The Collide Podcast

In this deeply moving episode of the Collide Podcast, we sit down with Christine Stone, a longtime friend of Collide and a pivotal figure in its story. Christine was part of the original “Wounded Collision Bible Study,” a gathering of college women that ignited the vision for the Collide ministry. She shares her powerful journey of colliding with Jesus in the midst of unimaginable pain and tragedy, how He transformed her life, and how her story has inspired and brought healing to others.

From heartbreak to hope, Christine opens up about the challenges she faced after a life-altering accident, the surprising way God redeemed her pain, and the unexpected role she played in launching the Collide Counseling Program. Her story reminds us that even in our darkest moments, God can use our wounds to bring light and healing to others.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• Christine’s experience as part of the original Collide Bible study and how it shaped her faith.
• How tragedy struck her life and how she experienced her own “wounded collision.”
• What her relationship with God looked like during her most painful moments.
• The incredible story of how God used her pain and an insurance settlement to help others through the creation of the Collide Counseling Program.
• How Christine has seen God redeem her story and bring purpose to her pain.
• What keeps her choosing to collide with Jesus, even in the face of fear and doubt.

About Christine: Christine Stone is a wife, mother of three, and a beloved friend of Collide. As one of the women in the original Collide Bible study, she played a key role in the ministry’s beginnings. Her inspiring journey of healing and redemption has impacted countless lives, showing how Jesus can meet us in our mess and transform our stories for His glory.

Join Us: Christine’s testimony is a beautiful reminder that God can bring beauty from ashes and hope from heartbreak. Whether you’re navigating your own pain or looking for encouragement, this episode is sure to inspire you to trust God’s redemptive power.

Resources and Links:

• Learn more about the Collide Counseling Program
• Explore other stories of healing and transformation: The Collide Podcast
• Connect with us on social media: Instagram, Facebook

Subscribe & Review: Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to the Collide Podcast on your favorite platform, and if this conversation encouraged you, we’d love for you to leave a review.

Christine’s story will touch your heart and remind you of the incredible ways God can use us, even in our brokenness. Tune in and be inspired!

Childhood trauma has a way of convincing us that silence is safer than telling the truth. If you've ever wondered whether healing is really possible after abuse or whether God can redeem the deepest wounds of your past, this conversation is for you.

Author Melissa Olsen shares her courageous journey of surviving childhood sexual abuse, breaking the power of secrecy, and discovering the freedom that comes from bringing darkness into the light. Her story is a powerful reminder that no wound is beyond the reach of God's healing love.

Melissa Olsen is the author of Broken Girl Fly, a deeply honest memoir chronicling her journey of healing from childhood sexual abuse. Through vulnerability, humor, and unwavering faith, Melissa encourages survivors to step out of shame, embrace truth, and discover the freedom that comes through Jesus.

• Why childhood trauma often keeps us trapped in silence—and how bringing it into the light begins healing.
• How Jesus meets us in our deepest pain and walks with us through recovery.
• What happens when we stop hiding our story and choose vulnerability instead.
• Practical encouragement for survivors who wonder if healing is truly possible.
• Why your past does not have to define your future.

If you've carried painful memories, shame, or hidden wounds for years, know this: healing is possible. Jesus is not intimidated by your story, and you don't have to carry it alone. We pray this conversation reminds you that freedom often begins with one courageous step into the light.

Follow Willow: Website | Instagram | Facebook

🛍️ Shop for Good at the Collide Store

🎁Partner with Us to Impact Lives! Visit our website for more information about giving.

💑Check out Collide’s website for info on upcoming conferences, events, and resources.

📲Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for encouragement, inspo and a fun peek into our ministry.

📰Plus, subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things Collide!

🎧 Listen & Subscribe to the Collide Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen.

What if God isn’t as hard on you as you are on yourself?

In this powerful and grace-filled episode, Jillian DeBritz invites us into a conversation about self-compassion, shame, and the healing that comes when we learn to be gentle with ourselves. Drawing from her own story and coaching work, Jillian shares practical tools to quiet self-criticism, tune in to our inner world, and reflect God's love in how we treat ourselves.

Jillian is a certified life and leadership coach, writer, speaker, and host of the Permission Slips podcast. A former educator and recovering perfectionist, she knows firsthand the toll of burnout and the journey toward healing. Today, she helps women silence shame and embrace a gentler, more sustainable way of living rooted in purpose and grace.

