God, I’m Tired of Dieting | Interview with Brandice Lardner 

God, I’m Tired of Dieting | Interview with Brandice Lardner 

by | May 4, 2026 | Bold Brave & Beautiful Podcast

Have you ever felt stuck on the diet roller coaster, bouncing between restriction, failure, and shame?

In this episode, Barb is joined by personal trainer and nutrition coach Brandice Lardner, founder of Grace Filled Plate, to talk about food freedom, faith-based wellness, and breaking free from diet culture for good.

Brandice shares her personal journey through dieting and disordered eating, and how it led her to create a compassionate, grace-filled approach to health that meets women’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. They discuss why traditional diets fail, how all-or-nothing thinking keeps women stuck in cycles of restriction and shame, and what it looks like to build “fruitful habits” instead of chasing perfect eating.

If you’re tired of the diet roller coaster and ready for a sustainable, Christ-centered approach to healthy living, this conversation will give you practical tools — and real hope — for lasting change.

 

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE

Connect with Brandice on Instagram

Connect with Brandice on Facebook

Fully Nourished: A Grace-Filled Approach to Ditch Diets and Find Peace with Food and Your Body

Visit Brandice's Website

 

ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST

Brandice Lardner is a personal trainer, nutrition coach, and owner and author of Grace Filled Plate, which she founded in 2017. She has helped hundreds of women through one-on-one and group coaching programs, teaching them how to find food freedom by meeting their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. She’s appeared on numerous podcasts, including Do It Scared with Ruth Soukup, and has been featured as a guest expert on MyFitnessPal, TLC Online, MapMyRun, and Women’s Running. She lives in Clearwater, Florida, with her family.

Experience Life-Transforming Power of Prayer

Pray Like This Bible Study by Barb Roose

As a Christian, you know you’re supposed to pray. But do you ever find yourself wrestling with any of these questions related to prayer?

Do I have to pray the right way for God to answer my prayer?

Do I have to pray the right way for God to answer my prayer?

Am I still praying if I read pre-written prayers?

If you’ve pondered these questions or others about prayer, my Pray Like Bible Study is for you.

Even if you're a prayer warrior, Pray Like This sharpens your prayer focus and is a great resource for you to teach others about prayer.There's a reason why Jesus was passionate about prayer and I want to show you how!

Click Here
Stop Rushing Ahead of God! (Surrender Principle #4)

Stop Rushing Ahead of God! (Surrender Principle #4)

by | May 4, 2026 | Surrendered: Letting Go and Living Like Jesus, The Surrendered Life

Happy Monday, friends!
 
Welcome to my new Happy Monday friends from my final Spring Aspire tour weekend. Our team loved meeting those of you who attended Aspire Events in Temperance, MI, Richmond, IN, and Jackson, OH! We pray that your hearts and minds are still full of inspiration and encouragement.
 
For everyone who is new to our Happy Monday community, we're on week four of a series titled "The Surrendered Life," based on the six surrender principles from my Surrendered: Letting Go and Living Like Jesus Bible study. You can read the first three devotions in the series at the bottom of this blog post!

Friday night's event was extra special for me since our host church was located less than fifteen minutes from my home. Dozens of ladies from my home church, CedarCreek.tv, attended, and my heart was so full seeing them in the audience.

Today's devotion tackles Surrender Principle #4: Trusting God's promises will bless me, but pushing my plans will stress me.
 
This surrender principle seems like a no-brainer, right? Yet it's so easy for us to jump ahead of God, especially when we're afraid or feeling impatient. And when we do jump ahead of Him, we realize that we've overstepped and find ourselves asking God for help to deal with the stress and frustration.
 
One of the best stories in the Bible about jumping ahead of God and pushing for control is the story of Abraham and Sarah. Known as Abram and Sarai in this portion of Scripture, the couple struggled to have a baby. In the culture of the time, men desired children to carry on the family name, and a woman's social value was tied to her ability to have children. Even though they were well-off in resources, Abram and Sarai lacked the one thing they couldn't make happen on their own: a baby.
 
Genesis 16 records what happened when Abram and Sarai became impatient with God, who had promised Abraham that he'd have a son (Genesis 15:2, 4).
 
After many years of waiting, it seemed that God wasn't coming through with what was promised. In time, Sarai could no longer have a baby.
 
In Genesis 16, Sarai launches a plan and Abram agrees to go along with it.
 
Sarai said to Abram, "The LORD has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her." Genesis 16:2 NLT
 
Why did Abraham go along with this plan, especially when God had already told him he would have a son? It seems that because it wasn't happening on their expected timeline, Abram and Sarai assumed it wouldn't happen at all. So they took matters into their own hands.
 
