God Hears Her Podcast

On this episode of God Hears Her, Eryn and Elisa speak with Chris and Stephanie Teague about their personal experience with God’s restoration. They walk us through their entire journey of marrying young, the downfall of their marriage, and then its unexpected restoration. They also speak directly to the woman who is in the midst of the unknown and searching for hope and restoration in her own story.

About our guests: 

The husband-and-wife duo “Out of the Dust” is comprised of Chris and Stephanie Teague whose story of downfall, heartbreak, and miraculous redemption is woven deep into the fabric of their music. After growing up in church and marrying young, Chris slowly and quietly lost all faith in God during college. Slipping into the grips of alcohol, drugs, and every other whim of his heart, he secretly managed an alter ego for years around church friends, family, and even Stephanie. Their young marriage quickly collapsed in divorce as Chris walked away from everything he knew. What happened next can’t be called anything other than a miracle. His independence very rapidly found him in the darkest and most desperate place of his life, and it was there that he was shown the depth of his selfishness and pride. Incredibly, in just over a year, God mended their hearts, restored their marriage, and still continues to breathe new life into their story today.  

Chris and Stephanie have what they consider a “dream life” opportunity to travel the country as full-time “musicianaries,” telling the story of God’s grace in their lives that saved and transformed them individually as well as their marriage.

Notes and Quotes:

• “You don’t know what you don’t know when you’re young.”
• “It is okay to struggle; it is okay to fail.”
• “I didn’t know there were other Christians that asked the same questions I did.”
• “I had to accept the reality and believe that ‘Lord, I do believe you restore in different ways, maybe just not in the way that I want restoration.’”
• “I felt security in controlling my life, and I just got thrown into something where I could not control anything around me.”
• “I found my identity in being that good Christan girl and being that wife. That is where I found my worth. But my worth is in being a daughter of the King.”
• “We live in a broken world, sin breaks things, and we don’t always get the redemption we want. That grieves the Lord as much as it does us.”
• “I think we play a part in our own transformation simply by being willing to be transformed.”
• “We are all called to forgive, but trust takes time.”
• Principles: Do your own work, participate in your own transformation, respect boundaries, trust takes time, involve your community, confess that you don’t know what you don’t know.

Links/Books/Resources Mentioned in Show:

• Show Notes on godhearsher.org
• God Hears Her website: https://www.godhearsher.org/
• Subscribe on iTunes!  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-hears-her-podcast/id1511046507?utm_source=applemusic&utm_medium=godhearsher&utm_campaign=podcast
• Order God Sees Her: 365 Devotions for Women by Women on Amazon.  https://amzn.to/32lYSgh
• Order Out of the Dust on Amazon. https://amzn.to/3aMmXSu
• Out of the Dust website: https://outofthedustmusic.com/
• Out of the Dust’s Instagram: outofthedustmusic
• Elisa’s Instagram: elisamorganauthor
• Eryn’s Instagram: eryneddy

We all have a story to share—whether you’re writing a book, sharing with a friend, or being vulnerable in front of a large group of people. On this episode of God Hears Her, Eryn and Elisa talk about the importance of sharing your story with others. Plus, fresh off her recent book release, Eryn gives us insight into her personal experience of telling her story.

Notes and Quotes:

• “When we share our story, we give away a piece of ourselves that we can never get back.” (Elisa quoting Jackie Kennedy.)
• “When we put our story out, we have to let go of it and let God use it.”
• “This is Your [God’s] story, this is not mine to manufacture. You know my story better than I know my story.”
• “It is easy to hijack someone who is sharing. They start to open up and you are like, ‘Yes, let me share my entire journey!’”
• “Unless there is a prompting to do it, don’t feel like you always have to share your story.”
• “Scripture is an example of how to make someone else feel less alone in their story.”
• “There is a place to tell your story, where it’s all you and centered around you. It’s before God!”
• Imposter syndrome: Feeling unqualified or like an imposter. Afraid of being exposed.
• “Is this comment reflective of what God would say?”
• “Ego wants to only hear positive things, but we can grow from constructive criticism.”
• “Lord, when I look in, you speak up.” (Eryn’s prayer.)

