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As a part of each mini-series in our Walking from Bondage to Breakthrough semester-long series, we're interviewing everyday women who are walking out victory, and willing to share how God is bringing them freedom. This month, we introduce you to Carol Aebersold! Carol is probably best known for Elf on the Shelf, but the journey to getting there is one filled with practical and spiritual ways the Lord brought her victory over depression and grief. Enjoy!

Carol Aebersold is co-founder of the Atlanta-based powerhouse, The Lumistella Company, a consumer products and entertainment company that brings the magic of Santa’s North Pole to life for children around the world. She co-authored The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition and is co-owner and executive producer of Scout Elf Productions™, the subsidiary entertainment production company behind the Elf Pets® animated specials. Known as the heart and spirit of the company (just like Mrs. Claus!), Aebersold engages in a variety of projects that serve the brand, from writing song lyrics, to developing stories, to fostering the highly revered family-focused company culture.

In 2005, after a private battle with depression, Aebersold sat down with daughter, Chanda A. Bell, to write The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition, based on an elf from her own childhood. Bell suggested the two begin the project as a way to spread happiness and cheer by sharing their tradition with others.

As a former music teacher, Aebersold has drawn on her roots to contribute to the creative direction of the brand. In 2011, as an executive producer of the contemporary classic animated special An Elf’s Story, she co-wrote two original songs, “Each and Every Christmas” and “Extravaganzalorious!” More recently, her skills were put to good use in the animated Christmas special Elf Pets: Santa’s St. Bernards Save Christmas to co-write “Christmas Carol,” which turned out to be a mouthful lyrically: “Wishing You a Little Merry Joyful Upbeat Happy Jubilant Christmas Day!” In addition, Aebersold voices the character of “Grammy” in the 2019 animated special, Elf Pets: A Fox Cub’s Christmas Tale. For Aebersold, these playful contributions reinforce the origins of the elf tradition and the heart of the company mission: there is joy and connection to be found in the magic of belief and tradition at Christmastime.   

Aebersold is a highly sought-after business and community speaker. She is a member of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) Alliance of Women Philanthropists and serves on the UTK Alumni Board of Directors. When she is not supporting Santa and his Scout Elves, Aebersold enjoys theatre, music, reading, writing, and time with family (especially her grandchildren).

Visit Elf on the Shelf!

Visit Tracy's website: www.tracyhurst.com

Click here for past episodes with Tracy Hurst!

For more resources, make sure to visit our website.

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Major Depressive Disorder is the “common cold” of mental illness in America, impacting over 17 million people. It affects how we feel, think and behave, and is usually accompanied with unexpressed sadness, hurt, anger, disappointment, fear or guilt. And guess what? Women are nearly twice as likely as men to have depression. This is why we're doing this series! Women are drowning in depression and we want to bring HOPE! This week, Tracy gives us an incredible teaching on how we can not only get help, but also how we can DARE TO HOPE.

BE IN THE WORD:

"I waited patiently for the Lord.He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire. He set my feet on a rock and He gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord." (Psalm 40:1-3)

“I well remember my affliction and my soul is downcast within me, Yet I call this to mind and I dare to hope because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, the Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him. The Lord is good to those who hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.” (Lamentations 3:19)

“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been promised to him." (Romans 4:17)

BE EDUCATED:

1. When Your Body Gets the Blues by Marie-Annette Brown.
2. Grieving Like God by Betsy Barber, professor at Biola University.

BE DOERS, NOT JUST HEARERS:

1. What can you dare to hope for?
2. What steps can you take today to get hope? Reach out, call your doctor, find a professional counselor?

Past episodes with Tracy Hurst

Be Healthy, Part 1
Be Healthy, Part 2
Conquering Depression, Part 1
Conquering Depression, Part 2
Emotional Wellness, Part 1
Emotional Wellness, Part 2

For more resources, make sure to visit our website.

You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Join our Be Together Community! It’s a private Facebook group where we gather regularly to encourage, uplift and pray for one another. Click here to join!

Support the show

As always, thank you for listening! Make sure to rate and review us, as it helps more women find our podcast. And be sure to follow us on Instagram at Be Still Be Free.

