Saved And Strong Podcast

Welcome to the final day of the HEALING Method on the Saved and Strong podcast!

Today, Carrie Watts brings together the final two steps of this seven-part healing journey:

N — Nurture Your Inner Child

G — Grow Forward with God

What if the little girl you once were still needs to hear the words no one spoke to her?

Maybe she needed someone to protect her, believe her, encourage her, or simply tell her she was loved.

For women who experienced childhood trauma, those unmet needs can follow us into adulthood, shaping our relationships, beliefs, and sense of worth.

But your childhood experiences do not have to define your future.

In this final episode, Carrie uses her painting of a woman holding a little girl's hand as a reminder that healing isn't about staying stuck in the past. It's about recognizing what happened, learning to care for yourself with compassion, and trusting God as you move forward.

Just like a painting, our healing journey develops in layers. We may not see the complete picture today, but we can trust the One who does.

Nurture Your Inner Child: Recognize unmet childhood needs and offer compassion to the younger version of yourself.

Replace Lies with Truth: Challenge harmful beliefs left behind by childhood trauma.

Grow Forward with God: Remember that healing is a journey, not a destination.

Find Purpose Beyond Your Pain: Your past doesn't have to determine your future.

See the Complete Picture: Trust that God continues working in your life.

Matthew 19:14 — Jesus welcomes the little children.

Romans 8:28 — God can work for good even through difficult circumstances.

Ephesians 6:10-20 The full armor of God

H — Honor Your Story

E — Express Your Feelings

A — Acknowledge Your Needs

L — Listen to Wise Counsel

I — Invite God Into Your Healing

N — Nurture Your Inner Child

G — Grow Forward with God

Seven steps. One journey toward healing, hope, and purpose.

You are seen. You are heard. You are loved.

Your story matters. Your healing matters. And YOU matter to God.

You may never see the complete picture on this side of heaven, but you can trust the Artist who holds the brush.

Carrie On. Stay High on Jesus, and Remember, He loves you!

I'd love to continue walking alongside you on your healing journey!

🎙️ Listen to Saved and Strong

Podcast Website: https://www.podpage.com/savedandstrong/

Podbean: https://savedandstrongpodcast.podbean.com/

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/saved-and-strong-podcast/id1775264073

▶️ Watch on YouTube

Carrie Watts YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CarrieWatts-tn2em/videos

Day 4 — Listen to Wise Counsel & Invite God Into Your Healing: https://youtu.be/tFW_1so9WJU

🌸 Follow & Connect

Website: https://www.carriewatts.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carriewattswrites

Facebook — Carrie On: https://www.facebook.com/carrieon

Substack — Faith, Healing & Writing: https://carriewattswrites.substack.com

All My Links: https://link.me/carriewattswrites

🎁 Free Resources, Courses & Community

Free Resources & HEALING Method: https://stan.store/carriewatts

Join My Email Community: https://stan.store/carriewatts

Coffee, Jesus, and Writing — Weekly Writing Room: https://stan.store/carriewatts

📚 Books by Carrie Watts

Crisis of Faith — Bright Light Safe House Series: https://a.co/d/0iZoYuxV

Hope Rising — Coming Soon!

Books, Speaking & Mentoring: https://www.carriewatts.com

If this series encouraged you, subscribe to Saved and Strong, leave a review, and share these episodes with another woman who needs hope.

The HEALING Method is a faith-centered educational resource, not a replacement for professional mental health care. If you're processing childhood trauma or abuse, consider working with a licensed, trauma-informed counselor.

Your story matters. Your healing matters. And God has a purpose for your life.

Carrie On. Stay High on Jesus, and Remember, He loves you! 💛

#TheHealingMethod #SavedAndStrongPodcast #NurtureYourInnerChild #GrowForwardWithGod #ChildhoodTraumaHealing #FaithAndHealing #ChristianMentalHealth #CarrieWatts #HealingFromHardThings #StayHighOnJesus

Saved and Strong Podcast | Hosted by Carrie Watts, RN, BSN

Welcome to Day 4 of The Healing Method! Today, we're combining two powerful steps in the healing journey:

L — Listen to Wise Counsel

I — Invite God Into Your Healing

In this episode of Saved and Strong, Carrie Watts shares her personal experience with childhood trauma, counseling, and discovering that healing involves more than just our physical and emotional well-being. Our spiritual health matters, too.

