Our Time to Rise in Midlife

The Open Door Sisterhood's First Ever Book Club Episode! Do you feel like your family is spinning out of control? Do you sometimes wish you were closer and more unified with those living under your same roof? Or maybe you're a parent who does a lot for your children, but you lack real connection & relationship. You're not alone. Every parent struggles to live intentionally, and every family must l...

"If the world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it." Belinda Bauman believes we have capacity to hold each other's pain. She is a woman who has witnessed the consequences of war, has listened to horrific stories, and has wondered what she is to do with the grief she is holding as a result of bearing witness. A conversation that highlights Belinda's adventurous life path while tak...

Is there anything more powerful in our lives than relationships? They can bring us to the heights of happiness and also to the pit of despair. Some are simple, some are very complicated. Every one of us must navigate our way through these rough relationship waters our entire life journey. John Townsend, a nationally recognized expert and voice in this arena, joins The Sisterhood to offer his exper...

After deciding to follow Jesus, Vivian Mabuni believes the most important question in our lives is "Who is in control?" In this conversation we hear from the the themes of her new book Open Hands, Willing Heart. Vivian points us back to surrender, a process that isn't done just once in the Christian life, but over and over.   We know you will find Vivian as warm and inspiring as we did. This episo...

Generation Z is the first group in history to grow up in post-Christian America. They are also considered the first "digital natives." This influences culture, and culture influences our children. As parents it is vital that we learn how to communicate and walk alongside in a way that equips and empowers. Eight years ago Vicki Courtney released two wildly successful books that handed parents five...

When Shelley Brouwer's third child Hallie was born, she had no idea how her life and understanding of it would be turned toward heaven. Born with special needs, Hallie's optimism and welcoming spirit impacted everyone she met. In this episode we hear about Hallie's life and Shelley's process of living with her and now living without her. A raw conversation about what it means to live an unconventi...

Whether we like it or not, life is a series of changes. How we navigate those changes is vital to our future as well as our health and well being. Studies show, however, that most of us resist change and do everything we can to avoid it. Kristen Strong is no stranger to change. When she married an Air Force pilot, this set her on a course of moving every few years and living a life completely oppo...

Cara Meredith joins The Open Door Sisterhood Podcast in a candid conversation about race, marriage, and parenting. Cara recounts her eharmony romance with her now husband James, son of the civil rights leader by the same name, James Meredith. Their courtship opened her eyes to the privileges she unknowingly had as a white girl growing up in the United States. She recognized blind spots she hadn't...

Many of us struggle to make time for fun. With so many practical needs shouting for our attention, we forget to value it and honor it like we do with other important habits. Mandy Arioto, president and CEO of MOPS International, joins us to share how she weaves creative fun into her friendships, marriage, family, and world. We talk about how friendships flourish when a person stops trying to be co...

New York Times bestselling author Ruth Soukup didn't set out to found a large company when she started her blog Living Well, Spending Less , but as she shared her journey toward financial peace with her readers, she realized how much her experiences and practical tips were resonating with readers. Now she reaches more than 1 million women per month encouraging them to create a life they love. "Do...

When Mary was growing up on a mountaintop in a small logging town in West Virginia, she never dreamed that she would one day become a Yale Law graduate turned wedding photographer sensation. Yet, that is exactly what happened. You will be captivated by Mary's compelling story, and at the same time learn about the art and heart of photography in today's episode. We cover practical tips and tricks a...

In an Open Door Sisterhood Podcast first, we are doing a joint episode with the Surviving Sarah podcast ! That means you can listen to half of the conversation here on our podcast and head over to Episode 180 of the Surviving Sarah podcast to listen to the second half of our discussion about...you guessed it, Surviving Summer! We are choosing to do this shared episode with our great friend Sarah B...

Have you ever considered the impact your life could have on others for eternity? Have you ever thought about gathering a group of women, or a group of teenagers together to dive into scripture? If you've ever wondered what kind of difference you could make in the world, this episode is for you. Today we are bringing you a two part episode highlighting Christian mentoring and discipleship. We begin...

