The Bitter and The Sweet Podcast

Marital status can feel like a defining feature of our lives, but it doesn't have to be!  Join me and some of my favorite guests (and yours!) as we talk about three different relationship angles: marriage, divorce, and singleness, and what it looks like to live fully in your season, regardless of your marital status. Whether you're healing from heartbreak, trusting God's timing, or building a life...

Kindness sounds simple enough...until it isn't.  With honest thoughts on the times kindness is harder than it looks, what it means that love is kind, and trusting in the goodness of a God who doesn't always give us what we ask for, this episode will help you see how His kindness meets us, even in the middle of our questions.   LINKS Visit Kayla's website (and become an email friend there!) Leave a...

If you've been patient and put in the time, but you're still waiting... If you're wondering if you should keep waiting or just move on... If you've watched other people get what you've spent years praying for... If you're trying to figure out if that twinge in your heart is jealousy or pain... If you're wondering why God has let {that} go on for so long... This episode is for you.   LINKS Connect...

In a culture fueled by outrage and fear, is it possible for us to have peace?   With practical help for breaking anxious thought loops and living at peace with others without people-pleasing, this episode will help you remember the peace God offers isn't just possible; it's what we were created for.      LINKS Leave a review on Apple podcasts Connect with Kayla on Instagram Connect with the show o...

One of the most important things to me in the making of this episode on joy was that it not become some Pollyanna, joy is all around us-type episode, full of platitudes and pretending.  Here's the thing: I do believe that there's joy all around us. That's because in the presence of God, there is fullness of joy, and He's with us always, just like He said.  But man, sometimes we're just SAD, aren't...

How do I love my people above my own preferences? How do I love when I've been hurt, or when I'm disappointed, or when I feel like I've been let down? How do I love God most when I'm mad at Him? We don't shy away from the hard questions around here, and in this episode about love, we are tackling these (and others) head on! In this honest conversation all about love, Kayla gets real about living a...

Feeling the pressure to make this a perfect summer?  In today's short solo episode, we're talking about releasing the pressure of a summer bucket list, plus what's coming up this summer here on the show. Don't miss it!   LINKS Connect with Kayla on Instagram Connect with the show on Instagram Become an email friend Visit Kayla's website

So many of us are walking around with the weight of the world on our shoulders. The pressure to hold it all together is real, but what if we could trade our overwhelm and anxiety for peace?  It's possible, and that's what we are talking about today with a new friend of mine, Nichole Suvar! Nichole is the author of I Don't Have to Hold It All Together: Cultivating the Peace of Eden When Feeling Ove...

If you've ever thought or been told you should "just pray more" when it comes to your mental health, this conversation with my friend Rebecca Woodman is for you! Rebecca is a wife, mom, therapist, and founder and executive director of ChurchxCity, a nonprofit that partners with the local church to bring affordable, Biblically based, mental health counseling to the city of Charlotte.  Rebecca and I...

Why are we so naturally drawn to prioritize ourselves? What does it actually look like to live selflessly without losing sight of our God-given worth as image bearers (Imago Dei)? I recently got to unpack those questions (and much more!) with a brand new friend of mine, author Morgan Krueger. Morgan is a wife, mom, and Live Original Ambassador. She is the author of two books, including her latest...

While we are in between National Infertility Awareness Week and Mother's Day, I wanted to bring you some of the very best of the conversations we've had about family in many different forms.  Your family of origin, postpartum mental health, and foster care are challenging topics, but there is a Grace that covers them.  In this episode, we are talking about hard conversations and boundaries with th...

It is National Infertility Awareness Week- a week that is near and dear to my heart, as infertility is part of my story.  This week, I'm sharing my personal story with infertility, what helps and what hurts to hear from loved ones, and why we never have to choose between grief and gratitude.      LINKS   Episode 8: The Family You Hoped Would Be Episode 14: You Don't Have to Choose Between Grief an...

