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Amy Hauser

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In this episode of Thriving Beyond Belief, Cheryl Scruggs welcomes Amy Hauser for an honest and hope-filled conversation about faith, resilience, redemption, and learning to thrive through life’s highs and lows.

Amy wears many hats — wife, mom, friend, ministry leader, wellness enthusiast, and encourager — and she brings a beautiful mix of Southern warmth, humor, grit, and deep faith into everything she does.

Born and raised in Thomasville, Georgia, Amy’s life has taken her through places like Tallahassee, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles before bringing her back home to Georgia. Through every season, smooth or difficult, she has seen God’s faithfulness remain steady.

In this conversation, Amy shares about navigating motherhood, raising two boys, including one with additional needs, and finding joy in the everyday moments. She also opens up about her passion for health, wholeness, community, and living with open hands as she trusts God to bring beauty from ashes.

Amy co-founded Project Backyard, a service organization, and 61 Exchange, a women’s ministry created to encourage and uplift women. Alongside her husband, Paul, she has also shared their powerful story of marriage, divorce, and remarriage through I Am Second, offering a beautiful reminder that no one is ever too far gone for God’s grace.

Before this season of life, Amy also served as a teacher, movie producer, nonprofit leader, and communicator. Each chapter has shaped her passion for truth, health, faith, and helping others discover a life rooted in purpose.

Debra Fileta: Do You Have Good People Skills?

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Join me today as I chat with the beautiful  Debra Fileta who gives us a lifeline to THRIVING!

Debra Fileta is a Licensed Professional Counselor and bestselling author of eight books. She’s a national speaker who travels the country reaching millions of people with the message of mental, emotional, and relational healing.

Her work has been featured by numerous media outlets, national television, syndicated radio, and ministries and churches nation-wide including Saddleback Church, Fresh Life Church, Lakewood Church, Focus on the Family, Better Together, The 700 Club, and many more.

She’s also the founder of the Debra Fileta Counselors Network, a national team of faith-forward, clinically-informed counselors, integrating faith and psychology to help people navigate personal and relational issues.

Debra is also the host of the popular podcast, and nationally syndicated radio show Talk To Me, where she hosts on-air counseling style sessions with people from across the country including notable pastors and leaders, as well as every-day hotline callers talking about the things many others shy away from.

She is the author of eight books, including True Love Dates, Choosing Marriage, Love in Every Season, Are You Really OK?, Married Sex, RESET, Soul Care, and her first children’s book, Any Day Emotions.

She and her husband, John, and their four children live in Lancaster, PA. You can connect with her on Instagram or at DebraFileta.com.

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Rhonda Stoppe

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Rhonda Stoppe is an author and speaker dedicated to helping women live life with no regrets. With over 30 years experience as a mom, mentor, and pastor’s wife, Rhonda’s wisdom and experience will help you:

  • Discover significance in God and His specific purpose for your life.
  • Connect biblical principles to everyday decisions.
  • Develop a loving marriage that others dream about.
  • Influence the next generation by raising children with integrity.
  • Leave a legacy of a life well-lived with no regrets!

LINKS:

CHERYL SCRUGGS is the host of the Thriving Beyond Belief podcast. She and her husband, Jeff, are doing life together and thriving in Dallas, Texas.

LISTEN ON ITUNES

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Laura Smith

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Laura L. Smith is a popular speaker and best-selling author, Smith speaks around the country sharing the love of Christ with women at conferences and events. She shares her own brokenness to write ‘Restore My Soul: The Power and Promise of 30 Psalms’, offering much-needed comfort and hope for others who are feeling broken and scared in a strife-torn world. She has selected 30 of the Bible’s best-known psalms, including

  • Psalm 1
  • Psalm 23
  • Psalm 51
  • Psalm 119
  • Psalm 150

Through her transparent, thoughtful reflections and a careful study of Scripture, Laura shares how experiencing these psalms allows her to open up to God about everything and turn her troubles into a time of worship. With an interactive Restore segment at the end of each chapter and a Spotify playlist at the back of the book to go along with each psalm, she invites readers to let the Psalms have a similar effect in their lives. For Smith, Restore My Soul comes from a very personal and broken place. “I’ve been searching my whole life for beauty,” she says. “Not in the world—the world is filled with beauty. But beauty in me? Well, that was another story.”

