Barb Roose is a speaker and author who desires to see women experience the adventure of a faith-filled life and connect with their unique, God-given purpose. She has written multiple books and is passionate about seeing women live “beautifully strong and courageous” lives.

In this interview, Barb shares a bit about the joys and challenges she’s experienced, from the bliss of a weekly childhood meal at a burger restaurant to the pain of witnessing a loved one’s struggle with addiction. You’ll hear her thoughts on how the practice of fasting is what grounds her to face life’s challenges and how her most sacred spaces are the sky and the sidewalks of her historic neighborhood.

QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT

There’s much more to food than palate and preference. How does a go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind the web bio?

I grew up in a small town nestled between two Rust Belt industrial cities in Northeast Ohio. As a kid, the highlight of our week was making a trip to a burger restaurant across town. Not to be confused with a fast-food restaurant, this particular spot had a magical, glorious fixins bar — yes, I said fixins. Eating out was a luxury in those days, and my mother aimed to give us the maximum of luxurious experience. During the week, we made do with white bread and bologna. Yet on Friday nights, we experienced a different slice of life.

By the time Mom finished making over our burgers, the actual beef patty was lost amid the crispy lettuce and the slices of cheese, tomato and onion (that I would remove later). That fixins bar was open and free for anyone and everyone. We pulled up with no apologies. As a working-class Black family in the late 70s, it was the one day of the week when we could make life as big, lavish and wonderful as we wanted. It wasn’t until I was older that I understood the racism and prejudice pushing against my dad’s desire to provide for his wife and children. Maybe this is why he smiled as we kids struggled to fit those mega burgers into our mouths. Maybe this is why Mom fussed as ketchup stuck to our chins or the pickles slipped from our burgers. “Don’t y’all waste this food” was a familiar refrain.

We ate with the abundance that my parents dreamed that their kids could experience every day, not just at a burger restaurant on Friday. It wasn’t until I became a parent that I understood the joy of seeing my children carefree in a world that didn’t always care about them. I am grateful that my parents had those moments of joy and that they didn’t let life steal that joy from them.

QUESTION #2: REVEAL

We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests. So, what are yours? What so-called “nonspiritual” activities do you love and help you find spiritual renewal?

My sacred spaces are the sky and sidewalks in my historical Victorian neighborhood. I’ve lived in this urban time capsule for almost 30 years, and God has used the sky and the sidewalks to save my life for the past decade.

These days, we chuckle about mental-health walks, but they are life saving and sacred for me. As I walk, I’ve noticed the gifts in the sky and sidewalks that support my walk. The sidewalk connects me to the lives around me. It’s really easy to get in my own head. But these sidewalks connect the mansions in one part of my neighborhood with the impoverished homes blocks away. I am reminded that God has placed me here so that I experience both worlds and never lose the awareness of the full spectrum of humanity that Jesus died for and God loves.

The sky stretching over the sidewalks declares the glory of the Lord, as the Psalmist wrote. On the weary and hard days, I’m reminded that every step I take is under the care of a beautiful, loving and always present God who sees life from a perspective that I can’t.

Once I jumped out of an airplane at 10,000 feet, and when my parachute opened, I saw the world from up high. What seems so big to me isn’t big to God at all. The sacredness of the sky reminds me that God can handle my little life and take care of me better than I can.

QUESTION #3: CONFESS

Every superhero has a weakness. Every human, too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re broken and in this thing together. So what’s your kryptonite and how do you hide it?

My kryptonite has always been the secret belief that if I work hard enough and long enough, then I can control the end result and be successful in whatever I set out to do.

(Is it hot in here? I’m starting to sweat a little.)

In many ways, life supported my illusion. I’d worked hard and achieved my goals. There were some failures along the way, but I’d gotten up and figured things out.

More than a decade ago, a dark force emerged in my home that was unlike any other challenge or difficulty I’d faced. Addiction. Specifically, a loved one who was addicted.

I spent the first few years charging into the abyss of chaos swinging my sword of solutions, waving a dagger of threats. With my family’s future on the line, I set my sights on vanquishing the enemy and rescuing my loved one from Addiction’s snare.

