In this episode, I chatted with author Kathy Carlton Willis about how COVID-19 affected her personally, and we talked about what it is like living with chronic health challenges when the risk is high. Kathy shared how the last nine months of mostly isolation have been for her and how she has experienced a pause on her normal speaking, conferences, local ministry, and personal connection to friends. Kathy has learned new ways to reach out and have a personal ministry to others via technology. She...
Sep 24, 2020•40 min
In this episode: If you had to choose just one thing for your next step, what would it be? What if a tiny pivot could change your direction and help you finish up the year 2020 strong and heading toward a better life? I’ve heard the term “butterfly effect” a few times and didn’t understand what it meant until recently. We’re approaching the end of the 3rd quarter of 2020. Many people have called this a dumpster fire of a year. But is it all that bad? What if it’s prompting you to make an adjustm...
Sep 17, 2020•16 min
In this episode: The coziness and comfort of HYGGE is more than just fuzzy socks, a candle, and a mug. It isn't a vignette. It's a way of life. We can grow the essence of hygge in our relationships whether online or in person. This week, I want to talk about HYGGE. If you aren't familiar with the term, hygge (pronounced HOO-gah) is a Danish and Norwegian word for a mood of coziness and comfortable familiarity associated with feelings of wellness and contentment. It's associated with the idea of ...
Sep 10, 2020•24 min
In this episode: This week, author Jane Rubietta talks with me about how we can find light in dark places and how we can shine that light on others. I hope you'll laugh along with us as we catch up and enjoy a hope-filled chat. Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellerayburn.substack.com...
Sep 03, 2020•38 min
In this episode: Does it sometimes feel as if you're one mini-crisis from capsizing? These are days where people feel overwhelmed by the level of stress that has become part of everyday life. What do we do with the overwhelm? In this podcast episode, I talk about how we can be aware and give ourselves and others more grace in difficult times. May I just do a short rant here? If I see another meme about if 2020 were a song, or if 2020 were a menu item. Or if one more person asks if we can press t...
Aug 27, 2020•12 min
In this episode, I talk with daughter and mom, Blythe Daniel and Dr. Helen McIntosh, about experiencing restoration and healed hearts in broken mother-daughter relationships. They talk about their book, Mended, and share their story of how Helen turned a difficult childhood into a ministry. Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellerayburn.substack.com...
Aug 20, 2020•45 min
What does it mean to give up our rights? And what would happen if we lived in such a way that we were conformed to the mindset of Jesus? This week, we consider how our actions could be the only indication that someone else might have of how a follower of Jesus might act and live. point is, what does it mean to give up our rights, and is it truly unAmerican to do so? Am I called to hold my ground at all costs because it opens the door for a hostile takeover of my freedom? Or is there another scri...
Aug 13, 2020•19 min
In a season where we long for peace and hope, one of the best ways to find it is in time spent with God. But how can we keep up the habits when distractions and busyness interfere? Author Stephenie Hovland gives helpful tips and shares a link to a free downloadable resource! Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellerayburn.substack.com...
Aug 06, 2020•39 min
In this episode: Michelle talks with her husband, Phil, about how she tried deer hunting and he tried her hobbies as they discovered more about each other and learned to appreciate their uniqueness. She tried hunting, and he tried her crafts. Laugh along as they talk about the debut of their new book for couples. Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellerayburn.substack.com...
Jul 30, 2020•21 min
In honor of the launch day of their book, Phil and Michelle play a game of "Would You Rather?" Enjoy a few laughs as they discuss questions about money, work, time, and love. Sample questions: Would you rather stay in or go out for a date night? Would you rather play a board game or watch a movie with me? Would you rather lose your keys or your cell phone? Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, ...
Jul 23, 2020•23 min
In this episode, Michelle chats with her husband, Phil, about the first chapter of their new book, Classic Marriage: Staying in Love as Your Odometer Climbs. Listen in to the podcast episode to hear their conversation in Phil's first time behind the mic, and laugh along as he provides some advice for husbands. Listen in as they practice a set of discussion questions for date night. Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get ...
Jul 16, 2020•18 min
Sometimes what keeps us stuck in the past is our own mindset. The apology from an offender might never come. And restitution might not be possible. But what if we could move forward and not punish ourselves for things we can't undo? The future is wide open for us to repurpose our struggles into something that gives us new purpose. Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellerayburn.subs...
Jul 09, 2020•13 min
Life's rearview mirror frames our regrets for things we have done—failed relationships, financial blunders, poor decisions, and situations we wish we could do over. It also frames the things done to us—circumstances that were outside of our control such as abuse, a troubled home life, taunting from bullies, racial discrimination, and abandonment. If we get stuck on that view, it could hinder us from seeing the wonderful future God has ahead of us! Show notes and resources This is a public episod...
Jul 02, 2020•13 min
In this episode: Have you ever had a rustic camping adventure? In this episode, I talk about the time when worms rained from the trees at our campsite, and I give five life application tips that I've learned from camping. Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellerayburn.substack.com...