Growing up, Laura’s father repeatedly told her how ugly and awkward she was. How clumsy and gangly she was. How her voice was too high and too loud. He left her family numerous times over the years. Laura reflects now: “As a little girl I couldn’t understand that my dad was the one struggling. I felt when he left, he was leaving me—that I wasn’t good enough . . . and that I would never be good enough.” Through high school and college and beyond, Laura jumped on the performance treadmill in desperation to find approval, love, acceptance. She also gave her heart away over and over again to various guys, hoping they would love her. “Each time there was a breakup,” she says, “it just reminded me how unlovable I was. I felt even more ugly, more clumsy, and more desperate.” At an extremely low point after college, God bent down and picked her up, reminding Laura that she was beautiful because He’d made her. He showed her that not only was she lovable—but fully loved. Always had been. Always would be. Despite what she’d done. Despite what she’d believed. “He restored my soul,” she says. “And it was in this soul restoration, this discovering of my true beauty, that I realized my voice had been muffled for too long. And now I use my voice to share what I learned: That each of is marvelously made by the Creator of the universe to inspire awe.

No matter what the world tells you, no matter what you tell yourself, no one can rob you of the incredible true identity God has instilled in you. No one can cancel His great love for you.” The Psalms help her remember these truths. “No matter what the psalmists experienced or felt,” she says, “God was with them. He was faithful. He hemmed them in, picked them up, reminded them that they were fearfully and wonderfully made, stood over them like a watchman, led them to green pastures, and yes, restored their souls. He does the same for you and me.” Restore My Soul: The Power and Promise of 30 Psalms is available July 5, 2022 everywhere books are sold.

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Stacey Morgan

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How Launching My Husband into Outer Space Changed the Way I Live on Earth

Stacey Morgan is always ready with a funny or thoughtful story from her own life; whether it be holding down the home front during her husband’s Special Forces military deployments, carpooling, working for the Smithsonian, skydiving, teaching her teens to drive, taking roller-skating lessons, or watching as her husband blasts into outer space. A women’s ministry leader for over fifteen years, Stacey is an executive leadership coach for MOPS International. She and her husband, Army colonel and NASA astronaut Drew Morgan, have four children.

A true story about making the most of your one incredible life!

Stacey Morgan kissed her husband goodbye before he donned his space suit on July 20, 2019, and headed to his waiting Soyuz rocket. With an overwhelming mix of pride, excitement, and terror, she and her children held hands as they watched the rocket ignite and lift off for a nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

This is the story of the astronaut’s wife—a journey full of unexpected twists and turns. While the love of her life orbited the Earth, Stacey embarked on a knock-your-socks-off adventure right here at home. This season was different from any Stacey had experienced before. The risks were greater, the loneliness was deeper, and the stress was more intense. Filled with both unique challenges and surreal opportunities, this deeply meaningful season taught her rich lessons about

  • preparing for any mission or adventure life throws at you
  • rediscovering your fun side when you’ve been trapped in survival mode too long
  • trusting God when you feel weak or alone
  • choosing hope in the face of fear and uncertainty
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Francine Rivers

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THE Francine Rivers!

New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers has published numerous novels—all bestsellers—and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her novels have been awarded or nominated for many honors, and in 1997, after winning her third RITA Award for inspirational fiction, Francine was inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. In 2015, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Francine’s novels have been translated into over 30 different languages, and she enjoys bestseller status in many foreign countries. She and her husband enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren.

SYNOPSIS: 

Available on DVD, Blu-Ray and Digital on March 8th, 2022

Based on the bestselling novel by Francine Rivers, REDEEMING LOVE is a powerful story of relentless love and perseverance as a young couple’s relationship clashes with the harsh realities of the California Gold Rush of 1850. It is a life-changing story of the power of unconditional and all-consuming love. Coming home on March 8, 2022, REDEEMING LOVE shows there is no brokenness that love can’t heal.