If you read the rest of Genesis 16, a terrible mess unfolds. Hagar becomes pregnant (Genesis 16:4) and begins mistreating Sarai. Then Sarai blames Abraham for the situation (Genesis 16:5), and at one point Hagar runs off because Sarai treats her so badly. Eventually, God supernaturally enables Sarai to have a baby, but the family relationships are strained and damaged because Abram and Sarai pushed their plans instead of waiting on God.
 
Before we shake our heads at Abram and Sarai, how many times have we doubted God because He wasn't moving fast enough for us, so we took matters into our own hands?
 
Fear and impatience are powerful tempters, and we already know the regret and mess that comes when we are impatient. So let's focus on God's promises. They are so powerful, but only if we know them for ourselves. Here are just a few of the many promises of God. Which ones did you need to read today?
As much as we want our plans to work out or the picture in our heads to work out, what we need is to keep our eyes on God and not our circumstances. Focusing on God's promises keeps our eyes and our hope solely on Him. This means that if things work out, we're good. If things don't work out as we'd hoped, we're still good. But if we're locked into our plans, our hopes are tied to something that is out of our control, and that's asking for disappointment and resentment.
 
Dear friends, I'm waiting and praying right along with you! For years, I've prayed for prodigals and for a future spouse. When I feel fear that God may not answer my prayers, or I'm weary of waiting, I whisper Surrender Principle #4 to myself: "Don't rush ahead of God, Barb. Go at the pace of grace."
 
During my surrender journey, I had to learn to trust God with whatever the future holds, and He is still teaching me. I'm still tempted to straighten out my prodigals on my own. Thankfully, I've experienced the power of surrender and God's unshakeable peace, so I've learned to back off and keep trusting His promises and not push my plans. You can do this, too. It's not easy, but it's worth it!
 
One warning about God's promises: we must be careful not to stretch them beyond their intended meaning. The verses above, along with the other promises of God in Scripture, guarantee God's sovereignty over all things, His faithfulness in all things, and His unconditional love, but they don't guarantee specific outcomes or individual timelines.
 
Yes, there are times when we sense God's leading in a specific direction, but we must still apply wisdom and discernment and be careful about using specific promises to justify jumping ahead of Him.
 
I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU: How do you keep from rushing ahead of God, especially when you're tired of waiting or afraid that something bad will happen?
 
Thank you for joining me this week. I look forward to hearing from you!
Blessings, Barb
BUY SURRENDERED STUDY

Read the Entire Series: The Surrendered Life!

Bad-Day-Turn-Around Prayer (Surrender Principle #3)

Bad-Day-Turn-Around Prayer (Surrender Principle #3)

by | Apr 27, 2026 | Surrendered: Letting Go and Living Like Jesus, The Surrendered Life

Hi Friends!
 
It’s the third week of our series, “The Surrendered Life." Last week, I received this powerful email from Chrystal about Surrender Principle #2, which is: I can choose to live by faith, rather than rush to follow my feelings.
 
She gave me permission to share this note and she hopes that it will encourage you:
:
Barb, while I was on a break at work, I started reading your email on Surrender Principle #2. Then, after work,  I volunteer at our local food pantry. While I was at the food pantry, I received a text message from my fiancé.  Let me tell you, the steam was coming out of my head! I had big feelings! The text message said that his youngest son's mom's car broke down. He let her use a car that he doesn't really drive. I didn't like the idea, and my emotions were running wild. I began to think of your email: I needed to talk to God.  I decided not to act on my feelings but have faith in God and our relationship. I choose to look at the bigger picture rather than my feelings. Thank you so much for the email!
 
I love this!  God knew the encouragement Chrystal needed and let's celebrate her decision to pause to check in with God first instead of following her fire-up feelings. You can do this, too!
Here's this week's Surrender Principle #3 from my Surrendered Bible study:
I can always let go and give my problems to God.
 
Did you know that anytime you're overwhelmed, you can stop and give your problems to God? Sounds so easy, but we forget! Once there's a problem, most of us believe it is up to us to hunker down and stay with it until it's resolved.
Yet some problems start out one size and then grow bigger. And we're still in there thinking we can handle it when we can't. We become overwhelmed and discouraged.
 
Once our hearts start racing and we begin to panic, that's the sure sign it's time to pause and say, "Wait, I don't have to carry this on my own. I can stop and give it to God!"
 
Here's one of my all-time favorite verses: Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. -1 Peter 5:7 NLT
 
God never runs out of room in His arms to hold what's too heavy for us. Even better, there's no timeframe on this verse. We can do it as often as needed! I love the premise that at any time, we can declare a new start for our attitude, our perspective, or our choice to live God's way rather than ours.
 