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As a part of each mini-series in our Walking from Bondage to Breakthrough semester-long series, we're going to be interviewing an "everyday woman" -- someone who is walking out their victory in that specific area, and willing to share how God is bringing them freedom. This month, we introduce you to Julie Gudger, a dear friend of Monica's who shares practical and spiritual ways she's overcoming fear and anxiety. Enjoy!

ABOUT JULIE GUDGER:
Julie is an abstract artist, and has painted since she was old enough to hold a paintbrush. Her work reflects the creative influence of ideas, emotions and expressions felt from the heart. Her art is inspired by the beauty in everyday life. Her love of water, oceans and sunsets is seen through the vibrant colors and movements in her paintings; whether semi-abstract or fully abstract, the horizon is always displayed in her work. Since becoming a mother, the energy and pace of her daughter has given Julie a new appreciation for the beauty in little moments of life around her. Her work, in turn, now has a vibrancy and depth of color that reflects the zest for life that her child teaches her. Julie llives in Atlanta, GA and is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art & Design (Savannah, GA) with a Bachelor of Arts in Painting and a Minor in Art History. She also holds a certificate in Art Direction from the Creative Circus in Atlanta. Click here to see Julie's work!

For more resources, make sure to visit our website.

You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Join our Be Together Community! It’s a private Facebook group where we gather regularly to encourage, uplift and pray for one another. Click here to join!

Support the show

As always, thank you for listening! Make sure to rate and review us, as it helps more women find our podcast. And be sure to follow us on Instagram at Be Still Be Free.

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It's time to tackle the issue that very few people struggle with...anxiety! (#saracasticfont) Listen, if you didn't struggle with anxiety prior to the past 5 months, certainly most of us can relate to it in some capacity now. Tracy tackles this head on in this week's #podcast episode, teaching us first what anxiety is, what it looks like and why we suffer from it. Then most importantly, she guides us to very practical ways we can get free from its clutches. Don't miss this one...and get that notebook out, you're going to want to take notes again!

BE IN THE WORD:

But the one who always listens to me will live undisturbed in a heavenly place. Free from fear, confident and courageous, you will find rest unafraid and sheltered from the storms of life. (Proverbs 1:13)

1 Kings 19 (full chapter about Elijah)

Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. (Romans 12:2)

Open up before God, keep nothing back; he'll do whatever needs to be done. He'll validate your life in the clear light of day and stamp you with approval at high noon. (Psalm 37:5-6)

Leave all your cares and anxieties at the feet of the Lord, and measureless grace will strengthen you. (Psalm 55:22)

Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, our High God, above politics, above everything! (Psalm 46:10)

BE EDUCATED:

1. Calm My Anxious Heart (Linda Dillow)
2. The Confident Woman (Joyce Meyer)

BE DOERS, NOT JUST HEARERS:

1. Continue using your Wonder journal and write out one of this week's verses and a prayer to accompany it on turning your anxieties over to God. 
2. From the list of things Tracy said to do to help, what's one thing you can do this week in each category:
   1. BODY: Treat your body
   2. MIND: Get counseling
   3. SPIRIT: Where can you GAZE at God instead of glancing at your worries?

Past Episodes with Tracy Hurst

Be Healthy, Part 1
Be Healthy, Part 2
Conquering Depression, Part 1
Conquering Depression, Part 2
Emotional Wellness, Part 1
Emotional Wellness, Part 2

For more resources, make sure to visit our website.

You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Join our Be Together Community! It’s a private Facebook group where we gather regularly to encourage, uplift and pray for one another. Click here to join!

Support the show

As always, thank you for listening! Make sure to rate and review us, as it helps more women find our podcast. And be sure to follow us on Instagram at Be Still Be Free.

Send us a text, and leave your number or email so we can get back to you :)

It's part two of our From Fear to Faith series, featuring incredible teaching by Tracy Hurst. And trust us, you are definitely going to want to take notes on this one! Learn how to not only identify roots of fear, but how to uproot them and instead become rooted in faith.

