by Barb Roose | Dec 30, 2016 | Uncategorized
Ladies, let’s admit that we have an awkward relationship with beauty. I actually have another phrase that I use…we have an ugly struggle with beauty.
This is such a shame because Psalm 45:11 tells us that God is enthralled with our beauty. Unfortunately, we are not so enthralled with our beauty.
How often do we criticize, complain or cry about how we look in our clothes? Furthermore, how many of us feel guilty, even less spiritual because we do care about how we look?
We’re in for a treat today because my friend, Shari Braendel comes to our rescue! Shari is considered the leading voice for America’s Christian women when it comes to the topics of fashion, beauty, and dignity. She connects with thousands of women each year to inform, encourage and inspire them.
In the very first episode of the Better Together podcast, Shari will tell you what you need to know about:
- Easily identifying your body type and great tips on dressing for your body.
- How to tell if your bra is fitting correctly. Oh, my goodness, we had so much fun with this!
- She’ll teach us a helpful strategy to increase our confidence once we get dressed for the day.
And so much more!
- SPECIAL OFFER! Buy Shari’s 27 Hangers program for only $27! If you purchase the program by January 7, 10% of your purchase will be donated to Living In Truth, a ministry that focuses on body image, self-esteem and eating disorders. You can go to Shari’s website for more information.
SHOW LINKS: Shari’s website
You can subscribe to Shari’s weekly newsletter, learn more about her book, discover her products and much more!
TELL YOUR FRIENDS! Did you enjoy this episode of Better Together? If so, tell your friends by sharing this episode with them.
ABOUT SHARI BRAENDEL: Shari is considered America’s leading Christian Style Authority, CEO of Fashion Meets Faith and developer of the 27 Hanger Closet Online Academy.
Inspiring thousands of women each year to new levels of confidence at conferences around the globe, she leads with an encouraging heart and vibrant spirit helping women see themselves the way God might.
Author of Help Me Jesus, I Have Nothing to Wear and the fashion editor of More To Life Christian Magazine, Shari desires to inspire females of all ages to dress with dignity and style.
She has been featured on Focus on the Family, The Total Christian Television Network, K-Love, Moody Radio and more.
Shari lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband Dave, three lazy cats and a very overweight yellow lab. Her only son Luke attends the United States Military Academy at West Point and is an Army Basketball player so she loves watching him play ball! She also has adult triplet stepdaughters and one precious grandchild.
by Barb Roose | Dec 3, 2016 | Uncategorized
The Better Together Podcast with Barb Roose is coming in January 2016!
Friends, life can be crazy sometimes, right? Where do you go when you are pressed for time and you’re all out of answers? It’s a perfect time to call your girlfriends!
Speaker and author Barb Roose gathers real women sharing their real life experience about the topics that we all care about – family, friends, career, health and faith.
The Better Together podcast will air new episodes twice a month. If you don’t want to miss an episode, make sure to subscribe to barbroose.com or subscribe to “Better Together with Barb Roose” on iTunes or Google Play.
Do you have ideas for podcast topics or suggestions for great podcast guests? Tell Barb! Email barb@barbroose.com. She’ll probably send you a little “something-something” for taking the time to reach out and connect.
Make sure to listen to the podcast preview and share it with your friends!
Check out this episode!
by Barb Roose | Dec 3, 2016 | Uncategorized
The Better Together Podcast with Barb Roose is coming in January 2016!
Friends, life can be crazy sometimes, right? Where do you go when you are pressed for time and you’re all out of answers? It’s a perfect time to call your girlfriends!
Speaker and author Barb Roose gathers real women sharing their real life experience about the topics that we all care about – family, friends, career, health and faith.
The Better Together podcast will air new episodes twice a month. If you don’t want to miss an episode, make sure to subscribe to barbroose.com or subscribe to “Better Together with Barb Roose” on iTunes or Google Play.
Do you have ideas for podcast topics or suggestions for great podcast guests? Tell Barb! Email barb@barbroose.com. She’ll probably send you a little “something-something” for taking the time to reach out and connect.
Make sure to listen to the podcast preview and share it with your friends!
by Barb Roose | Jun 7, 2016 | Uncategorized
Have you ever been caught in a raging summer storm? So scary! In Mark 6, Jesus’ disciples were caught in a storm that terrified them, too. Jesus showed up and spoke three phrases for us to remember when storms of life blow our way.
In Mark 6, Jesus and the disciples were out sharing the gospel. Ministry work can take a long time, so they ended up feeding 5,000 people with a young boy’s lunch of five loaves and two fishes.
