Are You Thick-skinned and Independent But Need Help?

Tez Brooks is a multiple award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter, journalist, and author who understands the pain of sexual abuse, bullying in middle school, and then unfaithfulness and divorce.

As a former law enforcement officer and police chaplain Tez knows that the stressful position of first responders is often scary, unpredictable, and infuriating. Where do you go to refresh and refocus when the world expects you to be thick-skinned and independent?

As a multiple award-winning author, filmmaker, and international speaker, Tez Brooks’ work appears in Guideposts, Power for Living, The Upper Room, CBN.com, Clubhouse, Focus on the Family, Cru.org and more. His editorials are featured regularly and seen by over 30k readers each month. He is the president of two chapters for Word Weavers International.

First responders have one of the highest percentages of addiction, divorce, and suicide. As a police chaplain, Tez experienced the trauma of first responders and the need for hope. Tez' story is an encouragement for anyone and especially those who work as first responders. 

Debriefing: Meditations of Hope for Those Who Protect and Serve is a collection of real-life experiences helping cops, correction officers, chaplains, and others to see God’s hand in all they do, so they can better understand His loving care for those working the challenging and dangerous job of first responder.

It’s time to debrief.

The stressful position of first responders is often scary, unpredictable, and infuriating. Where do you go to refresh and refocus when the world expects you to be thick-skinned and independent? It can be difficult to balance your physical, emotional, and spiritual health, along with your social and family life, as you focus on your role to protect the public. It’s easy to forget the bigger purpose God has for you.

Conventional wisdom holds that fathers have few parenting skills and that mothers always know best. The single father is often considered a mythical creature, found only in sitcoms as an object of humor or pity. Where does that leave real single dads? Too often, it makes them susceptible to overcompensation or apathy. 

Tez Brooks knows those feelings all too well. He's traveled that road with his own children after an unexpected divorce. The Single Dad Detour is the result of his journey and the lessons he learned along the way. It is a guidebook for the rocky road of single fatherhood, extending encouragement, confidence, and challenges, using specific examples from dads who have survived parenting and have hope to offer. 

There are no unreachable requirements for perfect fatherhood here and no twisty theological mysteries - just authentic, down-to-earth wisdom from one dad to another.

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How Do I Cope with the Guilt of Working Mom Burnout?

Have you – or someone you know – had ‘working mother’ burnout? 

Dr. Susan Landers is a neonatologist who worked full-time in the NICU for over 30 years and raised three children. She achieved many academic and professional accomplishments, and she encountered challenges along the way, both in her career and in her mothering.

She achieved many academic and professional accomplishments, and she encountered challenges along the way, both in her career and in her mothering. Susan suffered through one difficult period during her midlife, after the birth of her third child, that propelled her to make specific choices and a career change.    

She loves to share stories that reassure younger mothers to know that they, too, can become  “good enough mothers” even if they work full-time. She supports mothers with her social media posts, her blog, and her newsletter.

Are you trying to be a "Super Mom" or a good mother? During her interview, Dr. Landers shares how to identify and recover from working mother burnout:

Click here: Checklist for Working Moms

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So Many Babies describes one overworked physician-mother as she journeys through medicine and motherhood raising three children.

While practicing medicine in the NICU full time for over thirty years, Susan Landers, MD met and managed many trials raising her three children, trials typical for many working mothers, such as breastfeeding, sibling rivalry, bedwetting, dyslexia, a gifted child, ADHD, a dog bite, and an adolescent eating disorder. The challenges of full-time practice and many twenty-four-hour shifts in the high-stress NICU always complicated issues with Susan’s children but also provided her the privilege of caring for thousands of critically ill newborn infants.

Susan always felt that her career and accomplishments in medicine were equally as rewarding as raising three children. It was the constant attempt to balance these two worlds – physician and mother - that was so daunting a task. Susan believes that most, if not all, working mothers are similarly challenged as they attempt to manage their work and being a good mother. So Many Babies describes Susan’s experiences of finding resilience and endurance throughout her career as a physician and mother. It is an entertaining and reassuring story for working mothers.