Alia Joy didn't know she had Bipolar Disorder until she was an adult. Married, living life as a homeschooling mom, she'd always thought her manic phase was who she was and she got down sometimes with depression. In this final episode of our Mental Health Series, Alia shares what it's like to live with mental illness. If you've ever wondered what it feels like to be in depression, to have suicidal...

One of the troubling aspects of suicide is that not all people display obvious signs that they are at risk. There are some behaviors we can watch for, however, and some measures we can take to help curb the alarming growing statistics of suicidal deaths. Joannie DeBrito, the Director of Parenting and Youth at Focus on the Family, and co-creator of Alive to Thrive : a curriculum about suicide preve...

In our first ever podcast series on mental health, we sought out a series of voices that represent both the clinical and personal understanding of how mental illness can impact us all. Whether you are concerned about your own mental health, or that of someone you love, we think you'll find hope and next steps in this three part series. Our first guest is Kay Warren who talks about her own struggle...

Marriage is often one part Hallmark channel to three parts messy, especially if you've been married for a while. The goal is to grow in grace, grow in love, and grow in depth as the years pass, but in order for this to happen, we need to learn how to pivot. Dave and Ann Wilson, cofounders of Kensington Church and Family Life Weekend to Remember speakers, share with raw honesty about their rocky be...

Jordan Lee Dooley didn't set out to be a voice of authenticity online, but rather fell into it when she started, of all things, an Etsy shop while she was in college! In this episode of The Open Door Sisterhood Podcast we hear how the product packing parties with her college friends turned into late night conversations that then became honest and inspirational Instagram posts. Today she is encoura...

Hooray, it's spring! And you and I both know what that means: spring cleaning. Or in our case today, organizing. Tracy McCubbin, owner of LA's #1 organizational company, guides us through the process of de-cluttering. But isn't just about throwing stuff out, she's also in the business of putting good in. We discuss why people hold on to things they don't need, what happens in our brains and bodies...

Author Emily Freeman was paralyzed by a decision. Not because the consequences were dire, but because both options were relatively good. The weight she carried around from her unmade decision made her examine the process. This is where The Next Right Thing podcast, and now book, were birthed. A decision making framework that focuses less on the decision itself, and more on how it is made. When mak...

We often hear the term "love your neighbor" but what does that really mean? Who is our neighbor anyway? And why is it important to love them? In an increasingly divided world, where people are often stretched to a place of little margin, this can feel overwhelming and impossible. Today on the podcast, our own Alexandra Kuykendall joins us to talk about why the lost art of neighboring deeply matter...

Amy Julia Becker's assumptions about many things changed when she had a child born with Down syndrome. Suddenly she saw the world through a new lens and better understood how her own experiences were shaped by privilege. Amy Julia began to study theology and disability in order to broaden her understanding of the world, what it means to reflect God's image and how people's different gifts are valu...

When we are going through hard times, we wonder if we will ever recover or be happy again. Our very breath is knocked out of us and we struggle to find the meaning in what we are going through and how it can be used for our good. Kim Walker Smith, founder of the Jesus Culture band and movement, is no stranger to pain. The abuse she endured as a child left her broken, with a fractured sense of self...

Cari Jenkins is a pastor to people who don't have one. What does that mean? It means spending time with people, asking lots of questions, listening for God's voice, and allowing her imagination to be used by God. In this beautiful conversation about growing in faith, Cari gives sisters freedom to look for God in the world by finding things that reflect his character. With 20 years of local church...

No matter what age our children are, we never stop being a parent. Yet, when they reach adulthood, our relationships change. We must learn to be healthy in this new, somewhat complicated place of adult to adult. If we don't make that transition, our children will suffer and so will we. Dr. Jim Burns, president of Homeword, joins us to offer his insight into not only how we begin early to prepare f...