Kathi Lipp's Blog, page 103
October 27, 2014
Nicaragua with Compassion International
When my agent asked me if I wanted to speak on behalf of Compassion International two years ago, I was intrigued. I’ve always loved their work, and our church has a project in Nicaragua.
But you know how these things go – we had a couple of conversations, but it never really went anywhere. Yes, we sponsored a child, but I didn’t really have a story that was compelling for audiences about Compassion and the idea of supporting kids.
About six months ago, I hired a new booking agent, Julie. Julie has a huge heart, is super talented, and oh – she used to work for Compassion with their Artist Program (working with speakers and musicians.)
So I told Julie about my desire to work with Compassion – and she set up the call. The call that changed it all…
When we talked with Nate with Compassion, he said yes, we’d love for you to speak on behalf of Compassion. Then he asked, “Do you already have a Compassion child?” When I told him that yes, we sponsored Roger in Nicaragua, Nate suddenly got very quiet. Finally he asked, “What are you doing November third through seventh?”
Ummmm…
That’s when Nate invited me to go to Nicaragua to meet Roger and see the work that Compassion was doing there. Then Nate asked, “Do you want to go?”
And my first thought was “Um – NO!”
I’m not ready.
I need to speak Spanish first.
I need to lose more weight first.
I need to be in better shape.
I need to write more letters to Roger.
I’m not ready.
But good thing I didn’t say that out loud.
What I did say was, “Let me talk to my husband and pray about it.”
In other words, I did the Jesus-y stall tactic.
As much as I feared going. (“What if I held other people back? What if I got sick from bug bites like in Japan and had to be hospitalized again? What if…”) What I realized I feared more was not going.
Not doing what so clearly felt like a divine God-only opportunity.
Not doing what I knew I wanted to do, but feared.
So we said yes.
My Roger (my husband) is also going. We are taking the typhoid meds, we are learning very bad Spanish, and we are shopping for shoes and T-shirts for little Roger, who we get to meet in just over a week.
Fear almost kept me from the God-adventure of a lifetime. But I refuse to let fear have a foothold in my life. Fear is the one thing that will keep me from saying yes to God. I want fear to have no room to get comfortable in my life.
October 21, 2014
#122 Motherhood can be Wonderful
What is one word you would use to describe your motherhood?
Kathi said overwhelming. Erin said chaotic. Leslie Ludy, our guest, said neither have to be part of your parenting story. Leslie put off having kids for a long time as she feared all the horror stories. She didn’t want to lose the wonderful love story that she had built by adding kids to the mix. But when her kids came, life may not have been simple (her oldest son had acid reflux) but it was wonderful. In this podcast, she tells women how they can:
gather their community,
change their attitudes,
and realize God is building them,
as they partake in the joyous, exciting and sometimes crazy ride that is motherhood.
When you are feeling overwhelmed as a mom, what is one thing you do to get yourself back on track? Share a tip below for your chance to win a book from Set Apart Motherhood.
October 16, 2014
REVISED: #121 The Beautiful Mess and the Messy Beautiful of Marriage
Hi friends- If you came by this week to here Darlene and you heard someone else… well we apologize! We had the wrong link! But now we’ve made it right and we hope you enjoy this week’s podcast with Darlene Schacht on marriage.
Marriage is both messy and beautiful.
This week’s guest, Darlene Schacht, author of Messy Beautiful Love and the Time Warp Wife blog, shares with us her wise thoughts on marriage and how women in any messy beautiful marriage can:
• Handle the big stressors in marriage so she can grow stronger and closer to both, each other and God.
• Pray for her husband and her marriage in an intentional and meaningful way.
• Find her joy from God and not from her husband.
• Build a marriage that’s not 50-50. (Which, according to Darlene isn’t a good thing.)
Listen in, and then download Darlene’s free printable prayer cards. Plus, tell us the biggest stressor in your marriage in the comments below and you’ll be entered to win a copy of Darlene’s new book, Messy Beautiful Love.
REVISED: #121 The Beautiful Mess and the Messy Beautiful of Marriage
Quick Start Your Christmas
It’s almost Christmas. I know you don’t want to hear it, but it’s true and procrastinating about it will not only stress you out, but will cause you to miss the beauty of the season. (Trust me I’m talking to myself here too!) So what are we gals going to do about it? I for one would like to enjoy Christmas this year without a ton of stress. I’d like to focus on Jesus, you know, the reason for the season. This month we are going to focus on 3 areas to Quick Start our Christmas. Then, on November 3, we will begin the 21 Day Organize Your Christmas Challenge.
Quick Start Tip #1: Start your gift list now – with amounts to spend.
Gift giving can truly be the most stressful part of Christmas and it really should be one of the most enjoyable! With tight budgets, picky gift receivers, and Pinterest perfect pressure, it’s tempting to put gifting off for the last minute. For all of those reasons, this seems like the most logical place to start. A gift giving plan will give you focus and help you stick to the budget.
