This week marks a full year of Diamonds in Dumpster Fires—52 episodes of showing up, telling the truth, and letting God work through the messy middle. Instead of a highlight reel, Melie shares seven lessons this year of podcasting taught her about resilience, creativity, faith, and showing up when life feels anything but polished.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why resilience is built through tiny acts of consistency

• How vulnerability strengthens connection and calms the nervous system

• Why creativity regulates your body and grounds your spirit

• How structure—not motivation—keeps you steady

• Why people connect to your story, not your perfection

• How God uses obedience more than expertise

• Why reflection turns your lived experience into wisdom

Each lesson comes with a simple action step you can use this week to strengthen your own resilience—whether you're building something, healing from something, or stepping into something new with God.

Melie also shares what surprised her most this year, from the power of honest stories to the unexpected joy of interviewing guests. The episode closes with a blessing for your next brave step as we head into 2026.

If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend or leave a review. Follow Melie on Instagram: @meliewilliams

Here's to year two—and to all the diamonds still waiting to be discovered.

In this vulnerable and powerful conversation, Melie sits down with author Emily A. Myers—a romance writer whose life and storytelling have both been radically transformed by her journey back to God.

Emily opens up about surviving a marriage that slowly dismantled her sense of self, the dark moments that nearly took her life, and the unexpected ways God intervened when she wasn't even looking His direction. From the wounds of legalistic church culture ("Bible Belt bruises") to the long road back to a faith that feels like home, Emily's story is a testament to the God who rescues, restores, and rewrites.

Together, we talk about:

• Growing up in a faith environment marked by pressure, guilt, and emotional isolation
• How trauma shaped Emily's early relationships and even her romance writing
• The moment God met her in the darkest place and whispered, "My blood is worth more than this"
• Relearning what real love looks like — from Scripture, not culture
• Healing from divorce without shame
• Why single seasons can feel like wilderness… and why they're still holy
• How God is transforming Emily's creative work through Woman in the Word
• What grace looks like when you've never been taught how to receive it

Whether you've been bruised by church culture, navigating a long single season, recovering from unhealthy relationships, or simply longing for God to feel close again — this episode is a reminder: God meets us in our mess, not our perfection. And He never stops pursuing His children.

✨ Melie's Takeaways

• Redemption rarely starts in the spotlight — it begins in the wilderness.
• You don't have to have a perfect past to have a powerful testimony.
• God doesn't wait for us to "get it together" before He comes close.
• Nothing — not mistakes, trauma, divorce, or doubt — can separate you from God's love.
• There is something deeply healing about hearing Scripture from someone who's still in the trenches with you.
• Your story is allowed to evolve. Your calling is allowed to change. Your art is allowed to reflect the journey.
• Grace is learned slowly when you weren't raised with it.
• What God is writing next in your life may be gentler, sweeter, and more beautiful than you expect.

✨ About Emily

You can explore Emily's Woman in the Word reflections, her romance novels (including her newest release You Can Always Come Home), and follow her spiritual journey here:

• Website: EmilyAMyers.com
• Blog: Woman in the Word
• Instagram: @womanintheword_ and @emilymyersauthor

✨ If You Loved This Conversation

If this episode encouraged you, please rate, review, or share it with a friend who needs a reminder that God can redeem every chapter — even the ones we'd rather skip.

And don't forget to subscribe to Diamonds in Dumpster Fires so you never miss an episode that brings together faith, neuroscience, resilience, and real-life redemption.

What if the success you worked so hard for starts feeling… empty?

In this episode, Melie sits down with Dr. Sharon Spano — executive coach, researcher, and expert in human development — to explore why achievement doesn't always translate to fulfillment, and what it means when you reach your goals but still feel something missing.

This conversation opens up the deeper layers of success, identity, faith, and growth in a way that will resonate with anyone who's ever looked around at a "good life" and wondered, Is this it?

