Cultivating The Lovely- The Podcast

On the Cultivating the Lovely podcast this week, MacKenzie Koppa interviews Melanie Shankle, co-host of The Big Boo Cast and author of several books, including her newest title On the Bright Side. Together MacKenzie and Melanie talk the new book, podcasting, skin care and more! (Amazon affiliate links are used in this content.) MacKenzie shares how she first heard about Melanie and what she loves so much about her podcast Melanie and MacKenzie do a little breakdown of their Outlander addiction and the new season Melanie talks a little about her book On the Bright Side and why it needed to be written Returning to a culture of civility and being kind to others with opposing views We’ve lost sight of what matters most. We’ve forgotten how to be decent human beings. We’ve lost the art of looking on the bright side. Melanie Shankle The importance of finding a few friends who can be your tribe Watching out for comparison and insecurity in friendship Trusting God with our own lives and with our children, as

On this week’s episode of Cultivating the Lovely, MacKenzie and Chelle continue their conversation about the enneagram. Today they are going to do a deep dive into the first three types on the enneagram, and they hope it will help you get a little more clarity. If you haven’t listened to last week’s episode on the resources Chelle and MacKenzie love and will refer back to today, you should definitely go do that first! Chelle and MacKenzie share a little more background info on the enneagram An overview of Type 1s, including core fears, core desires and more Why MacKenzie and Chelle admire Type 1s The common mistyping of Type 1s as 3s Some famous people who may be Type 1s An overview of Type 2s, which is Chelle’s type What MacKenzie loves about her Type 2 friends Why being a Type 2 is uncomfortable for Chelle Ways to love on the Type 2s in your life Some famous characters who could be 2s I think it is helpful to be able to look at the different types and see the similarities so that you can relate

Today on the CTL podcast, MacKenzie Koppa and Chelle Bruzas sit down and chat all about the enneagram. In this episode, MacKenzie and Chelle start covering the basics of the enneagram and how to find more resources to learn more yourself. Be sure to check back next week for more specific discussion about each of the enneagram types! We have all kinds of exciting things going on in the Patreon group this month. Head over to Patreon.com/cultivatingthelovely to check it out and join in the goodness! How Chelle and MacKenzie first figured out their own numbers Tips for finding your own enneagram number The benefit of having a close friend who balances our your strengths and weaknesses The power of the type songs from Ryan O’Neal from Sleeping At Last Using the memes from instagram to see what characteristics resonate with you If you don’t have a strategy or a plan for how to love people well, then it doesn’t happen. MacKenzie and Chelle Listening to podcasts to learn about all the different types Identif

On the Cultivating the Lovely podcast this week, MacKenzie Koppa talks with Sasha K. Shillcut, M. D. about her new book Between Grit and Grace: The Art of Being Feminine and Formidable. Sasha is a cardiac anesthesiologist, a wife, a mother of 4 and founder of Brave Enough, a community for female professionals. This conversation is for ALL women, not just those who work in or out of the home, so regardless of your season of life, we hope you will get something out of this episode! Why Sasha started Brave Enough and her goals for helping women be their true selves MacKenzie’s perspective as a work at home and stay at home mom Why “leadership backlash” happens when women speak up and assert themselves Sasha pushes back on the idea that women are hardest on each other Our struggles as women in different arenas are actually remarkably similar Recognizing our deep need for friendship no matter what season we are in God has made us unique, so we don’t need to fall into the comparison trap When you become brave

Hey, ladies! MacKenzie is popping into your earbuds with a short bonus episode featuring a sneak peek at a new Audioboom original podcast, FAM: For All Moms. This podcast is literally for all moms living through the madness that is parenthood. Join hosts Susan Yara and Sharzad Kiadeh every Wednesday as they share their sometimes embarrassing experiences, while also providing advice from experts and friends. FAM: For All Moms premieres 1/29. Subscribe to FAM: For All Moms on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fam-for-all-moms/id1494037915

