Brett & Emily visit with illustrator, artist and writer, LaTonya Jackson and discuss all things art, culture and her new book.

Brett & Emily visit with author and pastor, Kevin Sweeney to discuss his new book, The Making of a Mystic. Kevin joins the podcast all the way from his home in Hawaii.

Happy International Women’s Day! Today we can think of no better way to celebrate the remarkable resilience and impact women have made on history than by bringing to center the voice of Elise and her survivor wisdom! Elise’s journey speaks to what so many survivors of trafficking face: the recognition of their exploitation and trafficking months, perhaps YEARS after they’ve left. She also speaks to the generous love and forgiveness that she has found not only for herself, but for those who have harmed her. 

THIS is miraculous and divine, a work done by the Spirit but in corporation with her very human heart.

After graduating ACCESS, Elise navigated jobs, school and now finds herself in seminary for Biblical Counseling!  She also serves as an victim advocate for our partner organization, UnBound. 

What a remarkable rise to self actualization.

This is what International Women’s Day is all about!

All the LOVE! 

Em 

Oof. This week has been a doozy around the Mills family home. We lost our beloved Bear, a big mini Aussie, who saw us through so much life and heartache (you have probably even heard him on the podcast barking a time or two, saving us from mailmen). Bear had surgery after an obstruction from eating underwear (yep, anyone else have a dog who does this?) and could not recover. It was excruciating to witness Bear's suffering post op and eventually his death. Mornings have been hard and teary as my sidekick is gone. Our little Bruce (1 year) is left behind and has struggled to eat and find his own way without his big bother to lead.

Everyone of us would say we have survived some sort of heartache, but how many of us are bold enough to name it trauma? I get it. The word “trauma” has become trivialized in some ways. We know more about it today, there’s more education than ever before on the topic of trauma and often when this happens we become desensitized to it. The truth is, there are all sorts of traumas, little “t” traumas (microagressions, moments of fear and panic, stitches in the knee) and big “T” traumas (fires, death, divorce, natural disasters, physcial, sexual, emotional, spiritual abuse). Funny thing is, sometimes our body doesn’t always know the difference if we’ve not acknowledged our heartache. This week, Cathy Loerzel of the Allender Center, guides us through the topic of her new book with Dr. Dan Allender, Redeeming Heartache, how past suffering reveals your true calling.

This book explores the archetypes of Orphan, Stranger and Widow and their transformed roles of Priest, Prophet, and King/Queen. 

Brett and I have gone through this book with our small group and it’s been a beautiful journey of sharing stories, insight, and witnessing one another’s pain but also potential. 

For me, the journey of grieving my own myriad of unique traumas has provided a more integrated connection to my work at Jesus Said Love and Lovely - it’s also exposed my failures and shortcomings. 

Cathy encourages us to look at our stories of heartache with faith, hope and love wrapped up in the kindness of God. 

Want to get a FREE copy of the book? Share this post on instagram, tag @jesussaidlove as well as another friend, and you’ll be entered to win! Winners will be announced by Friday ¾ via instagram. 

All the LOVE!

Emily and Brett

I think there are stories we hear and wonder, “How would I survive that?” Loosing a child, surviving a natural disaster, loosing everything to a fire, and of course - cancer. Brett & I go way back with Chris and Julie to old college days. You’ll even hear Chris reference a song he remembers me singing at our large group Bible Study. We didn’t know each other, but knew of each other. Our lanes in ministry intersected here and there like kids bumping elbows between classes at school. I kept up with them through Instagram and knew they had left their church position and headed to LA for a new start, then…like a freight train hitting a stalled car on the track, Julie was hit with stage four breast cancer. She has beat it now, twice. And in the  midst of loosing their church family in Oklahoma they found themselves wading through the swamp of cancer searching for healing. What they found was a new understanding of family. A miracle in the wasteland. 

Chris and Julie now host a podcast and are writing a book called “Finding Family”. I think you’re going to be inspired and also challenged to accept what feels totally unacceptable so that a new way of living emerges. 

Cheers to all of us finding family in the most unexpected places.

This one was for the MAMA’S!!! I said it on the show and I’ll say it again: I feel like this was a book I both needed and one I could have written. My journey in motherhood was not necessarily untraditional, but it was uncommon. I both worked and stayed home, we danced to a nonconformist rhythm. As my children were born, I was also birthing the ministry of Jesus Said Love, leading worship around the country and the world, and writing/recording music with Brett. Hattie and Lucy (our older girls) were often on the road with us, sleeping in small college dorm rooms for summer camps, getting to know different nannies, and being nursed at truck stops and airports along the way. When Gus came along we didn’t travel as much but our ministry to women in the sex industry grew and our time leading worship locally became routine. Weeknight band rehearsals and home visits to women from the clubs, Friday night club outreaches and Sunday soundchecks for Brett and I at 7am meant all three kids were backstage in pj’s where a hearty breakfast of donuts, juice boxes and peppermints abounded. Along my road I would have several Southern women say, “I love that your calling is to ministry to women in the sex industry, mine is to be a mom.” My mouth would swallow the shame and my gut would regurgitate it as rage: My calling to women did not nullify my calling as a mom. Where did this asinine hogwash come from in the church? Motherhood and ministry are not antithetical, but rather a beautiful paradox that we live within.

I do hope this conversation gives you beautiful freedom and a deep breath as a mom. 

Cheers to rewilding motherhood!

Brett and Emily visit with Carlos regarding his amazing work in Puerto Rico.

Visit The Happy Givers.

Season 4 is here and we’re headed in new directions! Join us for this intro episode and hear about the new places we hope to go.

New for this season is the JSL Podcast subscription. Become a subscriber and get special perks and video versions of the podcast episodes! This first episode is available to all listeners…head to JesusSaidLovePodcast.com and subscribe today!

Dr. Holly Oxhandler is the Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development and an Associate Professor at Baylor University’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work. Holly studies religion/spirituality, health and mental health, and is especially interested in whether and how mental and behavioral health therapists discuss their client’s religious/spiritual beliefs in treatment. She developed and validated the Religious/Spiritually Integrated Practice Assessment Scale in addition to other instruments to measure the integration of clients’ religion/spirituality in mental health treatment, has written for numerous academic journals, and her research has been featured in the Washington Post, Consumer Affairs, Religion News Service, Business Standard, Baptist News Global, and more. She also co-hosts the weekly podcast, CXMH: Christianity & Mental Health.

Holly lives in Waco, TX with her husband, Cory, and the couple has two children, Callie and Oliver. She loves to read, paint, meditate, learn about others’ stories over a cup of coffee, and most of all, spend time with her loved ones.

Today’s episode is very close to our hearts…it’s about jobs. Jobs that matter. Jobs that bring life and purpose. However, if funding doesn’t come in, these jobs are at risk for being cut. Join us for a real candid discussion about the importance of survivor jobs at Jesus Said Love.

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