There’s a certain kind of mystery in following God along the journey of life and navigating the places between. As my guest this week say’s its God’s mystery that leads us to worship and wonder in a recent sermon, I can’t help but agree. Doing a life with Jesus at the center of everything allows us to experience life to the full in the good seasons, the challenging ones and even when we’re not sure what’s next. That’s the beauty of pressing in to a relationship with Jesus and doing life with others who are also on the same pursuit.

Doug Wekenman is the Teaching Pastor at Red Rocks Church. He also leads the Red Rocks Location in Austin, Texas, where he currently lives with his wife, Samantha, and his two kids, Will and Kinsley. Doug is passionate about people, tacos, golf and building the church with his friends. Red Rocks Austin is all about imperfect people pursuing a perfect God.

Today’s conversation with Doug is filled with stories of God’s faithfulness, wild ones you could only count as being directly from God and beautiful bits of wisdom on what to do with a calling or a dream and stewarding it well. When it’s truly from God it is worth it, no matter the challenges.

Well I can’t wait for you to hear some of these fun stories and my conversation with Doug today, so if you’re ready for it, why don’t you pull up a chair, grab that cup of coffee, and dive in with us to The Places Between.

RED ROCKS AUSTIN: www.redrockschurch.com/austin/

Follow Doug on Instagram at: instagram.com/dougwekenman/

Navigating Transitions of life is something we cannot avoid. We do have a choice in how we show up day in and day out though. In seasons marked with pain and strife it’s easy to give way to the thought of being a victim of our circumstances and yet through our relationship with Christ we can know that he works all things together for good, even the hard parts, the ugly parts, and the parts we just assume skip.

The crazy part of life if you’ve lived any amount of time though is that life will be riddled with challenges and opportunities that will make or break you. Not becoming a victim to your circumstances will be hard BUT entirely possible and beautiful when you see what God wants to do as he weaves your story together FOR THE GOOD.

Today’s conversation with Bryan was encouraging to me as someone who’s chosen to dive into what God has to offer in life but also someone who with open hands has seen what God can do upon returning to him. His “prodigal” experience isn’t one to wish away. It was one that brought him today and I’m grateful to share his story with you.

Bryan Sitinjak is one of the pastors at LIFEGATE Church in Denver, CO. He is happily married to his wife Erin, and they live in Denver with their 2-year-old Bernedoodle named Joey. Bryan was born in Indonesia, raised in the Denver Metro, went to school and began his career in Boston, and has been back in Denver investing in The Kingdom for a little over 8 years now.

He has had a diverse professional experience ranging from church planting, selling used cars, doing procurement in the oil & gas and large industrial sectors, as well as roles in finance and financial services. Now he is working to connect the disconnected in his little corner of The Kingdom at LIFEGATE.

Well guys, if you’re ready for it pull up a chair, make sure you have that iced coffee, and dive in with us to the places between.

Learn about Lifegate Denver here: lifegatedenver.com

Follow Bryan Sitinjak on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/bryansitinjak/

Excited to dive into today’s show with a new friend! He’s a devoted husband and Jesus follower! A Speaker, trainer, worship leader. He happens to be a 7X national finalist on the popular TV show American Ninja Warrior. Was the 2020 American Ninja Warrior Grand Champion AND continues to amaze us all with his athleticism, love for God AND ministry.

Tune in today as we talk about all things Ninja with Daniel Gil, otherwise known as Kingdom Ninja. I am so honored to have a few minutes with Daniel as he brought such beautiful words of encouragement, and life giving words not just from his own life experience but words that will be just for you today. We dive into learning more about his journey as an athlete, a faithful follower of Jesus and ways he and his wife Abby are showing up to what God’s called them too and ways that you can in the places between, too.

One way to support Daniel right away is by pre-ordering his book, “Kingdom Ninja: A Warrior's Guide to Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Health” at kingdom-ninja.com or here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0736987185. The book is about Daniel’s unprecedented rise from American Ninja Warrior rookie to grand champion and how it didn’t happen overnight. Much like the healthy habits he’s developed over the years that have become the secret of his success, he’ll teach you to live your best life with faith as your foundation. (GET YOURS TODAY!:)

If you’d like to know more about Daniel and how to follow his journey, follow him on: Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/kingdom_ninja/?hl=en

Watch his most recent completion from 2023 here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ctc19xqtXvV/?igshid=OGIzYTJhMTRmYQ%3D%3D Even, watch him on Youtube, here: https://www.youtube.com/@danielgil667 //

— Learn more about The Places Between, upcoming retreats and more at: ThePlacesBetween.com! Join the conversation and community and come say hi on Instagram here: https://instagram.com/the_places_between?igshid=OGIzYTJhMTRmYQ==. Last but not least, support what we’re doing with The Places Between so MORE people can hear these life changing testimonies by contributing. Whether it’s $5/month or $500/month we’re grateful for each and every donation!!

