Becky Kopitzke is a freelance writer, speaker, singer, dreamer, lunch packer, snowman builder and recovering perfectionist. She lives with her handsome husband and their two young daughters in northeast Wisconsin, where a pink indoor trampoline fills half the once formal living room.
Becky believes parenting is one of God’s greatest tools for building our faith, character, and strength—and it’s not always pretty. On her blog, Time Out: Devotions for Moms, she offers weekly encouragement for fellow imperfect moms, pointing our weaknesses, blessings, and victories to God. Becky’s first book, The SuperMom Myth: Conquering the Dirty Villains of Motherhood (Shiloh Run Press), is now available at booksellers nationwide. Connect with Becky on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Dr. Garrett Higbee is executive director of Biblical Soul Care at Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago. He is also the executive director of the Biblical Counseling Coalition, and co-founder and former president of Twelve Stones Ministries.
Garrett has been involved in counseling for over 30 years. After a life-changing encounter with Christ in 1993, he left the field of psychology behind with a deep conviction that true heart change can only happen through biblical counsel and the sufficiency of the Scriptures. He has recently focused on developing healthy leadership cultures in the church and is a frequent speaker on counseling topics nationally. He has been privileged to author several chapters in books related to counseling and small groups including Counseling the Hard Cases, Christ-Centered Biblical Counseling and Scripture, and Counseling.
Garrett and his wife Tammy have three children (Rachel, Zachary, and Sarah Beth) and live outside Chicago, IL.
Karen Ehman is a New York Times bestselling author, Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker, and writer for Encouragement for Today an online devotional that reaches over 1 million women daily. She has authored ten books including KEEP IT SHUT: What to Say, How to Say It and When to Say Nothing at All. Her newest book and DVD Bible study, Listen, Love, Repeat: Other-Centered Living in a Self-Centered World, is full of ideas for scattering kindness to family, friends, strangers, and the “necessary people” who help you get life done each week such as teachers, the mail carrier, your hairstylist and more. Karen has been a guest on national media outlets including The 700 Club, FamilyLife with Dennis Rainey, Moody Midday Connection, and Focus on the Family. She is also a contributor to Crosswalk.com, Redbookmag.com, and LifeBeautiful.com. She has been married for over a quarter-century to her college sweetheart Todd and is the mom of three children ranging from teen to adult. She resides in central Michigan where she enjoys cheering for the Detroit Tigers and processing life with the many teens that gather around her kitchen island. Although she only has three biological children, at last count she was listed as “Mom” in the cell phones of seven different teenagers. You can connect with her at www.karenehman.com where she helps women to live their priorities and love their lives.
Alisha Carlson
Alisha, her three energetic elementary-aged boys, hubby, and guinea pig live in the suburbs of Chicago. When she’s not writing, enjoying an afternoon with friends, or redecorating their home, you’ll find her teaching a Zumba class or on an “adventure” with her family. Founder of Makeovers & Motherhood, Alisha’s focus is on encouraging moms to live their best life. You can connect with her, laugh with her, dig into hard truths together, be encouraged by God’s word, and mom hack the beautiful mess of motherhood together at makeoversandmotherhood.com or on Facebook!
Michael & Carlie Kercheval have been blissfully married since June 10, 2000. They are blessed with 3 precious children that Carlie has been homeschooling since their first child was born in 2001. They are the co-authors of the Learning to Speak Life Family Bible Study Guide. Together they founded Fulfilling Your Vows in obedience to the ministry God has placed in their hearts to promote biblical marriage.
Patrick Schwenk is a father, husband, pastor, and author of For Better or For Kids: A Vow to Love Your Spouse with Kids in the House, The Dig for Kids and The Warrior Weekend. Patrick and his wife Ruth are the founders of For the Family. They met while attending the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL, have been married for over twenty years and currently have four children ages ten to sixteen. They love serving in local church ministry as the lead pastor of the church plant, Refuge Church, spending time together as a family, reading, drinking lots of coffee, and resting in God’s grace.
Samantha Krieger
Samantha Krieger is a pastor’s wife and mom to four children, ten and under. She’s the author of Quiet Time: A 30-day Devotional Retreat for Moms in the Trenches. Her writing has appeared on The Today Show, Her View From Home, and TheCourage.com. She writes from rural Colorado and enjoys connecting with readers on her personal blog, Facebook and Instagram.
April Cao
April Lakata Cao is a writer and homeschool mom to five beautiful kids. She is a proud military wife, married to her best friend of twenty years, and cherishes her noisy and laughter-filled home. She is a devoted coffee drinker and book reader. Her passion to encourage moms was born out of her own struggle to navigate the ministry of motherhood in the midst of constant moves, combat deployments, infertility, and adoption. She has a heart for military families, especially those serving in the special operations and special warfare communities. April is a contributing author for “Faith Deployed…Again: a Selah Award winner, and offers daily encouragement on Facebook at A Well Done Life.
Jeffrey Dean
Jeffrey Dean is a radio host, family & student-culture expert, speaker, an ordained pastor, and author. As an authority on Generation Z and family culture, he has spoken to more than 4 million people throughout our nation’s churches, universities, conferences prisons, and public & private schools. Jeffrey serves as host of The Jeffrey Dean Show, a two-hour call-in radio show each Saturday night equipping families to be family strong. Jeffrey also serves as a contributing writer for Stand Firm Magazine, Horizon, Fusion, and The Brink, and his monthly column appears in Direction and Horizon Magazines. Through his messages, books, blog, podcast, and more, Jeffrey equips parents with the tools they need in order to be their kid’s hero. He also keeps a pulse on this generation to help students win in life! Connect with Jeffrey at www.jeffreydean.com.
Amber Collins
Brenda Yoder
Brenda Yoder is a speaker, author, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, and life coach whose passion is encouraging others when life doesn’t fit the storybook image. Brenda’s been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul books, the Washington Post, and For Every Mom. Brenda is also a former teacher and school counselor and was twice awarded the Touchstone Award for teachers. Her ministry and podcast, Life Beyond the Picket Fence, is found at brendayoder.com where she writes about faith, life, and family beyond the storybook image. Brenda is a wife and mom of four children, ranging from teens to adults, and lives on a farm in Indiana.