Kathi Lipp's Blog, page 104

#119 Treating Ourselves Like a Friend Rather than a Foe

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.

#119 Treating Ourselves Like a Friend Rather than a Foe

#118 Helping Our Kids Build Healthy Relationships with Other Kids

Have you ever felt ashamed at the playground? Have you worried that your kids are the only ones playing Ninja Warrior while the others swing peacefully? Have you felt like you just can’t measure up as a mom? This week, Kathi and Erin discuss the reaction to Erin’s new blog post entitled “I’m Worried About Our Girls” and the ways that parents can help their kids build strong, healthy relationships with other kids.

Knowing that every mom has felt shame, worry and stress about playground behavior– and that every mom earnestly seeks what’s best for their children– we openly discuss:

* How little girls can respond to wild boys on a playground.

* The difference between a dangerous situation and a situation that a child can take care of on his or her own.

* How moms can get rid of the shame they feel when their children misbehave.

* How to communicate to our kids that God created both genders lovingly and intentionally– and that neither is inherently “good” or “bad.”

Listen in and then share your own playground experiences in the comments below. One winner will get his or her choice of one of Erin’s books! Plus, check out the “Download” section below to get Erin’s playground toolkit for girls.

 

#118 Helping Our Kids Build Healthy Relationships with Other Kids

#117 Living our Lives as a Work of Art

Do you see yourself as God’s masterpiece? Do you live as a piece of art? Does the entire concept of living as a work of art totally intimidate you?

Emily Freeman, author of A Million Little Ways, joins us on the podcast and really makes the concept of living as a work of art real for all of us, even those of us that aren’t necessarily “artists” in the traditional sense. Whether your a mathematician or a painter, God is the creator and we were made in His image. Emily inspires us to show up and be ourselves wherever God has put us and in whatever stage we are living. In the podcast we discuss:

the true definition of an artist
why it’s important to see ourselves and the people around us as God’s masterpieces
how to identify tiny little ways we can be artists in our day-to-day lives

To win a copy of Emily’s book for you and a friend, leave a comment below on how you are going to be present for the benefit of other’s and only for God’s glory this week.

* We also discussed Emily’s Art Course. Sign-up for Emily’s Art Course (or Life Course!) here.

#117 Living our Lives as a Work of Art

#116 Parenting with Freedom

All of the parenting books, the intentional planning, and the “I’m going to be a great parent” attitude meant nothing the minute Ellen had her firstborn, Erin. None of the discipline strategies worked the way they promised. So Ellen began the adventure of finding ways to understand the different hearts of her children. Only then, was she able to understand their needs so she could be the parent she really wanted to be.

Ellen Schuknecht (Erin’s mom!) joins us on So Here’s the Thing this week with amazing advice for every parent out there. Whether your child is compliant or strong-willed, you will want to have a pen and paper with you when listening! We cover topics such as:


Getting to the root of disobedience
Strategies to focus on the heart for a more positive long-term impact
Letting go of the fear of parenting failure
Why traditional parenting advice may not be working for you kids

We want to give away two copies of Ellen and Erin’s new book, Free to Parent (more info on the book below) to our listeners. Leave us a comment and tell us what was most freeing in what you heard on the podcast today.

#116 Parenting with Freedom

#115 The Search for “Home”

Heartache. Searching. Loneliness. An overwhelming need to be exquisitely loved.

Can you relate? Our guest this week, Emily Wierenga, shares her journey in searching for “home”. She was raised in a Christian home but never felt truly loved. She longed to know she fit in with her own family, turned to an eating disorder and eventually felt healed just to turn back to the eating disorder years later.

Her story will touch your heart, inspire you and fill your heart with hope. Her heart for her family, her adopted family of Uganda and the way she lives out the love and home she has found is special and I am so excited to introduce her to you.

 

To find out more about Emily’s work and her non profit visit thelulutree.com

Would you like to win a copy of The Atlas Girl? Leave a comment below about what home feels like to you.

#115 The Search for “Home”

#114 School Supplies, Starbucks and… Debt-Proofing your Everyday Spending

Where does all the money go? It can be frustrating when you are trying to save money but every time you turn around there is something you weren’t planning for- school supplies, birthday gifts, and oh wait, is that Christmas decor in Hobby Lobby!

Our guest Mary Hunt, author of Debt-Proof Living, joins us with practical, do-able and inspiring tips on how to take the stress out of the finances. If you are drowning in debt, almost debt free or anywhere in between, you’ll want to hear Mary’s EASY tips on getting where you want to me- financially free!

Mary shares:


her experience of getting out of debt
how to get started
tips on staying motivated
the key to getting started

Listen in and leave a comment below to win her book, Debt-Proof Living. What is holding you back from becoming debt-free?

* We discussed making our own Starbucks inspired coffee and we want to share all of our great recipes. Just visit Kathi’s blog.

#114 School Supplies, Starbucks and… Debt-Proofing your Everyday Spending

#113 Living out Your Passion and Your Purpose

God sometimes asks us to do things that seem crazy big and beyond our scope of “ableness” (and let’s be real, willingness!).

Things like:

Starting a business
Creating a ministry
International adoption

What happens when we faithfully jump in with both feet? Jessica Honegger, founder of Noonday Collections, joins us on So Here’s the Thing to discuss her journey of listening to the prompting God put on her heart. From adoption, to job creation, to everyday willingness to see Jesus in the big and small, Jessica’s journey will inspire you. If you have a passion and you don’t know where to begin, listening to this podcast is it!

