This week on Real Talk with Rachael, I'm chatting with my friend, Cynthia Yanof. Cynthia is a wife, mother, podcaster, blogger, and everyday girl who is ridiculously committed to not taking herself too seriously. She currently hosts the popular MESSmerized podcast ; many Christians are familiar with her work for ChristianParenting.org , as well as her time as the creator and host of the ministry’s Pardon the Mess podcast. Cynthia worked as an attorney before pursuing a career encouraging and equ...
Feb 07, 2024•43 min
God put it on my heart to dedicate the first month of this new year by hosting a “First Fruits” podcast series. In this series, we are coming together every Monday morning and giving the first of a different area of our lives to the Lord. We have covered plans, time, rest, and health. This week God put it on my heart to bring in a new topic - our words. Key verses: Proverbs 16:24, "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body." Exodus 24:3, "Moses came and to...
Jan 29, 2024•20 min
God put it on my heart to dedicate the first month of this new year by hosting a “First Fruits” podcast series. In this series, we are coming together every Monday morning and giving the first of a different area of our lives to the Lord. So far, we have discussed plans, time, and rest. This week, we are giving the Lord the first of our health and wellness. Since we are four weeks into the new year, chances are many of you listening have already started some form of New Year's resolution to eat ...
Jan 22, 2024•20 min
God put it on my heart to dedicate the first month of this new year by hosting a “First Fruits” podcast series. In this series, we are coming together every Monday morning and giving the first of a different area of our lives to the Lord. Last week we brought the first of our day and time to the Lord. This week, we are bringing the first of our labor to the Lord in the form of rest. Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. This is not a religious checklist; rather, it’s a gift from God...
Jan 15, 2024•11 min
God put it on my heart to dedicate the first month of this new year by hosting a “First Fruits” podcast series. In this series, we are coming together every Monday morning and giving the first of a different area of our lives to the Lord. Last week we gave our plans to the Lord and this week, we are dedicating the first of our day and our time/energy throughout the day. We cannot pour from an empty cup. If you want secure confidence this year, start by spending time with the Savior. It’s in this...
Jan 08, 2024•15 min
Welcome to the first episode of 2024! Last year, God put it on my heart to dedicate the first month of this new year by hosting a “First Fruits” podcast series. We wrapped up our December Process and Pray series. If you missed it, you can still go back and listen. In this First Fruits podcast series, we will take every Monday and give the first of a different area of our lives to the Lord. The first area God put on my heart was our plans. Key verses: Proverbs 19:21, "You can make many plans, but...
Jan 01, 2024•15 min
Back by popular demand is our annual Process and Pray series! If you’re new here, in December, we spend every Monday morning in a series where we process and pray through the year. Each week the focus will be different, but the theme of processing and praying will remain the same. As a therapist, I believe in the power of pausing and reflecting so we can embrace the present and look forward to the future. Thus far, we have discussed victories, boundaries, and prayers. We are finishing the series...
Dec 25, 2023•13 min
In December, we spend every Monday morning in a series where we process and pray through the year. Each week, the focus will be different, but the theme of processing and praying will remain the same. We started this series by looking at the goodness of God by reflecting on our victories and last week we reflected on boundaries. Today, we are pausing to process answered prayers. Process: What prayers have I seen answered this year? Write them down. What am I still praying for? Don’t quit. Pray, ...
Dec 18, 2023•12 min
This week on Real Talk with Rachael, I'm speaking once again with Lee Strobel. Lee is a New York Times bestselling author whose books have sold millions of copies worldwide. He earned a journalism degree at the University of Missouri and was awarded a Ford Foundation fellowship to study at Yale Law School, where he received a Master of Studies in Law degree. He was a journalist for fourteen years at the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers, winning Illinois’ top honors for investigative reportin...
Dec 13, 2023•43 min
In December, we spend every Monday morning in a series where we process and pray through the year. Each week, the focus will be different, but the theme of processing and praying will remain the same. We started this series by looking at the goodness of God by reflecting on our victories. In this episode, we are pausing to process our personal boundaries this year. Pray: “Jesus, what boundaries do you want to encourage me to set in my life?” Process: What boundaries did I establish that went wel...
