Be Love

It’s the New Year, and for many it means goal setting, and reviewing the past year. So many of us make individual missions and goals for the year, but have you ever thought about getting together with your family and making a mission? This podcast is a step by step on how to make a FAMILY MISSION! What do you want your family to be known for? What attributes do you want others to say when describing your family? What are some areas your family is passionate about? How can you use your gifts and many God-given talents to serve the world?     GRAB YOUR FREE FAMILY MISSION GUIDE We hope you will join us as we share how we created our family mission and how it has impacted us and how you can make your own. Learn more about us: www.bestrongstory.com Follow us on social media: Instagram: bestrongstory Facebook: bestrongstory

Monica Swanson is a popular blogger (www.monicaswanson.com), host of the Boy Mom podcast, and author of Boy Mom and Raising Amazing, and mom to four boys.   Monica and I talk about all the things, why raising boys is awesome and what are some of the challenges. How can we raise men who have integrity and love others? What were some rhythms she instilled in their family? How to help boys be themselves and not compete with each other?   Her book, Raising Amazing offers parents with kids of all ages a resource to build generations of adults with character, strong family bonds, and a relationship with God.   Get her book here Get to know Monica here Follow on Instagram here

I don’t know about you but sometimes I dream of simplicity around the holidays. I want to figure out the recipe for helping our family live out the words of Paul in Acts 20:35 “it is better to give than receive."  I want my family and I to not only embrace this but really soak it in during this season. However, if you're like me you have multiple parties to plan or attend,  you have kiddos running around the house making their way too long, 10-page Christmas list, and before we know it, Christmas has come and gone and the true meaning of Christmas has gone by in a blur of tinsel and flocked snow that seems to end up everywhere in my house. A few years ago I felt like the lists, the parties, and all the "things" had gotten out of hand. I wanted to find a way to not get caught up in the hustle and bustle and truly observe Advent, to help my kids understand the power of giving and the gratitude of receiving.    In this podcast:   I share a different way to do Christmas lists How you can help your kids experie

I loved having this father/son duo on the podcast to talk about the relationship between father and son. Dads want to have a great relationship with their sons, but sometimes they don’t know where to start.    Today I talk with this son and dad about:   What important conversations to talk about? What are some important rites of passage? What are the most important things that keep a father and son relationship strong? It’s never too late to build or repair a relationship.   This is so important to the Kubiceks that they came up with their own company called  6 summers, a resource to help dads be intentional with their sons.    Check out their website here and get started today.      

I loved this conversation with Juli Bevere, a founder of Sons and Daughters, led by John and Lisa Bevere’s sons and their wives. Sons and Daughters is an initiative that helps young adults discover the adventure, freedom, and purpose found in their Creator. What began in 2017 as a few YouTube videos for millennials has grown into a collection of studies, podcasts, events, and a global community with Ambassadors in over forty countries.    I talk with Juli about living an integrated life, as a follower of Jesus, mother, daughter, wife. What does it look like to integrate everything? We talk about identity and how our lives change when we find our identity first in Christ before anything else.    Check out their new devotional I AM TRANSFORMED, (40 Devotions for Knowing Who You Are and Whose You Are)  a companion devotional book for their book. I AM Learn more about Sons and Daughters ministry Listen to their podcast Follow them on instagram

Warning: Adult topics discussed. Today I talk with Rachelle Starr, founder and CEO of Scarlet Hope, a Non-profit dedicated to sharing the hope of Jesus with Women in the Adult Entertainment industry. Rachelle helps us get out of our comfort zones and reminds us that God can use us anywhere. You will be inspired to love others better and have the courage to help your family get out of their safe space and into the lives of others. When God asks us to go, he always directs our steps.  You can grab Rachelle’s book here:  Learn more about Rachelle and Scarlet Hope here: 

  Who doesn’t want to bring out the best in their kids? I think all of us do! This podcast was one that really got me thinking and had me talking with my kids immediately after.  Here are some things his book goes into and what we talked about on the podcast To be empowered with effective relational parenting skills.  Children who will almost immediately and positively respond to a new parenting approach   Principles that are easily adaptable to the full spectrum of school-age children.    Dramatic improvement in communication as the principles are adopted and consistently applied    A more joy-filled home complete with understanding and purpose.    Grab Miles Book: Leave a review if this podcast has encouraged you. 