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Are You Feeling Stuck, Overweight, or Burnt Out and Want to Give Up?

Byron Morrison was stuck, overweight, burnt out, and in a job that was killing him. He was lost and HE was the biggest stumbling block in the way of success.

Why do most people never achieve their goals, why do we sabotage ourselves? What does it really take to get out of your own way and take control of your life?

Have you felt that way? You do not want to miss Byron’s interview today.

You are One Decision Away From A Different Life

After years of being his own worst enemy, Byron Morrison knows exactly how frustrating the never-ending cycle of hard work, expectation, and minimal results can be. Maybe You Should Give Up is Morrison’s answer to the question: how can anyone achieve their dreams if hard work isn’t enough?

It seems like every self-help book and personal development program is the same these days, preaching that if someone just does more and pushes harder, they can achieve the life of their dreams. This expectation doesn’t often work with long-term results, which leaves many people to face the unfortunate reality of never reaching their goals.

Why? Because despite their good intentions, they get in their own way, sabotaging themselves and becoming the biggest stumbling block in the way of their success.

Tired of going ‘round in circles, Byron Morrison realized he needed to do something different. He gave up—not on his goals and dreams, accepting a life of mediocrity lying on the couch—but on being controlled by fear. He gave up living in the past. He gave up comparing himself to others. He gave up on being so hard on himself. And he gave up putting off his happiness.

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And it worked. He was able to get out of his own way and finally take control of his life.

Maybe You Should Give Up explains how to throw out the rule book, break the mold and do something different. Byron Morrison’s approach helps readers identify seven areas of their life that cause them to get in their own way and keep them stuck in a self-destructive cycle; he models how to give up on what holds a person back—to finally take control of the life they want and deserve.

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Do You Feel Invisible, Unnoticed? Of Little Value to Others?

Have you felt lonely? Left out? Less than?  Have you ever wanted to blend in with the wallpaper so you were not noticed? Do you know how to connect with other people who fill your heart rather than drain your soul?

If yes to any of these questions - Then you will relate with Cheri Strange who turned that loneliness into helping over 700,000 women redefine their worth.

Cheri is a published author, national speaker, a visionary of She Yearns Ministries and a mom to eight children.

Everyone wants to belong and feel loved. But what happens when we get passed over, left out, or seem invisible? How do you make new friends, navigate drama, and enjoy authentic connections?

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Start enjoying the woman God created you to be and leave the invisible you behind

What Cheri thought was a problem for her is currently impacting half the population and on some points, a  majority. Her journey which spans a decade, will give you a plan to save yourself from detours, derailments, and missteps.

Cheri shares some exciting ways to help you realize your self-worth, thrive in your community and enhance the world around you. 

Can You See Me Now? reveals how you were handpicked by God to express love, thrive in the community, and enhance the world around you. Cheri Strange’s scriptural approach combined with captivating stories will show you how to:

• Cultivate the courage to connect with others
• Find people who fill your heart rather than drain your soul
• Counter the nay-sayers who prefer you remain quiet
• Kiss goodbye to the old tendencies to blend into the wallpaper

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How Could A Father be Transformed by the Life of a Child?

As a parent, how would you respond when told that your young son had severe hearing loss along with other symptoms eliminating his quality of life?

When Jeff Seitzer was younger, he thought he was struck with bad luck. He had encephalitis at age four leaving him with major residual effects. At ten years old he was in an accident that left him partially disabled and as a teenager was diagnosed with a congenital nerve disease that put him into leg braces. Did it stop there? No.

His son was born with major internal organ defects and severe hearing loss and was tragically killed in an accident. 

Later in life, he began to see how responding to such life challenges helped him grow as a person. Hyperactivity from encephalitis prompted him to be very active, which made him not prone to depression despite many life setbacks. The mental and physical disciplines he developed in response to encephalitis and the degenerative condition helped him not only achieve a lot personally and professionally but made him an effective caregiver for his son's special needs.

As a caregiver and stay-at-home dad, Jeff learned how to put others' needs ahead of his own. Accounts of Jeff's on-the-job training as a caregiver and stay-at-home dad have appeared in the Omaha World-Herald, Adoptive Families Magazine, and many others.