At any time, you can let go of speaking to others in negativity and choose words that reflect God's grace and love.
 
At any time, you can let go of nagging or helicoptering and choose to allow other adults to be responsible for their decisions.
 
At any time, you can let go of fear and focus on God's blessings and promises.
 
What a blessing it is that we can start over at any time because God's faithfulness and mercy are always available, at any moment! 
 
This means you are never stuck in a bad day, and best of all, you never have to feel hopeless in a difficult situation.
 
INTRODUCING THE BAD DAY TURN AROUND PRAYER
If you need to start your day over, prayer is the best way to reset your heart and mind. In my life, I realized that having a “Bad Day Turn Around” Prayer was helpful. Now, I’m sharing that prayer with you.
 
There are fill-in-the-blank sections so you can personalize it for your situation. If you engage with this exercise and it helps, hit reply and share that with me.
 
Even if you don’t need this Bad-Day-Turn-Around prayer now, keep this handy for a day when you do need it. You can take a screenshot of the prayer. If you know someone who needs this Bad-Day-Turn-Around prayer, you can forward this email to her!
 
I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! Did you need this prayer? Comment “turnaround” and I'll know that this devotion resonated with you!  Also, what songs or Bible verses help you turn around a bad day? Tell me about it!
BUY SURRENDERED STUDY

Read the Entire Series: The Surrendered Life!

Holding on to Hope in a Heavy World | Episode with Shannan Martin

Holding on to Hope in a Heavy World | Episode with Shannan Martin

by | Apr 20, 2026 | Bold Brave & Beautiful Podcast

Most of our days are lived in the in-between; ordinary hours filled with small griefs, flickers of joy, quiet disappointments, and unexpected beauty. 

In this heartfelt conversation, Barb sits down with bestselling author Shannan Martin to talk about her newest book, Counterweights, and how to stay hopeful in a world that often feels heavy. With humor and honesty, Shannan shares the life-changing practice of “counterweights” — learning to hold both the good and the hard at the same time. Together, they explore how to navigate what’s outside our control, notice the ordinary delights hiding in plain sight, and experience life as deeply good, even when it’s tough.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed or weary, this episode is a gentle invitation to remain upright, hopeful, and fully alive right where you are.

 

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE

Connect with Shannan on Instagram

Counterweights: An Essential Practice for Holding Hope in a Heavy World

Visit Shannan's Website

 

ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST

Shannan Martin is the bestselling author of several books, including Start with Hello, The Ministry of Ordinary Places, and the popular Substack The Soup. She is a wannabe gardener, a news geek, a fighter for justice, and a thrift store stalker. She and her family live as grateful neighbors in Goshen, Indiana, where Shannan is on staff at the local community kitchen.

Experience Life-Transforming Power of Prayer

Pray Like This Bible Study by Barb Roose

As a Christian, you know you’re supposed to pray. But do you ever find yourself wrestling with any of these questions related to prayer?

Do I have to pray the right way for God to answer my prayer?

Do I have to pray the right way for God to answer my prayer?

Am I still praying if I read pre-written prayers?

If you’ve pondered these questions or others about prayer, my Pray Like Bible Study is for you.

Even if you're a prayer warrior, Pray Like This sharpens your prayer focus and is a great resource for you to teach others about prayer.There's a reason why Jesus was passionate about prayer and I want to show you how!

Click Here
Keep Big Feelings from Making a Big Mess (Surrender Principle #2)

Keep Big Feelings from Making a Big Mess (Surrender Principle #2)

by | Apr 20, 2026 | Surrendered: Letting Go and Living Like Jesus, The Surrendered Life

Hi Friends!
 
Welcome back to our Happy Monday series, The Surrendered Life.” If you missed last week’s kick-off on Surrender Principle #1, you can read it here.
 
This week, we’re moving on to Surrender Principle #2: I choose to live by faith, not rush to follow my feelings. How do we keep our faith in the driver’s seat of our thoughts and decisions and make sure that our feelings don’t grab the wheel? For sure, when our feelings are at the wheel, it’s always a wild ride that doesn’t always end well. Today’s devotion tackles that question with a powerful verse and a helpful tool to calm your big, anxious feelings.

Welcome to our new Happy Monday friends from this weekend's Aspire events in Frankenmuth, MI, Midland, Mi and Garden City, MI. God moved powerfully and I'm so honored we were able to share the Aspire experience with all of you! 

