Our Time to Rise in Midlife

Do you have sons? Or do you care about the young men in your life – nephews, friends, grandsons, church members? Then this series is for you! Today we are kicking off "Raise Boys, Change the World." Jon Tyson, lead pastor of Church of the City in New York and popular author, joins us to talk about how to be intentional with our boys. Jon discovered that other cultures all around the world had simi...

Lent, the forty days leading up to Easter, begins tomorrow, Ash Wednesday. In this episode of The Open Door Sisterhood Podcast we talk about the tradition of practicing Lent, how it fits into the Church's liturgical year, and how it reflects the natural world's rhythm of moving from winter to spring and the spiritual rhythm of waiting for the Resurrection.   Lent may feel unfamiliar to you or it m...

The dream team is back for Part 2 of our Marriage and Sex mini-series. Dr. Juli Slattery and Francie Winslow help us understand why healthy sexuality is a vital part of our marriages and how we can overcome lies and previous barriers or pain and move forward. Whether you have been married twenty five years or three months, this episode will help offer a Godly perspective and encourage you to lean...

We start at the top of this episode saying we've got the "dream team" on. We're not joking. Dr. Juli Slattery and our dear friend Francie Winslow are two of our favorite women. They bring wisdom and roots into any conversation having to do with marriage. And since we can't get enough of them, we're bringing them back next week for Part 2. In this first half of our conversation we talk about why ma...

It's that time again. This is our annual "Things We Love" episode for Valentine's Day where we highlight our favorite things of the past year. From beauty products, to books we are reading, to new food products we love, to home must haves, this episode gives you some fun ideas for yourself or for those you love. Of course we love people the most, but these are simply some great ideas to make life...

Change is inevitable. But that doesn't mean we always welcome it. This conversation with Gem Fadling closes up our Healthy Way series for 2022. Why talk about change and health? Because we can resist change and cause all kinds of extra stressors. Or we can accept it and move forward in the Spirit. Gem is an author, and coach, that helps women move through change. We talk about internal change and...

Since COVID stormed the globe, mental health has been a main topic of conversation. But the reality is that this conversation has been building for many years due to increased digital use, social media, fractured families and communities, and our understanding of the definition of mental health. 1 in 5 adults experience mental health problems each year and depression, anxiety, and behavioral disor...

What if this new year we resolved to have better limits? What if more quiet is what we really need? How about if we build a "spacious life" so that we can experience more of God in 2022? As part of our Healthy Way series, we talk about our spiritual lives and how we must create space for that part of ourselves to commune with the Holy Spirit. Ashly Hales talks the practical of what that looks like...

Female friendships can be… complicated. Today in the Healthy Way Series we are looking at how to be healthier in our friendships in 2022. If you've ever struggled in friendship, or if you need some encouragement on how to cultivate deeper and more meaningful relationships, this is for you! This is one of our favorite topics as a Sisterhood. We are big fans of authentic female relationships that bu...

As we head into 2022 we want to be intentional about how we use our time and talents. We invited productivity expert Tanya Dalton to kick off the Healthy Way series and the year. Because we don't want to be frantic women running from task to task, responding to the crisis of the minute, but women working out of our priorities with a plan on where we're going and how we'll get there. Tanya shares t...

Wrapping up this year's Christmas is Coming Series, Krista and Alex talk about what God is teaching them, what they are letting go of, the power of "Oh Well," and their ritual for reflection as they contemplate the past year and look forward to the one ahead. Christmas is a time of joy, but it also highlights the pain some are experiencing. Krista and Alex offer a helpful prayer and perspective as...

If you listen to anything this Christmas season, listen to this conversation with Nancy Hicks. She lost her son to cancer this year and she shares with us what this Christmas season means to her. It is raw. It is powerful. And it approaches grief with such honesty you won't know what hit you.   God didn't come as a savior over two thousand years ago to save us from our comfortable lives, he came t...

