Do you need a reminder that hoping in Jesus is an active practice?

Advent is a time of expectant hope, and it’s an invitation to increase our focus on our Savior in preparation for the celebration of Christmas.

While part of hoping is waiting, we don’t wait passively.

My guest, Jen Ludwig, and I are talking all about holding on to the hope we have in Jesus and intentionally embracing Advent this season.

You’ll hear us talk about…

• Actively waiting with hope

• Hoping with other people

• Where we go to find hope

• Longing for holiness at Christmastime

Jen Ludwig is a Jesus-follower, writer, and worship leader. After attending Pepperdine University and finishing her graduate studies at UCLA, she settled in Southern California, where she currently resides with her husband. They are recent empty-nesters, daily discovering what God has in store for them in this new season.

Her devotional book, Embracing Advent, encourages us to focus on the hope, peace, joy and love that Jesus offers at Christmas, and every day of the year.

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Are you grieving a loss?

You likely are. We experience loss every day. Sometimes, it’s smaller, like moving away from a friend or a city you loved, and sometimes, it’s extremely significant, like the death of a family member.

But through it all, we can be looking for God’s glory. And when we search for it, we will see it.

My guest, Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young, is sharing her personal story of loss and the miraculous gift God gave her family through it. She’s encouraging us to chase God’s glory through our grief, too.

You’ll hear us talk about…

• Navigating everyday grief

• Using God’s Word to help process grief

• How good things can come from loss

• Supporting others on their grief journey

Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young is a multi-published author, speaker, podcaster, former news reporter, and writing coach. She is passionate about helping women discover God’s glory on life’s unexpected paths and flourish in their God-given callings.

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Do you want more of Jesus? Do you desire a deeper life with God?

The depth of intimacy is determined by you.

God has already restored the relationship by sending Jesus. He is already pursuing us. It’s up to us to intentionally pursue Him. Jeannie Cunnion, today’s guest and author of Closer to God, says “we will not grow closer to Him on accident.”

So how do we deepen our relationship with God? Listen in!

You’ll hear us talk about…

• How to experience more of God in your daily life

• What going deeper has looked like for Jeannie

• How you know you're growing in intimacy

• What holds us back

• Where to start

Jeannie Cunnion is a bestselling author and speaker whose most recent books and Bible studies include Mom Set Free, Don't Miss Out, and Never Alone. Her work has been featured on outlets such as the TODAY show, Fox News, CBN, and a host of popular podcasts.

Jeannie holds a master's degree in social work, and she is the co-founder of The 509 Foundation. She and her husband, Mike, live in Greenwich, Connecticut, with their five boys.

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A discussion about engaging in the political conversation, making biblical-based decisions and practically preparing to go to the polls.

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Are the one-size-fits-all parenting techniques falling short for your family?

Maybe it’s time to parent using the Enneagram as your guide.

Beth McCord, also known as Your Enneagram Coach, joins me to help us use the Enneagram to better understand ourselves first, and then better understand how God uniquely created our kids.

You’ll hear us talk about…

• becoming a self-aware mom
• how and when we can discover our kids’ types
• choosing connection over behavior modification
• noticing our kids’ strengths (even when they don’t seem like strengths)

Beth is the heart and mind behind Your Enneagram Coach. With a rich background spanning over two decades as an Enneagram speaker, coach, bestselling author, and dedicated educator, Beth has devoted herself to empowering others through the transformative lens of the Enneagram from a faith-based perspective.

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Do you feel defeated when it comes to parenting or do you parent with a victory mindset?

I’m talking with Victoria Riollano about how to equip ourselves to fight for our families, as our kids get ready to go back to school and every day. It starts with us.

But today’s show isn’t just for moms. It’s for any woman in a position to fight for the kids they love.

You’ll hear us talk about…

• defeated thinking vs. victory-minded
• how we equip our hearts to fight
• having a war plan for our children
• prayers for our kids as they go back to school

Victoria Riollano is a mother of eight, military spouse, and Psychology professor at three universities. Victoria holds an MA in child psychology and is currently a doctoral student of Social Psychology at Liberty University. Her ultimate passion is to write and speak to inspire others to know Christ more.

