Our Time to Rise in Midlife

We are taking a unique look at adventure today as we continue in our Lead Your Life series. You've probably heard of the hero's journey in literature. On this episode we discuss our own hero's journey and what change, adventure, risk, fear, other people, and God have to do with it. Jessie Cruickshank holds a degree from Harvard in Mind, Brain, and Education. She is also a nationally recognized exp...

We continue to talk on the podcast about leading our lives. Prayer brings us into continued relationship with God as we consider how he wants us to move forward. Not only that, when we pray with Scripture, we are being transformed in the process because God's word changes us! On this episode of the Open Door Sisterhood podcast we sit down with Jodie Berndt who for decades has been helping women le...

When we are looking at leading our lives, one of the first places to peek under the hood is time management. How we spend our minutes, hours, and days adds up to a life, and usually we aren't spending them they way we'd really like to when we take an honest look. Today Crystal Paine, the Money Saving Mom, joins us to discuss how she gets it all done in a week using her 6:2 system, how to use get e...

Monica Swanson knows what it means to be intentional in relationships at home. She makes decisions with the end goal in mind. She wants kids who love God, like each other, and are helpful by default. Those end goals shape their daily rhythms, how they talk to each other, and even their vacations. We dive right into the Lead Your Life series talking about family relationships because if ever there...

We are starting a new series today called LEAD YOUR LIFE! For this first episode, Alex and Krista are diving into WHY leading our lives is better than defaulting to life – which is so easy to do. In this episode we explore why each day is a new opportunity to lead our lives better than yesterday, how different people respond to change, and some areas we are doing well, and some not so well. Giving...

It only happens once a year. It's not Christmas, but it might feel like it as Alex and Krista give you their best tips, reads, recipes, and fashion items they've collected over the last year. It's the annual Things We Love episode for the Open Door Sisterhood Podcast! Yes, we are ready with our favorite lip gloss combo (aka "the triple threat"), our must reads, and the sneakers that make teenagers...

What if we could really discover this year what it means to live a blessed, abundant life? And not only discover it, but live it? Kelly Minter, beloved Bible teacher and speaker, joins us this week to share what she learned about living life to the full through studying Jesus's Sermon on the Mount. We talk about why we sometimes don't recognize the counterfeit path to abundance the world offers, h...

Creativity can feel like something we'll get to someday. Like when the kids are grown or the kitchen is clean. If we let it, that someday can turn into delay and even never. Why are we talking about this as part of our series The Healthy Way? Because we believe actively practicing creativity helps us live out how God made us. Founder of Coffee + Crumbs, Ashlee Gadd , talks with moms all around the...

How healthy is your relationship with technology? Do you use your phone? Or does your phone use you? That is a question asked on this week's podcast and it hits very close to home. Too few of us ask how we are honestly doing when it comes to digital input. We see "other people's" digital addiction, but don't recognize it in ourselves. Jay Kim, pastor and author, lives in the heart of the Silicon V...

As we look at the new year, we can set health goals for ourselves. That's good! We can also set goals for our families. But how does one do that? And what happens when kids grow (read live into their free will and have opinions of their own) and make decisions we as moms find "unhealthy"? Jodi Mockabee has a home full of teenagers and joins the sisterhood to discuss creating an environment that va...

Statistics tell us that church attendance is down, and many are leaving the traditional church. COVID also led to decreased church attendance as people got comfortable sitting in front of televised services in their pajamas. Today on The Healthy Way Series we are exploring the role of in-person church and its value in our lives. Author and church expert, Ericka Anderson Sylvester, offers insight i...

Happy New Year sisters! We are starting 2023 with our annual Healthy Way series. All things new are impacted by expectations, sometimes expectations set us up for success, and sometimes they don't. How do we move toward growth as we change the calendar page without striving? Do we put our faith in God or in ourselves to make changes? If we peel back the layers of our intentions, what do we find? W...

