Better Together With Barb Roose

Did you grow up in a home where things were kept silent? Did your parents ask you to keep secrets or warn you not to talk about certain family problems outside of the house? In today's Better Together podcast, we're talking about how to stop suffocating in silence and learn how to have hard conversations. Even as Jesus taught that the Truth of the gospel would set us free from eternal condemnation, we also know that speaking God's Truth also frees us from the strongholds of secret sin, generational curses and other dysfunctional behaviors. My guest is Lori Roeleveld, author of the new book, The Art of Hard Converations: Biblical Tools for the Tough Talks that Matter (2019). Today, Lori explains why we struggle to have hard conversations and how to learn how to have them.  I know first hand how secrets are strongholds that can drain the hope of even the strongest families. If you've been sitting in silence and afraid of speaking up for any reason, Lori's words just might be divine timing for you. Here's what

Did you grow up with a father who was absent from your life? Have you felt the emptiness and ache that accompanies the absence of his love and involvement? On this week’s episode of Better Together, I’m talking with Kia Stephens about her story, her healing and her mission to help women deal with their father wounds. Kia is the found of the Father Swap Blog as well as Entrusted Women, an online community to encourage, equip and uplift writers, bloggers, speakers and authors who happen to be women of color. She a wife and homeschooling mom of two who is passionate about helping women know God as Father. For this reason, she created The Father Swap Blog to help women exchange their father wounds for the love of God the Father. During today’s podcast, Kia will talk about not only the definition of a "father wound", but she's explain how this kind of loss can wreck woman’s emotions and relationships with men if unaddressed. When a father isn't a part of a woman's life, that loss can have a painful and negative im

Are you a woman that likes to get things done? If you’re love to-do lists, then you’re going to love my conversation with Katie M. Reid, author of Made Like Martha: Good News for the Woman Who Gets Things Done. Katie is a self-described modern-day Martha who struggled with the well-known story of two women with two different approaches to life in Luke 10. Have you ever read the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10? It’s a story of two women named Martha and Mary. In one particular situation, Martha worked to get her home prepared to offer hospitality while her sister, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet. When Martha asked Jesus to instruct Mary to help, Jesus answered with the following words: “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all of these details. There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke 10:41-42 NLT) Too many of us have read this story and walked away with the conclusion that Jesus was criticizing Martha for trying to get things d

“Never give up!” That’s the philosophy of Vicki Fitch, an award winning leader, international business consultant and direct sales expert. If you’ve ever dreamed of making extra money to support your family through direct sales or multi-level marketing companies that offer great incentives with flexible schedules for your family, then you’ll definitely want to listen to Vicki’s story on today’s Better Together podcast. Vicki started her first business when she was 12 years old. She purchased her first home at 19 years old and began her first company a year later. As a “serial entrepreneur,” Vicki builds and sells business as a way of life. She’s been in the direct sales business for 20 years, consistently performing at the top 1% of her company and winning the kinds vacations, trips and bonuses that we dream about for our families. But, Vicki’s “never give up” philosophy comes from the difficult experiences in her early stages of her life. In today’s conversation, Vicki and I discuss her struggle to feel love

How do we teach our kids about God when we don't know all of the answers?  How do we get our kids to participate in family devotions when they don't want to sit still?!!! Take a deep breath, Mom and Dad. God knows that you're doing the best that you can. When it comes to teaching our kids about Jesus, you don't need to know the answers and there are some fabulous resources to help you out! On today's Better Together podcast, I had the most delightful conversation with author, Sarah M. Wells. She's the author of the new resource The Family Bible Devotional: Stories from the Bible to Help Kids and Parents Engage and Love Scripture.   Mom or Dad, if you're reading this today and you're worried about messing up your kids' spiritual growth, relax. It's okay to not have all of the answers. You've got permission to say, "I don't know the answer to that, but let's keep reading and see what we can learn."  Sarah wrote the Family Bible Devotional as a faith-building experience to give parents confidence in helping the

