Amy J. Bennett

Extraordinary Faith for Everyday Life

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Archives for March 2015

Feathers #005 with Amanda White [Podcast]

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In this episode, I chat with Amanda White.  Amanda is a stay-at-home mom of two who blogs at ohAmanda.com and is the author of Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands. In her former life, Amanda was a Children’s Pastor — overseeing, organizing and developing ministry for kids in nursery through middle school, but now that she is a mom, her “skills” are used up on her kids!

 

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In this episode Amanda and I open up the episode with a chat about The Sisterhood of the Traveling Belt.

Amanda then shares the story of how she began with a desire to minister to children and had plans to become a traveling evangelist. Through a series of events, Amanda began blogging. God led her to take a leap and create an Advent eBook called Truth in the Tinsel where it found lots of success.  When she then planned the launch of her Easter eBook, she faced and overcame fears in order to be obedient in the call to publish Sense of the Resurrection, an Easter experience for the whole family.

Click to Listen

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Listen and subscribe via iTunes | Stitcher

Connect with Amanda

Connect with Amanda on her blog ohAmanda.com, Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest

Links from the Episode

Share

I would love to connect more with you guys about the episode. Leave a comment here or we can chat about the episode on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

If you get a chance, please rate and review the episode on iTunes.  This *really* helps iTunes find us and most of all, helps spread this message of faith and hope.

Scripture

Let this be written for a future generation,
that a people not yet created may praise the Lord Psalm 102:18

 

Maybe success is measured bestBy nothing

NOTALL WHO WANDERARE LOST

“She turned to the sunlight    And shook

Feathers #004 with Jessica Leigh Hoover [Podcast]

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In this episode, I chat with Jessica Leigh Hoover.

Jessica Leigh Hoover is a wife, mama, writer and grace lover. Her family has a bit of wanderlust which has taken them all over the place including West Africa. Currently she is doing life in the hills of Western, North Carolina with her husband and 3 year old daughter. Her journey has been filled with loss, laughter and everything in between and she writes about it all on her blog JessicaLeighHoover.com

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In this episode Jess and I open up the episode with a chat about living in Charlotte and her new house.

Jess then shares the story of how her and husband were missionaries in West Africa three years ago. They came home before their term was up because Jess was pregnant. That sent them back into the professional world. After a year and a half in Charlotte they made a big leap to return to working with their sending agency stateside. After a year of raising financial support,  Jess’s husband was offered a job in his professional field again- completely out of the blue.

It was in this decision whether to remain with the agency or return to the professional field that God asked them to trust Him, even when the decision didn’t look like the presumed faithful thing to do. Jess shares how the story unfolded and the lessons they learned along the way.

Click to Listen

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Listen and subscribe via iTunes | Stitcher

Connect with Jess

Connect with Jess on her blog JessicaLeighHoover.com, Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest

Links from the Episode

Share

I would love to connect more with you guys about the episode. Leave a comment here or we can chat about the episode on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

If you get a chance, please rate and review the episode on iTunes.  This *really* helps iTunes find us and most of all, helps spread this message of faith and hope.

Scripture

 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    “therefore I will hope in him.”
 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
    to the soul who seeks him.

Lamentations 3:22-25

 

Sometimes God provides you in ways you (1)

NOTALL WHO WANDERARE LOST (5)

Feathers #003 with Crystal Stine [Podcast]

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In this episode, I chat with Crystal Stine.

Crystal is passionate about living authentically, chasing joy, and encouraging women to savor the season God has them in. She works full-time as the Editorial & Marketing Manager at (in)courage and shares encouragement at her blog, crystalstine.me.

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In this episode Crystal and I open up the episode with a chat about high school sweethearts, getting out for exercise and surviving cold weather.

Crystal then shares her blogging story and how years into it, God asked her to say no to many great opportunities that would continue to grow her platform and share the gospel.  She had to obey and trust that His plan for her was best.

Click to Listen

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Listen and subscribe via iTunes | Stitcher

Connect with Crystal

Connect with Crystal on her blog CrystalStine.me, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest

Links from the Episode

BONUS!

If you’re at all interested in creating social media graphics, Crystal and I spent some extra time after the interview chatting graphic design and Crystal has agreed to share that as a bonus for you here.