REDEEMING LOVE (Universal Pictures) in theaters January 21, 2022 and PVOD on February 11, 2022

CAST:

  • Directed by D.J. Caruso (xXx: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE)
  • Abigail Cowen (“Fate: The Winx Saga,” “Sabrina”) as Angel
  • Tom Lewis (GENTLEMAN JACK) as Michael Hosea
  • Logan Marshall Green (UPGRADE, SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING, PROMETHEUS) as Paul
  • Famke Janssen (X-MEN, TAKEN) as Duchess
  • Nina Dobrev (xXx: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE, VAMPIRE DIARIES) as Mae

LINKS:

Francine’s Social Media:

Michelle Caulk & Sandi Brown

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Sandi Brown, the founder and president of the largest Christian radio ministry in St. Louis, JOY FM, bravely reached out to a local therapist in 2019 as she loved God but did not like herself. Brown vulnerably opened-up to Dr. Michelle Caulk and for the first time spoke out loud about her past trauma, abuse, and struggle with self-love. The new book Healing Out Loud: How to Embrace God’s Love When You Don’t Like Yourself by Brown and Dr. Caulk – assistant professor and director of clinical experiences at Huntington University – is a unique look at a one-year counseling journey from both sides of the couch: the client and the therapist.

For as long as she could remember, Brown had strong negative feelings towards herself. “I loved God, my family, and my job,” Brown said. “I was also intellectually aware of the love they had for me. But for some unknown reason, I still felt unloved and unlovable – and like a complete failure. I didn’t like myself and believed, in my own inner cave, that no one else did either.”

Healing Out Loud captures the insecurities that many women face and creates an accessible path for readers to overcome their vulnerabilities while using biblical principles. Each chapter includes a journal entry from Brown processing her healing journey, Brown’s reflections on that part of her story, and guided questions and reflections from Dr. Caulk centered around issues such as shame, grief, and fractured relationships.

A “Healing Map” created by Dr. Caulk is used as an outline throughout Healing Out Loud to guide the reader’s journey from processing inner pain to liking oneself, loving God, and restoring relationships

Sandi Brown is the founder and President of Gateway Creative Broadcasting in St. Louis. She leads two radio stations, 99.1 JOY FM and BOOST Radio, with a combined weekly reach of over 500,000. Sandi’s latest book is Healing Out Loud, and she’s also the author of the devotionals A Little More Peace and Choose Joy. Sandi currently serves as chairperson for Christian Music Broadcasters. Previously, she worked as a writer and producer for Focus on the Family.

Dr. Michelle Caulk, LPC is a graduate of Argosy University with an M.A. in Mental Health Counseling. Michelle also obtained her doctorate of philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision, and is currently an Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Experiences at Huntington University in Indiana. Michelle currently lives in Chesterfield, Missouri, with her husband Jason. Healing Out Loud is her first book.

Dr. Daniel Emina & Rick Lawrence

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Psychiatrist and Ministry Leader Combine Their Clinical and Jesus-Centered Practices to Help End Suicide Epidemic

Associate Medical Director of Amen Clinics and Bestselling Christian Author Collaborate to Offer Strategies to Improve Brain Health in New Book, The Suicide Solution.

“There has never been a more important time in history for The Suicide Solution. It is written with practical solutions that provide a new way forward for this epidemic problem. I highly recommend it.”

—Daniel Amen, M.D., founder of Amen Clinics and New York Times bestselling author

Washington, D.C. —Suicide is the second leading cause of death for those 10–34 years of age. With COVID-19, we’ve seen a scary increase in suicides, and if this horrific trajectory perpetuates, suicide will soon become the #1 killer of teens. Dr. Daniel Emina, a psychiatrist and associate medical. Dr. Emina’s therapeutic practices reflect the findings from his clinic’s database of brain scans—the largest in the world—including more than three hundred people who have attempted suicide. Combining these findings and years of practice—along with Lawrence’s background as a sought-after Christian editor, author, and speaker—The Suicide Solution offers a unique approach to mental health through scientifically informed and theologically informed strategies.

