Midlife Repurposed

Janell Wood took a meandering path from growing up in a Christian home, to questioning her faith, and then finding her way to a real relationship with God.  It gave her a passion for having honest discussions with young women who are uncertain about Christianity and searching for something real.   About Janell Wood: Janell Wood loves to have honest, imperfect, conversations about faith and Jesus C...

Robin W Pearson talks about fiction, treasures in the everyday stuff of life, and seeking to honor God first with her writing. She discusses the long journey to getting published and how she keeps her focus on what matters. She's found pockets of time to write, despite being a homeschooling mom of seven! About Robin W Pearson: Robin W. Pearson ’s writing sprouts from her Southern roots, her faith...

Her husband's betrayal and sexual addiction affected their earlier years of marriage, but transformation ultimately turned it into a counseling ministry. Debra talks about how growth through pain and finding God’s purpose. About Debra Laaser: Debra Laaser is a licensed marriage and family therapist and cofounder and director of Faithful and True. She was involved in recovery with her husband, Mark...

Organize your time, spaces, energy, and finances to experience your best purpose. A Christian approach to organizing and making room. About Jennifer Ford Berry: Jennifer Ford Berry is a certified professional organizer and life coach, She is also a best-selling author of 5 books and the host of The 29 Minute Mom podcast. Her newest book, Make Room, was just released this summer. Jennifer is passio...

Pam talks about what it was like to grow up in a home with an alcoholic father, how she protected her younger siblings when her dad was at his worst, but how she also made many happy memories. She shares about how her relationship with Jesus is what ultimately brought her to the place that she is now. Mostly though, it's Pam's life repurposed story of how God took the difficulties in her life and...

This week, my guest and I have a heartfelt chat about how God showed her that when her dreams and plans crumbled, he gave her hope and a message that she could have another beautiful life after the heartbreak.* More than anything, this episode is about hope and renewal, about transforming our minds and breaking old patterns of thinking. I got chills a few times while recording. Hope is very much a...

Are you ready to ditch diets forever? Erin Todd takes a Christian approach to intuitive eating, helping you unlearn everything you were taught about calorie-counting and other aspects of diet culture and break free from weight stigma. This episode came about when Michelle began exploring intuitive eating and found Erin's podcast. This content in the tip of the iceberg in what's out there, but Erin...

This week’s episode forces us to take a look at our Christian organizations and our beliefs. When Amy Fritz's husband’s job at a well-known organization ended because he refused to be silent about what was going on in the organization, it shook their world. They had to learn to differentiate between Christ and Christian culture. It tested their integrity when they had to choose between money and f...

this episode: Gina lost her dad when she was a teenager in college. God has reclaimed and repurposed in her life to bring her to a relationship with a stepdad who she calls a second gift. Our circumstances don't always end up the way we had originally hoped, but God always brings hope in the midst of them. About Gina Stinson: Gina Stinson invites you to reclaim every day for God’s glory. She’s a p...

God has given Clarissa Moll a joyful life again after the tragic death of her husband on their family's vacation in 2019. As a young widow, she’s helping others by providing a map for finding grace in the grief after being blindsided by loss. About Clarissa Moll: Clarissa Moll is an award-winning writer and the author of Beyond the Darkness: A Gentle Guide for Living with Grief and Thriving after...

Are you using your strengths and abilities in a way that is uniquely aligned to your best life? This week, life coach Jenni Schubring talks about the CliftonStrengths assessment and how fulfilling life can be when we stop trying to be someone else. About Jenni Schubring: Jenni Schubring is a Certified Gallup Strength Coach and owner of Embrace Your Story Coaching. Jenni wants everyone to experienc...

Do you long to be gutsy enough to break free from the stuff that keeps you in defeat? God hasn't wasted a single heartache in Jennifer Watson’s life, and she’s passionate about helping others break free. From working through her own brokenness and learning to end toxic patterns in relationships, marriage, ministry, and work, Jennifer now helps others advocate for themselves in ways they never thou...