As a nurse, author, and survivor, Carrie understands the importance of seeking help from trusted professionals while recognizing God as the ultimate source of healing.

Why wise counsel matters: Healing doesn't have to happen in isolation. A trusted counselor, mentor, or spiritual leader can help you process painful experiences and move forward.

The power of being heard: Carrie shares how one simple question from her first counselor—"How can I help you?"—opened the door to her healing journey.

Finding hope in shared stories: Discover how reading about other women who experienced similar childhood trauma helped Carrie realize she wasn't alone.

Learning to trust again: When you've experienced betrayal or abuse, trusting others can feel overwhelming. Wise counsel can help you begin rebuilding that trust.

Inviting God into your healing: Prayer, Scripture, and a personal relationship with Jesus can provide strength, comfort, and direction throughout the healing process.

God is our ultimate Healer, but He also works through people.

Counselors, therapists, nurses, physicians, pastors, and trusted friends can become instruments of His care. Seeking professional help is not a lack of faith. It can be an important step toward healing.

You can trust Jesus and seek counseling. You don't have to choose between the two.

Your childhood trauma may be part of your story, but it doesn't have to define your future.

You are seen. You are heard. You are loved.

And your healing matters.

Join Carrie for the next steps in The Healing Method, a seven-part journey designed to help women heal from hard things, rediscover their worth, and step boldly into their God-given purpose.

I'd love to continue walking alongside you on your healing journey! Whether you're looking for encouragement, faith-filled conversations, writing inspiration, or resources to help you move forward, there's a place for you here.

🌐 Website: https://www.carriewatts.com

🎙️ Saved and Strong Podcast: https://www.carriewatts.com/podcast

🎙️ Saved and Strong — Podpage: https://www.podpage.com/savedandstrong/

🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/saved-and-strong-podcast/id1775264073

🎧 Podbean: https://savedandstrongpodcast.podbean.com

▶️ YouTube — The Healing Method: https://youtu.be/tFW_1so9WJU

📸 Instagram — Carrie Watts Writes: https://www.instagram.com/carriewattswrites

💙 Facebook — Carrie On: https://www.facebook.com/Carrie-On-101151879439265

✍️ Substack — Faith, Healing & Writing: https://substack.com/@carriewattswrites

🎁 Free Resources, Courses & More: https://stan.store/carriewatts

🔗 All My Links: https://link.me/carriewattswrites

📚 Books, Speaking & Mentoring: https://www.carriewatts.com

My prayer is that these messages encourage you to honor your story, find hope in Jesus, and take meaningful steps toward healing.

Your story matters. Your healing matters. And God has a purpose for your life.

Carrie On. Stay High on Jesus, and Remember, He loves you! 💛

If you're navigating childhood trauma or abuse, consider seeking support from a licensed, trauma-informed mental health professional. Faith and professional counseling can work together as part of your healing journey.

#TheHealingMethod #SavedAndStrongPodcast #HealingFromChildhoodTrauma #ChristianMentalHealth #FaithAndHealing #WiseCounsel #TraumaRecovery #CarrieWatts #StayHighOnJesus

What happens when the little girl whose needs were ignored becomes the woman who takes care of everyone else?

Welcome to Day 3 of The Healing Method: Healing from Hard Things, a FREE seven-part, faith-centered series with author, registered nurse, and Saved and Strong podcast host Carrie Watts.

Today, we're focusing on the letter A — Acknowledge Your Needs.

For many women, especially those who experienced childhood trauma or abuse, recognizing and expressing personal needs can be difficult. Perhaps you learned to stay quiet, put everyone else first, or believe that asking for help was a sign of weakness.

But friend, your needs matter, too!

In this episode, Carrie explores how childhood experiences can shape the way we see ourselves, establish boundaries, and care for others. She shares her own journey of learning to recognize her needs after years of focusing on the needs of those around her.

For survivors of childhood sexual abuse, this lesson is especially important. When a child's needs for safety, protection, and emotional support are ignored, she may grow into an adult who struggles to believe she deserves those things.

But the abuse did not diminish her value in God's eyes.