BE IN THE WORD:
"My heart is trembling inside my chest as the terror of death seizes me. Fear and dread overwhelm me. I shudder before the horror I face. I say to myself, “If only I could fly away from all of this! If only I could run away to the place of rest and peace. I would run far away where no one could find me, escaping to a wilderness retreat.” (Psalm 55:4-7)

"Now desolation and darkness has come upon you. May you and all those like you descend into the pit of destruction! Since evil has been your home, may evil now bury you alive! But as for me, I will call upon the Lord to save me, and I know he will!" (Psalm 55:16-17)

So here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Leave all your cares and anxieties at the feet of the Lord, and measureless grace will strengthen you. He will watch over his lovers, never letting them slip or be overthrown. He will send all my enemies to the pit of destruction.
Murderers, liars, and betrayers will face an untimely death. My life’s hope and trust is in you, and you’ll never fail to rescue me!" (Psalm 55:22-23)

"But the one who always listens to me will live undisturbed in a heavenly peace. Free from fear, confident and courageous, you will rest unafraid and sheltered from the storms of life." (Proverbs 1:33)

"A fool is in love with his own opinion, but wisdom means being teachable." (Proverbs 12:15)

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

Psalm 103

BE EDUCATED:

1. New Life Ministries. Offers compassionate and empowering solutions to those who find themselves in life’s difficult places and who are missing what God desires for their lives. 

BE DOERS, NOT JUST HEARERS:

1. In your Wonder journal, follow the steps Tracy mentioned to be rooted in faith. What are your roots of fear, coping skills? What can you uproot and replace with fruits of the spirit?
2. Rehearse and remember what God has done in your life.
3. Continue to read and mediate on Psalm 103.

Past Episodes with Tracy Hurst

Be Healthy, Part 1
Be Healthy, Part 2
Conquering Depression, Part 1
Conquering Depression, Part 2
Emotional Wellness, Part 1
Emotional Wellness, Part 2

For more resources, make sure to visit our website.

You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Join our Be Together Community! It’s a private Facebook group wh

Support the show

As always, thank you for listening! Make sure to rate and review us, as it helps more women find our podcast. And be sure to follow us on Instagram at Be Still Be Free.

Send us a text, and leave your number or email so we can get back to you :)

It's finally here -- time to kickoff a brand-new series and season to help women walk from bondage to breakthrough! We're bringing light to the secret struggles women face, both in and out of the church. Our guest for the fall is licensed professional counselor Tracy Hurst, who is bringing words of Truth in due season for all of us battling fear, anxiety, grief, depression, self-loathing, comparison and more. This week is part 1 of going From Fear to Faith, and you're going to want to listen once, then again when you can sit down and take notes!

Tracy Hurst is a licensed professional counselor, author, conference speaker, and former co-host/guest on Moody Radio. More importantly, she's a wife, mom and friend who knows what it's like to navigate womanhood in today's day and age. To connect more with Tracy, click over to her website. To get a copy of Tracy's devotional, Tuesdays with Tracy, click here. Listen to our past episodes with Tracy here:

1. Be Healthy, Part 1
2. Be Healthy, Part 2
3. Conquering Depression, Part 1
4. Conquering Depression, Part 2
5. Emotional Wellness, Part 1
6. Emotional Wellness, Part 2

BE IN THE WORD:

• Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:6)
• For God is greater than our thoughts and feelings and He knows all things. (1 John 3:21)
• My peace is the legacy I leave to you. I don't give gifts like those of this world. Do not let your heart be troubled or fearful. (John 14:27)
• God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. (1 Tim 1:7)
• Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. (Psalm 33:8)
• But in the day that I’m afraid, I lay all my fears before you and trust in you with all my heart. What harm could a man bring to me? With God on my side I will not be afraid of what comes. (Psalm 56:3-4)
• All of Psalm 103

BE EDUCATED:

1. The Confident Woman by Joyce Meyer

BE DOERS, NOT JUST HEARERS:

1. Make an awe and wonder journal!
2. Write in it all of Psalm 103, whichever translation you prefer.
3. Find biblical examples of people who felt wonder toward God.
4. Use the journal to write down times of wonder in your life.

For more resources, make sure to visit our website.

