““Am I good enough?" The question plagued Bethany's heart and mind as she drifted off to sleep each night. She worried whether her meager efforts had met the expectations of those around her, the ones in her own head, and (more importantly) the ones she felt from God.”” —Perfected: Trading Shame and Striving for Wholeness in Christ.

Bethany is a fellow Exhale member & Writing with Grace alumni. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband, and three little kiddos. She’s a writer, speaker, professor, and, most importantly, a disciple of Christ.

She’s been featured in Risen Motherhood, The Gospel Coalition, Journeywomen, & more.

I had the joy of previewing her new book, Perfected: Trading Shame and Striving for Wholeness in Christ & interviewing her.

Listen here as we chat about

* Her new book!

* How to deal with shame and striving.

* Balancing writing with young kids.

* Her adoption story.

Quotes Mentioned

* “These empty encouragements can merely be bandages covering the festering wound of how inadequate we feel.” —Perfected

* “How have we become so focused on personal goodness that we’ve missed out on the goodness of God?” —Perfected

* “Why do we cling to our shame as if we are people without hope? —Perfected

* “Take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).

Pre-Order Bethany’s book today!

Find more at Gracenotes

Get full access to Gracenotes at biyaya1.substack.com/subscribe