The Bounce Back: Rising Stronger After Life Knocks You Flat with Christina Custodio

When Life Has No Rhythm: Writing, Wiring, and Staying Connected

Amber and Lisa catch up over a casual Coffee Chat after a chaotic start to the morning and talk about how hard it can be to find rhythm when life feels nonstop. Lisa shares about juggling family responsibilities and caregiving, while Amber reflects on work, focus, and the challenge of making space for real in-person connection. They discuss their book and journal being available again after a long publishing process, and Amber’s upcoming #sisterhoodoftheshortyellowpencils” project, including the difficulty of finding her own voice, writing with faith in a welcoming way. 00:00 Morning Chaos Intro 01:00 Signals and Perseverance 01:51 Lisa Life Update 03:18 Birthdays and Snowstorm 04:28 Crochet Hats and Etsy 05:38 Books Back in Print 07:44 Amber New Book Journey 15:11 Faith and Being a Bridge 20:25 Finding Your Voice 23:25 Designing for Neurodivergence 25:16 Full Circle Story Connections 26:29 Daughter Moves to England 26:54 Career Stability Mindset 27:15 Surgery Recovery Reality 28:27 ADHD Work Mode 30:42 Protecting Real Connection 33:21 Social Media Toxic Spiral 35:14 Grandkids Autism Insights 40:39 Neurodivergence Vs Mental Health 44:57 Book Launch Fears And Faith 48:55 Prayer And Final Sendoff Thank you for taking the time to like, subscribe, share, and comment. Visit leadingladies.life to find out more. Also, follow @leadingladieslife on social. Amber & Lisa are authors of the multi-award-winning book, Leading Ladies: Discover Your God-Grown Strategy for Success, which dives into the power of community and empowering women of faith to rise up and make a difference, using our gifts and faith to shine brightly in the world. Watch the Facebook Live edition on our YouTube Channel @coffeechatladies .

Conceivable: One Woman’s Journey From Boardroom to Pulpit to Director’s Chair with Rev. Beth Caulfield

Amber and Lisa kick off the Daylight Savings “jump ahead” Coffee Chat with some Chiefs–Eagles banter before welcoming Rev. Beth Caulfield, whose story is full of unexpected turns God used on purpose. Beth shares how she pivoted from a broadcast journalism track into corporate HR at major companies, then stepped away to raise her family, live in Europe, and lead international Bible studies—work that later opened doors into prison ministry, a vivid dream calling her to seminary, and more than a decade of pastoring. She also helped form the Global Methodist Church and wrote “People Throw Rocks at Things That Shine.” Beth then explains how her late-in-life surprise pregnancy at 43 became the spark for her faith-based film “Conceivable,” a story that holds space for fear, doubt, medical pressure, and church judgment while calling people back to compassion and trust. The movie has worldwide distribution in progress and is expected to release widely in fall or early next year. Thank you for taking the time to like, subscribe, share, and comment. Visit leadingladies.life to find out more. Also, follow @leadingladieslife on social. Amber & Lisa are authors of the multi-award-winning book, Leading Ladies: Discover Your God-Grown Strategy for Success, which dives into the power of community and empowering women of faith to rise up and make a difference, using our gifts and faith to shine brightly in the world. Watch the Facebook Live edition on our YouTube Channel @coffeechatladies .

The Bounce Back: Rising Stronger After Life Knocks You Flat with Christina Custodio

In this edition of Coffee Chat, hosts Amber and Lisa welcome Christina Custodio, a professional photographer, author, and speaker, to share her powerful story of faith during a family crisis. Christina recounts the harrowing experience of her son Isaiah's sudden severe brain hemorrhage during football practice, the emergency surgery that saved his life, and their road to recovery. Through this ordeal, Christina discusses the depth of her reliance on God, the support of her community, and the lessons in faith, trust, and resilience that she and her family learned. This heartfelt conversation delves into the emotional, spiritual, and practical challenges of navigating a life-changing event while maintaining hope and joy. 00:00 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f003D8YYDuo] Welcome to Coffee Chat 00:07 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f003D8YYDuo&t=7s] Introducing Christina Custodio 00:58 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f003D8YYDuo&t=58s] Christina's Journey into Writing 02:06 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f003D8YYDuo&t=126s] A Mother's Worst Nightmare 06:38 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f003D8YYDuo&t=398s] The Miraculous Recovery 09:14 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f003D8YYDuo&t=554s] Life After the Surgery 10:28 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f003D8YYDuo&t=628s] Balancing Family and Faith 18:50 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f003D8YYDuo&t=1130s] The Impact on Siblings 20:30 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f003D8YYDuo&t=1230s] Supporting Each Other Through Difficult Times 21:09 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f003D8YYDuo&t=1269s] Finding Joy in Helping Others 22:49 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f003D8YYDuo&t=1369s] Lessons in Reliance on God 27:06 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f003D8YYDuo&t=1626s] The Power of Prayer and Letting Go 32:34 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f003D8YYDuo&t=1954s] Embracing Diversity and Unity in Faith 36:05 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f003D8YYDuo&t=2165s] The Role of Pain and Suffering in Spiritual Growth 37:29 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f003D8YYDuo&t=2249s] A Mother's Journey of Faith and Trust 39:53 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f003D8YYDuo&t=2393s] Seeking and Feeling God's Presence Thank you for taking the time to like, subscribe, share, and comment. Visit leadingladies.life to find out more. Also, follow @leadingladieslife on social. Amber & Lisa are authors of the multi-award-winning book, Leading Ladies: Discover Your God-Grown Strategy for Success, which dives into the power of community and empowering women of faith to rise up and make a difference, using our gifts and faith to shine brightly in the world. Watch the Facebook Live edition on our YouTube Channel @coffeechatladies .

