The Turquoise Table Podcast With Kristin Schell

Let's talk about infertility and adoption. Chances are you or someone you know has walked one or both of these paths. Today’s guest Cat Vandament shares her story of infertility and treatments that led to the birth of her daughter, and then the decision to pursue adoption with their son. Cat’s story is unique in that during fertility treatments, they faced the additional stress and unfortunate timing of her husband’s numerous military deployments.    Infertility and adoption can be sensitive and hard topics for many. Which is why it’s important to have the conversation and gratefully Cat is willing to help us talk about the emotional journey. No two stories are alike, but as you listen to the conversation you'll hear hope and encouragement.    Cat speaks with honesty and vulnerability. She shares the struggle of not knowing why her body “wasn’t working the way every other woman’s body works” and how she overcame untrue thoughts like “trying to figure out what I had done wrong.”    Cat’s story is told through

Register for Creating Community & Connection: A Workshop with Kristin Schell   In this episode of The Turquoise Table, host Kristin Schell continues the storytelling series talking with people who are creating community in unique and remarkable ways.   Rachel Jones lives at the crossroads of faith and culture in the Horn of Africa. She is the author of the book Stronger Than Death, and she and her husband founded the International School of Djibouti.   Her story takes us on a beautiful journey from a high rise apartment complex in Minneapolis to a school in The Horn of Africa. Rachel’s story of creating community and connection is one of the most inspiring yet. Relationships that started in her own backyard led her family across the globe to Djibouti.    When she was just twenty-two years old and a new mother of twins, Rachel received hospitality from complete strangers, her Somali neighbors. Her immigrant neighbors befriended her -- bringing her food and even offering to clean her house while she rested

Register for Creating Community & Connection: A Workshop with Kristin Schell.   In this episode of The Turquoise Table, host Kristin Schell speaks with Maria Reed, founder of the home improvement television show Moving with the Military. Maria’s mission is to bridge the military-civilian divide through design and community building. Kristin and Maria discuss the unique hardships military families face and how the community can welcome them with open arms.    To begin, Maria shares her background and her own experiences being in a military family. She was born in Cuba and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She worked for many years in the film industry as a producer. However, during this time she dated long-distance and fell in love with her military husband. To her surprise, soon after they were married her husband deployed, and she found out she was pregnant. 17 years and five moves later, her love for the film industry continued with her. She then formed the idea for her television show, Moving with th

What Do You Need? A simple question inspires The Turquoise Cart Program at Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas.   In this episode of The Turquoise Table, host Kristin Schell speaks with Kim Muench, a volunteer program coordinator at Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. Kim began her Turquoise Table journey by placing her own Turquoise Table in her front yard. Unfortunately, this was met with resistance by her Homeowners Association, and, despite Kim’s efforts to convince them otherwise, they would not allow her to keep her table in the front yard. Still determined to create community in her neighborhood, Kim began a tradition of bringing her Turquoise Table from the back yard to the front yard one Friday night per month. Each month, between three and seven families join hers to play games on the street and socialize. Kim hopes that even more families will join them, and that her community will continue to grow.   However, bringing out her Turquoise Table once a month wasn’t enough for Kim.

This week on The Turquoise Table, host Kristin Schell chats with Shauna Pilgreen, author of Love Where You Live. A small-town native, Shauna grew up on a farm in South Georgia, and then moved to rural Missouri with her husband to do ministry. Ten years ago, the Lord stirred in their hearts a desire to plant a church in a place far outside their comfort zones: San Francisco, California. Love Where You Live chronicles the struggles and blessings of Shauna’s move to the big city, and learning how to invest long-term in the place she lives.    In the title Love Where You Live, “love” is a verb — Shauna actively loves the local people with whom she comes into contact. She offers a few simple ideas on how others can too; her first suggestion is to take walks. Instead of taking the train or her minivan, Shauna often chooses to walk to her kids’ school, to the grocery store, or around her neighborhood. She prays that God would use her with whomever she encounters each day and intentionally makes time for those intera

Host Kristin Schell interviews chef and best-selling author Melissa d’Arabian. Melissa is an expert on affordable family cooking, and author of the book Tasting Grace. In this episode they discuss how Melissa’s career got started, her new book, and how her faith influences her approach to food. Melissa first realized her connection to food, growing up in a single family home where money was tight. While she often experienced hunger at school, she saw the sacrifices her mom made to welcome others into their home with hospitality.   Melissa and Kristin discuss the problems with the way that our society approaches food. While we are as disconnected from the source of our food as we’ve ever been, we are also food obsessed; We have celebrity chefs, and we constantly post images of our food on the internet. There are some serious misconceptions about food in a world where we won’t eat a tomato because of the sugar content but we’ll drink an artificially colored and sweetened sports drink. To develop a better philos

