308 The Power of Therapy Dogs with Larry Randolph and Jennifer Marshall Bleakley

What do you think of when you hear the word “balance”? If you’re like many women, it might evoke guilt, feelings of never measuring up, or even anxiety. If you’ve ever struggled with balance in any aspect of your life, you’re going to love this week’s guest, Vivian Cumins. Vivian shares wisdom from the Bible on how to actively pursue balance in your life, some examples of times when balance seemed out of reach to her, and the important role prayer plays in creating a peaceful, balanced life. You can connect with Vivian, sign up to receive her free Out of Balance Believer prayer guide, and find out more about her new podcast Juggling Life, Finding Balance at ⁠VivianCumins.com. Grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!

Got Mom guilt? If so, you are certainly not alone. There might be no better topic so close to Mother’s Day than this week’s “Mom Guilt and Prayer” episode! In it we discuss what Mom guilt is, how it can specifically rear its ugly head in the lives of all women (regardless of Mom status), make some candid confessions about our own experiences, and of course offer plenty of hope and encouragement! In case that isn’t enough inspiration for you, we are offering a special Praying Mom Bundle of digital resources for over 50% off in honor of Mother’s Day! This bundle makes a great gift to treat yourself or another Mom in your life just in time for Mother’s Day! Check it out here!

Note: This episode contains references to suicidal thoughts. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of self-harm, contact the Suicide Hotline: dial or text 988, call 800 273 8255, or visit 988lifeline.org. We’ve talked a lot on this podcast about longing for answered prayer, celebrating answered prayer and everything in-between. But we don’t often talk about the prayers we look back on and thank God he didn’t answer the way we wanted! This week we share some times we prayed for something that in retrospect wouldn’t have been the best thing. Then we springboard into an exercise that can help when things don’t go as planned, to help us keep in mind that God really does know best! Grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!

If you've been around for a while, you know we're dog lovers. That's why we're incredibly excited to bring you a very special episode of the podcast: This week we sat down with Larry Randolph and Jennifer Marshall Bleakley to talk about their book Finding Grace: The Inspiring True Story of Therapy Dogs Bringing Comfort, Hope, and Love to a Hurting World. Larry and his wife Susan co-founded Canines for Christ in 2007, and since then they’ve seen the therapy dog program grow into an international volunteer-based ministry reaching hundreds of thousands of people with God’s love. Join us as Larry and Jennifer talk about the surprising role prayer played in Canines for Christ becoming a ministry, some of the ways they've seen therapy dogs open doors for prayer and ministry, and the power of therapy dogs to bring the love of God to a hurting world. You can connect with Jennifer and find Finding Grace and the Pawverbs books at JenniferBleakley.com You can find out more about Canines for Christ at K94Christ.org.

This week’s episode focuses on how to pray for graduates, or really anyone you love who is moving on to a new season! Some of the questions we address include: What are some challenges and pitfalls to avoid when praying for graduates? How do I recognize when the one who needs prayer is me? How can we embrace grief and lament while looking ahead expectantly? And as always, we include lots of practical tips for how to pray for children, grandchildren and loved ones during times of transition. Grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!

Note: This episode mentions the topic of suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of self-harm, contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: dial or text 988, call 800 273 8255, or visit 988lifeline.org. Our guest on the podcast this week is Judi Logan, author of The Unraveling: My Story of Faith, Forgiveness and a Family Restored. Judi talks with us about a devastating family secret that launched her on a journey to unravel the truth, figure out where she truly belonged, and to embark on the difficult process of forgiveness. You can connect with Judi and find her book at JudiLogan.com. Don’t forget to grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!

Have you heard of the "P-Lexa" Prayer Pal, the newly-released Prayer VR headset or our personal favorite: pHarmony, the place to find your perfect prayer partner? To learn more about these (and more!) advancements in prayer technology, listen to this week's episode of the Praying Christian Women podcast. Don't forget to grab your free scripture journal today at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal!

On this Good Friday, we’re joined by author and Bible teacher Jessica Herberger to talk about the much-overlooked day of Holy Saturday. As we lament the death and burial of Jesus, we took some time to contemplate the in-between time when the disciples didn’t have the advantage we have of knowing what was about to come on Resurrection Sunday. Our own lives are full of “Holy Saturday” seasons, and Jessica shares about some of her own experiences in this realm, what the Bible can teach us about how to acknowledge where we are and look to what God has for us there. We discuss tips and pitfalls for our Holy Saturday seasons, the role of prayer in processing times of grief and waiting, and the importance of bearing witness to the pain of others. You can connect with Jessica, find her book Peace in the Dark: Faithful Practices as We Wait For the Light, and get access to lots of bonuses and freebies at JessicaHerberger.com. Don’t forget to grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!

This week we welcome fellow Alaskan Leslie Leyland Fields to the podcast to discuss her brand new book Nearing a Far God: Praying the Psalms with Our Whole Selves. Leslie brings deep wisdom about prayer and fresh ideas about how to incorporate our whole body, mind and spirit into prayer and worship that you will not want to miss. In our conversation Leslie talks about knowledge-based vs. emotion-based faith, her unconventional first experience with prayer, and introduces us to the field of neurotheology. So don’t wait, tune in now for an incredible discussion! You can connect with Leslie and find all of her books at LeslieLeylandFields.com. Don’t forget to grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!

Are you too busy to pray…or too busy NOT to pray? Which is more important to prioritize, praying or doing? These are important questions, and the reality is the answers aren’t as black and white as you’d think. If you have too much to do and what feels like too little time to do it in, this episode is for you and we’d love for you to join us for a discussion about prayer and productivity. We’ll share some of our own productivity struggles and wins, discuss the role of prayer in our practical, productive lives, and of course leave you with some practical tips for how you can incorporate prayer into your incredibly busy life! Don’t forget to grab your free scripture journal at PrayingChristianWomen.com/journal today!