The Collide Podcast

Hans Erchinger-Davis leads the Lighthouse Mission in the city of Bellingham, WA. He has over 15 years of homeless ministry leadership experience, and the wisdom, vision, and passion to show for it. Hans studied business at Western Washington University and Christian Studies at Regent College, Vancouver. He is committed to helping people who are broken, abandoned, and poor experience transformed lives through the healing power of Jesus Christ. He dreams of a future where suffering people are brought into total life flourishing, connected, healed, and whole! Listen in for an inspirational conversation and practical takeaways for what you can do to help homelessness in your community.

Melonie Kemp is the Executive Pastor of Christ the King church in Bellingham, WA. Melonie came on staff at the church 23 years ago and moved from an administrative position to becoming the first female Associate Pastor of Christ The King church. Melonie has years of wisdom to share on what it looks like to inspire healthy leadership, how to cultivate wisdom, and forging ahead in faithfulness during changing seasons and difficulties. We can’t wait for you to hear from this inspiring woman.

Missy Kenoyer is the local Area Director of Young Life for Whatcom County in Bellingham, WA. She has a passion for people, justice and women in leadership. In this episode, we talk with Missy about what it looks like to do effective ministry and how she pushed through challenges and barriers along the way. We also talked about letting hardships and surprise twists and turns in life make you a more impactful leader.

What do you do when the picture you had for your life looks nothing like the one you’re actually living?

Actress Rachel Mattila Amberson joins Willow for an honest conversation about unexpected change, motherhood, miscarriage, career dreams, and learning to trust God when life doesn’t go according to plan. Rachel spent eight years in Los Angeles pursuing acting, training with coaches, auditioning, and building a career she loved. But when her husband was offered a ministry opportunity in the Pacific Northwest, Rachel made the difficult decision to leave LA—and the dream she had worked so hard to pursue.

What followed was a season of loss Rachel never anticipated. Her husband’s job fell through, Rachel experienced a missed miscarriage, and she found herself grieving multiple dreams at once. She shares candidly about anger, disappointment, counseling, and the people who helped carry hope for her when she struggled to believe things could get better.

Today, Rachel is mom to her son Zion—and she’s learning that a changed dream doesn’t necessarily mean a dead dream. Her love for acting is still part of who she is, but she’s releasing the belief that her calling has to unfold in one particular way. Instead, she’s learning to hold her dreams with open hands, embrace the unexpected gift of motherhood, and trust that God’s picture for her life may be different—and even more beautiful—than the one she originally painted.

Rachel and Willow also talk about the pressure women feel to choose between motherhood and other dreams, the danger of wrapping our identity around what we accomplish, and the freedom that comes when we stop constantly looking ahead and become present to what God has given us today.

If you’re grieving a dream, wondering why your life hasn’t turned out the way you expected, or struggling to trust God with what comes next, Rachel’s story is a reminder worth holding onto: God isn’t finished with the picture yet.

Rachel Mattila Amberson is an actress and proud SAG-AFTRA member who has spent much of her life pursuing her love of performing. One of her favorite acting experiences was working alongside Rosario Dawson and James Earl Jones. She’s also a wife and mom who loves soccer, lifting weights, running, hot yoga, baking a good berry pie, and spending time with her family.

After years of pursuing acting in Los Angeles, Rachel’s life took several unexpected turns that challenged her ideas about success, calling, motherhood, and what she thought her future would look like. Through it all, she’s learning to trust that acting is something she loves—but it isn’t the entirety of who she is.

• When your dream changes: A different path doesn’t necessarily mean your dream is dead. God may be inviting you to release your expectations for how it has to happen.
• When life doesn’t look like you pictured: Give yourself permission to grieve. Rachel experienced real anger and loss when several parts of the future she imagined seemed to disappear at once.
• When you can’t see what God is doing: Keep choosing trust. Rachel’s repeated prayer became, “God, I trust You. I trust You. I trust You.”
• When you’re struggling to hope: Find people who can believe for you. Rachel credits her sisters and community with helping her get back up when she felt stuck in grief.
• When your identity is wrapped up in a dream: Remember that what you do is only part of who you are. Rachel loves acting, but she is also a mom, wife, sister, daughter, and woman of faith.
• When you’re torn between motherhood and other dreams: Give yourself grace to hold both. Motherhood can become a beautiful new dream without erasing the gifts and passions God has placed within you.
• When you’re overwhelmed by the future: Come back to today. Rachel shares how focusing on the life in front of her has helped quiet the anxiety of figuring out the entire picture.
• When God’s plan doesn’t make sense: Remember that the picture isn’t finished yet. What feels like failure or loss today may look very different when you can see more of the story.

Maybe you thought you’d be married by now. Maybe you pictured yourself as a mom, imagined a different career, or believed a dream would have happened by this point in your life.

When reality doesn’t match the picture we’ve carried for years, it’s easy to believe we’re behind, stuck, or somehow living the wrong story.