However, Addiction is never thwarted by threats, reasoning, bargaining or begging. I tried it all. My efforts to control the evil force looked like bringing a squirt gun to a gunfight.

In January 2016, I hit the rock bottom that I’d always planned for that loved one to experience. At the bottom of my failed efforts and lack of control, God was there. I was finally willing to let him help.

It’s here that I prayed the following words that I still pray today: “God, I can’t. But You can. I will let You. Amen.”

In the end, my kryptonite didn’t kill me. My weakness led me to finally surrender to the One who had all the strength and power that I needed.

QUESTION #4: FIRE UP

Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your obsession? And why should it be ours?

My passion is equipping women to live beautifully strong and courageous in spite of their fears because I believe that God has a great adventure of faith and purpose for their lives.

This personal mission statement springs from my belief that God is with us, he is for us, and he will never fail us. I long for every woman who I connect with to understand that truth for themselves.

For the past ten years, God’s assignment for me has been as speaker and Bible teacher at women’s conferences and leadership events. I’ve spent my entire life in front of groups of people, so it’s not being in front of people that excites me — it’s being in front of a big group of people when we all open up God’s Word together!

When I’m not on the road speaking, I write books and Bible studies. I never saw that coming even though I dreamed about writing books as a kid. I dreamed about writing books like some kids dream about being astronauts. I never thought that it would happen. Yet, back in 2013, God took a dark season in my life and planted the seeds of my traditional publishing career in the soil of tears and uncertainty. Since my first book was published in 2015, I’ve written six traditionally published Bible studies and four books, most recently “Stronger Than Stress: 10 Spiritual Practices to Win the Battle of Overwhelm.”

People who love Jesus, love Bible study and dare to believe that God has more for them because his Spirit lives within them enjoy my Jesus-centric, scripture-rich talks, social media content, books and Bible studies.

QUESTION #5: BOOST

Cashiers, CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it’s God when it happens?

I grew up in a legalistic church environment where striving for God was expected, and if you didn’t feel a little guilt at all times, then you weren’t doing the Christian life right.

While I learned about Jesus at an early age, my particular personality bent and legalistic upbringing turned me into a spectacular Pharisee — one who was pretty impressed with her self-righteousness while finding fast reasons to find fault with others.

About the time when I finally realized that burnout wasn’t a good look for me, I had to confront the underlying reasons for my control issues. Much was tied to my thinking that my top-notch performance in life was necessary please God.

This errant belief kept me on the religious hamster wheel of doing more and left little to no room for the Holy Spirit to speak, guide, correct or lead.

The aha moment came as I began engaging in spiritual practices like fasting, sabbath and spiritual self-care. As I performed for God less, my eyes began to open to how the Spirit was doing more. One of the earliest blessings was that I sensed God’s love more instead of feeling guilt. From the security of God’s love, I noticed the Spirit changing my thoughts, my reactions and my passions. I became more patient with my Christian life, and the pressure to perform began to die down.

Instead of striving, I now find satisfaction in seeking God’s Spirit and in the joy of receiving God’s grace and love.

QUESTION #6: inspire

Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied actions that open our hearts to the presence of God. So spill it, which spiritual practice is workin’ best for you right now?

I love this question since my most recent book is about spiritual practices!

I wrote about surrender, which is a cornerstone spiritual practice for me. Another formative practice has been fasting. While I’m not a foodie or fancy-food lover, emotional eating is an easy go-to stress reliever for me. The problem is that emotional eating is a poor problem solver for my spiritual struggles.

The spiritual practice of fasting requires me to give up something that I love (regular meals) for God’s holy good in my life. Patience is tough for me. Control is easy for me. Fasting is an invitation to help me stretch my self-control muscle so that I can release my will and my desire for control over to God.

Years ago, I keynoted at an event where the afternoon speaker talked about “training for adversity.” Each morning, he performed 300 burpees and took a cold shower. None of us want to do that — ever. But he was challenging himself each morning to convey to his mind and spirit that he could handle tough challenges that pop up during the day.