When we are intentional moms, it assists us in becoming less-stressed moms.  When we bring our babies home from the hospital, our dream is to raise them in a happy and healthy home. But, from the time that we get pregnant or we announce plans to adopt, others begin giving us their opinions about what we should or shouldn't do. If we're not careful, other people's input will confuse us and add a lot of stress to our already busy lives. Today, I'm continuing my fun and freeing conversation with my friend, Susan Seay. If you listened to part one of our interview, the podcast ended with Susan saying that she hit the wall after the birth of her seventh child. "I became so burdened with my efforts to be a “good mom” and trying to do all the things a “good mom” should do. My list of “should’s” was so long I was ready to give up. In fact, I did give up. I announced it one night at dinner with a simple. I announced to my husband: “I’m done!” - Susan Seay, speaker and author During this episode, Susan shares about the

I became so burdened with my efforts to be a “good mom” and trying to do all the things a “good mom” should do. My list of “should’s” was so long I was ready to give up. In fact, I did give up. I announced it one night at dinner with a simple- “I’m done!” -Susan Seay, mother of seven (yes, seven!) Mom, do you ever “should” all over yourself? I should do another load of laundry… I should stay up late and make cookies for my daughter’s class… I should volunteer to drive carpool, even though I’m working late this week. Sometimes those “should” feel so heavy and make us feel like we’re buried under unreasonable expectations. If you’ve ever struggled with the “should,” you’ll love my conversation with my dear friend, Susan Seay. She’s a speaker and author living in Austin, TX. Susan and her husband, Ron are the parents to seven, yes seven kids. Not only that but Susan is a homeschool mom, who also supports and consults with other homeschooling on a national level. Susan and I have been friends online for almost

I want your love - to be unrestrained - tearing down walls - breaking these chains. -"Unrestrained", Changed Album If you've ever listened to a contempary Christian radio station anywhere in the world, then you've heard of the Grammy-nominated, Dove Award winning band, Sanctus Real. (Feel free to do the loud crowd cheering here...) In today's Better Together podcast, I'm talking with Mark Graalman, Sanctus Real's drummer and original band member. A life-long native of Toledo, OH, Mark is also on staff on Vineyard Church. He's married to his beautiful wife, Susan, and they are the parents of three boys. Mark and I had a great time talking about the early days of Christian music as well as what it was like to start a Christian rock bank back when organs reigned supreme and drums weren't totally accepted in traditional churches. He talks about having no idea as a teen guy that he would end up playing in stadiums around the world to groups up to 120,000.  Talk about cool. Then, Mark talks about coming from a line

"God, I can't do this." In 2006, speaker and author Gail Cooper spoke these desparate words on her knees in a field on the way to where rescuers were looking for her 21-year old son. He'd been canoeing with a friend right before college graduation when his canoe went under  - and Gail got the call in the middle of the night. One of the goals of my Better Together podcast is to talk about real life issues that live deep in the souls of women. One of those issues is grief. These days, grief is a daily part of my life in losing my father and father-in-law in the past year. But there are other forms of grief - a lost dream, losign a job, divorce or marriage crisis. Friend, it's okay to give yourself permission to grieve if you've lost something important that you loved. Grief is a part of life, but when we're afraid to feel grief or even talk about it, grief becomes a prison. How do we learn how to embrace grief as a process that God can bless with purpose?  Gail shows us what that looks like in her life during t

Can we find freedom from past hurts or trauma? The answer is YES! If you know me, you know that I am a HUGE advocate of mental health! Not only have I invested in years of personal counseling, but I attend a recovery group on a regular basis for my own serenity. A decade ago, I struggled with major depression and spending a year in counseling and medication delivered me back to wellness. The lesson that I've learned is that good mental health is a daily investment and when we don't invest in ourselves, we rob ourselves of the peace and joy that God promises. Don't rob yourselves, friends. You matter! My guest on this episode of the Better Together podcast is clinically-trained marriage and family therapist, Stacy Lynn Harp, the host of Bible News Radio. Stacy Lynn grew us as the middle child between two brothers and to a mother who often said, "Stacy, I wish that you were never born." When Stacy Lynn was seven years old, her mother had an affair with Stacy's paternal uncle. Eventually, Stacy's mother left her