As an award-winning teacher, he has authored a number of books on law and philosophy and now teaches at Roosevelt and Loyola Universities.

His interview is compelling, heart-warming (and heart-wrenching), and encouraging for anyone who has been a caregiver.

"Our son Ethan and I shared a special moment just before he underwent emergency surgery as a newborn. Standing at his bedside, feeling helpless, I prattled on about some issue in German philosophy while he held one of my fingers tightly in his only free hand.  

When someone arrived to conduct a preoperative test on his heart, I stepped out for a moment but was called back almost immediately. Ethan had become so agitated, they could not continue. He calmed right down again when I placed my finger in his wee hand and resumed my monologue. At that moment, I felt like he had chosen me to take care of him. I will be forever grateful to him that in my hour of need, he chose me."

 

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Compassionate new memoir proves kids are our best teachers

Stay-at-home dad shares the powerful story of how

his special needs son changed his outlook on life – for the better

A self-involved academic struggling to cope with his own neurological problems, Jeff could hardly take care of himself, let alone a child with special needs, when his son, Ethan, was born. But despite multiple surgeries, hospitalizations, serious breathing and swallowing problems, hearing loss, and a challenging social environment in his first months of life, Ethan thrived—all the while teaching Jeff to take things as they came. And eight years later, the arrival from China of adopted baby sister Penelope took Jeff's on-the-job training to a whole new level.

Ethan's instinct for fun proved the perfect complement to Jeff's determination to live life fully. He died too young, but not before he, Penelope, and their mother, Janet, taught Jeff that the true path to happiness was putting other people's needs before his own—and living in the moment rather than trying to control it.

“About coping, self-sacrifice, and loss, The Fun Master is a moving memoir by a father who was transformed by his love for his child” –Foreword Clarion Reviews

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Would You Like To Be a Skilled Leader?

"Stop Trying to Win the War in Your Mind

Just Do Your Job!"

In his wildest dreams, Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Bradley P. Jones never thought he would make a career out of the military. Through the setbacks, the disappointments, and the trials, there were many life-changing moments, including the death of his first wife when he was 37 years old and had 3 young children.

Bradley P. Jones (Command Sergeant Major) enlisted in the United States Army in 1984 and served until 1988 as a ground control approach radar repairman. Upon completion of his initial enlistment and a break in service, he joined the Utah Army National Guard in 1993.

His military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal (3 Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal (2nd Award), Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with “M” Device), Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (3 Oak Leaf Clusters), and the Master Aviation Crewmember badge.

In Bradley’s civilian career, he works for the FAA as an Airway Transportation System Specialist (ATSS) in the Service Operations Center (SOC) of the Salt Lake Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC).

In Bradley's interview, he shares his incredible story and what he learned in the military about leadership that we can apply to all areas of our lives.

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There was something about serving his country that constantly called to Bradley through his missionary service in South America and into his university studies. A calling Bradley finally succumbed to, reenlisting back into an AH-64 Apache helicopter battalion near the university. From there, his service led to a career he loved working on Apaches as a full-time federal employee while starting a family with his wife as a newlywed. 

While serving in Kuwait on September 11, 2001, his life and career, along with everyone in uniform, changed along with the rest of the country. From there, his career trajectory seemed to him to be predetermined, finally culminating in his appointment to serve his beloved fellow soldiers as the top enlisted member in the battalion. 

In Treading the Deep, Bradley’s humor and faith-promoting experiences restore listeners' beliefs in the tenacity of the human spirit and its ability to ultimately overcome, no matter the trials or circumstances

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Do You Know How to Overcome the Pain of Abuse?

Divorced after 28 years of marriage Dawn Damon lost everything, her job, friends, identity, and social status.

It was painful. She felt helpless, but not hopeless.

Dawn has been an influencer, pastor, global communicator, podcaster, coach, and best-selling author for over 20 years. She is the founder and CEO of the Brave Hearted Woman, a transformational coaching and personal growth development enterprise designed to awaken and cultivate the vision of women dreamers, calling them to braven-up and live their best lives. 

