Dear Daughters

One of my favorite things over the last year on the Dear Daughters Podcast was listening to my guests read a letter to their younger selves.

In celebration of my new book, The Grace Guide: Live Your One Beautiful Life, I am featuring five of my favorite letters in BONUS episodes, and my next guest is Liz Carter.

In DD Episode 80, Liz and I talked about finding contentment in all of life's messy, painful, joyous reality. Listen to Liz's tender, compassionate, comforting words she speaks to her teenage self.

So a question for you: What would you like to say to your younger self?

• That God loves you.
• To love the woman you are becoming.
• To not be so hard on yourself and others.

My new book, The Grace Guide: Live Your One Beautiful Life, is a book designed to help to experience the grace upon grace God has for you by reflecting on your life and your memories. I hope you'll pick up a copy.

• Read Liz's book, Catching Contentment: How to be Holy Satisfied
• If your heart feels weary, get a FREE Soul Care Kit from me to you!
• Deeply grateful for Sara Davis Regan for providing her music.
• Keep in the know: Sign up for my newsletter here!

The Grace Guide will show you how to love yourself like your good Father has always loved you and how to live your one beautiful life.

Understanding that we don't need as much stuff as we think we need is freeing. God has given us what we need and more than we know.

Kathi used to be buried in clutter. She wouldn't let friends into her home, she wasn't doing the things she needed to do … she was living half a life. But she began to live in a new way and found freedom in a clutter-free life. Through that journey, she also learned that God has given her everything she needs.

Kathi Lipp is a speaker, a podcast host, the coordinator of The Clutter-Free Academy on Facebook, and the author of 20 books including her most recent, The Clutter-Free Home: Making Room for Your Life, and coming soon, Ready for Anything: Preparing Your Heart and Home for Any Crisis Big or Small.

Kathi says these four things about herself:

1. "I absolutely adore my husband, Roger, like I have a deep crush on him it's not even funny."
2. "We have a knock-off Puggle. We think she's actually a Boxer Chiweenie. But we also say she's part Velociraptor."
3. "My dad was a hoarder so this clutter stuff comes very naturally."
4. "I hate our current situation, but I'm loving that I get T.V. time because I don't get enough."

Listen in to my conversation with Kathi. She knows all about organizing and decluttering the home, which is so timely since we're all spending more time than ever in it. I want your home to be a place of peace and comfort! Kathi is truthful and encouraging and I hope this episode helps you take the next step to "dedicate, decide, declutter and do-your-thing" with your space.

• Kathi Lipp's website
• Get a copy of Kathi's most recent book, The Clutter-Free Home: Making Room for Your Life
• Preorder Kathi's book Ready for Anything: Preparing Your Heart and Home for Any Crisis Big or Small
• Tune in to The Clutter Free Academy Podcast with Kathi Lipp here.
• Find Kathi on Facebook and join The Clutter Free Academy Group!
• Follow Kathi on Instagram and Twitter
• Get my book, Get The Grace Guide: Live Your One Beautiful Life!
• Big shout out and thank you to Austin Christian Fellowship who is sponsoring the podcast.
• ACF wants you to know about The Archibald Project, a non-profit ministry that seeks to help orphans worldwide. To hear more, listen to DD Episode 116 with Whitney Runyon
• Deeply grateful for Sara Davis Regan for providing her music.

The Grace Guide will show you how to love yourself like your good Father has always loved you and how to live your one beautiful life.

Dear Daughters is a template for those multi-generational conversations and relationships you're craving.

One of my favorite things over the last year on the Dear Daughters Podcast was listening to my guests read a letter to their younger selves.

In celebration of my new book, The Grace Guide: Live Your One Beautiful Life, I am featuring five of my favorite letters in BONUS episodes starting with the one and only, Pam Tebow.

In DD Episode 93 , Pam Tebow and I talked about the value of looking back and writing a younger self letter. Listen in to this woman of wisdom and amazing spiritual mama as she shares her letter to her younger self.

So a question for you: What would you like to say to your younger self?

• That God loves you.
• To love the woman you are becoming.
• To not be so hard on yourself and others.

