Anchored with Purpose | Faith, Family, Purpose, Dreaming, Planning, Overcoming Anxiety, Overcoming Overwhelm

This episode is deeply personal and full circle for me.

After 2,470 consecutive days in the YouVersion Bible App, I’m officially a content partner, and my brand-new devotional plan is live: From Lent to Lifestyle: Creating a Daily Faith Practice that Lasts.

In this episode, I share the behind-the-scenes story of attending the Beyond a Billion celebration in Oklahoma City, hearing from Bobby Gruenewald and Craig Groeschel, boldly asking to become a content partner, and why I created this Lent devotional for women who want a simple, sustainable daily faith rhythm.

If you’ve ever struggled with consistency in your prayer life or wanted to move from seasonal motivation to lasting transformation, this episode is for you.

Download the free Bible App and begin:

From Lent to Lifestyle: Creating a Daily Faith Practice that Lasts

👉 Download the Bible App and follow Anchored with Purpose: https://www.bible.com/organizations/9555df54-34ac-4b14-bc38-ee830fb1060b 

👉 Start the Plan:  http://bible.us/r/He5 

🎉 Join me and the Anchored with Purpose community for a group reading beginning March 6th (my birthday!):  👉 Join the group reading here: https://bible.com/reading-plans/67833/together/79255031/invitation?token=j8NKyJUpHTU-Lwp3gH22ow&source=share 

Don’t do this alone. Start it with a friend, your small group, or read alongside us in the discussion section inside the app.

• Small daily consistency creates long-term spiritual growth
• The YouVersion Bible App has over one billion downloads and will always remain free
• Bold obedience opens unexpected doors
• Lent is a starting line, not a finish line
• Sustainable rhythms matter more than spiritual intensity
• Reading plans together deepens both faith and relationships
• YouVersion challenges and badges can help motivate consistency

00:00 – A Full Circle Moment
01:30 – 2,470 Days in the Bible App
04:00 – Beyond a Billion: Inside the Celebration
06:30 – Hearing from Bobby Gruenewald & Craig Groeschel
09:00 – The Bold Ask That Changed Everything
11:30 – Why I Created From Lent to Lifestyle
14:00 – What You’ll Experience Inside the Plan
16:30 – How to Download the Bible App & Join
19:00 – Why You Shouldn’t Do This Alone
22:00 – Join Me March 6th for a Birthday Group Reading
24:30 – Lent Challenge Badge & YouVersion Challenges Explained
27:30 – Please Rate, Review & Tag Me
29:00 – What Will Your Streak Be?

Let’s move from Lent to lifestyle - together.

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In this conversation, Melissa sits down with life and business coach Misty Lakes to talk about Godfidence, which is confidence rooted in Christ instead of hustle culture. Misty shares her journey from direct sales into coaching, how God faithfully led her step by step, and why putting Him at the center of our lives and businesses changes everything.

Together, they unpack why so many women feel burned out from wearing too many hats, how guilt sneaks in when our priorities are misaligned, and a simple but life changing visual tool that helps women realign their time, energy, and focus.

Resources mentioned in this episode:
• Journey to Be Godfident Devotional & Course: https://www.mistylakes.biz/store
• 40 Day Social Media Fast by Wendy Speake: https://a.co/d/7OBkm7e
• Misty Lakes Coaching & Collective: https://www.mistylakes.biz/coaching

• Godfidence means rooting your identity, confidence, and decisions in who God says you are — not in hustle, pressure, or people-pleasing.
• God should be the CEO of your life and business, guiding decisions both big and small.
• Burnout often comes from wearing too many “good” hats at the same time — not from doing one thing poorly.
• The Target Exercise helps visually prioritize what matters most: God, personal wellbeing, family, and then everything else.
• Your family is your first ministry, and your relationship with God deserves protected, intentional time.
• Social media often consumes time without reflecting what we actually value.
• Intentional boundaries create peace and reduce guilt.
• Purpose brings peace; pressure brings burnout.
• Faith and business were never meant to be separate — alignment brings flow and fruit.

00:00 – Welcome & Meet Misty Lakes
02:30 – From Direct Sales to Coaching: Trusting God Step by Step
06:30 – How God Prepares Us Long Before We See the Plan
07:00 – What Is Godfidence? Confidence Rooted in Christ
10:00 – Letting God Be the CEO of Your Life
11:00 – Why Women Feel Burned Out and Overwhelmed
13:00 – The Target Exercise: A Visual Way to Prioritize What Matters
15:00 – Taking Hats Off Without Guilt
17:30 – Temple Time: Honoring God by Caring for Yourself
19:30 – Being Intentional With Time, Energy, and Boundaries
21:00 – Social Media, Scrolling, and Mental Clarity
23:45 – Why Faith and Business Shouldn’t Be Separate
27:30 – Obedience, Stewardship, and God’s Blessing
30:00 – Purpose Over Pressure: A Client Transformation Story
33:30 – How to Connect with Misty & Her Community
34:45 – Closing Encouragement

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If Lent already feels like one more thing on your to-do list, this episode is for you.