I always wondered how the young man answered when his mom asked, “Honey, did you eat all of your lunch today?”
Afterward, Jesus told the disciples to meet him across the lake while he stayed behind to say good-bye to the crowds. The disciples got into their boat and began to row. However, as they reached the middle of the lake a fierce storm kicked up on the water. Quickly, their lives were in peril.
I’ve been on five cruises – and I always get sea sick. In fact, if I don’t wear Seabands and take oral medicine, it won’t take long before I toss my beloved cookies all over the place. #TMI
It was even worse for the disciples in their boat. Can you imagine their grim faces or hear their pounding heartbeats? Picture them shouting as they struggled to hold onto their slippery wet oars and row against the pounding waves. Can you see their battered boat slamming back and forth like a little ball between paddle-shaped waves.
It was in the middle of this chaos that Jesus shows up. Walking on the water.
NBD.
Funny, Jesus knew how to get their attention.
Furthermore, Mark 6:48 actually says, “He intended to go past them…” But, when the disciples saw Jesus, they freaked out. They forget about their current situation and yelled for help. Save us, Jesus! We’re going to die out here!
Jesus responded with the following three statements in Mark 6:50: Don’t be afraid. Take courage! I’m here!
These three statements tell us about how Jesus shows up during the storms in our lives. He doesn’t stand at a distance shouting, “Yikes, that’s a hot mess. Good luck with that.”
Jesus comes and climbs into our chaos with us. Most of all, he brings peace in the midst of our storm.
Is there a stormy place in your life today where Jesus is speaking those words to you?
The storms in our lives are just as real as what the disciples faced that day. This is hard to hear but God allows dark, painful and devastating storms in our lives. All of us. What’s your storm? Infertility. Abandonment. Depression. Financial Issues, Marriage Struggles. Divorce. Infidelity. Wayward kids. Addiction. Illness. Grief. Death. Heartache. Singleness. Shame. Abuse. Bullying. Or something else…
Some of us have been rowing through angry, crashing waves for a long time – and we’re tired.
Jesus, please make this go away…
I’m tired, Jesus. I don’t know if I can keep going…
Save me, Jesus. Oh, please save me…
We’re all in the same boat, sisters. There is always a storm brewing, raging or dying down in our lives. That is the painful rhythm of our fallen world.
But, we are never alone. Jesus shows up in our chaotic lives and whispers:
“Don’t be afraid. I know that it’s bad, but keep your eyes on me. You don’t have to figure it all out or fix it. Focus on me. I know what you need and I can give you peace.”
“Take courage, honey. You can do hard things because I will uphold and strengthen you. You will endure because I live within you and my Spirit gives you power to persevere.
“I’m here and I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart. Others may have abandoned you, failed you or left you alone standing at the curb. But, I’m here right beside you. Always.”
You are never alone.
SHARE YOUR COMMENT BELOW: Which one of Jesus’ three statements did you need to hear today?
Thank you for checking out this post. If you think that it will encourage another woman in your life, feel free to share it!
by Barb Roose | May 5, 2016 | Uncategorized
Maybe no one has ever told you this before, but it’s good to grieve the dreams that never will be.
Almost 10 years ago, my Christian counselor taught me the importance of having ‘funerals’ for the dreams or expectations that were never going to be. I get real messed up when I hold onto certain expectations or hopes in life. As the Proverbs say, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” That can be so true for me! So, in order for me to live in God’s plan for my life, I have to practice letting go of my plans. But, it’s hard to let unrealized hopes and dreams die. That’s why “funerals” are an important ritual in my life.
Once a year or so, I take an afternoon and head down to my favorite spot at a local park overlooking the river and have a funeral for my lost dreams. I bring a blanket to sit on, my bible and lots of tissues!
I spend time with God acknowledging those things that will never be. I really wanted those dreams to come true! But they didn’t. So this is my funeral prayer:
“I dreamed that (insert dream) but that dream isn’t going to come true. I really wanted it God! And it hurts, but I need to let that dream die. I need to mourn it and move it out of my heart so that You can fill the space with a new thing for me.”
When we don’t grieve our lost dreams or unfulfilled expectations, our hearts get cluttered and chaotic.
Surrender is the path to peace.
God has great plans for you, my friends!
You have permission to bravely let go – and wait confidently for God to plant His new dream in your heart!
TALK BACK TIME: Have you let go of a dream and God gave you a new one? If so, share your comments with us and encourage someone today! We’d love to hear from you!
by Barb Roose | Aug 27, 2015 | Uncategorized
We women don’t want to stop at just looking good – we want to smell good, too! As a matter of fact, an entire industry has been created to cater to that desire. Walk by any department store perfume counter, and you will see exotic names that promise romance, intrigue, mystique, and so much more: Endless Euphoria, Spellbound, Beyond Paradise, Pleasure, and Viva La Juicy, to name a few.
