““Am I good enough?" The question plagued Bethany's heart and mind as she drifted off to sleep each night. She worried whether her meager efforts had met the expectations of those around her, the ones in her own head, and (more importantly) the ones she felt from God.”” —Perfected: Trading Shame and Striving for Wholeness in Christ.

Bethany is a fellow Exhale member & Writing with Grace alumni. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband, and three little kiddos. She’s a writer, speaker, professor, and, most importantly, a disciple of Christ.

She’s been featured in Risen Motherhood, The Gospel Coalition, Journeywomen, & more.

I had the joy of previewing her new book, Perfected: Trading Shame and Striving for Wholeness in Christ & interviewing her.

Listen here as we chat about

* Her new book!

* How to deal with shame and striving.

* Balancing writing with young kids.

* Her adoption story.

Quotes Mentioned

* “These empty encouragements can merely be bandages covering the festering wound of how inadequate we feel.” —Perfected

* “How have we become so focused on personal goodness that we’ve missed out on the goodness of God?” —Perfected

* “Why do we cling to our shame as if we are people without hope? —Perfected

* “Take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).

Pre-Order Bethany’s book today!

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Brittany Schlichter is a Bible teacher and motivational speaker whose passion is to help women of all ages grow in God’s Word.

As a teenager, Brittany was a national qualifier in the National Bible Bee for six years and won second place twice, an experience that helped her learn how to study Scripture and led her to memorize twenty-six books of the Bible.

Today, Brittany has a ministry for encouraging others in Bible memory/study and enjoys reciting Scripture for conferences and other events.

She has had the opportunity to be interviewed by or recite Scripture for organizations such as Revive Our Hearts, FamilyLife Today, and more.

Brittany’s desire is to encourage other women to study the Word of God and to know it deeply, so that it can transform every aspect of their lives!

When she is not working or pursuing certification as an ACBC biblical counselor, Brittany loves to sing, travel, and enjoy the great outdoors with her family in Deep East Texas.

Topics Mentioned

* Brittany’s Upbringing

* How to Memorize

* Value of Memorizing

Find more at Gracenotes

Emily A. Jensen is a bestselling author and co-founder of Risen Motherhood.

Emily shares relatable stories about her own feelings of weakness and points you to the gospel for wisdom, hope, and comfort. As the familiar hymn says, “They are weak, but he is strong.”

Check out her book, He Is Strong: Devotions for When You Feel Weak.