Embracing the Simple Things of Homestead Living and Heirloom Faith with Maureen Miller

From Award-Winning Novels to Highland Cows: A Conversation About Simplicity, Heirlooms, and Faith with Maureen Miller Grab your favorite cup of coffee (or peppermint tea!) and settle in for this soul-stirring conversation with novelist and homesteader Maureen Miller, aka "the flower girl herself." Amber and Lisa dive deep with Maureen about her award-winning time-slip novel Gideon's Book, but this chat goes way beyond just talking books. We're talking highland cows (yes, really), geriatric farms, greenhouse disasters involving white flies, and why sometimes you just need to eat box mac and cheese even when you're a homesteader. From spinning wool with drop spindles to performing surgery on grandkids' stuffies, from the spiritual depth of farming to why handwritten notes still matter in our disposable world—this conversation will make you want to slow down, pull your grandma's china off the shelf, and remember what really matters. Fair warning: This episode might make you want to grow potatoes in your backyard, write more letters, and definitely think twice before grabbing those paper plates. And if you've ever wondered what it costs to raise a highland cow or why a Bible survived a tornado on a piano... well, you'll just have to listen. In this episode: * The 16-year journey to write Gideon's Book (including starting completely over!) * What homesteading really looks like (spoiler: it's not always Instagram-perfect) * Why we need to be better stewards of the heirlooms God has given us—both the stuff AND ourselves * Chiefs football, Taylor Swift speculation, and Leading Ladies 2.0 at Walmart! Come for the book talk, stay for the life-giving reminder that sometimes the simple things are the most sacred things. CHAPTER BREAKDOWN 00:00 - Welcome & Kansas City Chiefs Love The girls kick things off with that Flower Girl song, football banter, and why Kansas City lets famous people live normal lives (we're looking at you, Travis and Taylor) 04:00 - Big Announcements: Leading Ladies is at Walmart! Amber and Lisa share exciting news about Leading Ladies 2.0 hitting Barnes & Noble and Walmart—produce aisle book signings, anyone? 05:00 - Meet Maureen Miller: Award-Winning Novelist & Homesteader Introducing the magnetic flower girl herself and the incredible story behind her award-winning debut novel, Gideon's Book 06:00 - The 16-Year Journey: From Whisper to Published Novel How God whispered "the Bible by the bed" in 2007, why Maureen started completely over, and what it took to bring this time-slip story to life 08:00 - What is Gideon's Book Really About? Time slips, Gideon Bibles in hotel rooms, adoptive mothers, birth mothers, and a beautiful tribute to how God's Word transforms lives 11:00 - Homesteading During COVID: Finding Silver Linings What life looked like on Selah Farm during lockdown, walking the country roads, and choosing gratitude in hard seasons 14:00 - The Reality of Homesteading (It's Not All Instagram Perfect) Overgrown greenhouses, white fly infestations, and why Maureen calls it a "geriatric farm"—spoiler: she's doing something right! 18:00 - How Much Does a Highland Cow Cost, Anyway? The real talk about raising cattle, why Amber can't fit one in her quarter-acre, and why Maureen's daughter named cows after food 21:00 - The Rise of Modern Homesteading Why we're all trying to grow vegetables and collect chickens again, and what it means to be more self-sufficient 25:00 - When God Provides: From Supermarket to Seeds How homesteading reconnects us with God as creator and provider, and why we can't make anything grow on our own 27:00 - Skills Our Grandparents Knew (That We've Forgotten) From hay bale farming to the Thank you for taking the time to like, subscribe, share, and comment. Visit leadingladies.life to find out more. Also, follow @leadingladieslife on social. Amber & Lisa are authors of the multi-award-winning book, Leading Ladies: Discover Your God-Grown Strategy for Success, which dives into the power of community and empowering women of faith to rise up and make a difference, using our gifts and faith to shine brightly in the world. Watch the Facebook Live edition on our YouTube Channel @coffeechatladies .

How Do You Keep Going When You're Always Giving? Simple Rhythms to Help You Do the Hard Things

Life has been life'in, people, and we're back with a heart-to-heart that might just be the permission slip you've been waiting for. In this episode, Lisa opens up about the reality of being a firstborn daughter turned lifelong caregiver—from raising younger siblings in the seventies to caring for her mom through cancer and brain surgery, and now navigating her dad's recent health crisis. If you've ever felt guilty for needing rest, struggled to say no, or wondered why everyone else's emergency becomes your responsibility, this conversation is for you. Whether you're caring for aging parents, raising kids, managing chronic illness, or just trying to survive while being everyone's person, we hope this reminds you: God has broad shoulders for your burdens, and you don't have to carry it all alone. Pour yourself a cup of something warm and join us.  Thank you for taking the time to like, subscribe, share, and comment. Visit leadingladies.life to find out more. Also, follow @leadingladieslife on social. Amber & Lisa are authors of the multi-award-winning book, Leading Ladies: Discover Your God-Grown Strategy for Success, which dives into the power of community and empowering women of faith to rise up and make a difference, using our gifts and faith to shine brightly in the world. Watch the Facebook Live edition on our YouTube Channel @coffeechatladies .