In this week’s episode host Kristin Schell interviews singer-songwriter Christa Wells. An award winning songwriter, Christa has collaborated with Nashville artists to write hit songs such as “Held” (Natlie Grant) and “Red Sea Road” (Ellie Holcomb). Christa is currently working on her 5th album and she shares behind the scenes look into the process.   Join Kristin and Christa for a conversation about the importance of community. Christa shares how even though she’s in a season of having little to offer, she’s even more committed to opening up her home to friends and has found great joy and community in doing so. We are all called to be agents of hospitality and Christa gives practical ways to share in any season of life.   Connect with Christa: Instagram Facebook Website Patreon   Be sure to check out our FREE online community for: full show notes and links podcast episode discussion guide journal prompts   Join us: www.theturquoisetablecommunity.com  

In this episode of The Turquoise Table, host Kristin Schell welcomes author, blogger, and parent, Tricia Goyer to discuss her book The Grumble-Free Year: Twelve Months, Eleven Family Members, and One Impossible Goal. As a mother of 10 kids (seven of whom still live in the house), being married 29 years, and having authored over 75 books, Tricia has become Kristin’s go-to authority on all things parenting. Tricia shares how she keeps the family, even the kids living outside of the home, and her 90-year-old mother with dementia, communicating and sharing with each other.    The Grumble-Free Year was based on Tricia’s unique experience. There is an underlying grumbling and discontent that children and parents both express. She and her husband thought, “what if we could go a year without grumbling?” She knew it’d take a while to undo certain habits, but she was tired not only of hearing her kids grumble, but saw it spilling over into her relationship with her husband. What happened in the Goyer's Grumble-Free Yea

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In today’s episode of The Turquoise Table Podcast, host Kristin Schell interviews Jessica Honegger about the joy that comes when you are cornered by courage and gather women for a purpose. Jessica is a wife, mother of three, founder and CEO of Noonday Collection, and bestselling author of Imperfect Courage: Live a Life of Purpose by Leaving Comfort and Going Scared. Noonday creates meaningful opportunities in fashion for vulnerable communities to sell their beautiful handmade goods and empower them to flourish. Ambassadors of Noonday Collection are women in America that host trunk shows to create economic opportunity for the artisans and themselves.   Noonday Collection is the world’s largest fair-trade jewelry company, and they rally women just like you to sustain dignified jobs for over 4,500 Artisans around the world. Ambassadors are purposeful, passionate women who own their own businesses and gather women in their own communities to make an impact in communities across the globe. If this sounds like you,

In today’s episode of The Turquoise Table, host Kristin Schell interviews Bailey T. Hurley, who is committed to small community settings with her husband and two children. Kristin and Bailey discuss small groups: how to find one, how to join one, and even how to start one. Kristin shares how she and Tony are in the process of starting their own small group in their church community. Bailey gives tangible tips on how you can invite people into community in your life, as well as how you can sustain community. While Bailey is committed to lifelong friendships, she explains how you can start slowly and easily, as well as how to maintain high-quality friendships when you live far apart. In her neighborhood, Bailey builds friendships across generations. When Bailey arranges play dates, sets up the book club meeting or invites someone over, it’s a lot of work. However, she gets quality time, the conversations she needed, and the chance to he heard in her circle of friends. On the other hand, when you experience hosp

In today’s episode of The Turquoise Table, host Kristin Schell interviews Ruth Chou Simons, who is an artist, author, speaker, and founder of GraceLaced. Her most recent book Beholding and Becoming: The Art of Everyday Worship takes us on a journey of redirecting our eyes and hearts for worship, right where we are. Ruth and Kristin discuss the role social media plays in our ability to be present. We are distracted by millions of images that fly by, we don’t even realize our short-sightedness and hurry can lead to shallow faith. Ruth and Kristin discuss how hard it is to be the new family in a community and the assumptions that are made which prevent people from inviting a family over. They also describe the difference between entertaining and hospitality, and just how easy it can be to invite someone over and open up lines of communication. Join our FREE online community for: • Full show notes and links • Discussion Guide • Journal Prompts • Ruth’s easy fried rice recipe www.theturquoisetablecommunity.com Rut

In today’s episode of The Turquoise Table, host Kristin Schell interviews Kat Cannon, who has just written her ninth Bible study called More than Mindful: What God Tells Us to Remember.  In the Old Testament, one of the first instances of remembering is when God asks for all to remember his name. Kat and Kristin discuss the importance of names and the naming stories in their own lives. Find out what YOUR name means by using a tool like www.behindthename.com   Key Takeaways in Today’s Episode: • 7:30 The Hebrew concept of remembering is closely tied to action and obedience.  • 14:03 God introduces himself with his personal name when he speaks to Moses, which translates to “I am”.  • 36:00 Together we know God better than any of us could on our own.  • 39:40 Community means carrying each other’s burdens.  Join our free online community to continue the conversation and to enter to win the More than Mindful Bible Study: www.theturquoisetablecommunity.com  Find Kat’s bible studies on her website: https://www.k

In today’s episode of The Turquoise Table, host Kristin Schell has an inspiring conversation with Rebekah Lyons, co-founder of Q Ideas, a nonprofit organization, and author; her newest book is Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose. During this episode, Kristin and Rebekah discuss how stress threatens our mental and physical health, and how to manage it in a holistic manner.  According to the American Institute of Stress, 77% of the population experiences physical symptoms associated with stress on a regular basis. This is the result of the loneliness epidemic, the false sense of connection in the digital age. These numbers are dismal, even at a first glance. But you can handle stress in a positive, efficient, and wholesome manner that gets you back into the rhythm God created for you. The way to do this is by following four pillars: rest, restore, connect, and create.  It is essential to remember that each of us is created for community. Being alone is not what God int

