190: Intentional Family Time: Transforming Meals into Moments of Learning and Love with Trillia Newbell
Trillia Newbell, the author of Celebrating Around the Table, unpacks the book’s themes of food, fellowship, and faith. Trillia shares how her family’s tradition of exploring different cultures through meals inspired her book. She highlights key figures like Elizabeth Freeman and Ruby Bridges, emphasizing courage and resilience. The conversation underscores the importance of intentional family time, even with simple meals, and the educational value of learning diverse histories. The episode concludes with encouragement for families to cultivate deeper connections and celebrate their unique stories through shared experiences.
In This Episode, You’ll Hear About:
- The importance of food, fellowship, and faith in celebrating cultural stories.
- Impact of cultural exploration on family dynamics and appreciation for diversity.
- Highlighting significant figures in Black Christian history, such as Elizabeth Freeman and Ruby Bridges.
- Discussion of courage, resilience, and faith as central themes in the stories.
- Encouragement for families to engage in meaningful conversations around the dinner table.
- Practical advice for simplifying family meals while prioritizing connection.
Resources Mentioned In The Episode:
- Celebrating Around the Table: Learning the Stories of Black Christians Through Readings, Fellowship, Food, and Faith
- trillianewbell.com
Journal Prompts For Self-Reflection:
- How has your faith or personal beliefs influenced the way you build family traditions or interact with others?
- Is there someone in history or in your personal life whose courage inspires you?
- How do you celebrate your cultural heritage? Are there traditions you would like to start or deepen with your family?
Discussion Questions For You As A Couple:
- How can we create intentional time to share meals or engage in meaningful discussions despite busy schedules?
- Are there historical figures or stories that have changed the way we view love, resilience, or community? How can we explore these together?
- What meal-related traditions do we cherish or want to create for our future family or gatherings?
- How do we want to teach future generations (or others in our circle) about love, empathy, and courage through our actions and stories?
- How can we use shared devotionals or discussions to grow together spiritually or intellectually?
Meet Trillia Newbell:
Trillia Newbell is the author of several books including, 52 Weeks in the Word, A Great Cloud of Witnesses, Sacred Endurance, If God is For Us, Fear and Faith, and the children’s books Creative God, Colorful Us, God’s Very Good Idea, and Jesus and the Gift of Friendship. She is the host of the podcast 52 Weeks in the Word and hosts the weekly radio program Living by Faith from Moody Radio. When she isn’t writing, she’s encouraging and supporting other writers as the Acquisitions and Editorial Director at Moody Publishers. Trillia is married to her best friend, Thern, and they reside with their two children near Nashville, TN where they enjoy hiking and eating lots of bbq.
