KJ Perdomo isn’t a mom (yet). But as a daughter, she has experienced a what seems like a lifetime’s worth of pain and rejection. She shares her story of loss and brokenness and about the bullying she experienced growing up. But it doesn’t stop there.

God pursued her through an aunt who adopted her and a timely invitation to church when she was contemplating suicide, then again through a community of believers in college who radically loved her and helped her hear God. Through her own story of redemption, KJ found a passion for connecting others to revival and for discipling people to hear God’s voice instead of the world’s.

It is not worth my time to dwell on and think about a thought that was not from the Lord. There's a verse that says we need to take our thoughts captive. The original context literally means to capture and interrogate our thoughts... It's not worth your time to believe anything less than what heaven is speaking about you.

KJ’s story will fire you up to see revival in your own family and communities as we seek to follow Jesus’ example.

We have to be people who radically live for the Lord. And it seems funny, but what we think is radical, Jesus really called normal. Since he shared himself with everyone, that should be our normal, right? Because Jesus only did what he saw the Father do. So we should do what we see Jesus do.

What we chat about:

KJ’s story of family brokenness, adoption and growing up learning about Jesus

Her struggle with self worth during her school years and the effects of bullying in her life

Hearing God for yourself and helping your children learn to hear God is so important

KJ’s experience growing closer to God in college

How community pressing into God on KJ’s behalf made a powerful impact on her

Learning to hear the voice of God

Taking every thought captive and how to interrogate your thoughts to see if they are from God

It's not worth your time to believe anything less than what heaven is speaking about you

Opting into community with other believers and how it can be messy, but worth it

Seeking revival for our communities and for us personally

Revival starts with reconciliation

Believing the truth of who God says you are and that he can heal your deep heart wounds

To see revival in the world and in our families we have to be willing to be the hands and feet of Jesus

Living radically for Jesus and sharing our faith

The nuts and bolts of modern-day discipleship

Asking the right questions to point people back to Jesus

Connect with KJ:

 

Links Mentioned:

* William Lane Craig

* The Lost Art of Disciple Making**

* A Guide for Listening and Inner-Healing Prayer by Rusty Rustenbach**

* Group Heather mentioned, the "Spiritual Authority Cohort" by CRM Leaders

* Freedom Tools by Andy Reese**

* Can You Hear Me: Tuning Into the God Who Speaks by Brad Jersak**

**Amazon affiliate link. A small portion of your purchase will help produce this podcast.

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Prep Dish meal plans were created by chef & dietician Allison Schaaf to help save you time and put home-cooked meals on the table.

Tommy Nelson serves as the pastor of Denton Bible Church in Denton, Texas. He's a husband, father, best-selling author, and well-known speaker. But not too long ago he walked through an unexpected journey of depression and anxiety that stemmed from overcommitting in his job. Stretched too thin, his body and mind began to break down under the strain.

My mind couldn't stay focused. I lost 20 pounds and got to where I couldn't work out. I would just put myself to sleep at night on some kind of medication and then I would jolt awake in the morning and go through the day unable to relax. All I could do was pray and just try to make it through the day. It's scary, you know, you can't define it.

Tommy shares about his path to healing after identifying why he was feeling the effects of anxiety and depression. He also shared about the role his wife played in praying for him and keeping his faith up in the midst of the storms.

When you're going through this the whole world is made of salt and you're an open wound. Everything can be painful. And I remember her just laying on the bed with me and putting her arms around me… Just knowing that she was there meant so much. She would fuss at me, but in a good way, you know, she'd keep my faith up.

If you or your spouse have experienced anxiety or depression in the past, or even today, there is encouragement for you in this episode! Tommy also shares about a 4-hour teaching he has available for streaming right now online.

The Journey Through Depression & Anxiety

Click Here to buy live stream access to the conference, The Journey Through Depression and Anxiety. If you have never heard of The Hub before, it's your best source for Bible Studies, Online Resources, and Live Christian events. You can tune in to some of the most anticipated live events of the year from the comfort of your own home or church. You can learn more at gotothehub.com under the "Live Events" tab. Check it out!"

