Girls Talking Life

Do you ever get stuck believing lies? Have you ever thought about pain as an invitation? Do you find it hard to wait well?

On today's show, I'm talking with Jessica Hottle and we dive in to all these questions. Jessica describes growing up in a home experiencing physical and emotional abuse and because of that, she feels led to love women in ways that she wasn't loved early on in her life. She talks about accepting Jesus and how her life didn't change overnight, but how she "had to pursue his word, stand on his truth, and be renewed and transformed." That transformation allowed Jessica to write about what she'd gone through and encourage others in identity and self-worth.

Jessica talks about pain being an invitation to move us closer to God. She says it shouldn't be avoided, but rather unraveled so you can work to understand it, work through it and create space for healing.

Jessica and I talk about her podcast "What's the Truth" where she discredits the lies we believe one by one by putting them up against God's truth. She tackles lies like "I'm not qualified" and "my past defines me." Jessica tells us how to differentiate between truth and lies, especially the smaller persistent lies we come to believe.

We talk about waiting well and why it's important. Jessica shares some times where she's patiently endured a hard situation, not understanding the reasons behind it, but waiting through the season to see the fruit it produced. She says it's about the promises of God, it's not about the rewards. She also tells us that while waiting can feel idle, it shouldn't be. Waiting can be a time of work and refinement.

Jessica's mission is to help women know their identity and worth come from Christ. She inspires and encourages thousands by sharing her own personal struggles, victories, and journey through life. She's a successful entrepreneur, author, speaker, and brings encouragement on her podcast What's the Truth? where she equips women to be set free from the lies they believe that are holding them back from living an abundant life in Christ.

Jessica's Books – Know Your Worth, A Worthy Wife and Own Your Worth

What's the Truth Podcast

1 Corinthians 15:58 – Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Clove and Hallow

Lesser Evil Cheese Puffs

Yeti Tumbler

Nail Polish Rack for Essential Oils

Try Softer by Aundi Kolber

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Today on the show Jasmine and I chat about her brand new book, Mother to Son: Letters to a Black Boy on Identity and Hope, where she beautifully writes to her young son about her love and hope for him and also what she wants him to know as he grows from a boy to a man in his brown skin.

Jasmine tells us why she chose to write this not only for her son, but also for the world. We talk about how our fears differ as moms of children with different color skin and of different genders, but how we can relate and sympathize with each other. Jasmine tells us that this isn't a parenting book, that she's not yet an experienced parent, but in the spaces where she does have experiences that I don't, is where I've learned the most from her.

Jasmine encourages us to have the difficult conversations about racial identity with a spirit of love and a focus on the gospel of Christ. She says her hope for the book for people who aren't black, is to get a beautiful, restorative picture of what cross-cultural relationships can look like.

Jasmine is a writer and blogger at The Gospel Coalition, Desiring God, Fathom Mag, Modern Reformation, Christianity Today, and The Witness. She is also a contributing author for Identity Theft: Reclaiming the Truth of Our Identity in Christ and His Testimonies, My Heritage: Women of color on the Word of God. She teaches humanities in a classical Christian school in Jackson, Mississippi where she and her husband, Phillip, are parenting two young sons.

Mother to Son: Letters to a Black Boy on Identity and Hope

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

Chimamanda Adichie

The Jesus Storybook Bible

The Biggest Story by Kevin DeYoung

Her Sons Playing Together

Ginger and Pearl Jewelry

Rhythm of Being Home

Her Plants

Audiobooks

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Jenni Lien is the writer and artist behind The Yay Project which seeks to help women celebrate their God-given design by reminding them that 'You Are You' (Yay!). Through The Yay Project, she's had the joy of e-praising God with women from all over the world.

Jenni is a second generation immigrant. She was born in the UK, moved to Canada when she was eight and now lives in Hong Kong. In our conversation Jenni talks about growing up experiencing lots of diversity and how that led her to appreciate how different God has made us. She shares what led her to Hong Kong and describes the culture, the current unrest and her experience with the coronavirus. Jenni talks about not giving into fear, but trying to be a light during fearful times.

