Living Lighter

Friends, please welcome Tara Sun to the podcast! If you are a self-proclaimed "Control Freak," then this episode is for you 😉 Through the Truth Talks with Tara podcast, her Instagram community, her new book Surrender Your Story and other resources, Tara passionately teaches women of all ages how to know, love, and live God's Word for themselves. She breaks down the Bible into understandable pieces while adding an artistic flare through her digital art. I want to be best friends with Tara after our conversation, and I have a feeling you will, too!

In this episode you'll hear:

🙏 How to take the first step in faith

🙃 The upside-down kingdom we're called to

⌛ Learning to wait well with God

Links to all the things mentioned:

• Surrender Your Story: Ditch the Myth of Control and Discover Freedom in Trusting God
• Tara's Instagram
• Truth Talks with Tara
• Tara's Website
• Get Wisdom Bible Studies

Connect with Teresa:

• Instagram
• Website
• Grab a copy of one of my books!

This podcast was produced by Pivot Media Co. The music was produced by Anu Alphonse.

Let's talk about everyone's favorite word: failure 😜 Odds are you struggle with fear of failure to some degree. Or if you're anything like me, fear of failure has followed you around your whole life and can sometimes be hard to trace back to its root cause. Well, today we're diving deep into failure, why we're so scared of it, and a practical step-by-step guide to overcoming it. I hope this episode encourages and equips you to not only face your fear of failure, but even make friends with it!

In this episode you'll hear:

🤔 Determining where your fear of failure comes from

🙅‍♀️ Refusing to bow to the idol of other people's opinions

📝 A practical exercise for overcoming your fears

Links to all the things mentioned:

• The Greatness Mindset: Unlock the Power of Your Mind and Live Your Best Life Today by Lewis Howes
• Get Wisdom Bible Studies
• Dale Carnegie's Magic Formula

Connect with Teresa:

• Instagram
• Website
• Grab a copy of one of my books!

This podcast was produced by Pivot Media Co. The music was produced by Anu Alphonse.

Friend, do I have a treat for you! Our guest today is Ashlee Gadd, author of Create Anyway: The Joy of Pursuing Creativity in the Margins of Motherhood and founder of the online space Coffee + Crumbs. And let me tell you, I had the privilege of previewing Create Anyway and I am simply obsessed. As a writer and photographer, Ashlee has spent her entire motherhood creating in the margins (anybody know the feeling?!) When she's not writing or vacuuming Cheerios out of the carpet, she loves making friends on the internet, eating cereal for dinner, and rearranging bookshelves. I absolutely loved our conversation and I know you will too!

In this episode you'll hear:

🎨 The challenge of balancing creativity and motherhood

😴 Why rest isn't just good – it's necessary

💪 Overcoming perfectionism in the "messy middle"

Links to all the things mentioned:

• Create Anyway: The Joy of Pursuing Creativity in the Margins of Motherhood
• Coffee + Crumbs
• Get Wisdom Bible Studies
• Ashlee's Website
• Ashlee's Instagram
• Ashlee's Substack

Connect with Teresa:

• Instagram
• Website
• Grab a copy of one of my books!

This podcast was produced by Pivot Media Co. The music was produced by Anu Alphonse.

Does the word "ambition" have a negative connotation for you? I know it has for me in the past. But why? Today we're talking about why we as Christians should totally feel comfortable reclaiming that word. Yes, we need to live lighter – but I'm not talking about "hustle culture" ambition. I'm talking about doing what you love most, and doing it well. As you'll see in this episode, the Bible clearly tells us to run our race well (and friend, that doesn't just happen by accident!) We get the opportunity to live our lives to the fullest we can on this side of eternity. Let's step into the arena together!

In this episode you'll hear:

💖 Why we should reclaim the word "ambition"

💖 Choosing to run the race instead of simply watching

💖 Leaving the legacy you want for your family

Links to all the things mentioned:

• 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker
• Get Wisdom Bible Studies
• Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown

Connect with Teresa:

• Instagram
• Website
• Grab a copy of one of my books!

This podcast was produced by Pivot Media Co. The music was produced by Anu Alphonse.

Welcome back to the podcast! Today I am so excited to introduce you to my friend Rebecca George. Rebecca is the founder of Radical Radiance, a podcast community where listeners are equipped to blend what they love with the Jesus who makes them shine. In addition to being a podcaster, she is a speaker, writer, and certified career coach whose greatest joy in life is discipling others to pursue their passions in a way that builds the Kingdom. Today we are chatting about her upcoming book Do the Thing, and I totally sobbed through portions of it because it was just the exact shoulder-shaking, attention-grabbing, insightful, practical thing that I needed. So with that, please enjoy today's conversation with Rebecca George.

In this episode you'll hear:

💪 Operating in your own strength vs. relying on the Holy Spirit

🙏 The importance of asking for help when you need it

🎙️ Laying something down to pursue God's calling for your life

Links to all the things mentioned:

• Do the Thing: Gospel-Centered Goals, Gumption, and Grace for the Go-Getter Girl by Rebecca George
• Mary Marantz
• Get Wisdom Bible Studies
• Anne Wilson
• Rebecca's Instagram

Connect with Teresa:

• Instagram
• Website
• Grab a copy of one of my books!

This podcast was produced by Pivot Media Co. The music was produced by Anu Alphonse.