My new book, The Grace Guide: Live Your One Beautiful Life, is a book designed to help to experience the grace upon grace God has for you by reflecting on your life and your memories. I hope you'll pick up a copy.

• Read Pam's book, Ripple Effects: Discover the Miraculous Motivating Power of a Woman's Influence
• Deeply grateful for Sara Davis Regan for providing her music.
• Keep in the know: Sign up for my newsletter here!

Pre-order your copy! The Grace Guide: Live Your One Beautiful Life

The Grace Guide will show you how to love yourself like your good Father has always loved you and how to live your one beautiful life.

This book, ideal for a gift, is a casebound hardcover with ribbon.

ORDER ONLINE HERE:

Amazon | Cokesbury | Barnes & Noble | Target

My book, Dear Daughters, is a template for those multi-generational conversations and relationships you're craving.

Where is God when things go terribly wrong?

John Ray has been my friend for a very long time. He is the pastor of Grace Church of Northwest Arkansas in Fayetteville, a missionary and a spiritual director … and he knows firsthand about suffering.

John says these four things about himself:

1. "I'm adopted, which has been one of the forming experiences of my life."
2. "I am married to a phenomenal introvert. Jane Ray is a fantastic woman."
3. "I'm the dad of four daughters who are all radically different, one of whom we lost when she was 10 years old."
4. "I feel like I won the lottery and didn't buy a ticket by getting to do what I do."

John was in the eighth-grade classroom with me when our classmate and friend walked in with a rifle and shot and killed our teacher. His mother attempted suicide not long after. He struggled with the reality of being adopted. And he lost his daughter, Olivia.

But John says this: "If I really find the courage and grace to go into the deepest wounds that I have … God is there. He has never forsaken me, he has never abandoned me, even when the world has been traumatic and evil."

Listen in to my friend, John Ray. I hope our conversation is an encouragement to you.

• Reach out to John for spiritual direction here.
• Read the Texas Monthly article about the murder here.
• Big shout out and thank you to Austin Christian Fellowship who is sponsoring the podcast.
• ACF wants you to know about The Archibald Project, a non-profit ministry that seeks to help orphans worldwide. To hear more, listen to DD Episode 116 with Whitney Runyon
• Want to find a mentor? Sign to get The Mentor Map free!
• Deeply grateful for Sara Davis Regan for providing her music.
• Keep in the know: Sign up for my newsletter here!

Coming soon! The Grace Guide: Live Your One Beautiful Life

Dear Daughters is a template for those multi-generational conversations and relationships you're craving.

What happens when you take the time to take care of yourself? What happens when you give yourself grace?

This week, I interviewed five women to talk about what happens when you take time for soul care.

Are you ready for their stories?

Melissa Tate is a food writer who lives with her husband on their family horse and cattle ranch in Rockwall, TX. Her primary life roles include: mother, step-mom, daughter, sister, and friend. Melissa came to Soul Care Saturday because she longs for rest in her life…and she learned that she deserves and needs soul care.

Melissa says, "I can be confident in what I'm doing because I am where God wants me to be."

Cheyenne Kizer is a dental hygienist and women's leader at her church, Coryell Community Church in Gatesville, TX. She is married to her high school sweetheart and mother to two children, and she is also helping to build a mentor program as a member of the school board. She made the time in her busy schedule to come to Austin for Soul Care Saturday, where she realized a little bit more of God's grace for her and how she needs to give that grace to herself.

Cheyenne says, "I am probably becoming a better listener to how He feels about me and how He loves me and how He created me. Although in the big picture it's not about me, He wants to use me for Kingdom purpose and I am thankful for that."

Mollie Dreibrodt lives in New Braunfels, TX with her husband, Canaan, and 10-month old daughter, Charlie. Canaan gifted Mollie with a ticket to Soul Care Saturday after a hard and scary season. She has learned that a lot of good can come from being vulnerable and asking for help and that she needs to give herself permission to be emotionally vulnerable.

Mollie says, "Sometimes our perfect plan is not exactly His perfect plan and we need to nurture ourselves and nurture our relationship with God so that His plan is how we're living our lives."

