Talk Therapy: Process & Pray 2023 - A Word from God

This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm speaking with a woman who was key in releasing Image Restored, Susan McPherson. Susan is an author acquisitions editor for David C. Cook Publishing and their Esther Press imprint for women. She is dedicated to encouraging and equipping women to courageously stand strong in the truth of God’s Word through her work leading the women’s community for Esther Press. She loves Jesus, coffee, college football, and her life as a wife and mother in the Nashville, Tennessee, area.

Whether you're interested in becoming an author or not, this conversation with Susan is such an encouragement for women to pursue what God has called them to. In this episode, we discuss how authors are chosen for publishing, why being servant-minded is crucial when partnering with others, and not missing out on God's plans because we feel inadequate.

Don't miss the est.HER conference happening April 11 - 13, 2024 in Spring Hill, TN!

Let’s Get Real Practical:

Your "why" has to be greater than your "what-ifs."

What’s your why?
What’s your what-if?
Which voice is louder, your why or your what-ifs?

Connect with Susan: website | Instagram | Facebook
Connect with Rachael: website | Instagram | Facebook

This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm chatting with a very special guest - my husband, Dr. Matthew Gilbert. Matthew Gilbert, DC, of BBC Health in Lewisville, Texas, is passionate about taking a collaborative, integrative approach to health care. He believes that patients receive the most health benefits when medical and chiropractic doctors work together to provide a comprehensive, personalized treatment plan.

Dr. Gilbert established BBC Health to integrate his expertise in chiropractic techniques with family medicine to provide patients of all ages in the Lewisville area with the best medical, chiropractic, and rehabilitation services around. He fosters a warm, caring, family environment in an easily accessible, state-of-the-art facility. Dr. Gilbert specializes in multiple chiropractic techniques and spinal rehabilitation, and he’s an expert at evaluating and treating sports-related injuries. 

When not at the office, Dr. Gilbert enjoys spending time with his wife, Rachael, and their three children, Ellie, Olivia, and Zeke.

Key Points from Our Conversation:

• We all struggle with some form of comparison. In my case, I was comparing my current body to a previous version of myself when Matt offered this life-changing perspective - "Stop comparing yourself to other women, including your younger self. She’s another woman."
• Fear of aging indicates a fear of death. But when we have hope of eternal life with Jesus, there is nothing to fear. Everything else will fade away, but we can have confidence in our relationship with Christ. 
• To be able to extend unconditional love to our spouse, we must experience the unconditional love of Christ ourselves. Our ability to love is an overflow of His love for us.
• We often believe that our toxic body image only affects us, but what we believe about ourselves greatly affects our marriages, families, sex life, and relationships. 
• Husbands are called to tend to their wives as a gardener would tend to his garden. You cannot beat a plant into growth, you must provide a supportive environment for it to flourish. 

Let’s Get Real Practical:

Break the comparison yardstick with the 3 Rs: recognize, repent, and rejoice

Resources:

BBC Health
Image Restored

Connect with Rachael: website | Instagram | Facebook

This week on Real Talk with Rachael, I'm speaking with mother and daughter, Debbie Morris and Elaine Fisher. Debbie Morris is an author and pastor in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, who delights in helping women understand who they are in God so they can discover their destinies and experience victory in life. Elaine Fisher is an author, speaker, and pastor in Houston, Texas, and is passionate about sharing authentic revelation from the lessons she is learning as God writes her story of redemption and freedom.

Key Points from Our Conversation:

• Debbie and Elaine wrote The Good Mess to give an honest account of God's goodness amid a messy life. Elaine experienced her own "prodigal son" story by confessing her struggles and sins to God and a trusted community that helped her find freedom. 
• If you've walked away from God, He is still waiting to welcome you home. Not just that, He will meet you where you are and walk with you every step. If you allow Him, God will enable you to dig into your mess and find encouragement. 
• Debbie and Elaine's relationship changed when Elaine was able to authentically treat the friendship with respect and honor and when Debbie was able to move from the role of instructor to counselor. 
• When we feel God is calling us to something, we often have expectations of what that should look like. But God honors those who trust Him, regardless of the outcome. 
• If you are a wife who is experiencing a messy marriage, better days are coming. Finding ways to bond is difficult and not all days will be good. Remember to guard your words and influences on the hard days and sow seeds of joy and life into your marriage. 
• In the moments when things feel abnormal ("irregular heartbeats") you can choose to let things go or evaluate further what is happening. Do you notice these moments? And if you do, do you care enough to love the other person back to health? 
• God is good and no matter what mess you're in, He can and wants to redeem it. He has a purpose and plan for the mess if you'll allow Him to use it. 
• When you encounter God, your situation may not change but your perspective will. He will give you the encouragement you need to thrive.