Click play below for all Crystal’s graphic design secrets (ok, at least some of them)

 

If you loved that, be sure to check out Crystal’s new FREE 30 day graphic design course she’s offering in April.

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I would love to connect more with you guys about the episode. Leave a comment here or we can chat about the episode on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

If you get a chance, please rate and review the episode on iTunes.  This *really* helps iTunes find us and most of all, helps spread this message of faith and hope.

Scripture

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? Luke 9:23-25

 

CrystalStineIG

Launch Week Wrap-Up

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daffodils

 

So we did it, guys! We launched Feathers!

Aside from iTunes being behind the ball a bit, there were ZERO issues. No major broken links, download problems or confusion.  I really thought I might be dealing with issues all week, but truthfully, it’s been one of the quietest weeks I’ve had in some time.

And here’s the best news: you guys are listening! I see the download numbers and I hear your feedback and you’re listening! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I hope it’s been a blessing for you as you’ve listened and I hope you’ve subscribed so you can keep listening.

Here are a few comments I’ve gotten:

“I so completely enjoyed the podcast!! I cannot wait until next week, it was excellent! Thank you for pursuing and sharing!!!!”

“Oh @bennettaj what a wonderful encouragement Episode 000 is. I can’t wait to listen to more and more.”

“It was awesome. I liked the conversational style.”

I’m not sharing to toot my horn, but to say, other people like it and I think you will too!

So I have a few more things to tell you because I want to be super clear.

The podcast IS in iTunes

Although it wasn’t there first thing Tuesday, you can now search iTunes either on your desktop or on the Podcast app on your Apple device for “Feathers” and you can subscribe.  You can also link directly over there.

Let me be really transparent for a minute and tell you iTunes is the preferred way. Why? If enough people start downloading it, rating, and reviewing it there, then it gets bumped up to this New & Noteworthy section where lots and lots more people might see it.

Please rate and review the podcast

If you’ve had a chance to listen to the podcast, please hop over to iTunes and leave a rating and a short review. This will really help!

There are THREE episodes available

Some people have seen episode 000, but didn’t realize there were two more episodes.  You can get my episode here, Jessie’s here and Kathy’s here.

I know that’s A LOT of time to spend. Don’t get too overwhelmed. Start with the quick 25 minutes intro episode and listen in spurts as you watch dishes, travel, do laundry, work out, garden.

I know it’s hard–even my sister and mom admit to not listening yet so if you haven’t, it’s OK! They’ll be there at the exact right time for you.

God has been so present with me this week

Earlier this week I started to go back down that path wanting everyone’s approval about this. I was in the shower and worrying about that pesky New & Noteworthy section in iTunes every podcaster tries to break into. I just felt the Lord whisper to me, “It doesn’t matter. I think you’re new and noteworthy. I am well-pleased.” It brings tears to my eyes thinking of it again. He is so gracious and loving to remind me that He is enough for me.

And then, last night my friend–the same one who brought me a feather from the Sea of Galilee–walked in our house for small group with a bouquet of hand-picked daffodils for me.  If you’ve listened to episode 002 with Kathy, you might remember a throw-away comment I made during the first of the podcast about spring beginning here and I thought daffodils were starting to bloom. It was a vulnerable moment for me because I felt, and maybe sounded like, I didn’t really know what I was talking about. I nearly cut it out of the episode completely, but felt like it was truthful–a lot of times I’m not sure of myself and don’t know what I’m talking about.

So, when I saw these flowers, I just really felt that through my friend’s kindness, the Lord was telling me that He’d listened and He’d heard and He’d seen me. Even in my weakest moments of this new venture, He still accepts me and loves me.

I mean, what are the chances she would know to do this this week with those exact flowers? She hasn’t even listened to the podcast yet, either.

Our pastor this week preached on John 3:16 and how God’s sacrifice of his son, and the Son’s sacrifice was a demonstration of His love.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

These flowers were another demonstration of His love for me–a wooing once again to Himself. Just like a man courting a woman would bring flowers, He presented them as an invitation to celebrate His work in me together with Him.

And so, as we finish out this launch week, I’m celebrating God’s faithfulness to help me bring this podcast to fruition, I’m celebrating your support to listen and I’m celebrating God’s love.