Brooke Griffin is a certified child-life specialist and a pastor's wife, and she lives with her husband in Oklahoma. Her mom encouraged her to listen to the Dear Daughters podcast and they gifted each other tickets to Soul Care Saturday for their birthdays (just one day apart). How fun! She ended up sharing things she never expected to share and learned how hard she can be on herself…and the importance of giving herself grace.

Brooke says, "Christ loves me and He loves so many things about me, and I want to learn to love those things too…and just guarding my heart in that way and my mind, and letting Christ have control of my mind."

Tracy Ammann Waight is a recent empty nester and divorcee (and just a really cool human) living right here in Austin. Her ex-husband gifted her a ticket to Soul Care Saturday, and she says it was the best gift he's ever given her. Hearing the other women's stories has given her strength in her day to day and she learned more than anything that God has her back.

Tracy says, "My stuff is just stuff. And it's all stuff I can handle with God and with peace and grace."

I just love these women. And I am so grateful they came on the show to share their stories and their wisdom. I am crying and laughing, feeling inspired and learning so much from each of them. I hope that you are too!

• Join me over on the Dear Daughters Facebook Group
• The Archibald Project website
• The Dear Daughters Podcast Episode 116 with Whitney Runyon
• Stop by my church Austin Christian Fellowship if you're in Austin
• Want to find a mentor? Sign up here for The Mentor Map here.
• Music by Sara Davis Regan
• Keep in the know: Sign up for my newsletter here!
• Come to The Grace Gathering on May 1st, 2020!

Coming soon! The Grace Guide: Live Your One Beautiful Life

Dear Daughters is a template for those multi-generational conversations and relationships you're craving.

Have you given all your dreams and desires to God? He wants to do more than you can imagine.

In December of 2010, Whitney Runyon felt a stirring in her spirit that began an amazing journey for her and her husband … and for so many orphans and adoptive families.

Whitney Runyon was a wedding photographer. And her husband, Nick, was an airline pilot. But after seeing the impact of photos she took of an adoption in 2011, they formed a orphan care advocacy 501c-3 and named it after the little Bulgarian boy who's adoption started it all, Archibald. In 2014 they quit their jobs to run The Archibald Project full time. The Archibald Project produces stories that are helping to bring an end to the orphan crisis by inspiring new people to get involved in orphan care.

Whitney says these four things about herself:

1. "I am obsessed with history…like kings and queens."
2. "Nick and I only watch TV together. We don't really ever separate."
3. "I love the color black. Way before it got popular these days. I used to want to be Wednesday Adams."
4. "I grew up in theater my whole life."

Whitney joined me with a few friends in my living room at Dear Daughters Coffee & Conversation where she shared her story, the impact of orphan care through TAP and wisdom about truly submitting your dreams and desires to the Lord and letting Him lead … and what can happen when you do. I hope her story nudges you to give your dreams to God.

• The Archibald Project website
• Follow Whitney Runyon on Instagram
• The Archibald Project on Instagram
• The Archibald Project on Facebook
• Podcast: Around the World with the Archibald Project
• Check out Whitney and her family on the GAP homepage!
• Stop by my church Austin Christian Fellowship if you're in Austin
• Want to find a mentor? Sign up here for The Mentor Map here.
• Music by Sara Davis Regan
• Keep in the know: Sign up for my newsletter here!
• Come to The Grace Gathering on May 1st, 2020! For $25 off, enter the code EARLYBIRD

Coming soon! The Grace Guide: Live Your One Beautiful Life

Dear Daughters is a template for those multi-generational conversations and relationships you're craving.

Dear Daughters is meant to be a bridge between two groups of women–dear daughters and spiritual mamas. Dear daughters are young women in search of spiritual guidance and spiritual mamas are women just a little further down the road with age-old wisdom to share. Each group has valuable insight for the other and the hope is that the reader will invite someone to come alongside them, pore over the included letters together, and pass along wisdom and advice that will make both lives more beautiful, wherever they are in their God story.

