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Charles Achampong shares his family's transformative experience taking a seven-month global sabbatical and the valuable life lessons they gained by stepping away from their structured lives. His book "Around the World in Family Days" captures not just their adventures across eight countries, but the profound insights about presence, connection, and finding joy in simplicity that can be applied to everyday life without leaving home.

• Following a dream sparked during their honeymoon in Brazil 13 years earlier
• Planning and saving for 10 years through intentional choices like cooking at home and limiting extras
• Covering 75% of flight costs through loyalty points and offsetting expenses by renting their home
• Transforming travel into education by creating country-specific learning binders
• Using real-world experiences like market haggling as practical learning opportunities
• Discovering that happiness doesn't depend on material wealth in places like the Philippines
• Learning that "you don't need a passport to pause" - finding presence in everyday moments
• Building "failure immunity" - not immunity to failure but to its emotional impact
• Creating connection through simple actions like neighborhood traditions
• Approaching travel not to "see everything" but to deeply experience each place

Find Charles Achampong's book "Around the World in Family Days" on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, and connect with him on Instagram @aroundtheworldinfamilydays or on his website charlesachampong.com.

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Caroline Beidler shares her deeply personal journey through trauma recovery and explains how unhealed wounds can travel through generations. She offers practical tools for becoming a "cycle breaker" and healing family patterns before they affect our children.

• One in five women have experienced sexual assault in childhood, and 60% of people have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience
• Trauma can be passed down through generations both behaviorally and potentially at a genetic level
• Our individual trauma responses differ based on our unique backgrounds and prior experiences
• Small, consistent actions like 15-minute morning devotionals can make significant differences in our healing
• Movement, connecting with others, and establishing healthy boundaries are essential aspects of trauma recovery
• Self-worth is foundational to healing—recognizing we are worthy of kindness, respect, and healthy relationships
• Bringing struggles "into the light" through trusted relationships helps break cycles of isolation and shame

Find Caroline at carolinebeidler.com, follow her on Instagram, and subscribe to her newsletter "Circle of Chairs" on Substack. Her book "You Are Not Your Trauma: Uproot Unhealthy Patterns, Heal the Family Tree" is available now.

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Clarissa Moll shares how her husband's tragic death in a hiking accident transformed her into a widow with four children and ultimately led to her calling helping others navigate grief and loss.

• Author of books on grief including her newest children's book "Hope Comes to Stay"
• One in five million children will experience the loss of a parent or sibling before age 18
• Importance of using real words like "died" and "dead" with children rather than euphemisms
• Grief is not something we "get over" but becomes a lifelong companion
• Learning to hold joy and sorrow in the same hand
• Grief has its own language that includes more than just sadness
• Most helpful support comes from people who simply sit with us without trying to fix our pain
• Remove the word "still" from conversations about grief as it implies a timeline
• Grief is both universal (everyone experiences it) and unique (no two experiences are identical)
• Clarissa produces Christianity Today's news podcast "The Bulletin"

Visit clarissamoll.com to learn more about Clarissa's work, and find her on Instagram and Substack.

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Brandon Robbins joins us to explore how understanding the historical context of Jesus' world transforms our reading of the Bible and enhances our experience of "The Chosen" series. As a pastor and YouTube creator with over 30 million views, Brandon brings fresh insights that make Scripture come alive in new ways.

• Biblical context changes everything—words like "hate" and "believe" meant something different in Jesus' time
• Understanding the difference between merely believing in Jesus versus following Him as a disciple
• The calling of Matthew in its historical context reveals the extraordinary sacrifice of discipleship
• Brandon's journey from making videos with 100 views to reaching millions happened after he nearly quit
• The disciples' willingness to be martyred provides compelling evidence for the resurrection
• Words like "pisteuo" (believe) meant complete life commitment, not just mental agreement
• Jesus consistently asked people to follow Him, requiring total surrender, not just acknowledging facts
• Discipleship means becoming the "reflection" of your rabbi by adopting his ways

Visit brandonrobbinsministry.com to download "10 Words That Will Change the Way You Read the Bible" and subscribe to Brandon's YouTube channel for weekly insights. His book "The Forgotten Teachings of Jesus" is available anywhere books are sold.

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Patrick Day shares his journey from Presbyterian pastor to military chaplain, revealing insights about mental health challenges in today's military and how faith impacts service members in unexpected ways.

• Served 30 years as a Presbyterian pastor before recommissioning in the Georgia Army National Guard at an age past typical limits
• Deployed to the Middle East with an infantry unit and served near the Gaza Strip
• Military chaplains both "perform" services for their own faith tradition and "provide" for all soldiers regardless of beliefs
• People entering military service are four times more likely to come from abusive households than civilians
• Military service offers stability and opportunities for young people seeking to change their life trajectory
• Traditional "break them down to build them up" approach doesn't work for recruits who've already experienced trauma
• Paganism is the fastest-growing faith tradition in the military today
• Many who say they have "problems with God" are actually struggling with how the church treated them
• Now works with Camp Southern Ground's Warrior PATHH program helping veterans and first responders process trauma
• As a leadership coach, helps people find fulfillment by asking uncomfortable but transformative questions

Visit PatrickDay.org to learn more about Patrick's leadership coaching services.