Let’s Get Real Practical:

What messes can you rejoice in today?

Buy The Good Mess: Finding Beauty in Imperfect Moments
Connect with Rachael: website | Instagram | Facebook

This week on Real Talk with Rachael, I'm chatting with my friend, Cynthia Yanof. Cynthia is a wife, mother, podcaster, blogger, and everyday girl who is ridiculously committed to not taking herself too seriously. She currently hosts the popular MESSmerized podcast; many Christians are familiar with her work for ChristianParenting.org, as well as her time as the creator and host of the ministry’s Pardon the Mess podcast. Cynthia worked as an attorney before pursuing a career encouraging and equipping women in their God-given callings. She loves speaking, writing, foster care, and hanging out in Dallas with her husband Mike and three kids.

Key Points from Our Conversation:

• Cynthia wrote the book after growing up in a Christian household and realizing she had faith on Sundays and in big moments but struggled to understand what everyday faith looked like; faith in the messy middle.
• "If your theology doesn’t meet up with your reality then it’s not a theology at all, it’s just good advice.”
• Often in the messy times, it seems the Lord is quiet when you know He could act. In those moments, it's important to remember all the time God has been faithful. He doesn’t remove the hardship from us, He uses it to show us His faithfulness.
• Don’t focus on the promising future, live in the cherished present - that is where God has intentionally placed you.
• Lies are being fed to us and we need to slow down and assess how they're impacting our faith. Question what you believe and assess if it's true.
• With self-awareness and input from her trusted community, Cynthia identified 3 lies that were shaping her life - ordinary isn’t enough, everyone has to love and accept me, and her worth is determined by the success and failure of her kids.
• We have to start valuing quality over quantity, especially with friendships. You cannot be all things to all people.
• Be driven by what is significant at the moment and what has eternal value, not something you’re holding from the past.
• Wherever life is off-script, God is still in it. Lean in now; don’t wait for a better time to do the hard important stuff. Allow God to create His bigger picture out of the mess.

Let’s Get Real Practical:

Read Matthew 19 and consider these two questions - What do you need to let go of? What are you holding on tightly to?

Connect with Cynthia: website | Instagram | Facebook
Connect with Rachael: website | Instagram | Facebook

God put it on my heart to dedicate the first month of this new year by hosting a “First Fruits” podcast series. In this series, we are coming together every Monday morning and giving the first of a different area of our lives to the Lord.

We have covered plans, time, rest, and health. This week God put it on my heart to bring in a new topic - our words.

Key verses:

Proverbs 16:24, "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body."

Exodus 24:3, "Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, 'All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do'.”

Job 19:2, “How long will you torment me and break me in pieces with words?

Psalm 12:6, "The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times."

Psalm 17:6, "I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words."

Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer."

Process:

Lord, how is my heart?
How are my words?
Are there any words I need to stop listening to?
How would You like me to use my words this year?

Resource:

If you are not yet in our JOYmail community, I want to invite you to join today. Once a month I send an email with a personal note from me, favorite finds, podcast updates, and a free therapy resource. Go to rachaelgilbert.com and click the freebies tab to join the community.

God put it on my heart to dedicate the first month of this new year by hosting a “First Fruits” podcast series. In this series, we are coming together every Monday morning and giving the first of a different area of our lives to the Lord.

So far, we have discussed plans, time, and rest. This week, we are giving the Lord the first of our health and wellness.

Since we are four weeks into the new year, chances are many of you listening have already started some form of New Year's resolution to eat differently or move more. Chances are also high that those resolutions have already been broken. If that’s you, there is no shame here. Just a chance to give this area to the Lord once and for all, in a way that is honoring to the Lord. The world offers us quick fixes and promises about our bodies but the Lord shows us how to steward our bodies in a way that feels life-giving and full of joy and peace.

Key verses: 

1 Corinthians 3:16-22, "Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?  God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God."

Romans 12:1-2, "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

Process:

God, what does honoring my body look like in this season?
What is a simple step you are asking me to take that will improve my health this year?
What habit do I need to start or stop this year, as an act of worship to You?