There is so much more good in the world than there is bad. Let's find the bright side.

Melanie Shankle thought she was too far gone. She wasn't shown the grace and mercy aspect of being a Christian, so by the time she got to college she felt like there was no hope and no going back. Then God met her in a bar in a bathroom, and he pursued her patiently and faithfully and showed her that no daughter of his has ever too far gone…and how to look on the bright side.

Melanie is a speaker, the author of four New York Times bestselling books, and the creator of The Big Mama Blog. She lives in San Antonio with her husband, Perry, and daughter, Caroline. In 2006, she felt God's call on her to be a full-time writer after pouring over parenting blogs and starting her own while on maternity leave. Her newest book, On the Bright Side: Stories About Friendship, Love, and Being True To Yourself, is described as "the ultimate guide to help you discover the power of relationships, the unchanging truths of life, and importance of giving up comparisons."

Melanie is an open book and tells us these four things about herself:

1. "I don't like Chinese food. So there's that. In particular, I don't like water chestnuts. I think they're a really weird texture."
2. "I sleep with like seven pillows at night. I'm a very high-maintenance sleeper."
3. "I was a Judy Blume nut."
4. "As a fourth-grader, I would get up, and eat my cereal and read Erma Bombeck. I thought she was so funny."

Melanie and I had a blast sitting in my living room, laughing and talking about all sorts of things: how the world seems to have forgotten about love and mercy and grace and that we all need to be reminded that there is light; how God meets us right where we are; the precious role of a mother and how to stay sane while raising kids; our mutual obsession with Cheer on Netflix … I hope she encourages you and helps you look for the bright side!

• Melanie's Big Mama Blog
• Melanie's book: On the Bright Side: Stories About Friendship, Love, and Being True To Yourself
• Melanie's debut children's picture book: Piper and Mabel: Two Very Wild But Very Good Dogs
• Melanie's Instagram
• Melanie's Facebook page
• Melanie's Twitter
• Follow me on Instagram for a chance to win a signed copy of On the Bright Side
• Stop by my church Austin Christian Fellowship if you're in Austin
• Get involved with Young Life
• Want to find a mentor? Sign up here for The Mentor Map here.
• Music by Sara Davis Regan
• Sara Davis Regan's song about chronic longing.
• Keep in the know: Sign up for my newsletter here!
• Come to The Grace Gathering on May 1st, 2020! For $25. off, enter the code EARLYBIRD

Coming soon! The Grace Guide: Live Your One Beautiful Life

Dear Daughters is a template for those multi-generational conversations and relationships you're craving.

We want to leave our kids with more than just memories, we want to leave them with a legacy.

Rodney and Michelle Gage have always been all about family. When their oldest was 6 or 7 years old, they had a family pow-wow to decide what their family would be all about…and they want you to know it's never too late to do that with your family, too.

Rodney and Michelle are the founding and lead pastors of ReThink Life Church in Orlando, FL. They have been married for over 28 years and have devoted more than 25 years to full-time ministry. They co-authored a new book, Family Shift: The 5-Step Plan to Stop Drifting and Start Living with Greater Intention that seeks to help families find God's best possible life for them and get back to the basics of what's really important.

Michelle tells us these four things about herself:

1. "I grew up in Oklahoma. I've got roots where I've loved riding horses…cowboy-cowgirl back roots."
2. "I'm the oldest of four girls and I love the position of being the oldest."
3. "We moved to Orlando, FL from Texas to plant a church. We lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area right after we got married and we lived there almost 10 years."
4. "I'm a worship leader…and I've had a ministry to women for quite some time."

Michelle and I talk about the importance of establishing core values for your family, identifying each family member's individual goals, passions and struggles, finding life-giving friendships, and teaching by example. I love Michelle and her heart. I hope she encourages you to shift your focus back to what matters most and live with greater intention.

• Michelle & Rodney's book: Family Shift: The 5-Step Plan to Stop Drifting and Start Living with Greater Intention
• Family Shift website
• ReThink Life Church Website
• Michelle's Instagram
• Family Shift on Twitter
• Stop by my church Austin Christian Fellowship if you're in Austin!
• Get involved with Young Life
• Want to find a mentor? Sign up here for The Mentor Map here!
• Music by Sara Davis Regan
• Keep in the know: Sign up for my newsletter here!