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Justin and Tricia Davis share their powerful insights on how one choice can transform relationships and break harmful cycles that hold us back.

• Founders of Refine Us Ministries, focused on rebuilding healthy marriages since 2012
• Authors of "One Choice Away from Change" and other relationship books
• Transformation starts with a single choice, not figuring everything out at once
• Rock bottom provides a solid surface to stand and make new choices
• Heart transformation differs from behavior modification - it's deeper and lasting
• Guilt vs shame: conviction says what you did is wrong; shame says you are wrong
• Brokenness isn't punishment but preparation for becoming a different person
• Regret can be leveraged to create a different future rather than dwelling on the past
• Forgiveness is a process, not a one-time event
• Forgiveness is free, but trust must be earned
• Boundaries are loving acts, not rejection
• Forgiveness may not restore relationships but always restores your heart

What choice could you make today that would cause your future self to write you a thank-you letter?

Connect with Justin and Trisha at Refine Us Ministries
https://www.refineus.org/

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Mark Ellis, journalist and founder of God Reports, joins us to discuss his new book "When Kingdom Light Shines," a collection of 60 extraordinary testimonies that showcase God's supernatural intervention in modern lives.

• Mark transitioned from commercial real estate to ministry and then to faith journalism after 25 years
• His website God Reports began in 2009 from his desire to share untold missionary stories
• Jesus was the ultimate storyteller, using narratives that remain impactful after thousands of years
• Stanley Premnath's survival on 9/11 as the only known survivor from the impact zone where Flight 175 hit Tower 2
• The transformation of a 27-year-old atheist professor who had a near-death experience that led him to faith and eventually becoming a pastor
• These documented stories serve as modern-day continuations of the miraculous works recorded in Acts
• Even seemingly ordinary lives contain extraordinary evidence of God's presence when viewed through a spiritual lens

You can learn more about Mark's work at godreports.com or email him directly at [email protected]. His book "When Kingdom Light Shines" is available on Amazon.

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Author Rebecca George shares profound insights about her book "You're Not Too Late" which explores finding joy amid unfulfilled longings and learning to trust God's timing in our hurry-up world.

• Rebecca is an author, podcaster, and pastor's wife living near the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee
• Her book "You're Not Too Late" tackles how to handle unfulfilled longings in relationships, career, and other areas
• Most longings fall into two categories: relational (marriage, children, reconciled relationships) and vocational (career, ministry, business ventures)
• True joy comes from abiding in Christ, not from achieving our desires
• We often equate God's goodness with getting what we want, but His faithfulness isn't contingent on our circumstances
• Desires can become idols when they consume our thoughts and prevent us from seeing what God is doing now
• Rebecca and her husband unknowingly prayed at the same bench years before meeting—a beautiful testimony to God's divine timing
• The book includes practical exercises, scripture references, and case studies to help readers process their own waiting seasons
• A free 11-session video series accompanies the book for individual or group study

Find Rebecca on Instagram @rebeccageorgeauthor and her book "You're Not Too Late" wherever books are sold.

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Author, speaker and podcaster Laura Smith is back on the podcast--one of my favorite people and a wonderful writer of GREAT books!  She joins us for a compelling conversation about her fourteenth book, "Brave Woman, Mighty God," which explores the stories of 30 women in the Bible and the courage they displayed in both extraordinary and everyday situations.

Laura is giving our listeners a FREE chapter of her book to preview. Here's the link to the chapter:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1frn0C6IIlTIw3hhVIPEa5kS04ivNobL0ZNXy1bFUKIU/edit

About Laura and our conversation:
• She is the author of 14 books including "Holy Care for the Whole Self," and "How Sweet the Sound"

• Committed to helping people understand how deeply they are loved by God
• Shares her journey from childhood trauma to discovering her worth in Christ
• Explains how the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in believers today
• Discusses how small acts of bravery can have profound impacts
• Tells the story of Huldah, an obscure biblical woman who was known for her faith during a time of widespread idol worship
• Explores how we can "exude the love of Christ" so others know they can come to us
• Shares the story of Zarephath's Widow and the lesson of God's abundant provision
• Reveals how writing books deepens her own faith as God teaches her through the process
• Discusses her podcast "Brave Woman, Mighty God" and available resources

Find Laura at https://www.laurasmithauthor.com/ or @laurasmithauthor on Instagram, where you can access free chapters of her books and other helpful resources.

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Jen Thompson joins the podcast to discuss her new book "Return to Jesus" and shares how we can find Jesus in every beautiful, stressful, or tedious moment of our daily lives. Her warm wisdom and authentic storytelling offer practical ways to abide with Christ amidst life's chaos.

• Jen introduces her family life with husband Patrick and their four children
• The book emerged from her own need to find rhythms and habits amidst chaotic family life
• She transparently shares about supporting friends through traumatic circumstances and questioning God
• Even in our darkest moments and biggest regrets, God remains present and compassionate
• Letting go of self-judgment with the reminder that awareness of our shortcomings shows our good intentions
• Navigating divisive cultural climates by returning to Jesus rather than engaging in arguments
• The importance of looking up from our phones to connect with the people God places in our path
• Practical suggestions for digital detox to create space for genuine connection

Find Jen's book "Return to Jesus" wherever books are sold. Connect with Jen at jenthompsonauthor.com and listen to her podcast "Return to Jesus."

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