You will gain some practical tips on:

How and who to ask for help
When to know God is saying go for it
Bringing your entire family along for the journey
Being real with yourself, your purpose and the demands of raising your family


GIVEAWAY
Win a pair of earrings from Noonday!

You have a passion for a reason! What small change can you make to make a big difference in somebody else’s life whether it be buying from micro businesses, Operation Christmas Child, or living out the purpose God is calling you to? Leave a comment below for a chance to win one pair of these gorgeous ear rings from Noonday!

 

 

#113 Living out Your Passion and Your Purpose

#112 The Cure for the “Perfect” Life Part 2- Performancism and People-Pleasing

In part two of my interview with my co-author Cheri Gregory, we talk about how the last two of the bullies from our book The Cure for the Perfect Life 12 Ways to Stop Trying Harder and Start Living Brave, Performancism and People Pleasing, follow us around and beat us up daily, and what you can do about it.

Do you:

Change your mood to match the mood of those around you so you don’t upset them with your happiness/excitement/bad day/ etc?
Do more so you can seem like more to those around you?
Have a long to do list out of fear of not being what you want others to perceive you to be?

If you can relate, you may be being bullied by people-pleasing or performancism or both! It’s time to live braver and stop trying harder.

* During this episode, Kathi and Cheri discuss rest and Bonnie Gray’s interview on So Here’s the Thing. That episode can be found here.

* Here’s the link to the free verse downloads

 

#112 The Cure for the “Perfect” Life Part 2- Performancism and People-Pleasing

#112 The Cure for the “Perfect” Life Part 2- Procrastination and People-Pleasing

In part two of my interview with my co-author Cheri Gregory, we talk about how the last two of the bullies from our book The Cure for the Perfect Life 12 Ways to Stop Trying Harder and Start Living Brave, Procrastination and People Pleasing, follow us around and beat us up daily, and what you can do about it.

Do you:

Change your mood to match the mood of those around you so you don’t upset them with your happiness/excitement/bad day/ etc?
Do more so you can seem like more to those around you?
Have a long to do list out of fear of not being what you want others to perceive you to be?

If you can relate, you may be being bullied by people-pleasing or performancism or both! It’s time to live braver and stop trying harder.

* During this episode, Kathi and Cheri discuss rest and Bonnie Gray’s interview on So Here’s the Thing. That episode can be found here.

* Here’s the link to the free verse downloads

 

#112 The Cure for the “Perfect” Life Part 2- Procrastination and People-Pleasing

What Happens When There is No Snap

I was 33 years old when I came to the very logical conclusion that the only way to stop the hurting was to kill myself.

I was in the depths of a very painful marriage where I never felt like I could do anything right. I was a mess. I knew I wasn’t a good wife, a good mother, or a good friend. All I could see around me were the people I was disappointing. I didn’t just feel helpless. Worse. I felt hopeless.

So I thought about how I would kill myself.

I didn’t want to hang myself – what if one of my kids found me?

Then I remembered that a radio personality I listened to on a regular basis in the Bay Area, Duane Garrett, had jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge. But I was afraid I would not be able to go through it.

I considered all the possibilities, very rationally, very thoughtfully. As if I were trying to decide between chicken and beef for dinner that night.

I felt sure I would go through with my plan, until I thought about what would happen to my kids. I didn’t think my kids would miss me, but I was concerned that they would be raised without me. So, continuing in what I thought was totally logical thinking, that if we all died, that would solve all of the problems.

And that’s when I felt the snap.

There was something inside my soul that just broke. I remember feeling like I was splitting down the middle of a foggy lane, and I thought to myself, “What the HELL are you thinking? What mother ever thinks of hurting herself, much less her kids.”

That snap got me to run to my therapist, where I admitted for the first time that I thought about killing myself.

The words that were assigned to me were “Situational Depression”. I was given counseling and medication. I was prayed for and I was loved. I went to bible study, and I found hope.

But every time I hear about a suicide, I think about that time some many years ago. What if there was no snap?

What if I’d never ran to get help because I was in such a dark place, I couldn’t imagine that help existed?

I only have two reasons for writing about this:

1. I believe the more people who talk about their own battle with depression, the more we can all talk about it.  I know for so long I felt like I had to wear a mask and keep up appearances because things would be taken away from me if I didn’t. My kids, my job, my friends. I felt like normal people didn’t go through what I was going through, and therefore, I didn’t deserve normal people things. So I kept hiding it until there was no me left.

But, if we can say that this happens to people, real people, and share our stories, we can give someone else the courage to safely share their story, their struggle. When we find out that we’re not a freak – that our struggles are real but not rare, we have a better chance of being able to connect with someone who has gone through the same thing, or who can help us get to a healthy place.

2. Each of us has a story. I wanted to cut my story short, because I couldn’t take the pain and I couldn’t see any good up ahead.

But only God can see around the corners.

I would have missed out on so much: my second husband, who is the love of my life,

my two beautiful kids, who make me laugh every day and bring good things to the world,

my bonus kids, who I can’t imagine my life without.

A job that makes me excited to get out of bed every. single. day.

And a life that God sets before me every day and and says, “I’m crazy about you. Come alongside me. We have great things to accomplish today!”

Your story is not done. God had great adventures for you. Only he can see the ending to your story.

If you’ve been in that dark place, would you do me a favor – could you share below what God had for you on the other side. Someone needs to read about it.

If you are in that dark place? Would you please, please, reach out to a safe person? A friend, a counselor, a doctor. Please. You don’t feel it now, but you are precious. You are irreplaceable. There are things that need to be done that only you can do. God says so.

And I’ve found that he turns out to be right over and over again.

 

What Happens When There is No Snap