Shalom friends!

We’re going to nerd out today with a deep dive into powerful Psalm 18:2— “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety." (NIV) I touched on this verse in my last podcast episode, Finding Peace in Christ when You’re Far From Home with Mabel Ninan.

There’s a lot we can learn about God, and ourselves, from this verse. I recently identified 10 (of many) questions I ask when I approach Scripture from a contextual point of view, and I answer several of them in this episode! I considered:

If you’d like a copy of the 10 questions I will be using in these solo deep dive episodes, head over here to download the PDF: https://mailchi.mp/18893c5c043d/10-great-questions

If you are a writer looking for a great community and your interest was piqued when I mentioned the Ministry Co-op, you are invited to check it out and register early! Here's the link: https://livesteadyon.com/ministry-co-op-open-enrollment/

Jenni’s bio: Jennifer Elwood resides in Yakima, Washington and hosts the Refuge Podcast and Bible Study Community where women cultivate their faith in the shelter of God’s Word. She’s a travel fanatic, coffee addict, and enjoys nerding out on Biblical context when studying the Bible. Going to Israel for the first time in 2015 sparked her desire to write and she has not stopped since. She’s author of Counting Up to Christmas: Twenty-Four Gifts from the Gospel of Luke and an upcoming Cookbook Companion. Stay up to date with her at www.jenniferelwood.com and @jenniferelwoodauthor on Facebook and Instagram.

Today’s guest, Mabel Ninan, is originally from India and was transplanted to the United States several years ago when her husband transferred her for his job. When she moved, she didn’t realize the loneliness she would experience - or how that would deepen her relationship with the Living God. She recently published a book called Far From Home: Discovering Your Identity as Foreigners on Earth and it is a gem.

Throughout this episode we discussed:

You can connect with Mabel through her website https://mabelninan.com and on instagram @mabel_ninan. Her book, Far From Home: Discovering Your Identity as Foreigners on Earth, is available from Amazon and other online book stores.

Grab a copy of my PDF, 10 Great Questions to Ask when Studying the Bible, here: https://mailchi.mp/18893c5c043d/10-great-questions

Author bio: Mabel is an author, speaker, Bible teacher, and host of the YouTube podcast, Immigrant Faith Stories. An immigrant from India who has lived in seven cities across the U.S. in fourteen years, she navigates between cultures, feeling at home everywhere and nowhere. Her first book, “Far from Home: Discovering Your Identity as Foreigners on Earth,” released in July 2022. 

Mabel hopes to inspire believers to embrace their pilgrim journey on earth and live out their identity as citizens of Heaven.  She enjoys reading, dancing, and traveling, but finds her greatest satisfaction and joy in studying the Bible and having conversations about her faith. 

She is currently pursuing M.A. in Theological Studies from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Mabel lives with her husband and son in Silicon Valley, California.

Shalom friends!

We’re going to nerd out today with a deep dive into beautiful Psalm 34:14— “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” (NIV) I touched on this verse in my last podcast episode, Finding Peace in Christ and Pursuing it with Debbie Patrick.

There’s a lot we can learn about God, and ourselves, from this verse. I recently identified 10 (of many) questions I ask when I approach Scripture from a contextual point of view, and I answer them all in this episode! I considered:

If you’d like a copy of the 10 questions I will be using in these solo deep dive episodes, head over here to download the PDF: https://mailchi.mp/18893c5c043d/10-great-questions

Jenni’s bio: Jennifer Elwood resides in Yakima, Washington and hosts the Refuge Podcast and Bible Study Community where women cultivate their faith in the shelter of God’s Word. She’s a travel fanatic, coffee addict, and enjoys nerding out on Biblical context when studying the Bible. Going to Israel for the first time in 2015 sparked her desire to write and she has not stopped since. She’s author of Counting Up to Christmas: Twenty-Four Gifts from the Gospel of Luke and an upcoming Cookbook Companion. Stay up to date with her at www.jenniferelwood.com and @jenniferelwoodauthor on Facebook and Instagram. 

Thank you for joining me for the latter half of my second podcast season! We’ll be focusing on finding peace in Christ, which I believe is the result of finding rest in Christ that we explored last spring.

My first guest is author Debbie Patrick, a ministry friend that I’ve met in real-life! When we had a chance to talk over plates of burgers and fries this past summer, Debbie shared with me the journey the Lord is bringing her through as she’s experienced a “too much” season. In this episode, we discussed:

You can grab the PDF I mentioned during the mid-reel, 10 great questions to ask when reading the Bible, at: https://mailchi.mp/18893c5c043d/10-great-questions

You can connect with Debbie at https://anchoredandalive.org as well as on Facebook @anchoredandalive and Instagram @anchoredandalive. Her book, What’s Next, can be ordered HERE. 

Author bio: Debbie is a survivor of cancer, metal poisoning, and chronic pain. She’s been a wife to one amazing guy for 35 years and has two beautiful daughters. They live in Western Washington. Speaking, writing, and spending time near the water are what she enjoys most. She is an advocate for metal testing and shared her story with the FDA in Washington D.C. Her goal is to see mandatory metal testing before all metal implants.

