The Bitter and The Sweet Podcast

We advocate for strong and healthy marriages, but things don't always work out the way we hope. How does one find hope in the midst of divorce, and how do we support our friends walking through it?  My friend Melinda Olsen is here to help us do this better! Melinda is a writer and coach who helps women rebuild their lives after divorce and find their way back to hope, strength, and joy.  Join Meli...

We make and use plans for everything from our finances to our meals to Bible reading, but so many of us make no such plans for our relationships, especially marriage. Tondra Gregory is here to help us change that! Tondra is a licensed counselor and co-founder of Journey for Life. She and her husband, George, serve as chaplains for the LA Chargers and are co-authors of their new book  The Marriage...

We are going all in today on one of our most requested topics by listeners: friendship! Here to help us navigate this important conversation is a new friend of mine, Kristen Strong.  Kristen is a wife, mom of three, contributor at (in)courage, and author of multiple books, including her latest, Desperate Woman Seeks Friends: Real Talk about Connection, Rejection, and Trying Again for the Friendshi...

We are continuing our conversations on living both healing and whole, and today we shift our focus to what that means in the context of our relationships. Getting us started with a conversation about loving our people without pretense is my friend, Courtney Doyle. Courtney is a wife and mom of six, Bible teacher, and storyteller, and the host of The MOM Show podcast. Join Courtney and I as we talk...

No one I know is 100% content with their body. Knowing that's the case, I wanted to give us a framework for processing living healing and whole in our bodies.   I could think of no one better to help us do this than one of my very favorite people, my mentor and boss, Lisa Whittle.    Lisa is the bestselling author of nine books and multiple Bible studies, including her latest,  Body & Soul: A Bibl...

How do we live well in our bodies when we have experienced great loss in them?   We are continuing our conversations on living both healing and whole, living fully where we are, even as we are healing in different areas and ways. This week, we shift from our minds to our bodies with a dear friend of mine, Kendall Carver.   Kendall is a wife, mom, and leukemia survivor who lost her second daughter,...

Today's episode is part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Lindsay McVety. Go back and grab part 1 before getting started with this episode!   With so much about trauma online these days, I wanted to give us some handles on what it looks like to be both healing and whole in our minds. I am in no way, shape, or form the expert on trauma, and that's why I brought in Dr. Lindsay!   Dr. Lindsay McVety is...

With so much about trauma online these days, I wanted to give us some handles on what it looks like to be both healing and whole in our minds. I am in no way, shape, or form the expert on trauma, but I have a friend who is!   Dr. Lindsay McVety is a professor and online director at Canada Christian College, Creative Pastor at The River Worship in Ontario, and has her doctorate in Traumatology. Tha...

Whether you've been here from the jump or this is your first time tuning in, I'm so glad you're here! The Bitter and the Sweet podcast is a show where we tell the truth about grief, joy, and the grace that covers it all.  In just 2 minutes, take a look back at where we've been in our first two seasons and where we are headed in season 3, living as people who are both healing and whole. Season 3 ki...

If you've ever asked, "why me?" this episode is for you! My friend Kimberly Haar has been there (me too!). Kim is a therapist and author who has the most incredible story, and you are not going to want to miss it! Heads up: Kim's story includes assault and gun violence. She has experienced incredible healing and redemption, and I'm excited for you to get to hear it today.  Join Kim and I as we tal...

I know you care about caring for vulnerable kids and families as much as I do, and with May being National Foster Care Month, there was no better time for this conversation! This episode is all about caring for kids who are in foster care and the grown ups who care for them. Joining me for this conversation is a new friend of mine, Abbey Roberson. Abbey is the Development Coordinator at Least of T...

May is mental health awareness month, and today, we are talking about mental health in motherhood. So many moms are suffering in silence, and joining me to break that silence today is my friend, Rachael Hunt Elmore. Rachael is a licensed mental health counselor supervisor, expert speaker, and award winning author with over 20 years of experience in the counseling field.  Join Rachael and I as we t...

In the face of tragic loss, how do we grieve with hope?  After losing her husband, Garrett, to brain cancer in May 2024, Mallory Pendergast has walked the hard road of grief with incredible grace, holding onto Jesus with every step.  Mallory is a speech language pathologist, former Miss Texas, and an absolute joy to talk to. She is so generous to share her story and Garrett's with us today. (You a...