Links/Books/Resources Mentioned in Show:

• Show Notes on godhearsher.org
• God Hears Her website: https://www.godhearsher.org/
• Share the love by giving this episode a 5-star rating on iTunes!  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-hears-her-podcast/id1511046507?utm_source=applemusic&utm_medium=godhearsher&utm_campaign=podcast
• Order God Sees Her: 365 Devotions for Women by Women on Amazon.  https://amzn.to/32lYSgh
• Order Eryn’s book So Worth Loving on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2PZ1ZZ8
• Subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform. https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast
• Elisa’s Instagram: elisamorganauthor
• Eryn’s Instagram: eryneddy

Eryn and Elisa discuss  a variety of topics with Dr. Alma Zaragoza-Petty including imposter syndrome, how to cope with failure, and how to deal with the pressure of expectations. Plus, Dr. Alma hones in on ways in which we can practice courage so that we’re better prepared for those unexpected moments in life when bravery is needed.

About our guest: 

Dr. Alma Zaragoza-Petty was born in Los Angeles but was raised in Acapulco, Mexico, for most of her early childhood. She’s the daughter of immigrant parents and a first-generation high school and college graduate, and she also completed a Master’s in Counseling and a Ph.D. in Education Policy and Social Context. She is led by her desire to inspire others in her community to move past their own fears and barriers and to achieve their own life goals. 

Alma is the cofounder of Prickly Pear Collective, a faith-based, trauma-informed collective at the intersections of community, church, and therapy, bringing people together to move toward healing. She’s also the cohost of The Red Couch Podcast with her husband who most people know as the rapper Propaganda.

Notes and Quotes: 

• “The higher I go [in education] the less like ‘me’ there are. Less Latina, less people that are low-income, first-gen background.”
• “As I have stepped into these spaces, it has always been with some sort of fear and trembling.”
• “As professional and accomplished as we become, there is always this idea of ‘Am I really this worthy?’”
• Imposter Syndrome is this feeling of “I’m pretending and someone is going to find out.”
• “If I fall flat on my face, let that be a learning lesson for others, not a recoiling that needs to happen of myself that I have for the rest of my life because I failed that one time.”
• “Courage is practiced. It’s like I am courageous or I’m not.”
• “There is always room for forgiving ourselves but still doing better and holding ourselves accountable.”
• “The more you face it [past trauma] the less scary it becomes and the less power it holds over you.”
• An exercise to try: Look back at a situation that may have been painful and look for God in it.

Links/Books/Resources Mentioned in Show: 

• Show Notes on godhearsher.org
• God Hears Her website: https://www.godhearsher.org/
• Subscribe on iTunes!  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-hears-her-podcast/id1511046507?utm_source=applemusic&utm_medium=godhearsher&utm_campaign=podcast
• Order God Sees Her: 365 Devotions for Women by Women on Amazon.  https://amzn.to/32lYSgh
• Dr. Alma’s Instagram: thedoczp
• Prickly Pear Collective Instagram: pricklypearcollective
• Elisa’s Instagram: elisamorganauthor
• Eryn’s Instagram: eryneddy

How many times do we feel ragged and burned out? Broken and basically just a hot mess? Yet we believe we need to suck it up and show up in front of God with a smile plastered on our faces like everything is hunky-dory? Our next guest, Ellie Holcomb, has a conversation with us about taking on grit, grounding ourselves in God’s truth, and showing up as we are.

About our guest: 

Ellie Holcomb, a Nashville native, began her musical career by touring the country with her husband. After eight years, and with the birth of their daughter, Ellie opted to step out of the role of heavy touring. From that space came her debut solo album, As Sure As The Sun, which charted at no. 1 on the iTunes Christian chart and helped deem Holcomb the “Best New Artist” at the 2014 Dove Awards. She has released multiple albums since then and also a best-selling book. Ellie, her husband, and their three children live and make music in Nashville.

