God Hears Her Podcast

Guest Bio: Amy O’Dell is the Founder and CEO of Jacob’s Ladder, a non-profit school and research center in Roswell, Georgia, and AHAVA, a digital platform for human restoration and growth. 

As a leading healthcare innovator and global pioneer in special needs education, neurobiology, and development, Amy gives people with neurobiological delays or disorders a clear path to hope, healing, and transformation amidst the obstacles they face. Her groundbreaking methodology, the Interpersonal Whole-Body Model Care (IWBMC) model, harnesses the extraordinary ability of the brain to heal and develop new capacities at any age. 

Amy’s greatest passion is to help provide restoration and uncover a potential most would overlook. You’re invited to join Amy on her mission to create a world where everyone is Free to Flourish. Amy is also the author of the forthcoming book, Free to Flourish.

Show Summary: Have you ever heard of the Interpersonal Whole-Brain Model of Care? It sounds like a lot, but at its core it means combining science and love to help the neurological development of children. Amy O’Dell founded Jacob’s Ladder and developed the model of care after realizing her son’s development was delayed. Join hosts Elisa Morgan and Eryn Eddy Adkins on God Hears Her as they learn Amy’s story and get insight that can help us all.

Notes and Quotes: 

• “I love people deeply, but I am a dyed-in-the wool introvert, so I restore my soul with quiet and simple things. And so, even as a kid I think it’s sometimes hard for someone who’s made like that and designed like that to find their safe place in the world.” —Amy O’Dell

• “Interpersonal Whole-Brain Model of Care. . . It’s the balance of science and love.” —Amy O’Dell

• “There’s so much in our world coming at us at all times. So much information, so much dialogue, so many platforms, so much!” —Amy O’Dell

• “When you talk about love and compassion for another, and just being present with them, there’s this whole cascade of neurochemicals that are released in the brain.” —Amy O’Dell 

• “You could have the best methodology in the world, . . .but if the person on the other side of that care delivery feels unsafe, feels like the brain is in a state of fight, flight, or freeze, not one thing that you are inputting or imparting in them will ever make a difference.” —Amy O’Dell 

• “The process of going through trials and sufferings. . .if we understand them the way God intended them, they forge us as steel so we are so solid no matter what life throws at us.” —Amy O’Dell

Verses: 

• 1 Peter 5:10

• Psalm 46:5 

Links: 

• Jacob’s Ladder: https://www.jacobsladdercenter.com/

• Free to Flourish: https://freetoflourish.com/

• God Hears Her website: https://www.godhearsher.org/

• God Hears Her newsletter sign-up: https://www.godhearsher.org/signup

• Subscribe on iTunes! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-hears-her-podcast/id1511046507?utm_source=applemusic&utm_medium=godhearsher&utm_campaign=podcast

• Elisa’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elisamorganauthor/

• Eryn’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eryneddy/

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Guest Bio: 

John Humphrey is the vice president and project leader for the nonprofit I Am Second. This organization exists to tell other’s radical testimonies, through book and film, to inspire people to put Jesus first in their lives. John also serves as producer of the majority of I Am Second films, including the feature documentary Loud Krazy Love, currently distributed via Showtime Networks. He holds master’s degrees in business administration from the University of Texas at Dallas and sports administration from Ohio University, and he has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Wake Forest University. He and his wife Kathleen have two married daughters, Jessica and Laura.

Show Summary: 

What does it mean to be second? We live in a culture of always wanting to be number one, the champion, the first, and the best. But does that align with what the Bible says about how we are supposed to live as Christians? If we put ourselves first, how do we serve others, lay down our sinful ways, or ultimately allow God to be first? On this episode of God Hears Her, hosts Elisa Morgan and Eryn Eddy-Adkins talk with John Humphrey, the vice president of I Am Second, about what it means to be second to God, and discover that everyone has a testimony worth sharing.

