The Julie Bender Show

Do you notice the blend between physical and emotional pain? An automatic response to pain is fear—but what if not all pain was  bad, or to be avoided? What if you were better off working through the  pain to find recovery from injury or illness? Physical Therapist Melanie Connell joins me to discuss the link between physical and emotional pain that might easily be overlooked in traditio...

God doesn’t rate sin, so why do we? The Bible says God hates sin but loves the sinner. So why does the Church seem to put special emphasis on the sin of divorce—often going so far as to say that remarriage is biblically wrong? This is a question I have wrestled with and know many others have as well. My guest, Rylee Mowery ( @scriptandscriptures on Instagram) has personal experience with this, and...

What Can You Do To Grow Your Man's Relationship With God? I have been asked this question in countless ways, countless times. And it comes from a sincere loving heart—but it's the wrong question. In this episode I share 4 things (and a bonus) you can do when this is your ultimate desire. I hope to encourage you by giving you practical advice learned from trying to solve this problem in my first ma...

You’re in the right place! Do you struggle with imposter syndrome? Do you fear you are not qualified for or valued in the role(s) you have? I’ve been there too, girl. And so has my friend, reporter, Shari Armstrong. She joins me to explain what this is and why we face it. We share boldly how it affects us, where our faith comes in, and real tips we have found help us to combat it. I love that Shar...

Your size is the least important thing about you. Your size and/or shape does not determine the quality of your character, yet many of us confuse these two measures all the time. Coach and nutritionist Sam Gwaz ( @thesamplan on Instagram ) joins me to discuss how diet culture has affected how we see ourselves, food and fitness and ultimately our value. Starting with her experience having distorted...

No two widows are alike. I struggled to "find myself" in the stories of other widows. It wasn't until I embraced the truth that no two people's lives are the same (even when they experience incredibly similar circumstances) that I gave my widowed self some grace. In this episode you'll meet my friend Alison Burns. We bonded quickly when our boys found each other, and she bravely recounts her journ...

There are flags everywhere. But do you see them? Are you considering waving the white flag of surrender? Is there a red flag you're overlooking? Do you need to proceed with caution in some area of your life? Or should you put the pedal to the metal like someone was waving the checkered flag? In this episode I invite you to analyze your personal well-being as it relates to a variety of areas includ...

Are you holding yourself back? Maybe we're not experiencing health, happiness or fulfilling our purpose because we believe the lie that we're flawed or that everyone else matters more. It happens to me more often than I'd really like to admit. My guest, Devan Kline, Founder and CEO of Burn Boot Camp (which just opened its 300th franchise location) joins me to talk boldly about how we can overcome...

Every marriage has disagreements. Conflict is normal and even healthy. 💯 The game changes when you start looking at conflict as an opportunity to grow, instead of letting it tear you apart. I share what an "arguscussion" is, and give you four practical ways they can bring you closer as a couple, even strengthening your relationship. Healthy marriages are built in the everyday interactions and it'...

Are You Scared of the Hard Stuff? No two people's lives are the same. We all bring our personality, life experience, strengths and insecurities to every storm we weather. But the beauty is that we can learn from the hard things others face without actually having been in their shoes. I have gleaned so much from watching Chelsea Woodward find beauty and joy in the face of incredibly difficult circu...

Are you unhappy with your body? Too many women struggle with poor body image. We nitpick our bodies, obsess over "flaws" and speak unkindly to ourselves (and/or others) propagating a quest for perfection that is unattainable. These habits have the ability to cause body dysmorphic disorder if left unchecked. Trainer and body positivity advocate Rebecca Patterson has first-hand experience with both...

Do You Need Help, Healing or Hope? Are you struggling with a hurt, habit or hangup (yours or someone you love)? I truly believe everyone has at least one of those "h things" in their life, which is where Recovery can be a blessing. My friend Rochelle Joslin agrees and is wiling to share her journey with us. We've each spent countless hours in the rooms of 12-step Anon groups and we're sharing what...