Notes and Quotes:

• “Even growing up in this amazing, vibrant community, I gathered that the gospel was all about me being good enough and loving God and loving people enough. And that is all good and well, but that’s not really the gospel.”
• “The gospel is not about making bad people good people. It’s about making dead people alive people.”
• “I didn’t know it was okay to not be okay.”
• “The church isn’t meant to be a trophy room. It’s supposed to be a hospital and a table that everyone is welcome to.”
• “I know that God is a healer . . . but I was too scared to give Him my broken heart.”
• “God’s Word gave us solid ground to stand on when the shame storm starts to roll in.”
• “He started changing us, and it didn’t change our circumstances, but it started changing us from the inside out.”
• “I know God is real from the sorrow in my life.”
• “God is with you. He can handle your anger, and He can handle your hurt. He can hold it all.”
• “He walked out of a grave. And the suffering you are experiencing does not have the final word.”

Links/Books/Resources Mentioned in Show:

• Show Notes on godhearsher.org
• God Hears Her website: https://www.godhearsher.org/
• Subscribe on iTunes!  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-hears-her-podcast/id1511046507?utm_source=applemusic&utm_medium=godhearsher&utm_campaign=podcast
• Order God Sees Her: 365 Devotions for Women by Women on Amazon.  https://amzn.to/32lYSgh
• Free eBooklet to Download:Going the Distance: Practices to Strengthen Your Faith https://discoveryseries.org/courses/going-the-distance/
• Ellie’s Instagram: ellieholcomb
• Elisa’s Instagram: elisamorganauthor
• Eryn’s Instagram: eryneddy

What do you think of when you hear the word trailblazer? Maybe a pioneer or innovator? A person who takes risks in order to brave a new path? In this episode of God Hears Her, Ambassador Sujay shares her story about following God’s lead. Much of her story involves trailblazing, and she will help us understand ways to open the door to new things and how to hold that door open for the next woman to walk through.

About our guest: 

Rev. Dr. Ambassador Suzan Johnson Cook, or Ambassador Sujay, is a lady of many firsts. A national and international influencer, Ambassador Sujay was the first female and African-American to hold the position of US Ambassador for International Religious Freedom. She was the first female chaplain for the NYC Police Department, has been the faith advisor to two presidents, and is an author of 15 books. Additionally, she’s often in demand as a preacher, motivator, and keynote speaker.

Notes and Quotes:

• “Every road leads to the next road that God would want you to have, but it’s about ‘What have you done that I have given you?’”
• When going into a profession that is male-dominated, deal with men as if they are friends rather than foes, as colleagues rather than competition.
• “Trailblazing can have its tolls, but it can also have its triumphs.”
• “When you compile the blessings, and you look at the time where you felt not blessed, the list [of blessings] is so long.”
• The P’s to know: politics, policies, pumps (shoes), purse, protectors, principles, positioning, polish.
• A lot of women self-reject: “I haven’t been invited like she has been invited.” God has already invited you.
• “COVID is a selah moment. He has given the whole world a pause”
• “Pivot to prepare.”
• “Not every invitation is for you. That is called discernment.”

Links/Books/Resources Mentioned in Show:

• Show Notes on godhearsher.org
• God Hears Her website: https://www.godhearsher.org/
• Subscribe on iTunes!  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-hears-her-podcast/id1511046507?utm_source=applemusic&utm_medium=godhearsher&utm_campaign=podcast
• Order God Sees Her: 365 Devotions for Women by Women on Amazon. https://amzn.to/32lYSgh
• Free eBooklet to Download: The Call of Wisdom: Insight from the Book of Proverbs https://discoveryseries.org/courses/the-call-of-wisdom/
• Suzan’s Instagram: suzanjohnsoncook
• Elisa’s Instagram: elisamorganauthor
• Eryn’s Instagram: eryneddy

All of us know what it feels like to be alone. Even when surrounded by people, we can experience loneliness, isolation, and disconnection. In those moments, our aloneness can make us wonder if God is truly near. In this episode of God Hears Her, Sally Lloyd-Jones, the author of The Jesus Storybook Bible, joins us to share how God is near, even when we don’t feel His presence or recognize His nearness. The show then takes a surprising turn when she helps us see how God’s nearness opens the door to experiencing childlike wonder.