In a recent podcast I heard this brilliant quote: “Don’t be afraid of the desert! Just go surf it” after Ben Stuart talked about learning to ride the sand dunes and loving the adventures before him.

Lots of moments of our lives are spent navigating in and out of seasons. We cannot avoid the places between. If we looked at these seasons as places to wander aimlessly or suffered in, until it gets better, we could probably go in circles without ever finding a true way out. But if we looked at these times as seasons to get THROUGH, with Jesus

it’s entirely possible to embrace challenging moments of life AND experience the adventure life is supposed to be!

As someone who loves to embrace life and all that it has to offer with a full and open heart, I’ve been asking God not to delivery me from many of the challenges but to give a new perspective and speak a word of life so that I can truly learn to surf the waves of the season. Be it a desert OR an ocean. Be it dry seasons of faith with not much movement or life. OR the oceans where I’m overwhelmed and it feels like wave after wave just keeps coming.

Fear has no place around perfect love.

Pretty sure perfect love has a way of reaching every place we wander into. Teaching us to surf those moments, the ride is so incredibly worth it with Jesus!!

NOW, for the announcement: We just hit over 10,000 streams! CUE THE CONFETTI!!!!🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

BUT we need your help. With God’s help (and yours) we will keep going to 20, 50 & 100,000! If this podcast, or anyone’s story, has spoken to you in ANY WAY would you send us an email, comments through ThePlacesBetween.com contact, OR even DM me through instagram @The_places_between.

A BRIEF statement or sentiment of how the show has impacted you?!?? What your favorite episode or story was? AND Any suggestions of topics or guests to have on the show?

While I’m eager to continue the conversations for YEAR 3 and have a whole roster of people to host, I would love to hear from YOU! I know you have a LOT that competes for your time and Im so incredibly honored to have a place to connect with you even for a brief moment every week, so its with a deep and sincere heart I say THANK YOU!!!!

Join me in celebrating the AMAZING LIFE-CHANGES God is up to through the Podcast, In people’s lives who share them with us on air, in the 10,000+ downloads AND where we’re headed next with The Places Between!! It’s truly ALL by God’s grace and I could not have gotten here without the prayers and support of an amazing community which includes YOU!!!

Stay tuned for what’s next….Please don’t forget to send me DM or email from here. I’d love to hear from you. Just go to ThePlacesBetween.com or the places between on instagram here: https://instagram.com/the_places_between?igshid=OGIzYTJhMTRmYQ==.

Last but not least, support what we’re doing with The Places Between so MORE people can hear these life changing testimonies by contributing. Whether it’s $5/month or $500/month we’re grateful for each and every donation!!

What is it about a good spread and conversation that makes people open up? There’s something truly profound to that: creating a place where people want to gather, break bread and share life together.

Michele Fordice is the mastermind, creator and founder of Sprig & Spread. She’s a third generation American Italian and is married with three boys living in the gorgeous Pacific Northwest — Portland, Oregon, to be exact.

She inherited her love for creating delectable spreads from her Italian grandmother, Lucy. One of the things she says is “If you had the privilege of entering her home, you did not leave without eating something made with love. Parties and gatherings in Grandma Lucy’s home were always built around great food.”

It’s these simple memories of combining delicious food with momentous events that drove Michele to start Sprig & Spread. That is the heart and passion behind Sprig & Spread is Simple, elegant ingredients. Irresistible table design. And Unforgettable events.

Today’s conversation with Michele is full of good stories and beautiful inspiration. We talk about the adventures of entrepreneurship, how God uses all of us and our giftings for God’s kingdom, the importance of boundaries and living life intentionally between the day to days of life.

Im so excited for Michele’s story to shed a bit of wisdom and encouragement to you as you dive in today.

Learn more about Sprig & Spread at https://www.sprigandspread.com/ or Say hi on Instagram @ https://www.instagram.com/sprig.and.spread/

If you were encouraged by this episode, we want to invite you to share it with friends or family who may need the encouragement today! Help spread the word (and share the love) of The Places Between Podcast today.

When God invites us on a mission to accomplish with him it’s about the process but understanding who we are is necessary before we fulfill what God’s calling us to. And while our “callings” look different from others and we all travel through different seasons we can glean from each others stories and connections to God as we live life and run the race we’re called to. As someone who is passionate about identity and knowing WHO we are, Charlena is the real deal and has such a beautiful way of journeying with the Lord. We talk a lot about this and how we can cultivate hearing from God before diving into what’s next.