 

I’m so passionate for you all to experirence His love like this.  Chase after Him. Believe him. He’s waiting.

Feathers #002 with Kathy Schwanke [Podcast]

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In this episode, I chat with Kathy Schwanke.

Kathy is firstborn of a dozen; she has been married to her high school sweetheart for 31 years. They make their home in St. Croix Falls, WI. They have two married children and four grandsons.

Kathy is Woman’s Ministry director in her church where she serves Jesus with a team of eight women. Her passion is teaching a Woman’s Sunday Bible Study, leading community Bible studies, and serving as a mentor for MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) and for several teen girls.

While suffering in a season of severe anxiety and depression, the Lord spoke to her about leading women to experience the healing that comes from the love of God and how the truth of His word sets us free and empowers us to live a full and fruitful life.

She blogs at KathySchwanke.com

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In this episode Kathy and I open up the episode with a chat about her family and the many winter sports in her area that are not in mine here in the Carolinas!

Kathy then shares her story of how she and her husband found themselves without their farm of 12 years, no income and a load of debt during the financial crisis of 2008. She shares how God led them to flip a house and how even though it was difficult, time-consuming and at times discouraging, God used it not to just provide for her family but those around her.

Click to Listen

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Listen and subscribe via iTunes | Stitcher

Connect with Kathy

Connect with Kathy on her blog KathySchwanke.com, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest

Links from the Episode

  • Lysa TerKeurst’s The Best Yes
  • Head over to Kathy’s blog and she has posted photos of the flip house.

Share

I would love to connect more with you guys about the episode. Leave a comment here or we can chat about the episode on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

If you get a chance, please rate and review the episode on iTunes.  This *really* helps iTunes find us and most of all, helps spread this message of faith and hope.

Scripture

Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers. Psalm 1:1-3

 

NOTALL WHO WANDERARE LOST (1)

Feathers #001 with Jessie Weaver [Podcast]

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In this episode, I chat with Jessie Weaver.

Jessie is a stay-at-home mom to three little ones: Libbie is 6, David is 4, and Joshua will be 2 in March. She is a freelance writer and editor, working for ParentLife and HomeLife magazines. She has been blogging since 2006, and last year made the move to JessieWeaver.net

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In this episode Jessie and I open up the episode with a chat about the terrible 2’s and essential oils.

Jessie then shares the story of how her and her husband had plans as a young married couple for her husband to become a college professor and for them to move close to their parents and raise a family.  God completely disrupted their plans, taking them down paths they never thought they’d go. At times it seemed that God had forgotten them and He wasn’t on their side and yet, by trusting Him through these twists and turns, God provided in ways they couldn’t have guessed and formed a life they love and is able to influence hudnreds of young men for the glory of God.

Click to Listen

Podcast: Play in new window | Download


Listen and subscribe via iTunes | Stitcher

Connect with Jessie

Connect with Jessie on her blog JessieWeaver.net, Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest

Links from the Episode

Share

I would love to connect more with you guys about the episode. Leave a comment here or we can chat about the episode on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

If you get a chance, please rate and review the episode on iTunes.  This *really* helps iTunes find us and most of all, helps spread this message of faith and hope.

Scripture

 Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted;
    propose your plan, but it will not stand,
    for God is with us. Isaiah 8:10

Feathers #000 with Amy J. Bennett [Podcast]

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Eek! Welcome to Feathers!

If you need a catch up what all these feathers are about or what this podcast is about, this is the episode to check out.

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In this episode, I share some thoughts about faith, our feather story, which I’ve written about here and finally, describing the format of future episodes of Feathers, Feathers will be a weekly podcast where I will be interviewing one guest per week. The guest will be sharing their faith stories.  What are the times when God calls us to do something scary/crazy/beyond conventional wisdom or perhaps the times God dropped a difficult season in our lives and then asked us to remain faithful to Him? Hopefully these stories will encourage and inspire you to believe Him more.

Click to Listen

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Listen and subscribe via iTunes | Stitcher

Links from the Episode

Share

I would love to connect more with you guys about the episode. Leave a comment here or we can chat about the episode on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

If you get a chance, please rate and review the episode on iTunes.  This *really* helps iTunes find us and most of all, helps spread this message of faith and hope.