Today on Cultivating the Lovely podcast, host MacKenzie Koppa talks with Seth Haines. Seth is a lawyer, a photographer and the author of The Book of Waking Up: Experiencing the Divine Love That Reorders a Life. He and his wife, along with their four boys live in the Ozarks. MacKenzie and Seth chat about addiction, recovery, pain, and waking up to the life God wants you to have. Why this book is for everyone, not just someone struggling with addiction Misusing God’s good gifts to numb ourselves to pain The power of meditating on God and finding His divine love Every created thing is a gift from God given to us to use and to enjoy Him. Seth Haines Learning to recognize God’s quiet voice amidst painful circumstances Allowing ourselves to sit in the pain and wait on God to show up Seeing emotional pain as a signal that we need to tend to something Making the most of community and the tools God has provided for us to address our pain Seeing relationships differently once you wake up Being willing to see a d

On the Cultivating the Lovely podcast this week, MacKenzie Koppa interviews Rebecca Bender, author of In Pursuit of Love: One Woman’s Journey from Trafficked to Triumphant. Rebecca is a survivor of human trafficking and is now a wife and mother with a busy speaking and advocacy schedule. She is passionate about teaching and about helping others realize that their stories matter. MacKenzie and Rebecca cover a variety of topics surrounding trauma, abuse and recovery, including: How much MacKenzie identified with Rebecca’s story and why Realizing that this kind of thing can happen to anyone and having grace for other people’s stories How our brains are built to adapt to and cope with trauma The gift of using different modalities in recovery from trauma What it was like for Rebecca going back to Las Vegas and being in places she had been when she was trafficked How trauma causes us to forget and block out memories While we might not be able to 100% relate with each other’s stories, all of us have this root o

On today’s episode of CTL, we continue the conversation with MacKenzie and Chelle all about their reading lives. They recap more of their favorites from 2019, and they also look ahead to 2020 and talk about what kinds of books they are excited about in the coming year. (Affiliate links are used in this content.) MacKenzie’s fastest reads from 2019: Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole Chelle’s favorite audio book of the year: The Magnificent Story by James Bryan Smith Chelle’s most thought-provoking books of the year: When to Walk Away by Gary Thomas Boundaries for Your Soul by Allison Cook and Kimberly Miller MacKenzie also recommends All My Friends Have Issues by Amanda Anderson A book MacKenzie read with Roman: No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman MacKenzie’s most researched book of 2019: The Gown by Jennifer Robson Chelle’s most researched book: Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Timothy Keller The kinds of books Chelle is l

This week on Cultivating the Lovely, MacKenzie Koppa and Chelle Bruzas sit down and talk about the books they read in 2019 and what their favorites were, as well as why they love Goodreads so much. This is only the first part of the conversation, so be sure to check back next week for part two in which MacKenzie and Chelle look ahead to their reading goals for 2020! Now, get your Amazon cart and TBR list ready, and sit back and listen in to this fun conversation!  (Affiliate links are used in this content.) Why MacKenzie and Chelle love Goodreads Find and friend MacKenzie on Goodreads Find and friend Chelle on Goodreads Chelle’s favorite fiction books from 2019: The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan MacKenzie’s favorite fiction books from 2019: London Celebrity Series by Lucy Parker The Winston Brothers Series by Penny Reid The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldo

Welcome to 2020 and a brand new decade! Today on Cultivating the Lovely, MacKenzie Koppa sits down with her good friend Chelle Bruzas to talk all things goal setting and New Year’s! They approach things from a different perspective, so this is a great conversation to listen in on as you start off your year!  How Chelle and MacKenzie approach goal setting and planning differently Chelle tends toward spontaneity and focussing on people over plans How Chelle thinks of Jesus carrying her through her days amidst chronic illness and exhaustion MacKenzie has to approach her days with more structure and planning to provide for her family She feels more fulfilled and energetic when she is working toward her goals with purpose Assessing where you are before you start setting new goals Why Chelle uses notebooks instead of a specially designed planner Looking at smaller time periods for planning instead of really long-range goals Changing habits to aim more at the type of personal you want to become MacKenzie gives

