If you don't know Jennifer Holloway, you are missing out! Jennifer is the Assistant Principal for Northeast Elementary in Owasso Public Schools. She is also the mother of two girls and the wife of Jake Holloway. You will get to hear their beautiful love story in this episode.

Jennifer's first job as a principal was not what she expected. It was one of the most difficult years of her life, with experiences she could write a whole book about! The things she experienced, along with being in a new place in a new season of life, sent her into a dark depression. She was overwhelmed to a breaking point.

With her natural humor and wit, she will walk us through how she made it through that, what she learned, and how God showed her to lean on her faith to get her out of the desert.

#afrayedknotpodcast

#depression

#principal

#education

Ciara Webster shares her heart and her story in this week's episode. Ciara is a Kindergarten teacher in her 20s and is such a joy to be around! She has the best smile and sweetest way about her; we are sure these qualities contribute to her being an amazing teacher!

Ciara was just six weeks away from a wedding when she leaned into what the Lord had been prompting her to do; she called off the wedding. It was the heartbreak of a broken dream and the hardest thing she's ever had to do. She had been dreaming for a long time of living with her future husband and children in a house with a white picket fence. She was at the point of watching her friends have their weddings, showers, and baby announcements.

She teaches us that comparison is the thief of joy and that God's plans are more beautiful than all of our disappointments. His plans are so much greater and bigger than we could ever imagine, especially when we are in the middle of something we just don't understand. Through this trial, she also learned that serving brings healing to the soul and that God really will give us His peace that passes understanding!

Recommended Resources:

A Path to Redeeming Love: A Devotional by Francine Rivers

Song-Show Me Where You Were, by Laney Rene

Psalm 38:8-9

Psalm 37:4

#afrayedknotpodcast

#brokenengagement

#serving

#comparison

#Hismercies

Our guest today is Kim Jones Morrison. She is married to her college sweetheart, Randy, and they have four kids. She is in charge of Enrollment and Admissions of Live Oak Classical School in Waco, TX. She also lives with an uninvited and unwelcome guest: Parkinsons disease.

Kim's journey with Parkinson's began in 2009 with a pain in her shoulder and many doctor visits which resulted in hearing many times, "We don't know." A gauntlet of many tests and surgeries were to follow. Finally, getting her answer was a "gut punch;" it was something Kim never expected.

Kim has had many treatments since and is still journeying on this difficult road. Her focus, however, has been on her Lord. She has experienced a sweetness in her intimacy with Him; she has heard Him telling her that He is here, and He is for her. She says, "So many Christians don't know how much Jesus loves them." You will love her heart!

Psalm 86

Prayer in the Night, Practice of Prayer by Tish Harrison Warren

#afrayedknotpodcast

#parkinsons

#Heisenough

#medicalquestions

Our special guest today is Elizabeth Boss. She and her husband Jacob have been missionaries for the International Mission Board since 2008. Their family has served in both Asia and Europe. She also grew up as a PK (that's a Pastor's Kid, for all non-PKers out there!). She has loved Jesus since her earliest memories, and she has desired to follow Him all her life.

All of those sincere and true characteristics, however, did not keep her from experiencing panic attacks and crippling anxiety. She had her first attack while back in the States dealing with a family crisis. They eventually had to take an extended furlough while she got the help she needed. Her story is an example of God's amazing grace and healing, and will touch your heart.

Elizabeth says obedience is saying yes to anytime, anywhere when God gives you something to pursue. Being in ministry does not keep those in it from experiencing pain, depression, anxiety, confusion, and questioning. We need to continually pray for the ones "in the field." We are to bring everything to Christ and release it. You'll love Elizabeth and be blessed to hear her story.

#afrayedknotpodcast

#depression

#anxiety

#panicattack

#missionary

Cheryl Bates is here with us for a second time! If you know her, you love her. You can hear more of her story on Episode 25 of A Frayed Knot. It's a good one!

Today, Cheryl is going to share with us the difficult journey her family went through when her son started having heart issues in the 8th grade. This was not something they would ever foresee coming with their athletic boy.

Her son, Nathan, has had to endure a very complicated and twisting journey during this health crisis.

Cheryl and her families' perseverance and absolute trust in God is inspiring! That is not to say they have not had their own questions, confusions, and continual crying out to Him. However, they have worked to keep their eyes on Him and his love for them throughout the journey.