You are going to absolutely love this episode! Today we're talking with none other than Tiana Haneline of @scarlettandtiania on TikTok. Whether you're a big TikTok fan or not, you've probably heard of the adorable duo – she and her daughter Scarlett have over 6 million followers! In March of 2020, Tiania wanted to build her then-three-year-old daughter's confidence and help her embrace the color of her skin, which has more melanin than Tiania's. Through the power of positive affirmation, Tiania empowers Scarlett to embrace her curls, her kindness, and everything in between. Tiania was not expecting the response to her videos on TikTok and we talk a bit about everything that comes with that. This interview was a joy for me and I can't wait for you to hear it!

In this episode you'll hear:

👩‍👧 How Tiania and Scarlett became an internet sensation

💕 Why positive affirmations are so powerful

📱 The good, the bad, and the ugly of TikTok

Links to all the things mentioned:

• Get Wisdom Bible Studies
• Monday.com
• I'm Going to Have a Good Day!: Affirmations with Scarlett
• ScarlettGraySmith.com
• Scarlett and Tiania on TikTok
• Scarlett and Tiania on YouTube
• Scarlett and Tiania on Instagram
• Scarlett and Tiania on Facebook

Connect with Teresa:

• Instagram
• Website
• Grab a copy of one of my books!

This podcast was produced by Pivot Media Co. The music was produced by Anu Alphonse.

Welcome back sweet friend! Today I am so excited to dive deeper into a topic I'm super passionate about: how to study the Bible (not just read it). The reality is that the Bible was not written to us – we are not Israelites living in ancient times! Because of that, we need to take a closer look at the context of Scripture in order to fully understand it. Thankfully there are tons of great commentaries and resources out there today to help us do this, including my Get Wisdom Bible Studies. As we walk through different portions of Scripture, each book aims to help women just like you fall in love with studying the Bible by digging in deeply while still being accessible. If you have any questions about today's episode, please DM me on Instagram and I would love to connect with you!

In this episode you'll hear:

📖 Why only reading (not studying) the Bible can be dangerous

🔎 A closer look at Get Wisdom Bible Studies

📚 Bible versions, commentaires, and helpful resources

Links to all the things mentioned:

• Get Wisdom Bible Studies
• Blue Letter Bible App
• Bible Gateway
• YouVersion Bible App

Connect with Teresa:

• Instagram
• Website
• Grab a copy of one of my books!

This podcast was produced by Pivot Media Co. The music was produced by Anu Alphonse.

Friends, I am so excited for you to listen to this interview because today we have my dear friend Monica Swanson on the podcast! She lives in Oahu on the North Shore, she's a mom of four boys, and she is just amazing. Monica is so wise and so fun, and I really wish that you knew her in real life because she's just one of those people that you want to absorb everything you can from. Her first book is called Boy Mom, and today we're chatting about her upcoming book called Raising Amazing (which I highly recommend!), how to build an intentionally strong family, and ways to keep Jesus at the center of it all.

In this episode you'll hear:

🏋 The importance being the best you for your family

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Setting intentional values with your kids

⛪ How to keep your family centered on Jesus

Links to all the things mentioned:

• Raising Amazing: Bringing Up Kids Who Love God, Like Their Family, and Do the Dishes without Being Asked
• Boy Mom: What Your Son Needs Most from You
• The Character Training Course
• The Monica Swanson Podcast
• Monica's Website
• Monica's Instagram
• Monica's Facebook

Connect with Teresa:

• Instagram
• Website
• Grab a copy of one of my books!

This podcast was produced by Pivot Media Co. The music was produced by Anu Alphonse.

Today we're concluding our Living Lighter series with the topic of soul care. Maybe you feel so overwhelmed caring for others that you couldn't possibly have time to care for yourself – trust me, I've been there. But I hope this episode is a gentle reminder that true rest for your soul is only found in Jesus. Take the time to meet with him, giving him the firstfruits of whatever time you have, and I promise he will meet you there. Friend, I'm so glad you've been on this journey with me through the four pillars of Living Lighter: Home, Mind, Body, and Soul. And if you missed any of the previous episodes, be sure to check them out at the links below!

In this episode you'll hear:

💖 Spending time with Jesus as soul care

💖 Giving God your firstfruits (including your time)

💖 Creating space for quiet to hear from the Lord

Links to all the things mentioned:

• Ep 20: Body
• Ep 19: Mind
• Ep 18: Home
• Get Wisdom Bible Studies

Connect with Teresa:

• Instagram
• Website
• Grab a copy of one of my books!

This podcast was produced by Pivot Media Co. The music was produced by Anu Alphonse.

Can you believe we're already in week three of this series?! Today we're chatting about the next pillar of my Living Lighter course: Body. But don't worry! I am not going to tell you that you have to work out for an hour every single day. While that would be great, the reality is that most of us simply don't have the time (or, if you're like me, your body needs different kinds of exercise than it used to). What's most important is that you treat your body well – meaning good movement, nutrition, hydration, and sleep. When you care for your body, your mind feels better too, and that makes for a holistically happier, healthier you!

In this episode you'll hear:

🏃‍♀️ The importance of moving your body (not only working out!)

🏃‍♀️ How "forest bathing" can improve your overall mood

🏃‍♀️ Treating your body well to improve your mental health

Links to all the things mentioned:

• Living Lighter Course (Listen for a special discount code!)
• Ep 19: Mind
• Ep 18: Home
• Ep 17: Bye Bye, Burnout - Part 2
• Ep 16: Bye Bye, Burnout - Part 1
• Myquillyn Smith - "The Nester"
• The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort To Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self by Michael Easter
• Ep 03: Revenge Bedtime Procrastination
• Ep 12: And If Not, He Is Still Good
• Amazon Halo

Connect with Teresa:

• Instagram
• Website
• Living Lighter Course
• Grab a copy of one of my books!

This podcast was produced by Pivot Media Co. The music was produced by Anu Alphonse.