“This book is for those struggling to find their way out of a cave of anxiety, depression, and ‘suicidality’—and it’s for anyone who cares for someone who’s found themselves lost in that cave,” write Dr. Emina and Lawrence. “Drawing from the transformational ‘whole person’ strategies of Jesus and informed by the clinical realities of anxiety, depression, and suicide, our hope is to help others embrace a narrative of life instead of death.”

Throughout The Suicide Solution, the authors use computer hardware and software as metaphors for the body’s biology and psychology to show how suicide is generally the culmination of a malfunction or failure of these two systems. Dr. Emina and Lawrence also include a vast array of simple, daily habits that enhance brain health—from walking barefoot outside to naming our negative self-stories.

Related Links:

Rick Social Media:

Website: ricklawrence.com

Facebook: @rickskip

 

Dr. Emina Social Media:

Website: https://www.amenclinics.com/team/daniel-emina-m-d/

Instagram: @DocEminaMD

Emotional Abundance – Solo Episode with Host, Cheryl Scruggs

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Emotional Abundance (Vulnerability)

“My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves. And friends, once that’s taken care of and we’re no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we’re bold and free before God (and others)!”

1 John 3:18-21

John 10:10 says this: (Amplified version)

10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].

What does it mean to have life more abundantly?

The term “abundant life” comes from the Bible verse John 10:10,

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

“More abundantly” means to have a superabundance of a thing. “Abundant life” refers to life in its abounding fullness of joy and strength for spirit, soul and body.

Where in the Bible does it say live life to the fullest?

In the first 10 verses of John 10, Jesus addresses this important topic. He is discussing his role as the Good Shepherd and in verse 10 states his purpose on earth: “I came so that they could have life — indeed, so that they could have life to the fullest.”

When I am talking about being vulnerable, what I’m not saying is you need to be vulnerable with the whole world or everyone!

Being able to be vulnerable needs the element of trust.

Definition of trust: 

“…..firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone.”

What does it mean to be fully known and fully loved?

Author Timothy Keller: “To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything.”

What does it mean for God to know us?

​Essentially, we are describing the fact that God knows everything! He has never discovered anything new because He has always known everything. … Our God is omniscient. You won’t find the word omniscience in the Bible, but what you do find is that God tells us in various ways that He knows EVERYTHING about us. He knows everything about you!”

Is that scary to you? Comforting? Peaceful? Anxiety creating?

From 0-10, how vulnerable do you think you are with your (what you consider) your closest inner circle, spouse if you have one, kids if this applies?

Do they truly know you?

Can u be vulnerable with Jesus and trust Him with your emotions?

This is where it starts……..trusting God, then trusting others.

How does this verse resonate with you?
“Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart
And do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him,
And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].”

Proverbs 3:5-6

 

How do you know if you are emotionally mature?

What are the key characteristics?

  1. Taking responsibility. People with emotional maturity are aware of their privilege in the world and will try to take steps toward changing their behavior. … 
  2. Showing empathy. …
  3. Owning mistakes. …
  4. Being unafraid of vulnerability. …
  5. Recognizing and accepting your needs. …
  6. Setting healthy boundaries.

 

Are you willing to be known? Why or why not?

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Allie Marie Smith

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Do you ever wonder why you’re here, contemplate the purpose of your life or find it hard to push back the darkness?

Allie knows how hard it is to be a girl or woman in our world today. She was the good girl and scholar athlete hiding behind a smile as she worked overtime to keep it all together. But at the age of eighteen, she came undone. Two weeks after she graduated high school, due to a mental health challenge and many complexities, she found herself in the psychiatric hospital wanting to end my life.

She was as broken as a girl could be. Jesus found her there and though her journey has been full of detours and breakdowns, she lives loved by the God who has mended the broken pieces of her life together and given her more purpose and joy than she ever could have imagined.

As an author and the Founder and Director of Wonderfully Made, a Christian ministry for young women, she spends her days writing, speaking and helping girls and women live into their true value and identity.

She’s a California girl and lover of bluegrass who is always covered in dog hair. She loves to surf and adventure up and down the golden coast with her husband Paul and their Golden Retriever Gidget.

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