This week on Cultivating the Lovely the Podcast, MacKenzie Koppa has her dear friend Chelle Bruzas back again to chat about all things Christmas. They share some of their favorite simple ways to celebrate the holiday even when there isn’t the time and energy to do All. The. Things. This is a fun, encouraging conversations, so grab your favorite hot beverage, prop up your feet, and enjoy! (Affiliate links are used in this content.) Being intentional about being present instead of making a huge list and setting expectations too high Why MacKenzie is so thankful that she felt prompted to decorate and start celebrating early MacKenzie talks about the unique Crescent window displays in downtown Spokane Keeping a select few traditions that you always do with your family MacKenzie’s family recipe for Popcorn Balls: 2 Cups Sugar 2/3 cup white corn syrup 2/3 cup water 1/2 cup butter 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla 1 cup uncooked plain popcorn (3 quarts popped) food coloring, if so desired Pop plain popcorn

On the Cultivating the Lovely podcast this week, MacKenzie interviews Tina McNeilly, author of the new book, La La Lovely: The Art of Finding Beauty in the Everyday. Trina is also a speaker and founder lifestyle blog, La La Lovely. She and her husband, Stephen, and their four children make their home outside Chicago, Illinois. In today’s conversation, MacKenzie and Trina talk about how to survive, and even thrive, during a hard holiday season. Trina shares a little of the behind the scenes of how this book was created and designed Why beauty is important and something we should seek What looking for loveliness during holidays has been like for Trina in different seasons Helping our children walk through hard times and finding the good things with them How Trina keeps the holiday season simple and keeps her faith central The value of small beginnings Giving yourself grace in how you choose to celebrate instead of sticking to some arbitrary rule Trina’s new resource “When the Holidays are Hard” You have per

This week on the Cultivating the Lovely podcast, MacKenzie Koppa and Chelle Bruzas sit down for a fun chat about their favorite Christmas gift ideas for this year. If you are needing some inspired, thoughtful gift suggestions, this is the conversation for you! All these links will take you straight to the lists on Amazon, for your shopping convenience! (Affiliate links are used in this content.) Baby Gift Guide favorites Toddler Gift Guide favorites Girl Gift Guide favorites Boy Gift Guide favorites Teen Girl Gift Guide favorites Family Gift Guide favorites Guy Gift Guide favorites Ladies Gift Guide favorites You can also give the gift of Cultivating the Lovely to yourself or a friend by getting or gifting a subscription to our Patreon group! Cultivating Groups are going to be opening up again soon, so now is the time to join! Resources Mentioned- Roman’s Youtube Channel Modern Mrs. Darcy Kindle Deals Homer Reading App Find Chelle- You can find Chelle Bruzas on Instagram. Find MacKenzie- You

On Cultivating the Lovely this week, we have a little different show than what we normally do. Our host MacKenzie Koppa's brother, Kaleb, unexpectedly passed away recently, and in light of that, she wanted to honor him and talk a little about how she and her family are coping. MacKenzie is joined by her good friend Chelle Bruzas for this conversation, in which they also share some ideas on how to support someone in the early stages of grief. MacKenzie shares what it was like to grow up with her brother having significant physical disabilities, primarily Spina Bifida She talks about the strength and courage her parents have had throughout Kaleb’s whole life Chelle shares a little of her own family’s story of advocating for her brother when he had leukemia MacKenzie shares about Kaleb’s incredibly full life and his ability to find the joy and humor in situations The gift that it was for MacKenzie and her children to have so much close time with her brother last year How much it meant for their family’s pastor

Today on the CTL podcast, we get to listen in on a conversation between MacKenzie and author and speaker Michele Cushatt. Michele is a wife and mother of 6 who has been through the difficulties of single parenting, cancer surgeries, and other kinds of loss. MacKenzie and Michele talk about her new book, Relentless: The Unshakeable Presence of a God Who Never Leave, focussing on keeping our faith amidst life's hardest trials. (Affiliate links are used in this content.) Michele talks a little about how she came to write this book through her own experience of prolonged trials The difficulty of holding onto faith when things don't make any sense Valuing the process of grappling with your doubts and taking them to God The importance of keeping sight of the ways God has been faithful to you in the past to help you get through the hard things in the future Michele's strategy for setting up "altar stones" of remembrance Why Michele included so much about her father in her own story Holding the faith amidst the re