It's National Infertility Awareness Week and your girl turns 35 this month.  Join me for this special solo to talk about: turning 35, and coming to terms with what that means for our family National Infertility Awareness Week things I don't know anymore in my own story with infertility what I would say to someone on this journey what I would say to you if you love someone dealing with infertility...

What if perfectionism, procrastination, and people pleasing all share a root? And what if that root is...fear? Best-selling author Mary Marantz is here to tackle these things head on with us today! Join Mary and I as we talk about:  why we should quit playing small and HOW exactly we do that naming our fear and why it's lying to you wrestling with imposter syndrome how we over-responsible ourselve...

How do we trust God when our hearts are so broken we're not even sure how to pray?  My new friend Claudia Campbell is here to walk us through it. Claudia is the author of These Stones Remain: 60 Reflections on Finding Hope When Darkness Lingers . As the mom of multiple children in Heaven and twin girls on Earth, she is the wise and compassionate voice we need to help us grieve with hope. JUST WAIT...

Do you ever find yourself waiting for the other shoe to drop? What if we started anticipating God's goodness instead?    My friend Gaye Lindfors is an author, speaker, and absolute delight, and I'm so excited for you to get to hear from her today!   Join Gaye and I as we talk about:  Showing up for your life at every age and stage The gift of aging, and why we don't have to be afraid of it Why wom...

Six months after Hurricane Helene, a friend of mine who lives in Western North Carolina is here to tell her story. My friend Heidi Ashe is a lifelong resident of Western North Carolina. She and her husband are small business owners and parents to three awesome teens.  Join Heidi and I as we talk about:  what she loves about WNC what the people of WNC have had to grieve in the days, weeks, and mont...

If you've ever looked at a circumstance in your life and thought, "It's too late," this episode is for you! Joining me to talk about why you're not too late is my friend, author, speaker, and podcaster Rebecca George.  Rebecca is the author of multiple books, including her most recent  You're Not Too Late: Trusting God's Timing in a Hurry-Up World.  Join Rebecca and I as we talk about:  common fee...

How do you know when a pattern in your life is personality or preference, vs. when it has become dysfunctional?  And once you realize you've moved into unhealthy territory, how do you break the cycle and start a new path?  Two new friends of mine, Justin and Trisha Davis, are here to answer these questions and much, much more! Justin and Trisha are the founders of RefineUs Ministries, hosts of the...

Living whole is holy work, and it starts with getting honest with God.  My friend Jenn Jett Barrett and I got to dig deep on what she calls "the holy work of living whole," bringing our full selves to be with Jesus. Jenn Jett Barrett is the founder of The Well Summit, where she creates spaces for women to care for their souls in a way that is emotionally healthy.  Jenn is such a deep well. I loved...

What do you do in seasons of waiting, when your calling and God's timing aren't lining up the way you thought they would?   My friend Ashley Minor is here to talk about it with us! Ashley is a podcast host, writer, speaker, and ministry leader who has served with FCA at the University of Texas, Love Paced Race with Revelation Wellness, and more.  Join Ashley and I as we talk about:  our ideas abou...

Changing one little word shifted a whole mindset for me. Maybe it can do the same for you? So many times, we try to overhaul our lives all at once. All it takes is the turn of a calendar page, a big birthday, or a new school year for us to decide that THIS YEAR (or decade) IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT!  We go all in until reality reminds us "this is not sustainable," then we get discouraged, and we qu...

If you want to stay present in your life but get distracted by all of  this *waves around wildly*- this show is for you! We are digging into staying present, being intentional, and loving our people well with my friend, Sherri Crandall.  Sherri Crandall is the Vice President of Global Ministries and Leadership Experience for The MomCo by MOPS International. She is an author and speaker who encoura...

When you look up and realize you've taken a wrong turn or gone down the wrong path, how do you find your way back to God?  My friend Ashley Martin and I got to talk about it, and I'm excited to get to share this conversation with you! Ashley is a teacher turned writer and speaker, who has battled alcoholism and addiction, and who has been in recovery for 11 years now.  Join Ashley and I as we talk...