The Bitter and The Sweet Podcast

We may "know" God loves us in a general sense, but we have a hard time understanding His love and trusting His affection for us, personally.  My friend Rachael Adams and I got to have a great conversation all about understanding and trusting God's love for us, and I'm excited to get to share it with you today! Rachael is the host of The Love Offering podcast and the author of two devotional books,...

This past fall, a listener asked if we could talk about making friends as an adult after moving to a new place. My friend Neshe Lee Sloan is here to talk us through it! Neshe Lee Sloan is a writing coach and entrepreneur, wife, and mom of 3 boys. Not too long ago, she and her family moved from Arizona to North Carolina.  Neshe and I became friends shortly before they began the process of the big m...

How do we find our purpose? Is that the right question to ask? What does "purpose" even mean? Does everyone feel the pressure to find their purpose the way I do? When I started asking these types of questions, I knew my friend Danita Cummins was the one I wanted to help me sort through these things! Danita is the host of the Entrusted to Lead podcast and the author of Promise Over Purpose: Unveili...

Season 2 of The Bitter and the Sweet podcast is all about living wholeheartedly, and that begins with living intentionally! When I wanted to talk about living an intentional life, I knew my friend Cristina Slabic was the exact right person to join us for this conversation. Cristina is the author of  The Intentional Life: Cultivate Confidence, Build Your Boundaries, Protect Your Peace. As a time ma...

The Bitter and the Sweet podcast is a show where we tell the truth about grief, joy, and the grace that covers it all. I absolutely love getting to be with you every Tuesday for conversations like these!    In just 2 minutes, take a look back at where we've been in season 1, and where we are headed in season 2, holding nothing back as we live in relationship with God and the people He gave us.   ...

If you've ever felt the pressure to be "on" all the time- for your people, for your job, for the whole internet, or even for God- this episode is for you!   In our season finale (can you even believe it?!), we're talking about the ONE spiritual practice that I have found that relieves the pressure in my life like nothing else.   Spiritual disciplines are practices that connect us with God, and thi...

In our final guest episode of 2024 (another solo to come!) , we are digging into prayer with my friend Jackie Aviles.   Jackie is a writer and speaker who works with Go and Tell Gals , a pastor's wife, a mom, and a breast cancer survivor. Jackie is one of the most encouraging people I've ever met, and I'm thrilled for you to get to know her via the podcast today!    Join Jackie and I as we talk ab...

Our Comfort & Joy series continues this Advent, as we lean into spiritual disciplines (practices that connect us with God).    This conversation is all about two practices that are so hard to implement but so important for our souls: silence and solitude.   My friend Simi John is here to lead us in this, and I'm so excited for you to get to hear from her!   Simi is the author of I AM NOT , a Bible...

Advent is HERE, and I'm so excited to kick of our Advent series today!   "Comfort & Joy" is a series all about spiritual disciplines. If that doesn't sound very comforting or joyful, stick around! Walking with God is where we find the ultimate comfort and joy, and spiritual disciplines are just practices that help us do that.    Deep diving all things Scripture with us today is my friend, Lindsay...

If there is one thing I hope you take away from our grief and gratitude series, it's this: you don't have to choose.  In this solo show, I'm sharing:  a "what if" question about grief I can't quit thinking about misconceptions I've had about God and how He works two things God has used in my life- one happy, one sad- to break my illusion of control showing up for our lives and our people  why pers...

November is National Family Caregivers Month, and while I'm not currently a caregiver, I know how important this topic is. I knew the exact right person to join us, lead us, and teach us in this conversation!     Jess Ronne is the founder of The Lucas Project, a nonprofit that serves special needs families with recognition, resources, and respite. She is the creator of two documentaries, Unseen: H...

Some losses are so sudden and profound, you could have never seen them coming. That's the kind of loss we are talking about today.    Mallory Stokes was in the car with her twin sister, Mia, and two of their softball teammates when they were hit head on by a drunk driver. Tragically, Mia died instantly, and one of their teammates also lost her life.   Mallory is here today to share Mia's story, an...

