Better Together With Barb Roose

Why do Christian women report sexual satisfaction rates 47 points lower than their husbands? What if Christian women experience lower sexual satisfaction because of how we teach about sex in sermons and popular marriage books? These provocative questions are answered by Sheila Gregoire, author of the new research based book, The Great Sex Rescue: The Lies You’ve Been Taught and How To Recover What God Intended. Sheila and Barb dive into an honest, controversial, yet absolutely necessary conversation about marriage and everything that Christian women are taught about sex. Sheila teaches us that great sex is the fulfillment of a longing for intimacy rather than just one-sided pleasure. In our conversation, she is going to equip us to see sex as God intended: personal, pleasurable, pure, prioritized, pressure-free, and passionate.    RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE To Love, Honor, and Vacuum The Great Sex Rescue   ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST Sheila Wray Gregoire is the face behind ToLoveHonorandVacuum.com, the largest s

Marriage is a good thing! God is still raising up the next generation of husbands and wives who are passionate about godly marriage.    If you are a parent of young adults, you don’t want to miss this episode as Barb talks with Malachi and Courtney Green about hope for marriage and the lessons that they are teaching about God-honoring marriage to the next generation. Malachi and Courtney are passionate about growing together as a couple as well as growing God’s kingdom. In this episode, they are sharing with Barb and Tabitha important lessons that you can share with the young adults in your life.    RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE Malachi and Courtney's YouTube Channel As You Wait Academy   ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUESTS Malachi and Courtney Green are the Pastors of Heart of God Ministry although online many know them as The Greens. Their mission is to normalize Christ and never dilute his power. Their ministry focus is to train, and disciple Christians in all aspects of life. They also share a strong passion for Chris

It takes a lot of courage to go on an overseas mission trip. Barb has served on 10 trips to Central America over the past 15 years. Without a doubt, saying yes to an overseas mission trip can change your life and revolutionize your faith. However, it’s important to show up with humility vs. expecting that another culture will look like our country.    Join Barb for an important conversation with speaker and missionologist, Mekdes Haddis. She is the author of the upcoming book, Just Missions, to help missionaries and ministry leaders engage in healthy conversation and discuss the harmful effects of western missions. Mekdes answers the 5 crucial questions that you need to ask before your next overseas mission trip. Ultimately, she equips us to show up and to show love in a way that honors God and respects others.    RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE Mekdes' Website: mekdeshaddis.com   ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST Mekdes was born and raised in Ethiopia and moved to the United States in 2003 to pursue her studies. She has h

Do you ever feel like, you know you should love God’s Word, but you struggle with opening up your Bible and believing what it says?   In this episode, Barb speaks with author Tricia Lott Williford as she shares her story of loss, heartache, and learning to trust God and His words, even in the painful parts of her life. Whatever hurt or heartache you are walking through right now, you are not alone. Let's draw near to God together!   RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE Tricia's Website: tricialottwilliford.com "This Book Is For You" by Tricia Lott Williford   ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST Tricia writes, blogs, co-hosts the "Let's Talk Soon" podcast with her brother Rob, and speaks about faith in the face of loss / and hope when the miracle isn't yours. With raw transparency, honest grief, laughable joy, and a captivating voice, she shares the hard pieces of her story—and the redemption God offers in the midst of it. Tricia is the author of Just. You. Wait.; You Can Do This; And Life Comes Back; and Let's Pretend We're Norma

"My God is the author of resurrection." -Laney Houser From the outside, everyone assumed that Laney Houser was a superwoman and had it all. She was a pastor's wife, had two Masters' degrees and owned a successful counseling practice.  However, behind the successful and shiny veneer of ministry and career success, Laney didn't want people to know that she was crumbling from the inside out. For years, she didn't want to admit it to herself. Finally, the toll of living in an abusive marriage, excessive overworking and a chronic health condition pushed Laney over the edge into a complete mental health breakdown. In this episode of the Better Together podcast, I talk with Laney about her decision to let go of everything in her life and check in for in-patient treatment to recover from her breakdown. It's a story that Laney is proud of because she explains that letting go of the life that was killing her opened the door for God to resurrect a new life filled with new purpose, passion and most of all, healing. Now,

