The Collide Podcast

Today on the podcast we get the pleasure of welcoming Randy Pries, who is a marriage and family therapist as well as a pastor. He has served as the Community Care Pastor on staff at a church in Bellingham, WA here in the PNW for 22 years. Randy is an expert when it comes to hospitality, intentionality, and encouragement and you’re sure to learn a bit more about each of those things when you tune in today.

Are you feeling unseen, disconnected, or like something is quietly sabotaging your marriage?

If you’ve ever felt like your marriage is being pulled apart by things you can’t quite name—like unmet expectations, emotional distance, or growing resentment—this episode is for you. Rick and Tiffany Bulman join us to unpack the real things that mess with marriages: unspoken rules, hidden competition, non-sexual mistresses, and more. With raw honesty, they share how their relationship was nearly destroyed by betrayal and pain—but also how God met them in the wreckage and led them toward redemption and renewed connection. Their story will give you language for what’s hurting, and hope that healing is possible.

Meet Rick and Tiffany Bulman

Rick and Tiffany are the authors of Mended: One Couple’s Journey from Betrayal to Imperfect Beauty. After walking through infidelity and deep marital wounds, they now use their story to help couples find redemption, healing, and purpose in the aftermath of brokenness. Through speaking and writing, they offer hope for marriages that feel beyond repair.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• How hidden issues like emotional disconnection and silent expectations hurt marriages
• The truth about “non-sexual mistresses” and the damage they cause
• How betrayal entered their story—and what healing looked like on the other side
• The power of vulnerability, grace, and truth in rebuilding trust
• Practical insight for couples feeling distant, stuck, or unsure where to go next

How This Episode Will Encourage You:

You are not alone in your struggle. Whether your marriage is quietly unraveling or you’re fighting to keep it together, this episode will help you name what’s hurting, recognize what’s missing, and discover that even the most broken relationships can be made new.

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Many women have complicated relationships with their bodies. We love them for the ways they serve us, but we can also be the harshest critics and least responsible caretakers. With all the talk about New Year’s resolution dieting and working out, we wanted to invite Liz and Summer, who are the co- founders of the Healthy, Whole, and Free Community to share their wisdom on what true health is, from the inside out. These ladies are passionate about ushering women into Jesus’ presence and helping them discover healthy and whole living - and who doesn’t want a little more of that in their lives?!

Have you ever wanted to feel closer to God but struggled with the ways you've been told that connection is supposed to look? Maybe you've tried the early-morning quiet time, read the devotional, gone to church, and checked all the boxes—yet still wondered why God sometimes feels distant.

Caroline Williams knows that feeling. After college, Caroline moved to Washington, D.C., to pursue what she thought was her dream career in politics. She wanted to make a difference in the world, but before long, she found herself miserable and questioning whether she'd misunderstood God's calling for her life. For two and a half years, she prayed, journaled, served, went to church, and desperately asked God to tell her what to do next. Instead, she felt what she describes as “radio silence from heaven.”

But there was one unexpected place where Caroline consistently experienced God's presence: on her yoga mat. Slowing down, moving her body, breathing, and becoming present quieted the noise long enough for her to hear what her heart actually needed—not directions for her future, but the reminder that God loved her and was proud of her. Eventually, that unexpected encounter led Caroline away from politics and toward becoming a yoga instructor.

Today, Caroline leads people around the world in Jesus-centered yoga practices designed to help them slow down and become aware of God's presence. She and Willow talk about why we sometimes make connecting with God too narrow, how our faith can become weighed down by a backpack full of “shoulds,” and the freedom of discovering that we can meet with God while moving, walking, creating, sitting with a cup of coffee—or simply breathing and being still.

If you're tired of striving in your faith, wrestling with an unexpected change in direction, or simply longing to experience God's presence in a deeper way, this conversation will invite you to slow down, release the “shoulds,” and discover God right where you are.

Caroline Williams is a yoga instructor and founder of Caroline Williams Yoga. After beginning her career in politics in Washington, D.C., Caroline followed an unexpected invitation into yoga teacher training—a decision that ultimately changed the direction of her life.

She later launched her YouTube channel to make Jesus-centered yoga practices accessible to others and founded The Abbey, an online community where people can practice yoga, meditation, and contemplative spiritual practices while also equipping yoga teachers to lead Jesus-centered classes.

Caroline's passion is helping people slow down, become present in their bodies, and recognize the presence of God in and around them.

• When God feels silent: Consider whether you're seeking an answer from God more than you're seeking God Himself.
• When your faith feels like a list of “shoulds”: Give yourself permission to discover the ways you personally connect with God—whether through movement, nature, creativity, silence, or something else.
• When you struggle to slow down: Start with five minutes. Put down the distractions, notice your surroundings, breathe, and become aware of God's presence.
• When you're always thinking about what's next: Remember that God is present here and now—and constantly living one step ahead can cause us to miss what He wants to give us today.