You’re supposed to have emotions! God created us to experience a wide range of emotions in our bodies. Feelings and emotions can be messy! Some of us were raised in families where big feelings led to careless words, yelling, or even abuse. Or, you may have grown up in a family where feelings were suppressed, or you were shamed if you showed emotion.
 
The truth is that our emotions are neither good nor bad. Friend, whatever you feel is real. But our feelings aren’t facts, just attention-getters. Your emotions should draw your notice, not determine your direction.
 
This brings us to today’s verse:
 
Guard your heart above all else,
  for it determines the course of your life.
-Proverbs 4:23 NLT
 
Whenever I see this verse, I’m reminded of comedian John Crist’s popular saying, “check your heart.” That phrase warns us to stop scrolling so much or take regular rest so we can pay attention to what’s happening in our hearts. The wisdom of Proverbs 4:23 instructs us to guard what we think and feel, because our behavior is shaped by them.
 
Back to Surrender Principle #2 - think about the difference between living by faith versus following feelings. If we guard our hearts well, living by faith means we protect our time with God, so we have plenty of time to pray and read scripture, and we can think about them during the day. On the flip side, when we don’t guard our hearts against excessive negativity or go too long without prayer or reading the Bible, the walls of our hearts weaken, and our feelings can run wild all through our bodies. That’s not good. 
 
Here are some questions to consider:
·      When’s the last time that you checked your heart?
·      What are the emotions you’ve been feeling most often lately?
·      How often do you feel like your emotions are bigger than your ability to handle them?
 
I want to be careful to point out that Surrender Principle #2 is about “letting go of following feelings,” but not letting go of feeling. Again, God created us to experience emotions, so we don’t need to beat ourselves up for our big feelings. The goal of guarding our hearts isn’t to make us feel nothing. This Surrender Principle gives us wisdom on how to avoid the mess that usually comes when something strong stirs in our hearts, and we act on it without checking with God first.
 
Here’s some background on how this week’s Happy Monday impacted me: I wrote today’s devotion while traveling with the Aspire Tour this weekend. We had a great weekend, but I also experienced some big, unexpected feelings that shouldn’t have been a surprise, given today’s topic. Life is always waiting to teach a lesson!
 
Last night’s powerful event was hosted by a church that I spoke at in 2017. On the way, I remembered that I was still married when I last visited this church. Cue lots of big emotions all at once!  I felt a wave of grief, sadness, peace, and excitement hit me all at once.
 
This happens to all of us. Then, add in some perimenopause hormones for some of us, the negativity of the daily news cycle, and lack of sleep  - we need to guard our hearts well because this has the potential to create big feelings leading us to say or do things we regret.  
 
Then, let’s add in a little perimenopause, the news cycle, and my preparation for multiple talks, I knew that I needed to anchor myself in God so I wouldn't bounce around emotionally all day. That’s exhausting.
 
I decided to use a tool that I wrote about in my Stronger Than Stress book called SOS Exercise. SOS stands for "stressed, overwhelmed, or struggling." I utilize the SOS exercise regularly. I can anchor myself in God’s care instead of flopping in the wind of my unpredictable feelings. Here’s the exercise:
 
Repeat the following statements to yourself:
1.     I am safe and not in physical danger.
2.     I am secure. I trust God to provide everything that I need.
3.     I am unconditionally loved by God, and He is with me right now.
 
Speaking these present truths to yourself informs your body, especially your nervous system, that even when you feel overwhelmed by emotions or other reasons, your body is physically safe. Even though you may be deep in difficult circumstances, this, too, reminds you that God loves and cares,, so you don’t need to fear the future. This is how we speak faith over our feelings.
 
One more tip: It’s more helpful to calm my body first before I attempt to discern what’s going on.  If you’re like me, intellectualizing (thinking things through) comes easily, but that doesn’t mean it has an effect. Let’s calm the body and then ask God to help us from there.
 
I hope today’s devotion on Surrender Principle #2 was helpful. Only you can guard your heart, dear friends! I promise that the SOS Exercise is effective when used regularly.
 
I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! How do you handle your big feelings, or do you stuff them? What verse helps refocus on God and calm down when you feel lots of emotions all at once?

ARE YOU TRYING TO TRUST GOD, BUT STILL HOLDING TIGHTLY TO CONTROL?

 

Last night, I met Char when she asked me to sign her Surrendered Bible study. Check out all of those tabs! Her Bible study group attended last night's event in Garden City, MI. Char's group leader told me that they are finishing up the study soon, and they will miss it because they've had such a great time. 
 
Char told me that those tabs helped her keep track of everything that she was learning. Love it! If you haven't done my Surrendered study, check it out!
BUY HERE
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Read the Entire Series: The Surrendered Life!

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