Simply Make It Count

All Grace ever wanted was the normal things in life:  A happy marriage, a big house, and a loving family.  She never imagined her life would turn out so differently. The submissive Christian life she was asked to live left her totally dominated by her abrasive husband.  She and her children were systematically crushed, and their will to thrive was snuffed out at every turn.  She had no idea how to handle the insults and abuse from her husband or the isolation from her family.  She never thought she'd lose her faith in God or plunge into such depths of despair. This heart-wrenching story of living every day with a narcissist educates readers on the serious nature of abuse.  Taking a journey through emotional pain may mean taking the most uncomfortable path to lead your life to the most beautiful situation starting today.   Madison R. Carter represents all those who experience emotional pain across different cultures, religions, ages, men and women, in every corner of the world who struggle with finding their w

My friend Crystal is one who does extraordinary things often. Though I'm used to this behavior from her I was more in awe than usual when I learned she donated one of her kidneys to a complete stranger. Well, the recipient was a stranger at the time. Now the two share a beautiful friendship. One that almost didn't happen! This podcast interview with Crystal almost didn't happen, too. Listen to this episode to find out why! :) For more information about organ donation, contact your local hospital and they will connect you with the resources you need. Thanks for listening and until we meet again, Simply Make It Count.

I'm staying at a local Airbnb home tonight. Yes, you read that right - local! Although it's just one of my days off of work, it feels like a mini vacation. I brought a few small projects to tackle and doing at least one podcast episode was one of those things. Yes, you read that right - at least one episode.  I may just feel ambitious enough to do another!  It's amazing what a little bit of time away from home can do for the soul.  Even if it's just one night.  :)

Mark LaMaster is back!  He was the first guest - and was featured in the first episode of the Simply Make It Count podcast sharing about his first book, Friday Night Lights for Fathers and Sons.  When I heard he'd written a second, similar book for Fathers and Daughters I knew I had to have him back on the show.  As a daughter who has struggled my whole life to relate to my dad, this conversation with Mark felt especially needed and relevant to families today. I'm so glad we took the time to talk.  Mark LaMaster is the founder of Uplifting Dads who strives to ensure that each and every dad has the access to positive, encouraging, and faith-filled resources about how to be the best parent they can be.  Uplifting Dads exists in order to build a sense of community among like-minded fathers who want to learn from, strengthen, and support one another in a space free of judgment or criticism. Mark is a dad of two teenagers, a husband, an author, a speaker, and a dad coach whose mission is to offer a place of encour

Seems like I'm always saying this:  "Long time, no podcast!"  Well, this time, it really has been a long time - at least since I seemed to be on track with getting a more regular podcast schedule going and then POOF - nothing for over three months! If you've missed me and/or have been wondering what happened or if I'm OK, this is the episode for you.   Spoiler alert ---  I still won't be getting back to a regular schedule yet so I wanted to warn you. I just don't want you to be disappointed. ;) Have an amazing April! Hopefully I'll be back soon. :)

I really enjoyed this conversation with my friend Tanisha Williams. I invited her to the show because of her recent vlogging project, "90 Days of Encouragement" but as it turns out we talked about much more than that! I hope you enjoy our conversation, too. :) Tanisha Williams' Passion is teaching. She has taught elementary and high school for twenty years. Tanisha received a M.A. in English Education from Columbia University. As a veteran master teacher, Tanisha has spoken at educational workshops and mentored novice teachers. As an author, certified coach, speaker, and trainer, Tanisha helps others build their self-esteem to embody their full potential in Christ so they will know their value, identity, and purpose to accomplish their dreams. She has spoken at various churches and women's groups where her topics include abundant living, God's love, and freedom in Christ. Tanisha lives in New Jersey with her two "crazy" cats. She loves to travel and is proud of her ability to quote movie lines in daily conver

Well, I failed my December challenge by day 4! That might just be a record of some sort. After a coaching call with my business coach I got discouraged and stopped creating the very things I feel strongly led to create. I've questioned for several of our calls now if I should just quit the process since I haven't felt a good connection with him for a while now. I even question if I should have hired him in the first place. But I'm pretty sure it was a wise move at the time. He's gotten me to the place of believing that what I want to do with my life actually is possible. I was incredibly stuck when I first met him. Now I have hope that things can improve.  But was that all I needed him for? And could my time be better spent doing things my way for a while again? Or am I supposed to stick it out - even though I hate how I feel, going into - and after - every call? It's funny that I'm talking this in depth about it all here but a few calls ago he mentioned a certain attitude I "should have" about a situation I

It's possible to have too much of a good thing. In today's episode I talk about a solution to that "problem".

