Honey for Your Heart with Bryson Kessler

My guest today is someone that I’ve followed on social media and watched her inspiring story unfold for several years. Last year, I had the privilege to meet her at a conference and hear a bit more of that story but also see her authenticity and vulnerability first hand.   Tara Austin is the founder and CEO of Ruthie Grace, a women’s clothing boutique empire. She has a storefront in Montgomery, TX and a massive online presence servicing customers all over the globe. In addition to Ruthie Grace, she is also the co-owner of Forged, a men’s boutique with her husband Josh and she has recently been spending much of her time investing in other retail store owners, teaching strategies to grow and scale their businesses, as she has done with Ruthie Grace. In addition to all of those things, she is the mother to three precious boys! Needless to say, she is very busy.   Today, Tara shares the history of Ruthie Grace, which she started with very little experience but a lot of confidence in how the Lord created her and gifted her. She also dives into how the Lord walked with her through a season of extreme burnout and ultimately uprooted some deep lies she was believing about herself and how He transformed her as a person, calling her to then share that journey with others.   I know, that like me, you will find inspiration in Tara’s story as she stepped out on faith and trust into a calling the Lord had on her life. And you will find encouragement in her vulnerability as she shares some of the deep valleys she walked along the way and how the Lord was faithful to His promises to redeem and refine her as he carried her through the storm.

We hear the word “intentional” a lot these days and we are encouraged to live with intentionality. But we live in a world full of distractions and responsibilities that seem to choke out the ability to really choose how we live versus letting our lives dictate for us. I know that is a constant struggle for me and I find myself longing for simplicity. If that is you as well, today’s episode is one you don’t want to miss!   Lara Casey Isaacson is a mom to three (one through the gift of adoption), a grateful wife, and a believer in the impossible. She created the PowerSheets grace-filled goal setting planner and the Write the Word journals, and she founded Southern Weddings magazine a decade ago. Lara is also the author of Make It Happen: Surrender Your Fear. Take the Leap. Live On Purpose.   Today, Lara shares her fascinating story of creating multiple businesses and how that practically looked in her life, while also touching on the difficult seasons she walked through in the midst of the successes she was finding in those businesses. It was during those harder seasons that the Lord gave her a desire to truly live intentionally or “cultivate what matters” which would become a thriving business that is still growing and helping countless people get “unstuck” in life and step fully into their purpose and Godly goals for living.   Currently, Lara has moved into a new season of life, stepping away from Cultivate and is living in NC, where she loves getting her hands dirty in the garden.   I know that no matter where you are in your life journey, you will find this episode to be both encouraging and helpful as Lara offers some very practical tips to beginning or even continuing the process of cultivating what matters in your world and living intentionally in the place the Lord has you today.   For more information on Lara, visit: https://laracasey.com/

My guest today is a special friend who is sharing her story for the first time publicly. If life has ever thrown you very unexpected and painful curve ball that changed the trajectory of your future in ways you could have never imagined, this episode is for you.   Harleigh Portante is a beautiful friend who is also one of our models at Clover + Bee. She is a former Miss Teen Alabama and Miss Alabama USA. Growing up, Harleigh’s life seemed like a fairytale but she would soon find out that it was anything but that. She takes us back to the day everything changed and her life would never look the same again. But she also shares how she can look back and see the Lord literally right next to her every step of the way. If you are in a season of deep grief or unexpected, life changing hardship, you will find understanding and compassion in Harleigh’s authentic words today and you will find encouragement to keep going as she shares how the Lord never left her side.

Today’s episode is a special one both for me personally and for the month we are in. As most of you know, October is breast cancer awareness month and as we wrap up October, I’m so grateful for the opportunity to introduce you to my sweet friend Lexie Appleby who is a breast cancer survivor and advocate. Breast cancer has touched my life as my mom was diagnosed with it in October of my junior year of high school and passed away after a brief battle in June of the following year. So this episode is special for me in so many ways.   Lexie’s story is one that is full of chasing dreams and finding herself on top of the world only to have it all come crashing down with the news of her breast cancer diagnosis. In that moment, by God’s grace, she made the crucial choice to see this diagnosis not as a burden but as an unexpected opportunity from the Lord to use her story in ways only He could. She takes us on her incredible journey today through the pageant world as an NFL cheerleader and now as an influencer and speaker through her Born To Sparkle Brand.   If you find yourself wrestling with unexpected news or suddenly in an unplanned season, you will be encouraged as you hear Lexie share her story of God’s faithfulness through her journey and the reminder that He does not break His promises to lead us to His calling and purpose for our lives.   So pull up a seat, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy hearing from my sweet friend, Lexie Appleby.   For more information on Lexie and Born to Sparkle, visit https://www.instagram.com/lexie_appleby/?hl=en