You were created in the image of God. You are precious, seen, heard, and loved.

And acknowledging your needs isn't selfish. It's an important step toward healing.

Why acknowledging your needs is essential to emotional healing

How childhood trauma can affect your sense of worth

The difference between self-care and selfishness

Why women often prioritize everyone else's needs

How unmet childhood needs can influence adult relationships

Learning to establish healthy boundaries and ask for help

Remembering your God-given value and purpose

Why healing involves caring for your emotional, physical, and spiritual needs

Find a quiet place with your Bible and journal.

Take a moment to imagine your younger self sitting across from you.

What did that little girl need to hear? What did she need from the adults responsible for caring for her?

Now consider these questions:

What did I need as a child that I may not have received?

Am I still ignoring those needs as an adult?

What is one need I can acknowledge and begin addressing today?

Maybe you need rest. Maybe you need someone to listen. Maybe you need healthier boundaries or the support of a professional counselor.

Whatever it is, give yourself permission to acknowledge it.

"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them." — Genesis 1:27 (NIV)

You were created by a God who loves you.

And while nothing compares to the worth of our Savior, who is more precious than silver, more costly than gold, and more beautiful than diamonds, remember that you are precious to Him.

"I have needs, too. And my needs matter."

You don't have to earn your worth by taking care of everyone else.

You don't have to apologize for needing help.

And you don't have to walk through your healing journey alone.

Your story matters. Your pain matters. Your healing matters.

▶️ Watch The Healing Method on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sLYwGtrReSc

🎙️ Listen to the Saved and Strong Podcast:

https://www.podpage.com/savedandstrong/

📚 Explore Crisis of Faith on audible, paper, and hard back on amazon or your favorite bookstore: https://a.co/d/092CAl7o

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carriewattswrites/

💙 Facebook — Carrie On

✍️ Read More on Substack: https://substack.com/@carriewattswrites

📬 Join My Email Community: https://www.stan.store/carriewatts

If you're just joining us, go back and watch the first two lessons:

Day 1 — H: Honor Your Story

Day 2 — E: Express Your Feelings by Elevating Your Mind

And today, Day 3 — A: Acknowledge Your Needs.

Each day, we're adding another piece to our healing picture, reminding ourselves that healing is a journey, not a destination.

If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another woman who needs to hear that her needs matter, too.

Carrie On. Stay High on Jesus, and remember, He loves you! 💛

The Healing Method is a faith-centered educational resource and is not a substitute for professional counseling or mental health treatment. If you are processing childhood trauma or abuse, consider seeking support from a licensed, trauma-informed mental health professional.

#TheHealingMethod #AcknowledgeYourNeeds #SavedAndStrong #CarrieWatts #HealingFromHardThings #FaithAndHealing #ChristianPodcast #ChildhoodTraumaHealing #InnerChildHealing #ChristianEncouragement

What if expressing your feelings is one of the most important steps toward healing?

Welcome to Day 2 of The Healing Method: Healing from Hard Things, a FREE seven-part, faith-centered series with author, registered nurse, and Saved and Strong podcast host Carrie Watts.

Today, we're focusing on the letter E — Express Your Feelings, with an important reminder from Colossians 3:2:

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." (NIV)

We all have emotions, but how we express them matters. Before we allow our feelings to become words or actions, what if we took them to God first?

In this episode, Carrie shares how prayer, journaling, and reflecting on childhood experiences can help us better understand our emotions and begin processing unresolved hurt.

She also opens up about a powerful inner child healing exercise she experienced while writing her debut novel, Crisis of Faith. By imagining a conversation with her parents, expressing what she needed as a child, and extending grace for what they couldn't provide, Carrie discovered a deeper understanding of forgiveness.

Forgiveness doesn't mean what happened was okay. It means we can begin releasing the burden of bitterness without excusing the hurt.

Why expressing your feelings is essential to emotional healing

How Colossians 3:2 encourages us to elevate our thoughts

The importance of praying before speaking or reacting

How childhood experiences shape our emotional responses

Using journaling to process difficult feelings

Carrie's personal experience with inner child healing

Understanding forgiveness and releasing resentment

Why healing takes time, patience, and grace

Find a quiet place with your Bible and journal.