• Why self-compassion is essential for emotional and spiritual health
• How to challenge the inner critic with kindness and truth
• What it means to pay attention to your thoughts, emotions, and needs
• The power of asking better questions for personal growth
• How Jesus models gentleness toward us—and how we can do the same

If you’re exhausted by your inner critic or weighed down by the pressure to always get it right, this episode will feel like a deep exhale. Jillian reminds us that we don’t have to hustle for worthiness—God already calls us beloved. Walk away with a renewed perspective, practical tools for inner healing, and permission to treat yourself with the same grace you’d extend to a friend.

All the Best – Connect with Jesus and find peace through guided reflections on Mary and Martha’s story, helping you overcome distraction, worry, and comparison.

A 20 Day Walk Toward Gratitude – A beautiful guide with 20 daily reflections, practical tools, and journaling space to help you grow a heart of gratitude.

Partner with Us - Love what Collide is doing? Help us bring hope and healing to women through counseling, content, and connection.

💛 Give today at wecollide.net/give

Connect with Jillian - Website | Permission Slips Podcast

• FREE DOWNLOAD: Gentle Framework Guide: Cultivate Self-Compassion

Connect with Willow - Website | Instagram | Facebook

Follow and Support Collide 

🌐 Visit our website for upcoming conferences, helpful resources, and encouragement for women pursuing healing, purpose, and deeper faith.

📲 Follow along on Facebook and Instagram

🛍️ Shop for good at the Collide Store

🎁 Partner with us to impact lives with your financial gift

📬 Subscribe to our Newsletter and be the first to hear about new episodes, blog posts, events, and resources and more!

In this moving episode, we sit down with Mattie Jackson, an author, speaker, podcaster, and co-founder of NaSHEville, a philanthropic organization supporting orphans, widows, and victims of human trafficking. After experiencing the tragic loss of her husband just three weeks shy of their first wedding anniversary, Mattie has transformed her pain into a message of hope and resilience. Through her books Lemons on Friday and Through the Valley of Grief, as well as her podcast In Joy Life, she offers a heartfelt guide for navigating grief with trust and joy in God.

What We Covered:

• Choosing Joy in the Midst of Grief: We discuss how Mattie’s podcast, In Joy Life, inspires listeners to choose joy despite challenging circumstances and the power of embracing both joy and sorrow simultaneously.
• The Importance of Community: Mattie emphasizes the significance of connecting with a supportive community, including Christian friends and widow mentors, and how these relationships helped her avoid isolation in her early years of grieving.
• Spiritual Practices in Suffering: Mattie talks about the spiritual practices that sustained her, such as wailing, worship, connecting, and hoping. She explains how these practices shaped her healing journey and offers advice for those struggling to find hope in their grief.
• Being Rooted in Defiant Hope: In the face of loss, Mattie discusses how she chose to be rooted in hope, even when her circumstances seemed hopeless. She shares practical ways to combat fear, anxiety, and spiritual attacks during difficult seasons.

Resources Mentioned:

• Mattie’s Books: Lemons on Friday: Trusting God Through My Greatest Heartbreak and Through the Valley of Grief: A 365-Day Devotional of Spiritual Practices for Hope in Suffering
• Mattie’s Podcast: In Joy Life Podcast
• Website: mattiejackson.net

Follow Willow on her Website, Instagram or Facebook

🛍️ Shop for Good at the Collide Store

🎁Partner with Us to Impact Lives! Visit our website for more information about giving.

💑Check out Collide’s website for info on upcoming conferences, events, and resources.

📲Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for encouragement, inspo and a fun peek into our ministry.

📰Plus, subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things Collide!

In this special 10th Anniversary episode of The Collide Podcast, we celebrate a decade of impact by sitting down with three dedicated Collide volunteers Beth Henry, Kelli Hawkinson, and Michelle Holladay, who have collectively served for 25 years. These incredible team members share their personal stories of why they choose to serve, what fuels their commitment, and the unique blessings they've received along the way. They open up about the joys and challenges of volunteering, offering listeners a glimpse into the heart of service and the transformational power of showing up for others.

Together, we explore why service is worth the sacrifice and how volunteering has deepened their faith, built meaningful connections, and led to a sense of purpose that goes beyond themselves. As we celebrate Collide's milestone birthday, these volunteers' reflections remind us that true impact happens when people come together with a shared heart for loving and serving others.