In today’s episode of The Turquoise Table, host Kristin Schell interviews Leslie Verner, who is sharing with us about hospitality and loving others well. Leslie recently published her book Invited: The Power of Hospitality in an Age of Loneliness, which dives into the epidemic of social isolation as a result of us lacking face-to-face interaction with one another. Leslie shares when she’s personally felt lonely in her life, specifically in life transitions, such as big moves across the country and her freshman year of college.   Links: Purchase Leslie Verner’s book: Invited: The Power of Hospitality in an Age of Loneliness   Join our FREE online community for: full show notes and links podcast episode discussion guide journal prompts Leslie's recipe for Family Style Stir Fry Beef   Join us: www.theturquoisetablecommunity.com   Connect with Leslie Verner Website: Scraping Raisins Twitter: @leslie_verner Instagram: @scraping_raisins Facebook: Scraping Raisins – Leslie Verner   Connect with Kristin: Twitter @k

In today’s episode of The Turquoise Table, host Kristin Schell interviews Kat Armstrong, an innovative ministry leader, a sought-after speaker, and the co-founder and executive director of Polished. Kat stewards the community of Polished, which is a network of young professional women who gather over a meal to discuss the intersection of work and faith. The diverse group of women discuss the hardships they are experiencing at work, as well as what they believe and how faith can be applied to their careers. Kat explains how she uses the Bible to inform her personal life, and how Jesus has prioritized for us what’s most important: loving God and loving others. Kat realized, through conversations and by looking inward, that many women want to give more of themselves to their communities and their faith, but they are scared. In her book, No More Holding Back, Kat uncovers the history of ideological gender bias around women not using their brains as much as men and being smaller or weaker. Theologically, any of th

Today kicks off the second season of The Turquoise Table, where we’ll be asking all our guests and you to answer this question:  What does community mean to you?  In today’s episode, host Kristin Schell interviews Emily P. Freeman, a writing mentor, teacher and friend.  Spoiler alert: Emily was at guest at the party Kristin bought the original picnic table for – before it became The Turquoise Table. Through her books and podcast, Emily helps ease the minds of weary decision makers and gives measured direction on taking next steps. Emily advocates for pondering holy longings and the power of silence, even when you feel called to live in community.  Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast wherever you are listening! Links: GIVEAWAY!! Head over to @kristinkschell on Instagram to enter the giveaway for a pair of Apple AirPods and Turquoise Table case. Giveaway ends 9/27 at midnight. Join our FREE online community to get full show notes, podcast discussion guide, journal prompts, and to continue to conve

Welcome to Season Two of The Turquoise Table Podcast. This is a special twelve-week season called The Case for Community. We're going to roll up our sleeves and dive in to answer this question: What Does Community Mean to You?  Think about that for a minute. How do you answer this question -- what does community mean to you? There are so many factors that affect the way we live and grow in community. And, we’re going to cover as many of them as we can. We’re going to talk about the Loneliness Epidemic in America. We’re going to have a conversation about mental health and how it effects the way we approach community. We’re going to hear from guests about what it looks like to truly be vulnerable and how that translates to empathy. We’ll hear reoccurring themes like setting healthy boundaries in relationships and how in order to offer hospitality, we must also extend it to ourselves.  Over the course of the next twelve weeks I have the honor of talking to best-selling authors, bible scholars and teachers, commu

It’s the last 2018 episode of the Turquoise Table Podcast, and I’m in one of my favorite places: the kitchen! Today I’m whipping up a five-ingredient holiday appetizer, Cranberry Pistachio Gruyère Croutons, and thinking about all the wonderful guests we’ve had on the show this year. I’ve had the incredible opportunity to talk to thought makers, authors, experts and leaders who have had shared important lessons on hospitality and community, and how we can connect with the people in our neighborhoods. So today, we’re going to reflect on the wise words of a few guests we’ve had at the table, and how we can carry the lessons they have given us into the new year. (And don’t worry, I’m sharing that over-the-top delicious crouton recipe with you at the end of the show!)

We’re making Turquoise Table history today with our very first pop-up podcast! A few weeks ago, my hospitality partner-in-crime Susie Davis and I recorded a live podcast in my front yard with fifty friends and our special guest, Myquillyn Smith. And y’all, just a hint of what’s to come: this will be the first of many pop-up podcasts because we had so much fun! So if you don’t know Myquillyn, you’re going to fall in love very soon. She’s the brains behind The Nesting Place, a beautiful blog where she encourages women to create warm, inviting homes using what they have, wherever they are. Myquillyn just released her brand-new book Cozy Minimalist Home. And inspired by the book, Myquillyn answered questions from our live audience about how to create a cozy home with less stuff. Music to your ears, right? And be sure to stay till the end, where we dish on a yummy cider recipe you’ll want at all of your holiday parties.