You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Join our Be Together Community! It’s a private Facebook group where we gather regularly to encourage, uplift a

Support the show

As always, thank you for listening! Make sure to rate and review us, as it helps more women find our podcast. And be sure to follow us on Instagram at Be Still Be Free.

Send us a text, and leave your number or email so we can get back to you :)

It's the last #podcast of our throwback Be Prayerful series, and we're focusing on probably the hardest topic of all -- unanswered prayer. There are really only two types of prayers: answered and unanswered. Even if it’s really an answer of wait, it feels unanswered. Do you ever get caught up equating God’s love and existence merely in the answer to your prayer? Why do we do this? This week we dug into some of our friends in the Bible to see that God gave us more than ample examples of answered and unanswered prayers with stories we can relate to. Take the time to dig in and read about these stories…these people…our brothers and sisters in Christ who went before us and were written about so that we might glean and grow from their lives.

BE IN THE WORD (this week’s verses):

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

BE EDUCATED (additional resources):

1. The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson
2. When God Says No
3. Prayers of the Bible
4. Five Ways God Answers Prayers

BE DOERS, NOT JUST HEARERS (practical application):

1. Identity some of your most recent and consistent prayers. Which ones have been answered? Which ones have not? Can you see why it might not have been answered? Take the time to think through what you are praying and why.
2. Take time to pray: commit a certain amount of time to pray each day…start small but start.
3. Watch the War Room.

For more resources, make sure to visit our website.

You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Join our Be Together Community! It’s a private Facebook group where we gather regularly to encourage, uplift and pray for one another. Click here to join!

Support the show

As always, thank you for listening! Make sure to rate and review us, as it helps more women find our podcast. And be sure to follow us on Instagram at Be Still Be Free.

Send us a text, and leave your number or email so we can get back to you :)

Time for the next #podcast episode in our throwback series on prayer! Yes, there’s a time to be strong and courageous and move on. But FIRST, it is absolutely biblical to stop and give space for your pain, frustration, anger, fear, sadness...especially with what's happening in the word right now! There’s a time to speak out in faith and proclaim truth regardless of how you feel, but that comes after you’ve emptied yourself of the desperation first. It has be released and let go TO GOD so that He can fill those empty places with faith, peace, love, hope and yes…even joy. In this week's episode, we explore the importance of biblical lament, and learn how biblical lament never loses sight of God.

BE IN THE WORD (this week’s verses):

Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long? Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. (Psalm 6:1-4) 

I’m exhausted. I cannot even speak, my voice fading as sighs. Every day ends in the same place—lying in bed, covered in tears, my pillow wet with sorrow. My eyes burn, devoured with grief; they grow weak as I constantly watch for my enemies. (Psalm 6:6-7)

Why are You so far away? Why can’t You be found during troubling times? Mean and haughty people hunt down the poor. May they get caught up in their own wicked schemes. (Psalm 10:1-2)

BE EDUCATED (additional resources):

1. A Sacred Sorrow: Reaching Out to God in the Lost Language of Lament by Michael Card. The book Monica references in the podcast.
2. Pouring Out Your Heart in Lament to God. Great application on how to personally write a prayer of lament.
3. Liturgical Lament in Times of Crisis. The biblical structure of prayers of lament.
4. Lament: The Dark Side of the Journey.Quotes by Michael Card referenced in the podcast.
5. Biblical Laments: Prayer Out of Pain. Great biblical application for praying from grief.

BE DOERS, NOT JUST HEARERS:

Write a prayer of lament. Using the prayers of Job and Habbakuk as a guide, use the words “though”and “yet” to begin to phrase your lament. Do this when you are facing difficulty. 

1. Find a quiet place with God.
2. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. 
3. Be in God’s presence. 
4. Write down the “though” circumstances in your life. 
5. Offer these things to God. 
6. Worship God by completing the phrase: “Though these things have happened, yet _________.”

For more resources, make sure to visit our website.

You can also find us on

Support the show

As always, thank you for listening! Make sure to rate and review us, as it helps more women find our podcast. And be sure to follow us on Instagram at Be Still Be Free.

