You Don't Have to Make Summer Perfect: Letting Go of the Pressure to Make This the Best Summer Ever- Episode 86

Married, Single, Divorced: Living Fully at Every Relationship Status- Episode 92

Marital status can feel like a defining feature of our lives, but it doesn't have to be! Join me and some of my favorite guests (and yours!) as we talk about three different relationship angles: marriage, divorce, and singleness, and what it looks like to live fully in your season, regardless of your marital status. Whether you're healing from heartbreak, trusting God's timing, or building a life you love as a wife, this conversation is for you. LINKS Connect with Kayla on Instagram [https://instagram.com/kaylacookwrites] Episode 45: Building a Healthy Marriage with Tondra Gregory [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/building-a-healthy-marriage-with-tondra-gregory-episode-45/id1765529848?i=1000717291178] Connect with Tondra on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/tondragregory] Get your copy of Tondra's book, The Marriage Game Plan [https://a.co/d/0fQjQdh2] Episode 46: Finding Hope After Divorce with Melinda Olsen [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finding-hope-after-divorce-with-melinda-olsen-episode-46/id1765529848?i=1000718419414] Connect with Melinda on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/melindasolsen] Visit Melinda's website and find out more about post-divorce coaching [https://www.melindaolsen.com/] Episode 47: What Your Single Friends Wish You Knew with Aleigh Porter [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-your-single-friends-wish-you-knew-with-aleigh/id1765529848?i=1000719600002] Connect with Aleigh on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/aleigh.porter/] Check out Aleigh's podcast, The Best Changed Plans [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-changed-plans/id1715078338]

When You Wonder If God Is Kind- Episode 91

Kindness sounds simple enough...until it isn't. With honest thoughts on the times kindness is harder than it looks, what it means that love is kind, and trusting in the goodness of a God who doesn't always give us what we ask for, this episode will help you see how His kindness meets us, even in the middle of our questions. LINKS Visit Kayla's website (and become an email friend there!) [https://kaylamcook.com] Leave a review on Apple podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bitter-and-the-sweet-podcast/id1765529848] Connect with Kayla on Instagram [https://instagram.com/kaylacookwrites]

The Grace to be Patient When You've Been Patient Long Enough- Episode 90

If you've been patient and put in the time, but you're still waiting... If you're wondering if you should keep waiting or just move on... If you've watched other people get what you've spent years praying for... If you're trying to figure out if that twinge in your heart is jealousy or pain... If you're wondering why God has let {that} go on for so long... This episode is for you. LINKS Connect with Kayla on Instagram [https://instagram.com/kaylacookwrites] Connect with the show on Instagram [https://instagram.com/thebitterandthesweetpodcast] Become an email friend [https://emailfriends.kit.com] Visit Kayla's website [https://kaylamcook.com]

The Peace We Were Made For- Episode 89

In a culture fueled by outrage and fear, is it possible for us to have peace? With practical help for breaking anxious thought loops and living at peace with others without people-pleasing, this episode will help you remember the peace God offers isn't just possible; it's what we were created for. LINKS Leave a review on Apple podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bitter-and-the-sweet-podcast/id1765529848] Connect with Kayla on Instagram [https://instagram.com/kaylacookwrites] Connect with the show on Instagram [https://instagram.com/thebitterandthesweetpodcast] Become an email friend [https://emailfriends.kit.com] Visit Kayla's website [https://kaylamcook.com]

No Toxic Positivity: Joy That Doesn't Ignore Your Pain- Episode 88

One of the most important things to me in the making of this episode on joy was that it not become some Pollyanna, joy is all around us-type episode, full of platitudes and pretending. Here's the thing: I do believe that there's joy all around us. That's because in the presence of God, there is fullness of joy, and He's with us always, just like He said. But man, sometimes we're just SAD, aren't we? How do we embrace joy in every season, even (and maybe especially) when it is hard-won? Is joy available to us now, or something grown in us over time, or is it a someday thing we look forward to? What about when we're sad or grieving, and what about when we stay that way for a long time? Questions like there are what this episode is all about. LINKS Connect with Kayla on Instagram [https://instagram.com/kaylacookwrites] Connect with the show on Instagram [https://instagram.com/thebitterandthesweetpodcast] Become an email friend [https://emailfriends.kit.com] Visit Kayla's website [https://kaylamcook.com]