I went to church today - which is something I haven't done for a few months now. And before then, my church attendance has been quite sporadic. Although I've gone to church all of my life, I've gotten out of the habit of going. And now that I'm out of the habit, it's tough to get back into it. This episode comes from pure exhaustion. It's way past my bedtime but I wanted to make sure I got today's episode up now because I can't guarantee I'll be getting up early enough to do it before work. (Now there's a habit I should probably get into! Getting up early. I get up with just enough time to get ready and hit the road! But that's a topic for another day...) Anyway, hopefully you get something beneficial out of this one. Thanks so much for listening and until we meet again - after I've gotten some sleep, of course - Simply Make It Count. :) Good night.........

Have you ever started a big project and as you got closer to completing it, you felt like giving up? Well, I certainly have! Actually, I'm feeling like giving up on a project right now. But I know I don't want to give up. I'll be so disappointed if I do. In today's episode I share one of my favorite quotes on this topic. Hopefully, if you're like me and you feel like giving up on a big project as well, this quote will help you stay on track to accomplishing your goal. Thanks for listening. :) Until we meet again, Simply Make It Count!

Did you set any goals at the start of the year that you still haven't accomplished? It's "only" December 1st so it's not too late to get back on track. But today I talk about the best way to go about it. Find some accountability partners! (Or at least just one.) There's nothing like a group of like-minded individuals to help you get things done. Not that they're doing them "for" you - because they've got their own goals to meet - but because they care about you and want to encourage you to succeed. The fun part is, you get to be their cheerleader as well. Accountability goes both ways and the results are awesome!

It's been a month - hopefully you haven't given up on the show yet. In this episode I share why it's been so long since my last one and that I'm thinking I should try and do another daily podcast challenge like I did in October so it doesn't happen again! Thanks for listening. May you find some "magic" in my words. :)

My October has been a challenging month when it comes to travel and car issues! As I reflect on the decision I made yesterday to spend more on repairs than the car is worth, it got me thinking about what and in whom we place value, and the investments we choose to make - or not make - to keep them in our lives.

Wow! I knew God had a good reason for keeping me from getting home today by way of car troubles but I had no idea it would be for this! I just figured maybe I would have gotten in an accident or something had I stayed on the road. Although in the title I call ours a "chance encounter" I believe it's much more than that. As I have stepped out in faith to produce this podcast, I've seen some pretty awesome things happen and have truly met some very extraordinary people! Richard Rhett and his wife Juli, who wasn't available for the interview (Hi Juli! Sorry I missed you!), are the owners of Sierra Madre, a camping gear company with a mission. Not only are they passionate about creating quality products but they use a portion of every sale to provide clean water for communities around the world. For more information visit their website: www.sierramadre.camp  

Penny Haynes will always hold a special place in my heart. When I was at the lowest point in my life, Penny was writing blogs on her website and posts in her private Facebook group for Christian women who deal with depression and anxiety issues. I believe it is so much more than a coincidence that she lives on my way home from Atlanta! I am certain that God orchestrated our meeting today and that those who need to hear our conversation, will. At the start of this episode, I apologize for the sound quality. As I mention there, we met in a loud restaurant and although I was able to cut out most of the background noise I couldn't eliminate it all. I hope that you will still listen to our conversation and maybe even pass it on to someone you know. Penny shares God's message of hope and healing in our world where millions struggle with depression. For more information and to connect with Penny, visit her website: http://pennyhaynes.com  

I just met Kathi this weekend at Sam Crowley's live event in Atlanta and wow! She is a remarkable woman! When some issues with her eyes revealed that she had Graves Disease, she looked into holistic healing methods and ended up going on a retreat in Jamaica which changed her outlook on life. She now works with the retreat coordinator, a friend of hers, and seeks to share the blessings it brought her with others who need healing as well.  For information about Acu-Na Wellness Retreats & Events, visit www.acu-naevents.com You can also follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/acunaretreats  

Another short one today - but keeping the habit going! My October challenge is almost done. I'm planning to continue with a regular schedule though so I hope you keep listening. Some great interviews are in the queue! :)

In this episode, I share my conversation with "Jmar". (Listen for her explanation of her name!) Jmar is an inspirational and energetic fitness expert, yet she makes it fun. I don't know about you but -- fitness and fun don't seem like they belong in the same sentence! Jmar has spent the last 20 years as a personal trainer and she uses her wisdom to help encourage people to live a healthy lifestyle. Check out her daily videos on Instagram - @jmarfit  

It's your choice.

A soft spoken episode tonight as I'm still at my dad's house and people are trying to sleep! I had a little issue with my car today and I was more concerned than usual because I'm 500 miles away from home and need to drive another nearly 400 away tomorrow! Listen to this episode for my thoughts on how things turned out.