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We're back with another episode of our throwback series, Be Prayerful! This week we're talking about provision. You know, sometimes as women we don't ask God to provide because we feel it's selfish to do so; we feel selfish for asking God to give us anything, whether it be healing, restoration, finances, whathaveyou. But Provision isn't just something God does...it's also GOD'S NAME. Abraham called God Jehovah Jirah, "One Who Sees and One Who Provides." And there are over 169 verses in the Bible specifically about God's provision! It's time to let go of how we feel about asking God to provide, and begin walking in the confidence that God wants us to ask!

BE IN THE WORD:

There are over 160 verses in the Bible that refer to the ways God provides for us! Here are just a few:

Trust in the Lord and do what is right! Settle in the land and maintain your integrity! Then you will take delight in the Lord, and he will answer your prayers. (Ps 37:3-4)

God will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son. (Gen 22:8)

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matt 7:11)

No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. (Ps 84:11)

Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. (Ps 81:10)

Don’t hold back—give freely, and you’ll have plenty poured back into your lap—a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, brimming over. You’ll receive in the same measure you give. (Luke 6:38)

BE DOERS, NOT JUST HEARERS (practical application):

1. Make a Top 3 list. What are the three areas in life you need major provision for? Write down and pray specifically over all them. Be bold and audacious in your prayers. Ask God to show off, to make it clear He’s the only one that could have answered that way.
2. Play Your Part. All those verses we talked about have the if/then paradigm – they say we need to walk uprightly and seek the Lord. Not in order to make God do what we want Him to do, but because it’s the right thing to do, and then God can choose to bless us. Be obedient in every small thing.
3. Make a List. Make a list of answered prayers, so that when you are in the waiting again, you can reflect on what God has done, and be reassured that He will come through for you again.
4. Every single time God provides and answers your prayers, REJOICE unashamedly. THANK HIM profusely. Stop everything and acknowledge from whom the answer came and have a party about it!

BE EDUCATED (additional resources):

1. How Should I Pray for God to Provide? 
2. The Habit of Recognizing God’s Provision
3. Trust Your Finances to God’s Provision
4. Learning to Trust in God’s Provision

For more resources, make sure to visit our website.

You can also find us on

Support the show

As always, thank you for listening! Make sure to rate and review us, as it helps more women find our podcast. And be sure to follow us on Instagram at Be Still Be Free.

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In this strange and unprecedented time, Sara and I thought it would be fitting to throw it back to a series we did several years ago called Be Prayerful. In this series, we dive into the sheer POWER of prayer. The world can be changed through prayer. Lives can be changed through prayer. Revival is possible through prayer! If you want to have influence in the world, in your community and in your family, then it's time to get on your knees and Be Prayerful! In this introduction episode prayer, hear how Sara discovered in the Bible that prayers can be positional, commands or promises. Let's change the world one prayer at a time!

BE IN THE WORD (this week’s verses):

Positional

• The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. (Prov 15:29)
• The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. (Ps 145:18)

Commands

• Pray without ceasing. (1 Thess 5:17)
• But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matt 6:6)
• And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Luke 11:9)

Promises

• Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. (Jer 29:12)
• If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chron 7:14)
• Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. (Jer 33:3)

BE DOERS, NOT JUST HEARERS OF THE WORD (practical application):

1. What truth about prayer is hardest for you to accept, believe, or new for you? Do you struggle with your position and believing that you are near to Him when praying? Or perhaps you struggle with the idea of prayer being a command?
2. Can you identify something in your life that has kept you from wanting to dive into prayer? What is it?
3. Write it down on a piece of paper and burn it. It is holding you back…keeping you from freedom.

BE EDUCATED (additional resources):

1. The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. Without a doubt this has been one of my favorite books on prayer. It is practical, educational, motivational.
2. The War Room (movie). How much better can practical application and resources be then a movie? Be inspired and encouraged in the power of prayer and get some really great ideas of how to start a simple prayer life by watching this movie.

For more resources, make sure to visit our website.

You can also find us on

Support the show

As always, thank you for listening! Make sure to rate and review us, as it helps more women find our podcast. And be sure to follow us on Instagram at Be Still Be Free.