Resources: 

Learn more about our integrated medical practice BBC (Building Better Care) Health at bbchealth.com

Take the What is Your Body Trying to Tell You? quiz at rachaelgilbert.com/quiz

Check out my book Image Restored at imagerestoredbook.com

God put it on my heart to dedicate the first month of this new year by hosting a “First Fruits” podcast series. In this series, we are coming together every Monday morning and giving the first of a different area of our lives to the Lord.

Last week we brought the first of our day and time to the Lord. This week, we are bringing the first of our labor to the Lord in the form of rest.

Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. This is not a religious checklist; rather, it’s a gift from God. 

It’s convicting to remember that not entering Sabbath rest is an act of disobedience. Honoring the sabbath day is a commandment, that’s how deeply the Lord knows we need it and we trust Him when we set aside that time to enter His sacred rest.

Process:

Repent - God, I repent for not taking a Sabbath day of rest. Please forgive me for not receiving this gift of rest. I receive your grace and forgiveness today.

Rejoice - Thank God for rest. It was His idea.

Revisit - What does rest look like for me in this season?

Resource:

If you are not yet in our JOYmail community, I want to invite you to join today. Once a month I send an email with a personal note from me, favorite finds, podcast updates, and a free therapy resource. Go to rachaelgilbert.com and click the freebies tab to join the community.

God put it on my heart to dedicate the first month of this new year by hosting a “First Fruits” podcast series. In this series, we are coming together every Monday morning and giving the first of a different area of our lives to the Lord.

Last week we gave our plans to the Lord and this week, we are dedicating the first of our day and our time/energy throughout the day.

We cannot pour from an empty cup. If you want secure confidence this year, start by spending time with the Savior. It’s in this sweet space that He imparts peace and tells us who we are. It’s something we can’t earn, yet He freely gives.

Process: 

What can I do to remind myself to give the first of my day to the Lord?
What is taking my energy that is not fruitful?
What is a time thief in my days?

Pray: 

"Lord, I yield to you as my shepherd today. Thank you for your goodness, mercy, love, and supernatural favor and wisdom that follow me everywhere I go. Enlarge my family’s territory in all that we do. Keep your hand upon us and deliver us from evil. Show us the way we should go, for to you we entrust our lives. In Jesus’ name, amen."

Resource:

If you are not yet in our JOYmail community, I want to invite you to join today. Once a month I send an email with a personal note from me, favorite finds, podcast updates, and a free therapy resource. Go to rachaelgilbert.com and click the freebies tab to join the community.

Welcome to the first episode of 2024! Last year, God put it on my heart to dedicate the first month of this new year by hosting a “First Fruits” podcast series. We wrapped up our December Process and Pray series. If you missed it, you can still go back and listen.

In this First Fruits podcast series, we will take every Monday and give the first of a different area of our lives to the Lord. The first area God put on my heart was our plans.

Key verses:

Proverbs 19:21, "You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail."

Psalms 33:11, "But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations."

Giving our first shifts our plans to His purpose. We give Him our first plans by pausing to ask for wisdom and discernment before moving forward. It’s not complex and doesn’t require much time, but it does mean being intentional in our planning.

Process:

"God, what plans do I need to submit to You?" Think of a specific plan you have in mind. Ask God for His timing on moving forward with this plan.

"God, show me any of my plans that are not from You. I don’t want to move forward if you aren’t in it."

Resource:

If you are not yet in our JOYmail community, I want to invite you to join today. Once a month I send an email with a personal note from me, favorite finds, podcast updates, and a free therapy resource. Go to rachaelgilbert.com and click the freebies tab to join the community.

Back by popular demand is our annual Process and Pray series! If you’re new here, in December, we spend every Monday morning in a series where we process and pray through the year. Each week the focus will be different, but the theme of processing and praying will remain the same. As a therapist, I believe in the power of pausing and reflecting so we can embrace the present and look forward to the future.

Thus far, we have discussed victories, boundaries, and prayers. We are finishing the series by reflecting on words, or promises, from God we are standing on.

Process:

What word did God give me for the year?

What promises has God spoken to me and my family?

Pray, "God, what word are you giving me for the coming year?"

Resource: 

Thank you for joining me in the month of December as we praised, processed, and prayed through the year. I would love it if you would take the time to share this series with a friend so we can walk boldly into the new year. If you haven’t already, please leave a review for the show so other listeners can join us on this journey through life with Jesus as our guide.