The Open Door Sisterhood Podcast Alexandra Kuykendall & Krista Gilbert

We are taking a unique look at adventure today as we continue in our Lead Your Life series.
You've probably heard of the hero's journey in literature. On this episode we discuss our own hero's journey and what change, adventure, risk, fear, other people, and God have to do with it.
Jessie Cruickshank holds a degree from Harvard in Mind, Brain, and Education.
She is also a nationally recognized expert in disciple making and the neuroscience of transformation. Added to that resume is mountaineering and a background in outdoor education.
If you want to be encouraged to live a better. more adventurous story - join us for this episode!
SOME THINGS YOU HEARD ON THE SHOW:
Stages of faith development - James Fowler
Starting with IDENTITY:
Fill in "I am" statements.....
Consider - what is the story God is inviting me into?
The hero's journey - Joseph Campbell : Universal narrative that humans repeat in the arc of storytelling
A person who is called to an adventure Who turns down the adventure But then life compels her to reconsider and take the challenge She meets a guide and a goes on the path. On the way she transforms from ordinary to a hero. Question: Where are you on the hero's journey?
Adventure is the invitation to move outside our comfort zone (physical, emotional, social, spiritual chanllenge)

We continue to talk on the podcast about leading our lives. Prayer brings us into continued relationship with God as we consider how he wants us to move forward. Not only that, when we pray with Scripture, we are being transformed in the process because God's word changes us!

On this episode of the Open Door Sisterhood podcast we sit down with Jodie Berndt who for decades has been helping women learn to pray using Scripture. Jodie shares her own story about how using Scripture as a building block for her prayers gave them extra power and made them more interesting. This new way of praying helped her see the Bible has something to say about EVERY aspect of our lives.

You don't want to miss this honest and tender interview as we talk through common roadblocks women face when praying. We remind each other that God wants to hear our prayers. No topic is off limits with him. Noone is disqualified from coming to God. He wants to hear from us. Jodie ends our time by praying with us. When you push play you will not only hear about prayer, you will experience it with the sisterhood.

Connect with Jodie
On her website or on Instagram

A few things mentioned on the show Moms In Prayer
Jodie's books:
Praying the Scriptures for Your Children
Praying the Scriptures for Your Teens
Praying the Scriptures for Your Adult Children
Praying the Scriptures for Your Life
Praying the Scriptures for Your Marriage
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When we are looking at leading our lives, one of the first places to peek under the hood is time management. How we spend our minutes, hours, and days adds up to a life, and usually we aren’t spending them they way we’d really like to when we take an honest look.
Today Crystal Paine, the Money Saving Mom, joins us to discuss how she gets it all done in a week using her 6:2 system, how to use get enough sleep, drink enough water, and track our habits. Crystal is a woman who runs a full time business, has six children, volunteers at her church, and writes books - her latest on time management.
She is sharing her secrets today and we all get to benefit.
If you want to lead a more intentional life with your time, this episode will help!
Some things you heard on the show:
Crystal’s new book Time Saving Mom
CRYSTAL’S 6:2 PRIORITY AREAS Friendships / Relationships
Home
Marriage
Business
Kids
Health
Atomic Habits
Crystal’s Habit Tracker

Monica Swanson knows what it means to be intentional in relationships at home. She makes decisions with the end goal in mind. She wants kids who love God, like each other, and are helpful by default. Those end goals shape their daily rhythms, how they talk to each other, and even their vacations. We dive right into the Lead Your Life series talking about family relationships because if ever there was a place where we need some intention, it's with those right around us.

Monica comes to us from the Aloha state. A mom to four sons who are growing and leaving home, she is able to look back a bit and evaluate what helped their family get where it is today. There was intentional time together, both as a family, but also with siblings. Their family culture didn't just happen, she and her husband Dave made decisions on purpose. Whether you have mental roadblocks to making some changes at home or logistical ones, Monica gives us the pep talk we need to face what might be holding us back from leading our families in the way we want them to go. This is a part practical, part inspirational conversation that you don't want to miss.

Sometimes the things that matter most to us, get our leftover attention. By leftover we mean the time we have left after all of the pressing things are taken care of. The people in our homes deserve our intentional best. Monica gives us some practical next steps to lead our family relationships. And as we say on the episode, we KNOW she lives what she teaches. She gets us. She knows what it's like to lead a family with intention.