What we chat about:

Tommy’s backstory of overwork and his physical/mental breakdown because of it

How proper care and medication helps level the playing field with depression and anxiety

The importance of protecting your mornings and protecting your evenings and balancing your schedule

How spouses can support each other when depression or anxiety strikes

No on goes through life without stressful situations. Sometimes God uses these times in to stretch us

How vital sleep and relaxation are for your body to restore itself

God is not a genie. Healing takes time and trusting in God’s goodness

Staying strong in the word and strengthening yourself in the Lord can

Sometimes the struggle with depression and anxiety can bring you closer to God

For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. 1 Corinthians 7:14

Praying out loud for your spouse is powerful

Connect with Tommy:

Links Mentioned:

* Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon

BOOK: Walking on Water When You Feel Like You're Drowning: Finding Hope in Life's Darkest Moments** 

Hope for Life Ministries with Steve Leavitt www.

This week’s guest Janay Wilborn is a mom of two kiddos who are just 20 months apart. She shares a lot of hope for moms of multiple children and moms who are transitioning from one kid to two.

You have such overwhelming love for your first child and you wonder how could I possibly have the same level of capacity for another one? That's where God is amazing because his love is limitless and he puts this limitless love inside of us as parents.

As we answer some of your questions about parenting young children and the transitions in motherhood, Janay shares some remedies to the mom guilt that tries to steal our joy and about the best way to teach our kids about Jesus. (hint: it’s not a specific Bible study or theology cards)

We round out our conversation with some tips about connecting with your spouse during the little years of parenting with date strategies to keep the fun in your marriage. Janay also shares with vulnerability and openness about the need to grieve the things you lose when you become a mom.

You have to recognize as a mom that what you're doing with your kids is super valuable, but it's okay to miss what you used to do. And I think when you acknowledge that it helps you value what you're doing even more.

What we chat about:

Janay’s experience as a mom of two and the transition to caring for a baby and a toddler

God has endless love to help us love our kids

Engaging with older kids when you have a newborn

Connection time with our kids is more important than our task lists

Perspective on how quickly we go through the various stages with our kids. What is hard now will not be in the future!

Mom guilt and the fear that we’re not a good enough mom

How the constant comparison of social media contributes to bad mom self-esteem

The biggest way to teach your children about Jesus is the way you live

Transitioning to motherhood and grieving the loss of what you lose as a mom

Remembering that the time we have with little ones is precious

Connecting with your husband during the little years of parenting

The importance of sexual intimacy for a healthy marriage 

Date strategies and how to get back to the fun you had when you were just dating

Recognize that what you are doing as a mom is valuable

Connect with Janay:

    

Links Mentioned:

* Discipline & Toddlers -- Hailey Bain & Meredith Woodruff

* For the Mom with Lots of Littles -- Hanni Go

**Amazon affiliate link. A small portion of your purchase will help produce this podcast.

Featured Sponsor: Prep Dish

Prep Dish meal plans were created by chef & dietician Allison Schaaf to help save you time and put home-cooked meals on the table. No meal time stress. No more answering the dreaded question, “What’s for Dinner?!”. Developed by chef & dietician Allison Schaaf, Prep Dish is a healthy, whole food based meal plan subscription service. Allison does all the planning for you- including easy-to-follow shopping lists and prep-ahead instructions so you know what to prepare and when.

Imagine...all of your meals prepped and ready to go for the entire week. We like to call this meal time bliss!

Sandi Patty is Christian music icon who provided the soundtrack to a lot of my youth. She’s an inspiration on and off the stage. In our interview, she opens up about a lot of struggles she’s had in her past and the fears and shame she’s carried for a long time.

I'm just being very real with you about how even now at 62, I'm still processing the 'should haves'. You know, I often say, ‘I should’ to myself. You know, I should've done this. I should've done that. I should have.

She shares the freedom she’s still finding in learning to focus on what God says about her identity as a wife, mother and as an artist. And about how connecting with God through community and counseling have made all the difference for her. As a mom of eight grown kids from a blended family, Sandi does not mom alone!

Finally, Sandi shares what a huge impact it made for her when she really grasped that God not only loves her, He likes her too.

