Archives for 2016

In this episode, I interview Courtney Stanford.

Courtney Stanford is a passionate follower of Jesus and the writer of her blog, Let Every Heart at CourtneyStanford.com.  Her husband, Bret is the Worship Pastor of their church where Courtney teaches an adult Sunday School class and leads the church’s women’s ministry.  Formerly, Courtney was an elementary school teacher but currently is the stay-at-home mom of her three little boys, ages 2, 5, and 6.  Courtney jokingly refers to her {sometimes noisy} home of boys as a “frat house” but finds moments of quiet in good books, sweet tea, and Bible study.  She attains “girl time” by hosting a weekly “mom’s playgroup” or coffee dates for friends, and by encouraging women to focus on Jesus in every season through her blog, Let Every Heart.

Courtney shares her obedience in going on a short-term missionary trip and the struggle in leaving her young children. She shares how God used the trip to knit her heart and give her a long-term relationship to the people of Haiti.

Click to Listen

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Listen and subscribe via iTunes | Stitcher

 Links from the Episode

• In Loving Memory of Mr. Ifwa
• Ancient Words of Truth and Hope
• Only Brave for Jesus
• If Your Brother Needs Help
• When You First See Their Faces
• Get In the Boat
• A Sign in the Amish Store

Scripture

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

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.

In this episode, I interview Bailey Heard.

Bailey Heard is a speaker, co-author of The Ellie Project, author of her weekly inspirational blog, baileyheard.com, and a certified life-coach. Bailey is a graduate of Baylor University. She lives in Highland Village, TX with her young daughter, Ellie. Over the past few years, Bailey has traveled the country, sharing her late husband’s books, Your Best Life Later, A Gray Faith and now, The Ellie Project, and giving her inspirational keynote message that you can take your challenges and transform them into fuel to create a more meaningful life!

Bailey Heard and I start the episode getting to know her with a game of “If You Could”. Bailey then shares the story of losing her husband Andrew to cancer three years ago and then God calling Bailey to travel and share the message of faith Andrew began before his death.

Click to Listen

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Listen and subscribe via iTunes | Stitcher

Links from the Episode

• Fotolanthropy
• The Ellie Project
• A Gray Faith by Andrew Heard
• Jon Acuff
• Feathers app

Quotes

Life can be short. Once that happened to my husband, I realized that could happen to any of us. That could happen to me.

I want to fully, fully live.

You’re going to learn as you go. Before I would have been afraid to fail. I want to fail a little bit so I can grow and learn and see this progress.

Everybody starts somewhere.

Courage doesn’t come because you are big, strong, or without fear. Courage comes because you aren’t big, you aren’t strong, you do fear but you don’t give up! Andrew Heard

The pride we have doesn’t come from the outside, but from the wonder of the work done on the inside. – Andrew Heard

When we do the inner work, the outer work begins to fall in place.

Sometimes you have to look from a higher perspective to see what’s going on. – Andrew Heard

Scripture

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind 2 Timothy 1:7

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.

In this episode, I interview J.E. Berry.

J.E. (Jade) Berry is a writer/speaker, wife and home-schooling mom to five children, with a heart for seeing people come to know freedom through a relationship with Christ Jesus. She has a heart specifically for women who have yet to step into their God given destiny due to bondage. As a writer and speaker she explores life blockages such as people pleasing, unhappiness, un-forgiveness, and more, to unveil culprits that keep us from moving forward.

Jade shares her dreams of being a fashion designer, trying to compromise, and then fulling living in God’s dreams for her.

Click to Listen

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Listen and subscribe via iTunes | Stitcher

Quotes

When your plans aren’t working like you want them to, you’re grasping at the strands that are left, just hoping you can have a taste of that dream.

I was attempting to establish my own steps trying to walk toward this goal I had come up with in my mind.

When we surrender to God, He gives us the true desires of our hearts.

He wooed me in. He didn’t rip me out of a dream.

The enemy came in with fear.

I should have known where he was attacking me at is where God was going to use me.

“Tell me what I should do because what I’m doing is grasping at the wind and it’s not working.”

I knew if I was praying wtihout ceasing I could more clearly hear the voice of the Father.

He has called us to stay in constant communication with Him and that’s how we walk out the way he Has for us.

Yes, we can do all things in Christ, but that doesn’t mean we are called to do all things.