Join us for this inspiring conversation and be encouraged to consider how you too can make a difference through a heart of service. Happy birthday, Collide! 🎉

Key Takeaways:

• Why these volunteers choose to serve at Collide and what keeps them coming back.
• How serving others has grown their faith and shaped their lives in unexpected ways.
• The sacrifices and rewards of volunteering, and why it’s worth saying "yes."
• The impact of a collective heart for service and the legacy of Collide’s community.

Follow Willow on her Website, Instagram or Facebook

🛍️ Shop for Good at the Collide Store

🎁Partner with Us to Impact Lives! Visit our website for more information about giving.

💑Check out Collide’s website for info on upcoming conferences, events, and resources.

📲Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for encouragement, inspo and a fun peek into our ministry.

📰Plus, subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things Collide!

Happy 10th birthday, Collide! 🎂

🎧 Listen & Subscribe to the Collide Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen.

What if the pain of your past could become the foundation of someone else’s healing?

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, we sit down with author, speaker, and trainer Traci Grant as she shares her incredible story of resilience, redemption, and faith. Traci opens up about the heartbreak of childhood trauma, abandonment, and betrayal—revealing hidden family secrets that shaped her life, including the discovery of her biological father and the genetic connection to her son’s hemophilia.

Meet Traci Grant

Traci is the author of After the Rotting, a raw and hope-filled memoir about breaking generational trauma. Through her work as a speaker and trainer, she empowers others to face their stories with courage, lean into healing, and live with purpose.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• How Traci uncovered painful family secrets—and the impact they had on her identity
• What it looks like to stop the cycle of generational trauma
• How God’s faithfulness showed up in the middle of her darkest moments
• The grit and grace it takes to heal from abandonment and betrayal
• Why telling your story can be one of the most powerful tools for healing

How This Episode Will Encourage You

Traci’s story is a bold reminder that your past doesn’t have to define your future. Through her vulnerability and strength, you’ll be reminded that healing is possible, restoration is real, and God is with you every step of the way.

Collide Counseling Bundle - This online course tackles the 12 most common issues women face in counseling, offering practical tools, expert advice, and encouragement from licensed mental health professionals. The course also includes a beautifully designed printed workbook (mailed to your door) filled with exercises, reflection space, and helpful resources to guide your healing journey.

Connect with Traci - Website | Instagram

Connect with Willow - Website | Instagram | Facebook

Follow and Support Collide 

🌐 Visit our website for upcoming conferences, helpful resources, and encouragement for women pursuing healing, purpose, and deeper faith.

📲 Follow along on Facebook and Instagram

🛍️ Shop for good at the Collide Store

🎁 Partner with us to impact lives with your financial gift

📬 Subscribe to our Newsletter and be the first to hear about new episodes, blog posts, events, and resources and more!

In this heartfelt episode, we sit down with Doug Bunnell, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Bellingham, WA to discuss the power of taking risks on people and the profound impact it can have. He reflects on his early involvement in Collide, when he took a leap of faith and gave Willow a "yes" to try an experiment—an experiment that has since blossomed into the transformative Collide ministry. His decision to take a chance on something uncertain paved the way for the lives Collide has touched and the community it has built.

We also talk about:

• Doug’s journey as a pastor and how his family's story shaped his ministry
• How saying "yes" to Collide was a leap of faith that has inspired countless others
• The importance of taking risks on people and stepping into uncertainty
• How God’s work can unfold in unexpected ways through simple acts of trust

If you've ever been hesitant to take a chance on someone or something, this episode will inspire you to trust in the possibilities and see how God can work through your "yes."

Tune in now and be encouraged to take a leap of faith in your own life!

Partner with Us to Impact Lives!

If you love this podcast and the work Collide is doing to impact lives, would you consider partnering with us? 

Your generous donations help us provide counseling, create content, and build spaces for women to connect. Will you join our efforts to bring hope and healing to hurting women by giving a financial gift? Visit our website for more information about giving.

Connect with Doug via email at [email protected] or Facebook

Follow Willow on her Website, Instagram or Facebook

________

• Shop for Good at the Collide Store
• Partner with Us to Impact Lives! Visit our website for more information about giving.
• Check out Collide’s website for info on upcoming conferences, events, and resources.
• Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for encouragement, inspo and a fun peek into our ministry.
• Plus, subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things Collide!