Dec 11, 2023•12 min
Back by popular demand is our annual Process and Pray series! If you’re new here, in December, we spend every Monday morning in a series where we process and pray through the year. Each week the focus will be different, but the theme of processing and praying will remain the same. As a therapist, I believe in the power of pausing and reflecting so we can embrace the present and look forward to the future. We started this series by looking at the goodness of God. Today we are looking at what work...
Dec 04, 2023•13 min
This week on Real Talk with Rachael, I'm speaking with J. Warner Wallace. He is a Dateline featured Cold-Case Detective, Author, Speaker, Senior Fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview , and Adjunct Professor of Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology (Biola University) and Southern Evangelical Seminary . Key Points from Our Conversation: As a detective, J. Warner couldn't commit to Christianity without being convinced it was objectively true. In his book Cold-Case Christianity , he...
Nov 29, 2023•58 min
We are in the Friendship Series. The first week I asked you to draw a friendship timeline. That laid the foundation of looking at past and current friendships, as well as noticing healthy and unhealthy themes in this area. The next two weeks we discussed gossip and jealousy. We are finishing the series by discussing grace and healthy communication. Scripture: John 1:16-17, "For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came thr...
Nov 27, 2023•17 min
We are currently in the Friendship Series. The first week I asked you to draw a friendship timeline. That laid the foundation of looking at past and current friendships, as well as noticing healthy and unhealthy themes in this area. Last week we discussed gossip. This week we are going after another sin that is sure to bring friendships down - jealousy. Andy Stanley describes the problem with jealousy in his book Enemies of the Heart - "Jealousy is dangerous. It’s dangerous because it shapes our...
Nov 20, 2023•20 min
This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm talking with author, Natalie Runion. In 2019 after watching many of her peers walk away from the church and their faith, Natalie began Raised to Stay, a ministry for those who have wandered, wondered, and wrestled with the Church and the challenges of full-time ministry. Known for her black boxes of hard truth on social media for the Church and church leaders, her heart is to see a generation finish their race as they partner with a good Father who is fait...
Nov 15, 2023•39 min
We are currenly in the Friendship Series. Last week I asked you to draw a friendship timeline. That laid the foundation for looking at past and current friendships as well as noticing healthy and unhealthy themes in this area. Speaking of unhealthy, let’s address one toxic trait that will bring every friendship crashing down- GOSSIP. Scripture: Proverbs 26:22 (MSG), "Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy; do you want junk like that in your belly?" Process: Who do I need to stop gossipin...
Nov 13, 2023•18 min
This week we're starting new series on Talk Therapy all about friendship. Scripture: Proverbs 18:24,"Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family." Process: Draw a friend timeline What themes did you notice in your friendships? Who do you need to forgive? Challenge: Forgive whoever God asks you to release. Bless them. Consider writing them a letter you never mail or use the “empty chair” technique and read the letter aloud to them, then shred it. Resource: In my book,...
Nov 06, 2023•18 min
This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm chatting with someone whose words changed my life, Dannah Gresh. Dannah is the founder of True Girl , bringing moms and daughters closer to each other and closer to Jesus, and co-host of the Revive Our Hearts podcast . Dannah has authored over 27 books including And the Bride Wore White , Lies Young Women Believe (with Nancy Leigh DeMoss) and Lies Girls Believe . More than 20,000 leaders and 100,000 moms have taught her curriculum and over 500,000 people h...
Nov 01, 2023•38 min
Last week on Talk Therapy, I asked kind of a strange question - what are you wearing? If you missed that episode, please go back and listen. This week, I have another question for you - do you have a mental shield? Throughout scripture we are reminded about the importance of the Lord acting as our shield. The Hebrew word for shield is rooted in a verb meaning "to defend, cover, or surround." I love this because the fact that it is a verb shows that God is actively defending us. Pick up your ment...
Oct 30, 2023•13 min
Today is not a series, but is in line with the "Finish Strong" theme. I felt God tell me to ask, “What are you wearing?” Ephesians 6:13, "Put on the full armor of God, so that… you may be able to stand your ground." Process: What are you wearing? Are you daily putting on the full armor of God? Resource: Go to imagerestoredbook.com to learn more and purchase a copy today....