• Come to The Grace Gathering on May 1, 2020! Early Bird Tickets are available here.
• Coming soon! The Grace Guide: Live Your One Beautiful Life

What if our eyes shifted from what we need to what we already hold in our hands?

Meredith McDaniel is all about experiencing the hope and peace of God here and now by looking for the manna in her life and being a "manna maker" for others.

Meredith is a licensed professional counselor in Davidson, NC, and owner of her private practice Milk + Honey. She just wrote her first book, In Want + Plenty: Waking Up to God's Provision in a Land of Longing. Inside the pages, she takes us alongside God's people as they escape from Egypt and wake up each morning to manna, God's provision for them in desert places.

Meredith tells us these four things about herself:

1. "I love music. It is a daily part of my life."
2. "I really love Havarti dill cheese."
3. "Right now I have a thing for blue leather."
4. "Books have always been something I'm really drawn to…because of the stories that are inside."

Meredith and I talk about the longing that everyone feels and how it can unravel us, but that God is always pouring out abundance on our lives … we just have to look for it. If we can trace God's hand throughout our stories, we can see the "manna" that reminds us of His presence and provision in our lives. I loved my time with Meredith. She is a calming presence and so inspiring. I hope she encourages you and helps you see the manna in your life!

• Meredith McDaniel's Website
• Meredith's book: In Want + Plenty: Waking Up to God's Provision in a Land of Longing
• Milk & Honey Counseling
• Stop by my church Austin Christian Fellowship if you're in Austin
• Get involved with Young Life
• Want to find a mentor? Sign up here for The Mentor Map here.
• Music by Sara Davis Regan
• Sara Davis Regan's song about chronic longing.
• Keep in the know: Sign up for my newsletter here!
• Coming soon! The Grace Guide: Live Your One Beautiful Life
• Find my current book, Dear Daughters: Love Letters to the Next Generation here!

• Here's the info on Soul Care Saturday!!
• Pencil in The Grace Gathering for May 1st 2020

You have been given a gift and it's up to you to decide how you use it. And if you decide to use it to love on others and to be present with others, that matters.

Morgan Harper Nichols has loved making art since she was five-years-old. From an early age, her parents encouraged her that she was created to create, but it took much longer to feel like she had permission to share her art with the world … and now she uses it to bring encouragement and extend grace to others.

Morgan is a writer, artist, and musician. All of the work she creates is inspired by people and their stories … how is that? Her new book, All Along You Were Blooming: Thoughts for Boundless Living, is a gorgeous collection of illustrations, poetry, and prose meant to share hope, grace, restoration, and freedom.

Morgan says these four things about herself:

1. "I'm sarcastic which tends to surprise people."
2. "Most of the movies and TV shows I consume are super light-hearted."
3. "I love cheese. I'm a huge cheese fan. All the kinds. My mom loves sharp cheddar cheese and passed that on to me."
4. "I collect coffee mugs. I think coffee mugs are cool."

Morgan and I talk about how we can learn so much through people's stories and how they can fuel us to be who we were created to be. In the moments we see ourselves reflected in those stories, in relationships, in art and the things around us … those are the moments we are reminded that we are not alone and that we do belong. My time with Morgan was just a dream … I love the way she is so encouraging, but also has a little sass. I just know you will find her as delightful and inspiring as I do!

• Morgan Harper Nichols' Website
• Morgan's shop, Garden24
• Morgan's book: All Along You Were Blooming
• Morgan's Instagram
• Stop by my church Austin Christian Fellowship if you're in Austin
• Young Life
• The Grace Guide: Live Your One Beautiful Life
• Want to find a mentor? Sign up here for The Mentor Map here.
• Music by Sara Davis Regan
• Keep in the know: Sign up for my newsletter here!

• Here's the info on Soul Care Saturday!!

Find my newest book, Dear Daughters: Love Letters to the Next Generation here!