“Being strong isn’t about perfection and it’s not about having it all together. It’s about having the tools to shift and turn it around when we’re feeling overwhelmed, distracted and looking for a pathway out.” -Susan Seay   How do you define a "strong woman"? This is one of those phrases that represents what we want to be, but often we never quite feel strong, especially when our lives are filled with struggle. Strong isn't having it all together and strong isn't perfection. In my experience, I've learned that strength is often something that I can't always see in myself, but I can make decisions that will make me strong - whether I feel it or not. On today's Better Together podcast, my friend Susan Seay shares the three decisions that can start making today that will infuse your life with strength. Best of all, today's conversation is deep and 'fo real! As a wife and homeschool mother of 7, Susan talks about tough family challenges that their family has navigated such as parenting, marriage struggles and wo

**TRIGGER ALERT** Today’s podcast episode contains highly sensitive content that may cause distress or anxiety depending on your background or current situation. The recent suicide death of billionaire financier and alleged sexual predator, Jeffrey Epstein has escalated the public’s debate about justice for sexual abuse victims. Behind the headlines are countless, nameless faces of humans who’ve suffered humanity's most intimate violation at the hands of another, yet suffer once again because their courage to voice their pain or story is often questioned, even dismissed. “Are you sure that happened?” “What were you wearing?” “Are you making this up to get attention?” “Why didn’t you say anything before?” Rocked by high-profile sexual misconduct allegations, the evangelical church’s shortcomings in responding to and protecting the victims of sexual abuse within their walls were largely thrust into the limelight in 2018. Mary DeMuth, an advocate, survivor of sexual abuse, and a popular evangelical author, helps

Are you feeling scared, frustrated, or insecure about the world that you live in? How in the world do we stay hopeful and positive with so much negativity around us? On today's episode of the Better Together podcast, I'm talking with one of my longtime friends, Melissa Spoelstra. She's a powerful Bible teacher as well as well-known speaker and author about her brand new Bible study, Romans: The Good News that Changes Everything. Melissa and I sat down to talk just a few days after I returned home from El Paso, TX where I'd traveled to welcome home my oldest daughter, Kate, after her 9-month deployment to the Middle East. If you're connected to me on social media, you saw that on my last morning in El Paso, we were at the mall close to the Wal-Mart where the tragic mass shooting happened. In fact, the store we were shopping in went on lockdown and for several minutes we were deeply concerned that the shooter was in our area.  As I reflect on the tragedy of El Paso, the shooting in Dayton less than 12 hours la

Is the empty nest on the horizon? Are you trying to figure out how to let go or figure out who you are now that the kids are grown? If so, you're in the right place!     Welcome to a new season of the Better Together Podcast where we find the hope, the help, as well as practical next steps so that we can all get better together! To kick of off our new season, I'm talking with my friend, Jill Savage about the empty nest season of life. This year, my last child moved out of the house and after nearly 27 years of raising children, I loved this conversation with my wise and fun friend! Jill is the author of the new book, Empty Nest, Full Life: Discovering God's Best for Your Next (August 2019). In today's episode, Jill shares the follow with us: Wisdom:  Jill tells us what empty nest moms need to let go of and what to hold on to.  Encouragement: Are you struggling with tough situations and feeling discouraged? Jill talks about how she navigates parenting adult children dealing with mental illness, homosexuality

What makes your home beautiful is YOU! -Tracy Steel Do you love design shows like “Fixer Upper” or anything else on HGTV? Most of us would love for Joanna Gaines or the Property Brothers to stop by and give our homes a fresh look! However, I’m talking with my friend and fabulous interior designer, Tracy Steel about how you can freshen up your heart and your home this summer. Make sure to check out the photos of Tracy’s beautiful home on the blog page. Not only is she a military wife, mother of two, and a talented designer, but Tracy just graduated from Phoenix Seminary with a Master’s Degree in Biblical and Theological Studies in May 2019. She loves teaching God’s Word and equipping people to fully embrace the space they’re living in. In today’s Better Together podcast, Tracy shares five ways to freshen your heart and home by combining wisdom from God’s Word with practical design advice: Look up (ceilings/Colossians 3:1-4) Clean up (declutter/Colossians 3:5-8) Brighten/Change up: (re-polish/repaint/refurbish

