Not My Story

In this special Father’s Day episode, Sarah welcomes her dad, Barry Bender, to Not My Story to talk about what has and has not gone as expected raising four kids. With 37 years of fatherhood under his belt, Barry shares about the differences between having children in the home versus parenting adult kids, the importance of prayer, and how he has been intentional along the way. You especially do not want miss his nuggets of wisdom he shares toward the end.

For full notes from today’s episode and more, visit NotMyStoryPod.com.

For more ways to connect and to sign up for Sarah’s monthly(ish) newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

Meredith McDaniel, licensed counselor and author of In Want + Plenty, sits down with Sarah to talk about the “great pause” of 2020. Meredith shares what it was like to have her plans for debuting her first book uprooted and how she shifted her expectations. She also talks about what it has been like to walk alongside her clients in such an intense season of isolation, upheaval, and division. Sarah and Meredith discuss wilderness seasons and uncensored conversations with God, the things they hope we take with us out of pandemic life, the value of sharing and holding stories, and much more.

For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Meredith, visit NotMyStoryPod.com.

To sign up for Sarah’s monthly(ish) newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

Spiritual director, therapist, and writer Ryan Kuja sits down with Sarah to tell the story about being abducted in Zimbabwe and the resulting trauma he experienced. Ryan shares about how that unexpected event fractured pieces of who he was, the ways trauma manifested itself in his body and his life, and how he found healing ways to move forward in therapy and in contemplative Christianity. Now a trauma-informed therapist himself, Ryan also shares some important insights about what trauma is, how we can recognize it, and ways we can extend compassion to others.

For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Ryan, visit NotMyStoryPod.com.

To sign up for Sarah’s monthly(ish) newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

Latasha Ferguson—educator and host of the Overcome to Become Podcast—joins Sarah in episode 35 to share her story of becoming a teen mom and navigating single parenthood while still trying to figure out her identity and relationship with God. Latasha talks about her early years of stubborn resistance, the struggles of being a single mom of two girls, and how God has relentlessly pursued her in it all. Sarah and Latasha talk about the role of community in our everyday lives, holding on to hope, and how our stories connect us.

For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Latasha, visit NotMyStoryPod.com.

To sign up for Sarah’s newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

Catherine Ricketts, a Philadelphia-based writer and musician, talks with Sarah about the consecutive loss of both her father and brother, speaking candidly about the different ways grief manifested itself in her life and in her relationship with God. Catherine reflects on the juxtaposition of grief and joy as she was simultaneously falling in love while also caring for her dying father, only to be followed by the tragic death of her brother and a season of intense questioning. Sarah and Catherine discuss moving forward when you no longer feel “safe” from pain, finding hope in God’s mercy, and letting the love of God change how you see the world.

To connect with both Catherine and Sarah and access the full show notes, go to NotMyStoryPod.com.

TAKE THE HOPE*WRITERS QUIZ to find out where you are on the six-stage writing path.

Subscribe to Sarah’s newsletter The Shelf for more stories, recommendations, and reflections.

Writer, activist, and founder of Love Beyond Walls, Terence Lester sits down with Sarah to tell a number of stories—from the formation of his not-for-profit organization to his unexpected journey to becoming a communicator. Sarah and Terence talk about where Love Beyond Walls began, its mission, and how to see people in poverty or facing homelessness not as problems but as “people going through problems.” They talk about the human desire to be seen, what happens when we allow ourselves to be interrupted, as well as Terence’s newest book, When We Stand: The Power of Seeking Justice Together.

For full episode notes and additional episodes, visit NotMyStoryPod.com.

To sign up for Sarah’s newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

Jennifer Dukes Lee, author of Growing Slow, tells the story of how she traded her fast-paced journalistic career in the city for a life on the farm. Jennifer talks about coming to grips with her limitations as well as the physical, relational, and spiritual effects of running too hard for too long. Sarah and Jennifer discuss what it looks like to “un-hurry your heart” in practical, everyday ways as well as embracing the various seasons of our lives.

For show notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Jennifer, visit today’s episode page at NotMyStoryPod.com.

Join Sarah’s monthly newsletter, The Shelf, at www.sarahewestfall.com/subscribe for more stories, resources, and reflections delivered right to your inbox.

Pastor-turned-poet and literary agent John Blase tells his story of how an unforeseen season of change disrupted not only his career and family, but also his identity and lens on faith. John reflects on what he thought his fifties would look like, the losses that seemed to stack up, and what happened when the dominoes fell. In this conversation, Sarah and John discuss what it looks like to wade through grief, embodied prayer, having compassion for our younger selves, and more.

For show notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and John, visit today’s episode page at NotMyStoryPod.com.

Join Sarah’s monthly newsletter, The Shelf, at www.sarahewestfall.com/subscribe for more stories, resources, and reflections delivered right to your inbox.

Blogger, author, and marketing professional Anna Kettle shares her unlikely story of pursuing a slower, simpler, more soulful life, a journey that led to her writing the book Sand Between Your Toes. Sarah and Anna talk about practical ways to embrace a different pace of life, navigating internal noise and distractions, and the tension between pursuit and surrender. The second half of their conversation shifts to Anna’s journey with recurring pregnancy loss and how she walks well with grief on a day-to-day basis when the future remains unknown.

For show notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Anna, visit today’s episode page at NotMyStoryPod.com.

Join Sarah’s monthly newsletter, The Shelf, at www.sarahewestfall.com/subscribe.

Counselor, writer, and boundaries coach Kerrah Fabacher joins Sarah in episode 29 to talk about making and keeping friends in adulthood. They begin by chatting about Kerrah’s family, work, and podcast, and then Kerrah tells the story about her first experience with deep friendship and how it changed her. Sarah and Kerrah talk about some of the struggles of being the new person in the room or trying to make friends alongside jobs, kids, marriages, or other commitments. Kerrah also gives some great tips on what it looks like to be authentic in our everyday lives.

For show notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Kerrah, visit today’s episode page at NotMyStoryPod.com.

Get your free download of “What’s Your Story?: 50 Questions for Reflection & Conversation” as well as Sarah’s monthly newsletter at www.sarahewestfall.com/subscribe.