In this special episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Jessica Ludwig of Together Freedom. Together Freedom provides long-term care and support for American girls rescued from child sex slavery. Jessica shares information relevant for all who have children in their lives they care about as well as important statistics and signs. She also discusses the mission and tells inspiring stories of those Together Freedom has served. She concludes our conversation with ways we all can get involved and offers a hope-filled word for anyone who has felt discarded or forgotten.

I pray you are encouraged as we conclude our summer series. I can't think of a better way to end than with an encouragement to step into another's story in order to offer the hope that is found in Christ alone.

For more information or to support Together Freedom, please visit togetherfreedom.org or connect with them on Facebook or Instagram.

This episode is part of A Story-Filled Summer: A Podcast Series Offering Hope, Wisdom, and Encouragement to Let God Write Your Story. Cara would love to connect with you on Instagram, Facebook, or her website.

Whitney Akin is the author of Overlooked: Finding Your Worth When You Feel All Alone. Her heart is to see and celebrate the purpose and potential of the overlooked and invite them to live seen by the God who loves them. Whitney’s writing has been featured in (in)courage, Her View From Home, Proverbs 31 Ministries and more. You can find more of her writing and speaking on her website at www.whitneyakin.com and can connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, and YouVersion for more encouragement.

In this episode, Whitney shares the lessons she learned through Genesis 16 and the life of Hagar. As her understanding grew and she came to believe she is seen by the One who sees her (El Roi), she began a journey that led to incredible transformation. She was finally free to truly love others and live fully for God.

If you long to grow in freedom, love, and service, this episode is for you!

This episode is part of A Story-Filled Summer: A Podcast Series Offering Hope, Wisdom, and Encouragement to Let God Write Your Story. Cara would love to connect with you on Instagram, Facebook, or her website.

For further encouragement on the topics discussed in this episode, you may be interested in checking out these earlier episodes: The Secret of True Strength (a message on meekness) and Getting Value or Giving Value: A Look at Worth, Identity, and Usefulness.

Tara Borgonah is a writer, speaker, teacher, and founder of the Girl Read Your Bible Study Group and the host of the Author in the Spotlight and the Christian Café Podcasts. Tara’s surprising journey began shortly after experiencing a traumatic life-changing accident. Instead of giving in to despair, she turned to her faith in God and His Word for solace and strength. During her recovery and year-long journey through the Bible, she experienced the transformative impact of the Bible in her life and felt compelled to share these life-changing truths with others.

In this episode, we are reminded that God's plans often unfold through circumstances and seasons that are initially unwanted, difficult, and marked by suffering. Through it all, however, He is working to unfold His plan, present to offer His grace, and faithful to reveal Himself.

If you are longing to see a glimpse of the unexpected beauty God can work through an unwanted season, this episode is for you! By the end, you will be encouraged to not only let God write your story, but to trust He has a purpose for each and every chapter within it.

You can connect with Tara on The Girl Read Your Bible Study Group, Instagram, and Youtube.

This episode is part of A Story-Filled Summer: A Podcast Series Offering Hope, Wisdom, and Encouragement to Let God Write Your Story. Cara would love to connect with you on Instagram, Facebook, or her website.

Pamela Henkelman is a Life Coach for Midlife Moms, speaker, writer, and host of The Midlife Momma Podcast. She is passionate about encouraging moms of adult children as they navigate their changing roles in order to build stronger relationships with their grown children. As a mom of five grown kids and two grandsons, Pamela has first-hand experience with the challenges and joys of navigating the empty nest phase of life.

In this episode, Pamela addresses common challenges moms of adult children face and why it is important to go from holding our adult kids tightly to surrendering them to the Lord regularly. She challenges us to entrust them to God as He writes not only our story, but theirs. Pamela offers special encouragement to the moms who are in a season of transition due to a child going off to college or getting married.

You can connect with Pamela on her website and social media (Instagram and Facebook) as well as through her podcast.

To view her resource, "Your Kids Are Grown...Now What?" click here. For more information on her upcoming workshop, "Hope for Moms of Prodigals," click here.

This episode is part of A Story Filled Summer: A Podcast Series Offering Hope, Wisdom, and Encouragement to Let God Write Your Story. Cara would love to connect with you on Instagram, Facebook, or her website.

Jennifer Dukes Lee is a bestselling author, thinker, and question-asker who lives on the fifth-generation Lee family farm in Iowa. She and her family raise crops, pigs, and two beautiful humans. As a journalist, she covered crime, politics, and natural disasters. She now uses her reporting skills to chase after the biggest story ever: the redemptive story of Christ. Her books include It's All Under Control, Growing Slow, Stuff I'd Only Tell God, and more.