Then we dig in to how and why Jenni started The Yay Project. Jenni talks about feeling like her life was going exactly according to God's plan and how when that plan fell apart, all she had was God's faithfulness to get her through. She says "through that whole experience, he brought me to a place where I was just so in love with him." During that time was when he gave her the vision for her project. Jenni talks about carrying a fear of rejection and needing to heal from some old wounds in order to more fully accept her God-given design, and how she wants to encourage other women to do the same.

Jenni is overjoyed to connect with women so deeply through a shared love of God. When not creating for Yay, she works in children's book publishing and is also a freelance food writer.

The Yay Project

Praying All Day

Yay Sister Series

Whistles Dresses

Oliplex Hair Treatment

I Give You Authority by Charles Kraft

Spotify Top Christian Playlist

iPad and Apple Pencil

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Pure Haven is the maker of fresh, safe, personal and home care products. Their mission is to educate consumers about pure, safe, alternative personal care choices that empower people to live the healthiest lifestyle possible. Their products are 100% free of toxins. Guaranteed.

Use code 258708 to support the show during the month of March.

Do you love Jesus but struggle to connect with church? Do you ever feel like you don't belong in church? Like you can't connect with the people? Or have you been hurt by church?

You may be a Christian misfit. But you are not alone.

As the daughter of a pastor, Joy grew up in church. She explains how it has been a place of joy, interest and comfort for her, but also a place of confusion, pain and tension. She describes feeling the disconnect of what she was experiencing of God and what she was experiencing in church.

One Sunday, while on stage as the worship pastor herself, Joy was welcoming people to the Sunday service and into their church community and realized that she didn't even feel a part of that family. She tells us that the more she explored and wrote about her feeling and experiences with church, she found others were feeling the same way. Joy says that this is a red flag, that it's something we need to pay attention to for the sake of passing our faith to the next generation.

The purpose and passion of Joy's writing is not to be divisive but rather to bring reconciliation and healing to the church and its people.

What Kind of Christian Misfit are You?

What Do You Do if You're a Christian Misfit?

Underground Church by Brian Sanders

Skye Jethani

Tampa Underground

Vox Podcast

Prayer: Volume One by Strahan Coleman (Instagram)

Trader Joe's Prepared Foods

Dropps Laundry Detergent

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment

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Pure Haven is the maker of fresh, safe, personal and home care products. Their mission is to educate consumers about pure, safe, alternative personal care choices that empower people to live the healthiest lifestyle possible. Their products are 100% free of toxins. Guaranteed.

Use code 258708 to support the show during the month of March.

Do you feel tethered by something in your past? Like you can't quite move through the grief of an event? Do you wonder what it means to really walk in freedom?

Amy Loflin encourages women to abandon their self-imposed prisons of shame or unforgiveness, replace the limitation of bitterness with the progress of forgiveness and accept true transformation.

Today on the show Amy and I chat about her role in ministry, leading the outreach for her church as the Serve Director. Amy tells us that God's been prompting her to find her voice and share more of her story with others. She says "God has just continued to say, 'I'm writing a beautiful story with you and it's not just for you.' "

Amy talks about losing her mom as a young adult and holding her family at arm's length as a means of self-preservation. She also shares a personal story of forgiveness and tells us that it's a continuous process not a one-time event. She shares some intimate moments where God showed her how to unleash herself and trust him more.

Amy was born and raised in the heart of North Carolina and has been married to her college sweetheart, Chad, for almost 23 years. They have two sons, Jacob (18) and Ben (16). Amy spent seven years as a school counselor, seven years as a stay at home mom, and is now in her seventh year of ministry.