About our guest: 

Sally Lloyd-Jones is a New York Times bestselling children’s author, blogger, and child-at-heart. Her book The Jesus Storybook Bible is beloved by both children and adults and has sold over three million copies and been translated into 46 languages.

Notes and Quotes: All quotes by Sally

• “Wherever you are, you can’t ever go anywhere that God isn’t with you.”
• “In a time when we are all isolated and socially distant, we have a God that is not socially distant.”
• “When you’re in a storm in life, God is just as close as He would be on a sunny day in a meadow.”
• “Love is at the center of creation. God is a loving Creator.”
• How to find the wonder: Go outside and take a beauty walk. List three things you are grateful for. Start to choose your thoughts.
• “We have to decide if we are going to listen to ourselves or talk to ourselves.”
• “Get out of the courtroom. God isn’t about punishing, because if that was the case we would be making nonsense of the fact that we needed a rescuer (Jesus).”
• “Why would I doubt that my heavenly Father is not even as good as a human parent?”
• Amy Carmichael: Our feelings are not God’s facts.

Links/Books/Resources Mentioned in Show: 

• Show Notes on godhearsher.org
• God Hears Her website: https://www.godhearsher.org/
• Subscribe on iTunes!  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-hears-her-podcast/id1511046507?utm_source=applemusic&utm_medium=godhearsher&utm_campaign=podcast
• Order God Sees Her: 365 Devotions for Women by Women on Amazon.  https://amzn.to/32lYSgh
• Free eBooklet to Download: Comparison: The Thief of Joy https://discoveryseries.org/courses/comparison/
• Order Near: Psalm 139 board book on Amazon. https://amzn.to/3elhrZB
• Order The Jesus Storybook Bible on Amazon.  https://amzn.to/2N7lcqA
• Sally’s Instagram: @sallylloydjones
• Elisa’s Instagram: @elisamorganauthor
• Eryn’s Instagram: @eryneddy

Verses Mentioned in Show: 

• Psalm 139 - The Lord knows us

Join Eryn and Elisa for a special episode of God Hears Her where they focus on the women of Easter, such as Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, as well as others who experienced Jesus’ compassion. They look back in time and consider what the female disciples who walked with Jesus would have felt when He was killed on a cross.

Notes and Quotes: 

• “He turns around and calls her out in the crowd—and she would have been seen as unclean and rejected—but Jesus sees her, and He heals her.”
• “Women didn’t count in New Testament culture or Old Testament culture either. The only thing that gave women value in biblical times was if they were married and if they had children.”
• “Jesus comes against that cultural standard and sees and hears and values women for who they are: humans.”
• “The Lord sees and loves you. Your value is not found in what society or what Christianity sees in you that way.”
• The women of Easter: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them.
• “Jesus goes from calling her woman to calling her Mary. He sees her, He knows her. He knows her name.”
• “We do it so quickly. We can have so many experiences and yet still wonder if that [God experience] was real.”
• “On the Monday after Easter, we’re pretty much back to looking for the living among the dead. If Jesus is alive, let’s not go back to our past crazy patterns and look for Him as if He’s in a tomb. Let’s act like He’s alive.”
• “What would it mean for all of us to live like Jesus is alive?”
• “How many times have I not been expectant that He would show up; instead I have been doubtful of who He is.”

Links/Books/Resources Mentioned in Show: 

• Show Notes on godhearsher.org
• God Hears Her website: https://www.godhearsher.org/
• Share the love by giving this episode a 5-star rating on iTunes!  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-hears-her-podcast/id1511046507?utm_source=applemusic&utm_medium=godhearsher&utm_campaign=podcast
• Order God Sees Her: 365 Devotions for Women by Women on Amazon.  https://amzn.to/32lYSgh
• Free eBooklet to Download: A Rumor of Hope: The Good News of Easter. https://discoveryseries.org/courses/a-rumor-of-hope/
• Subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform. https://www.godhearsher.org/podcast
• Elisa’s Instagram: elisamorganauthor
• Eryn’s Instagram: eryneddy

Verses Mentioned in Show: 

• John 8 - The adulterous woman
• John 4 - The woman at the well
• Mark 5 - The women bleeding for 12 years
• Luke 8:1–3 - Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna
• John 20 - The empty tomb

We’ve all heard it said that adventure is out there and that life begins at the end of your comfort zone. But how do we know the difference between recklessness and adventure? And how do we recognize when it’s God who is calling us out of the comfortable into something new He has for us? Kari Jobe has been there, and on this episode of God Hears Her, Kari joins Eryn and Elisa and discusses what she describes as the adventure of following God. Plus, Kari also shares the inspiration behind three of her hit songs.