Dawn has always been a hope believer and is now a Brave Heart Mentor. Dawn is the creator and host of The Brave Hearted Woman, a weekly podcast that encourages women to unleash their full potential to the world by discovering their inner fortitude to make needed life transformations - to live a fulfilling life without regret.

She has authored five award-winning books including When a Woman You Love Was Abused and When the Woman Abused was Me.

Dawn became an ordained minister with a special emphasis on trauma support and biblical counseling. She developed and worked as Director of Support and Healing Groups in a mega church, serving hundreds of women overcoming abuse and trauma.

In her interview, Dawn explains what thought toxins are and how we can change our mindset from victim to victor and live a life with hope that never fades.

 

  You have carried scars long enough. It is time to shed the layers of pain that hold you captive and find freedom and healing. In When the Woman Abused Was You, author, pastor, and survivor Dawn Scott Damon openly shares her own abuse experience and serves as a guide to help you make your way through the arduous healing journey.

With raw and honest transparency, Dawn helps you take the necessary steps that will lead you to your own powerful breakthrough and personal healing encounter.

Experience new freedom you never thought possible. The journey may be difficult—even exhausting—but you’ll find reward and fulfillment as you transform into a confident, fulfilled, and overcoming woman.

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that 80 percent of childhood abuse victims later suffer from at least one abuse-induced psychological disorder. It’s proven that the effects of childhood abuse follow women into adulthood. Yet few men are prepared to deal with those effects, even when their own wife is the one who is suffering. And their wife’s suffering becomes their own suffering as their needs aren’t being met by a wife who is powerless to control her inner turmoil.

Offering hope for a healthy marriage relationship, When a Woman You Love Was Abused answers the questions men have and offers the advice they need to help their wives finally find peace.

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Be free from toxic mindsets, destructive patterns of behavior, and lies that keep you bound.

The truth behind seven little words changed Dawn Scott Damon's life when she heard a man from a small country church sing "I am who He says I am!" Her life was transformed as she began to believe what God's Word says about who she is in Christ, and she started her journey out of betrayal, abandonment, and deception.

She shares compelling truths in a sixty-day interactive Bible study that identifies and confronts eight cords that keep many believers bound. These practical and powerful biblical tools are designed to give you a new mindset, a fresh beginning, and a clear direction for a positive future.

Take the Freedom Challenge and become an active participant in your own emotional and spiritual transformation. 

Thought-provoking questions, journaling space, confessions, and affirmations are included to help guide you toward freedom.

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Do You Know Why it is Necessary to Set Healthy Boundaries?

ARE YOU A SPITFIRE WHO REFUSES TO QUIT?

 

When Stephanie Jordan’s husband passed away in December 2014, she had an eight-month-old, a two-year-old, a seven-year-old, a nine-year-old, and a thirteen-year-old whose lives went into chaos.

Together with her loss, she homeschooled and owned a large salon company. She was totally traumatized and felt as though she did not possess a brain cell for nearly a year and a half. She struggled with suicidal thoughts and to keep her life intact because she was completely overwhelmed and absolutely devastated. 

Stephanie is an author, publisher, and cosmetologist who rides a Harley Davidson Sportster 48 (1200) and has learned that the key to survival is setting boundaries.

If you don't have the time...

If you don't have the energy...

If you don't have the money...

SAY "NO"

And S T O P feeling guilty!

In her interview, Stephanie shares her story and the tools for setting healthy boundaries in every area of your life to help you survive any trauma and thrive:

 

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Set boundaries and set yourself free!
Do you leave family gatherings frustrated?
Do you have volatile conversations on social media about modern issues and just wish you could get away?

Stephanie Jordan helps you to understand and establish boundaries so you can have healthier relationship experiences. Understanding is the beginning of wisdom, and Stephanie explains with real-life examples how boundaries can be helpful or how a lack of boundaries can be harmful to relationships.

Believing in Boundaries urges you to set and hold your boundaries to make every relationship healthier.

Believing in Boundaries lays the foundation for the pursuit of boundaries in every area of your life.

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