The Summit Church Oak Ridge

She Speaks Conference

Women Speakers Collective

For Freedom Christ Has Set Us Free – John Piper

Ugg Throw

Charlie's Choice Seasoning

CAUSEBOX

Voxer

Naked Spirituality by Brian McLaren

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Pure Haven is the maker of fresh, safe, personal and home care products. Their mission is to educate consumers about pure, safe, alternative personal care choices that empower people to live the healthiest lifestyle possible. Their products are 100% free of toxins. Guaranteed.

Use code 258708 to support the show during the month of March.

If you're the mom of a teen girl, if you have a teen girl in your life…or if you've ever been a teen girl, grab your earbuds and listen in to this conversation!

Today I'm talking with Pam Lozano. Pam is the founder and president of Pure Design Ministries and Teen Magazine. She is an inspirational speaker on topics of faith, self-image, self-worth and purity. Pam has been a youth pastor with husband Jake for over twenty years and has a passion for mentoring the next generation to live whole-heartedly for Christ.

In our conversation, Pam and I talk about why she started a magazine for teens girls, what goes into the production of an issue and the message her ministry wants to convey. Pam shares her thoughts on beauty and having a counter-cultural message. Pure Design magazine speaks to teen and young adult girls through fashion, mentoring articles, recipes and truth through scripture. Pam wants girls to be confident and secure who God has made them to be.

We also talk about the Pure Beauty Conference and the kind of impact a young girl can expect during the one-day event. In addition to speaking to the hearts of girls, Pure Design Ministries wants to help strengthen the relationships between moms and daughters. Pam tells me about the Mom2Mom Chats where she shares more of her story and parenting her own daughter.

Do you compare yourself to other people? Do you add up all the best features your friends and acquaintances and try to measure up? Without realizing it, we can fall into a pattern of continual comparison that becomes exhausting. But it doesn't have to be that way!

Richella Parham joins me today to boldly share her story about the comparison trap she found herself in. Richella and I talk about when she first realized this was a problem in her life. She tells us how she would see the best attributes of others, measure herself against them and then berate herself when she didn't measure up. She talks about going in search of help but not finding it, so she began to do research herself, ultimately writing the book, Mythical Me: Finding Freedom from Constant Comparison (nominated for IVP Readers' Choice Awards).

Richella shares that when we constantly compare ourselves to others our vision becomes distorted. She says, "Because I couldn't see myself clearly and was unable to see myself as lovable and valuable, I doubted that anyone really loved and valued me." But that, of course, isn't true. We are beloved daughters of God. Richella goes on to tell us how she found freedom from constant comparison and how you can too.

Richella has blogged for over a decade at ImpartingGrace.com. She serves as a member of the Ministry Team and as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of Renovaré, a Christian spiritual formation ministry. She also serves as Worship Coordinator for The Gathering Church of Chapel Hill/Durham, North Carolina, and is a member of Redbud Writers Guild. The mother of three young adult sons, Richella lives in Durham with her husband, Jack.

Creating the Mythical Woman

Mythical Me: Finding Freedom from Constant Comparison

Imparting Grace Blog

Burt's Bees Lip Balm

Quilted Vests

HGTV's Home Town

Sacred Ordinary Days Planner

Magnesium Supplement

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Are you a fan of the Enneagram? What's your number? Do you know you can be healthy, average or even unhealthy in your number?

Today Julie Short (8w7) sits down to talk with me (9w1) all about the Enneagram! Julie is a Higher Ed professional, co-host of the Momnesia podcast and is on her way to becoming a Narrative Enneagram Teacher.

If you aren't familiar with the Enneagram yet, it's a super useful tool, first for self-awareness and discovery, then for relating to others. Within each type, or number, there are levels of development ranging from unhealthy, to average, to healthy. In the spirit of wellness, Julie is talking about how to move toward health in your number.

Julie starts off by explaining the Narrative Tradition of the Enneagram. She walks us through each number and gives us actionable steps to take to move toward health. She also gives suggestions of how to support the people in your life in their number. Julie tells us how powerful this tool has been in her life and how it she believes it even saved her marriage.

