Our Time to Rise in Midlife

Alexandra Kuykendall & Krista Gilbert
  • 4.8 (244)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Together we are rising to meet life's challenges, seasons, opportunities, and changes with strength, courage, optimism, and faith. From the heavy and hard to the light-hearted and fun, authors and leadership mentors Krista Gilbert and Alexandra Kuykendall bring you honest and hopeful conversations for this moment in your life. We are intentional here. We are hopeful. We are encouraging each other. We are honest. We are realistic. We are for each other. We are God fearing and Holy Spirit welcoming. We are joyful. We are generous. We are capable. We are rising together. It is our time to meet the moment. It is our time to rise.

  1. 6D AGO

    Ep.544: It's Not Too Late: How to Reinvent Your Life Part 2 with Mitch Matthews

    If you've ever wondered whether you missed your moment or if it's too late to begin again, this conversation will meet you right where you are.  Mitch Matthews, a high performance coach, reframes midlife not as a closing chapter, but as a powerful starting point—one where your life experience becomes the very foundation for what's next. Blending practical strategy, neuroscience, and faith-centered encouragement, he invites you to see reinvention as something accessible, not overwhelming.  In this episode, we explore how curiosity and novelty can reignite passion, why giving yourself permission to start small builds real momentum, and how to quiet imposter syndrome by developing authentic, grounded confidence. You'll hear about practical tools to help you recognize your unique gifts and begin aligning your work and calling with who you truly are. Rooted in both mindset and faith, this conversation also speaks to the deeper tension many feel between contentment and the desire to dream bigger. Mitch shares how biblical truth affirms your value and calling, while also addressing the real relational ripple effects that can come when you pursue a new path.  This episode is an invitation to honor where you've been, embrace who you are, and step into your next chapter with clarity, confidence, and purpose. FIND MORE ABOUT MITCH MATTHEWS Mitch Matthews- Website Mitch Matthews Podcast- Dream, Think and Do Mitch's Gift to You-MAKE TIME FOR YOUR NEXT CHAPTER -coupon code to make it free for you is simply: RISE A FEW THINGS MENTIONED Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 John 10:10 Ephesians 3 Joshua 1:9 Book: From Strength to Strength QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE How have you misunderstood confidence and how can you use this new definition to step into unknown territory? In what area has your own thinking held you back? What belief do you need to let go off in order to monetize your skillset and abilities? LET'S CONNECT Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend. Or message us on Instagram – we'd love to hear from you! Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier

    28 min

  2. APR 14

    Ep.543: It's Not Too Late: How to Reinvent Your Life Part 1 with Mitch Matthews

    If you've ever wondered whether you missed your moment or if it's too late to begin again, this conversation will meet you right where you are.  Mitch Matthews, a high performance coach, reframes midlife not as a closing chapter, but as a powerful starting point—one where your life experience becomes the very foundation for what's next. Blending practical strategy, neuroscience, and faith-centered encouragement, he invites you to see reinvention as something accessible, not overwhelming.  In this episode, we explore how curiosity and novelty can reignite passion, why giving yourself permission to start small builds real momentum, and how to quiet imposter syndrome by developing authentic, grounded confidence. You'll hear about practical tools to help you recognize your unique gifts and begin aligning your work and calling with who you truly are. Rooted in both mindset and faith, this conversation also speaks to the deeper tension many feel between contentment and the desire to dream bigger. Mitch shares how biblical truth affirms your value and calling, while also addressing the real relational ripple effects that can come when you pursue a new path.  This episode is an invitation to honor where you've been, embrace who you are, and step into your next chapter with clarity, confidence, and purpose. LISTEN TO THE EPISODE On iTunes or watch it here: FIND MORE ABOUT MITCH MATTHEWS Mitch Matthews- Website Mitch Matthews Podcast- Dream, Think and Do A FEW THINGS MENTIONED Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 John 10:10 QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE Mitch talked about documenting your brilliance, what would it look like for you to do that over the next week or month? In what area do you need to move from "who am I to do this" to "why not me"? In what area do you need to give yourself permission to take the next step? LET'S CONNECT Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend. Or message us on Instagram – we'd love to hear from you! Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier

    37 min

  3. APR 7

    Ep.542: When You Love Someone in Recovery with Caroline Beidler, MSW

    Addiction has ripple effects. When you love someone who is in active recovery you often don't know if you are saying or doing the right thing to help. Caroline Beidler gives us words of hope: you can't go wrong with compassion. As a person who is walking out her own recovery from substances and a professional who creates resources for others in recovery, Caroline is able to broach this topic from multiple angles.  We talk through boundaries, enabling, and relapse. All topics that impact not just the person in recovery, but those caring for him or her. We also cover neuroscience of addiction and genetic factors that may be at play because family members often struggle with the "why" behind the addiction. And finally how do we have difficult conversations? Especially in the early stages of recovery when hurts on both sides may still feel quite raw? Caroline walks us through all of that. If you love someone who is in active addiction or in recovery - in any form - this episode will help you feel less alone. It will also offer some practical approaches to potentially awkward conversations so that we can love well. And you can never go wrong with compassion. FIND MORE ABOUT CAROLINE BEIDLER Caroline Beidler- Website and Instagram Caroline Beidler Book- When You Love Someone in Recovery Caroline Beidler's - Recovery Rhythm Reset A FEW THINGS MENTIONED Recovery Resources- Recovery.com Bible Verse- Luke 15:20 QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE How can you hold hope for someone in your life? What is your support system as you support someone in recovery? Do you need to have some non-weird conversation about how to do life together? How can you run with compassion towards someone who is already in recovery or moving in that direction? LET'S CONNECT Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend. Or message us on Instagram – we'd love to hear from you! Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier

    40 min

  4. MAR 31

    Ep.541: Grace Will Meet You There with Katie Blackburn

    This episode is one of those conversations that stays with you. Katie Blackburn joins us to share her deeply personal journey through divorce, her husband's addiction, parenting a child with autism, and the long road of starting over as a single mom. With honesty, humility, and so much heart, she opens up about what it really looks like to walk through seasons that feel impossible—and how grace met her there. Throughout this conversation, Katie reminds us that grace isn't something we have to climb toward—it's already beneath us, holding us through every fall, every setback, and every uncertain step forward. And maybe more importantly, she shows us what it looks like to keep going anyway… one day at a time. We talk about healing, faith, and the quiet, daily work of rebuilding a life. Katie shares how writing became part of her healing process, how community quite literally carried her when she couldn't carry herself, and why the idea of "doing it all on your own" is one of the biggest lies we buy into. There's also so much wisdom here about what it means to actually move through pain—not avoid it.  In the midst of it all, Katie speaks to hope. If you've ever gone through a season of pain, loss, sadness, or great change, this episode is for you.   We cover:  What grace actually looks like in the middle of chaos and trauma Using writing as a tool for healing and processing pain Why community and relationships are essential—not optional—for resilience Practical ways to metabolize pain through movement, support, and honesty The beauty and strength found in intergenerational living Rebuilding faith and hope after loss Letting go of self-sufficiency and trusting God's steady grip Living "one day at a time" in seasons of crisis The impact of self-talk and daily persistence in long-term healing If This Episode Spoke to You… Share it with a friend who might need a reminder that they're not alone. And that even here—especially here—grace is already holding them. Bio: KATIE BLACKBURN is a writer, teacher, and a lifelong learner, but her most cherished role is being a single mom to her six incredible kids. Her favorite thing to do is tell people about the ways God has held her through circumstances that seemed impossible. When she's not taking care of kids or telling stories, you can probably find her riding her bike, pretending she's in the Tour de France. L FIND MORE ABOUT KATIE BLACKBURN Katie Blackburn – Instagram and Website Katie Blackburn Book - Grace Will Meet You There Katie Blackburn Podcast- Coffee+Crumbs Podcast A FEW THINGS MENTIONED Burn the Ship- Essay QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE Has God met you in a difficult place? What did His Grace feel like to you? Why is it important to remember these moments when God has met you? Who can you show up for right now and help in a practical way? How can your feeling inform you about what is going on inside of you? How can you ask and invite God's grace to meet you in the middle of your emotions? LET'S CONNECT Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend. Or message us on Instagram – we'd love to hear from you! Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier

    47 min

  5. MAR 24

    Ep.540: Lightening the Invisible Weights of Midlife Women with Kendra Tillman

    People can often see the many responsibilities we carry - but what about the invisible stress? Do we even recognize what we are carrying? Personal coach and dear friend Kendra Tillman, joins us to talk through the stress we carry in midlife and how we can name it and move forward. From body changes that come with midlife to relationship shifts - Kendra gives us some perspective on how to tackle the new normal that is in front of us. Midlife is an opportunity for us to recognize all that we have accomplished, decide what we are carrying forward and what we want to leave behind. Instead of fixating on loss, we can recognize it and take the best of us forward. God has not forgotten you. You may be carrying many stressors others can't see. He knows - and we can relate! Know that every change eventually also has an opportunity to rise to meet the moment. This is our time to rise FIND MORE ABOUT KENDRA TILLMAN Kendra Tillman's - LinkedIn and Website Kendra Tillman's - Instagram A FEW THINGS MENTIONED James 1:27 QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE What have you learnt about this part of you, about this part of your life, from whom you have been and what you have experienced from the beginning until now? What do you want to carry forward in this new season of life in this one area? What do you want to lay down? How can you start implementing this changes soon? LET'S CONNECT Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend. Or message us on Instagram – we'd love to hear from you! Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier

    41 min

  6. MAR 17

    EP.539: Wide Awake in Midlife, Part 2 with Emily Love

    Midlife can feel like a season of uncertainty — roles shift, questions surface, and the path forward isn't always clear. But what if this chapter could be one of the most alive and purposeful of your life? In this rich conversation with global leadership coaches Krista Gilbert, Emily Jamieson, and Emily Love explore what it truly means to be wide awake in midlife — fully present, deeply self-aware, and oriented toward what matters most. We explore what being "wide awake" really means, how to walk in purpose, and how to navigate the varied emotions that barrage us everyday of our lives.  Ultimately we talk about what does it mean to live the John 10:10 life – one full of life and abundance?   Let's come alive together!   FIND MORE ABOUT TRANSFORMATION TRIAD The Transformation Triad A FEW THINGS MENTIONED John 10:10 Podcast Interview with Dr Sash Shilcutt QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE What is a way that you could manage your emotions better? What could a possible rest ritual be for you? A physical action that you could do that feels practical to you that would help you pause and choose your emotions and how you want to proceed? How can you cultivate more aliveness inside of you? What does growth look like for you in this season? LET'S CONNECT Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend. Or message us on Instagram – we'd love to hear from you! Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier

    34 min

  7. MAR 10

    Ep.538: Wide Awake in Midlife with Emily Love, Emily Jamieson and Krista Gilbert

    Midlife can feel like a season of uncertainty — roles shift, questions surface, and the path forward isn't always clear. But what if this chapter could be one of the most alive and purposeful of your life? In this rich conversation with global leadership coaches Krista Gilbert, Emily Jamieson, and Emily Love explore what it truly means to be wide awake in midlife — fully present, deeply self-aware, and oriented toward what matters most. We explore what being "wide awake" really means, how to walk in purpose, and how to navigate the varied emotions that barrage us everyday of our lives.  Ultimately we talk about what does it mean to live the John 10:10 life - one full of life and abundance?   Let's come alive together!   FIND MORE ABOUT TRANSFORMATION TRIAD The Transformation Triad A FEW THINGS MENTIONED 1 Corinthians 10:31 John 10:10 QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE What is your bigger macro purpose that doesn't change? What is your current assignment that God has given you right now in this season? How have you handled your emotions historically? What growth can you practice when it comes to navigating the landscape of your emotions? LET'S CONNECT! Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend. Or message us on Instagram – we'd love to hear from you! Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier

    41 min

  8. MAR 3

    Ep.537: The In-Between Season Part 2: Caring for Aging Parents with Krista and Alex

    Are you caring for aging parents while still supporting your young adult children? You're not alone. In this episode, Krista and Alex explore the emotional complexity of the sandwich generation — a season marked by grief, shifting roles, guilt, and unexpected growth. They discuss how to manage changing family dynamics, set healthy boundaries, reevaluate expectations, and embrace the opportunity for deeper relationships during this transitional stage of life. If you're feeling stretched between two generations, this conversation offers practical insight, encouragement, and hope. In this episode: Why grief and opportunity often coexist How guilt shows up in caregiving The importance of boundaries and self-care Parenting adult children with clarity and respect Listen in for wisdom and practical tools to help you navigate this complex season with intention. A FEW THINGS MENTIONED Podcast - Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast -Managing Leadership Anxiety: Yours and Theirs with Steve Cuss Book- Managing Leadership Anxiety by Steve Cuss Bible Verses: Exodus 20:12 Ephesians 6:1-3 Mantras *Stay relational, not controlling *Honor without self abandoning LET'S CONNECT! Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend. Or message us on Instagram – we'd love to hear from you! Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier

    31 min
See All (516)

4.8
out of 5
244 Ratings

About

Together we are rising to meet life's challenges, seasons, opportunities, and changes with strength, courage, optimism, and faith. From the heavy and hard to the light-hearted and fun, authors and leadership mentors Krista Gilbert and Alexandra Kuykendall bring you honest and hopeful conversations for this moment in your life. We are intentional here. We are hopeful. We are encouraging each other. We are honest. We are realistic. We are for each other. We are God fearing and Holy Spirit welcoming. We are joyful. We are generous. We are capable. We are rising together. It is our time to meet the moment. It is our time to rise.

Information

You Might Also Like