This episode of Today’s Family Experience features Michelle Cushatt. For those not familiar with Michele, I wrote about her in an earlier post in which I reviewed her book, Undone: Making Peace with an Unexpected Life. I really respect and appreciate Michele and know you will benefit from hearing this episode, reading her book and connecting with her online resources.
Quick bit of context on Michele incase, she is a talented public speaker associated with Women of Faith, Focus on the Family, Provers 31 She Speaks, Companions International. She is the co-host of This is Your Life with Michael Hyatt a very popular business, life and leadership podcast.
What struck me as I talked to Michele this time was that while her voice was much weaker than before and I know she is still physically weak, she brings a strength and energy to our conversation which really surprised me. Since we had met last fall, she had undergone a significant surgery and multiple treatment which have affected her speech yet she is continuing to use her voice to help others.
First, you need to listen to the podcast. I know some of you just aren’t into that “podcast” thing but this conversation is the perfect reason for you to dive into the podcast world. It isn’t hard, you can listen directly from this post which is easy but not convenient. You can also download it to your mobile device. For Apple users, just follow the link to iTunes and it is easy to listen and hopefully subscribe. It is slightly more complicated with Android devices but the attached link will get you set up.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe:
Subscribe: iTunes/Android/RSS
No more excuses, listen now.
Here are some highlights that I took away from our conversation. They aren’t exact quotes but are my attempt to capture themes in our conversation.
Michele really helped me uncover why so many of us feel a double hit when things don’t go according to our plan. First, the negative event brings all sorts of pain on its own. Second, she shared that as Christians, we assume that everything should go fine if we are faithful Christians. So when things go bad we also feel pain and fear because it attacks our identity as Christians.
She shares courageously about the challenges associated with divorce, remarriage and raising a blended family. This section was one of my favorites because it revealed to me the chaos and healing that occurred when rather than trying to fit back into “normal” they moved into a new normal that allowed for a family full of hurt people to live together.
I also thought her saying, “We are imperfect people that ro raise little imperfect people” was a great way to balance the pain we feel when our kids rebellious. It’s easy to blame ourselves or blame them but this saying really helped me see that both can be true and we can grow as parents and cut ourselves some slack at the same time.
Actions Steps
- Win a copy of Michele’s book “Undone: A Story Of Making Peace With An Unexpected Life” You just need to fill out a really quick survey telling us about yourself and helping me develop content that helps you. Just click here to take the survey and I’ll let you know if you win.
- Sign-up for free eBook “Parenting Stubborn Kids: When Your Kids Are More Stubborn Than You” either by filling in the form on the right side of this webpage or going HERE
Key resources:
Michele’s website: www.michelecushatt.com
Posted: September 4, 2015 by Chuck Hagele
Sharing the Undone Life with Michele Cushatt
This episode of Today’s Family Experience features Michelle Cushatt. For those not familiar with Michele, I wrote about her in an earlier post in which I reviewed her book, Undone: Making Peace with an Unexpected Life. I really respect and appreciate Michele and know you will benefit from hearing this episode, reading her book and connecting with her online resources.
Quick bit of context on Michele incase, she is a talented public speaker associated with Women of Faith, Focus on the Family, Provers 31 She Speaks, Companions International. She is the co-host of This is Your Life with Michael Hyatt a very popular business, life and leadership podcast.
What struck me as I talked to Michele this time was that while her voice was much weaker than before and I know she is still physically weak, she brings a strength and energy to our conversation which really surprised me. Since we had met last fall, she had undergone a significant surgery and multiple treatment which have affected her speech yet she is continuing to use her voice to help others.
First, you need to listen to the podcast. I know some of you just aren’t into that “podcast” thing but this conversation is the perfect reason for you to dive into the podcast world. It isn’t hard, you can listen directly from this post which is easy but not convenient. You can also download it to your mobile device. For Apple users, just follow the link to iTunes and it is easy to listen and hopefully subscribe. It is slightly more complicated with Android devices but the attached link will get you set up.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Subscribe: iTunes/Android/RSS
No more excuses, listen now.
Here are some highlights that I took away from our conversation. They aren’t exact quotes but are my attempt to capture themes in our conversation.
Michele really helped me uncover why so many of us feel a double hit when things don’t go according to our plan. First, the negative event brings all sorts of pain on its own. Second, she shared that as Christians, we assume that everything should go fine if we are faithful Christians. So when things go bad we also feel pain and fear because it attacks our identity as Christians.
She shares courageously about the challenges associated with divorce, remarriage and raising a blended family. This section was one of my favorites because it revealed to me the chaos and healing that occurred when rather than trying to fit back into “normal” they moved into a new normal that allowed for a family full of hurt people to live together.
I also thought her saying, “We are imperfect people that ro raise little imperfect people” was a great way to balance the pain we feel when our kids rebellious. It’s easy to blame ourselves or blame them but this saying really helped me see that both can be true and we can grow as parents and cut ourselves some slack at the same time.
Actions Steps
Key resources:
Michele’s website: www.michelecushatt.com
Posted: June 11, 2015 by Chuck Hagele
Restored and Remarried
Every family is dysfunctional, some families get away with it while others can’t because more is required of them. Blended families, single parent homes, homes with illness, homes with any kind of job loss or a host of the challenges requires the family to have a higher level of “family skills” than a “normal” family. It isn’t fair.
Actually, I don’t think there is such a thing as a “normal” family. At some point every family will experience a season that requires more communication, problem solving and dealing with conflict.
Some families can’t predict when they will be called upon to be less dysfunctional. However, for blended families, even before the “I do” is said, they know dysfunction is near and have to elevate their game.
This podcast interview is with Gil and Brenda Stuart who’s mission is “Encouragement for remarried couples in a stepfamily.” They are all about helping step families discover God’s purpose for their newly formed family and the skills to live them out.
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About our guests:
I met Gil and Brenda several years ago and my first impression was that I not only liked![Stuart-4JE_5929[1] copy](https://i0.wp.com/blog.projectpatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Stuart-4JE_59291-copy-200x300.jpg?resize=195%2C293&quality=89)
them, I also felt like I had known them a long time. They are a couple with a lot going on. They have seven children between them and now have two daughters-in-law and three grandchildren. Gil is an insurance broker and Brenda leads a team building organization. They are popular speakers and lead seminars to help other couples like them who are remained. They also have developed a seminar called “Rearview Mirror” which helps all couples focus on what matters.
Key Points from Interview:
Resources:
Their website: www.restoredandremaried.com
Their books/materials: Visit their store
Top 10 Blended Family Points
Posted: May 29, 2015 by Chuck Hagele
Reconsidering Chastity [Podcast]
Arleen Spencely is an author, speaker and blogger that focuses on encouraging people to practice the virtue of chastity. She rose to national recognition when she wrote an essay six years ago about her decision to remain a virgin until she married. This first essay began a process that deepened her understanding of what God wanted for her life and sexuality. It also also launched her into creating community, training and support for others around the virtue of chastity.
This Podcast episode of Today’s Family Experience shares her story as well as why she came to the conclusion that chastity is for everyone.
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Subscribe: iTunes/Android/RSS
Here are some things that stood out during our conversation:
Resources
Other Stuff:
Please help get the word out about this podcast.
Just as a side note, I ended up creating two featured images for this podcast. The one I chose is at the top of the page. The one I originally made is below. What do you think? Did I make the right choice for the featured immage?