As a 13-year-old girl, I remember the awakening of my “feminine mystique.” I heard that every woman should have a signature fragrance – one that would speak of her essence and create a fragrant identity. I chose a perfume named “Wind Song.” It advertised, “Your Wind Song stays on his mind.” As a boy-crazy teenager, I was all about that!
Kathy Ptaszek (pronounced tay-zack) loves people and is known for her warmth and the ability to connect with audiences of all ages. She has spoken to thousands of women at retreats, as well as community and church events throughout Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Colorado for over 40 years.
Change and loss have been a part of Kathy’s journey. Her husband Jon died in 1991, leaving her to single-parent their daughters, Aimee and Molly, who were ages 11 and 13 at the time. Through it all, she is convinced of the goodness and sovereignty of God. She found Him faithful in the darkest storms of life. She chose Psalm 66:16 as her purpose for speaking and writing:
When I shared that story years later, a friend laughed and said, “Oh, Honey! You were so innocent! If I had a signature fragrance in my youth, it would’ve been ‘My Sin’ by Lanvin!”
When my daughters were in high school, we shared a bottle of Calvin Klein’s CK-One. Once as a friend climbed into the car with the three of us, he sniffed the air appreciatively, and said, “That’s the Ptaszek women’s smell!” Signature fragrance? Nailed it!
I must admit that I still enjoy hearing someone say, “O-o-o-oh, you smell good!” However, although I do occasionally wear perfume, these days the scent that I hope would be my signature fragrance doesn’t come in a bottle, and no amount of money can buy it – it’s the fragrance of Christ. My desire is that as someone spends time in my air space, it would be the sweet aroma of Jesus in me that stays on their mind.
2 Corinthians 2:14-15 NIV says, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ, and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.”
What is the fragrance of Christ? English theologian F. B. Meyer said, “Wrap the habits of your soul in the sweet lavender of the Lord’s character.” If there is any fragrance more delightful than lavender, would someone please tell me! Whether it’s in candles, sachets, lotions or scented soap, I cannot inhale lavender deeply enough. Better than lavender, I think Jesus emitted the sweet aroma of grace.
When Philip Yancey was doing research for his best seller, What’s So Amazing About Grace?, he surveyed strangers by asking, “What comes to mind when I say ‘evangelical Christians?’” Not one person gave a description that sounded anything like grace. Yancey concluded, “Apparently, that is not the aroma Christians, in general, give off in the world.” Sisters in Christ – let that NOT be said of us!
How do we put on the fragrance of Christ? Have you ever hugged someone, and then realized that the scent of their perfume or aftershave lingers on you? Let it be the habit of your soul to press in close to Jesus. Embrace Him by spending time in God’s Word. Pray that God will make you more like Jesus: grace-filled, merciful, peace loving, humble, servant-like, nonjudgmental, compassionate, and forgiving. The world is hungry for these things! People will want to be in your air space if you are giving off “the sweet lavender of the Lord’s character.”
Photo credit: Kathy Ptaszek
Photo credit: Kathy Ptasek
Photo credit: Kathy Ptaszek
You might want to consider finding another woman whom you’ve noticed spreading the fragrance of Christ, and asking her to mentor you. Ask her how she got what she has. Be willing to cultivate the spiritual disciplines that will help you get to know Jesus better and love Him in a deeper way.
It is said, “You are known by the company you keep.” Keep company with Jesus, and it will show! The apostles did, and the religious leaders “were astonished, and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13b)
One day in church, as the service ended, a college student put her head on my shoulder and began to sob. Sitting under secular professors had taken its toll. She said, “I don’t know what I believe anymore, but I see Jesus in you – He’s so real in your life.” She saw Jesus. She smelled the sweet fragrance of Him, and it melted her heart.
Let the fragrance of Jesus be your signature fragrance. May it be the sweet smell of grace that makes people exclaim, “O-o-o-oh, you smell good!”
Kathy, thank you so much for sharing such tremendous inspiration and wisdom with us! Ladies, I encourage you to check out Kathy’s blog, Holy Ground All Around and follow her on Facebook. She’s been a friend of mine for many years and I’ve been so blessed by her wisdom and faith. Thanks for stopping by today! You can share your thoughts with Kathy by leaving a comment below and you can share this post with your friends by hitting the share buttons. Have a great day, ladies!