Recommended Songs

Even When- by Eric Wall

Even If- by Mercy Me

Eye of the Storm- by Ryan Stevenson

Thy Will- by Hillary Scott

Good God Almighty- by David Crowder

Romans 15:13

Psalm 86:15

#afrayedknotpodcast

#SVT

#fracturedback

#postcovidsyndrome

#autoimmune

#carwreck

Chelsey Fulton has a lot of responsibilities! She is a minister’s wife, mother of four children under the age of five, (two girls and twin two-year-old boys), and a Pre-K teacher. Definitely a full plate! She and her husband, Brennan, were high school sweethearts and have the sweetest love story.

Chelsey shares candidly in this episode about how she suffered with postpartum depression in 2019; this caused her to deal with some perfectionistic dealings in her own life. Chelsey talks honestly about medication, therapy, and setting healthy boundaries with herself and others. She is open with us about the ongoing journey of healing, which is so helpful and refreshing.

This is an authentic conversation about depression and seeking help in a world where that may feel unsettling. You are going to get a lot of encouragement from Chelsey's story.

Recommended Resources:

Isaiah 54:10

The Body Keeps the Score

#afrayedknotpodcast

#postpartum

#depression

#boundaries

What if your husband was a successful banker at the top of his game and on "one last run" had a traumatic snow skiing accident? When this happened to Bren Brown's husband, Mike, they made a decision together to make a total shift in life, which shocked everyone.

Bren and her husband, Mike, have boy and girl twins who recently turned 21. The couple started their business, Frontier Justice, in 2015 and have been on a roller coaster journey ever since then of saying scary "yes"-es to what God calls them to do. It’s been full of excitement and challenges, but so rewarding! You are going to love this family, and their story of trusting and obeying God!

Recommended Resources:

Frontier-justice.com

A Case for Christ by Lee Strobel

Armor of God by Priscilla Shirer

#afrayedknotpodcast

#frontierjustice

#sayyes

#faithfamilyfreedom

LaShane Hill is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and Director of OBU’s Kemp Marriage Family Therapy Program and a member of a group practice providing care through her private practice. She has spent 25 years in ministry and has devoted her life to helping others work through their trauma. Y'all, I literally cried through half of this episode. LaShane has had to work through her own personal trauma. As a child, she was raised in a home with enormous violence and witnessed a horrible fight between her parents. Trigger warning, this episode does contain talk of domestic abuse. After her parents' divorce and moving away from her father, she struggled with significant depression. However, she had a praying grandmother. Dealing with all of life’s traumas caused LaShane to have bouts of depression and suicidal ideations. We do talk about this as well, and how as she got closer to Jesus and deeper in her faith, it started to worsen. She did not understand at the time that this was a spiritual attack. You will hear a major turning point from an ultimatum that became truly life-altering. This is one not to miss!

Recommended Resources:

Precious Lord, Take My Hand (hymn)

1 Samuel 7:12

Psalm 34:18

#afrayedknotpodcast #gardenmoments #memorialstone #domesticviolence #suicidalthoughts #depression

Imagine being a minister's kid your whole life and growing up in the church where everyone knows your family. Now imagine that tranquil picture blowing up at 28 years of age when your parents divorce due to an affair. That is what Julie Largent was faced with. Julie shares her journey through this trial in her life, and how God walked her and her family through every step. Julie talks about how her parent's divorce affected her thought processing and even her own marriage. She says that she realized that Jesus is literally all we have.

Julie has been married to her husband, Gibson, for 24 years. They have four children and serve in the Pennsylvania area where Gibson is Pastor of Ridgeline Community Church. They have been through a journey dealing with ministry and family trauma and have come out on the other side to help others.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Ephesians 6

Psalm 84:5-6

Philippians 3:10

#afrayedknotpodcast

#divorce

#pk

#allwehave

#spiritualarmor

An “on the go” kind of girl who loves Jesus, Andrea is a Bible teacher whose life calling is to teach women to know the truth, live the truth, and share the truth. Her passion is honest conversation about the topics that drive our everyday lives, and how we can always weather the storms through the love and power of God and His Word. Andrea is a 2004 graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. She has written and published several books: Reflecting His Glory: From Conformity to Transformation, Free To Thrive: 40 Power-packed Devotions for Women on the Go, On the Road with Ruth, and God in the Window. Andrea hosts a podcast called Inspire on the Go with Andrea Lennon. She also serves as the Women’s Ministry Specialist for the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. She is the founder of Andrea Lennon Ministry and lives in Arkansas with her husband, Jay and two sons, Jake and Andrew. Connect with Andrea at www.andrealennonministry.org

Romans 12:2

Romans 15:13

#afrayedknotpodcast

#Godinthewindow

#adoption

#dyslexia

#purposetopain