Dear Daughters

The world may tell us we're too much and never enough. But we can walk wildly in who God created us to be and rest freely in the work Jesus did for us. We do not have to be confined or conformed by cultural expectations. We are unchained from our past and unafraid of our future. ~ Jess Connolly

If you want to know what it looks like to run after God, meet Jess Connolly. Aside from starting a church with her husband, Nick, she is a mom to four young children, a small business owner and an author.

She started Naptime Diaries Shop in 2011, selling scripture prints out of her home. She helped co-found SheReadsTruth in 2012. After that, she co-founded and led The Influence Network with Hayley Morgan. She also co-wrote Wild and Free with Hayley and is working on her second book which is a solo project.

See the show notes at susiedavis.org

In 2013 Kate Merrick said goodbye to her 8 year-old daughter Daisy Love when she left for heaven. She wrote on grief, joy, and struggle on prayfordaisy.com. Kate is making her way back toward laughter and finding life to be filled with good things.

Kate Merrick is a pastor's wife, writer, speaker, and mom to a teenager and toddler. She and her husband Britt cofounded the Reality family of churches in 2003, which began in Carpinteria, California, and has grown to include Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Stockton, San Francisco, Boston, London, and Honolulu.

That's the official bio, but let's be honest ... she's a nouveaux-hippie at heart, Kate has a fondness for her mom's blouses from the 70s, loves to cook food she grew and meat she raised, and she is one of those people who uses coconut oil for everything—like Windex.

She willingly lends her chandelier earrings to her toddler, dances hard at weddings, opens the sunroof when she's driving, and still checks to see if her dress twirls. Most of all, she enjoys the freedom of being wholly loved by God who has given not only his friendship to a total sinner, but every sweet thing in life.

Show notes at susiedavis.org

The single greatest cause of homelessness is a profound, catastrophic loss of family ~ Alan Graham

What does it really look like to love your neighbor? What does it look like for you to share your life and somehow be family to people who may not be just like you?

Alan Graham answers those questions in profound and practical ways. In 1998, he started a ministry to feed the homeless here in Austin. Since then, he harnessed over 18,000 volunteers to serve over 4,000,000 meals to the hungry.

Oh, yes. That's amazing but that's not all. He also started a new movement to house the homeless. And the model is called Community First! Village. He writes about this and more in his new book called Welcome Homeless.

I'm just gonna make an ask here. Will you read the book, check out the ministry and ask God what he might like you to do in your community?

See all the show notes at susiedavis.org

"Sometimes I think I'm afraid to listen to desire, the gentle heartbeat of my own life, the thing that makes me come alive because I discount that God speaks within me and to me through the Holy Spirit." ~ Emily Freeman

Are you afraid to listen to the gentle heartbeat of your own life? These are the kinds of things Emily Freeman thinks about and it's one of the reasons I love reading what she's writing. She is the best kind of contemplative: thoughtful, creative and also playful.

I'm excited to share this podcast with you because it's going to make you think deeply about all kinds of important things. And it's going to inspire you to love your one beautiful life. Aside from that, all the books y'all. Lots of recommended reading. I can't wait.

See all the show notes at susiedavis.org

The mother-daughter relationship is one that is delicate, beautiful and let's be honest … sometimes fraught with boundary issues. As a mom of two young adult daughters and a daughter-in-law, my heart goal is to make sure that I love and honor them in the new stage they are in as young married wives.

Not always the easiest thing because what I'd really love to do is beg, cajole and/or guilt them into moving back to Austin. (And maybe even living with me. Ha.) Of course, I know this is not the smart thing or the loving thing. So I have to constantly make the choice to be a wise, spiritual mama. A mother who gracefully lets go of the very people she loves the most.

Which brings me to this whole notion of working through various seasons of life (like watching your kids grow up and move away) with deep contentment. In light of those two things, I thought it would be a fabulous idea to have my own daughter, Emily Boone, on the show and talk with her.

Emily is a photographer living in Navasota, Texas with her darling husband, Kenton, and her furry babies: Bowie and Howie.

See all the show notes at www.susiedavis.org

"I thought I could pour myself into ministry and make the pain go away. But God started breaking down walls, helping me look honestly at my pain, and teaching me how to really grieve." ~ Hilliary Cheatham

In this episode of the Dear Daughters podcast, I talk with Hilliary Cheatham. She is a story-telling photographer in China as a missionary. She lives and works at Show Hope.

Hilliary is also a very dear daughter of mine. She roomed with my daughter, Emily, when they were at Baylor, she lived in my house post-grad and helped me immensely during the season I was writing Unafraid and dealing with an ongoing pain syndrome.

She is bright joy, constant hope and I know you'll love hearing how even the hardest thing couldn't touch her trust in God.

All the show notes at susiedavis.org

"Sometimes there's no getting around tough circumstances, but changing the way you handle them can make a big difference. It doesn't take much to go from feeling completely in control to completely overwhelmed. Sadness, isolation, anxiety… whether it's a lifelong struggle or a season of life that just doesn't seem to be passing, we all experience times when it would help to have someone in our corner." ~ Dr. Ashley Stafford

In this episode of the Dear Daughters podcast, I talk with Dr. Ashley Stafford. She is a psychologist in private practice in Austin, TX. Ashley provides counseling services to adult individuals, couples, and families as well as neuropsychological testing to adults. Ashley's areas of interest include anxiety spectrum disorders, adjustment disorders, and marriage and family issues.

Ashley is a dear daughter who also happens to be my niece which means we sit around the table many Thanksgivings or Christmases just being family. And talking about family. And everything in-between. I know you'll love her knowledge, wisdom and humor.

See show notes here.

How are you feeling about those new year resolutions? Already tired underneath the weight? Yeah, I've felt it too.

That's why I'm trying something a little kinder and more centered on this truth: Only God knows the future you. Resolutions, best efforts and inspiration will wane. So when it does, the best new prayer is …

As You wish

Totally got that from The Princess Bride. Not at all concerned about the fact that I somehow made dialogue from a comedy into a prayer. Because this year, I'd love contentment with God to win over any and ever best idea or goal I have for my life. I'm digging deep into 'as You wish' and 'Your kingdom come' in my life. I talk about that today on the podcast and a few other things.

Show note links at www.susiedavis.org

Kind of a different format on the podcast today because I wanted to touch base and catch up with you. And I also wanted to talk about how Christmas time while wonderful, can make things wonky. And wonky sometimes makes for lonely or sad feelings. And I just don't want you to feel lonely or sad. I want you to know everyone feels those confusing Christmas-y feelings sometimes. I've certainly felt them.

Also wanted to share a quick and yummy breakfast idea for Christmas morning. As well as a few ways to deepen conversation around the table. And some last minute gift suggestions. These things and more.

See all the show notes at www.susiedavis.org

One of the things I love best is introducing you to people like Lana Rush. She is a pastor's wife, mother to three beautiful girls and spiritual mama to many. She's a woman full of wisdom and God's kind of deep joy.

In this episode, she shares honestly about some of her greatest struggles in being the parent of a child with special needs. She opens up about how she and her husband handle the challenges differently and how they've managed to stay close despite setbacks.

We also chat about how we make our homes a respite and our love of books. Between the two of us, there are nearly fifty books recommended because we tend to suggest reading the whole series of books we love. That's a lotta great Christmas present suggestions if you ask me.

All links are on the show notes at www.susiedavis.org