My Side of 50
  • Podcast
    • Podcast

      Episode 6 | The Midlife Pivot with…

      October 25, 2021

      Podcast

      Episode 5 | Weathering Life’s Storms with…

      October 17, 2021

      Podcast

      Episode 4 | Building a Good Relationship…

      October 11, 2021

      Podcast

      Episode 3 | Getting Unstuck in the…

      October 4, 2021

      Podcast

      Episode 2 | Stepping Into Purpose After…

      September 27, 2021

  • Blog
    • Blog

      What to Wear to a Funeral 2022

      November 2, 2022

      Blog

      Beautiful Faux Leather Pieces to Add to…

      October 24, 2022

      Blog

      Best Fashion Finds for Women over 50…

      October 10, 2022

      Blog

      Favorite Fall Outfits 2022

      October 5, 2022

      Blog

      Casual Fall Dresses for Women

      September 27, 2022

  • About
  • Contact
  • Disclosures and Privacy

My Side of 50

  • Podcast
    • Podcast

      Episode 6 | The Midlife Pivot with…

      October 25, 2021

      Podcast

      Episode 5 | Weathering Life’s Storms with…

      October 17, 2021

      Podcast

      Episode 4 | Building a Good Relationship…

      October 11, 2021

      Podcast

      Episode 3 | Getting Unstuck in the…

      October 4, 2021

      Podcast

      Episode 2 | Stepping Into Purpose After…

      September 27, 2021

  • Blog
    • Blog

      What to Wear to a Funeral 2022

      November 2, 2022

      Blog

      Beautiful Faux Leather Pieces to Add to…

      October 24, 2022

      Blog

      Best Fashion Finds for Women over 50…

      October 10, 2022

      Blog

      Favorite Fall Outfits 2022

      October 5, 2022

      Blog

      Casual Fall Dresses for Women

      September 27, 2022

Tag

My Side of 50 Podcast

My Side of 50 Podcast | Podcast for Women Over 50 | Episode 5 |Weathering Life's Storms | Brenda McDearmon | texasoverfifty.com | job loss motivation | job loss surviving | job loss encouragement
Podcast

Episode 5 | Weathering Life’s Storms with Brenda McDearmon

Brenda McDearmon is a native Texan and empty nester who enjoys Uptown Dallas apartment life with her husband of 40 years, Mike.

Brenda has been my “online” friend for a while and this summer I actually got to meet her in person when I visited Dallas for a conference.

When you follow her blog, Texas Over Fifty and her Instagram account by the same name, you can’t help but see her approach to life which she describes as one of purposeful spirit and intentional adventure.

She is the author of The Big Hunker Down: 7 Take-Cover Strategies to Weather the Storm of Job Loss and Keep Your Destiny out of the Bar Ditch.

In this episode, we talk about weathering the storms in our lives. In her case, she and Mike have weathered the storm of job loss several times in their 40 years together.

No matter what storms we face, Brenda’s analogy of what you need to do to “hunker down” in a storm will resonate with you.

 

What does “hunker down” mean when weathering life’s storms?

  •  Crouching down or taking cover or attention to a certain task or idea . Hunker down place of safety.

 

  • Safe place for you to weather a storm or difficulty.

 

  • A place of focused attention to get you through the storm.

 

Weathering Life’s Storms | Job Loss

Brenda and Mike sailed through the first 18 years of marriage with Mike on the fast track up the corporate ladder.

Words like down-sizing and corporate merger were not part of their vocabulary.

After all, their parents had worked for the same companies their whole lives and retired with pensions.

When Mike lost his job as the result of a corporate merger, they had a young family with 3 children. It was difficult and scary, but God worked it out.

Little did they know, they would experience this same scenario 3 more times.

Every time that God has taken us through the storm, we’ve hunkered down, made it through and come out with something better in many ways.

 

Ways to Hunker Down When Weathering Life’s Storms

 

  • Allow yourself to grieve.

 

  • Accept the things you cannot change. Don’t dwell on “I should have” or “what if” scenarios.

 

  • Hash it out with someone you trust for a set amount of time.  During the job loss seasons, Brenda and Mike would set aside a certain amount of time every day to hash out the what ifs, pain, anger and disappointment.  After that, they wouldn’t discuss it again and focus the rest of their time on moving forward.

 

 Every test is part of our testimony and so accepting what you can’t change is living in anticipation of the end and what testimony you’ll have when it’s over. 

 

  • Have a mindset of expectation and expect God to do big things.

 

  • Learn how to pray big prayers.

 

  • Let your thoughts, prayers and speech reflect that God is going to do big things.

 

  • Recite scripture out loud. Mike and Brenda would do this every day on their walks.

 

  • Use tools that will keep your mind right and focused on the Lord – books, podcasts, sermons, who you talk to.

 

  • Start every day with the Word of God.

 

  • Plan the party – even while you are waiting. Something you are going to buy or do that will help you remember this season and how God world it out.

Brenda said “It’s exciting to look back and see how God worked out each situation”

 

Working with God in building our faith does take time and it’s always worth it when we look back.

 

Texas Over 50 Blog

Texas Over 50 on Instagram

Book: The Big Hunker Down: 7 Take-Cover Strategies to Weather the Storm of Job Loss and Keep Your Destiny out of the Bar Ditch.