I am so very grateful you are joining us today. Like Season One and Two, this season is full of broken and beautiful stories that will encourage, challenge and inspire you. As you listen, you will be encouraged by God’s unfailing faithfulness. He does what He says He will do. He is a promise keeper who NEVER forsakes - even when we doubt Him. You will be reminded that you are NEVER alone in your story. No matter where you are today, God is there, walking with you and working in you. In the unexpected, He is in control. In the delay, He is faithfully working. In the hurt, He is healing. In the pain and grief, He is comfort. In the joys and successes, He is glorified. When the seasons change, He does not. This is why we tell our stories! Because each time we share our story, whether in a public setting or quiet moment, we are reminded that God does not leave us or forsake us and He has been working for our good through it all. Our stories point to the only source of hope, peace and joy in this life - fixing our eyes on Jesus. So as you enjoy hearing the stories this season, once again, it is my prayer that as you listen, you will be ushered to the presence of God and that He would meet you in your own story through the messages of those you hear this season on Honey For Your Heart.   So it’s become a tradition to kick off each new season of Honey For Your Heart with a guest from a previous season: kind of like a “where are they now episode”. So, continuing that tradition, I am SO excited to welcome Mattie Jackson Smith back to Honey For Your Heart to launch our first episode of Season Three. Mattie joined us on season one and shared about her journey through very unexpectedly losing her husband Ben to a tragic accident after only 11 months of marriage. She walked us through her powerful book Lemons on Friday, which is one of my favorite books still to this day. In this book, Mattie so eloquently expresses the real time emotions and struggles of grief while also pointing to powerful, foundational truths that are critical to navigating grief from a Biblical perspective. If you haven’t read the book or listened to Mattie’s episode in season one, I highly recommend doing both!   When we left Mattie last, she was preparing to get married to Connor in a few months. Today, we pick up where we left off with Mattie and hear all about her life updates and how grief looks now in a new mountaintop season. She also has just released a new devotional book called: Through The Valley of Grief: Daily Rhythms to Navigate Grief. If you are walking through any kind of grief or even just a hard season, this devotional book provides incredible tools to daily go before the Lord with your struggle, with eyes fixed on Him, even on the darkest of days. You will enjoy hearing Mattie talk about how the Lord gave her four practices that truly helped her navigate her grief authentically and spiritually.   Follow Mattie here: https://www.instagram.com/mattiejackson/?hl=en

Today is the finale in our Men of May series and we are ending with another fantastic episode! I have really enjoyed this mini series and I pray you have too! I hope you have found it encouraging, uplifting and a nice way to change things up a bit on Honey For Your Heart!   If you are a regular listener, you most likely heard Melody Hemphill’s beautiful story of brokenness and redemption a few months ago on the show. If you haven’t heard it, I highly recommend you listen to her powerful testimony. Today, I am joined by her husband Randy Hemphill who shares the other side of their story. Randy is the founder of Life Ministries. He is an author, speaker, counselor and he and Melody are some of our dearest friends!   Each week, I pray that the Lord would speak directly to the ears that are listening in ways that only He can. This week, He had a word specifically for me through Randy’s story and to be honest, it caught me a little by surprise! You will hear more about that as you listen but it was a sweet reminder that the Lord does truly meet us right where we are as we listen to others share their stories. He is faithful to allow us to find ourselves in the narrative while reminding us in those moments that He is a God who sees and knows the deepest parts of our souls and meets us there with unchanging love, mercy and compassion. I know that as you listen today, you will find that to, once again, be true.   Psalm 42:1 says, As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” As Randy eloquently states in this episode, we pray that these words are refreshing streams of water for your thirsty soul.   For more information about Life Ministries and Randy, visit http://www.lifeministriesnow.com/

We are continuing our special mini series titled Men of May: Stories of Women’s Impact and Inspiration where we are hearing the incredible stories of men God is using in powerful ways for the kingdom, but also looking through their eyes at the women He has surrounded them with who serve alongside them in ministry.   Today, I am joined by Micah McElveen. Micah’s story is extraordinary.   A surfing accident left Micah dead. But God wasn't done. Through that brush with death, Micah’s dreams were shattered but a new path for his life emerged as God gave vision for a world-impacting ministry.