Do you feel a little bit frazzled this Christmas season? Are you wondering if you can get it all done? Maybe you don't have to… or maybe there are options beyond those swirling in your head. Join us as we talk to Hannah Anderson, author of the Advent book Heaven and Nature Sing. Hannah reminds us to slow down and savor the season. She also offers permission to work by our own rhythm and calendar a...

Boundaries give us the protection we need to live out our priorities. They protect our energy for the things that are truly most important to us. If we can remember the benefit of boundaries, we are better able to establish and maintain them. Sounds easy, right? We know it's not. This is why we've invited Dr. Sasha Shillcutt to our series on what we really want for Christmas. From what freaks us o...

Do you have anyone in your life who is hard to buy for at Christmastime? Do you find yourself saying "I have no idea what to get him / her- they don't need anything!" If so, this episode is for you. Krista and Alex begin by talking about why gift giving matters and the spirit that fuels the tradition. We then give you TONS of ideas. From low cost ideas to experiences to subscriptions to tech – we'...

Alex and Krista offer inspiration for prayer and conversation around your Thanksgiving or Christmas gathering. Sprinkled with prayers, and even a historic Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, is a sister-to-sister conversation meant to give you the part practical, part inspirational you need to set your table and event. Whether you're trying to figure out how to get conversation flowing or you don't kno...

Hygge is trending, but what exactly is it? And why are we putting it in our Holiday series? Yes, today is the start of our Holiday series where we are looking at what we REALLY want for Christmas. And Hygge is one of the things we really want. Hygge is a Danish practice that centers on slow living, shared moments, and fostered friendships. It nurtures beauty, contentment, and well being. When we c...

Midlife comes with additional financial challenges. We are often paying bigger bills (think education for our kids, care for our parents, and paying of mortgages) and we are considering our financial future. Questions like: Do we have enough coming in every month to cover what we need? Will we have enough in the future to last our lifetime? Can we give our kids a four-year college education? Can w...

Some call midlife the "sandwich season" because people in this age group are parenting young adult children while caring for aging parents. Today we are discussing how to care well for our parents as they age, and the opportunity we have to become more Christ-like in the process. Jane Daly, author of The Caregiving Season, is joining us to talk about her own experience caring for both of her paren...

If you are in midlife, likely you've walked past the mirror, or tried on a pair of pants, and wondered what in the world? Sister, you're not alone! We are talking about what is going on and how we can faithfully and appropriately respond to how our bodies (ahem...tummies) are changing. We are bringing Alisa Keeton, Founder of Revelation Wellness, to the conversation. She knows what it is to be fit...

Perhaps the number one stressor listeners have expressed about the season of midlife is parenting teens and young adults. How do we maneuver these new waters when the consequences to kids' decisions seem so serious? How do we know when to step in and when to back off? And even deeper, how do we deal with our own self image when our kids make decisions we wouldn't make for them? We are bringing you...

We're half way through the "Midlife is No Joke" series and we are pausing to hear from Krista and Alex about their personal experiences in midlife. We cover stressors, opportunities, sleep issues, trusting God in hard times, the purpose of exercise, resources, and what is saving our mid-lives right now. Our sister straight talks are always honest, and offer a layered look at our series topic. Join...

Friendships in midlife are sometimes complicated, but they don't have to be. On the podcast today we are diving into how to be a good friend, how to neighbor well, and how to cultivate diverse relationships that add richness and texture to life. Popular author, Shannan Martin, joins us to share her wisdom on creating community - what worked, and what didn't. You will walk away more equipped for he...

When we asked you, our podcast listeners, what you'd like to hear about when it comes to midlife, one topic stood above the rest: menopause. Our bodies are changing, often in ways we never knew they could or would, and we don't know what to do. The sisterhood is the perfect place to come for questions you might not want to ask anywhere else. We bring you trusted experts and this conversation is no...

Do you find yourself navigating a marriage in midlife? There are unique challenges that couples face in this time of life. Maybe you've been married a long time and are needing a fresh way to navigate old patterns. Or maybe you are struggling to stay married and wonder about your future as a couple. Or maybe you simply desire to bring life and joy back as a couple. Wherever you find yourself, this...