Episode 97: a conversation with speaker, author, podcaster, and mom Jennie Senapatiratne along with our podcast host, Mykelti Blum. Joy is the topic of discussion, and you’ll hear Jennie and Mykelti talk about how to practically move toward finding joy in daily life, the difference between joy and happiness, and leaning on Jesus as our eternal joy when facing trials.

You will also hear about Jennie’s new book, The Unnamed Zookeeper. Hidden moments and unnamed people in the Bible have bigger impact than we realize. If you feel invaluable and unseen, this conversation will offer you fresh perspective to see how you are connected to a much larger story, and we pray it encourages you to be confident in yourself and the tools God has given you.

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Episode 96: a conversation with Bible teacher, pray-er, wife, and mother Kristin Peterson in conversation with our podcast host, Mykelti Blum. Kristin has been involved in ministry and church leadership for over 25 years.

In this episode, Kristin and Mykelti discuss everything around forgiveness. Kristin shares her own journey with it, why it’s so hard to forgive, and what the Bible has to say about forgiveness. They also discuss how offense and humility both play a part in forgiveness. You’ll hear personal stories including miracles, redemption, and what happens to our faith when we forgive.

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Episode 95: a conversation with global Bible teacher, communicator, and mentor Charlotte Gambill and our podcast host, Mykelti Blum. Charlotte founded PRAXIS for Senior Leaders & The Collective Mentorship Program for women in leadership. She has authored a large number of books, produced several podcasts, and written curriculum for the next generation in partnership with SEU University. It was an honor to have her as our featured speaker at the 2025 BTG Leadership Conference!

In this discussion, Charlotte walks us through her switch from a pastoring and women’s ministry focus to that of developing leaders. Charlotte shares her heart behind starting The Collective and the importance of not doing leadership alone. She provides encouragement to women who might be discouraged in their leadership roles and to see the full potential God has for them.

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Episode 94:a conversation with Cheryl Wells–a business owner, John Maxwell Team certified speaker, trainer, and coach, and Side by Side Ministries founder–and our guest podcast host, Lindsay May. Cheryl shares about her childhood and how she navigated coming to the Lord as the only believer in her house. Cheryl loves talking about the power of God and the transformation that can happen through Him.

She shares about developing her ministry, opening their coffee shop, and navigating the challenges of taking those first steps of faith. Lindsay and Cheryl discuss managing difficult mental health seasons and moments of discouragement as a leader. Cheryl gives advice on how to take care of yourself in leadership–because you have to!

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Episode 93: a conversation with BTG Podcast host, Mykelti Blum, and Rachelle Rawson–a wife, mother of six, and the 2025 Lund Leadership Award recipient who is madly in love with her Savior. Rachelle shares her reaction to being surprised with the Lund Leadership Award at the 2025 BTG Leadership Conference. The two discuss what it means to be an exceptional leader, and Rachelle shares characteristics of a leader operating under God’s ultimate leadership.

Rachelle has an incredible testimony of navigating difficult life circumstances and how she always saw God show up in amazing ways. She loves to share her Jesus stories, and we’re excited for you to hear some of them through this episode!

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Episode 92: a conversation with global worker and mother Ann Marie and our podcast host, Mykelti Blum. If you were at the 2024 Thrive Conference, you may remember Ann, as she spoke during our Missions session. Ann shares about being at Thrive, her story with missions work, and her journey of obedience to follow the Lord’s call on her life.

If you’ve ever wondered how to pray with someone from another faith or whether or not it’s helpful to read their faith book to talk about religion with them, Ann has a lot of insight to share on these practical aspects of missions, highlighting the importance of the friendships we build.

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Episode 91: a conversation with retired pastor and passionate Christ-follower Lindsay Willis and our podcast host, Mykelti Blum. Pastor Lindsay is eager to help people have a meaningful, lifelong relationship with Jesus, and she is passionate about golf!

In this episode, the two talk about the importance of prioritizing rest, managing your capacity, and setting boundaries. They discuss how Jesus was a prime example for us in these areas, as He kept a Kingdom-focused mindset. Pastor Lindsay shares how your capacity can differ depending on your season of life and also how we can adjust our mindset from what the world wants for us to, instead, focus on the priorities God has for us.

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Episode 90: a conversation with parents, founders, and filmmakers Matt and Jill Reed and our podcast host, Mykelti Blum. The Reeds are the founders of Know Curtains, which is an online resource tracking the tech world to source information that affects everyday people.

In this episode, Matt and Jill share their heart for helping parents understand social media to better protect their kids. They talk through how social media has developed over the years and how they shifted their focus from creating content to educating adults about the digital world. They also discuss why it’s important to pay attention to these things as parents. If you’re a parent or if you have young people in your life, you’re going to find this conversation so practical and helpful.

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Episode 89: a conversation with author, coach, and speaker Tanya Prince and our podcast host, Mykelti Blum. Tanya shares about her newly released book, Designed for Purpose, which is a reflective guided journal to help us understand our purpose. She walks us through six categories of daily reading on which to reflect during our time with the Lord.

You will also hear a discussion on the question, “Can your purpose change throughout your life?” Additionally, Tanya shares about a season of discouragement she walked through and how that ultimately led her to pursuing her own purpose more fully. This conversation is so inspiring, and you are going to want to share it with a friend!

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Episode 88: a conversation with Kristen Ostrem–author, pastor, and Bridging the Gap event coordinator–and our podcast host, Mykelti Blum. Kristen and her friend Rachel Hastings co-authored the 21-day devotional entitled Win the Wait about waiting for a future spouse.

Kristen shares the heart behind this book and what it looks like to win when you are in a season of waiting. Mykelti and Kristen discuss waiting in any season of life, as everyone is waiting for something–or will be. You will hear about being mindful of your beliefs about God, yourself, and not creating an idol while waiting, as well as the blessing of being connected with the Church.

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