The Mentor's Table: A Place for Women Desiring a Biblical Spiritual Mentor

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Pull up a chair for a word of encouragement, especially for those of you needing comfort and help in a time of pain and darkness. This isn't your everyday interpretation of Job, and I really believe it'll provide a bright spot and some helpful handholds to guide you in your time of struggle. 

For those of you who have listened to this episode already, scrub through to the last nine minutes to get a real-time personal update and mini word of encouragement for all my parent listeners. If you're struggling through a difficult season of parenting and are dealing with waves of grief, frustration because you don't know what to do next, or general discouragement that the seeds you're planting in your children's lives aren't working, THIS MOMENT IS FOR YOU. 

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Website: JoyAbad.com

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @joyabaddotcom

Join my friend Gretchen and me on our podcast As We Grow.

*Show notes may contain affiliate links

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We've spent tons of time learning the WHY and the HOW of surrender, but those lessons don't help unless we begin with noticing how often we have the CHOICE to surrender.

Today we're going to flesh out a clear picture of how often we have the choice to either control or surrender, so we can start noticing and counting how often the choice is before us. I believe this picture will become a tool in your spiritual-health toolbox that will empower you to begin choosing surrender over control on a more regular basis. 

Pull up a chair by hitting play, and find out why we can't miss this step.

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Add your voice to the Table here . . .

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Sign up for my monthly newsletter here and receive a free "Couch-to-Sabbath" plan to start a sabbath rhythm in your own life. 

Website: JoyAbad.com

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @joyabaddotcom

Join my friend Gretchen and me on our podcast As We Grow.

*Show notes may contain affiliate links

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Whew! The emotions are high and my bandwidth is low. Just popping in a little late this week to update you on how our first college drop-off went and what to expect for the month of September here at the table. 

Lots is happening. I appreciate your patience as we gear up for a new season.

Email me all your words: [email protected]

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Add your voice to the Table here . . .

Leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Sign up for my monthly newsletter here and receive a free "Couch-to-Sabbath" plan to start a sabbath rhythm in your own life. 

Website: JoyAbad.com

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @joyabaddotcom

Join my friend Gretchen and me on our podcast As We Grow.

*Show notes may contain affiliate links

Send us Fan Mail

I've talked a lot about what the Bible and science has to say about fasting (see previous episodes linked below), but today we're going to go over my personal journey with fasting and a confession on how I've navigated through perimenopause and fasting. Spoiler alert: it's not been easy. 

DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional. Seek counsel from your own medical professional for your own fasting journey. This is not meant to be prescriptive. 

Around minute 27, I begin confessing where I've missed it and the conviction I'm dealing with now. It all began as I was editing the fasting chapter in my book on surrender, and I felt a strong conviction that I have gotten off track. I'll also share what my plan is moving forward. 

I'd love to hear all about your personal journey with fasting? Click "Send us fan mail" above, and tell me (or type to me) all about it.

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SHOW NOTES

Previous Mentor's Table episodes on fasting:

We Don't Talk About Fasting, No, No!

Why We Fast Part 1: The One Where I Get Really Excited

Why We Fast Part 2: The One Where I Can't Stop on Time

Will I Die If I Fast? And Other Questions You're Afraid to Ask

Fasting Resources to Get You Started: (may contain affiliate links)

BOOKS

God's Chosen Fast by Arthur Wallis. This tiny but mighty book is life-changing! As the subtitle states, it's "a spiritual and practical guide to fasting." That's it. Order it now. You won't regret it.

Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. “Fasting reveals the things that control us.”

Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer.

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer

For those with an unhealthy relationship with food: 

"Luminary Interview: Dr. Alison Cook" Here's a great conversation with a licensed therapist and follower of Jesus who talks you through how to approach fasting.

The scientific podcast about fasting that was my personal catalyst to fast:

The Miracle Doctor: EVERYONE should start fasting right now! (New Science) Dr. Mindy Pelz. This is a resource I offer with disclaimers: Dr. Pelz comes from purely a scientific background. WARNING: This episode contains explicit language.

Binge the rest of the episodes in this series:

TABLE READ: Prologue & Introduction From My Book on Surrender

TABLE READ: Naming Control Blindspots (Ch. 1)

TABLE READ: What We're Getting Wrong About Surrender (Ch. 2)

TABLE READ: What If God Doesn't Explain WHY We're Suffering? (Ch. 3)

TABLE READ: An Invitation to Surrender When You're All Alone (Ch. 4)

TABLE READ: The #1 Reason Why Surrender Is Too Hard (Ch. 5)

Support the show

Add your voice to the Table here . . .

Leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Sign up for my monthly newsletter here and receive a free "Couch-to-Sabbath" plan to start a sabbath rhythm in your own life. 

Website: JoyAbad.com

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @joyabaddotcom

Join my friend Gretchen and me on our podcast As We Grow.

*Show notes may contain affiliate links

Send us Fan Mail

Most of us know that surrender is a necessary component to our Christian journey, but when life gets really hard and painful, surrender seems the most impossible option. How do I let go and let God? 

This episode is based on the bridge in my book on surrender from what it is and why it's important to how we actually can do it. The key isn't going to surprise you: it's a common theme on this podcast. But today we're going to talk about the key component to "exercising" our spiritual muscles. 

Without understanding this tool, we will continue white-knuckle gripping the steering wheel of our lives and controlling our lives right into another painful mess. 

Let's stop the cycle here and make this tool a part of your daily rhythm.

Pull up a chair 🪑 

SHOW NOTES

Binge the first episodes in this series: TABLE READ

TABLE READ: Prologue & Introduction From My Book on Surrender

TABLE READ: Naming Control Blindspots (Ch. 1)

TABLE READ: What We're Getting Wrong About Surrender (Ch. 2)

TABLE READ: What If God Doesn't Explain WHY We're Suffering? (Ch. 3)

TABLE READ: An Invitation to Surrender When You're All Alone (Ch. 4)

Support the show

Add your voice to the Table here . . .

Leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Sign up for my monthly newsletter here and receive a free "Couch-to-Sabbath" plan to start a sabbath rhythm in your own life. 

Website: JoyAbad.com

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @joyabaddotcom

Join my friend Gretchen and me on our podcast As We Grow.

*Show notes may contain affiliate links

Send us Fan Mail

It's easy to fall into the trap of believing that surrender is only possible if you have some support--at least one, if not a whole group of people, that are willing to  surrender with you so that you can encourage one another when it's hard. But the reality is, God asks us individually to surrender, not to make it harder on us but to invite us into His next miracle. Today we'll look at Noah in a way you may not have considered before, and we will find encouragement for when we find ourselves all alone but knowing God is calling us to let go.

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SHOW NOTES

July's second episode will be at the end of the month (a little later than usual). Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so it auto-populates your feed.

Click HERE to subscribe to our monthly newsletter and get book, podcast, and more recommendations as I share where I'm learning from.

Support the show

Add your voice to the Table here . . .

Leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Sign up for my monthly newsletter here and receive a free "Couch-to-Sabbath" plan to start a sabbath rhythm in your own life. 

Website: JoyAbad.com

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @joyabaddotcom

Join my friend Gretchen and me on our podcast As We Grow.

*Show notes may contain affiliate links

Send us Fan Mail

Pull up a chair, and let's ask the hard questions about suffering and surrender. If you're holding out on surrendering your situation to God because your hurt is so overwhelming, this is the heart balm you need to hear. 

As always, we love to hear from you. Click "Send Us Fan Mail" above and leave a voice memo. And, for the love of hosting, please weigh in with your thoughts about washcloths!

Oh, and we've got the graduation update you've all been waiting for!

It's a great listen for the drive to your next summer adventure.

Support the show

Add your voice to the Table here . . .

Leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Sign up for my monthly newsletter here and receive a free "Couch-to-Sabbath" plan to start a sabbath rhythm in your own life. 

Website: JoyAbad.com

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @joyabaddotcom

Join my friend Gretchen and me on our podcast As We Grow.

*Show notes may contain affiliate links

Send us Fan Mail

Pull up a chair 🪑 for a provocative discussion about how we've misdefined surrender and the false belief system we've created around that definition. This episode is going to challenge how you define a fully surrendered life, how you view Jacob/Israel's faith, and even how you understand Jesus operating here on earth. You might want to add a buckle to your chair for this one.

Click "Send Us Fan Mail" now, and send us a voicemail with your thoughts on the following:

1. Where does the Bible teach us to "just start working or moving" without God's clear direction? (Put another way, if you don't hear God directing you to the next thing, does the Bible teach you to "push on any doors you find until one opens"?)

2. Why don't we stop and listen more? What excuses (justified or Christianized or otherwise) do we use to keep filling our calendars with doing rather than being?

As mentioned in this episode, here's the mind-opening discussion Gretchen and I had on As We Grow about the book Redeeming Your Timeline: BONUS EPISODE - Book Club: Redeeming Your Timeline by Troy Brewer.

Support the show

Add your voice to the Table here . . .

Leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Sign up for my monthly newsletter here and receive a free "Couch-to-Sabbath" plan to start a sabbath rhythm in your own life. 

Website: JoyAbad.com

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @joyabaddotcom

Join my friend Gretchen and me on our podcast As We Grow.

*Show notes may contain affiliate links

Send us Fan Mail

In today's episode, we're discussing book title options and naming blind spots where the temptation to control sneaks up on us. Take a moment to respond to the three questions (listed below) that will help guide me to make this a better chapter. Thanks in advance!

SHOW NOTES

Vote through voicemal (click: “Send us fan mail” ⬆️ ) 

1. Which title is more compelling and easy to understand what the book is about?

Release: Invitations to live from a posture of open hands, open heart, eyes fixed

OR

The Nitty Gritty Practices of Surrender—Invitations to develop callouses on your soul and muscle memory in your spirit to truly let go

OR

Your own combination of the above? (I'd love to hear allll the suggestions!)

2. Where does control sneak up on you? (i.e., Where have you found blind spots in your own life that you were controlling yet fooling yourself into believing that those areas were surrendered?) 

3. What would you want included in this first chapter that would compel you to keep reading without getting overwhelmed? 

CLICK: "SEND US FANMAIL" (SEE LINK AT THE TOP) FOR AN EASY WAY TO LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL ANSWER.

Support the show

Add your voice to the Table here . . .

Leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Sign up for my monthly newsletter here and receive a free "Couch-to-Sabbath" plan to start a sabbath rhythm in your own life. 

Website: JoyAbad.com

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @joyabaddotcom

Join my friend Gretchen and me on our podcast As We Grow.

*Show notes may contain affiliate links

Send us Fan Mail

You are invited to join my book development team. Listen in and comment on excerpts and focuses from each part of my book on surrender and spiritual disciplines. Who knows? You may even get a shoutout when the book gets published.

Also, we're changing the pacing of the pod through the end of the summer: From May until September, we'll be dropping episodes every OTHER week. 

Pull up a chair 🪑 by letting me know if you read Prologues and Introductions.

Support the show

Add your voice to the Table here . . .

Leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Sign up for my monthly newsletter here and receive a free "Couch-to-Sabbath" plan to start a sabbath rhythm in your own life. 

Website: JoyAbad.com

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @joyabaddotcom

Join my friend Gretchen and me on our podcast As We Grow.

*Show notes may contain affiliate links