In this short solo show (just under 10 minutes!), we are digging into who Jesus is and what that means about our identity in Him.

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In this quick (less than 10 minutes!) solo show, we are digging into what it means for us to be God's masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10), remaining and abiding in Christ, walking in all He has for us, and perseverance in doing good.

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As we are digging into our identity in Christ, living as the people God created us to be in light of who He is, I wanted to revist a conversation we had earlier this year about trusting God's love for you.

We may "know" God loves us in a general sense, but we have a hard time understanding His love and trusting His affection for us, personally. My friend, Rachael Adams, is here to help us with that!

Rachael is the host of The Love Offering podcast and the author of two devotional books, including A Little Goes a Long Way: 52 Days to a Significant Life, and her latest, Everyday Prayers for Love: Learning to Love God, Others, and Even Yourself.

Join Rachael and I as we talk about:

• wrapping our brains around God's love for us
• seeing God's love in our disappointments
• how trusting and receiving God's affection for us, personally, helps us to love others and live with open hands
• being with God vs. working for God
• how to love others well while maintaining healthy and appropriate boundaries
• living out what Jesus calls the greatest commandment

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Get your copy of Rachael's newest devotional, Everyday Prayers for Love

Get your copy of Rachael's first devotional, A Little Goes a Long Way

Listen to Rachael's podcast, The Love Offering

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So much of understanding who we are and who we were made to be hinges on our perception of God's love for us.

Maybe, before today, you've never heard that God loves you. Maybe you have, but you struggle to believe it.

For those of us who have heard and do believe it, we may know God loves us, and we may understand that intellectually and accept it as fact, but are we living as loved people?

We're talking it back to the basics today, digging into Ephesians 2 and what God has done on our behalf because of His great love for us.

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It's our first birthday *insert confetti poppers + party horn sounds* and we are celebrating BIG around here!

Joining me for our first birthday celebration is our very first guest and my dear friend, Jennifer Bishop Smith.

Jenn is turning the tables (or the mics, as it were) and interviewing me all about the show.

We got some great listener questions via Instagram that Jenn and I had the best time talking about, and I'm excited to share it with you today!

Join Jenn and I for a fun, behind-the-scenes convo as we talk about:

• where the idea for the show came from
• behind the scenes: how I plan seasons, where we get our guests, what the logistical process looks like, and what all goes into making an episode
• listener favorite conversations (and mine!)
• the best and hardest parts of podcasting
• what I'm most proud of when it comes to the show
• dreaming for the future of The Bitter & the Sweet podcast

You could be anywhere and could listen to anything, and I'm beyond grateful you spend time with me each week.

Happy 1st Birthday, The Bitter & the Sweet podcast! The best is yet to come.

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We've done FIFTY episodes and ONE WHOLE YEAR together here at The Bitter & the Sweet podcast, and the best part is, we are just getting started!

In just 2 minutes, look back with me over our first year and look ahead to what's in store for season 4, as we get really clear on who we are in light of who God is.

Season 4 kicks off September 2, 2025. Let's go!

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This is EPISODE 50 of our show! Can you even believe it?!

Fifty episodes is a fun and special milestone in podcasting, and we've got a fun and special episode for you to celebrate!

Episode 50 is also our season 3 finale, and we are talking about what it looks like to live both healing and whole in our churches. There is no one better to join me for this conversation than Pastor Dusty Smith.

Pastor Dusty and his wife, Jennifer, planted Depot Church in North Carolina nearly 12 years ago, where he is lead pastor. Dusty and Jennifer have four sons, ages 5-16.

A few spoilers for you: Dusty is my pastor. I have known him for two decades, and I can tell you with certainty that 1- he is a trustworthy person with the utmost integrity, and 2- our church is growing and thriving under his leadership.

Join Dusty and I as we talk about:

• why you need a local church
• how to find a church
• balancing serving the church with serving our families
• being disappointed in our church experience
• the difference between church hurt and spiritual abuse (and some red flags to look out for!)
• staying committed to your local church when it's hard, and when it's time to walk away
• how to find your way back to the Church

LINKS

Learn more about Depot Church

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As a former math teacher (true story!) and as a mom, school is a place that is near and dear to my heart.

How can our local churches love and support our local schools? Here to talk about it with us is a dear friend of mine, Maegan Little.

Maegan is a former special education teacher and the Kids Director at Depot Church.

Join Maegan and I as we talk about:

• the gifts and challenges found in our local schools
• what teachers and schools really need
• getting our churches on board to support our neighborhood schools, regardless of how we choose to educate our own children
• one overlooked but wildly important way to really support the teachers and schools in your community
• practical ways that the local church can love, support, and partner with our local schools

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We have talked about living healing and whole in our minds, bodies, and relationships, and this week, we make the shift to our places.

Home is where we are our truest selves, so I'm thrilled to start here with a new friend of mine, Julia Ubbenga.

Julia is a wife, mom of 5, creator of the blog Rich in What Matters, and author of Declutter Your Heart and Home: How a Minimalist Life Yields Maximum Joy.

Join Julia and I as we talk about:

• defining minimalism and its benefits
• where faith and minimalism meet
• why decluttering feels so hard for so many of us
• practical tips for decluttering
• getting family on board, especially kids and those whose love language is gifts
• digital clutter: what it is, how we clean it up, and why it matters

LINKS

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Get your copy of Declutter Your Heart and Home: How a Minimalist Life Yields Maximum Joy

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Living wholeheartedly in the midst of a story you wish were different is no small thing, especially when it comes to matters of the heart.

When I wanted to talk about living both healing and whole in relationships, I knew that we could not miss talking about singleness.

Admittedly, it's been a while since I've been single, and that's why it's so important we have friends that can share their experiences and help us see new perspectives. I knew Aleigh Porter was the one to join us for this conversation!\

Aleigh is a nurse and a friend of mine I met through Called Creatives, a community for writers, speakers, and podcasters.

Join Aleigh and I as we talk about:

• Aleigh's story with singleness
• living whole lives in the midst of stories we though would be different
• what our married friends may have forgotten about singleness
• what is hard about singleness, and what is good
• how we can love and support our single friends better

Whether you are recently single, single now, or haven't been single in quite a while, this conversation will encourage you in your own story and help you see and love your single friends better.

LINKS

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Check out Aleigh's podcast, The Best Changed Plans

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