Charlena Ortiz is an entrepreneur, coach, and the founder of Grit & Virtue, a company that provides coaching, resources, and community for women who want to grow in their faith, invest in soul care, and scale their businesses. Grit & Virtue reaches over 100,000 women, empowering them to build unstoppable momentum, become spiritually confident, and never feel alone on the journey. In 2018 she introduced a product line called The Journal Collection as a tool to help women develop the spiritual practice of journaling. Today, she resides in beautiful Puerto Rico with her husband Roberto and their baby girl Alani Lujah (whose name means Beautiful Praise). As a devoted wife and mother, Charlena's first ministry is her marriage and family, and she and Roberto live by a rule of life called Radical Oneness.

My time with Charlena was filled with beautiful gifts of encouragement and hope and wherever you’re at right now, I hope you too will find refreshing insights for your walk with Jesus and the season of life you’re in right now.

To learn more about Charlena and Grit & Virtue, visit gritandvirtue.com and sign up for their Free 14 Day Identity Challenge (https://gritandvirtue.com/manifesto/). This challenge has helped thousands of women experience real transformation and unlock their true identity in Christ. Visit Charlena and say hi on Instagram at Grit & Virtue, here.

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Enjoyed what you heard?!  

We love getting 5 star reviews and subscribes when you can! This allows us to get in front of other audiences. Will you consider submitting a review today and sharing this episode with someone you love today?   When you pay it forward by supporting The Places Between as a ministry, you support getting the show into more people’s ears!! Want to know more about The Places Between, the retreats we offer and more?

✨Visit ⁠ThePlacesBetween.com⁠ to learn more about upcoming retreats, purpose dinners and more!

✨Follow ⁠@The_Places_Between on Instagram ⁠or swing by and say hi to Wendy at ⁠wj_Blondie!⁠

As always, keep enjoying that journey!

Living a life focusing on God’s kingdom and what our role is to play in it isn’t always easy. But when you know what you’re passionate about and the things that give you life it certainly helps. 

Having led conversations through film and media, it’s in the storytelling where Joel Parker found himself returning over the years as a filmmaker. What started as a love for snowboarding and making films around snowboard culture himself as Nations Foundation, evolved and transitioned to something more broad and telling stories OF the nations with Nations Media which specializes in stories of hope from around the globe diving into places of pain and persecution, much of which is not even covered by mainstream media.

We talk about the journey, we talk about purpose as a believer, we talk about the challenges of western Christianity and our own limitations as believers in a comfortable society, and we even talk about recovery and the new ventures Joel has been called to and I’m hoping today will be a bit of a treat for you as you tune in.

I’m both honored and excited to dive in here today with my friend Joel. He’s a husband, he’s a dad. He’s a leader, pastor and teacher. He loves flying, surfing, and snowboarding and is truly an all around awesome guy showing up for people in broken places and doing his best to be a light in a world that desperately needs God’s hope. His enthusiasm for life is contagious as is his fierce love of people.

I’m so excited for today’s show so why don’t you pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee and dive in with us to the places between.

Find out more about Latitude Recovery Center at latituderecoverycenter.com.  // Additionally, whether you or someone you know has been wrecked by addiction, or other behavioral health disorders, Joel has given his contact info for you to connect with him regarding navigating recovery. He wants to be a resource for you and is happy to do so. Here is his email: [email protected]

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Did you enjoy this episode?  Do you have someone who'd be encouraged by listening today?  We'd be thrilled if you'd share today's episode with a friend as a way of spreading the ministry and message of The Places Between.  Learn more about previous guests and episodes at Anchor.fm/theplacesbetween. Tune in via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more. 

Come say "HI" and jump into conversations with us on Instagram @the_places_between and Lastly, learn more about The Places Between and our upcoming retreats and sponsors at: ThePlacesBetween.com

I’m so excited to dive right into today’s show as I just know it will be a treat for anyone tuning in!

She’s someone who has an incredibly relatable presence and wisdom we all can benefit from, I’m excited to introduce you to Lynette Lewis! 

Lynette’s career journey has taken her from PR and fundraising at a major university to the senior marketing leader for the National Women’s Initiative at Deloitte & Touche in New York City. The author of several books, Lynette’s books are written from experience and she really is a beacon of hope for the twists and turns and navigating the places between. She’s been featured on The Today Show, and other national broadcasts. Lynette’s a TEDx speaker, one of John Maxwell’s Maximum Impact Speakers and for the last 25 years she’s been helping people just like you know their purpose and live their dreams. 