Have you ever felt like you didn’t fit in? Have you ever moved into a new place and craved community but didn’t know how to find it? This was me a few years ago. We moved to a new state the week COVID shut down the world. SPOILER ALERT: Not a great time to build community or new friendships. We lived in a new neighborhood bustling with new families, but I didn’t really feel connected to anyone. It seemed as if everyone had their own group, and no one had kids our age so it didn’t automatically match up. But what I learned is if I really wanted community I needed to ask for it. So I did…. Listen to this episode today to see how one simple text led to a community that has been lifegiving.    Grab our childen’s book:

Families are struggling to connect and grow together. Social media influencer and father of four, Andy Dooley, wants to change that. His new book, Building a Family of Faith: Simple and Fun Devotions to Draw You Close to Each Other and Nearer to God  wants to help families connect to God and each other. We talk about: Practical ways to make faith fun. Modeling faith for our kids. How to make faith a family priority when other things are pulling our attention elsewhere. He talks about how his dad made being a Christian look attractive to him as a kid. Andy Dooley is committed to empowering today's families as a passionate leader, pastor, and fitness professional. He has been working with young people and families for over eighteen years through sports, fitness, and ministry. He is a Men's Health contributor, and he holds multiple fitness certifications with International Sports Sciences Association. He is the author of Walk in Faith: 5-Minute Devotions for Teen Guys. He is happily married to Tiffany, and the

Deborah Liu is a seasoned technology executive based in Silicon Valley. She is currently the president and CEO of Ancestry, the company at the forefront of family history and consumer genomics. Prior to this, she served on the leadership team of Facebook, where she was the vice president of Facebook App Commerce. During her time there, she founded Facebook Marketplace and created Facebook Pay, Facebook Audience Network, and App Ads. Deb and I talk about her new book Take Back Your Power. Ten Rules for Women at Work. Deb and I go in depth about her journey as a CEO, wife, and mother of three. We talk about her going after her dreams, but also creating a home. We talk about partnerships in marriage and how choosing the right mate is one of the most important things we can do. A real eye-opener for me is when she talks about the different lanes her and her husband operate in, and how they don’t critique each other’s lanes. This advice alone will save some marriages ;) We talk about different seasons in life, an

Pat Bradley is the President of International Crisis Aid, one of the first organizations to show up in “no-go zones” where starvation, disease, and danger are a part of everyday life. A humble beginning turned into life-saving efforts for people living in crisis in eleven different countries. Crisis Aid is committed to “helping the helpless” with relief efforts locally and globally, equipping those who are beyond the crisis to take responsibility by providing programs that train, inspire, and move them to independent, self-sustaining living. Pat and Susan, his wife of more than forty years, live in St. Louis. They have two adult children and six grandchildren.   Pat Bradley stared out the back car window at seventy displaced people huddling together under a few trees to escape the blistering African heat. They had fled their village in South Sudan in the middle of the night as it was destroyed amid a bloody civil war that had indiscriminately claimed the lives of young and old family members alike. As these d

Today I talk to author Shannan Martin, who wrote the book Start with Hello (And Other Simple Ways to Live as Neighbors) In this practical, compelling book, author Shannan Martin shares simple practices for living as a more open-hearted, empathetic neighbor who sees past what divides us, looks for common ground, and is rewarded with vibrant and enduring connection.   There are so many ways, both intentionally and unintentionally, we wall ourselves off from one another, yet we are truly better, healthier, and happier together. The good news is authentic connection can be found. Martin shares how to: Believe in the possibility of healthier, sturdier, more unified communities and be committed to the collective health of those at the sidelines. Trade feelings of loneliness, isolation, and disconnection for the security and camaraderie of living in connection with the people near them. Engage simple, accessible practices for living as a more open- hearted, empathetic neighbor. See past the headlines of division an

Have you ever felt off in your personal or professional life? Have you ever felt like you couldn’t find peace in your purpose? Do you ever feel frazzled? This is the podcast for both you and ME!   Today we have leadership guru Jeremie Kubicek, a global speaker, a Wall Street Journal best-selling author, and a serial entrepreneur. As Co-Founder of GiANT, he works to certify leaders inside and coaches/consultants on an operating system that unlocks the potential of leaders inside organizations like Google, Microsoft, the US Air Force, Chick-fil-A, and thousands of small, medium, and large companies.   We talk about his new book The Peace Index and after a near-tragic accident, Jeremie’s philosophy on life and work changed dramatically. He works tirelessly to help people see life from a bigger perspective, and The Peace Index is one of those examples.   The simple idea is this.  How do you have inner Peace when there is very little outward Peace?   Jeremie has created a powerful assessment that people can use as

Today I have the lovely Lauren Chandler on the podcast. Lauren is passionate about writing, music, and leading worship at her home congregation, The Village Church, and across the country. She is the author of two Bible studies, including With Us in the Wilderness, and two other books including one for children: Goodbye to Goodbyes. Lauren and her husband, pastor Matt Chandler, live with their three children in Flower Mound, Texas.    Today we talk about what it looks like to praise God in all seasons of life. The good and the bad, which inspired her new children’s book, Praise Him. Lauren’s lyrical lines are accompanied by whimsical illustrations and encourage children that no matter day or night, wherever they go, they can praise God continually.   You will fall in love with Lauren and her heart. Get to know Lauren here: Grab her book Praise Him.