In this encouraging and Scripture-rooted episode, Melissa Wilkinson speaks directly to the busy Catholic woman who feels tired, distracted, spiritually behind, or overwhelmed before Lent even begins. Instead of a picture-perfect or performance-based Lent, Melissa walks through what real Lent looks like in real life.

Rooted in Joel 2:12, Matthew 4, and Matthew 6, this episode reframes Lent as a season of return, not perfection. Through the three pillars of Lent — prayer, fasting, and almsgiving — Melissa offers simple, sustainable ways to grow closer to God without adding pressure to an already full life.

If you’ve ever quit Lent by week two, struggled to stay consistent with prayer, or felt like you’re not doing “enough,” this conversation will remind you that God is not asking you to impress Him. He is inviting you to return.

Lent is not about performance. It is about presence.

• Lent is about returning to God, not proving yourself (Joel 2:12).
• The desert is not punishment — it is preparation (Matthew 4).
• Jesus says “when you pray, when you fast, when you give alms” — not if (Matthew 6).
• Prayer for a busy woman can be simple and repeatable.
• Fasting helps reveal attachments and create space for God.
• Almsgiving stretches the heart outward in love.
• You can begin again at any time — God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22–23).
• Your real life — your SUV, your kitchen, your routines — can be holy ground.
• Choose one prayer practice, one meaningful fast, and one intentional act of love.
• Lent is about consistency, not perfection.

Chapters:

00:00 — Lent for the Busy Catholic Woman

01:59 — The Desert Is Preparation, Not Punishment

03:30 — Why Lent Feels Overwhelming

05:00 — Prayer: Abide, Don’t Perform

08:30 — Fasting: Detach and Create Space

11:30 — Almsgiving: Stretching the Heart in Love

13:45 — When Week Two Hits

16:30 — Making the Rosary Sustainable

18:45 — Your Real Life Is Holy Ground

20:30 — A Simple Lenten Framework

22:00 — Lent Is About Intimacy, Not Impressiveness

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Dream Workshop Wait List

When the world feels unstable and heartbreaking, it’s hard not to carry that weight in your heart and home. In this episode, Melissa speaks into the fear and emotional exhaustion many women are experiencing as they watch growing struggles within our government, rising division, and devastating stories of families being torn apart and people being detained through immigration enforcement. Entire communities are living with uncertainty, and as moms, that fear hits especially close to home.

But Scripture reminds us that seasons of unrest are not new to God’s people. Throughout biblical history, God’s children have faced turmoil, persecution, and uncertainty. In every generation, He has given the same instruction: put on the Armor of God.

Melissa also shares practical ways to spiritually cover your children. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by everything happening in the world, this episode will remind you that you are not powerless and you are spiritually protected and equipped to stand firm.

• Difficult and uncertain times are not new. God’s people have always had to learn how to stand firm in seasons of fear and unrest.

• Our greatest battle is spiritual. The enemy uses chaos, fear, and division to steal our peace and distract us from faith.

• The Armor of God in Ephesians 6 is a daily spiritual practice that protects our hearts, minds, and homes.

• The Belt of Truth helps us anchor in God’s Word before absorbing headlines and social media.

• The Breastplate of Righteousness guards our hearts from bitterness, anger, and hardened thinking.

• The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace help us carry calm into our homes instead of panic.

• The Shield of Faith is what we lift when anxiety and fear about the future rise up.

• The Helmet of Salvation reminds us to protect our minds and set healthy boundaries with media.

• The Sword of the Spirit, God’s Word, is how we fight fear and lies with truth.

• Praying over your children and blessing them with holy water is a powerful way to spiritually cover your family.

Book Melissa to Speak at Your Event

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Dream Workshop Wait List

00:00 — When the World Feels Heavy
03:30 — This Is a Spiritual Battle
06:30 — The Belt of Truth
10:00 — The Breastplate of Righteousness
13:00 — The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace
17:00 — The Shield of Faith
20:30 — The Helmet of Salvation
24:00 — The Sword of the Spirit
30:00 — Armoring Your Children
34:00 — Standing Firm in Uncertain Times

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In today’s episode, Melissa sits down with her new friend Mya Hull, a former top 1% leader in Mary Kay who felt God stirring something deeper, even in the middle of success. Mya shares her origin story, what that leadership season taught her about identity, and the “holy discontent” that led her to lay down what looked good on paper in order to follow what God was calling her into next.

