Can having a hobby help you connect more to the heart of God?

In this episode, Barb is joined by author Brianna Lambert to talk about her book Created to Play and how our hobbies can become meaningful expressions of worship. They explore why play is often misunderstood in Christian culture, how it forms us spiritually, and the unique roles we step into through our hobbies—from creator and curator to restorer and connector. Brianna also invites us to see play not as a distraction from purpose, but as a pathway to delight, community, and deeper connection with God.

If you've ever felt guilty for enjoying your hobbies or wondered how they fit into your faith, this conversation will give you a whole new perspective on joy, rest, and worship.

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Created to Play: How Taking Hobbies Seriously Grows Us Spiritually

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ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST

Brianna Lambert is a writer and author from a rural community outside Indianapolis. Her articles and essays have appeared in Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Common Good, Mere Orthodoxy, and elsewhere. Brianna also serves on staff at Gospel-Centered Discipleship and writes for the women's ministry at her local church. You might find her backpacking, camping, waterskiing, or starting a brand-new hobby with her husband and three children.

Are you craving a life that actually matters—one that goes beyond just getting through the day?

In this episode, Barb speaks with author Crickett Keeth about what it looks like to live with true purpose and eternal significance. Based on her Bible study, Living Out a Life that Matters, they explore how the apostle Paul modeled a life of depth, impact, and faithfulness—and how we can do the same today.

If you feel stuck in the day-to-day or are longing to live with deeper purpose, this episode will encourage you to pursue a life of meaning and impact, right where you are.

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Living Out a Life that Matters: An 8-Week Study in 2 Timothy

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ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST

A graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, Crickett Keeth is the author of several women's Bible studies, including On Bended Knee, Before the Throne, and Living Out a Life That Matters. Crickett has served in ministry to women for decades on staff with Cru and large churches in Dallas and Memphis (Women's Ministry Director). She teaches at her church in Memphis and also equips and trains other women's ministry leaders. Crickett is a sought-after speaker at women's conferences and retreats. Find free resources to encourage you in your walk with God at www.crickettkeeth.com.

Are you tired of constantly striving, comparing, and wondering if you'll ever be enough?

In this encouraging and truth-filled conversation, Barb is joined by bestselling author and speaker Karolyne Roberts to talk about her book The Beauty of Being: Strive Less and Live More with God as Your Guide. Together, they explore how we can let go of unhealthy mindsets and rest in our identity as a beloved daughter of God.

If you're longing to feel secure in your identity, live more fully in the present, and walk confidently in God's purpose for your life, this episode will remind you that you are already enough.

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The Beauty of Being: Strive Less and Live More with God as Your Guide

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ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST

Karolyne Roberts is a bestselling author and speaker who is blazing the trail for change-makers and transformational leaders around the globe. Through her YouTube channel, she impacts and inspires over 438,000 subscribers worldwide. Karolyne and her husband, Kal Roberts, are cofounders of Miss Eternity (misseternity.com). Karolyne's women's ministry, Dear Daddy (deardaddy.com), was created for women to embrace their God-given identity as daughters of the King and grow in intimacy with the Father. Karolyne is also the founder and CEO of the Writers Retreat (writersretreat.com), where she helps believers use their voice and writing to make an impact for the kingdom.

Have you ever looked back and questioned where was God during the hard or painful moments? Are you at the point in life where you're looking for meaning in the things that you've gone through?

In this episode, Barb is joined by speaker and author Laurie Polich Short to talk about her book Tracking God in Your Life: How to See God's Work in Your Past, Experience His Presence, and Trust Him with Your Future. Together, they explore how to recognize God's fingerprints in your everyday life — even when you question whether He sees you.

Listen in as Laurie shows us how every experience can become evidence of God's presence. She also highlights how creating your own "pile of stones" can help you remember His faithfulness.

If you've ever struggled to see where God is at work in your life, this conversation will help you trace His footprints with confidence.

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Tracking God in Your Life: How to See God's Work in Your Past, Experience His Presence, and Trust Him with Your Future

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ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST

Laurie Polich Short is a popular speaker, author, and part of the teaching team at Oceanhills Covenant Church in Santa Barbara, California. A graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary, Laurie has spoken to more than a half million people at conferences, colleges, churches, and denominational events around the country, and she has been featured on PBS, Focus on the Family, RightNow Media, and more.