This week on the Cultivating the Lovely podcast, MacKenzie Koppa sits down for a heart to heart chat with her real life friend, author Tricia Goyer. Tricia is a wife and mother of 10, as well as caretaker for her 90-year-old grandmother, aside from being a busy speaker and author. This conversation centers around Tricia's new book The Grumble-Free Year. (Affiliate links are used in this content.) How and why Tricia embarked on the big family social experiment that became this book Learning to go to God for help with changing attitudes instead of relying on ourselves The difference between grumbling about something and being able to share our struggles with people who care Choosing to focus on the solutions instead of just the problems Acknowledging the hard things instead of trying stuff them inside while still deliberately choosing gratitude Pointing out the things our children are doing well instead of picking on the things they are doing wrong The power of apologizing and humbling ourselves to admit to o

This week on Cultivating the Lovely, MacKenzie has a chat with author and speaker Gary Thomas about his new book When to Walk Away: Finding Freedom from Toxic People. Gary and his wife of 35 years have three children and live outside of Houston, TX. He has a heart for marriage, family and the church, and that love for people shines through this conversation with MacKenzie. (Affiliate links are used in this content.) How Gary realized this book needed to be written through his own encounter with a toxic person Gary shares his heart for marriage while being real about abuse The danger of telling others to stay in relationship with toxic people Biblical examples of how to deal with toxic relationships Challenges from within the church to victims of abuse Gary identifies some warning signs that you may be in relationship with a toxic person If someone is stopping you from fulfilling God’s mission for you If someone is destroying your spirit If someone is controlling you If someone is gaslighting you or making

Using four forms of rest to combat stress and anxiety. Show Notes- Affiliate links are used in this content. On today’s episode of Cultivating the Lovely, host MacKenzie Koppa talks with author and speaker Rebekah Lyons about her new book Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose. Rebekah and her husband Gabe, along with their four children, live and work in Franklin, Tennessee. Together MacKenzie and Rebekah talk about both the why’s and how’s of creating your own rhythms of renewal, including: How Rebekah came to write this book on the topic of rest and renewal Some of the challenges we face in the digital age to establishing good habits of rest and health How our bodies are wired to deal with stress and trap trauma The problem with just medicating to cope instead of truly healing Recognizing the need to get back in touch with our humanity Addressing the real physical components of holistic healing The power of true forgiveness in our own lives (MacKenzie mentions thi

A chat with Amanda Anderson about healthy friendships. Show Notes- (Affiliate links are used in this content.) This week on the CTL podcast, MacKenzie Koppa chats with author and speaker Amanda Anderson about her book All My Friends Have Issues: Building Remarkable Relationships with Imperfect People (Like Me). Together MacKenzie and Amanda cover a range of topics related to building healthy friendships and maintaining good boundaries, including: Amanda talks about her book-writing journey MacKenzie and Amanda discuss the faithfulness required to move toward your goals Authenticity versus intimacy in building relationships Not every friendship needs to be at the same depth Amanda talks about how the idea of “finding your tribe” may not be all that helpful to us in building friendship today Cautions against placing expectations on friends that are too high, unhealthy, or unrealistic The value of having several different people to speak truth into your life Toxic relationships and setting healthy boundaries

On this week's episode of Cultivating the Lovely, we get to hear the rest of MacKenzie's conversation with Brooke Rasmussen. Last time we left off on the cusp of Brooke's family moving to Israel, so we pick up at that point in their story. If you didn't listen to the first half of MacKenzie and Brooke's chat, go back and listen to Episode 137 here. What it was like moving to Jerusalem and being in the place that Biblical history took place How Brooke used journalling to find herself in the midst of overwhelm The cultural differences between Israel, Poland and the U. S. and learning to change expectations for social interactions Why it is often harder for the stay-at-home mom to forge community in a new country and culture than for the rest of the family How Brooke felt when she found other people who understood her experience Learning to let relationships last for certain seasons The Rasmussens' decision to resign from diplomatic service and move to Brooke's hometown Enjoying living close to grandparents an