Notes and Quotes: 

• “I Am Second Ministry means to put the needs of Jesus and others ahead of yourself.”— John Humphrey

• “We want people to see an authentic story of a person who has had a personal encounter with Jesus.”— John Humphrey

• “So many people think they don’t have a story. . .”— John Humphrey

• “I’ve been serving rather than living for myself.”— John Humphrey

• “There’s moments throughout your life that you know God and the Holy Spirit are alongside you. Sometimes it’s a moment of triumph, sometimes it’s a teaching moment. . . or that’s when it really became real to you about what Jesus did for you.”— John Humphrey

• “Know that your relationship with Jesus is the starting point and what matters. And if you lean into that. . . and let Him show you the next steps in life, not the final steps and where you ultimately want to get to, but the next steps in life.”— John Humphrey

Links: 

• I Am Second website: https://www.iamsecond.com/

• God Hears Her website: https://www.godhearsher.org/ 

• God Hears Her newsletter sign-up: https://www.godhearsher.org/signup

• Subscribe on iTunes! https://apple.co/3frJl9j 

• Elisa’s Instagram: elisa morgan author

• Eryn’s Instagram: eryneddy

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Guest Bio: Brittany Maher is compelled by love to empower women to simplify their identity based on one thing alone: Jesus. She is the founder of Her True Worth, a large and growing online community designed to liberate an entire generation of faith-filled women with the freedom found in discovering their true worth in Christ. She and her husband, Ryan, invest most of their time in equipping and empowering God’s people for digital evangelism across the globe. Brittany is planted in Michigan with her husband, Ryan, and their daughter, Ariana. 

Cassandra Speer is a popular Christian blogger who desires to see women discover the depth of God’s love in a superficial world through the power of His Word. She is vice president of Her True Worth, a ministry created to encourage wounded and wandering women to find their identity and validation in Christ alone. Cassandra and her husband are planted in Oklahoma City, where they live with their three children. 

Show Summary: Our worth comes from the sacrifice that Jesus made for us because of the love God has for us. But what does it mean to accept that we are worthy? What does life look like when we see ourselves as worthy because of who God made us to be? Cassandra Speer, the vice president of the ministry Her True Worth, shares with hosts Eryn Eddy Adkins and Elisa Morgan about what it means to accept our worthiness and live in the truth of the Lord on this episode of God Hears Her.

Notes and Quotes: 

• “We wanted to point women to the worth and value in their identity in Christ. . . . And we wanted to talk to the pinpoints of all the reasons and experiences as to why we feel as though we have to work for our worth.” —Cassandra Speer

• “She felt only as valuable as her ‘yes.’ She felt only as worthy as her availability, or what she can produce with her hands.”—Cassandra Speer

• “The underlying problem is our identity. Who we are and where that comes from. And there are so many counter identities the enemy uses.” —Cassandra Speer

• “Our best and worst moments are actually not the defining moments of our worth.” —Cassandra Speer

• “Day after day we are at war for our worth. . . .It is a daily [thing], taking up your cross and remembering.” —Cassandra Speer

• “If you are wavering with your worth, you are human. . . .But, as long as we know that our identity is in Him, we are secure. It cannot be revoked.” —Cassandra Speer

• “It’s not who I am, it’s whose I am.” – Cassandra Speer

Verses: 

• Matthew 3:16–17

• Ephesians 2:10 

• Genesis 1:27 

• 1 John 1:9

• Isaiah 43:1 

• 2 Corinthians 5:17

Links: 

• Her True Worth Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hertrueworth/?hl=en

• Her True Worth Book: https://www.thomasnelson.com/p/her-true-worth/

• Her True Worth website: https://hertrueworth.com/home/ 

• God Hears Her website: https://www.godhearsher.org/ 

• God Hears Her newsletter sign-up: https://www.godhearsher.org/signup

• Subscribe on iTunes! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-hears-her-podcast/id1511046507?utm_source=applemusic&utm_medium=godhearsher&utm_campaign=podcast

• Elisa’s Instagram: elisa morgan author

• Eryn’s Instagram: eryneddy

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Guest Bio: After years of working in bakeries, coffee shops, and food trucks, Mary Jo Clark returned to her love of audio production and sharing stories. She is now a podcast producer and engineer for Our Daily Bread Ministries. Outside of her passion for creating excellent podcasts to encourage women, she is a talented baker. Her cookies and cupcakes are described by many as “legendary.” She’s married to her husband Russ, and they are proud parents of a beautiful one-year-old boy named Milo.

Show Summary: Motherhood is a hard journey full of joys and sorrows. If you’re a mother, what does your motherhood journey look like? If you’re not a mom, do you wish to be one? On this episode of God Hears Her, no matter if you have kids or not, we want to invite you to join a vulnerable conversation with Elisa Morgan (mother-through-adoption and grandmother), Eryn Eddy Adkins (new bonus mom), and Mary Jo Clark (mother to a one-year-old boy). Join these three women as they discuss the different types of mothers and mentors and rest in the truth that no matter what your experience looks like, you are not alone. Happy Mother’s Day! 

