Today's episode is a special one! Our friend and neighbor, Dene, is our guest on the podcast! She has lived an interesting life with lots of God stories to tell and today we get to hear the one about the adoption of their son. She has experienced the adoption journey from infancy to adulthood which brought both challenges and joys along the way. Their story is one of trust in God's good purposes. You will be blessed by listening to the insight and wisdom God has granted Dene that she now shares with other families who are navigating raising adoptive children of their own. So pull up a chair and settle in for a great story of hope. 

A question we all ask ourselves at some point is "What's my purpose?". There are lots of reasons why we can wonder about our purpose. Often its brought on by natural transitions in life like college graduation, a career change, newly single, or having your first child. We want to be able to contribute in meaningful ways in the world no matter what season we find ourselves. On today's episode, Lele and Juli discuss the questions around purpose, why we all crave it, and how we can begin to work through the process of discovering our purpose. Let's settle in for a honest conversation about something we all hope for and need... finding and knowing our purpose. 

Welcome to Season Four! Yay!! We're so happy to back with y'all! And we're looking looking forward to a new season of impactful and fun conversations. To start the season off, Lele and Juli catch up on life after the short break between seasons and then take a dive into the topics of vulnerability, Disney World, and heaven.  Sounds intriguing, right?! This episode is packed full of content so grab your favorite caffeinated beverage and pull up a chair. We can't wait to share it with y'all! 

Welcome back to My Tennessee Table! Today we're talking about the Spiritual Formation practice of Rest and who doesn't need more of that nowadays? The thought of taking time to rest seems nearly impossible for a lot of reasons, I get it. But God instructs us as Christ-followers to take Sabbath rest because He knew we needed time to recharge and engage with Him. So make yourself comfortable as we talk through what it means to practice rest. 

Biblehub.com "The Importance of Spiritual Rest"

carlagasser.com "Spiritual Practice of REST" 

https://renovare.org/articles/the-spiritual-discipline-of-rest

Hey, hey all! Welcome back to the podcast. We've been expecting you! On today's episode, we're continuing the theme of Spiritual Formation and learning not only one new spiritual formation practice, but TWO. Yes, that's right! It's a two for one kinda episode. We're talking about the biblical practices of Silence & Solitude. Both of which are so difficult to find in this hurried and LOUD world we live in, which is exactly why we need silence & solitude. Some time alone without distractions in God's presence sounds peaceful, right? Well, pull up a chair get comfortable, and let's talk about it. Meet you at the Table! 

Dr. Donald Whitney "Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life"

Jean Fleming quote from her book "Finding Focus in a Whirlwind World"-

"We live in a noisy, busy world. Silence and solitude are not twentieth-century words...We have become a people with an aversion to quiet and an uneasiness with being alone."

Henri Nouwen- "Without solitude it is virtually impossible to live a spiritual life...we do not take the spiritual life seriously if we do not set aside time to be with God and listen to him. Like any relationship, we need time alone."

"4 Ways to Practice the Spiritual Disciplines of Silence & Solitude", Carla Gasser. 

We're continuing our Season three theme of Spiritual Formation. That means we get to explore another spiritual practice today. We've talked through the spiritual practices of confession and fasting the last two weeks, and now on today's episode we get to CELEBRATE! Really, that's the spiritual practice we're going to talk about. The practice of CELEBRATION!! How fun is that?! So grab your cup and pick a seat at the Table and let's see what celebrating as a biblical principle is all about. 

https://renovare.org/articles/understanding-celebration

https://www.crcna.org

https://Bible.hub.com

St. Augustine "The Christian should be an alleluia from head to foot." 

On today's episode of My Tennessee Table, we're diving into the Spiritual Formation practice of fasting. It may be a spiritual practice you are less familiar with, or maybe practice the least, but WOW it can be so impactful in the life of Christ-follower. Join us for the conversation explaining what fasting is, why we do it, and methods on how to do it. You may just decide it's a spiritual practice you would like to give a try. Thanks for meeting us at the Table! 



https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/what-exactly-is-fasting-all-about.html

Welcome back! We said last week how excited we are for Season Three of My Tennessee Table and especially the topic. Season Three is all about Spiritual Formation. I know, it can sound intimating or scary, but really its not. Promise! Spiritual Formation are simply practices that help us draw closer to God and grow as a Christ-follower. We'll experience freedom and be empowered by doing them. Those are all good things! Right?
In the upcoming episodes, we'll show you what some of the Spiritual Formation practices are and how to do them. We think if you give them a try you will see the benefits. So pull up a chair, grab your favorite cup cozy, and meet us at the Table! We're so glad you're here!


Mel Robbins podcast: "How to Make it the Next Year the Best Year: Ask yourself these 7 questions"
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/.podcasts/the-mel-robbins-podcast/id1646101002?i=1000681150190

Happy New Year, y'all! It's officially 2025! There are a lot of great ways to greet a new year. You can just roll with it as it comes, make resolutions, or have a practice of intentional goal setting, just to name a few. Today on the podcast, Lele and Juli share what they do to meet the new year including finding a word and a verse for the year, reflecting on what to "start, stop, or continue", and creating goals in a few specific areas of their lives. Listen in friends for some inspiration on entering the new year with a kick start! 




Beth Moore "...as we end this year and prepare for the next, I can't think of anything more important in the life of a Jesus-follower than contemplating how we want our lives to turn out and asking ourselves if we're on that trajectory." 

"It's All About Jesus" is the perfect wrap-up episode for Season Two (Holiday Edition) of My Tennessee Table. (It seemed appropriate wIth Christmas right around the corner!) Jesus is so vast in magnitude that it makes squeezing all that He is into a 30 minute episode impossible. So we decided not to try! Instead, the promise of a future Messiah, the arrival of Jesus, and the implications of His birth for all creation is where we center our conversation on today's episode. We hope the the wonder of His coming captures your heart, as it has ours, as you join us at the Table. Merry Christmas!

Paul David Tripp- "Come Let Us Adore Him: A Daily Advent Devotional"

https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/what-intertestamental-period.html