“You need people speaking into your world and believing in you. You need people who encourage you but also a person who’s willing to pull you up out of your stuff when you’re going through hard things.” I’m so excited for today’s episode because my guest is Breanna Robinson, an absolute light and joy and there’s so much to say about her that I’m just going to get right to it. Bre is a young adult and children’s ministry leader from C3 Church here in San Diego. She’s also a children's book author and her book "Be Gone,Fear" equips kids to overcome their fears with God by their side. Bre’s got serious passion and a fire inside her for raising up the next batch of faith filled leaders and world changers. She created The Purpose Within (@thepurposewithin), a personal development blog and platform for all young people who have a desire to dig deep, discover, and develop their purpose. In today’s episode, Bre talks all about her experiences growing up as a pastor's kid (her dad came home one day when she was in 7th grade and across the dinner table told her family he was going to be a pastor) and the lessons she has learned so far in her life to help convey the importance of finding your identity, strength, and purpose in Christ alone.    Guest Information Name: Bre Robinson Website: https://www.breannarobinson.com   Social Media IG: @brerobinson_ @thepurposewithin   Hashtags #begonefear #worldchanger #thepurposewithin

“The opposite of love is not hatred, but indifference.” Elie Weisel If you’ve been here for a while, know that we don’t usually interview men on this show (Quick shout out to past guest guys like Joel Smallbone and Van Moody). Most of our guests are female because one of our main goals is to highlight positive role models for girls and that means, most of the time, those role models are women. But we’re switching things up for today’s show, and I’ll tell you right now -- this one’s gonna be a tough and emotional one for me. When Brent and I got started in ministry and trying to impact girls, come alongside and support them to walk in their God-given identities, we started to reach out to a lot of different people mostly because we were entering uncharted territory for us. We had both spent time working in the professional world. So we started to branch out and build relationships with lots of people all over the place – church leaders, people in the book publishing and media industries and we found so many amazing people who helped us, supported us and as you know even now the circle of folks who have dedicated their lives to helping girls follow Jesus, be who God made them to be, that circle is a small one but we did find one couple we immediately gravitated to and became friends with for a lot of reasons – Jonathan and Wynter Pitts. And while I wish Wynter could be here with us (Be sure to go back and listen to her episode – it’s #71), I’m so excited to have Jonathan here for this interview because I know you’re going to be blessed by this conversation. Father to four girls, Alena, Kaity, Camryn and Olivia, Jonathan’s heart for God and his girls is so inspirational. To me, he is a modern hero of faith whose friendship has meant so much to our family. Don’t miss today’s episode. It’s gonna bless you to hear all about how the Pitts family is adjusting to life in Tennessee after moving there from Texas. Any Friday Night Lights fans out there? #texasforever He also shares a lot about what the Lord is showing him in this season and all about the book he and Wynter wrote together (JP sent in the final manuscript for #Emptiedbook the day Wynter passed away). He’s sharing details and insights for how to approach marriage with intentionality, sacrificial love, and the grace that covers it when we get it wrong. Other questions from today’s episode include: Do you feel like the approach to marriage that you and Wynter took relieved any pressure of you feeling like all the other married people were doing it better? What has it meant to you to carry Wynter’s legacy forward – not just in your shared approach to marriage – but the impact she had in her ministry for girls all over the world? What’s up next for you and the girls and how can we be praying for you? All our married, soon-to-be-married, and single people looking to marry one day, be sure to get over to emptiedbook.com watch the video and download the F R E E devotional. You will NOT regret it!