Momnesia Podcast

The Road Back to You

The Narrative Enneagram

Julie's Enneagram Resources

Headspace App

Yoga with Adriene

Infinite Style by Ann Talyor ($25 Coupon from Julie)

Second Life with Hillary Kerr

Whitening Toothpaste

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Pure Haven is the maker of fresh, safe, personal and home care products. Their mission is to educate consumers about pure, safe, alternative personal care choices that empower people to live the healthiest lifestyle possible. Their products are 100% free of toxins. Guaranteed. Use code 256844 to support the show during the month of January.

My guest for episode #30 is Kara Osborne. Kara is sharing her story about the unexpected journey the Lord took her on of learning how to live well for his glory.

Kara is a wife and mother of two who spends her days encouraging others to step forward into the things the Lord has called them to. She's a former school counselor who founded a faith based Health and Wellness business and ministry called Wellness Witness in 2014. Though local classes, social media, an online membership community called the At-Home Tribe, and through her new podcast IN IT WITH YOU, Kara hopes to love, encourage, equip and led people into brave obedience.

Today Kara and I talk about her leaving her job to start her fitness ministry and how it was just about taking the next step, and obeying and trusting in God's provision. She tells us that is wasn't easy or always pretty, but because the Lord was faithful to her again and again, she can encourage other women to trust him too.

Kara talks about her continuous cycle of jumping in and starting new plan after new plan and thinking that was the one that would bring her lasting hope and satisfaction, but how it never did. She shares her light bulb moment when she gained the insight that God had given her her body as a gift and it was her job to steward it well. Kara talks about drilling down and knowing your WHY and letting go of temporary indicators that don't bring lasting satisfaction. She says that for most of us, when we get to the heart of why we want to be healthy, it's because we want to love others well.

I love, love, love Kara's approach, not only to physical wellness, but to spiritual wellness, and her trust in the Lord is contagious!

Revelation Wellness

Wellness Witness

At Home Tribe

In It With You Podcast

Finally Free Book

Her Electric Blanket

Handheld Frother

Christmas!

Family Devotional Time

You are the Girl for the Job by Jess Connelly

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My guest for episode #29 is Krista Gilbert. Krista is a speaker and author of "Reclaiming Home: A Family's Guide for Life, Love, and Legacy", co-author of Focus on the Family's "Give Them Wings", and the co-host of The Open Door Sisterhood Podcast.

Today on the show Krista and I are talking about family, traditions and meaningful gift giving. Krista explains why traditions are more than just fun practices, how they help shape a family's identity and instill a sense of belonging in our kids.

We also talk about meaningful gift giving. Not just giving stuff to give stuff. Krista shares her ideas for experiences, something that builds a memory. She gives thoughts for gifts that foster talents or interests, as well as homemade gifts.

Krista shares a story of a year when she felt like she had missed the heart of Christmas. She encourages us not to do what she had done that year, but to pause, take the time on our own or with our family to meditate on the true story of Christmas and put Jesus at the center of our holiday.

The Open Door Sisterhood

Krista's book Reclaiming Home

The Light of Christmas by Richard Paul Evans

Nana's Rum Cake Recipe

1 Box yellow cake mix (with pudding) ½ cup cold water 1/3 cup oil ½ cup dark rum 3 eggs

Mix all ingredients and bake in greased bunt pan for 1 hour at 325 degrees.

Glaze: ¼ lb. butter ¼ cup water 1 cup sugar ¼ cup dark rum

Melt butter in sauce pan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add rum.

After cake has cooled a little, poke holes through cake and pour glaze over. Remove from pan once cake has cooled completely.

Krista's Rum Cake Recipe

Krista's eBook – The Advent Story

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

Bracelet Key Ring

Cat Von D Everlasting Lipstick in Lolita

Zoya Nail Polish in Brenna

Canada Santana Snow Boots

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