How many times a week do you say, "I'm so tired"? Here are some signs that you're might be exhausted. If you say "yes" to one or more of these, keep reading! Do you get sick often - like sinus infections or headaches? Is your mind so cluttered that you can't concentrate? Do you feeling like your floating around aimlessly or that your life doesn't have true purpose or calling? Do you feel too drained to be around people or you often feel people are judging you? Believe it or not, but these are the warning signs of rest deprivation. Too often, we think about rest as just getting a good night's sleep or watching hours of tv.    Rest is much more than that! But, if we don't figure out how to really rest, then we're going to end up living really messed up lives.     Let me introduce you to someone who can give you the help and hope that you need today! My Better Together guest is Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, an author, speaker, and board-certified internal medicine physician. She has an active medical practice in A

"Don't burn bridges. Be graceful in all of your converations, especially when people say or do hurtful things." -Lisa Toney, speaker, author & leader On this week's Better Together podcast, we're talking about one of my favorite ways for us to get better together. On today's episode, we're talking leadership! Not only that, but our leadership inspiration is Lisa Toney, an executive and teaching pastor from Purpose Church in California. She's a seasoned leader who loves investing in both men and women, equipping them to lead at the highest levels of God's call on their lives. Lisa is the author of Thrive: Live Like You Matter and her new book, The Scripture Challenge releases this fall. Not only that, but Lisa is a new voice in the next generation of Women of Faith. Any Women of Faith fans out there? Me! For over 20 years, WOF events around the country mobilized hundreds of thousands of women and now, a generation of voices, including Lisa's are on deck to make a global impact. Lisa tells us all about WOF'

“If we hide the fact that Dad drinks too much, then no one will know.” Did you grow up in a home where things like drinking or drugs weren't talked about? Too often, when someone that we love is struggling, silence seems easier than saying something or possibly the wrong.  Today, I'm talking with author Kimberly Dewberry about her new book, Three Weeks to Forgiveness, which tells her story of God’s redemption in the dark places of addiction. In our conversation today, Kimberly talks about what it was like growing up with an addicted parent and perhaps, her reflections and stories might hit close to home.  Here is a recap of some of the questions that I asked Kimberly today. I'd encourage you to listen to and share today's interview if you grew up with an alcoholic family or you know someone currently living in that difficult situation. What are your earliest memories of your dad’s addiction on your life? “I remember going through hiding places where my dad would hide his partial or empty bottles. My mom wante

If you’ve struggled with praying, figuring out what to say, felt guilty about not praying enough or wondered about does prayer even make a difference, today’s episode is for you! This week’s Better Together guest is best selling author, Janet McHenry. Janet is a national speaker and author of 23 books, including six on prayer—most notably the best-selling PrayerWalk and her new book, The Complete Guide to the Prayers of Jesus, which is being released this week. Janet's prayer walking practices have been featured in magazines such as Health and Family Circle, and she has been interviewed widely on national and local radio programs about prayer and prayer-walking. A recently retired English teacher and academic advisor, Janet and her husband Craig have raised four children in the Sierra Valley, where she loves walking with her Personal Trainer, Jesus. On this week's episode, Janet and I talk about: How falling down her steps helped Janet discover a new way to pray; How God used a baby and single dad to teach J

What are you're missing out on if you aren't connected with any millennials?  It's become really easy for us to criticize the Millennial generation, those individuals born between 1981 and 1996 (according to Pew Research). How many times have you heard or maybe your referred to Millennials "entitled" or "they have a poor work ethic"? My Better Together guest today is the exact opposite of the common (and untrue) stereotypes attributed to today's Millennials. Lauren Gaskill is a speaker, author, podcaster and entrepreneur - and she's 25 years old. That's right! Seriously, what were you doing at 25? Best part is that Lauren has been my friend for a long time - I'm so excited that you get to meet her. Lauren emailed me years ago because she wanted to connect with women in ministry who were farther down the road in experience and faith. But, friends, I've learned so much from this brilliant young woman.  Her first book, Into the Deep, comes out in November 2018 (Abingdon Press). A long-time competitive swimmer, L