Can anyone be faithful all the time in all the ways? What does faithfulness look like in the important areas of of your life? How do you know if you're hitting the mark in: Your relationship with God Your marriage Your parenting Your health Your purpose Your relationships? I chose "faithfulness" as my word for the year in 2021. So now almost half way through, I'm taking an honest inventory of how...

Men and Women Still Have a Lot To Learn From Each Other Despite what culture might say, I strongly value the perspective and input of men whose lives I respect. One such man is Brett Diamond—husband, father, entrepreneur and follower of Jesus. In this chat I ask Brett to tell us about: -his faith journey -his decision to marry young (even though his parents divorced) -his opinion on what a wife sh...

Do you wonder if you're crazy? Is there someone in your life that makes you question your sanity? Do you know someone who isn't treated well, but you can't put your finger on the issue? Maybe the problem is narcissism. I invite my friend Courtney Morlock to teach us how to spot a narcissist, how to deal with (or leave) one and how to love a friend who is entangled with one. No relationship is alwa...

Sometimes friends become more: they become framily. In Part 1, college student Kelly Harrington (who I see so much of myself in) shares her story of tragedy wrecking her family. In this episode, she continues her account of how God faithfully provided healthy people to help her heal, specifically a young family who showed her the love and support she lacked after her dad died and her mom became ab...

With Faith, Even Broken Can Become Brutiful Wounds from family hurt or trauma can be some of the hardest to  recover from. When tragedy strikes, families either grow closer or fall apart. In this episode, I’m joined by 21 year old Kelly Harrington as  she shares her story. I see so much of myself in her; when her life  changed dramatically, God faithfully met her in the midst of it....

Everybody has a little Mama-Drama, right? Whether you are a Mom or not, you have one, and your relationship with her plays an important role in your life. You may have a close and/or healthy relationship with your mother, while for others it's nonexistent. For most of us, our mothering today is a direct result of how we were raised (both the good and the bad). Regardless of your family dynamics, M...

Is your marriage everything you expected it to be? If you’re struggling with your marriage, you desire more for your relationship with your husband, or you want to invest in building a deeper, stronger bond with your man, I encourage you to try  #prayingforyourhusbanddaily. Years of pain in my first marriage resulted in a habit that I still cling to today, even though I'm now remarried to a m...

Is your marriage everything you expected it to be? If you’re struggling with your marriage, you desire more for your relationship with your husband, or you want to invest in building a deeper, stronger bond with your man, I encourage you to try  #prayingforyourhusbanddaily. Years of pain in my first marriage resulted in a habit that I still cling to today, even though I'm now remarried to a m...

Christians say the darndest things. There's a litany of lingo that Christians use that often needs some decoding. #blessyourheart What do we even mean when we refer to our "quiet time" or "doing life in community?" Why do we want you to be "born again" or "lean in" to the message at our church? When we say "we're praying about it" are we just avoiding a "no" or are we "laying out a fleece" to dete...

Everyone's got a little baggage. Is there a better way to make light of your junk than by making (or sharing) a meme about it? I think not. And so does my witty and winsome friend, Jen Piper. We met in college when she surfed on my couch and we had inverse-matching hair (see the full show notes to enjoy). She watched as I and several other friends got married before her and then when it was finall...

What if you just felt all the feels? Feelings can get a bad rap. Sometimes we try to hide or ignore them,  other times we obsess over, dramatize or even use them to manipulate  others. No wonder they’re such a hot topic. But the truth is, feelings have value and meaning. They aren’t inherently bad—but how we respond to them can be. In this episode I go first, recounting some of my deep (...

Popular podcast host Delia D'Ambra-Wheeler has been in your earbuds on addicting shows like CounterClock, Park Predators, Dark Arenas and Crime Junkies. Finally, you meet and learn more about her, not just the gripping stories she tells! Delia shares how she got into investigative journalism, how her Christian faith plays a role in her work, where she met and fell in love with her husband and answ...

This one is about so much more than dating. Rejection is never fun for any of us, yet we all face it. Whether we've been rejected by friends, employers, family members, or in romantic relationships—we've all been there. My guest Kait Warman literally wrote the book on it. It's time to learn how to turn it into a growth opportunity, one we can say "thank you" for. Kait and I talk about dating in a...