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Dream Believers Community

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Have you ever wondered how to actually follow Jesus in your real life?

Do you know if you're following Christ or following the culture?

Does discipleship sound way too hard?

Yolanda Solomon, author of Discipleship as Holy Collaboration: Helping Others Follow Jesus in Real Life, is on the show today to help us answer some of these questions.

You’ll hear us talk about…

• Following Jesus without being a weirdo
• Discipleship as a group project – holy collaboration
• Following culture or following Christ

Yolanda M. Solomon is the director of discipleship at Epiphany Church in Brooklyn, New York, where she teaches and creates discipleship curriculum and resources. She has also worked in campus ministry at Columbia University in New York, where she was blessed to serve undergraduate students for seven years.

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What are you consuming? What are you filling up on? Is it adding to your anxiety?

We are revisiting a popular episode from the series Overcoming Anxiety. 

Amy Seiffert joins me for a conversation about nourishing ourselves with the things our souls need to be fulfilled.

You’ll hear us talk about…

• Spiritual junk food we’re consuming
• Amy’s story of overwhelm and her new book Starved
• Techniques to ground us in peace

Amy is also the author of Grace Looks Amazing on You and is on the teaching team at Brookside Church. She is an affiliate Cru staff member and a regular YouVersion Bible teacher. She loves to travel and speak (and try new foods on all of her adventures!). Amy is married to her college sweetheart, Rob, and they live in Bowling Green, Ohio, with their three kids.

(This episode was originally released in March of 2023.)

Are you ready to shift into a slower gear?

Let’s take advantage of this season and create some intentional rhythms that allow us to slow down, and connect with God and with people.

My friend Jodi Grubbs is on the show gently guiding us into slower living and sharing some practices to help us be unhurried.

You’ll hear us talk about…

• Creating slow-living rhythms for summer

• Slowing down to deepen friendships

• How Jesus modeled slowness

• Finding your Soul Care Sanctuary

Jodi H. Grubbs is the podcast host of Our Island in the City and a slow-living advocate. She is the author of a children’s book, The Island Adventures of Lili and Oliver, and coauthor of a Bible study called The Friendship Café. Jodi, her husband, Dean, and their daughter, Lili, live in outside Raleigh, North Carolina.

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Girls Talking Life is all about cultivating community and creating meaningful connections. In pursuit of that mission, I’m launching Girls Talking Life Groups. It’s like a book club but for the podcast.

You listen to an episode then get together with friends to discuss, reflect, and apply it to your life.

Grab the Girls Talking Life Group Quick Start Guide. I outline a couple of simple steps, answer a few questions you may have, and tell you exactly how I’d start, if I were starting a group.

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Do you have a heart for healing and restoration?

Confronting systemic racism feels overwhelming, but you and I can help dismantle it one small step at a time.

Latasha Morrison, founder of Be the Bridge, is on the show today sharing a little of her story and walking us through why this should be a priority, especially in the life of a believer, and what we can do to make a difference.

You’ll hear us talk about…

• How understanding culture lessens our biases
• Prioritizing relationships with people who are different from us
• Scripture’s instruction for justice and unity
• Steps of action toward transformation

Latasha is a distinguished author, renowned for her transformative work in fostering racial reconciliation and unity.

As a New York Times best-selling author, she has captured the hearts and minds of readers worldwide with her powerful words and insightful perspectives. Her influential book, "Be the Bridge," has become a beacon of hope, guiding individuals and communities towards a future free from racial division.

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GET THE QUICKSTART GUIDE

Girls Talking Life is all about cultivating community and creating meaningful connections. In pursuit of that mission, I’m launching Girls Talking Life Groups. It’s like a book club but for the podcast.

You listen to an episode then get together with friends to discuss, reflect, and apply it to your life.

Grab the Girls Talking Life Group Quick Start Guide. I outline a couple of simple steps, answer a few questions you may have, and tell you exactly how I’d start, if I were starting a group.

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