Ditching Perfection

Here is the episode so many of you requested... a conversation about adult friendships. Finding and maintaining friends can be really hard. The truth is, many of us are lonely, isolated, and not sure how to make friends when we are juggling work, families, and paying the bills. So, my friend, Elise Snowden is here to 1) normalize the fact that adulting and friendship can be challenging, 2) share some of her experience with friendships in this phase, and 3) help us look to Jesus' friendships as an inspiration for our own relationships. 

Several years ago, Cherie asked Joy to be her mentor, not just for a season, but for LIFE. The consistency, intentionality, and vulnerability that these two cultivate is inspiring and encouraging. Everyone needs someone who is investing in them, and everyone needs to be investing in someone else. Mentoring matters.

Cherie Reiter is an avid God-chaser, wife to Chris, mom to four kids, and co-pastor of The Connection Church of the Nazarene in Castle Rock, Colorado. Cherie is a singer/songwriter and has written and recorded music with a new album releasing soon. J

Joy Streight is married to Dave, mom to three adult children, and grandmother to three young grandchildren. She is the lead pastor of Boise Castle Hills Church of the Nazarene, and she enjoys painting, singing, reading, and writing.

You can reach Cherie at [email protected] and Joy at [email protected].

I'd love to hear how you're ditching perfection in your season of life! Let's connect on instagram. You can find me at @carlycommunicates. To learn more about my speaking ministry, visit http://carlycommunicates.com

Going it alone is really tempting, right? We want to prove ourselves, show that we're capable, and not appear weak... but in today's conversation with my new friend, Danielle Zapchenk, she and I are chatting about why inviting others in can truly transform us and those around us. Danielle is a mom, wife, speaker, ministry leader, and the host of two podcasts: The Parable Podcast & Together We Rise. You can learn more about her ministry at https://www.daniellezapchenk.com/.------I'd love to hear how you're ditching perfection in your season of life! Let's connect on instagram. You can find me at @carlycommunicates. To learn more about my ministry, visit http://carlycommunicates.com. 

This is the LAST episode of Jesus Q&A. It has been such a transformative series for me. I hope it has been for you too. We are finishing our series hearing the first words of the resurrected Jesus documented in the Gospel of John... and His words come as a question full of empathy, compassion, and understanding. Jesus meets Mary right in the middle of her deep emotions and empowers her to be the first preacher of the message of resurrection. 

It is often easier to go along with the crowd than it is to stop and listen. Listening takes intentionality. It means carving out time and space to hear someone’s perspective. It means setting aside our desire to be heard so that we can truly understand someone else’s story. In our cultural moment, we are quick to “cancel” people who have different perspectives, beliefs, opinions, and backgrounds… When did we lose the ability to appreciate someone, even if we don’t hold all of the same perspectives? When did we decide that we can only be friends with people who think exactly like us? 

If we truly listen, show value to the stories of others, and seek to know the source of information… then I think the way we interact with others will shift and soften. It is easy to toss someone aside when we don’t know them… but once we’ve connected personally, heard someone’s story, and understand why they think, act, vote, believe, or live a certain way, we are less likely to throw our hands up and say, “Well I don’t know! I’ll just listen to the crowd.” 

We have just walked through an exciting month so we want to share some fun behind-the-scenes stories from NYC, Disney World, and CIY camps... along with some fun family stories. We have lived so many answered prayers and moments of celebration, so we want to invite you into the party!