Notes and Quotes: 

• “There are so many ways to become a mother: adopting, fostering, becoming a stepmom or what I like to say “bonus mom,” and we want to make space for each experience.”—Eryn Eddy Adkins

• “I felt sad. I was mourning the loss of my old life. And then feeling immense guilt and shame because I loved this new baby so much, and I didn’t want to feel sad.”—Mary Jo Clark

• “If I had to put my finger on something that expresses the struggle or surprise of motherhood, it’s the lack of control.”—Elisa Morgan

• “The Lord is bringing me back to learning how to trust and depend on Him with the choices I make.”—Eryn Eddy Adkins

• “Sacrifice is an enormous part of motherhood.”—Elisa Morgan

• “It’s such an honor to be an influence on these girls’ lives. God trusts me to steward my influence on their lives and empower them in their voices and their own individuality.”—Eryn Eddy Adkins

• “Talk to people about the joys and the sorrows because it’s a rollercoaster of a job (motherhood), but it’s so beautiful.”—Mary Jo Clark

• “Your identity is not found in their emotional response.”—Eryn Eddy Adkins

• “I’m not responsible for my children’s choices. I’m responsible for my responses to their choices.”—Elisa Morgan

• “God doesn’t expect us to be perfect. And we’re not going to be. God can use our “Swiss cheese holes” to reveal our kids’ needs for Himself.”—Elisa Morgan

Links: 

• God Hears Her website: https://www.godhearsher.org/

• God Hears Her newsletter sign-up: https://www.godhearsher.org/signup

• Subscribe on iTunes! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-hears-her-podcast/id1511046507?utm_source=applemusic&utm_medium=godhearsher&utm_campaign=podcast

• Elisa’s Instagram: elisa morgan author

• Eryn’s Instagram: eryneddy

• Mary Jo’s Instagram: sugarcoated.bymj

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Guest Bio: 

Anna Haggard is an associate content editor for Our Daily Bread Publishing. A follower of Jesus, she loves to write and edit books sharing about God’s generous and deep love for all people. Anna co authored the Called and Courageous Girls Series (calledandcourageousgirls.com); Mission Drift, a 2015 Christianity Today Book Award winner; and The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good.

Show Summary: 

When it comes to the women in the Bible, we tend to talk about Ruth, Esther, and Mary. But what about the other women who are in the Bible? There are many forgotten or briefly mentioned women who deserve recognition for their roles in God’s Word. Join Elisa Morgan and Eryn Eddy Adkins as they talk with editor Anna Haggard about the women in the Bible you don’t usually hear about, and get a sneak peek into the new Our Daily Bread Devotional Known by God on this episode of God Hears Her. 

Notes and Quotes: 

• “Being weak is a place where His power resides.” —Anna Haggard

• “God uses dysfunction for redemption.” —Elisa Morgan

• “You are seen, God is with you, God is on your side, God is for you one-hundred percent, God hears your pain and knows it and is experiencing it with you.” —Anna Haggard

• “Are you happy with the current activity you are doing?” —Anna Haggard

• “I hope the readers will encounter the God who encountered these women in the Bible.” —Anna Haggard

Verses: 

• 2 Corinthians 12:9

• 1 Samuel 25

• Luke 7:36-50

• Genesis 16

• Exodus 1:15-21

• Genesis 38

• Luke 10:38-42

Links: 

• Known by God, 40 Devotions and Insights on Women of the Bible: A God Hears Her Devotional 

• Called and Courageous website: http://calledandcourageousgirls.com/ 

• The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good website: https://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Danger-Doing-Good/dp/0764212206 

• God Hears Her website: https://www.godhearsher.org/

• God Hears Her newsletter sign-up: https://www.godhearsher.org/signup

• Subscribe on iTunes! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-hears-her-podcast/id1511046507?utm_source=applemusic&utm_medium=godhearsher&utm_campaign=podcast

• Elisa’s Instagram: elisa morgan author

• Eryn’s Instagram: eryneddy

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God Hears Her is a podcast, inspired by the bestselling devotional.

Hosts, Elisa Morgan and Eryn Eddy-Adkins are joined by a variety of guests to share personal stories of hope and encouragement. True freedom comes from sharing our journeys and knowing we’re not alone. This podcast is for women who are in the trenches of the beautiful and messy moments of relationships, work, ministry, and more. We invite you to listen in and subscribe today!

