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.

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