Scripture

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Psalm 91:4

Some Q&A About the New Podcast Feathers Launching Tomorrow March 10th

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Sometimes messages get lost in social media and email and so I wanted to reiterate today that yes, I’M STARTING A PODCAST AND IT LAUNCHES TOMORROW, MARCH 10TH!

I thought I’d take a little time to talk about what to expect on Tuesday and going forward.

How about a little Q&A? I’ll try to imagine a question you might have, pose it to myself and answer it. Yes?

Amy, you’re starting a podcast? What is it about?

Great question, friend! The podcast is all about faith and it’s called Feathers. In each episode, I’ll be interviewing a guest and having them share their faith stories. These are the stories where God called them to something, it felt scary or didn’t make sense, and yet they obeyed and we get to see God do what He does–works it out in His way.  Or, perhaps God led someone through a season of suffering and asked someone to remain faithful.

Why are you doing this and why should I listen?

As it turns out, this podcast about faith is one of those times God is calling me to something that was never on my radar. It feels scary and is requiring me to step out in faith and obey.  As I’ve pondered this the past few months, what I think God wants is simply for His people to believe Him more.

Jesus talked about some people having small faith and some people having great faith. I don’t know about you, but I want great faith. 1 Peter says our faith is worth more than gold. I believe one way our faith grows when we hear others share their stories of God working in their lives. This podcast is simply another platform for people to share their stories to give glory back to God for what He’s done and to encourage others in their own walks. I hope people can take flight in their own faith.

Why is it called Feathers?

I’ll tell the whole story in the first episode that launches on Tuesday, but if you want to read aboout it, here’s a summary post. The short version is God has placed feathers in my path the past few years to confirm His work in my writing and in our family’s adoption. The feather is simply a symbol of a faith-building time in our lives and a nod to God’s word where it says we should soar on wings like eagles.

Who is on your podcast?

Right now, the guests are other bloggers. You’ll hear from Jessie and Kathy tomorrow and I have several interviews completed with more. In the future, it might just be someone you know in real life. I’m open to interviewing anyone who has an amazing story and can share it. Once you hear the podcast and you know of someone that would make a great guest, let me know!

How often will you have the episodes?

Well, for just this Tuesday, 3 episodes will be released together. The first episode is called Episode Zero. Basically, it’s like an intro episode to the podcast that I do by myself. I talk a bit about faith, tell my feather story and why the podcast is called Feathers and then share what to expect in future episodes.  Episodes 1 and 2 with Jessie and Kathy will be released at the same time (different blog posts).

From then on, a new episode will be released every Tuesday.

How long are the episodes?

The intro episode is 25 minutes. I don’t have a set length for the interview episodes, but it’s turning out to be 30-40 minutes.

How can I listen to the podcast?

You are going to have several options.

  • Option #1 – Listen right here on the blog. Each episode will be launched with a corresponding blog post. Within the blog post, there will be a player and you can listen directly from there.
  • Option #2 – Listen on your mobile.  If you have an iPhone, you have a built-in app called Podcasts. In there, you will be able to search for “Feathers”, subscribe to the podcast and listen from the app.  If you have a non-Apple smart phone, you should be able to download the Stitcher app and do the same.
  • Option #3 – Listen from iTunes. If you have the iTunes app on your desktop, you can search in the iTunes store for “Feathers” and you should be able to scroll down to the Podcast section and find it. As of this writing, the iTunes store has not approved the listing so it’s not there yet, but I will let you know as soon as it is.

How can I get notified of a new episode?

So, you’re telling me you’re not going to be anxiously awaiting a new episode every Tuesday? Fine. I highly recommend you joining my email list. You’ ll get an email with every new post from the site. I’m working on one specifically for the podcast episode blog posts and when I get that set up, I’ll let you know.

 

Alright, that’s all the questions (and answers) I have for now.  Let me know if you have more. I’ll be happy to answer them (clearly).

In closing I’ll just request two things from you.

Will you please take some time this week to listen? And when you do, will you give me a heaping dose of grace? I still think God could have gotten a gazillion other people who are more qualified. My intros could be better, the sound could be better, my responses could have been better. But you know what?  The whole thing isn’t about me, it’s about you seeing Him. He showed up in these conversations and I’m praying like crazy you meet Him there.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for traveling this journey with me. I do believe these wings are ready to take flight.