by evaluating our senses of feel, smell, taste, and sight.  In our rhythms, we look at our summertime rhythms and work through a process to determine what should stay, and what we should transition as we move into fall. ...

Join us as we talk about what it looks like to ramp back up for fall, by reviewing our goals.  In this episode, Vanessa gives you some tips on re-assessing your goals for relevance and possibility, prioritizing them, and charting the course towards the last 1/3 of the year.   The music in our show today is "Autumn Day" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution...

Your host, also known as Mother Christmas, loves the Christmas season! Tune in as we talk about some practical ways we can prepare for the Christmas season early.  Front end planning means more free time to enjoy the holiday season!  The music in our show today is "Autumn Day" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/lic...

Do you ever feel like your brain is on overload? You forget important things, or make passive decisions because you haven't had the time to think through a situation? Us to! In this episode, we define whitespace and talk about why and how to implement into our life rhythms.   The music in our show today is "Autumn Day" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution...

With the Fourth of July celebration near, there is no better opportunity to spend some time learning from and honoring our military families! In this episode, my friend Priscilla joins in the conversation to give listeners a glimpse of what life is like as a military spouse, how we can support military families, and the terror of Louisiana bugs and alligators! The music in our show today is "Autum...