by Barb Roose | Feb 20, 2017 | Better Together Podcast
Yesterday, I took my two younger daughters to a Black History Month community event at our local art museum. Artists from our community shared their talents inspired by African-American composers and musicians. A multiracial audience experienced a variety of unique expressions from performers of every race and culture.
As the mother of three bi-racial daughters, I wanted to seize this opportunity to let my girls see and hear people who could elevate the unique gifts, talents, and passions of their ancestors.
In this week’s Better Together podcast, I want to seize an opportunity to share with you, too. I’m interviewing a Caucasian woman who’s life radically transformed as a result of deciding to use her life and voice to elevate racial reconciliation and social justice. Her name is Cara Meredith, the daughter-in-law of civil rights leader, James Howard Meredith.
This is a candid, authentic conversation about race, family, motherhood. It’s the conversation where you might feel God poking at certain patterns of thinking or challenging different stereotypes. Just know that God’s just waiting for you to give Him permission to dig out that stuff and replace with His love for people.
In this week’s episode, you’ll hear about…
- Cara’s reaction to finding out that her new boyfriend’s dad was a civil rights icon;
- Some of the struggles that Cara and I have encountered while raising bi-racial children;
- How Cara and her husband are intentional about instilling pride in both sides of their children’s heritage;
- Important, but tough internal conversations that we all need to have if we’re ever going to turn the tide on the volatile issue of race.
About Cara Meredith…
Cara Meredith is a writer and speaker from Seattle, Washington. A member of the Redbud Writers Guild, she is co-host of the Shalom Book Club podcast and an adjunct professor at Northwest University. She lives with her husband and two young sons, and consumes guacamole whenever she gets the chance.
Connect with Cara…
Cara’s blog
Connect with Cara on Twitter
Connect with Cara on Facebook
Cara with her husband, James Henry Meredith and their two sons.
Cara’s father-in-law, James Howard Meredith talking with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr during the March Against Fear in June 1966. Meredith organized the small march and planned to walk from Memphis, TN to Jackson, MI. However, Meredith was shot on the second day of the march, but recovered in a local hospital. In the wake of the shooting, civil rights organizations rallied and over 15,000 people marched, including Dr. King.
by Barb Roose | Feb 5, 2017 | Better Together Podcast
How often do you criticize yourself? Too many of us have a running negative dialogue in our mind about our faults, failures, shortcomings and mistakes.
We’re too something or not enough of something else. Most of us don’t realize that we’re heaping thousand pound words of criticism on ourselves without too much thought as to what impact those critical words are having on our hearts, minds, and lives.
Do you realize that you have a relationship with yourself?
This isn’t a question that we usually consider. We’re used to thinking about cultivating a great relationship with God and others. But, what kind of relationship do you want to have with yourself?
In today’s Better Together podcast, we’re discussing how self-compassion is the key to treating ourselves with the kindness that motivates us toward self-care and resiliency.
Here’s what self-care is not:
Self-compassion isn’t self-pity.
Self-compassion isn’t self-focused.
Self-compassion isn’t selfish.
Self-compassion is a balance of grace and truth. Self-compassion means that we are honest with ourselves in our reality and still treat ourselves as if we have love and value.
Today’s podcast guest is Kim Fredrickson, the author of Give Yourself a Break: Turn Your Inner Critic into a Compassionate Friend. As a marriage and family therapist, Kim taught her clients the principles of self-compassion. As a breast cancer survivor and now, dealing with a terminal diagnosis, Kim still practices these techniques on herself.
In today’s broadcast, you’ll learn and learn:
- The reasons why women obsess about caring for others, but quickly neglect themselves;
- The impact of not learning about or receiving self-compassion as children;
- How to revisit our old baggage and mistakes and reframe our self-critical thinking;
- How to talk and treat ourselves with self-compassion on a daily basis.
If you listen to today’s broadcast and you think that your friends may need to hear Kim’s wisdom, please share this post with them.
LINKS FROM TODAY’S SHOW:
Kim’s Website
Kim’s Facebook page
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by Barb Roose | Jan 29, 2017 | Better Together Podcast
Do you ever struggle to find time for Bible study and prayer? Goodness, I think that I can hear all of the amens going up around country!
I get the struggle. I LIVE the struggle. I love Jesus, but I get distracted. Don’t let me pick up my smartphone and accidently hit the Facebook app instead of my Bible app.
But, are we missing our blessing?
When I spend regular time in Bible study and prayer, I can feel it! The sweetness of God’s Holy Spirit leads me and I am so blessed. In a world filled with rising chaos, the Holy Spirit supplies the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control that blesses my life. (And my family likes me so.much.more.
But, what happens when I don’t spend time with God?
I get grumpy.
People start getting on my nerves.
My words lose their sweetness.
I couldn’t find the exact quote, but I remember Rick Warren saying that when he doesn’t spend time with God:
…after 3 days, he can tell the difference.
…after 5 days his family can tell the difference.
…after 10 days EVERYONE can tell the difference.
Do you want God’s Word to flow deeper into your heart and mind? I’m not talking about just doing a deeper Bible study, but do you want the truth of the scriptures to bury deep in your heart?
Listen to this Better Together podcast episode and my conversation with Nike Anderson. She’s a homeschool mom and business owner. Nike shares the question that she’s been asking God. She also tells us about an ah-ha moment that she had while reading 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 that taught her about embodying God’s Word, instead of just reading God’s Word.
If you haven’t listened to an episode of the Better Together podcast, now’s the time! (It’s only 10 minutes long – you can do it!)
Cara with her husband, James Henry Meredith and their two sons.
Cara’s father-in-law, James Howard Meredith talking with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr during the March Against Fear in June 1966. Meredith organized the small march and planned to walk from Memphis, TN to Jackson, MI. However, Meredith was shot on the second day of the march, but recovered in a local hospital. In the wake of the shooting, civil rights organizations rallied and over 15,000 people marched, including Dr. King.