Start by brainstorming all the people that you normally buy gifts for:
Family
Friends
Service people
Neighbors
Coworkers
Teachers
This is also a great time to talk about expectations with those who are on your list.
Several years ago we let our kids know, early on, that our Christmases were going to start looking different. With four kids and not a lot of money, we needed to focus more on family and faith and less on finding the perfect gift. We now give each kid three gifts: Something to wear, something for fun, and something growth (education, spiritual growth.) We have a budget for each kid and stick to it. We used to spend hours opening gifts and getting unwrapping fatigue. Now, the gift portion of our time is small, but the games and talking part of the holiday are what everyone look forward to.
Maybe there are a few people on your list that are on there out of obligation.
What about having a conversation with them about redoing Christmas – instead of buying another body wash gift set for each other, what if you took that money and went to lunch together in January, or went in on a goat for a family through World Vision? Make new traditions with those you love.
Quick Start Tip #2: Grab a Calendar and Firm Up Where and Who
Plan where you will be spending your time – and with whom.
We have a blended family, so trying to share our kids with multiple other families has gotten complicated over the years. Even without a blended family, extended family and all of their extended family can make for some complicated planning. Talk early and often about plans for the holidays. Last year we had everyone on Christmas. This year, we will be hosting the big Thanksgiving feast, and will celebrate Christmas on a different day. Flexibility and early planning with keep you from tears.
Quick Start Tip #3: Sign up for the 21 Days to Organize Your Christmas Challenge
Starting November 3rd, I will be taking you through three weeks of Christmas prep. This is absolutely free – my gift! A few minutes every day, in November, will help you have the most peaceful and Christ-centered Christmas possible. Join me and hundreds of other women for simple ideas to pull off the best Christmas ever.
October 14, 2014
10 Things to Say or Text to Your Husband When Marriage is Hard
So often, when money is tight, nerves are strained, and everyone is just so tired, it’s easy to wait for your husband to make the first move. But sometimes, we have to lay down our right to be right.
Sometimes, we need to look at not just the situation, but the relationship, and see what the right thing is to do. Usually, when one of us lays down our “right to be right” great things can happen in our relationships.
So pick one. I’m not asking you to lie. There is ONE on this list that you can say to your husband- fighting or now – and it will soften the hard lines that can develop between the two of you.
If you’re really in a tough spot, try texting it to him. It’s amazing what a well timed text can do for your relationship.
“What do you need from me right now?”
“How can I help you take some of the burden off today?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you for_____________”
“I’m proud of you because________________”
“Our kids are lucky to have a dad like you.”
“Please forgive me.”
“I love you because___________”
“I’m going to make more of an effort to____________”
Thank you for being someone I can respect.
Tell me in the comments which one you said to your husband, or suggest one of your own. One random commenter will will a copy of Praying God’s Word for Your Husband.
Last week’s winner was Danielle!
10 Things to Say or Text to Your Husband When Marriage is Hard
#121 The Beautiful Mess and the Messy Beautiful of Marriage
Marriage is both messy and beautiful.
This week’s guest, Darlene Schacht, author of Messy Beautiful Love and the Time Warp Wife blog, shares with us her wise thoughts on marriage and how women in any messy beautiful marriage can:
• Handle the big stressors in marriage so she can grow stronger and closer to both, each other and God.
• Pray for her husband and her marriage in an intentional and meaningful way.
• Find her joy from God and not from her husband.
• Build a marriage that’s not 50-50. (Which, according to Darlene isn’t a good thing.)
Listen in, and then download Darlene’s free printable prayer cards. Plus, tell us the biggest stressor in your marriage in the comments below and you’ll be entered to win a copy of Darlene’s new book, Messy Beautiful Love.
October 13, 2014
FREE WEBINAR TODAY! Kick Start Your Speaking Career
Free Webinar: Kick Start Your Speaking Career
Monday, October 13 at 7:00 PM CDT
Is it time to take your speaking to the next level?
Do you want to change the world, one message at a time?
In this free 60-minute webinar, marketing expert Thomas Umstattd and speaker and author Kathi Lipp share the secrets of successful speakers to not only getmore bookings, but better bookings.
What: Free webinar
When: Monday, October 13 at 7:00 PM CDT
Here is what you’ll learn:
What your website is missing that can turn inquiries into bookings.
The three fastest ways to get in front of audiences.
Writing copy so that event planners will notice.
Not only will Kathi and Thomas share with you their secrets to successful bookings, but will be answering your speaking questions.
Register Now
October 7, 2014
What To Do When Your Marriage is Hard – Finances
Over the past several months, I’ve had more than a dozen women contact me about their marriages and how they are just not working.
He’s done something stupid. She’s done something stupid.
Or it’s just the everyday stuff that is driving each of you crazy. So I thought I’d take the next several Wednesdays and address the four biggest reasons that women are coming to me about their marriage, and try to give you some practical take aways about what you can do about it.