In this episode, Sarah Grace Hallas shares her insights on trusting God for immeasurable blessings, especially during challenging times. She discusses practical strategies for holding onto hope when life feels overwhelming and the narrative seems to have concluded. Sarah recounts her powerful journey of reconciliation with her ex-husband, highlighting the transformative effects of forgiveness and restoration. Additionally, she introduces her Abundantly More Community, a supportive space for women seeking encouragement and connection in their faith. Finally, listeners get an exclusive preview of her new devotional, This Is Not Forever: Hopeful Reminders That God Has Abundantly More in Store.

Join us for this uplifting conversation that reminds us all of the hope and abundance that can be found in faith, no matter what life throws our way. If you're seeking encouragement and inspiration, this episode is for you!

We love connecting you with resources, so we pulled some of our faves based on this podcast episode. We hope they encourage, inspire and challenge you.  Enjoy!

Let’s be friends! Check out Collide’s website for info on upcoming conferences, events, and resources, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for encouragement, inspo and a fun peek into our ministry. Plus, subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things Collide!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to The Collide Podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and continue to bring you inspiring stories of faith and transformation.

Connect with Sarah on Instagram or her Website

More Resources

• Our 5-Week Guide to Manage Your Anxiety is packed with wisdom from five counselors, offering spiritual and emotional health exercises, reflective spaces, and practical tools. This guide is designed to support you in your journey toward peace and trust, even in the midst of anxiety and struggle.
• Our Birds and Lilies Bible study for anxiety seeks to counter what some are calling “anxiety culture,” a phenomenon that impacts women across the world.

In this refreshing conversation, we welcome Erica Renaud, a passionate speaker and author of Pray with Me: Help Your Children Engage in Authentic and Powerful Prayer. Erica shares her insights on how to invite children into prayer without manipulation or obligation. We discuss creative ways to approach prayer that help kids see God as more than just a gift-giver, and explore how parents' own hang-ups can impact their children's relationship with prayer.

Erica is a dynamic speaker and writer, passionate about equipping families to connect with God through prayer. As the founder of two ongoing prayer initiatives and an active leader in her local church, Erica is dedicated to fostering authentic worship experiences. She is the mother of five children and balances her ministry with family life, recently transitioning to teaching art at a local Christian school. Her first book, Pray with Me, was released in April 2023 and serves as a guide for parents, grandparents, and children’s ministry leaders.

Join us as we explore how to cultivate a rich prayer life in our families and create lasting connections with God. Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, or involved in children’s ministry, this episode is filled with valuable insights and encouragement.

Connect with Erica on her Website or Instagram.

Collide Bible Study | A Six Week Journey Toward Healing

Follow Willow: Website | Instagram | Facebook

💑Check out Collide’s website for info on upcoming conferences, events, and resources.

📲Follow Collide on Facebook and Instagram for encouragement, inspo and a fun peek into our ministry.

📰Plus, subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things Collide!

In this special episode of The Collide Podcast, Willow Weston sits down with Anna Kuttel, the first-ever staff member at Collide. Anna is a master at noticing the small things, crafting plans, and making ideas come to life. With a unique background in both anthropology and interior design, her journey to Collide in 2015 is nothing short of divine. Anna shares her perspective on the past 10 years of Collide’s growth, reflecting on how prayer and faith have shaped her role and her sense of purpose.

Whether you’re seeking purpose or simply love hearing stories of God’s faithfulness, this episode is packed with inspiration and insight from Anna’s heart and her journey.

Tune in to hear how faith, prayer, and a willingness to serve have transformed lives through Collide over the past decade.

We love connecting you with resources, so we pulled some of our faves based on this podcast episode. We hope they encourage, inspire and challenge you.  Enjoy!

Let’s be friends! Check out Collide’s website for info on upcoming conferences, events, and resources, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for encouragement, inspo and a fun peek into our ministry. Plus, subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things Collide!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to The Collide Podcast and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Your feedback helps us reach more listeners and continue to bring you inspiring stories of faith and transformation.

• Our Go Ahead Bible study empowers women to experience the extraordinary and Divine in their everyday lives.
• The Women of Impact Online Course provides teaching and inspiration from women making a huge impact in the world as they tap into God’s purpose for their lives in the sectors and spaces they’ve been called to. Get inspired and equipped to make an impact with YOUR life.
• Our FREE 5 Exercises to Help you do Amazing Things guide will help you confront the fear that holds you back, and to say “yes” to God doing amazing things in your life.