A friend told me once that God likes me. Really. If he was giving a party, he'd give you an invitation. If he had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. Like he likes you. He delights in you. And you know, there's a lot of people that we think of that we love, but we may not necessarily like. It really connected for me because I would think, yeah, of course he loves me. But he's God, that's his job. But that he likes me. That's really cool.

What we chat about:

Sandi’s blended family which includes eight kids

It’s ok to have two oldests or two youngests in a blended family

Acknowledging that every blended family is born out of loss

Sandi’s family background and her experience with sexual abuse

How Bible Study Fellowship played a big role in helping her connect with God’s word

The important role that counseling can play in healing from trauma

How sharing your story truthfully and openly can bring healing

Every day in your marriage isn’t going to be perfect and it’s ok to model that for your kids

Processing an injury her son had almost 30 years ago and how Sandi has carried the guilt of that incident

Motherhood brings feeling of guilt and shame to the surface

God loves and worries more about our kids than we ever could

Learning to believe the truth that God loves each of us (and likes us too!)

You cannot get shame off of you without help

God’s word is our biggest tool against fear and doubt

Connect with Sandi:

    

Links Mentioned:

* Bible Study Fellowship -- find a group in your area or do the study online

The Voice: Listening for God’s Voice and Finding Your Own**

Broken on the Back Row**

**Amazon affiliate link. A small portion of your purchase will help produce this podcast.

Featured Sponsor: Prep Dish

Prep Dish meal plans were created by chef & dietician Allison Schaaf to help save you time and put home-cooked meals on the table. No meal time stress. No more answering the dreaded question, “What’s for Dinner?!”. Developed by chef & dietician Allison Schaaf, Prep Dish is a healthy, whole food based meal plan subscription service. Allison does all the planning for you- including easy-to-follow shopping lists and prep-ahead instructions so you know what to prepare and when.

Imagine...

Candace Cameron Bure is an actress, producer, New York Times bestselling author, beloved by millions worldwide from her role as D.J. Tanner on the iconic family sitcoms Full House and Fuller House and of course Hallmark Channel movies. (Christmas is coming and she has a new one coming out Nov. 25)

But, she’s also a mom of three children ages 16 to 20 and an outspoken Christian in the entertainment industry. She shares what it was like to grow up working in entertainment and the values her parents passed on to her. And about how she walks out her faith now as a busy working actress, a career she returned to after choosing to be a stay-at-home mom for 10 years.

Now sometimes I literally have to roll out of my bed and onto my knees every morning and start my day. I don't feel connected if I don't do that. But throughout my day I'm constantly having conversations with God. It might just be under my breath asking Jesus to help me because I want to snap at that person right now or I'm going to lose it with my son who just talked back to me. It's a constant dialogue and I trust that he hears me.

We talk about her new children’s book “Candace Center Stage” and how it focuses on the values of hard work and courage, especially for our strong-willed children.

It’s very reflective of my own life growing up and the lessons that I've really tried to instill in my own children. Like don't be afraid to fail just because you'll never know what you're capable of unless you try. And don't be afraid to work hard at it. If you quit too early you may not realize how good you can be and if you're not, that’s OK. You can pick something else, but you’ve got to try.

As she takes us into her world, she talks through how she stays calm and kind under pressure and lives for Jesus as she juggles the roles and the callings God has put on her life.

I want to be that influencer for positivity and kindness and showing my love for Jesus. And I would love for people to know Jesus because of me because I've shared a good word.

What we chat about:

Candace’s strong foundation from her own parents

Fostering a good work ethic in your kids without pressuring to perform for your love and approval

Candace’s family and what her older children are up to

How she and her husband share the responsibilities of raising their children

Maintaining balance with changing priorities and calls on your time

Learning to say “No” without feeling bad about it

It’s really more about juggling priorities and trusting that God partners with us as we make decisions

Candace’s walk with the Lord and how she lives out her faith in San Francisco

Praying throughout the day and how Candace talks with God through all she does

How to work with people who have anti-Christian sentiments and responding with kindness

What it was like growing up in the entertainment industry

Her new children’s book Candace Center Stage and the background on why she wrote it

* Preparing for the teenage years now and looking forward to them

Connect with Candace:

    

Links Mentioned:

Candace Center Stage**

**Amazon affiliate link. A small portion of your purchase will help produce this podcast.

Not Alone Community