This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm chatting with Stefanie and Caleb Rouse. Stefanie and Caleb are dynamic relationship mentors and digital creators passionately guiding singles and couples toward fulfilling and resilient relationships anchored in faith. With their master’s degrees in marriage and family therapy with an emphasis in theology (Stefanie) and in education (Caleb), they offer tailored courses, mentorship, and guidance. These are all rooted in prayer, backed by training in...

This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm speaking with the authors of Pastors' Wives Tell All: Navigating Real Church Life with Honesty and Humor, Stephanie Gilbert, Jessica Taylor, and Jenna Allen. They are also the cohosts of the Pastors’ Wives Tell All podcast - a podcast by pastors’ wives for church leaders and anyone desiring to peek inside their proverbial glass houses. As best friends from three different churches and denominations, they are breaking down walls within the Church and...

This week on Real Talk with Rachael in talking with Jess Connolly. Jess is the author or co-author of several books, including Wild and Free, You Are the Girl for the Job, and Breaking Free from Body Shame. Along with her husband, Nick, she planted Bright City Church in Charleston, South Carolina, where they live with their four children. Jess is a woman who wants to leave her generation more in awe of God than she found it. She is passionate about family, God's Word, and seeing women take...

This week on Real Talk with Rachael, I'm chatting with Calvin Burns. Calvin is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Austin, Texas, who is deeply committed to guiding individuals through their challenges with eating disorders, substance abuse, and trauma. His approach is built on a foundation of empathy, understanding, and a personal dedication to each client's journey. Key Points from Our Conversation: Calvin struggled with suicide and addiction until God blessed him with the opportunity to...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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. We started this series by looking at the goodness of God by reflecting on our victories and last week we reflected on boundaries. Today, we are pausing to process answered prayers. Process: What prayers have I seen answered this year? Write them down. What am I still praying for? Don’t...

This week on Real Talk with Rachael, I'm speaking once again with Lee Strobel. Lee is a New York Times bestselling author whose books have sold millions of copies worldwide. He earned a journalism degree at the University of Missouri and was awarded a Ford Foundation fellowship to study at Yale Law School, where he received a Master of Studies in Law degree. He was a journalist for fourteen years at the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers, winning Illinois’ top honors for investigative...

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. We started this series by looking at the goodness of God by reflecting on our victories. In this episode, we are pausing to process our personal boundaries this year. Pray: “Jesus, what boundaries do you want to encourage me to set in my life?” Process: What boundaries did I establish that...

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. We started this series by looking at the goodness of God. Today we are looking at what...

This week on Real Talk with Rachael, I'm speaking with J. Warner Wallace. He is a Dateline featured Cold-Case Detective, Author, Speaker, Senior Fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, and Adjunct Professor of Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology (Biola University) and Southern Evangelical Seminary. Key Points from Our Conversation: As a detective, J. Warner couldn't commit to Christianity without being convinced it was objectively true. In his book Cold-Case Christianity,...

We are in the Friendship Series. The first week I asked you to draw a friendship timeline. That laid the foundation of looking at past and current friendships, as well as noticing healthy and unhealthy themes in this area. The next two weeks we discussed gossip and jealousy. We are finishing the series by discussing grace and healthy communication. Scripture: John 1:16-17, "For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth...

We are currently in the Friendship Series. The first week I asked you to draw a friendship timeline. That laid the foundation of looking at past and current friendships, as well as noticing healthy and unhealthy themes in this area. Last week we discussed gossip. This week we are going after another sin that is sure to bring friendships down - jealousy. Andy Stanley describes the problem with jealousy in his book Enemies of the Heart - "Jealousy is dangerous. It’s dangerous because it...

This week on Real Talk with Rachael I'm talking with author, Natalie Runion. In 2019 after watching many of her peers walk away from the church and their faith, Natalie began Raised to Stay, a ministry for those who have wandered, wondered, and wrestled with the Church and the challenges of full-time ministry. Known for her black boxes of hard truth on social media for the Church and church leaders, her heart is to see a generation finish their race as they partner with a good Father who is...

We are currenly in the Friendship Series. Last week I asked you to draw a friendship timeline. That laid the foundation for looking at past and current friendships as well as noticing healthy and unhealthy themes in this area. Speaking of unhealthy, let’s address one toxic trait that will bring every friendship crashing down- GOSSIP. Scripture: Proverbs 26:22 (MSG), "Listening to gossip is like eating cheap candy; do you want junk like that in your belly?" Process: Who do I need to stop...

This week we're starting new series on Talk Therapy all about friendship.  Scripture: Proverbs 18:24,"Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family." Process:  Draw a friend timeline What themes did you notice in your friendships? Who do you need to forgive? Challenge: Forgive whoever God asks you to release. Bless them. Consider writing them a letter you never mail or use the “empty chair” technique and read the letter aloud to them, then shred it. ...