Tama Fortner is a mom to college aged kids. She can look back with clarity on the ways she managed (and mismanaged) the Christmas years throughout her mothering career. This episode is full of Tama, Krista, and Alex's insights on helping moms manage Christmas, keeping the special without keeping the crazy.   Tama shares some easy recipes, how she divides and conquers on food responsibilities, and...

In this last episode of our Legacy Series, Alex and Krista share about how we can harness traditions and rituals to help build family legacy.   The holiday season is the perfect time to be having this conversation, as Thanksgiving and Christmas provide opportunities to pause, reflect, and order our lives.    

Legacy is what is left behind after we are gone. Each one of us leaves a mark, either intentionally or unintentionally. Our actions, repeated over and over again, create an invisible thread between us and others. Today Daniel and Kendra Tillman, co-founders of Living Well Today Marriage Ministry, join us to talk about the impact marriage has on legacy, how a blended family can make a positive impa...

Legacy is a big concept. Join Open Door Sisterhood podcast hosts Alex and Krista as they talk about what legacy means to them. When applied to a family system a healthy legacy can pass down values and seeds of faith that will impact generations to come. That sounds nice doesn't it, but HOW do we live so that we know we are leaving the kind of legacy we are wanting? First we must know what our goal...

There are two words that encapsulate this episode: humility & faithfulness. These are themes that many talk about, but are difficult to practice and live out. So when a person encounters someone who embodies these traits, it is a rare and precious gift. Pastor, author, and speaker Eric Peterson is the son of the late Eugene Peterson, who wrote The Message translation of the Bible. Eric describes w...

Rachel-Ruth was born into a family known for its Christian faith. Her mother is Anne Graham Lotz and her grandfather is the evangelist Billy Graham. Rachel-Ruth, now a mom to three teenage daughters of her own, talks about how the seeds of a faith legacy are planted and then watered. Authentic is a word that comes up quite a bit in this interview. Rachel-Ruth says living an authentic life in front...

If there was ever a time we needed kindness, it's now. And as we approach the holidays, the discipline of practicing kindness is especially important. Joining us for the last episode of our Seeking Out Goodness Series, Becky Keife, author of The Simple Difference, and community manager for (in)courage, reminds us that simple actions make a significant difference, and that we don't have to agree wi...

It seems fitting on that on the day Alex's new book, Seeking Out Goodness, hits bookshelves, we would invite a number of sisters to share with us about how they are seeking out and finding good in the world. We asked the attendees of the 2021 Open Door Sisterhood Mastermind Retreat to share with us how they are seeing God at work and how they are seeing evidence of his goodness. From family to cre...

D.J. Jordan has worked for CNN, Fox News, U.S. representatives, and a U.S. Senator. Today he is Senior Vice President with Pinkston PR firm in Washington D.C. He is seasoned at looking for the good in places and people and he helps us remember as Christians we can look for the good in every sphere of public service. Despite what the media tells us, Christians are working together for good across t...

Seeking out goodness is a discipline on ordinary days, but it is even more important in hard seasons of life. Joining us in the  Seeking Out Goodness  series is Lisa Whittle, author of The Hard Good. Lisa knows the pain of loss and can relate to resisting change. Yes she also talks about the sadness that accompanies our unwillingness to accept the present and adapt. She encourages looking for love...

Our very own Alex has a new book releasing in a few weeks and we want to give you the FIRST sneak peek at some of what she covers in the pages. In this episode, Krista interviews Alex about why she wrote the book, why the process of looking for what is good is important to us, and how she structures practical next steps so listeners can begin seeking out what is good. Whether you are overwhelmed w...

Fall is the perfect time of year to push the refresh button on our lives.   Hosts Krista Gilbert & Alexandra Kuykendall talk about their favorite home systems, chores, work / life balance, and tried and true recipes.  

Abby Turner is ready to encourage the sisterhood to open our homes and invite people over before we overthink things. Why? Because hospitality isn't about the fancy menu or immaculate home; it's about people! It's about serving as Jesus served. When we discipline ourselves to make our homes and tables available to others, we are ensuring that we are serving those around us. We can't wait for the p...