Ep.520: Navigating Divorce with Jessica kastner
Release Date: 10/14/2025
Ep.528: Feeding ALL the People over the Holidays with Krista Gilbert and Alex Kuykendall
Our Time to Rise In Midlife
Christmas magic makers - do you have a group you are needing to feed? Perhaps you have one significant meal you are preparing for, or like us, you have days of meals that are needed to feed more than are usually home. We have some tips for you! From how to make the food stretch (think loaves and fishes but in soup format) to how to get others to help (assign jobs or favorite foods) we've got ideas for you. We also cover how to balance from sit down to feed yourselves, how a "food bar" helps meet various preferences and dietary restrictions, and how bigger kids eat more, but also can take on...
info_outline
Ep.527: Hospitality That Creates Connections with Abby Kuykendall
Our Time to Rise In Midlife
Are you hosting over the holidays… or avoiding it? Do you ever wonder what actually matters when you open your home—and what absolutely doesn’t? If so, this episode is going to feel like a deep exhale. This week, Alex and Krista sit down with author and hospitality mentor Abby Kuykendall, whose book Let the Biscuits Burn gives permission to let go of entertaining to embrace the true heart of hospitality. Let’s peel back the pressure, perfectionism, and Pinterest-level expectations surrounding hosting—especially during the holidays—and get honest about what...
info_outline
Ep.526: Celebrating Christmas When Things Feel Hard with Alex Kuykendall
Our Time to Rise In Midlife
How is the world feeling to you these days? How does Christmas fit into all of the headlines of the day? What about grief during a time when we are told we should be celebrating? Alex reminds us of why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. Jesus came BECAUSE OF the grief of the world. He surprised the world with his arrival and now we wait with expectation for his return. Whether you aren't sure how to celebrate when your neighbors are suffering, or you are the one facing difficult circumstances - this is your annual reminder that Jesus is the hope of the world and this is why we...
info_outline
Ep.525: Freedom in Midlife with Gary Thomas
Our Time to Rise In Midlife
How are you doing this week friend? Are you experiencing the busy of Thanksgiving week? The threshold of the holiday season can be overwhelming with so many responsibilities and shoulds. We are often the holiday makers for those ahead of us in life (our parents) and those behind (our kids and grandkids.) On top of the to-do list there can be the relational heaviness midlife can bring. The holidays can highlight where we are already hurting. Other midlife stressors can be equally painful. But we don't have to dread our life - or our holiday season. Gary Thomas is here to remind us that we live...
info_outline
Ep.524: Emotional Rest in Midlife with Dr Saundra Dalton-Smith
Our Time to Rise In Midlife
Midlife can be exhausting. The amount of change we go through in this season of life brings grief. At the same time our bodies are changing in a way that can make us feel even more out of sorts. That is why Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith is talking to us about emotional rest. It's not a surprise that fear peaks its head and identity is questioned in this storm of change. Dr. Dalton-Smith reminds us we must pray for God's clarity and as we move through this journey. We need to watch our self-talk and the messages we are repeating in our own minds. And we must find a community of true...
info_outline
Ep.523: Using the Holidays to Create Memories that Stick with Jessica Smartt
Our Time to Rise In Midlife
Do you want to make the most of this holiday season? Do you want to let go of what doesn't matter and grab onto those things that make real and lasting memories? So do we. In this episode, Jessica Smartt joins us to discuss how to create lasting memories during the holidays while balancing traditions and new experiences. We talk about the importance of creating a welcoming home environment, managing expectations, and engaging older kids in meaningful activities. We also dive into the significance of building sibling relationships and the challenges that come...
info_outline
Ep.522: Choosing the Opposite in Moments of Tension with Tammy Melchien
Our Time to Rise In Midlife
The holidays are approaching, which means conversations around the dinner table. Are you looking forward to them or dreading them? We can prepare mentally and spiritually for those moments, by choosing the opposite of our natural inclinations. Jesus calls us to be peacemakers, but often we don't feel like it when our buttons are being pushed. So how? How do we choose the opposite of anger, and gotcha, when that is what our instincts are indicating? On the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us to not only consider the opposite, but also practice it. Tammy Melchien, a teaching pastor at...
info_outline
Ep.521: The Sacred Act of Letting Go with Krista Gilbert and Alex Kuykendall
Our Time to Rise In Midlife
Letting go is the name of the game in midlife. We’re invited to open our hands, releasing what was and receiving what is. Whether it’s a role we once held, a relationship that’s shifted, a long-held dream, or even our health, midlife invites deep transformation through loss and renewal. In this episode, Krista Gilbert and Alex Kuykendall explore the sacred art of letting go through the lens of Scripture and grounded psychological insight. They discuss the necessity of grieving what’s been lost while making space for new beginnings. Ultimately, letting go isn’t a passive act -...
info_outline
Ep.520: Navigating Divorce with Jessica kastner
Our Time to Rise In Midlife
Jessica Kastner isn't afraid to talk about divorce. Though it's not part of what she anticipated as part of her story, it is and she wants to give women, especially Christian women, the space and place to talk about it. What does it feel like? How do we understand it in terms of faith? How can we move forward in health for ourselves and our children? Midlife is often a time when divorce enters the picture. The changes and stressors that happen can accentuate hurtful patterns. This episode is meant to be a reminder that God meets us in all circumstances. Whether divorce is part of your story...
info_outline
Ep.519: The Questions Get Bigger: Talking About Adoption with Teens and Young Adults with Sherri Crandall
Our Time to Rise In Midlife
Most resources around adoption focus on early childhood—when questions are simple and development is more predictable. But what happens when our kids become teens and young adults, and the questions grow deeper? In this episode, we sit down with Sherri Crandall, children’s book author and VP of Global Ministries and Leadership Experience for The MomCo, Sherri opens up about her family’s path to adoption and the evolving conversations she’s having now with her daughter, Lexi, as she steps into adulthood. Together we explore: Why it’s important to invite young adults to...
info_outlineJessica Kastner isn't afraid to talk about divorce. Though it's not part of what she anticipated as part of her story, it is and she wants to give women, especially Christian women, the space and place to talk about it. What does it feel like? How do we understand it in terms of faith? How can we move forward in health for ourselves and our children?
Midlife is often a time when divorce enters the picture. The changes and stressors that happen can accentuate hurtful patterns. This episode is meant to be a reminder that God meets us in all circumstances. Whether divorce is part of your story or you have friends walking that road, this conversation provides a framework for forging a path toward healing.
FIND MORE ABOUT JESSICA KASTNER
Jessica Kastner/Blog – Website and Facebook
Jessica Kastner Podcast- Free Failing
Jessica Kastner Book- Hiding from My Kids in the Prayer Closet
FEW THINGS MENTIONED
Alex's Book- Seeking Out Goodness
QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE
- How has divorce impacted you?
- What insights did you gain from this conversation and how will it impact your relationships?
- How can you be a good friend to someone else that's been impacted by divorce
LET’S CONNECT!
Did you like this episode? Let us know and leave a review on itunes or share it with a friend.
Or message us on Instagram – we’d love to hear from you!
Get the Daily Dozen Checklist -12 habits that will immediately make you happier and healthier