Links: 

• God Hears Her website: https://www.godhearsher.org/
• God Hears Her newsletter sign-up: https://www.godhearsher.org/signup
• Subscribe on iTunes! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-hears-her-podcast/id1511046507?utm_source=applemusic&utm_medium=godhearsher&utm_campaign=podcast
• Elisa’s Instagram: elisa morgan author
• Eryn’s Instagram: eryneddy

Guest Bio: Natasha Sistrunk Robinson is the president of T3 Leadership Solutions, Inc, the author of A Sojourner’s Truth as well as other books, and the host of A Sojourner’s Truth: Conversations for a Changing Culture podcast. Natasha is also a doctorate student at North Park Theological Seminary, a graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and the U.S. Naval Academy. Natasha has served her country as a Marine Corps officer and federal government employee at the Department of Homeland Security.

Show Summary: How would you define freedom? The Exodus journey in the Bible was a time where God physically freed people from slavery. Natasha Sistrunk Robinson wants to teach us how the Exodus journey shows that God wants us to live in freedom too. On this episode of God Hears Her, join Natasha and hosts Eryn Eddy and Elisa Morgan as they discuss the thoughts holding them captive and how we can live in true freedom. 

This is the last episode of Season 7! Be sure to join us again on April 24th for the Season 8 Teaser. See ya then!

Notes and Quotes: 

• “He makes me enough, and He can handle me if I think I’m too much.” —Elisa Morgan

• “There is always a price to pay for freedom.” —Natasha Sistrunk Robinson

• “Freedom is a theological, spiritual possibility because of Jesus.” —Elisa Morgan

• “You can be living in bondage but thinking you are living in freedom.” —Eryn Eddy

• “Freedom means dreaming again as a child does.” —Natasha Sistrunk Robinson 

• “He [God] is already thinking about what His people need.” —Natasha Sistrunk Robinson

Verses: 

• Genesis 1:27

• Colossians 2:9–10  

• Genesis 3 

• Matthew 7:11

• Matthew 11:28 

• Galatians 5:1 

• Matthew 14:13–21

• Matthew 4:4 

• 2 Corinthians 10:5

Links: 

• Journey to Freedom: http://www.natashasrobinson.com/journey-to-freedom 

• God Hears Her website: https://www.godhearsher.org/

• God Hears Her newsletter sign-up: https://www.godhearsher.org/signup

• Subscribe on iTunes! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-hears-her-podcast/id1511046507?utm_source=applemusic&utm_medium=godhearsher&utm_campaign=podcast

• Elisa’s Instagram: elisa morgan author

• Eryn’s Instagram: eryneddy

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Guest Bio: Julie Thomas is a wife, mother of two, life coach and author. After the birth of her second son, Julie battled a severe case of postpartum depression. For years, emotions of anxiety, confusion, and shame consumed her life, leading to isolation and suicidal thoughts. In her darkest hour, she felt God’s undeniable call to share her story with others. With the release of her novel, HOPE Inside Out, and her willingness to be open and transparent, Julie was able to find healing for herself and help others do the same.

Show Summary: We’ve all been scared at one point or another. Fear can have a tight grip on us, especially in the midst of big life changes. Julie Thomas was diagnosed with postpartum depression as the cause for her deep-rooted fear and discouragement, but the path to healing was long. Join Julie on this episode of God Hears Her as she talks with hosts Elisa Morgan and Eryn Eddy about how her life drastically changed after the birth of her second son.

Notes and Quotes:

“I would spring out of the bed and just run.” —Julie Thomas

“Our God is so confident in who He is and how He loves and pursues us that even our anger does not deter Him from us. In fact it builds intimacy with us.” —Eryn Eddy

“I would close every drape in the house and pin it down so no light could come in.” —Julie Thomas

“I opened the Word and desperately looked for people who suffered like me.” —Julie Thomas

“I regularly sought prayer.” —Julie Thomas

“I think many of us feel so helpless when someone we love is suffering.” —Elisa Morgan

Links: 

• Julie Thomas website: https://julsthomas.com/
• Hope Inside Out book: Amazon
• Suicide Hotline phone number: 9-8-8
• Resources for Battling Depression:
• https://988lifeline.org/
• https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/depression/resources.htm
• God Hears Her website: https://www.godhearsher.org/
• God Hears Her newsletter sign-up: https://www.godhearsher.org/signup
• Subscribe on iTunes! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-hears-her-podcast/id1511046507?utm_source=applemusic&utm_medium=godhearsher&utm_campaign=podcast
• Elisa’s Instagram: elisa morgan author
• Eryn’s Instagram: eryneddy

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Guest Bio: Shalini Bennet has a BA from Duke University and a certificate from the Soul Care Institute. She was part of the original group led by Sharon Garlough Brown that led her to write “Sensible Shoes”, a book about the spiritual journey of four women. She edits for her sister, Vaneetha Risner, who has written “The Scars That Have Shaped Me” and “Walking Through Fire”. She and her husband have three young adult children ranging from 21 to 26. 