Reflect on these three questions:

What emotions have I been holding inside that I need to acknowledge?

How did my childhood influence the way I express my feelings today?

Is there someone I need to forgive, or an experience I need help processing?

Before responding to difficult emotions, pause and pray. Consider writing your feelings in a journal or an unsent letter.

Remember, you don't have to force forgiveness or revisit painful memories before you're ready.

You can acknowledge your feelings without allowing them to control your future.

God sees your hurt. He hears your prayers. And He cares about every part of your healing journey.

▶️ Watch The Healing Method on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7ReNWPt11kM

🎙️ Listen to the Saved and Strong Podcast:

https://www.podpage.com/savedandstrong/

📚 Explore Crisis of Faith on audible, paper and hard back on amazon https://a.co/d/08ilbHAM or anywhere you buy books.

📸 Instagram: @carriewattswrites

💙 Facebook — Carrie On

✍️ Read More on Substack: @carriewattswrites

📬 Join My Email Community: https://www.stan.store/carriewatts

Join us for Day 3 of The Healing Method, when we'll explore how to communicate our needs to others as we continue moving toward healing.

If this episode encouraged you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who may need a little hope today.

Carrie On. Stay High on Jesus, and remember, He loves you! 💛

The Healing Method is an educational, faith-centered resource and is not a replacement for professional counseling or mental health treatment. If you're processing trauma or unresolved emotional pain, consider seeking support from a qualified mental health professional.

#TheHealingMethod #ExpressYourFeelings #SavedAndStrong #CarrieWatts #FaithAndHealing #ChristianPodcast #EmotionalHealing #InnerChildHealing #HealingFromHardThings #Colossians3

What if the first step toward healing isn't forgetting your past, but honoring your story?

Welcome to Day 1 of The Healing Method: Healing from Hard Things, a FREE 7-part, faith-centered course with author, registered nurse, and Saved and Strong podcast host Carrie Watts.

If you've read Crisis of Faith or are anticipating the release of Hope Rising, you may recognize pieces of your own story in the lives of these fictional characters. Perhaps you've experienced childhood trauma, betrayal, grief, or emotional wounds that still need attention.

Friend, your story matters. And your healing matters, too.

In today's episode, Carrie introduces the HEALING Method, beginning with the letter H: Honor Your Story (and don't be afraid to holler for Jesus! He's the best Helper).

Drawing from her personal healing journey, nursing background, Christian faith, and experiences in counseling, Carrie shares why acknowledging painful experiences is an important first step toward moving forward.

You'll also discover how writing letters you may never send can help you express emotions you've carried for years.

As Carrie gradually adds to a sketch on a blank canvas throughout this series, you'll see a beautiful reminder that healing is a process. We may not see the finished picture when we begin, but we can take the next step in faith.

Why honoring your story is the first step in The Healing Method

How childhood experiences can leave emotional wounds

Why silence and secrecy can make painful experiences difficult to process

The importance of emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being

How counseling and expressive writing supported Carrie's healing

Making room for God's truth as you move forward

Find a quiet place, grab a journal, and give yourself permission to reflect.

Ask yourself:

What part of my story have I struggled to acknowledge?

What feelings have I kept inside?

What support might help me take my next step toward healing?

Consider writing a letter to express feelings you've never had the opportunity to share. You don't have to send it. You don't even have to share it.

If writing about painful experiences feels overwhelming, stop and consider working through them with a qualified counselor.

Remember, you don't have to tell everyone your story to honor it.

"When you hurt, Jesus hurts."

God sees you. He hears you. He loves you. And He has a plan and a purpose for your life.

Your past is part of your story, but it doesn't have to define your future.

00:00 – Who The Healing Method Is For

📚 Books: Crisis of Faith and the forthcoming Hope Rising — Bright Light Safe House Series On amazon: https://a.co/d/0iZoYuxV 

🎙️ Saved and Strong Podcast:

https://www.podpage.com/savedandstrong/

▶️ YouTube — Carrie Watts: https://www.youtube.com/@CarrieWatts-tn2em/videos

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carriewattswrites

💙 Facebook — Carrie On

✍️ Substack — https://substack.com/@carriewattswrites

🌐 Website: www.carriewatts.com

📖 Crisis of Faith: ://a.co/d/0iZoYuxV

📬 Join My Email Community: https://www.stan.store/carriewatts

The Healing Method is an educational, faith-centered resource and is not intended to replace professional counseling, mental health treatment, or medical care. If you are struggling with unresolved trauma, please consider reaching out to a licensed mental health professional.