Kayla Stoecklein became an unexpected widow in August 2018 when her husband, Andrew, the pastor of their large church in California, died by suicide. With three young boys also grieving and a heart full of pain, it became her mission to bring hope and help to others who have faced unexpected hardships. (GMA interview) A few years ago in a conversation with a friend Kayla shared these words with her, “I had this beautiful life, I had everything I could have ever asked for and more, and it’s like that whole life died with Andrew and I was handed a brand-new life that I never saw coming. And I so desperately want to believe that this new life, even though it looks really different than before, can still be beautiful too. It’s as if I am rebuilding beautiful.” Sometimes, the journey from agony to awe takes time. Kayla’s book Rebuilding Beautiful is the perfect roadmap for anyone who's on the path from heartache to a life that is a new kind of beautiful. Sometimes, the journey from agony to awe takes time. Rebuild

I am so honored to have NYT best-selling author Max Lucado on today.   Max’s books have sold more than 96 million copies in 56 languages worldwide with more than 145 million total products in print branded with his name and words.   This was a dream interview for me as I have always been a Max Lucado fan and so many of his books have touched my life. We talk about his new book, Help is Here: Finding Fresh Strength and Purpose in the Power of the Holy Spirit.   You will love Max and the way he speaks simply with compassion. You can hear his heart for others in everything. If you have ever been overwhelmed by life, circumstances, or wonder how you can do it all, this is the podcast interview for you.   Get Max’s new book here: Connect with Max here:    

Some say the most important times with our kids are the beginning of the day and the end of the day with, but those had become some of the most stress-filled, rushed, chaotic moments of our time together.   We were rushing out the door, many times there were tears from me or the kids in the mornings. At night I was counting down the moments for alone time because I was done for the day.   This short 10-minute podcast I give two things that helped me make mornings a little calmer and more carefree, and bedtimes more peaceful.   If you ever struggle with either of those times of day, this one is for you.   Get our children’s book here:   If this was an encouragement to you, please leave us a review.

Have you ever wondered why people act the way they do, or why you and your spouse see the same thing so differently?  Why our kids can’t seem to just “get” it. Why can’t people think like you?   It can be frustrating at times, but when we learn to see through the lens of others, it helps us tremendously love others the way they need loved.   That’s why I wanted to have Enneagram Experts Jeff and Beth McCord on the podcast. We talk about who we are and why it is so crucial to be aware of how we view ourselves and the world. I have found the more I know about myself and others, the more love and grace I can give myself and others around me.   Part of their mission is to help others, break free from self-condemnation, fear, and shame by knowing and experiencing the unconditional love, forgiveness, and freedom in Christ.   Beth and Jeff McCord, founders of Your Enneagram Coach: Their upcoming book More Than Your Number: A Christ-Centered Enneagram Approach to Becoming AWARE of Your Internal World is the enneagram

This week we are focusing on all the back-to-school questions! One of the big ones, is how do we get our kids to open up to us, to tell us what’s really going on? How many times have you asked your kids, “how was your day?” only to get a generic answer like, “good, or ok?”   Today in this short 10-minute podcast I am sharing the two questions that have opened up communication for me and my kiddos. I hope these simple questions might be able to help you too.   Please visit us over on Instagram@bestrongstory and share your questions and tips.

 Sopha Rush is married to the most amazing man of God, Anthony Rush Jr., mother to her two amazing boys Harlem & Bronx, and Founder of Livedeeplyrooted. Sopha is passionate about helping others discover their purpose and truth about themselves.   Sopha just came out with a 100 day devotion to help us to live deeply rooted in Christ. As a mom of two littles she has found herself wanting to do it all, but knowing there are seasons for everything, but the one thing she has found that she can’t live without is Jesus.   Sopha gives us some practical ways to stay firmly rooted in Jesus when we are busy, stressed, overwhelmed, and feel like we can’t add one more thing to our plate. Or when life is hard and joy seems unattainable.   If we want to help our kids know and love time with Jesus, we need to model it ourselves. I can’t wait for you to hear Sopha and her practical ways and incredible story of how she found freedom and joy in Jesus when she experienced abandonment at a young age.     Get Sopha’s devotiona