"MOM! What are we going to today?" It's summertime, mamas! Either your kids are out of school for the summer or you're counting down the days, summertime is a HUGE change for a family schedule. If you want to have a great summer with your kids without losing your mind, join me for my conversation today with speaker, author and mom of five, Katie M. Reid.  On today's Better Together podcast, Katie shares five fabulous tips for you can set your family up for success this summer.  Katie is a national speaker, singer/songwriter, and author of Made Like Martha: Good News for the Woman Who Gets Things Done. She holds a Masters Degree in Secondary Education and has been published on sites like: Focus on the Family, TODAY's Parenting Team Blog, Crosswalk, Proverbs 31, and HuffPost. Katie is a fan of musicals and cut-to-the-chase conversations over tea.   During today's conversation, Katie shares the following five ideas: 1. Choose a landing spot in the house for summertime gear 2. Create a family summer activity list

“Single women, we must refute ALL the lies that we’ve started to believe.” I had a sensational conversation with speaker, author and single parent coach, Kaywanda Lamb. We met last fall while speaking at a conference in Louisiana. Within seconds of meeting Kaywanda, I knew that I’d made a new friend. She’s beautiful, brilliant, authentic and deeply wise. A high school Spanish teacher by day, Kaywanda has raised two handsome sons on her own. She began coaching single parents while her boys were young and to support her family, Kaywanda returned to school to advance her education and obtain a Masters in Spanish.  During our conversation today, Kaywanda is going to speak right to heart of single women who are searching, wondering and maybe afraid that they’ll never find a wonderful man who’ll love and cherish them. In fact, Kaywanda shares five lies that women often believe. Here they are: Lie #1. “I don’t think that anyone will ever want me.” Lie #2. “I feel like married women have it better than single women.”

Are you a mom who is constantly giving? Giving your time, energy, and emotions to your kids, spouse, your job and your community?  This episode the Better Together podcast is for all the moms out there who feel like they are along in the jungle of managing kids, homes, unrealistic expectations and the pressure to be all things to all people. Motherhood is no joke - and it ain't for wimps! I remember going almost 13 years without a FULL NIGHT'S SLEEP. I was a zombie y'all. There were the times when I was so distracted that I forgot to send in a form...or forgot to pick up a kid after school. I beat myself up endlessly over the times when I lost my temper or I chose to run errands instead of sit down and read a book with my kids.   After all of the ups and downs of motherhood, do you want to know the best lesson that I've learned? It's actually something that I repeat to myself many days of the week - and I hope that you might do the same. Here it is: "Barb, be kind to yourself. You're doing the best that you c

What do we do when God says no to what we've been praying for? If you've clicked over to this podcast, let me tell you right now: You're supposed to be here right now. I don't even know about your life. But, I know that you need to click play on this episode and hear what my friend, Janet McHenry, has to say. She's the best-selling author of the book, Prayer walk, and the author of the newest book, The Complete Prayers of Jesus. Today, Janet speaks powerful, divine wisdom into the hard question: What do we do when God says no? He didn't heal your loved one; He didn't stop your parent from abandoning you; He allowed the divorce to happen; He hasn't rescued your child from drugs; He's allowed your financial or legal trouble to cost you everything. You aren't alone if you're confused or angry because God hasn't answered your prayer the way that you'd hoped. There are verses in the Bible about God giving us the desires of our heart and God invites us to ask Him for anything. Yet, how do we reconcile God's command

Do you struggle with being a Christian who loves Jesus BUT still suffers with depression? If so, STOP RIGHT NOW and listen to today's Better Together podcast! “I asked God to take it away a lot. And He didn’t. So I had to rethink what He might mean by leaving it there.” -Melissa Maimone, author of The Radiant Midnight  Melissa Maimone is a Christian speaker and writer who teaches women that an authentic life in Christ can be messy and magnificent at the exact same time. With her unique blend of theology, humor and insight, Melissa provides down-to-earth lessons, practical applications, and life-changing perspectives to real women who are living real lives in the midst of real problems. Using scripture, art, storytelling and lessons from her own battle with depression, Melissa demonstrates that the light of JOY can be found even in dark places. Friends, I LOVED my conversation with Melissa because we're talk about depression, mental health and how to live WELL in hard times. So, so good! And I’ve read and prou