Rooney and I stopped by HomeGoods a few days ago to get some Christmas placemats for our kitchen table. It took all but five seconds before she abandoned our hunt and went meandering down the toy aisles that were overflowing with ‘stuff’.  She walked with purpose up and down each section, pointing out toys and games and figurines and dolls and cribs for the dolls and strollers for the dolls that were all going on her Christmas list. Hold on a second. In our house, we haven’t really decided on the Santa thing in general. She asked me about it last year and I told her the truth. “The people who love you have purchased these gifts for you. Now, let’s write our thank you notes.”   We don’t really have a clear-cut approach to this whole Santa business, but we definitely have not discussed writing out an entire list of things we want for ourselves. Moms, even though we battle cultural norms DAILY -- like selfishness over service-- can we still be intentional about flipping the focus this Christmas? You bet we can.  As a family, we've been having a blast doing the SANTA Switch this month to get ready for Christmas! I seriously can’t tell you how uplifting it has been these last few weeks. A BIG thank you to every one of you who sent in stories of how your family is noticing the needs of others and taking action to meet those needs. It's so cool.  In my original podcast episode from a few weeks ago, I talked about our family's first entry in our SANTA Switch journal where we had to track down a homeless man outside of the grocery store down the street from my parents’ house while we were there visiting. Check it out here. Need some inspiration? Here are a three stories from last week to get your creative juices flowing.  :) November 11, 2018 Today is Veteran’s Day. While we were sitting in church we watched a video that paid tribute to the men and women of our military. Our pastor asked all of the veterans to raise their hands so we could honor them as a church family. My husband elbowed me. “I want to ask the people sitting in front of us who raised their hands if we can take them to lunch after church,” he whispered. Once the service was over, he got their attention and asked if they wanted to go. They did! So we met them at In N Out down the street, chatting with them over hamburgers. Jim was from Indiana and lives with his wife just a little south of us. Tony had just moved here from Detroit and he’d only been in town for two days so far. It was great getting to know that they hadn’t been attending our church for that long. They also showed us how to order Flying Dutchmans off of In N Out’s secret menu. :) November 26, 2018 I was in New York City with my husband last week. We were walking down the street on the way to Times Square to decide where we should eat lunch. We noticed a mama, standing on the sidewalk in front of us. She was holding her infant son. It was cold and windy, and the baby had no hat. My husband was holding his new beanie in his hands when we saw her. He walked straight over to the woman and gave her the hat for her baby. November 28, 2018 We were driving to Home Depot to get our Christmas tree. On the opposite side of the street, going the other direction, an ambulance passed us with its lights flashing and its sirens going off. After a few moments, my daughter (totally on her own) said, “Hey, we need to pray for those people the ambulance is going to help.” We prayed together in the car for wherever that ambulance was headed and for healing and safety for whoever was involved. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:35 It’s not too late for you to hop on board the SANTA Switch Express! Start this fun and intentional Christmas tradition with your family. All you need is a journal, something to write with, and a commitment to notice the needs you see out in the world and do something about meeting...

EP: 78 Elizabeth Schenkel - On The Edge by Heroes For Her

"See A Need. Take Action."  My guest for today's episode is absolutely no one. Friends, it's just me. I wanted to discuss a topic that's been on my heart for the last several months.  Over the summer I was asked to write an article for the Christmas issue of World Vision magazine and talk about how all of us can do something powerful in the world when we operate from a place of radical generosity. As I brainstormed what to write about, I thought about a sweet little book Rooney has in her room about St. Nicholas of Myra. We read it here and there throughout the year, but now it carries a special meaning for our family this holiday season. The book tells the story of the 4th century Christian bishop who inspired the Christmas gift-giving character of Santa Claus. Born in Patara, a land that is part of present-day Turkey, circa 280 A.D., a man left with a large sum of money when his parents passed away used it to help the poor. After his own death in 344, the legend of his generosity grew. St. Nicholas transformed into the fabled character Santa Claus, the beloved old man who brings presents to children around the world on Christmas Eve. Over the years, while advertising and culture have popularized the image of the jolly, red-suited sleigh operator, many influences have made Santa what he is today. It’s surprising how easy it can be to get caught up in the commercialization of Christmas and lose sight of what is truly important. I’m guilty of working tirelessly to try and set the right tone and atmosphere for my family during the holiday, without thinking beyond what lies inside and what hangs outside the four walls of our home. We end up devoting a lot of time and energy into placing decorations, preparing events, preserving traditions and planning meaningful experiences for those closest to us, all the while missing the real blessing that comes from thinking like the original St. Nick. If we aren’t careful, our attention can quickly switch to a focus on what we want, leaving little room for thinking of others and what they need. This year, our family decided to take a few intentional steps back to realign our hearts with the true meaning of Christmas and the spirit of the legendary gift-giver. We wanted to make some changes this holiday season to awaken the joy that comes with generosity. It was time to decide, as a family, how we could ask, “What can we give?” instead of, “What can we get?” So we decided to do what I'm calling a SANTA Switch.  See A Need. Take Action. We're going to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas by:  1) encouraging each other to notice the needs of others and then 2) empowering each other to meet those needs Check out today's episode to find out how you can make the SANTA Switch a fun and intentional Christmas tradition that flips the focus from "What can I get?" to "What can I GIVE?"

“Jesus is everything. The faster you figure out that you can’t do it on your own, and that you need him, the far better off you’ll be.” Today’s guest is Christy Fay. Alongside her husband, Christy co-pastors Arcadia City Church in the Phoenix area. She loves seeing people engage with Jesus and their communities.  There is nothing she would rather do than partner with God in the restorative work He is doing in the world.  She’s got four children and a husband who make her world go round. Other than her role as God’s daughter, image-bearer, and Kingdom warrior, she feels most proud to be a wife and mom.  She’s the author of two studies, Reclaimed: Uncovering Your Worth, which centers on the five women in the lineage of Jesus and I Have To: Chasing What Sets Your Soul on Fire, a journey through the Scriptures that helps us find that “thing” that God designed us to do. Christy discusses the challenges she faced during her younger years and how they prepared her for life as an adult woman who wants to walk in her purpose. She has a lot of advice for the moms out there who want to guide their children to pursue their kingdom assignments and prioritize eternity over earthly success.