About our guest: 

For more than two decades, Kari Jobe has been using her gifts to lead people into the presence of God as a well-respected worship leader. When she began leading worship at 13 years old, she never imagined she would be nominated for a GRAMMY®, win multiple Dove Awards, have a RIAA Gold Certified single, or be praised by the New York Times. She has sold more than 1.3 million albums (TEA) in her career and has more than one billion career streams. Originally from Texas and now residing in Nashville, TN, she tours the country with her husband, Cody Carnes, and their two boys, Canyon and Kingston, and they both serve at their home church.

Notes and Quotes: 

• “I thought everything I prayed would happen just like that. Just give it time.”
• “I have always just wanted to live radically for the Lord and obey what He’s asking. When you walk that out, you realize God is faithful.”
• “There is wisdom in a multitude of counselors.”
• “It’s okay to fail Him too. I have ‘missed’ Him plenty of times, and there is grace for that.”
• “With God nothing is ever a loss. It may have been a really expensive lesson that you learned, but most often the important things we learn are an investment of our time and money.”
• “If the heart is right, and you’re submitted to the Lord . . . it’s not a miss; it just might be a different way of looking at it.”
• “I unleashed on the enemy and I said, ‘How dare you! You will not attack my family. You better back off.’”
• “I take authority over my mind, I take authority over my family, and I take authority over you [the enemy].”

Links/Books/Resources Mentioned in Show:

• Show Notes on godhearsher.org
• God Hears Her website: https://www.godhearsher.org/
• Subscribe on iTunes!  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-hears-her-podcast/id1511046507?utm_source=applemusic&utm_medium=godhearsher&utm_campaign=podcast
• Order God Sees Her: 365 Devotions for Women by Women on Amazon.  https://amzn.to/32lYSgh
• Free eBooklet to Download: Live Free: A Fresh Look at the Fruit of the Spirit: https://discoveryseries.org/courses/live-free/
• Kari Jobe’s Instagram: karijobe
• Elisa’s Instagram: elisamorganauthor
• Eryn’s Instagram: eryneddy

Verses Mentioned in Show:

Isaiah 43:2 (NIV)  “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.”

All of us struggle with emotional, psychological, and physical circumstances that impact the way we experience our lives, others, and the world around us. And even though our society has come a long way, the conversation of mental health is oftentimes still stigmatized. But we believe that an important way to disprove that stigma is to talk about it. Just as we need to take care of our physical health, our guest Dr. Christina Edmondson encourages us to take care of our brain health.

Bio of guest: 

Christina Edmondson holds a PhD in counseling psychology from Tennessee State University, an MS degree from the University of Rochester in family systems, and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Hampton University with an emphasis in race, class, and gender. For over a decade, Christina has served in a variety of roles including most recently as the Dean for Intercultural Student Development at Calvin University. A certified cultural intelligence facilitator, public speaker, and former mental health therapist, Christina is often contacted by churches to consult about leadership development, antiracism, and mental health issues. She is also one of the co-hosts of the Truth’s Table podcast.