Are you or someone that you know a planning a wedding? Are you a soon-to-be-bride, mother-of-the-bride or mother-of-the-groom? If so, this episode of the Better Together podcast is a must-listen for some of the do’s and don’ts when it comes to wedding fashion and family dynamics. My guest this week is my fabulous friend and American’s leading Christian fashion consultant, Shari Braendel. She’s a popular guest on my Better Together podcast and on this episode, Shari shows up with some important rules and must-do’s when it comes to weddings. Not only does she provide helpful information, but as Shari will be the mother-of-the-groom at her son’s wedding in just a couple of weeks, she lets us into what God has been teaching her about letting go of her son – it’s a touching, emotional conversation that any mom with a wedding coming up needs to hear. (You might want to grab a tissue!) In today’s conversation, Shari answers questions like: What are the rules for when the mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom

“Focus on the person you are fighting for, not the person you are fighting with.”  -John Guerin Do you have a secret that you’re keeping from your husband? Some of us might sneak in a few pairs of shoes inside brown grocery bag or perhaps there is a secret Amazon account attached to an off-the-radar credit card, secrets are never good for a relationship. But what about a bigger secret? Are you hiding secret feelings from your husband about the guy at the office who gives great shoulder rubs? Do you feel a growing affection for your neighbor who always has time to fix something when your hubby is busy?     On this episode of the Better Together podcast, I’m talking with speaker and author Shannon Geurin. Shannon and her husband, John live in Colorado and they are parents of two daughters. Twelve years ago, Shannon began an emotional affair with a man that led to a physical affair. As Shannon says, "And that affair led me to do the unthinkable. I was going to leave my family - husband and my little girls." This

I love the word “gutsy.” In fact, a gutsy woman is always inspiring to me! She’s the kind of gal who knows that the odds are stacked against her, but she makes a big move anyways. There have been so many gutsy women in my life – I could take up this entire blog listing them. In a world where women are fighting against so much, we need brave, courageous women who are willing to risk it all for something better. Sometimes, the greatest gutsiest risk we’ll ever take is the one that involves confronting our painful past and choosing to walk the road of healing. Today, my Better Together podcast guest is Jennifer Renee Watson. I caught up with Jennifer as she was hiding out in a hotel room writing her upcoming book called Freedom: The Gutsy Pursuit of Breakthrough and Life Beyond It" (February 2019). Jennifer is a speaker, writer, pastor’s wife, student ministries leader and mother of two. Her life journey has been one of brokenness and healing. Now, Jennifer’s passion is to equip others to take their healing jour

“On what should have been the most beautiful day of my life, a switch flipped in my body…”  Have you or someone you know struggled with chronic pain? For 20 years, speaker and author, Melinda Means fought chronic pain and autoimmune disorders that she jokingly referred as the “gift that keeps on giving.” Melinda is the author of the book, Invisible Wounds: Hope While You are Hurting. As we talked today, she reflects on the years on constant doctors appointments, diseases and treatments, she felt like the woman in New Testament who struggled with uncontrolled bleeding for 12 years (Mark 5). “I tried everything to heal myself. I tried every diet, vitamin – everything. But nothing worked.” Raging within Melinda’s suffering body was a spiritual wound that spread deep and wide. “I didn’t understand how God could love me and still let me suffer. I know that my earthly father would have healed me from my debilitating pain if he could. So, if my earthly father would heal me because beloved me, then why wouldn’t my h

"They took me into the counseling room. The doctor gently told me that they tried everything that they could, but they were not able to revive my husband. So, I went home to do the hardest thing that I ever had to do."  Lisa Appelo's life changed forever in just one night… On this new episode of Better Together podcast, I have a heartbreaking, yet hope-filled conversation with writer and speaker, Lisa Appelo.  She’s a Florida native and a homeschooling mom to seven kids, now aged 27 to 10. During our interview, Lisa tells us about the night in summer 2011 when she woke up in the middle of the night and realized that her 47-year old husband Dan was having a heart attack. After the paramedics took her husband to the hospital, Lisa went upstairs and noticed her kids huddled together with their arms around each other. Not only did Lisa face the devastating loss of her high-school sweetheart husband, but the reality of being alone and a single mom to seven kids from college-aged down to just four years old. In the