Show Summary: Have you ever heard of “spiritual formation”? It may sound complicated or confusing, but what if we told you it was as simple as practicing closeness with God? On today’s episode of God Hears Her, Shalini Bennett shares some wisdom with hosts, Elisa Morgan and Eryn Eddy, on how to practice spiritual formation while sharing her own personal testimony. 

Notes and Quotes: 

• “We need to be born again to be rightly attached to our Father.” —Shalini Bennett
• “The gospel is worth everything, but it is not dependent on my getting it right.” —Shalini Bennett
• “The love you receive from the Lord does not depend on your performance.” —Eryn Eddy
• “When I focus on my performance, I am focusing on myself, not on the Lord.” —Shalini Bennett
• “We have somehow believed the lie that He [God] does not want me as I am—nobody wants me as I am!” —Shalini Bennett
• “You don’t know as much about you as He [God] knows about you, and He chose you before the foundation of the world.” —Shalini Bennett
• “I find we live in a world where what we’re hearing is “run harder, run faster, run better, run, run, run, run, run”. . . even if life is a wreck, stick a happy face on it and Jesus will be happy with you.” —Shalini Bennett

Verses: 

• John 3:3 
• Psalm 81:10 
• Romans 12:2
• Zephania 3:17

Links: 

• God Hears Her website: https://www.godhearsher.org/
• God Hears Her newsletter sign-up: https://www.godhearsher.org/signup
• Subscribe on iTunes! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-hears-her-podcast/id1511046507?utm_source=applemusic&utm_medium=godhearsher&utm_campaign=podcast
• Elisa’s Instagram: elisa morgan author
• Eryn’s Instagram: eryneddy

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Guest Bio: Sheila Wise Rowe is a graduate of Tufts University and Cambridge College with a master’s degree in counseling psychology. For over twenty-five years she has counseled abuse and trauma survivors in the United States. Sheila ministered to homeless and abused women and children in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she also taught counseling and trauma-related courses for a decade. She is the cofounder of The Cyrene Movement, an online community for people of color seeking healing for racial trauma. She is the author of Healing Racial Trauma, The Well of Life: Heal Your Pain, Satisfy Your Thirst, Live Your Purpose along with The Wonder Years. She lives in the Boston area, where she is a writer, counselor, speaker, and spiritual director.

Show Summary: At some point in our lives, we have all experienced trauma. Maybe from a traumatic moment or a series of events that altered our lives. Do you feel different after your trauma experience? Have you been working to overcome things from your past or present that hurt you? Tensions have been high, and have caused an increasing amount of anxiety and pain, but God doesn’t leave us alone to deal with the aftermath. On this episode of God Hears Her, counselor Sheila Wise Rowe talks with Elisa Morgan about how we can overcome different types of trauma and work to heal racial trauma as a community of believers. 

Notes and Quotes: 

• “The reality is that most of us have experienced some sort of trauma.” —Sheila Wise Rowe
• “Multiple little T traumas can have a bigger impact than having one big T trauma.” —Sheila Wise Rowe
• “In order to be a counselor, you need to have been counseled.” —Elisa Morgan
• “Trauma is held in our bodies, and the only way to expel that is by moving (exercising, walking).” —Sheila Wise Rowe
• “I want brothers and sisters in Christ who are more than just allies, they are literally brothers and sisters and are participating in God’s shalom and justice.” —Sheila Wise Rowe

Links: 

• Healing Racial Trauma book by Sheila Wise Rowe: Amazon
• Sheila’s Website: https://sheilawiserowe.com/home
• God Hears Her website: https://www.godhearsher.org/
• God Hears Her newsletter sign-up: https://www.godhearsher.org/signup
• Subscribe on iTunes! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-hears-her-podcast/id1511046507?utm_source=applemusic&utm_medium=godhearsher&utm_campaign=podcast
• Elisa’s Instagram: elisa morgan author
• Eryn’s Instagram: eryneddy 

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