I thought I could do it all. He called me to rest and lay down my busyness.

Our obedience is rewarded day by day.

When we’re trying to both, we’re never satisfied.

We can’t serve ourselves and the Lord at the same time.

The lie of the enemy is that we’re not good enough, that God can’t use us. We are very quick to pick up a lie of the enemy and slow to pick up truth.

It starts with laying down our ambitions.

When you look back, you say, what took me so long to get here?

We can do things afraid.

Surrender it immediately.

Scripture

In their hearts humans plan their course,
    but the Lord establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9

Pray continually 1 Thessalonians 5:17

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.

In this episode, I interview Wendy Speake.

Whether she’s with loved ones in her actual Living Room, alone in God’s Living Word, or speaking to a room full of women, Wendy Speake is inspired to share life and faith with others in creative ways. As Jeremiah had fire in his bones, she too feels compelled to share the Gospel of Jesus — she just does it with stories that probe the glorious and hurting places of life, pictures of faith lived out in her home, and recipes purposed to inspire hospitality.

Wendy shares a story of a small moment of obedience in the grocery store that had a big impact. We then chat about anger and parenting and how we live out the call to be loving and kind in all the small moments of parenting.

Click to Listen

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Listen and subscribe via iTunes | Stitcher

 Links from the Episode

• Triggers
• MOB Society
• No More Angry Mob Facebook Group

Quotes

God is so much more concerned about our obedience to Him than our children’s obedience to us.

Keep doing the good parenting.

Keep on responding right even when you’re children are responding wrong.

Being obedient in the small things is so important.

Love is a sacrifice. I am sacrificing love today when I don’t have enough to fill myself up.

#LoveWins

If we can identify our triggers and know what to expect what can trip us up, we can prepare better.

Figure out what you mean to say until you say something mean.

If you complain about what people serve you, people are not going to enjoy serving you.

Let’s not give in to the knee-jerk reactions, let’s choose to respond in a kind way. Our kids are going to do wrong, but we have to join them. We can still do right.

We have trained our children not to respond to us until we get to that point. We need to go up to them and say, “I’ve made a mistake.”

Whining and complaining is a precursor to backtalking.

Backtalk parenting script: “The way you’re speaking to us is unkind. I need you to go away from us until you can talk to us in a nice way.”

There’s a time for “because I said so.”

We don’t have to fight just because they invite us to fight.

When we meet them fit for fit, they don’t ever get to feel bad about their behavior because they’re feeling bad about our behavior.

If you can slip outside the ring and slip around to their corner, you can speak to them as their coach.

Scripture

The kindness of the Lord leads us to repentance. Romans 2:4

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.

In this episode, I interview Nicki Koziarz.

Nicki Koziarz is a speaker, writer & leader in today’s generation. She is on staff at Proverbs 31 Ministries, where she gets to help lead thousands of women through their online Bible studies. Her first book, 5 Habits of a Woman Who Doesn’t Quit releases in March of 2016 and the Bible study to follow in May 2016. One of the greatest joy’s in her life is being a wife to Kris and mom to 3 amazing girls: Taylor, Hope & Kennedy. They also have a slightly famous pug, Herman.

Nicki and I chat about her family’s move from the suburbs to a family farm.

Click to Listen

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Listen and subscribe via iTunes | Stitcher

 Links from the Episode

• Proverbs 31 Ministries
• Herman the slightly famous pug
• What Happens When Women Walk in Faith
• What Happens When Women Say Yes to God
• 5 Habits of a Woman Who Doesn’t Quit

Quotes

Sometimes we often discount what God is doing because we are so determined to go our own way.

As women who are pursuing obedience with Jesus Christ, there will always be opportunities for opposition in our lives when it comes to stepping all the way through with God. Every opposition is an opportunity for God to reveal His power.

When you’re trying to obey God you already have enough self-doubt to deal with.

To become a woman who doesn’t quit, we keep going until the last possible second until there are no other options, all of our options have been exhausted and we know we have been so faithful to God.

It’s so important that your God-dream it’s in alignment with who we’re aligned with.

God will put the right person with you to walk right beside you.

God has never called us to this island of isolation.

Habit #3: She stays open to the movement of God in her life.

When we get to a place of humility and surrender holding hands, that’s where we begin to see the movement of God in our lives.