Notes and Quotes:

• “God has given us emotions, feelings, thoughts, and experiences and invited us to process those things. And so, I do think there is a lot of stigma and shame attached to, obviously, issues of mental illness in our culture and in our society. But the truth is, our brains are just as fallen as everything else, and so, to the extent that we would have physical issues like high blood pressure and heart disease and a bad back, we also have nagging, anxious thoughts. We are also kind of wired in ways that make us more susceptible and prone to depression, for example. And not to mention the painful experiences that we have and the way that trauma shapes us. And so I just think that we need to give ourselves and other people a lot more grace.”
• “On this side of glory, we’ve got real problems and real issues. And you know, Jesus is not insecure. We don’t have to pretend to have it all together as if we are somehow disparaging the name of Christ because we have struggles.”
• “And so, even our traumas, our fears, our issues . . . even those things must bow down to Christ’s agenda for us, which is ultimately for our good and for His glory.”
• “As a part of our humanity, we do have a range of emotions, and we can see Jesus in the text express a variety of emotions—from grief and lament to anger to joy and delight in friendships and connections.”
• “We don’t have to be afraid of the sadness or the frustration or even the anger that we have. It’s what then we do next with it, right?”
• “As women, we can demonstrate love for each other by not binding people to these caricatures of what other women are supposed to be, giving them the grace to teach us something about the fullness and beauty of womanhood.”
• “Intimacy takes vulnerability, and vulnerability is almost like a muscle that we have to continually train and work out.”
• “You take your car in to get looked over; we should take our brains and our bodies in to get looked over.”
• “I would invite people to think about how, if they’re doing great, how they could be a listening ear, a supportive friend . . .”
• “I’m so grateful that Jesus did that in the Scriptures and Jesus does that now. Jesus sees us even now.”

Links/Books/Resources Mentioned in Show: 

• Show Notes on godhearsher.org
• God Hears Her website: https://www.godhearsher.org/
• Subscribe on iTunes!  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-hears-her-podcast/id1511046507?utm_source=applemusic&utm_medium=godhearsher&utm_campaign=podcast
• Order God Sees Her: 365 Devotions for Women by Women on Amazon.  https://amzn.to/32lYSgh
• Free eBooklet to Download:Why? Seeing God in Our Pain: https://discoveryseries.org/courses/why/
• Dr. Christina Edmondson's website: https://www.christinaedmondson.com/
• Elisa’s Instagram: elisamorganauthor
• Eryn’s Instagram: eryneddy

We’ve all compared ourselves to others. “Why aren’t I more like her?” “Why can’t I be good at that?” On this episode of God Hears Her, Sally Lloyd-Jones challenges that way of thinking. She shares with Eryn and Elisa the way that God changed her own view of herself and used the talents He specifically made in her for His glory. 

Bio of guest: 

Sally Lloyd-Jones is a New York Times bestselling children’s author, blogger, and child-at-heart. Her book Jesus Storybook Bible is beloved by both children and adults and has sold over three million copies and been translated into 46 languages.

Notes and Quotes:

• “I knew Jesus loved me, but I thought God really wasn’t pleased with me.”
• “The Bible is not about what we are supposed to do so God loves us, it is about how God loves us and what He did because He loves us.”
• “When we compare ourselves, we are kind of missing the point that God has a specific thing that only we can do!”
• “The beautiful thing about Christianity is that it is the most inclusive of all faiths.”
• “It is so poignant when you realize the God of the Old Testament is doing everything He can to rescue us.”
• “Abraham didn’t have to sacrifice his only son, but God did. God’s heart is beautiful for us.”
• “He somehow works suffering to make it all the more beautiful for having been so sad.”
• “I look back now, and that [failure] was my promotion.”
• “I would love to get to the point that when things go wrong my first thought isn’t panic, but it’s ‘Oh, I wonder what God is up to?’”

Links/Books/Resources Mentioned in Show: 

• Show Notes on godhearsher.org
• God Hears Her website: https://www.godhearsher.org/
• Subscribe on iTunes!  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-hears-her-podcast/id1511046507?utm_source=applemusic&utm_medium=godhearsher&utm_campaign=podcast
• Order God Sees Her: 365 Devotions for Women by Women on Amazon.  https://amzn.to/32lYSgh
• Free eBooklet to Download: Comparison: The Thief of Joy https://discoveryseries.org/courses/comparison/
• Order Jesus Storybook Bible: https://amzn.to/37hbIjr
• Sally’s Instagram: @sallylloydjones
• Elisa’s Instagram: @elisamorganauthor
• Eryn’s Instagram: @eryneddy