That’s what fasting does for me. This practice trains me for the mental and spiritual challenges that I face each day. My weekly fast begins on Tuesday night and lasts through Thursday morning. I’ve fasted through years of alcohol addiction in my family, parenting challenges, a long and sad divorce and writing eleven books in nine years.

God has used this practice to increase my patience muscle, my trusting-in-God muscle, and my stamina to face stress and lean into God’s peace.

QUESTION #7: FOCUS

Our email subscribers get free ebooks featuring our favorite resources — lots of things that have truly impacted our faith lives. But you know about some really great stuff, too. What are some resources that have impacted you?

Goodness. There are so many that I want to choose from — ugh! I have to thank my former mentor and founding senior pastor, Lee Powell. He left the marketplace to plant a church with 25 people back in 1995. Years later, I joined our church’s staff team, and he saw something in me that prompted him to invite a young 30-ish African-American woman to be on the management and teaching team of one of America’s fastest-growing churches at the time. Lee made sure that I had access to the best leadership resources and was equipped by top leaders. I will always be grateful.

1. “The 6 Types of Working Genius” by Patrick Lencoini.

As a huge fan of the Leadership Summit, I’ve watched Patrick for almost twenty years as he’s made appearances at the event. More than I love the unpredictability of what he might say, I love that so many of his books have impacted my life. Most recently, “Working Genius” revolutionized how I manage my workflow according to how I’m wired. Knowing my working geniuses, competencies and frustrations now helps me to plan my work and know in advance when I’m going to run into pitfalls and coach myself through them.

2. “Right Color, Wrong Culture” by Bryan Loritts.

As an African-American woman who has spoken and led in white church culture, I appreciate how Loritts created an easy-to-understand rubric for how churches can better aim for diversity in a way that is authentic and not forced.

3. Women’s Bible studies. I love women’s Bible studies! When I think about who has journeyed with me most in my spiritual development, it is the women who’ve crafted scripture-intensive resources that help me focus on my walk with Jesus.

We all have things we cling to to survive (or thrive) in tough times. Name one resource you’ve found indispensable in this current season — and tell us what it's done for you.

In this current season, I’m working on launching two books, preparing for another Bible study launch in 2025 and gearing up for speaking season.

The resource that I’m savoring this season is sabbath. Yes, it’s what I call my weekly shut-down day. I’ve practiced sabbath for more than ten years, and I find that every single week I need it.

I know that it’s not a standard resource, but this practice is what allows me to let my brain rest, my creativity restock and my spirit discern what God’s Spirit may be whispering to me.

Lately during sabbath, I’ve listened to a variety of playlists on Spotify. I have one in particular that I share with my Happy Monday Devotional audience titled God of Abundance. I made this playlist one week when I needed the soothing rhythm of worship. When I made the playlist public, it was fun how other women added their favorite songs, too.

I’m also reading a devotional by my friend and best-selling author Tessa Afshar called “The Rested Soul.” It’s good sabbath reading for my heart.

QUESTION #8: dream

God is continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?

With two books about to launch and a third launching within the next year, I’m celebrating what God is doing right now in my life. My heart is filled with gratitude, and I look forward to being a faithful steward of what is in my hand.

When it comes to dreaming about the future, there are a few book ideas mingling in the background of my mind. I love the idea of writing a 365-day devotional, which requires a different type of writing style than my trade books and Bible studies.

However, it’s my personal life where most of my dreams live right now. I’ve wholeheartedly embraced God’s assignment the past two years to devote to writing three books. It has required me to set aside some personal dreams and instead hold them in prayer for God’s timing. That’s where my heart longings are these days. So we’ll see….

Barb confesses her kryptonite is the belief that with enough hard work, she can control the outcome of her circumstances. This desire for control is something that many of us wrestle with daily. Barb shares a powerful lesson she’s learned about this particular weakness: it led her to the strength and power of surrender to the One who has the ability to move mountains. Barb shares with us a simple but weighty prayer: “God, I can’t. But You can. I will let You. Amen.” Are you struggling to control the outcome of certain situations in your own life? What is God inviting you to surrender to him today?

Barb Roose