Have you ever felt stuck on the diet roller coaster, bouncing between restriction, failure, and shame?

In this episode, Barb is joined by personal trainer and nutrition coach Brandice Lardner, founder of Grace Filled Plate, to talk about food freedom, faith-based wellness, and breaking free from diet culture for good.

Brandice shares her personal journey through dieting and disordered eating, and how it led her to create a compassionate, grace-filled approach to health that meets women's physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. They discuss why traditional diets fail, how all-or-nothing thinking keeps women stuck in cycles of restriction and shame, and what it looks like to build "fruitful habits" instead of chasing perfect eating.

If you're tired of the diet roller coaster and ready for a sustainable, Christ-centered approach to healthy living, this conversation will give you practical tools — and real hope — for lasting change.

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Fully Nourished: A Grace-Filled Approach to Ditch Diets and Find Peace with Food and Your Body

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ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST

Brandice Lardner is a personal trainer, nutrition coach, and owner and author of Grace Filled Plate, which she founded in 2017. She has helped hundreds of women through one-on-one and group coaching programs, teaching them how to find food freedom by meeting their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. She's appeared on numerous podcasts, including Do It Scared with Ruth Soukup, and has been featured as a guest expert on MyFitnessPal, TLC Online, MapMyRun, and Women's Running. She lives in Clearwater, Florida, with her family.

Most of our days are lived in the in-between; ordinary hours filled with small griefs, flickers of joy, quiet disappointments, and unexpected beauty.

In this heartfelt conversation, Barb sits down with bestselling author Shannan Martin to talk about her newest book, Counterweights, and how to stay hopeful in a world that often feels heavy. With humor and honesty, Shannan shares the life-changing practice of "counterweights" — learning to hold both the good and the hard at the same time. Together, they explore how to navigate what's outside our control, notice the ordinary delights hiding in plain sight, and experience life as deeply good, even when it's tough.

If you've been feeling overwhelmed or weary, this episode is a gentle invitation to remain upright, hopeful, and fully alive right where you are.

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Counterweights: An Essential Practice for Holding Hope in a Heavy World

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ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST

Shannan Martin is the bestselling author of several books, including Start with Hello, The Ministry of Ordinary Places, and the popular Substack The Soup. She is a wannabe gardener, a news geek, a fighter for justice, and a thrift store stalker. She and her family live as grateful neighbors in Goshen, Indiana, where Shannan is on staff at the local community kitchen.

Sometimes it feels like God is silent, leaving us unsure of where to turn or how to keep going.

In this episode, Barb speaks with Dominique Young, author of God, Where Are You? and founder of Faith Mamas, as she shares her own journey through grief, doubt, and unanswered prayers. They discuss why healing is often a slow process, how faith and therapy can work together, and why dropping the "masks" we wear is essential for real growth.

This episode is full of honest reflection, practical guidance, and hope for anyone navigating seasons of silence, struggle, or uncertainty in their faith.

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God, Where Are You?: Unmasking Your Pain, Uncovering His Presence

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ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST

Dominique Young is the founder of Faith Mamas Inc. (Faith Family Worldwide), a community of more than 6,000 Christian women and a private app serving over 1,700 believers. She helps people break free from fear through Scripture and has been featured on the Don't Mom Alone podcast and The Refreshed Moms Podcast. Dominique holds a psychology degree from Hampton University and a master's in theology from Fuller Seminary. She is also a devoted wife and a mother of four.

What do you do when the life you planned gives way to a season you never saw coming?

In today's episode, Barb is joined by pastor, author, and podcaster Courtney Ellis for a thoughtful conversation about navigating life's tough transitions. Together they explore why God created change, what nature can teach us about living through it, and why even good change can bring real grief.

If you're facing a transition—expected or unexpected—this episode offers wisdom, honesty, and hope for the road ahead.

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Weathering Change: Seeking Peace Amidst Life's Tough Transitions

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ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST

Courtney Ellis is a pastor at Presbyterian Church of the Master in Mission Viejo, California. She is the author of six books, including Looking Up: A Birder's Guide to Hope Through Grief. Courtney hosts The Thing with Feathers, a podcast about birds and hope.