Gracenotes Podcast

🔖 Topics Covered:

What Mowat-Wilson Syndrome is and how Sydney's daughter, Mabel, was diagnosed

The long journey of developmental concerns, testing, and finally receiving answers

The unexpected grief that can come with a diagnosis

Why Sydney decided to write The ABCs of Mowat-Wilson Syndrome

How her children's book helps families better understand disabilities and medical differences

Practical ways to support families walking through difficult seasons

The importance of community, prayer, and allowing others to sit with us in hard moments

Trusting God for “daily bread” instead of trying to carry tomorrow's burdens today

If this episode encouraged you, we'd love for you to subscribe to Grace Notes, leave a review, and share this episode with another mom

Get full access to Gracenotes at biyaya1.substack.com/subscribe

🔖 Topics Covered:

Sarah’s journey through chronic illness and motherhood

Parenting children with neurological and health challenges

How suffering shaped her children’s compassion and faith

The heart behind Jesus Will Meet You There

What Jesus’ interactions in the Gospels reveal about weakness

Helpful vs. unhelpful ways to comfort someone who is suffering

Why listening matters more than having the “right words”

Experiencing Christ’s nearness in seasons of exhaustion and doubt

📚 Learn more about Sarah at Substack

Get full access to Gracenotes at biyaya1.substack.com/subscribe

🔖 Topics Covered:

Grief has a way of changing everything in an instant. Whether you've lost a spouse, child, parent, friend, or are grieving another unexpected loss, this conversation offers biblical hope for the hurting heart.

In this episode of Grace Notes, Grace sits down with bestselling author and speaker Lisa Appelo, whose life changed overnight when her husband unexpectedly passed away, leaving her to raise their seven children alone. Rather than offering a checklist for "getting over" grief, Lisa shares why true healing is found in knowing the character of God.

Get full access to Gracenotes at biyaya1.substack.com/subscribe

What if worship isn’t just something we do on Sundays—but something that reshapes every moment of our day?

In this episode, Grace sits down with author and speaker Emily Jensen to talk about her new booklet on worship and how it transforms ordinary motherhood into meaningful devotion. From busy mornings and school drop-offs to the deeper questions of why we do what we do, Emily invites us to see worship as our right response to who God is and what He has done.

They explore how worship impacts our perspective and carries us through seasons of suffering.

Get full access to Gracenotes at biyaya1.substack.com/subscribe

🔖 Topics Covered:

Sarah’s journey through chronic illness and motherhood

Parenting children with neurological and health challenges

How suffering shaped her children’s compassion and faith

The heart behind Jesus Will Meet You There

What Jesus’ interactions in the Gospels reveal about weakness

Helpful vs. unhelpful ways to comfort someone who is suffering

Why listening matters more than having the “right words”

Experiencing Christ’s nearness in seasons of exhaustion and doubt

📚 Learn more about Sarah at Substack

Get full access to Gracenotes at biyaya1.substack.com/subscribe

Episode Title: Seven Habits of Resistance — Discerning Cultural Lies & Living the Way of Jesus

Guest: Elizabeth Woodson — Founder of The Woodson Institute

Episode Summary:

Elizabeth shares about her new book on the Seven Lies of Culture and the Seven Habits of Resistance, offering practical spiritual practices that help believers resist cultural narratives and live rooted in Christ, they also discuss...

Understanding OT truths like, Exodus 34:6 "And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness."

How habits shape our spiritual lives

Identifying false cultural stories

Practical ways to apply spiritual disciplines in everyday moments

How the church can encourage one another in truth

Find more at: https://biyaya1.substack.com

Get full access to Gracenotes at biyaya1.substack.com/subscribe

Postpartum is a difficult season, Cradled is a resource to support new moms.

Grace chats with Annie Vanderheiden, the former Risen Motherhood editor about 8 postpartum tasks.

feeding

changing

sleeping

soothing

washing

nurturing

praying

anticipating

-Ordinary moments can point women back to Jesus and remind them that “As moms care for children, He cares for moms.”

-Annie’s personal struggles with postpartum depression, anxiety, sleep deprivation, shame, and isolation—especially during COVID.

-How Christ gently shepherds mothers in weakness and exhaustion.

-The importance of community, vulnerability, church support, meals, prayer, and honest conversations during postpartum.

Get full access to Gracenotes at biyaya1.substack.com/subscribe

Vickie Gaynier: From Addiction and Despair to Portraying Heroes of the Faith.

Vickie shares her powerful testimony of overcoming years of drug use and despair. She recounts her transformative experience of accepting Jesus Christ while in a mental ward. She now uses her acting talent to portray women of faith, such as Corrie ten Boom and Fanny Crosby, bringing their stories to life and inspiring others.

Vickie emphasizes the importance of forgiveness, God's grace, and the power of personal testimony.

The episode also explores Vickie's journey as a mother, her struggles, and her reliance on God to guide and mold her parenting. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own faith and the impact of their testimonies.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:35 Vickie's Testimony: From Despair to Faith

01:20 Discovering Acting and Portraying Women of Faith

02:46 Motherhood and Learning from Others

04:28 A Journey Through Addiction and Redemption

13:33 The Power of Forgiveness

15:54 Portraying Corrie ten Boom and Other Women of Faith

18:16 Closing Thoughts and Prayer

19:57 Where to Find More of Vickie's Work

Get full access to Gracenotes at biyaya1.substack.com/subscribe

Aimee Joseph author of 'Made to Rest, True Peace in a World that Never Stops.' Aimee is a mother of three and wife to a pastor. She shares her insights on biblical rest derived from her own experiences and the process of raising three boys. She emphasizes the significance of spiritual rest, being grounded in a Christ-centered life, as opposed to self-centered cultural solutions for restlessness.

Aimee discusses daily, weekly, and seasonal rhythms that help believers find true rest and peace amidst a busy life, offering practical tips like 'wonder walks.' The conversation also explores scriptural foundations of rest, notably the Sabbath, and ends with a prayer for rest and guidance.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:33 Parenting Teenagers: Highs and Lows

03:00 The Importance of Rest

05:28 Defining Biblical Rest

09:44 Practical Rhythms of Rest

13:28 Scriptural Foundations of Rest

24:09 Closing Thoughts and Prayer

26:23 Where to Find More from Aimee Joseph

Get full access to Gracenotes at biyaya1.substack.com/subscribe

What does it take to build long-lasting, Christ-centered friendships in a world full of busyness & loneliness? In this episode, I sit down with Bailey T. Hurley, author of Together Is a Beautiful Place, to chat about the joys and challenges of friendship.

Bailey shares her own story of navigating seasons of friendship drought, the cost and beauty of prioritizing relationships, and how biblical principles like carrying one another’s burdens can transform the way we connect. We also dive into practical ideas like open houses, that make friendship feel both approachable and life-giving

Learn more on her Book Page.

Get full access to Gracenotes at biyaya1.substack.com/subscribe