Subscribe and follow along for all seven days of The Healing Method. Share this episode with someone who may need encouragement, and leave a comment:

"I'm ready to honor my story."

Carrie On. Stay High on Jesus, and remember, He loves you!

#TheHealingMethod #HonorYourStory #HealingFromHardThings #SavedAndStrong #CarrieWatts #ChristianEncouragement #FaithAndHealing #TraumaRecovery #EmotionalHealing #HealingJourney #ExpressiveWriting #ChristianPodcast

What happens when God calls you to share something deeply personal with the world?

On this episode of Saved & Strong, host Carrie Watts welcomes artist and author Mac Meckley to discuss the release of Adored, a beautifully expressive novel written in verse that explores motherhood, creativity, identity, and the voices that shape how we see ourselves.

Mac shares the journey from painting to publishing, revealing the excitement, vulnerability, and unexpected blessings that come with releasing a creative work into the world.

🎨 From Canvas to Page

For years, Mac has expressed faith and creativity through painting. But writing Adored opened a new door. While painting was often a personal experience between the artist and the Lord, writing became an opportunity to serve and connect with others.

By sharing chapters on Substack before publication, Mac discovered something extraordinary: words have a way of reaching people we may never realize are listening.

📖 The Heart Behind Adored

At the center of Adored is Liz, a woman navigating the beautiful, complicated intersection of motherhood, creativity, and identity.

Through poetic storytelling, readers are invited into Liz's inner world, where the voices of truth and deception compete for her attention.

Will she allow the enemy's lies to define her, or will she discover who God says she is?

💛 The Courage to Be Vulnerable

Putting our stories into the world takes courage. Mac discusses the fear of sharing personal work and how gradually releasing chapters helped make vulnerability less intimidating.

Sometimes, the very words we're afraid to share are the words someone else needs to hear.

🐟 When Art, Family, and Faith Intersect

From meaningful paintings of fish to the spiritual symbolism woven into creative work, Mac shares how faith, family history, and artistic expression connect in unexpected ways.

✨ In This Episode, You'll Discover:

How Mac's creative journey evolved from painting to writing.

Why Adored explores the tension between God's truth and the enemy's lies.

How motherhood and creativity influence our sense of identity.

Why vulnerability can open doors to meaningful relationships.

The surprising gift of sharing words freely before a book launch.

How faith can shape both the creative process and the courage to share it.

Whether you're a mother, writer, artist, or woman learning to recognize God's voice above the noise of the world, this conversation will encourage you to keep creating and remember that you are deeply loved.

🎧 Listen to Saved & Strong and share this episode with someone who needs encouragement to step forward in faith.

📚 Learn more about Mac Meckley and Adored: www.macmeckley.com

On Substack: https://substack.com/@mackenziemeckley

On Instagram: @mackenziemeckley or Mac Meckley

Find her new release, Adored,  coming soon, October, 2027 on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Walmart

☀️ Connect with Carrie Watts & Saved and Strong

🌐 Website: https://www.carriewatts.com

📸 Instagram — @carriewattswrites

💙 Facebook — Carrie On

✍️ Substack — Carrie Watts Writes: https://carriewattswrites.substack.com

📚 Want to know more about my publisher and a community of faith-filled writers?

✍️ Click here for more about Hope Writers:

http://www.hopewriters.com/a/21481832

📖 Click here for more about Hope Books Publishing: http://www.hopewriters.com/a/21481004

#SavedAndStrong #SavedAndStrongPodcast #CarrieWatts #MacMeckley #Adored #AdoredBook #ChristianFiction #ChristianAuthors #ChristianBooks #DebutAuthor #NovelInVerse #FaithAndCreativity #IdentityInChrist #YouAreAdored #GodsLove #ChristianMotherhood #WomenOfFaith #FaithOverFear #CreativeCalling #WritingWithPurpose #ArtAndFaith #ChristianPodcast #AuthorInterview #BookLaunch #Bookstagram #ChristianBookstagram #StoriesOfHope #HopeAndHealing #FaithJourney #ChristianWriters #StayHighOnJesus #Author #Artist

Carrie On. Stay High on Jesus, and remember, He loves you!