Voice actress Katie Leigh is known for the popular roles she has played in films and on radio dramas, including Connie Kendall on Adventures in Odyssey, but that isn’t her real identity. What started out as a gig to pay the bills led to a calling and the path to true identity. With each speed bump, God has shown her how to find true joy. In this episode, she's transparent as she shares how she alm...

Have you ever felt as if you weren't following the "rules" when it came to how you practiced spiritual growth?  If you thought that you were somehow broken because you weren't doing it the way everybody said you should, then you'll enjoy this interview with Gwen Jackson, who explains how we have different habits: daily rhythms, weekly-monthly, and seasonal. About Gwen Jackson: For 30+ years Gwen J...

This bonus episode explains some changes coming to the Life Repurposed podcast, which includes a focus on fewer episodes with a continued focus on sharing great guest stories.   Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellerayburn.substack.com

This week, Chris Martin talks with me about how we can have healthy relationships with the content on the web and become more aware of how platforms control us. We talked about the good, the bad, and the ugly, and what is coming in the future. Chris’s solution is not just delete your accounts and log off. Instead, he has a thoughtful way of approaching technology. Bottom line, Chris says: “Use the...

Have you ever wondered if God isn’t hearing your prayers? It’s more difficult than a country song about unanswered prayers being God’s greatest gifts. This episode explores questions about prayer.   Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellerayburn.substack.com

Does it feel as if your spouse or your kids are home all the time? All. The. Time! Learn how to modify and remodel your attitude to make those tight spaces work in this conversation with author Cynthia Ruchti. About Cynthia Ruchti: Cynthia Ruchti is the author of 35+ books (fiction and nonfiction) written under the tagline, "I can't unravel. I'm hemmed in Hope." She and her grade school sweetheart...

Practical tips for supporting a friend who is sorting through all the emotions that come along with healing from trauma.   Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellerayburn.substack.com

Bonnie was born in a story that wasn't filled with love but with brokenness and loneliness. Her mother was a teenage mail-order bride from Hong Kong, and her father was a busboy in a noodle shop in San Francisco Chinatown. He abandoned her when she was seven. God used all her broken pieces to bring beauty to shine the light of his love so she can encourage others who hide in loneliness. Broken was...

Communication all jumbled up? Seven tips for how we can experience repurposed communication by being intentional and focused with conversations. Repeat. Make sure we understand what someone else said. Assess emotions. Check your own emotions to see they are affecting what you say and hear. Put down your phone. Give the conversation your full attention. When we give communication our full focus, it...

If you know God is real and that he is faithful, why do you keep imagining the worst? Kristine Brown was living frazzled, stumbling through the same pattern of defeat week after week. When she came face-to-face with her worst-case-scenario, a diagnosis of colorectal cancer, she knew something had to change. Through her journey with cancer, God taught her how to trust him like she means it. About K...

Does life feel too crazy to keep your marriage strong sometimes? This episode includes tips for busy couples who want to hang on when life makes them dizzy. If you've ever hopped on a playground merry-go-round, you know that when someone spins it as fast as they can, you’re at the mercy of the person doing the spinning. You could not hop off that thing without risking injury. Sometimes life and ma...

Have you ever paused to consider if you're fully using your gifts and abilities? Do you pursue what you think is quote, right? What others want of you? Or do you go after what most fulfills your passions and desires? Today, Esther Littlefield and I talk about what it means to pursue the ideal life. Not perfect, not utopia, but ideal. About Esther Littlefield: Esther Littlefield is a marketing stra...

When was the last time you said, “I’m bored”? Are your brain and schedule so full that you have no space to dream, solve, innovate, or create? In this solo episode, learn how bringing back boredom can be a good thing. We live in a noisy world.… It isn't just what we hear.…It's also the schedule demands that scream at us. It's the internal dialogue that won't shut off because of what's coming at us...