Jun 25, 2020•19 min
Being aware of when we feel the most lonely could help us learn to pay attention to how we can include someone else. It helps us notice how we can serve others. Awareness of our own struggle can also help us repurpose something negative into an opportunity to make a difference. Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellerayburn.substack.com...
Jun 18, 2020•21 min
In this episode: Michelle says no one really needs to hear her words about racial injustice, but someone does need to hear her voice. There is a difference between throwing words out there and being a voice. We can be a voice with few words. Being a voice means we have not passed on by or pretended we did not see. Michelle said: What does matter is that other human beings have cried out for help, and whether or not I understand all of the implications behind their cries, I hear the pain. I hear ...
Jun 11, 2020•19 min
In this episode: More than ever before, digital communication is a vital means of staying connected with others. But sometimes a little social media distancing is needed to preserve relationships when opinions burn hot, passion is ignited, and misinformation is abundant. Why not reclaim digital media for positive influence! Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellerayburn.substack.co...
May 28, 2020•19 min
In this episode: How we handle ourselves when we're wrong says a lot more about us than being wrong about something does. If we handle it with maturity and grace, that shows humility. But if we get defensive and argumentative, it shows emotional immaturity. Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellerayburn.substack.com...
May 07, 2020•18 min
In this episode: There is a lot of stuff going on in our world right now. This means a lot of opportunities to argue, for people to follow their gut and then make a mistake, for not being prepared enough for financial stress, and for choices that could lead to consequences. In relationships, it's often tempting to say, "I told you so" when someone else messes up. But what if we flipped the script to 4 other little words? I still love you. Whether it’s related to a pandemic, an election, a cause,...
Apr 30, 2020•15 min
In this episode, Michelle pledges: I’d rather laugh about what I can’t change instead of grumbling about it. I'll aim to embrace hard times as an opportunity for God's power to shine, even if that isn't my first reaction. This week,she talks about one man in the Bible who understood God's ability to repurpose circumstances in a mind-blowing way. Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit miche...
Apr 16, 2020•17 min
In this episode: This week, Michelle talks with Jill Savage, where they discuss how to prepare for and experience joy in the empty nest phase of life. Learn what to let go of and then what we need to grab hold of as we transition from raising children to releasing them from the nest. Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellerayburn.substack.com...
Apr 09, 2020•37 min
In this episode: There could be a silver lining in growing older and turning silver. It could be a perspective change about how we think about challenges that are out of our control, or it might be the ability to laugh in the face of wrinkles and chin hairs. Either way, joy is where we look for it. Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellerayburn.substack.com...
Apr 02, 2020•15 min
In this episode: Eight ways to respond when your life is on hold and plans disrupted. Face the challenge with a perspective shift about delayed plans, uncertain future, and indefinite waiting. Postponed. Interrupted. Delayed. Canceled. Uncertain. Indefinite. Hindered. Suspended. Questionable. Undetermined. Words that could give a planner anxiety. Not planner as in someone who plans events, but a person who likes to have an orderly method for life. A planner: Puts events on calendar far ahead Arr...
Mar 26, 2020•18 min
In this episode: We can love others and bring glory to God even when unexpected circumstances shake us up. A repurposed life is one that is driven by a different approach to interruptions and crisis. It is one where there is peace when the “normal” response might be panic. It’s where resilience takes priority over resentment. This is the life where hope triumphs over hysteria. Ten tips for how to hold on to hope and peace and discover the source of resilience in hard times. Show notes and resour...
Mar 19, 2020•26 min
God has been slowly changing me from someone who avoided people who have different worldviews from me to someone who wants to engage and learn. In this episode, I give some tips for how this perspective change looks in practical application. Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellerayburn.substack.com...
Mar 12, 2020•20 min
In this episode: We have been subtly tricked into believing that fear is the voice we should listen to. We have become enemies of one another, champions of causes over people. What if we found new purpose for life and we shut out the fear and lived by love? Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellerayburn.substack.com...
Mar 05, 2020•22 min
In this episode: This might be tough to accept, but if you want to achieve a dream of any kind, you’re going to have to admit that no one else has more time in a day than you do. Others aren't just lucky. They weren't given more time. They learned how to kick out the lies that held them back, and they made some changes to use their time differently. Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit m...
Feb 27, 2020•22 min
In this episode, author and speaker Kathy Carlton Willis returns to talk about how she became God's Grin Gal and how she has discovered joy, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. Learn how to grow your "JQ"—joy quotient. Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellerayburn.substack.com...
Feb 20, 2020•37 min
In this episode: What we learned from too many years of expectations and let-downs is that gift-giving out of obligation dictated by the calendar isn’t what has kept us together. What has held us together is that my husband treats me with the same genuine love every day of the year. Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellerayburn.substack.com...
Feb 13, 2020•18 min
In this episode: Do you remember when your world was contained to the people you saw at home and at work each day? Social media has opened an opportunity to have public forum discussions on a daily basis, and the result is sometimes that we say too much. Show notes and resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michellerayburn.substack.com...
Feb 06, 2020•19 min