“If you just show up, lead yourself to Jesus, surrender your daughter, and do the best that you can, that is all the Lord asks of us.” Today’s guest is Stacey Thacker. We had Stacey on the show last year and she’s back to share some updates with us. Stacey’s a wife and the mother of four girls. The author of six books, she is also a Bible teacher and loves to connect with women and encourage them in their walks with God. You can find her blogging at staceythacker.com and hanging out on Instagram (@staceythacker), usually with a cup of coffee in her hand. Last time Stacey and I saw each other was the first time we had ever actually met in person. I was in Dallas speaking for Dare to Dream and she happened to be there speaking at First Euless Church and I got to attend. It was also the last time we both got to see our dear friend, Wynter, in person. I just cherish that night so deeply. Stacey’s been through a lot in the last couple of years. Her husband, Mike, experienced an extreme medical emergency early last year, and we talked about how God showed up as Stacey did her best to navigate herself and her daughters through so many unknowns. Her personal and professional responsibilities shifted a lot over the last several months, and she released the second resource in the Girlfriends’ Guide to the Bible study last month, “When Grace Walks In,” which focuses on the book of Ephesians. Stacey expertly teaches through Paul’s letter so that women can better understand the story of God’s rescue of His people, but also how the gospel should affect our lives and inform our decisions.

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”   Today’s guest is Yewande O’Neal, a passionate advocate for people to discover who they were created to be. Yewande loves to see people walk in their God given purpose and do it with excellence. She lives to seek God’s kingdom first, and doing so has transformed her life in many ways, which you’ll hear about today.   Yewande started her career in the corporate world with the General Electric Company. She earned numerous awards and certifications in her 12 years with GE. She climbed the leadership ladder and became Executive General Manager, leading over 200 employees all over the world.   After working in the corporate world for several years, Yewande felt God tug her heart and she founded Women of Kairos in 2015 – Non-profit organization focused on helping women move into and in their purpose. I’m honored to be speaking at this year’s Women of Kairos conference on October 13th in Atlanta.  

"For the sake of your kids, your future kids, you have to stop."    Today’s guest is Sarah Bragg. Sarah lives in Georgia with her husband Scott and their two beautiful girls, Sinclair and Rory. She worked in full-time ministry for more than 8 years and then alongside those who are in the ministry trenches for more than 10 years with Orange. She’s a graduate from Dallas Theological Seminary and author of the book, Body. Beauty. Boys. The Truth About Girls and How We See Ourselves.    She is currently Orange’s content director for the Live a Better Story small group curriculum. You can also find her on iTunes hosting one of my favorite podcasts -- Surviving Sarah -- where she has great conversations with different people in order to help women enjoy and survive where they are in life.    During today’s episode, Sarah and I catch up about what’s going on over at the Bragg house for back to school, what the transitions to the 3rd and 5th grades has been like for her girls, and the simple motto she used to send her kids off to school this year: “Be brave. Be kind.”   Sarah unpacks her earlier challenges with identity and body image and reveals how the Lord walked alongside her through periods of struggle. She also shares how her writing and professional work impacts her approach to parenting her girls.   There is a ton of wisdom in this week’s interview. Don’t miss it!

“Faith is a muscle, and it needs exercise.”   My guest today is Lauren Green McAfee. Lauren is a third generation member of the Green Family- founders of Hobby Lobby and the Museum of the Bible. While pursuing her graduate degrees in pastoral counseling and theology, Lauren worked at Museum of the Bible from its founding days, until its opening in Washington DC late last year. Today, she works at Hobby Lobby as Corporate Ambassador and is also pursuing her PHD in Ethics and Public Policy. She lives in Oklahoma City with her husband, Michael.   Lauren has spent considerable time studying the topic of legacy and the idea that each of us can play a unique and irreplaceable role in God’s story. In today’s episode, she talks about why she feels it’s important to address legacy today, particularly as it relates to women.   She challenges women to live with their legacy in mind in a book she wrote in partnership with her mom, Jackie. Only One Life: How a Woman’s Every Day Shapes an Eternal Legacy tells the stories of world-changing women, both past and present. She learned a lot after examining the lives of these women, and you will be blessed to hear what she found out.   I hope today’s interview inspires you to leave a lasting legacy for Jesus, no matter where life takes you.   You only have one, so make it count.