Rachel’s journey reminds us that we can grieve the picture we expected while allowing God to give us permission to dream again. We can pursue the passions He’s placed within us while also being present to the unexpected gifts right in front of us.

And when we can’t see how any of it fits together, sometimes faith looks like repeating three simple words:

I trust You.

God is still painting. And He’s not finished yet.

Justin McRoberts has spent twenty-plus years as an artist, church planter, pastor, singer-songwriter, author (he has written books including “May It Be So” and “It is What You Make of It”), and father, passing on lessons and practices learned about making something good from what you’ve been given rather than simply accepting things as they are. With warmth, wisdom, and humor, Justin shares insightful lessons in this episode that you won’t want to miss. Learn more about Justin and his books at http://justinmcroberts.com/

Laurie Short is a speaker, author, preacher, wife and stepmom. She has spoken to over 500,000 people at conferences, colleges, and churches, and her popular teaching videos on RightNow Media have been viewed by over a quarter million people all over the world. Laurie is the author of multiple books including “Grace-Filled Step Parenting: Help and Hope for this Unique and Loving Role” and “When Changing Nothing Changes Everything.” She has also authored fourteen books for youth and youth workers. In this episode, Laurie inspires listeners with a message of holding onto hope.

What if you don't have to stop feeling anxious to become the courageous woman God has called you to be?

Kristen Mattila Dempsey has lived with anxiety and OCD for much of her life. As a child, she often carried fears and obsessive thoughts that she didn't know how to share, and she learned to hide the struggle because she was embarrassed by it. Years later, after experiencing a season of freedom from anxiety, those struggles returned during a major life transition—and Kristen found herself facing an important question: Can I still be a warrior if I'm still worried?

In this honest conversation, Kristen shares how God invited her to stop hiding her anxiety and begin sharing her story so that her struggle could help others. She talks about the freedom she has found in accepting that anxiety may be an ongoing battle, rather than spending all of her energy trying to make it disappear.

Kristen and Willow also talk about the "warrior in the worry"—the idea that courage isn't the absence of fear, but choosing to show up and keep fighting in the midst of it. They explore how counseling, Scripture, prayer, community, movement, breathing, laughter, and other practical tools can help us navigate anxiety without shame.

If you've ever felt embarrassed by your anxiety, wondered why you can't simply "get over it," or believed that asking for professional help means you're weak, this conversation will remind you that God is not annoyed by your struggle. He meets you in it with compassion—and you can be both anxious and courageous at the same time.

Kristen Mattila Dempsey was part of the Collide staff for several years and is known affectionately by Willow as the "Unicorn Whisperer." She is passionate about Jesus, people, friendship, fun, and helping others experience the transforming work of God.

Kristen has also been open about her own experience with anxiety and OCD, sharing her story to encourage others who may feel alone or ashamed in their struggles. In this conversation, she offers an honest and hopeful perspective on what it means to pursue healing while accepting that anxiety may still be part of the battle—and how God can meet us with peace and grace in the middle of it.

• When anxiety makes you feel weak or broken: Learn why you can be a warrior even while you're still afraid.
• When you're embarrassed by your anxiety or OCD: Discover the freedom that can come from bringing your struggle into the light instead of hiding it.
• When you're frustrated that anxiety keeps coming back: Learn to shift your energy from trying to "beat" anxiety to building tools that help you respond when it appears.
• When you're hesitant to seek counseling: Be encouraged to see asking for help as a brave and courageous step toward healing.
• When anxious thoughts start taking over: Discover practical tools—from prayer and Scripture to breathing, movement, laughter, and supportive community—that can help you find peace.

You don't have to wait until your anxiety disappears to call yourself courageous. You can show up as a warrior in the worry, trusting that Jesus meets you with compassion and gives you what you need for the battle in front of you.

A 5-Week Guide to Help Manage Your Anxiety

The Birds & The Lilies: A Bible Study for Anxiety

Books mentioned: Burnout

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What if getting healthier isn’t about changing how your body looks, but learning to care for the body that carries you through your life?

We all know we should take care of ourselves—but actually making our health a priority can feel incredibly difficult. Between work, family, responsibilities, and caring for everyone around us, our own well-being often ends up at the bottom of the list.

Health and wellness coach Rebecca Roeter joins Willow for a practical and encouraging conversation about shifting the way we think about our bodies and taking small, sustainable steps toward greater health.

Rebecca’s passion for this work grew from her own health struggles as well as a decade working in healthcare. Today, she helps people focus on preventative health through nutrition, movement, sleep, and purpose—and reminds us that our bodies aren’t working against us. They’re partnering with us.

Willow and Rebecca talk honestly about the complicated relationship many women have with their bodies. In a culture constantly telling us how we should look, it’s easy to make appearance the goal. Rebecca challenges us to think differently: What if the goal isn’t achieving the “perfect” body, but caring for ourselves so we have the health and energy to pursue the purpose God has for us?