Reason #1 Marriage is hard: Money
Earlier this year, Roger and I got the notice that Target had the tiniest of security breeches and sadly, his card was affected. (You know. The debit card that EVERYTHING is attached to…) To say it was inconvenient is an understatement.
But we dutifully changed all of our cards and got them hooked up with our accounts.
Well. Almost.
Turns out there was one account that didn’t get reconnected. Our homeowners dues.
We got a bill from them every month, which I promptly put in the recycling. (After all, we were paying it online right?) Each month they would send us a statement of how grossly past due we were, and each month I would toss it.
Until the postman rang twice.
With a registered letter.
This letter let us know that we were six months behind in homeowners fees, and in addition to that, the penalties, and now LAWYERS fees, well let’s just say that we were thousands and thousands of dollars behind.
Oh – and this came in May – right when my income goes to zero.
To say that this was a stressful summer financially would be a gross understatement. This is the summer that we will spend two years recovering from.
(And yes. I open ALL of the mail now.)
Here are a few things I learned from our summer of financial ruin:
Accept that money is not one partner’s responsibility. I tended to leave the money stuff to Roger, but the burden needs to be both of ours. While Roger is the leader of our home, we run it like a partnership – that means the rights and the responsibilities.
When money times are tense, do everything within your power to cut spending. This summer we had a lot of “Pantry Meals” (eating things we already had in our pantry and freezer.) I kept our grocery budget to a minimum, only ran the air conditioning when it was sweltering hot, got clothes altered instead of buying new things, redecorated with paint instead of trips to Home Goods, and looked for free or cheap entertainment. I couldn’t make our debt go away, but I could do my best to contribute in any way I could see fit.
Get help. Dave Ramsey and Crystal Paine have saved many a marriage. Check out their websites, and get on the same page with your spouse. It is marriage-empowering to actually do things together to save money. Be a cord cutter and get rid of cable. (We did, and we’ve lived to tell about it.)
Get on the same side in your marriage. Yep- it’s frustrating when bills go unpaid or you’re not making as much as you used to. But blaming each other is a surefire way to add more stress to your marriage. Have a weekly meeting to go over finances and get on the same page. (We have a weekly “Food and Finances” night where we go over bills and then eat something delicious. It’s our little reward for being responsible adults.
Pray specifically. Get VERY specific with God about your financial needs. God is not offended by your needing money help. Jesus talks about money all the time in the Bible. When Roger and I were having severe money issues, we spent a lot of time praying, and rejoiced every time God answered our prayers. It was a great boon to our marriage seeing God be so active in our need.
So what advice would you add to this list? Tell me in the comments below, and one commenter will win a four book marriage set, including The Husband Project, Praying God’s Word for Your Husband and two copies of The Marriage Project.
#120 Cloverdayle’s Rachel Hamar Talks Balance & Creativity
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a real, live rock star?
The lights, the cameras, the music, the swarming fans… we got a little star struck just imagining it as we sat down with Rachel Hamar, one part of the top-rated country duo Cloverdayle. And while Rachel has shared a stage with music legends like Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Eric Church and Jason Aldean, Rachel was totally willing to get down-to-earth with us as she filled us in on:
How she manages to keep her marriage strong when she lives and works with her adorable rock-star husband Chad.
How she finds balance in a crazy schedule (and even finds time to go to the gym!)
How she finds the creative space to write songs (and what she does when she comes up with a great song line in the middle of the grocery store).
How we as women can pursue or own big dreams, even when life makes it seem impossible.
Listen in, and then download a free copy of Cloverdayle’s new song “Call Me Crazy” and get inspired to live your own crazy dream.
October 1, 2014
AUDIO INCLUDED: #119 Treating Ourselves Like a Friend Rather than a Foe
Hi friends!
We had a bit of an “ooops” yesterday and forgot to include the media file for the podcast. Kind of important right!? Sorry about the mistake. Thanks for the grace and we hope you enjoy this week’s episode with Leeana Tankersley.
Have a great day,
Kathi & Erin
Have you ever taken a selfie? Of your butt?
That’s just what Leeana Tankersley, author of Breathing Room, did so of course, that’s the first thing that Kathi and Erin ask her about. Why did she take a picture of her butt and how did she live to tell about it?
Kathi and Erin fell in love with Leeana from the first moments of the interview. Leeana gets real. Fast. (And you know how we love that around here.) She talks about how to lovingly come alongside ourselves as a good friend would, and be compassionate when we need it the most.
Leeana talks about:
• How Pinterest is changing how we feel about ourselves, and others.
• How the 12-step program Emotions Anonymous changed her life.
• How as moms we can give ourselves permission to “begin again” with our kids.
Win a copy of Leeana’s book, Breathing Room! For your chance to win, leave a comment below about something in your life that you feel powerless in the face of- your anonymous.
For more info on 12 Step that Leeana talked about, check out Emotions Anonymous.
AUDIO INCLUDED: #119 Treating Ourselves Like a Friend Rather than a Foe