You’ll hear the powerful meaning behind “41”—the idea that we all walk through “40 seasons” of wilderness, waiting, testing, and transition… but day 41 comes, and God is faithful. Mya walks us through how her Ignite Your Joy workshop became the foundation for a faith-led community for women entrepreneurs, and how the 41 Sisterhood is helping women grow with joy, clarity, confidence, and obedience.

If you’re in a season of waiting, this conversation will leave you with hope and practical encouragement to stay rooted in Christ while you walk toward your own “41 moment.”

00:00 – Welcome + why this conversation felt God-ordained

If you’re in a “40 season” right now—waiting, wrestling, transitioning, or feeling like God is asking you to lay something down—friend, you are not alone. Day 41 is coming. Share this episode with a friend who needs hope, and be sure to follow Mya and check out the 41 Sisterhood if you’re craving community and clarity in this season.

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Perimenopause is the topic so many women are whispering about over coffee, but rarely getting real answers. In this conversation, functional health practitioner Rita Johnson breaks down what’s actually happening in your body during perimenopause and why symptoms like weight gain, inflammation, sleep issues, digestive changes, and mood shifts are not “just aging.” Rita explains the powerful connection between gut health and hormone balance, why supplements can become expensive band-aids if you don’t address root causes, and the small daily habits that can make a big difference. You’ll also hear a balanced, faith-friendly discussion on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), including common misconceptions and what to look for if you’re considering it.

00:00 Welcome + why we’re talking perimenopause now

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Vision boards. Visualization. Imagining your future.

For many Catholics, these words can feel uncomfortable or even off-limits. Is this New Age? Is it Christian? Is it something we should avoid altogether?

In this episode of the Anchored with Purpose Podcast, Melissa breaks down why vision is deeply biblical and deeply Catholic when done the right way — with God at the center. You’ll learn how visualization can actually become a powerful form of prayer, how Scripture invites us to imagine God’s future for our lives, and how vision boards can be used as a faith-filled tool for surrender, not control.

Melissa also weaves in wisdom from one of her favorite authors, Mark Batterson, and explains the clear difference between New Age manifestation and Catholic discernment.

If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s okay to dream big with God — this episode is for you.

00:00 – Is Vision Biblical or New Age?

This month, spend intentional time with Jesus and ask:

Then consider creating a simple, faith-filled vision board as a prayer tool.

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This is an “earbuds in” conversation, friend. Melissa sits down with Ellen Holloway, host of Charting Toward Intimacy (a leading Catholic intimacy podcast), for an honest, hope-filled conversation about sex, intimacy, and healing in marriage—in a way that’s fully aligned with the Catholic Church. Ellen shares her personal story (including the early struggles of marriage, learning Natural Family Planning, and healing from vaginismus), why so many Catholic women feel shame or confusion around sex, and practical steps to reconnect with your body, your spouse, and God. You’ll also hear powerful takeaways like a body scan prayer, the idea that sex can be prayer, and why scheduling sex isn’t unromantic—it’s often the most loving way to prioritize intimacy in real life.

Learn more at Ellen’s website: https://vinesinfullbloom.com/ 

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January is loud. Everywhere you turn you hear, new year, new you, hustle harder, do more, become everything overnight. And if you do not get it all figured out in January, the year is basically over. In this episode, Melissa gently calls out the January Trap and shares why trying to carry a year’s worth of change into one month is the fastest way to burn out before February even hits.

Instead of hustling, this episode invites you to slow down, choose a Word of the Year, filter your goals through your Life Anchors, and create a simple, intentional plan using your Anchored with Purpose Planner so transformation happens one faithful step at a time.

Choose your Word of the Year.

Transformation does not happen in a week. It happens through quiet obedience and small faithful steps.

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As the new year begins, most of the world rushes to make resolutions. However, research shows nearly 80% of them will be abandoned by mid-February. In this powerful episode, Melissa shares why she stopped setting resolutions and started choosing a Word of the Year instead - a simple, faith-filled practice that aligns your heart, habits, and purpose with God.

Melissa walks you through her Word of the Year journey from 2017 through 2025, explains how to choose your own word using her free guide, and reveals her 2026 word: Transformation -  a year focused on renewing her mind, strengthening her body, and living as a true “living sacrifice” for God.

00:00 – Why New Year’s resolutions don’t work