What if a fantasy story about mysterious lands, broken identities, family, and the battle between good and evil could point us toward something very real—who we were created to be?

In this episode of the Saved & Strong Podcast, Carrie Watts sits down with Christian fantasy and speculative fiction author Trinity Martell to talk about her debut young adult novel, She Comes from Marai.

Trinity’s journey to publication began years ago. She first started writing the story in 2015, stepped away from it for a season, and eventually returned with new perspective, maturity, and purpose.

And perhaps that time away was part of the story too.

She Comes from Marai follows two cousins on a journey filled with mystery, family relationships, questions of identity, and the timeless struggle between good and evil.

But beneath the fantasy world lies a very real question:

Where do we find our identity?

Trinity shares how the characters began to reflect different pieces of her own growth and healing. Although the novel isn't autobiographical, writing their journeys gave her a way to explore truths she was learning in her own life.

As Trinity explains:

“The characters are kind of almost like two main parts of my core and my soul.”

The result is a story about more than adventure. It's about discovering who you are when the things you've depended on to define you begin to fall away.

Trinity believes stories have the power to change lives.

On her website, she describes herself as a Christian fantasy and speculative fiction author whose greatest identity is being a “Daughter of the Most High God.” She writes stories designed to illuminate truth and encourage readers to find their identity not in their abilities or earthly relationships, but in the God who created them.

That calling influences the way she approaches every character, conflict, and decision in her fiction.

“Every choice really has to be, in my opinion, spirit led,” Trinity shares.

For Trinity, writing Christian fiction isn't simply about inserting faith into a story. It's about allowing faith to shape the story from the inside out.

Readers who grew up loving princess stories and authors such as Gail Carson Levine and Shannon Hale may find themselves at home in Trinity's world.

She Comes from Marai is written primarily for young adult readers, particularly ages 15–18, while remaining approachable for younger readers. Trinity has also created resources to help readers go deeper into the themes behind the story.

And those themes extend far beyond fantasy:

Family. Identity. Brokenness. Healing. Courage. Faith. And discovering who you were created to be.

Trinity's journey is also an encouragement to writers.

A story that began years ago eventually became a published novel—but not according to a quick or predictable timeline.

Sometimes the years between the first words and the finished book aren't wasted years.

Sometimes we're growing right alongside our characters.

And sometimes God is writing something in the author while the author is writing the story.

Join Carrie and Trinity for a conversation about writing, faith, fantasy, perseverance, family, and finding our identity in the One who created us.

🎧 Listen to this episode of the Saved & Strong Podcast and discover the story behind She Comes from Marai.

📚 Learn more about Trinity Martell, her books, reader resources, and upcoming projects at TrinityMartell.com.

Follow Trinity on Instagram and Facebook @thetrinitymartell and Trinity Martell 

☀️ Connect with Carrie Watts & Saved and Strong

🌐 Website: https://www.carriewatts.com

📸 Instagram — @carriewattswrites

💙 Facebook — Carrie On ✍️ Substack — Carrie Watts Writes: https://carriewattswrites.substack.com

📚 Want to know more about my publisher and a community of faith-filled writers?

✍️ Click here for more about Hope Writers: http://www.hopewriters.com/a/21481832 📖 Click here for more about Hope Books Publishing: http://www.hopewriters.com/a/21481004

#SavedAndStrong #SavedAndStrongPodcast #TrinityMartell #SheComesFromMarai #ChristianFantasy #ChristianFiction #YAFantasy #YoungAdultFiction #ChristianAuthors #FaithFilledFiction #FaithAndFiction #FindingYourIdentity #IdentityInChrist #ChristianCreatives #WritingJourney #AuthorJourney #DebutAuthor #HopeBooks #StoriesThatHeal #StoriesOfHope #FaithOverFear #WritingWithPurpose #ChristianPodcast #AuthorInterview #CarrieWatts #CarrieWattsWrites #CarrieOn #StayHighOnJesus

Carrie On. Stay High on Jesus, and remember, He loves you!