• Why high achievers often hit a surprising wall of emptiness

• How developmental stages shape the way we experience success

• The hidden systems influencing your relationships, work, and identity

• Why faith-based achievers may struggle with mixed messages around ambition

• Simple practices that increase self-awareness and emotional resilience

1. Feeling empty doesn't mean something's wrong — it might mean you're evolving.

2. Self-awareness is the foundation of sustainable success.

3. Journaling is one of the fastest ways to regulate emotions and see your own patterns.

4. You don't have to navigate the ache behind achievement alone.

✨ Dr. Sharon's Developmental Stages Assessment — Coming Soon! As discussed in the episode, Dr. Sharon is releasing a free resource to help you identify your current developmental stage and understand your path toward deeper fulfillment.

sharonspano.com/dumpsterfires

(This is where the assessment will be available once released.)

• Website

• Book: The Pursuit of Time and Money

• Podcast: The Other Side of Potential

Please share it with someone who might be quietly struggling behind their own achievements. And if you're navigating your own season of transition, burnout, or "Is this all there is?" moments — you're not alone, and you're not broken. There is always a way forward, and it often starts with awareness.

And remember: even when the hustle burns out and the trophies start gathering dust, there is still beauty waiting to be rebuilt.

In this heart-centering conversation, Melie sits down with Jenn Suen Chen—spiritual director, speaker, and co-director of Summit Clear—to talk about how stories shape our faith and our sense of belonging. Drawing from her new book, Dim Sum and Faith, Jenn shares how the ancient rhythm of gathering at the table can teach us about spiritual formation, community, and what it really means to live loved.

Together, Melie and Jenn explore:

• Why stories are one of the most powerful tools for spiritual growth

• How our unique cultural and personal histories influence the way we see God

• What "intentional story work" looks like in safe, grace-filled community

• The difference between a spiritual director, mentor, coach, and therapist—and how each helps us heal

• How to begin processing pain and shame through love rather than fear

• The role of remembering and lament in gratitude and worship

• What it means to simply "come as you are" to God's table

This episode is an invitation to slow down, listen deeply, and rediscover how God meets us in the middle of our real, messy stories—not after we've cleaned them up.

About Jenn Suen Chen Jenn Suen Chen is a spiritual director, speaker, and co-director of Summit Clear, where she and her husband mentor those serving in cross-cultural ministry. After 25 years in Asia, she brings a rich, grounded perspective on faith, identity, and belonging. Her book Dim Sum and Faith weaves together story, culture, and spiritual formation, inviting readers to experience God's presence through the art of storytelling.

📖 Dim Sum and Faith – Book Link 🌐 Jenn's Website

If this episode speaks to you, please share it with someone who needs the reminder that their story still matters.

Grief wears many faces. It can look like a death, a divorce, a friendship that faded, or the slow realization that a dream did not work out. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Audrey Davidheiser, a licensed psychologist and Certified Internal Family Systems therapist, to talk about grief in a way that feels human, faith-aware, and actually doable.

We start by getting practical about Internal Family Systems (IFS). Think of it as understanding the different parts within us that show up when life hurts. Instead of trying to "get over it," Dr. Audrey shows us how to listen to what those parts are trying to say, and how that posture can reduce shame, soften anxiety, and help our bodies settle. We also talk about how faith and mental health can complement each other, especially when prayer and grounded tools work side by side.

From there, we look at what to do when grief shows up in the body or in our dreams, why timelines can backfire, and how to move gently but faithfully through loss. If loneliness has been knocking, we cover ways to befriend it without getting swallowed by it. And if you are wondering when it is time to get extra support, Dr. Audrey offers clear, compassionate markers that remove the stigma and invite wise care.

This one is for anyone carrying a fresh heartbreak or an old ache that still stings. You will leave with language for what you are feeling, simple practices to try this week, and hope that healing can be real and steady.

• A simple way to understand IFS and why it helps in grief

• How to respond when your body signals distress

• Why timelines for healing often miss the point

• Gentle steps for addressing loneliness without shame

• Clear signs it may be time to seek professional help

• Book: Grieving Wholeheartedly by Dr. Audrey Davidheiser

• Dr. Audrey's website — https://www.aimforbreakthrough.com/

If this conversation helped you breathe a little easier, send it to a friend who needs the same. And if you want more faith and neuroscience tools for real-life resilience, subscribe and leave a quick review. It helps more people find hope here.

What if surrender isn't weakness—but the doorway to real freedom?