Scripture

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:8

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.

In this episode, I interview Jamie Ivey.

Jamie is a podcaster, writer, and speaker from Austin, Texas. She is the proud mama of four kids and the wife of Aaron, worship pastor of The Austin Stone Community Church. Jamie loves to encourage women to passionately follow Jesus through whatever stage of life. She does this through writing and her weekly podcast, The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey.

Jamie shares the story of her three adoptions. We discuss how her adoption impacted our family’s adoption. We chat about the hard stuff, the good stuff, and the scary stuff of adoptions.

Click to Listen

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Listen and subscribe via iTunes | Stitcher

 Links from the Episode

• The Happy Hour Podcast
• In Defense of the Fatherless
• Real Hope for Haiti
• Bethany Christian Services
• The Austin Stone
• Friday Night Lights
• IF:Gathering

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.

In this episode, I interview Emily G. Stroud.

Emily G. Stroud currently lives in Fort Worth, Texas with her husband and two children.  She also owns and manages a boutique investment firm called Stroud Financial Management. She has been a Financial Advisor for a little over 17 years.  Emily counsels people on how to handle their online loans, manage risk, and ensure a nice tidy retirement. Emily does her best to beat the odds of the stock market.  She helps her clients plan and mitigate each possible financial scenario that can arise in their lives. Most importantly, Emily wants her clients, and now her readers, to thrive financially, emotionally, and spiritually.

Emily shares the story of God calling her to share her story at IF:Gathering 2015 and then receiving a book contract at She Speaks 2015 for Faithful Finance. Emily then shares her heart and desires for individuals to manage their money with biblical principles.

Click to Listen

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Listen and subscribe via iTunes | Stitcher

 Links from the Episode

• IF:Gathering
• She Speaks conference
• Faithful Finance

Quotes

If you truly believe I’m real, you need to live out your faith in a more visual way.

I learned I’m totally and 100% dependent on God and not my own strength so that was part of the process too. So all the different seasons that I have gone through I truly believe prepared me for such a time as this.

How you steward your money is much more of a heart issue than a monetary issue.

Money is a tool to be used wisely.

If you are obedient to God’s plan you will be blessed and you will be able to bless others and that’s the most important thing to realize.

I’m not preaching a prosperity gospel. However, there are so many practical tools that are for financial planning that are in the Bible and God does have a best practice to manage your money. He does want it to be a positive thing in your life.

He really does control everything and we’re just managing it while we are here.

Look at it like a faith issue rather than an issue causes fear.

God doesn’t need your money. He’s got this under control, but he wants is a relationship with you and he wants you to be obedient. Part of being obedient is actually taking a step of faith and using your money to tithe and to bless others.

You cannot afford not to tithe. If you are faithful in a little God will allow you to be faithful in much, but if you are not faithful in the little bit that you have now, why in the world would he entrust you with more? Take a small step with the faith of a mustard seed and say with my next paycheck I’m going to take 10% off the top and tithe.

Expect God to show up.

If you’re already tithing, but you’re not being challenged, giving over and above a 10% tithe would be called sacrificial giving, take the next step.

People that are running really successful non-profit ministries need your money more than your time. Pray about who you can support.

When you change your perspective about your money a lot of things change in your life as well.

Money can be a root of evil. That doesn’t mean that money is a root of all evil. Money is a tool and God can use it so abundantly. Do not think of money as a negative thing.

Some of the richest people I know in my life are the most generous people I’ve met.

There are kings and priests in God’s kingdom. Kings are the people who work and create wealth and they provide the monetary resources to support priests. And a priest is the executive director for World Vision, all the different people running non-profit ministries. What they need is money to further their kingdom causes so if we see our roles in the body of Christ, we could radically change the world.

There’s a whole world of need out there and the more we can build resources and give it away, you know what’s going to happen, you’re going to make more money and you’re going to give it away and it’s going to build more.

I promise you can not outgive God.

In an ideal world, we would not have debt.

I do not consider a mortgage bad debt, but it has to be done in a wise manner.

Credit card is the #1 bad debt.

If at all possible, don’t have car debt because it will never be worth more than the day you buy it.

If you’re start seeing the tithe as a non-negotiable, then God will bless it.

If you don’t have a goal, then you don’t have a direction and you don’t know where you’re going.

Scripture

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:10

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.