You don't need a perfect quiet time, the right environment, or an elaborate spiritual routine to encounter God.

Sometimes the invitation is simply to stop striving and become present.

Caroline reminds us that God is already with us—in our movement and our stillness, our questions and uncertainty, our bodies and our everyday routines. Instead of carrying around a backpack full of everything you think you should be doing, you can begin noticing how God uniquely invites you to be with Him.

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Kelly was told photography wasn’t for her due to a permanent injury from a car accident that left her with a paralyzed right arm. But her heart to capture connection and empower women through showing them the beauty and strength they carry via photography motivated her to push through the impossible to make her dream a reality - and she is currently an incredible and sought-after photographer despite the challenges that were set before her. That’s our kind of gal! Tune in today as Kelly vulnerably shares her story and serves up inspiration to go after your wildest dreams.

Can beauty really come from the ashes of betrayal?

In this honest episode of the Collide Podcast, we sit down with Stephanie Broersma to talk about walking through the devastating pain of marital betrayal and infidelity. Stephanie shares her raw and powerful story of discovering her husband’s unfaithfulness and the gut-wrenching process of navigating that heartbreak. Through deep faith and commitment to healing, she came out the other side stronger, more in love, and more devoted to Christ. Whether you’re facing relational pain, struggling to forgive, or searching for hope in brokenness, this episode will remind you that God can redeem even the most shattered stories.

Stephanie is the founder of Reclaimed Ministry, an organization devoted to helping women recover from the trauma of marital infidelity. After walking through her own journey of betrayal and restoration, she now uses her experience to lead others toward healing and hope. She is passionate about pointing women to the redeeming power of Christ. Her story is a powerful example of restoration, grace, and unwavering faith.

• What it’s like to walk through the valley of marital betrayal
• How God meets us in our darkest and most broken places
• What healing and restoration can look like after infidelity
• Why forgiveness is both messy and transformative

If you’ve ever felt shattered by relational pain or struggled to believe healing is possible, this episode will give you hope. You’ll be reminded that God can reclaim even what feels too far gone and bring beauty from your ashes.

Check Out These Collide Resources Inspired by This Episode

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Connect with Stephanie - Recliamed Ministry

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🌐 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

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What does it look like to create real connection and live authentically in the everyday?

In this thought-provoking episode of the Collide Podcast, we sit down with Shauna Niequist to talk about hospitality, true connection, and embracing the beauty—and the mess—of everyday life. Shauna shares her perspective on becoming our truest selves, handling disappointment, and noticing God in ordinary moments. Whether you’re longing for deeper relationships, struggling with expectations, or seeking more authenticity in your life, this episode will inspire you to slow down, show up, and live with intention.

Shauna Niequist is a New York Times bestselling author of I Guess I Haven't Learned That Yet, and Present Over Perfect. She is passionate about helping people find God and grace in the everyday, embracing authenticity, and discovering beauty in life’s ordinary moments. Shauna’s writing and storytelling invite readers and listeners alike to laugh, cry, and fight to become who they were made to be—even when it requires a little “undoing.”

• How hospitality can create meaningful, lasting connection
• Why embracing imperfection is key to living authentically
• How to navigate disappointment without losing sight of God’s goodness
• Practical ways to notice and celebrate God in everyday life
• The importance of slowing down to find presence and purpose

If you’ve ever felt like you’re just going through the motions or struggling to show up fully in life, this episode will remind you that authentic connection and grace-filled living are possible. You’ll be inspired to open your heart, embrace imperfection, and see God working beautifully in the everyday.

Shop for Good - Support the work of Collide by shopping our thoughtfully curated collection of Bible studies, apparel, candles, and more. Every purchase helps fund our mission to help women experience the transformational love of Jesus.

🎉 Special for Podcast Listeners: Enjoy 20% off your order with code PODCAST20 at The Collide Shop

Connect with Shauna - Website | Instagram | Facebook

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

💛 Give today online or Venmo to impact lives

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

Join us this week as we continue on with our mini-series about finding God with your kids. We’re sharing stories and thoughts about how children can point us toward Jesus with their wisdom, their questions, and the role they play in our lives. Whether or not you have children, you’re going to want to tune and learn how to be both teacher and student of the kids around you.

Whether or not you have children, you might wonder how to talk to kids about God. Or perhaps you look back at your own childhood experience of faith (or lack thereof) and desire a deeper reflection of what molded and shaped your current view of God. What we know to be true is that kids have a whole lot to teach us about faith and Willow is sharing stories and experiences with her own children that will help you navigate learning from and talking about God with your own and in this two part podcast series.