Oct 23, 2023•14 min
This week on Real Talk with Rachael, I’m chatting with Katy McCown. Katy is a writer for Proverbs 31 Ministries, host of the Best Day Ever podcast , and author of She Smiles without Fear . Katy left her job as a television news reporter to join her husband, Luke, on their adventure in the National Football League. Luke and Katy have six children. Key Points from Our Conversation: There’s a difference between a life that’s handled and a life that’s whole. A life that is whole is attainable and Go...
Oct 18, 2023•45 min
rOur series this month is called “Finish Strong.” The first week, I shared a funny story about how my marathon coach taught me the value of RPE (a.k.a. rate of perceived exertion) so I could finish my race strong. If you missed that episode, please go back and listen as it laid the foundation for this series. We are discussing our spiritual RPE: Rejoice, Pray/Practice, and Embrace Embrace: Paul says in Philippians 4:11-12, "I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to b...
Oct 16, 2023•15 min
Our series this month is called “Finish Strong.” Last week, I shared a funny story about how my marathon coach taught me the value of RPE (a.k.a. rate of perceived exertion) so I could finish my race strong. If you missed that episode, please go back and listen as it laid the foundation for this series. We are discussing our spiritual RPE: Rejoice, Pray/Practice, and Embrace Pray & Practice I hope you listened to our guest interview with Mary Jo Pierce a few weeks ago because we discussed be...
Oct 09, 2023•12 min
This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm chatting with Holly Wagner. Holly and her husband, Philip, are the senior founding pastors of Oasis Church – a growing, multi-cultural, church located in Los Angeles. They have been married for over 38 years, love life, and enjoy spending time with their two adult children, Jordan and Paris, and their 4 grandchildren! Holly is passionate about seeing the Church grow strong and relevant to the culture surrounding it and for women to become who God has desig...
Oct 04, 2023•42 min
Today starts a new series called Finish Strong. Growing up, I wasn’t much of an athlete. I ran track because all my friends were on the team. I was so slow that on one particular long run, even my coaches packed up and went home by the time I finished the course. With this glimpse of my running background, you can imagine my surprise when God called me to run a marathon. Running a marathon sounds like a strange “call,” but in hindsight, God was teaching me several spiritual lessons by getting my...
Oct 02, 2023•17 min
We are in a three-part series where I am sharing three questions you can reflect on when things seem off but you can’t quite pinpoint what it is. These come from the back of my book, Image Restored , but I am expounding them here. So far we've explored the questions "How is your heart?" and "How are your words?" This week I want you to consider, "What foundation am I standing on?" (If you missed it, I recommend that you go back and listen to my Stand Firm Series .) Read: Matthew 7:24, "Therefore...
Sep 25, 2023•9 min
This week on Real Talk with Rachael, I'm chatting with Mary Jo Pierce. Mary Jo served as pastor of prayer and Intercession at Gateway Church for 17 years and is passionate about helping you find your voice in and through prayer! An accomplished author and public speaker, Mary Jo combines her love of prayer, scriptures, and baking bread through her ACTS 2:42 seminars. Her books Let It Rise , Adventures in Prayer , and Follow Me , have unlocked the joy of living prayer for readers across the world...
Sep 20, 2023•45 min
We are in a new, three-part series where I am sharing three questions you can reflect on when things seem off but you can’t quite pinpoint what it is. These come from the back of my book, Image Restored , but I am expounding them here. Last week we explored the question "How is your heart?" This week I want to know - how are your words? Luke 6:45 reminds us that “the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” When you aren’t sure about the answer to the previous question about your heart, listen t...
Sep 18, 2023•11 min
We are in a new, three-part series where I am sharing three questions you can reflect on when things seem off but you can’t quite pinpoint what it is. These come from the back of my book, Image Restored , but I am expounding them here. The first question I want you to ask is this - How is my heart? “People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” - 1 Samuel 16:7 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” - Proverbs 4:23 We guard our heart by...
Sep 11, 2023•11 min
This week on Real Talk with Rachael I chatted with Nancy Houston. Nancy is an Executive Leadership Coach, a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Certified Sex Therapist, and author of “ Love and Sex: A Christian Guide to Healthy Intimacy " and " Then God Made a Woman: Unwrapping Female Sexuality .” Nancy developed and leads Next Level Leadership Groups which is a relational approach to leadership. She is also a former adjunct at DBU and Concordia University and a fellow at the Townsend Institute a...
Sep 06, 2023•52 min