When you're grieving, you know that, while THE world hasn't ended, it feels like YOUR world has.    My friend Dawn Mann Sanders deeply understands this feeling, so much so that she wrote the book on it: When Your World Ends: God's Creative Process for Rebuilding a Life . Dawn is brilliant and wise and also funny, which counts a lot around here :)    Join Dawn and I as we talk about:  what happens...

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and that should mean more to us than just wearing lots of pink!   My friend Caitlan Reese Killian is the host of the Goodness & Grace podcast, faithful writer of the Goodness & Grace newsletter, and founder of Still Good Co. Caitlan is a metastatic breast cancer thriver and living miracle (truly!). I'm excited and grateful to have her on the show today to...

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month, and I'm so grateful to get to introduce you to one of my friends who has infant loss as part of her story.  Hannah J. Clements is a licensed professional counselor, wife, and mom of four kids on Earth and one in Heaven. She is so dear to me, and I know that by the end of this episode, she will be so dear to you, too.  Join Hannah and I as we ta...

We tell the truth about grief, joy, and the grace that covers it all around here, and today, it's my turn! This is a very special solo episode- just you and me today- all about the family you hoped would be, when the picture you had in your head of what your family would look like does not match the story you're living.  We're talking about my experiences with infertility and loss, questions I've...

We've talked about many different kinds of family relationships on the show, and today I'm thrilled to talk about the family we choose- our friends! Our guest today, Sam Williams, is a public school teacher who does friendship better than just about anyone I know.  Sam and I co-lead Bible studies and small groups at our local church, and I can't wait for you to get to know her today!  Join Sam and...

When I wanted to talk about offering a sense of family to people who don't have that (for whatever reason they may not), I knew Lauren Alexander was our girl. Lauren is a speaker and Bible teacher, a pastor's wife, mom of four, and foster parent. She is a rockstar advocate for vulnerable women, children, and families, and an all around joy to be with. It is an honor and a joy to have her on the sh...

If you're looking for a conversation about church hurt that holds the tension of being both honest and honoring, you're in the right place!  When I wanted to talk about church hurt, I knew Sarah Wood is the friend we need for this conversation.  Sarah is a writer who has contributed to She Reads Truth , a Bible teacher and ministry leader, and Community Manager at  Lisa Whittle Ministries (where w...

No matter your marital status or parenting status, we all have a family of origin. Today on the show, we are going there!  I could think of nobody better to join me for this conversation than my friend Kristen Hallinan.  Kristen Hallinan is the host of the Up Until Now podcast and author of Legacy Changer: Heal the Hurt, Redeem Your Story, Create Hope for Your Family .   Join Kristen and I as we t...

One of my favorites and yours, Jennifer Bishop Smith, joins us this week for part 2 of our conversation on the family you're building! Part 1 was all about our marriages (go back and listen if you missed it!), and part 2 brings us to the kids we are raising. With four boys, ages 4-15, Jennifer is a wealth of wisdom, and she's here to share it with us today! Join Jenn and I as we talk about:  the m...

The family you're building starts with your marriage, and I can't wait to start here together with my dear friend, Jennifer Bishop Smith! Jennifer is the author of Oh For Grace: 52 Weeks to Trusting Him More, a Bible teacher, an educator, and a business owner. She is a pastor's wife and the mom of four sons.  Jennifer celebrated 20 years of marriage this summer with her husband, Dusty, and she's h...

Welcome to The Bitter & The Sweet podcast! I'm so excited and grateful to get to do this, and to get to do this with YOU! We kick things off with a little intro from me, what our first series together will look like, and what I found when I went looking for disappointment in the Bible.  Connect on Instagram: @kaylacookwrites Become an email friend here!  

Welcome to The Bitter & The Sweet Podcast, a show where we tell the truth about grief, joy, and the grace that covers it all.    Join host Kayla M. Cook every Tuesday for conversations about disappointment and dreams, grief and gratitude, the bitter and the sweet.