In this episode, Jennifer discusses themes from her two recent books (Growing Slow and Stuff I'd Only Tell God). Using the analogy of her family's farm and the importance of adapting a growing slow mindset, she shares how to identify your season of life and why each season is significant. She also encourages making deeper connections with God by being deeply honest with God, explaining as we take everything to Him, we grow in intimacy with Him.

To connect with Jennifer, please visit her website or Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or TikTok pages.

This episode is part of A Story-Filled Summer: A Podcast Series Offering Hope, Wisdom, and Encouragement to Let God Write Your Story. Cara would love to connect with you on Instagram, Facebook, or her website.

Twyla Franz loves to help women uncomplicate missional neighboring as she encourages them to "make God big" right where they are in their everyday lives. Through writing and podcasting, she shares the heart as well as the how-to's of intentionally getting to know your neighbors.

In this episode, Twyla offers insight into why you don't need to go overseas to live out the Great Commission, how missional living can become a rhythm of life, and how to overcome commonly believed hindrances to knowing your neighbors well.

Twyla is the author of "Cultivating a Missional Life: A 30 Day Devotional to Gently Help You Open Your Heart, Home, and Life to Your Neighbors," host of The Uncommon Normal podcast, and can regularly be found sharing encouragement on her website as well as her Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook pages.

For Twyla's series on addressing the biggest hurdles to missional neighboring, click here.

This episode is part of A Story-Filled Summer: A Podcast Series Offering Hope, Wisdom, and Encouragement to Let God Write Your Story. Cara would love to connect with you on Instagram, Facebook or her website.

Jen Kosuda is passionate about encouraging women to connect Biblical truth to everyday life. Through writing and podcasting, she reminds her readers and listeners that no heart, mind, or situation is too difficult for the Lord to transform.

In this episode, Jen shares how she overcame a life of anxiety and worry through God's Word and why we shouldn't give up when discouragement sets in.

Jen is the author of The Art of a Messy House book series, which helps families connect life lessons with God's Word, and is the host of The Art of a Messy House podcast. Additionally, she can regularly be found sharing devotionals and other encouragement on her website and Instagram.

This episode is part of A Story-Filled Summer: A Podcast Series Offering Hope, Wisdom, and Encouragement to Let God Write Your Story. Cara would love to connect with you on Instagram, Facebook, or her website.

Rachael Adams loves to encourage women to live out their faith, inspiring them to believe that their everyday offering and "yes" to God truly matters. Through writing, speaking, and podcasting, she reminds her readers and listeners that just as nothing was too insignificant in Jesus's life, nothing is too insignificant in theirs.

In this episode, Rachael shares how the "good works" of Ephesians 2:10 are important regardless of how big or small they appear. If you long for the assurance that your life has purpose and significance, take a listen. You will find encouragement to give God what you have, right here and right now.

Rachael is the author of A Little Goes A Long Way: 52 Days to a Significant Life, host of The Love Offering podcast, and can regularly be found sharing encouragement on her website as well as her Instagram and Facebook pages.

This episode is part of A Story-Filled Summer: A Podcast Series Offering Hope, Wisdom, and Encouragement to Let God Write Your Story. Cara would love to connect with you on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, or her ⁠website⁠.

Grace McCready is passionate about sharing words of hope with those who are walking through seasons of darkness. Through her own eating disorder recovery, she learned the importance of having realistic expectations and seeing the value in her small, everyday choices. She discovered that even when she doubted God's presence or wondered why He wasn't working, He was with her all along.

Grace is the author of Real Recovery: What Eating Disorder Recovery Actually Looks Like and shares personal stories and Scripture to encourage young women on her blog, Tizzie’s Tidbits of Truth.

To hear Cara's testimony or access her other eating disorder resources, please click here. Cara would love to connect on Instagram (@the_one_thing_desired), Facebook (theonethingdesired), or online (www.theonethingdesired.com)

This episode is part of A Story-Filled Summer: A Podcast Series Offering Hope, Wisdom, and Encouragement to Let God Write Your Story.

This summer, through the sharing of our guests' stories and the lessons and subsequent messages birthed in their hearts because of them, we will be reminded of the goodness, faithfulness, and beauty of our God. It is my prayer that through their stories, we would be led to marvel at our God and encouraged to let Him write OUR stories.

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Let's connect on Instagram (@the_one_thing_desired), Facebook (@theonethingdesired), or online (www.theonethingdesired.com)!