In this week's episode, Melie sits down with bestselling author and artist Mary DeMuth to talk about her newest devotional, The Freedom of Surrender. Mary has written over 50 books, hosts the Pray Every Day podcast, and has helped countless people heal from trauma and rediscover hope.

Together, they dive into what it truly means to let go—of control, perfection, timelines, and even regret—and trust that God is still writing our stories. From releasing shame and inner criticism to finding peace in God's timing, this conversation is filled with honesty, humor, and hard-won wisdom.

If you've ever tried to micromanage your life (or God's plans) and ended up exhausted, this one's for you.

• The real difference between control and surrender—and why letting go is an act of courage

• How to silence your inner bully and hear God's loving voice instead

• Why God doesn't move on our timeline (and how to trust Him when it feels like He's not moving at all)

• The beauty that can emerge even from trauma

• How surrendering your appearance, your past, or your plans can actually bring peace

• Why community is essential when you're healing and letting go

This episode reminded me that surrender isn't giving up, it's making space for God to do what only He can do. Whether you're releasing a past hurt, an unmet expectation, or just your tight grip on "how things should go," there's so much peace waiting on the other side.

• Mary DeMuth's Website: marydemuth.com

• Book: The Freedom of Surrender

• Podcast: Pray Every Day

Share it with a friend who needs the reminder that God can bring beauty out of even the hardest stories. And if you haven't already, make sure to follow Diamonds in Dumpster Fires wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss next week's episode.

What if the thing that actually heals fear… isn't "more faith," but love?

This week, I sit down with Naeem Fazal, author of Tomorrow Needs You, and his story is amazing. He grew up in a Muslim family in Kuwait, moved to the U.S. after the Gulf War, and had a life-changing encounter with Jesus that flipped everything. Now he's a pastor in Charlotte, helping people move from fear to faith through the kind of hope that actually sticks.

We talk about why stories transform us more than information, what it looks like to trust God again after heartbreak, and how to find belonging when you feel like you don't fit anywhere. Naeem also shares why gratitude is more than good manners—it's a state of being that shifts your entire outlook.

One of my favorite moments? When he says, "God wants you to like yourself." That line stopped me cold.

If you've ever felt stuck between fear and faith, this episode is the gentle nudge your heart's been waiting for.

💎 Listen for: – Why "stories are information wrapped in hope" – How to start trusting again when you're still spinning – The surprising connection between beauty, love, and fear – A simple exercise that'll remind you what God actually likes about you

Fear doesn't get the final say—and as Naeem reminds us, tomorrow truly does need you.

• Book: Tomorrow Needs You: Seeing Beauty When You Feel Hopeless by Naeem Fazal

• Website: www.naeemfazal.org

Guest: Margarita Kogan, Licensed Therapist & Founder of Honor and Heal

If you've ever felt stuck in the same painful patterns—whether in relationships, habits, or thought loops—this episode is for you. Licensed therapist Margarita Kogan joins Melie to unpack why we repeat toxic cycles, how to spot them, and what it really means to come home to yourself.

Margarita helps women who "look like they have it all together, but feel anything but." In this candid conversation, she explains how childhood conditioning, nervous system patterns, and self-abandonment play a role in keeping us stuck—and how healing begins when we learn to trust our own voice again.

• Recognizing Toxic Cycles: How to tell the difference between a hard season and a recurring toxic pattern.

• The Role of Self-Abandonment: Why smart, capable women stay stuck—not from weakness, but from conditioning.

• How Childhood Shapes Our Patterns: How early experiences of love, safety, and belonging affect adult relationships.

• Breaking the Cycle Post-Divorce: Why toxic dynamics can reappear in dating, and how to stop repeating them.

• Rebuilding Self-Trust: Small, daily ways to reconnect with your intuition and learn to trust yourself again.

• Healing Through the Body: The importance of noticing your somatic responses when triggers arise.

• Boundaries and Grace: How to set flexible boundaries that protect your peace without shutting everyone out.

• What Healing Looks Like: Signs you're growing—when old triggers lose their grip and peace replaces panic.

• Instagram: @backtoself.healing

• Website: https://www.margaritakogan.com/

Margarita's work through Honor and Heal helps women unravel emotional trauma, toxic relationship patterns, and rebuild deep self-trust through therapy and coaching.