In 2005, Micah founded Vapor Ministries. Today, they operate ministry centers in multiple countries, serving hundreds of thousands on a weekly basis and employing hundreds of indigenous people. Micah is married to Audrey, who was also a guest on this season of Honey For Your Heart sharing her extraordinary story that undeniably showcases God’s grace and mercy. Today, you will have the privilege of hearing not only Micah’s inspiring story but also peeking in to the other side of his love story with Audrey and the clear calling the Lord placed on their lives as a team to literally change the world for His glory.   Micah says, “at the end of the day, life is a Vapor. The question is, will we waste it, or invest it?”. As you listen today, our prayer is that the Lord will meet you at the intersection of that question and you will find encouragement and inspiration to follow Him wherever He may lead.   https://www.micahmcelveen.com/ https://www.vaporministries.org/

We are in the middle of our Men of May Series where we are highlighting and honoring the inspirational influence of some extraordinary women as we look at their lives through the lens of the men they have impacted.   Today, I am joined by my friend Josh Orr. Josh is an entrepreneur and a podcast host. He is the founder of Capital Commerce and is also one of the hosts of the annual Manifest Conference. I had the privilege of meeting Josh last fall at the Manifest Conference and began working with him shortly after. Josh’s story is nothing short of amazing and as you hear him share about the incredible sacrifices his mom, who was a single mom, made that got him to where he is today, you too will be both encouraged and inspired. If you feel like you are not enough or you aren’t making a difference, this is the episode for you. We dive into those topics and much more as we look at Josh’s journey and the tribute he pays to both his mom and his beautiful wife, Kristen. So grab a good cup of coffee and maybe some tissues as you listen in to this incredible story.   To learn more about Josh, visit https://madebycapital.com/

Today, we are kicking off a very special mini series called Men of May: Stories of Women’s Impact and Inspiration.   The month of May holds particular significance as we celebrate the profound influence of mothers and women everywhere. While we typically feature the unique and powerful stories of women, in this exciting mini-series, we turn the spotlight onto men who the Lord is using in mighty ways. Each week in May we will hear their stories, while paying tribute to the remarkable women God has strategically placed in their lives. We will highlight and honor the invaluable role these women play in uplifting, encouraging, and inspiring our men on their journeys.   We kick off our series with my great friend Jeff Simmons. Along with being an author and speaker, Jeff is the Founding and Senior Pastor of Rolling Hills Community Church in Nashville, TN and serves as the President of Justice and Mercy International.   I had the privilege of working with Jeff and Lisa many years ago. He has had a profound impact on my life and I have been able to see firsthand how the Lord called Him to great Kingdom work and surrounded Him with amazingly gifted, wise and strong women who walk alongside him in ministry.   If you wonder what your purpose is or ever feel like your job, giftings or role is mundane or even trivial - this episode is for you. Today, we take a deep dive into how the Lord has a calling and a purpose on each life, exactly where you are. And He is using right where you are today with whatever talents you have today in whatever circumstances you are in today to accomplish His work in a bigger story. Our job is to simply lean in and let Him work. In the hands of the One who can do “immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine”, the ordinary becomes extraordinary. So grab a cup of coffee and join me as we hear Jeff’s story.   For more information Jeff, visit https://www.jeffsimmons.org

Angela Correll is a best selling author and successful entrepreneur. Today we talk about Angela’s latest book, Restored in Tuscany: A True Story of Facing Loss, Finding Beauty, And Living Forward with Hope. The book is fascinating story of Angela and her husband Jess’s time in Italy which ultimately led to buying and restoring a home there while paralleling how the Lord was also restoring Angela’s during that process.   For those that feel exhausted in life, or maybe overwhelmed by the season you are in - this story is for you! I know that, like me, you will find yourself in the details of Angela’s story and you will also find a God who is calling you into quiet rest with Him where He is waiting to restore places deep in your soul that only He can. I pray that you feel the mercy and grace of the Lord wash over you today as you listen.   For more information on Angela and her books, visit https://angelacorrell.com/