Ep.527: Hospitality That Creates Connections with Abby Kuykendall
Release Date: 12/09/2025
Ep.533: Loving Your People Well with Bethany Kimsey
Our Time to Rise In Midlife
It's February! So we are talking all things love! We are starting with the HOW of loving those in your closest circles. Bethany Kimsey is a mom to eight and has developed a system for studying the people she loves most so that she can love them well. We are all changing every day. Our needs, interests, doubts, celebrations, hopes, and struggles have nuance. How do we make sure that we are doing the best we can in loving those around us as they are TODAY? Bethany offers us a framework for how she observes and listens to God as she considers how she will care for her people. It is...
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Our Time to Rise In Midlife
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Ep.531: The New Rules to Midlife Health Part 2 with Dr. Devan Szczepanski
Our Time to Rise In Midlife
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Ep.530: The New Rules to Midlife Health Part 1 with Dr. Devan Szczepanski
Our Time to Rise In Midlife
What happens when all of the things that used to work, stop working? Or maybe your body doesn't respond to exercise, diet, supplements or alcohol like your friend's does. Why?! We bring you Dr. Devan Szcepankski, the Founder and CEO of Nu Well Medicine. She is a board-certified family medicine physician with post-graduate certifications in Nutritional and Genomic Medicine. She uses nutrition and genomics to find how our bodies uniquely respond to our environments. She works one-on-one with patients to see what exactly THEY need to thrive. So back to the why? You may be asking, Why...
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Ep.529: Inching Forward: What to Keep, What to Change and How to Enter New Year well with Krista and Alex
Our Time to Rise In Midlife
Many of us feel the pressure of needing to reinvent ourselves every January. Maybe what we actually need is a more sustainable, compassionate approach to growth. Instead of drastic resolutions, what if we explore the power of realistic goals, small shifts, and emotional agility—the kind of changes that actually stick? This episode speaks directly to seasons of burnout and stagnation,reminding us all that acceptance is not giving up—it’s often the first step forward. We discuss the circle of control, helping you discern what’s yours to carry (and what...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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_outlineAre 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 true Biblical hospitality really looks like.
Takeaways:
- Hospitality is both a spiritual gift and a discipline.
- True hospitality focuses on making others feel loved and seen.
- Entertaining is different from hospitality; it’s more self-centered.
- Setting boundaries is crucial to prevent burnout during hosting.
- Practical tips can help incorporate hospitality into daily life.
- Creating a welcoming environment is key to effective hospitality.
- Hospitality can be transformative for both host and guest.
- Personal experiences highlight the power of opening one’s home.
- Hospitality doesn’t have to be perfect; it’s about connection.
- The conversation encourages embracing hospitality as a rhythm.
FIND MORE ABOUT ABBY KUYKENDALL
Abby Kuykendall- Website and Instagram
Abby Kuykendall's Book- Let the Biscuit Burn
A FEW THINGS MENTIONED
QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE
- When have you felt seen, known and loved, what did the other person do to help you feel that way?
- How can you be disciplined to build hospitality into your rhythms?
- What is one visual reminder you can create in your home or office that will trigger an invitation of hospitality?
- How can you get ready to be ready this holiday season?
LET’S CONNECT!
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