• Instagram: @meliewilliams

• Podcast Website: diamondsindumpsterfires.com

• Free Resources: Download Braver Than Before or check out Melie's free Resilience Toolkit to start your healing journey.

Healing isn't about fixing what's broken—it's about remembering who you are underneath the layers of survival. When you stop abandoning yourself, you begin to build the kind of peace that no one can take away.

Does your brain ever act like it's auditioning for a disaster movie? If you've ever convinced yourself a delayed text means you've lost a friend, or that a weird car sound means you'll soon be stranded on the highway with only a stale granola bar, this episode is for you.

In this deeply relatable episode of Diamonds in Dumpster Fires, host Melie Williams explores why our brains so often default to worst-case scenarios, what faith has to say about fear, and how to retrain your mind so that hope becomes your default setting instead of fear.

You'll learn: ✨ What "catastrophizing" really is and why our brains love to do it 🧠 The neuroscience behind fear, including how the amygdala actually works (and the myth its discoverer had to correct!) 💔 How rejection-sensitive dysphoria (RSD) amplifies emotional pain, and why it feels like rejection hurts physically 📖 The faith perspective: powerful scriptures that reframe fear and remind us that God's presence is constant, even in uncertainty 💡 Practical, neuroscience-backed tools to shift your brain from panic to peace:

• The 4-7-8 breathing technique to calm your amygdala

• The "What else could be true?" question to challenge negative loops

• Scripture swaps to anchor your thoughts in truth

• Gratitude practices that rewire your neural pathways

• The "delay response" habit that saves relationships and your sanity

Melie also gets personal about how RSD has played out in her own life, including some cringey (and funny) dating app stories that prove we're all just doing our best to navigate modern connection with ancient brains.

Takeaway: Fear may always try to shout louder, but it doesn't get the final word. Hope isn't naive—it's neuroplasticity and faith in action.

If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend who struggles with worst-case thinking, and don't forget to subscribe to Diamonds in Dumpster Fires for more faith-meets-neuroscience encouragement.

Scripture References:

• 2 Timothy 1:7

• Philippians 4:6–7

• Isaiah 41:10

• Lamentations 3:22–23

• Philippians 4:8

• Jeremiah 31:3

• Ephesians 2:10

Mentioned Research:

• Baumeister et al., Review of General Psychology (2001): "Bad is Stronger Than Good"

• Joseph LeDoux, The Emotional Brain (1996) and Psychology Today (2023)

• Eisenberger & Lieberman, Science (2003): Social rejection activates the same brain regions as physical pain

Loneliness is one of the most painful struggles we face—and it's one I know all too well. In this heartfelt episode, I open up about my own experience with loneliness after divorce, moving, and starting over. From Friday nights listening to neighbors laughing while I sat alone, to realizing just how deeply our brains are wired for connection, I share both the raw reality and the hope I'm holding onto.

Together we'll explore:

• A clear definition of loneliness (from the Global Initiative on Loneliness and Connection)

• What neuroscience tells us about how loneliness impacts our brains and bodies

• Biblical examples of loneliness—from Elijah under the broom tree to David in the caves, and even Jesus in Gethsemane

• Why loneliness has become a modern epidemic in our culture

• The lies loneliness tells us—and how to reframe them with truth

• Practical, faith-based strategies to build resilience in lonely seasons: micro-connections, anchor habits, acts of service, prayer, worship, and reframing solitude as growth

This conversation is for anyone who feels unseen, unwanted, or forgotten in their loneliness. You'll leave with neuroscience insights, biblical encouragement, and practical ways to find strength even when the silence feels overwhelming.

• 1 Kings 19:3–5 (Elijah's loneliness)

• Psalm 13 (David's cry of abandonment)

• Psalm 34:18 ("The Lord is close to the brokenhearted…")

• Isaiah 53:3 (Jesus as "a man of suffering, acquainted with grief")

• Lam et al., 2021: Neuropharmacology study on loneliness and well-being

• Local groups and events: Meetup, Eventbrite, church communities

If this episode encouraged you, would you share it with someone who might also be struggling in this season? One small act—a text, a smile, a hello—can ripple into healing for someone else.

Remember: Loneliness is not a weakness. It's a signal. And even in the deepest valleys, you are never abandoned.