This episode is a return to conversations with friends, and I'm so excited about that! Today's discussion is a special one with my friend Ashley Martin. Ashley is a speaker, author, and advocate for faith-based recovery.   You may remember Ashley from Episode 23,  "Finding Your Way Back to God," where she shared her personal journey through alcohol addiction and recovery. In this episode, we are c...

Feeling disconnected from God or struggling with church? In today's short 10-minute episode, we are talking about what it truly means to return to God, where this theme appears in the Bible, and how it applies to our lives today, especially for those struggling with church or feeling distant in their faith.   LINKS BibleProject Guide to the book of Joel Connect with Kayla on Instagram Connect with...

It is Holy Week, the most sacred week on the Christian calendar. It is really easy for us to skip to celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, but let's not rush ahead. Let's soak in every day of Holy Week this year as we really consider the sacrifice Jesus made.  Before His death and resurrection, Jesus was betrayed by one of His followers. We are digging into that betrayal today, what it looked lik...

In this short solo show (under 10 minutes!), we are diving into boundaries: where we see them in scripture, boundaries we set, boundaries that are set for us, and trusting God with them and within them.   Part of this episode comes from a message I brought to a church event not too long ago. If you are interested in having me bring a full length version message to your women's conference, retreat,...

In this short solo show (under 11 minutes!), we are diving into one reason why women are so tired these days, and what God offers us instead.    This is an abbreviated version of a message I gave at a women's conference not too long ago. If you are interested in having me bring the full length version to your women's conference, retreat, or church gathering, reach out via my website, kaylamcook.co...

In this short solo show (just under 10 minutes!), we are digging into difficult circumstances we all face in life: when God doesn't fix it.    LINKS Episode 74: Facing Chronic Illness with Hope and Honesty with Lily Mitchell Connect with Kayla on Instagram Connect with the show on Instagram

If you are living with chronic illness or if you know and love someone who is, today's episode is one you are not going to want to miss!   My friend, Lily Mitchell, joined me for this important conversation. Lily is the kids ministry director at a church in North Carolina, a wife and mom, a small business owner, and Lily lives with chronic illness.    Join Lily and I for a conversation about:  Lil...

Today's episode is a conversation all about living into your season with my friend, Bible teacher and podcaster Shannon Scott. Shannon is the host of the Everything Made Beautiful podcast and Director of Content for QAVA, a Christian streaming platform that creates digital biblical resources to help people go deeper in their faith. Shannon and I got to talk about why seasons matter what growth loo...

Can we be honest about what we want? Is it okay for Christians to want things, or is that selfish? How does what we want impact our perception of waiting seasons?  My friend Ashley Minor and I are going all in on questions like these today!   Ashley is the host of the Come Like a Child podcast, co-host of the Minutes to Hours podcast, and debut author of her new book, Aisle 29: Where Heaven Met My...

Get ready to laugh, cry, and feel so seen. I did all three while we were recording this!  I loved this conversation with a new friend of mine, Cynthia Yanof, and I'm thrilled to share it with you today.   Cynthia is the host of the MESSmerized podcast and the author of two books, including her latest How'd I Miss That?: Gas Pump Confessions, Drive-Thru Obsessions, and Figuring Out What Really Matt...

How to we determine what to say yes to and what to say no to? How do we know if hardships are because we're doing something right, or because we're doing something wrong, or if it's just part of being human? And how do we embrace our limits instead of trying to work around them?  My friend Keagan Hayden is joining us to talk about it all! Keagan is a speaker and Bible teacher, host of the Bright &...

This is our fourth and final week in our "best of" mini-series: 4 weeks of bringing you some of the best of all the conversations we've had on The Bitter & the Sweet! I have loved these sampler-style episodes, and I hope you have, too! We are wrapping up this mini-series and the month of January with a show that takes us back to our roots as a show: telling the truth about grief, joy, and the grac...

We are in week three of our "best of" mini-series: 4 weeks of bringing you some of the best of all the conversations we've had on The Bitter & the Sweet! Today's episode is all about caring for your mental and spiritual health.   Join some of my favorite guests (and yours!) as we talk about:  building resilience in ourselves and our children addressing shame bridging the gap between our mental and...