Are you tired? Does taking a day off to rest seem impossible? Listen to one of Barb’s teaching messages on the topic of REST. The big idea of her message is this: We are blessed when we rest. In this upbeat and equipping message, Barb talks about why and how Jesus championed rest for us. Some of the highlights from this message: We are blessed when rest. When we are exhausted, sin starts looking good. Rest realigns us with God’s purpose for our lives. Rest reconnects us with God. Rest revives us. Sabbath (Rest Day) Prayer: God, I will rest in you today. I will be blessed as I rest today. I trust that you are my provider and I give you what I have and trust you for what I don’t.   About your Better Together podcast host... Barb Roose is a popular speaker and author who is passionate about equipping women to win at life with Christ-empowered strength and dignity. Barb loves speaking at women’s conference and leadership events such as the Aspire Women’s Events, She Speaks Conference and the UMC Leadership Inst

When I use the phrase "racial justice" how do you feel? Perhaps you're feeling uncomfortable or you're frustrated because you love people like Jesus does so a conversation about race feels unnecessary. As an African-American woman who also loves Jesus, I promise you, this conversation is necessary. And I want to give you permission to feel uncomfortable and even disagree with what you hear - as long as you're willing to stay engaged and don't give up on listening! In today's Better Together podcast, I'm talking with author Cara Meredith about her new book, The Color of Life: A Journey Toward Love and Racial Justice. She's a Caucasian-American woman who married an African-American man named James Henry Meredith, who happens to be the son of Civil Rights activist and icon, James Howard Meredith. Not sure who he is? Cara talks about her father-in-law at the beginning of our conversation and here's an article where you can see photos. Here's what Cara and I talk about in this episode: Her father-in-law, James H

Are you a caregiver who would love it if someone would stop and ask how YOU are doing? In our culture today, many women find themselves caring for older parents or chronically ill loved ones. Even as medicine has advanced so much, the support for the endless job of caregiving hasn't kept pace. How do you stay uplifted and encouraged when carrying the responsibility of caring for a loved one? On today's Better Together Podcast, I'm talking with Sarah Forgrave,  author and speaker who loves encouraging others toward a deeper walk of faith. As one who experienced several years of surgeries and slow recovery, Sarah understands the fears and frustrations of not getting better. But, as the caregiver after her sister's heart transplant ten years ago, Sarah also learned many lessons about the the difficulties of caregiving. Her prayer devotional for those dealing with medical illnesses, Prayers for Hope and Healing, released with Harvest House Publishers in 2017. Sarah's newest book, Prayers of Hope for Caregivers,

"Prepare your bucket list and live your life well.” These are the words a doctor spoke to Heather Dixon in 2015. She's speaker, author and bible teacher who understands the challenges of living with a story that is not easy. Diagnosed with an incurable and terminal genetic disorder that she inherited from her mother, Heather is passionate about encouraging and equipping women to trust in God, face their greatest fears, and live with hope, especially in the midst of difficult circumstances. When she is not blogging at The Rescued Letters or speaking at women’s conferences and events, Heather loves to make the most of everyday moments such as cooking for her husband and son, brainstorming all the possible ways to organize Legos and superheroes, checking out way too many library books, or unashamedly indulging in her love for all things Disney. Heather is the author of Ready: Finding the Courage to Face the Unknown and a regular contributor to Journey magazine. Her second Bible study, Determined: Living Like J

"Hope is knowing that one day I will hold my babies in heaven." -Kaila Mugford Today's episode is one of the most powerful and emotional conversations that I've ever had on the Better Together podcast. I'm talking with my brave and courageous friend, Kaila Mugford about her journey as a mother with two children living with her on earth and two precious little boys in heaven. If you or a friend has suffered a miscarriage or infant loss, Kaila's speaks with bare honesty and vulnerability about her complicated feelings about God, faith, others' advice and how to stand by friends who suffer a miscarriage or infant loss. After you listen to today's episode, please share it with a grieving friend and let her know that you love her.   Kaila blogs about her family’s grief and loss of two children at kailamugford.blogspot.com. Writing is healing for her, and she hopes that her words can bring comfort to others grieving too.   LINKS FROM TODAY'S SHOW: Kaila's blog Still Standing Magazine