Connect with Monica
On her website, on Instagram, or on her podcast

A few things mentioned
Monica's new book Raising Amazing: Bringing Up Kids Who Love God, Like Their Family, And Do The Dishes Without Being Asked


Uno

Spicy Uno

The latest research on girls and anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation

Our 24 Family Ways: A Family Devotional Guide by Clay Clarkson

Foundations: 12 Biblical Truths to Shape a Family by Ruth Chou Simons

Krista's coaching services

 

We are starting a new series today called LEAD YOUR LIFE! For this first episode, Alex and Krista are diving into WHY leading our lives is better than defaulting to life – which is so easy to do.
In this episode we explore why each day is a new opportunity to lead our lives better than yesterday, how different people respond to change, and some areas we are doing well, and some not so well.
Giving some of our best resources for growth, we focus on how to take next, small steps in our actual lives. We are excited to dive into this new series with you!
SOME THINGS YOU HEARD ON THE SHOW Steve Cuss
The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth
The Good Life
5 Different Kinds of Fear:
Fear of failure Fear of trading security for the unknown Fear of being overextended financially Fear of what others will say or think Fear that success will alienate peers BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! We announced last week and that Alex and Krista are available to bring the magic of the Sisterhood retreats to YOUR group!
They are taking their proven strategies and are available for hire to come run a group retreat for your:
leadership team work team donors executive directors ministry groups friends If you are interested, email krista@theopendoorsisterhood.com for more information.

It only happens once a year. It’s not Christmas, but it might feel like it as Alex and Krista give you their best tips, reads, recipes, and fashion items they’ve collected over the last year.

It’s the annual Things We Love episode for the Open Door Sisterhood Podcast!

Yes, we are ready with our favorite lip gloss combo (aka “the triple threat”), our must reads, and the sneakers that make teenagers' heads turn (in a good way!) These are things we love and because we're sisters, we're sharing them with you.

We laugh at ourselves a lot in this one (because, hello, we can be ridiculous). We hope this love vibe shines through the airwaves as you push play this Valentine's Day!
 

Our favorite things you heard about on the show BEAUTY
Here’s the triple threat combo from Emily Love’s sister Ashley. 
-Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips Lipstick Kim KW – Nude
-Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lip Liner – Iconic Nude
-Fenty Glass Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer – Fussy
Style Edit root touch up
Cerave Vitamin C serum
Cetaphil daily oil-free facial moisturizer Spf 35
Cerave Skin renewing night cream
Heatless curling set for hair
GIFTS TO GIVE 30 oz. Stanley Cup in cream $30
Stoneware kitchen sink caddy $15 (can put spray or dish soap and wooden scrub brush )
Kate Spade stud earrings $38
FAVORITE HOME ITEMS OR DECOR Victoria Black Vase from CB2 
Smith & Hawken Outdoor black lanterns (I use them inside and outside)
IN THE KITCHEN Nextrend Garlic twister 
Over sink roll up dish drying rack 
Magnolia Clear Glass Mixing Bowls 
9 x 13 ruffled ceramic baking dish by Crate and Barrel
APPS OR WEBSITES Gametime (ticket deals for events)
Going.com (formally Scott’s Cheap Flights)
CLOTHING New balance sneakers
Patagonia Nano Puff Parka
Nuuly subscription – I’m trying it ($88 for 6 styles)
Costco bras – Bali
FAVORITE TIP Put a dash of bleach in your water for flowers to kill bacteria and they’ll last longer Make any drink fun with fresh berries, mint, and sparkling something Paint and new light fixtures changes any room FAVORITE NETFLIX OR PRIME Enola Holmes (Netflix)
The Swimmers (Netflix)
The Rings of Power (Prime)
FAVORITE INSTAGRAM INSPO hidingintheclosetwithcoffee Amy Betters-Midtvet
Littlehouseonchestnut
Stylinbyaylin
mikedonehey
MUST READS From Strength to Strength
The God Shot by Tara Leigh Cobble
The Culture Code: The Secrets of HIghly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle
I Guess I Haven’t Learned that Yet by Shauna Niequist
Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple
MUST MAKE RECIPES Italian Sausage White Bean Soup – The soup recipe I made up for my friend’s going away party that now everyone loves (Ariana’s Going Away Soup)
The Italian Meatball Soup
Rave Reviews Dip – one of my easiest apps
Almond cherry scones (Easter coming up)
Thank you to our sponsor for this episode
The Truly Co.


WE'RE ABOUT GOSPEL-CENTERED ENCOURAGEMENT
Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8
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