It is so evident her life and ministry is covered with purpose, meaning, and joy. Lynette has a way of offering hope and help for navigating the sometimes rocky pathway to love and living your dreams both professionally and personally, and I’m beyond thrilled to dive in with Lynette today. ✨

Learn more about Lynette Lewis, her books, speaking and resources at: LynetteLewis.com

✨Follow her on Instagram ✨Facebook or ✨Linkedin

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Enjoyed what you heard?!  

We love getting 5 star reviews and subscribes when you can! This allows us to get in front of other audiences. Will you consider submitting a review today and sharing this episode with someone you love today?

When you pay it forward by supporting The Places Between as a ministry, you support getting the show into more people’s ears!! Want to know more about The Places Between, the retreats we offer and more? 

✨Visit ThePlacesBetween.com.

✨Follow @The_Places_Between on Instagram or swing by and say hi to Wendy at wj_Blondie! As always, keep enjoying that journey!

Jim Walters is the Executive Director of Servants of Christ International, Inc., a non-profit ministry supporting various projects around the world. Servants of Christ International (SOCI) exists to empower volunteers and faith-supported missionaries by providing administrative assistance for those who are called by God and sent by their supporters.

Originally from Austin, Texas, Jim was also an Air Force fighter pilot and instructor pilot in the 1970’s. He still loves to fly, after 5,600 hours in 50 kinds of planes to 500+ different airports.

He recently retired as Senior Pastor of Bear Valley Church in Lakewood, Colorado where he served for 21years. He and his wife Connie reside near Greeley, Colorado, where they have one son-in-law, two daughters, and three granddaughters.

We're so pleased to host Jim on an episode of the places between. It was such a thrill to tune into his incredible stories and hope you will laugh and cry along with us, too.

As mentioned in the episode, you can get your copy of When Faith Takes Flight the book Jim wrote, here. And learn more about SOCI as well at https://servantsofchristinternational.org/

https://servantsofchristinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Jim-Walters_When-Faith-Takes-Flight.pdf

Will Heckenbach - "Finding Complete Freedom" // I will forever be grateful for the moments I had nowhere to turn but felt the tangible presence of God in the redemption story of my life. And while there are stories upon story that I could share of God’s divine hand of protection in my life during some of my wildest and craziest choices, I won't today, and I will simply say I am eternally grateful Jesus had his hand on my life when I wasn’t choosing him first and the way he has worked both in and through my life up through today, it just continually amazes me how gracious and truly faithful and loving he is.

Today is one of those stories that almost seem too hard to grasp and yet knowing the life-changing power of our God, there is not one ounce of me that would doubt his rescue is real and possible for each and every one of us, regardless how far we get from him.

I'm both humbled and honored to dive into a story you just have to hear for yourself. From a young age, Will loved the mountains and everything outdoors. But an innocent decision spiraled into 10 years of drug and alcohol abuse along with a deep deep mess of depression and more. It was time in jail where a radical encounter with Jesus changed everything!!! He’s living, breathing, walking, talking, evidence of Jesus’ freedom and the hope Christ offers to all of us; and I'm excited to share more of Will’s story with you today. Currently he calls Tulsa, Oklahoma, home with his beautiful wife, son and brand NEW baby girl. He loves being able to pastor people, love people, and share the hope he found in Christ and says he can’t wait to see what God continues to do. . .

(And I can’t either!!) 

I hope you have that coffee hot! So why don't you pull up a chair grab that cup of coffee and dive in with us to The Places Between.

Learn more about Transformation Church where Will pastors at: Transformchurch.us or find Will on Instagram here. 

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HEALTH & FITNESS CHALLENGE: Want to learn more about the health & fitness challenge Wendy’s started this month?  Just find her on Instagram at Wj_blondie or The_Places_Between and DM the word “CHALLENGE” to jump in with us today! We’ve got space for you!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Enjoyed what you heard?!   We love getting 5 star reviews and subscribes when you can! This allows us to get in front of other audiences. Will you consider submitting a review today and sharing this episode with someone you love today?   When you pay it forward by supporting The Places Between as a ministry, you support getting the show into more people’s ears!! Want to know more about The Places Between, the retreats we offer and more?

✨Visit ThePlacesBetween.com to learn more about upcoming retreats, purpose dinners and more! 

 ✨Follow @The_Places_Between on Instagram or swing by and say hi to Wendy at wj_Blondie! As always, keep enjoying that journey!