Rebecca also shares why knowing what’s healthy often isn’t enough to create change. Lasting transformation happens when we break overwhelming goals into small, achievable habits, find support, and let go of all-or-nothing thinking. Sometimes your first step toward movement really can be as simple as walking to the mailbox and back.

If you’ve neglected your health, struggled with body image, or felt overwhelmed by everything you think you should be doing, this episode offers a different invitation: start small, give yourself grace, and remember that a healthy lifestyle is a practice—not a pursuit of perfection.

Rebecca Roeter is the owner of Pivot Point Health and a nationally board-certified health and wellness coach with a certificate in transformational nutrition. Her own experiences with health challenges, combined with ten years working in healthcare, inspired her passion for helping people pursue health through sustainable lifestyle changes.

Rebecca focuses on foundational areas including nutrition, movement, sleep, and purpose while helping clients uncover the motivation and practical steps that work for their individual lives.

• Redefine what “healthy” means. Instead of focusing solely on appearance or measurements, consider how caring for your body can help you live, serve, work, and love well.
• Make your health a priority. Caring for yourself isn’t something that has to come after you’ve taken care of everyone else. Your well-being can be a foundation that allows you to show up for the people and purposes that matter to you.
• Start smaller than you think you need to. Tiny, achievable habits create momentum. You don’t have to overhaul your entire life overnight.
• Let go of all-or-nothing thinking. One donut, missed workout, or imperfect choice doesn’t mean the entire day is ruined.
• Choose practice over perfection. A healthy lifestyle isn’t something you master once and for all. It’s something you continually practice.

You don’t need to completely overhaul your diet, exercise every day, perfect your sleep, and suddenly become a different person to begin caring for yourself.

Instead, ask: What is one small thing I could do that would make my health better?

Rebecca reminds us that small changes create momentum. And when we stop treating our bodies like problems to fix and start viewing them as gifts worth caring for, health can become less about punishment and perfection and more about supporting the life we’ve been given.

Healthy living is a practice. Start where you are, take one small step, and keep going.

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Adoption stories often include experiences of hope, longing, transition, communication, and intense love. And this story is no exception. Mike and Lisa are an amazing couple who kindly chose to share with us on the podcast their story of adopting their son, with all of the twists and turns along the way, and they graciously pulled back the curtain on their emotional process along the way. This conversation tells an inspirational story of what it means to make a family.

Christina Archer has spent more than 20 years coaching and mentoring young women through Northwest Silver Stars, the longest-standing all-star cheer gym in Washington State. But for Christina, coaching has never been just about athletic achievement. It's about shaping character, building confidence, teaching resilience, and helping young women understand their God-given worth.

In this conversation, Christina shares what she's learned from more than two decades of coaching and leading young women. She talks about the responsibility of being a role model, the influence coaches and mentors can have during formative years, and why young women need adults who are willing to see beyond their performance and speak truth into their identity.

Christina and Willow also talk about the unique pressures today's young women face—including social media, comparison, and the constant desire for affirmation—and how mentors can help them develop a stronger sense of who they are. Rather than simply telling young women what to believe, Christina believes in walking alongside them, getting into the mess with them, and modeling what it looks like to live out your faith.

You'll hear about the importance of surrounding the next generation with people who believe in them, challenging them to grow, and giving them opportunities to lead. Christina also shares what she's learned about leadership, boundaries, burnout, marriage, motherhood, and the challenge of pouring into others while continuing to care for yourself.

If you're a parent, coach, mentor, teacher, youth leader, or simply someone who wants to make a difference in the next generation, this conversation will inspire you to consider the influence you have—and the young women God may be asking you to invest in.

Christina Archer is the founder and owner of Northwest Silver Stars, the longest-standing all-star cheer gym in Washington State. A three-time Coach of the Year and Program of the Year recipient, Christina has dedicated more than two decades to coaching and mentoring young women.

But her influence goes far beyond competitive cheer. Christina sees each girl she coaches through the lens of who God created her to be, seeking to love, coach, challenge, and encourage her accordingly.

Christina and her husband, Derek, have built their life and ministry together while raising three daughters. She is passionate about leadership, discipleship, encouraging women, and helping the next generation recognize their God-given worth.

• When you're influencing the next generation: Remember that young people are watching how you live—not just listening to what you teach.
• When a young woman struggles with confidence: Help her see herself through the lens of who God created her to be rather than through performance or other people's opinions.
• When social media shapes how young women see themselves: Create spaces where they can experience genuine affirmation, community, and truth.
• When you're mentoring someone: Don't just tell them what to do. Walk alongside them, listen, challenge them, and model what you're teaching.
• When you're raising or leading future leaders: Give them opportunities to take responsibility, make decisions, learn from failure, and discover their own strengths.

You don't have to have a formal leadership position to shape the next generation. Your words, your example, your encouragement, and your willingness to show up can have an impact that lasts far beyond the moment.

The question isn't simply, “How can I lead?” It's “Who is God putting in my life that I can help become the person He created them to be?”

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!