🎙️ On this episode of the Saved and Strong Podcast, Carrie Watts sits down with author Valerie Carr to talk about faith, doubt, obedience, and the incredible feeling of finally holding your first published book in your hands. 📖💛

Valerie’s debut novel, Sun Shining on the Porch Swing, is more than a story. ☀️ It’s the result of following a nudge, trusting God with the process 🙏, and writing a book that welcomes readers into conversations about faith without feeling forced or preachy.

There’s nothing quite like the first time an author holds the finished book. 🥹📖

After all the writing ✍️, editing 📝, questioning, waiting ⏳, and wondering, Valerie finally got to hold Sun Shining on the Porch Swing in her hands.

💬 “It’s an amazing feeling to hold it in person,” she shares.

Even more meaningful has been hearing from readers who see themselves in her characters ❤️ and connect with the questions of faith woven throughout the story. ✝️

One of Valerie’s goals was to write about Christianity in a way that felt authentic—even for someone who might not consider themselves strong in their faith.

💬 “I wanted to make sure that I did it in a realistic but yet relatable way,” she explains.

And readers are responding. 💛

Valerie wanted her characters to wrestle with real questions. 🤔

Their faith isn't perfect. Their lives aren't perfect. And they don't have everything figured out.

💡 That’s exactly the point.

Rather than simply telling readers what to believe, Valerie allows faith to unfold naturally through the characters’ lives, relationships, questions, and struggles. 🌱

Her hope is that someone who might never pick up a heavily faith-based book could still find themselves drawn into the story 📖—and perhaps discover a little more about the hope of Jesus along the way. ✝️💛

Sun Shining on the Porch Swing also includes a love story 💕, but Valerie made an intentional decision about how she wanted to portray romance.

💬 “I want my children and grandchildren to be able to read it and not be embarrassed,” she says.

The characters experience attraction, affection, and genuine romantic emotions ❤️ while maintaining boundaries that reflect Valerie’s values.

📚 It’s a reminder that a beautiful love story doesn’t have to rely on explicit content to keep readers turning the pages.

Like so many writers, Valerie questioned whether she was really supposed to do this. ✍️🤔

Carrie understands that feeling well.

During their conversation, Carrie and Valerie talk about recognizing the call to write ✨, questioning that call, and continuing anyway.

Valerie had always been creative. 🎶🎬 Songs and movies could spark entire stories in her imagination. But eventually, those stories began asking to be written down. 📝

At one point, Valerie prayed:

🙏 “If this is what You want me to do, I need You to give me a title for the book.”

And almost immediately, the words came:

☀️ Sun Shining on the Porch Swing.

Sometimes the entire path isn’t revealed at once.

🕯️ Sometimes we simply receive enough light for the next step.

Carrie and Valerie are both relatively new to the published-author journey 📚, which makes this conversation especially relatable for aspiring writers.

❓ What happens after you publish the book?

❓ What if you don’t know exactly what comes next?

❓ And what if God is asking you to write even though you still have doubts?

Valerie’s story reminds us that we don't have to know where the journey will end before we're willing to begin. 👣

💭 Maybe you’ve been carrying a story of your own.

💭 Maybe you've questioned whether you're qualified.

💭 Maybe you've wondered whether anyone needs the words God has placed on your heart.

✨ This episode is your encouragement to keep listening, keep writing, keep trusting, and keep taking the next step. ✍️🙏

🎧 Listen to the full episode of Saved and Strong to hear Valerie Carr’s journey from doubt to debut and the story behind Sun Shining on the Porch Swing. ☀️📖

🌐 Learn more about Valerie and her writing at valeriecarr.com.

Follow Valerie: 

On Instagram: @valeriecarrauthor

On Facebook: Valerie Armstrong Carr

☀️ Connect with Carrie Watts & Saved and Strong

🌐 Website: https://www.carriewatts.com

📸 Instagram — @carriewattswrites

💙 Facebook — Carrie On

✍️ Substack — Carrie Watts Writes: https://carriewattswrites.substack.com

📚 Want to know more about my publisher and a community of faith-filled writers?

✍️ Click here for more about Hope Writers:

📖 Click here for more about Hope Books Publishing:

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💛 Carrie On. Stay High on Jesus, and remember, He loves you! ✝️

💛 Can joy and suffering exist at the same time?