What has fear convinced you to hide, bury, or hold back that God is asking you to finally put to work?

We all want our lives to matter. We want to make a difference, live with purpose, and use what God has given us well. But so often, something gets in the way: fear.

In this solo episode, Collide founder and host Willow Weston explores Jesus’ parable of the talents in Matthew 25 and asks a challenging question: What have you buried because you’re afraid to use it?

In the parable, a master entrusts three servants with different amounts. Two put what they’ve been given to work and multiply it. The third buries his talent because he’s afraid. Willow points out that the master isn’t asking each person to produce the same result or possess the same gifts—he’s looking for the same thing from each of them: faithfulness with what they’ve already been given.

Willow challenges us to consider how much of our own lives we may be hiding, hoarding, holding back, or playing safe with because of fear. Maybe it’s your creativity. Your generosity. Your leadership. Your story. Your resources. Your dream. Your ability to encourage someone. Maybe it’s something that feels so small you’ve convinced yourself it couldn’t possibly matter.

But small things can become so much more when we’re willing to put them to work.

Willow shares the story of challenging 30 women on the Collide Ministry Team to take small amounts of money and leverage them for good. A few dollars became meals for people who were lonely, coffee for grieving families in hospital waiting rooms, help for a child who couldn’t afford to play sports, chairs for Collide classes, support for a grieving woman, and even a chicken that could help a family in an impoverished village earn money for school.

The question becomes: If God can multiply something that small, what could He do with your whole life?

Willow also gets personal about the fear that has held her back from writing. Despite feeling called to write—and even encouraging other women to use their gifts—she shares how fear of rejection, inadequacy, judgment, and failure has tempted her to keep her own words hidden. It’s a powerful reminder that we can believe someone else should use her gifts while simultaneously convincing ourselves ours aren’t good enough.

Through ten ways fear keeps us stuck, Willow exposes how fear lies, fuels comparison, reminds us of past failures, encourages us to play it safe, and convinces us to bury what God intended us to use.

But Jesus invites us out of hiding.

If fear has kept you small, silent, safe, or stuck, this episode is an invitation to pick up the shovel, uncover what you’ve buried, and start moving toward the life God has given you to live.

Willow Weston is the founder and director of Collide and host of The Collide Podcast. Through her teaching, writing, and leadership, Willow is passionate about helping women encounter Jesus in the midst of their real stories and move toward greater healing, hope, freedom, and purpose.

In this solo episode, Willow brings her own fears into the conversation, sharing honestly about the ways she has wrestled with putting her writing into the world. Her message is one she is learning to live herself: we weren’t given our lives, stories, gifts, and resources to bury them. We were given them to use.

• When you think you don’t have enough: Work with what you do have. God isn’t asking you to possess someone else’s gifts; He’s asking you to be faithful with yours.
• When something seems too small to matter: Put it to work anyway. A dollar, an encouraging word, a connection, a skill, or a few hours of your time can become more when you leverage it for someone else.
• When fear tells you to be like her: Remember Willow’s reminder: “Be you, not her.” Comparison can keep you from using the exact gifts God gave you.
• When your past makes you feel disqualified: Don’t let an old outcome determine every future possibility. Fear loves to use your past as evidence that you shouldn’t try again.
• When playing it safe feels responsible: Ask whether safety has become hiding. The servant protected what he had—but protecting it also meant it never multiplied.
• When you’re afraid of failure: Name the fear. Willow says fear begins losing some of its power when we uncover it instead of allowing it to quietly control us.
• When you’ve buried a gift or dream: Start digging. Write again. Apply for the job. Sing somewhere besides the shower. Give generously. Take the step you’ve been avoiding.
• When you feel held back: Remember that breaking free requires movement. Eventually, we have to act on the belief that God’s power is greater than whatever has been keeping us stuck.

Maybe fear has convinced you that you’re not talented enough, educated enough, strong enough, interesting enough, spiritual enough, or brave enough.

Maybe you’ve spent years holding onto something God gave you because using it feels risky.

Willow compares fear to the tiny rope used to restrain a full-grown elephant. Because the elephant was conditioned when it was young to believe it couldn’t break free, it eventually stops trying—even when it has become powerful enough to snap the rope.

How many of us are doing the same thing?

Jesus doesn’t collide with us so we can remain tied to the same fears, lies, insecurities, and limitations. He wants us to break free.

So name the rope.

Dig up what you buried.

Take the step.

Use what you have.

Come out of hiding and run toward the life you were made to live.

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!