You may also like:

Stepping into Purpose After Pain with Anita Morris

My Side of 50 Podcast | Podcast for Women Over 50 | Episode 5 |Weathering Life's Storms | Brenda McDearmon | texasoverfifty.com | job loss motivation | job loss surviving | job loss encouragement

My Side of 50 Podcast | Podcast for Women Over 50 | Episode 5 |Weathering Life’s Storms | Brenda McDearmon | texasoverfifty.com | job loss motivation | job loss surviving | job loss encouragement

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Episode 5 | Weathering Life’s Storms with Brenda McDearmon was last modified: November 4th, 2021 by Cathy Lawdanski
October 17, 2021 0 comment
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
Podcast

Episode 1 | God’s Direction for the Empty Nest Years with Misty Phillip

Misty Phillip is the author of The Struggle is Real, But So Is God, founder of Spark Media Ventures and host of top rated podcast By His Grace.

In this episode, Misty talks about how she asked for God’s Direction for the Empty Nest Years after 20 years of homeschooling her 3 sons.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I will receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

 

Two Broken Arms

As Misty saw the empty nest years approaching, she began to think that she needed a new purpose after her homeschooling journey or she would drive her boys CRAZY.

Then she had a bicycle accident that resulted in two broken arms and a year of not being able to do anything for herself.

But in his kindness, God spoke his love over her and showed her that she was now the “older woman” with much wisdom to share with those coming up behind her.

God lead her to write The Struggle Is Real But So Is God Bible Study.

The Struggle is Real But So Is God

Each lesson in The Struggle is Real But So Is God takes a “hero” from the Bible, all of whom were far from perfect, and shows how God uses them.

Their problem was the same as ours – SIN.

But in this study, Misty shows us that:

  • Our battle is not with people but with principalities and wicked forces.
  • God has given us weapons and everything we need in his Word to fight these battles.
  • That even though life is messy and hard, God can still use us.

How to hear from God

Women often hear phrases like “God told me” or “I felt led to” and sometimes wonder “How did they know?”  I asked Misty how she would respond to a woman who wanted to hear from God.

  • Come in a posture of surrender
  • Pray
  • Journal
  • Ask
  • Come open-handed with your gifts and ask the Lord “How do you want me to use my gifts in THIS season?”
  • Wait for an answer
  • Take the first step in faith. He will show you the next step and pave the way after that. God rarely shows you the whole plan at once.

8 Scripture Prayers for New Direction – Free Download

By His Grace Podcast

Six months before the release of The Struggle Is Real But So Is God, Misty started her podcast By His Grace.

By His Grace is where Misty and her guests share about life’s challenges, and how God’s grace, hope and love changes everything.

When By His Grace launched, Misty fell in love with podcasting. God showed her the significance of Christian podcasting in this day and age.

When God’s Direction Requires a Pivot

I asked Misty if she had ever poured her heart and soul into something that she felt God had called her to do, only to be led in a different direction? The answer was “Oh, yes!”

Misty said, “After you’ve written a book, people start asking , when are you going to write another?”

Misty DID write a book. 40,000 words on a deeply personal topic. An agent was very interested and began working with her.  As the process proceeded, the agent asked Misty to make a number of changes that would make the  book more appealing to publishers. Things just weren’t working out.

Misty’s husband could see what this was doing to her and asked her why she would pour all this time into a book project that clearly wasn’t working out and take time away from her podcasting.

It was hard, but Misty dropped the book she had worked so hard on and focused on the By His Grace Podcast.

The Spark Christian Podcast Conference

Misty found herself at another crossroads. She went before the Lord again with that same question:

Where do my gifting and calling line up for THIS season?

Two of Misty’s gifts are the gift of hospitality and connecting people.

For several years she had hosted a Christian Women’s Mastermind Group in her home, connecting, teaching and encouraging people.

From there, God gave her the vision for the Spark Christian Podcasters conference.

It was a dream that the Lord gave her that was beyond what she could do in her own strength.

She had never hosted a big event like this.

It was a day by day journey of asking the Lord for the next step.

Misty came with her yes and God opened doors that only He could open.

She took the first step and God was faithful to guide her to the next one.

What is your practice that keeps you growing in your relationship with the Lord?

  • Practice surrender – “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me”. Luke 9:23
  • Start your day in The Word of God so that you know what it says and can use it as a weapon to go against everything that is coming against you.

8 Scripture Prayers for New Direction – Free Download

Links:

Website

By His Grace Podcast

Free Copy of the Spark Media Podcast Magazine

The Struggle Is Real But So Is God

Facebook

Instagram

God's Direction in the Empty Nest with Misty Phillip

Episode 1 | God’s Direction for the Empty Nest Years with Misty Phillip was last modified: October 7th, 2021 by Cathy Lawdanski
September 20, 2021 0 comment
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest

About Me

About Me

Cathy Lawdanski

My name is Cathy. I am an over 50 wife, mother and grandmother who is embracing new challenges and adventures that come from being on "this side" of 50. Join me on the journey!

My Side of 50 is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Sponsored

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

@2021 - My Side Of 50. All Rights Reserved.


Back To Top