Grab your tissues! On this episode of Saved and Strong, Carrie Watts sits down with Melissa Winters, host of the Joy in Suffering Podcast, for an honest conversation about faith, chronic illness, grief, healing, and discovering purpose in the places we never would have chosen.

🙏 Melissa knows what it means to walk through seasons that test your faith. At just twelve years old, a near-death experience profoundly impacted her understanding of God. Years later, a traumatic left her bedridden for five years.

✨ Then came a moment Melissa describes as nothing short of a miracle: after years of being unable to walk, she took her first steps again.

But Melissa's story isn't simply about physical healing. It's about what God can do in us while we're waiting, hurting, questioning, and wondering what comes next.

🎙️ Today, Melissa uses her story to encourage women facing chronic illness, grief, pain, and difficult seasons through her Joy in Suffering Podcast. She also shares about contributing to the collaborative book Faith Over Fear, where she writes openly about her experience with pain medication and the lessons she learned along the way.

✨ Finding joy without denying the reality of suffering

💗 The healing that can come from sharing our stories

If you're walking through something you never expected, or loving someone who is Melissa's story is a reminder that suffering doesn't get the final word.

🙏 There can still be faith.

🎙️ Listen to the Joy in Suffering Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joy-in-suffering/id1894559521

💙 Facebook:

📸 Instagram:

✍️ Substack — Joy Even Here:

🌐 Website:

🙏 Listen to Melissa's Audio Prayer:

🌐 Website:

📸 Instagram — @carriewattswrites:

💙 Facebook — Carrie On:

✍️ Substack — Carrie Watts Writes:

📚 Want to know more about my publisher and a community of faith filled writers?

Click here for more about Hope Writers: 

http://www.hopewriters.com/a/2148183200/sY22Dv2U

Click here for about Hope Books Publishing: 

http://www.hopewriters.com/a/2148100459/sY22Dv2U

#SavedAndStrong #JoyInSuffering #ChristianPodcast #WomenOfFaith #FaithOverFear #ChronicIllness #HealingJourney #FaithAndHealing #ChristianEncouragement #ChristianTestimony #PainToPurpose #HopeInHardTimes #GodsFaithfulness #CarrieWatts #MelissaWinters

What if the part of your story you’ve tried hardest to hide is the very place God wants to bring healing—and eventually use for His glory?

In this episode of Saved and Strong, Carrie Watts sits down with author and speaker Lesley Swanson for a powerful and grace-filled conversation about abortion, shame, forgiveness, obedience, and the freedom that comes when we stop hiding our scars.

Lesley shares her personal story of abortion and the healing journey that eventually led her to write Secret Scars. She explains the beautiful symbolism behind the book’s cover and how God took something she once carried in silence and transformed it into a ministry helping other women find hope.

Together, Carrie and Lesley talk about what healing can actually look like: confessing what we’ve kept hidden, finding trusted people and safe community, writing and journaling through our stories, accepting God’s forgiveness, and learning to believe that His love is greater than our worst decisions.

They also explore the role of obedience—taking the next step God asks of us even when we don’t know where it will lead.

Because sometimes God doesn't waste the mess.

He redeems it.

And when we're willing to tell the truth about where we've been, our story may become the very thing He uses to help another woman step out of shame and into freedom.

If you have experienced abortion or you're walking beside someone who has—this conversation is an invitation to know that you do not have to carry your secret scars alone.

There is forgiveness. There is healing. There is purpose. And there is hope.

Connect with Lesley Swanson:

Instagram: @lesley.swanson

Facebook: Lesley Swanson

Connect with Carrie Watts:

Facebook: Carrie Watts

Substack: @carriewattswrites

🎙️ Saved and Strong is on YouTube and All your favorite Podcast Channels

PodPage: https://www.podpage.com/savedandstrong/

✍️ Join my weekly Coffee, Jesus, and Writing writing room for Christian writers: https://www.stan.store/carriewatts 

Affiliate Partners: HopeBooks: http://www.hopewriters.com/a/21481004... HopeWriters: http://www.hopewriters.com/a/21481832...

If this episode speaks to you, share it with someone who may need to hear today that her story isn't over.