Here it is—the final episode in this podcast season! Today, you’ll meet my friend and author Susie Crosby as we engage in a conversation about surrendering in Christ as we pursue rest.

During this episode, Susie and I discussed:

If you're reading this before June 30th, 2022—it's not too late to enter the Rest in Christ this Summer Giveaway! I'll be giving away two gift collections to help you carve out meaningful time with Jesus (including Susie's wonderful book) on my birthday, 6/30, at 8pm PT. Check out the details and enter HERE. 

Author bio: Susie is an active blogger and an elementary-school PE teacher. She loves the beach, strong coffee, and the tuna and meaningful ways Jesus works through people and words. Susie is also a wife and mom, and makes her home in Seattle, WA.

You can connect with her blog and Just One Word Newsletter at https://susiecrosby.com. Follow her on Facebook @susiecrosbyauthor and Instagram @susiecrosby. Her book, Just One Word: 90 Devotions to Invite Jesus In, is available on amazon.com. 

You can grab a copy of the other book we discussed, Come, Sit, Stay: Finding Rest for Your Soul by Ellen Vaughn here. 

This week, we get to hear from one of my ministry BFFs Angie Baughman, a Pastor and founder of Steady On Ministries. One of her messages this year focused on talking to our triggers and I’ve found this process can bring rest to out of control thoughts—and I hope you do too.

In this episode Angie and I discussed:

Angie created a beautiful download outlining these 5 steps and accompanying Scripture. You can get it at https://livesteadyon.com/talk-to-your-triggers/

You can also enter my Rest in Christ this Summer Giveaway: https://kingsumo.com/g/b9zz5c/rest-in-christ-this-summer-giveaway  I'll be drawing for two gift collections on June 30th at 8pm PT (on my birthday!). These are:

#1—Sacred Rest by Saundra Dalton-Smith MD, Mommy and Me: Cooking with Jesus (a book I collaborated on), Strong Hearts Bible Study by Angie Baughman, The Art of Struggling by Beth Hildebrand, Counting Up to Christmas Cookbook Companion (coming this Fall), a set of rest-inspired Scripture/prayer bookmarks and a $20 Amazon gift card to grab something restful.

#2—Sacred Rest by Saundra Dalton-Smith MD, Mommy and Me: Cooking with Jesus (a book I collaborated on), That I May Know Him by Tina Wanamaker, Just One Word by Susie Crosby, Counting Up to Christmas Cookbook Companion (coming this Fall), a set of rest-inspired Scripture/prayer bookmarks and a $20 Amazon gift card to grab something restful.

Author Bio: Angie Baughman’s core desire is to live in fellowship with Him. Angie loves her family. Her husband, Matt, and their two sons, Alex and Josh, are the people she gets to do life with in Southern Illinois. Angie loves teaching. Nothing fills her up like leading a Bible study or sharing a message to a group that is heart-ready to hear it. Angie loves the local church. She grew up a preacher’s kid and jumped into ministry as early as her teenage years. She has served as a pastor since 2004. Angie also loves taking trips to Walt Disney World, sipping cups of hot tea, watching old Law & Order episodes, and almost anything with a paisley print. You can follow on her journey at https://livesteadyon.com, on FB @livesteadyon and IG @angiebaughman421. And you can connect to multiple resources on her bio link at https://linktr.ee/livesteadyon

You can grab her books at Amazon.com: Strong Hearts: Increasing Our Trust in Jesus through Examining the Lines of the Lord's Prayer or A Journey Worth Taking: Exploring the Significance of the Gifts the Wise Men Brought to Jesus.

Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/jonny-boyle/a-little-bit-of-fun

I am excited to introduce you to my friend, Beth Hildebrand, author of The Art of Suffering: Finding Hope When It Feels Like Your World's Falling Apart. Her book spoke deep rest to me as I read through the pages, so I just had to interview her! In this episode, we covered:

Here’s the link to my Rest-Filled Spotify Playlist and Bookmark Resource

Author Bio: Beth Hildebrand is a writer, blogger, mentor, the Group Coordinator and a leader in her church and community. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, and the young adult son and daughter are in and out of the house. She enjoys traveling, several forms of art, reading, and dancing with friends whenever there's a chance. You can follow her journey at https://bethhildebrand.com as well as @bethnhildebrand on Instagram or @bethnhildebrandauthor on Facebook. Grab a copy of her book, The Art of Suffering, HERE.

Hot off the press… I’d love to share with you a resource I created, including a Spotify playlist and 5 scripture/prayer bookmarks (to help find peace when your thoughts aren't at rest) for use in your summer reads! You can find it HERE.

Annnnddd, of course, I’m delighted to introduce you to my friend Chere Williams, host of the Faith, Coffee and a Kid Podcast and Blog. In this episode, we talked about:

You can access the 7 Ways to Restore, Replenish, and Refresh in Jesus PDF that accompanies this episode HERE.

Author Bio: As a single mom of faith, Chere Williams has reached out to encourage single mothers through her blog and podcast, Faith, Coffee, and a Kid. She founded the online conference Single Moms of Faith: Burning Bright Not Burning Out. Her blog was named one of the Top 15 Single Moms Blogs in Earnest Parenting and was named among the Top 50 Parenting Blogs at https://mykidsneedthat.com. She was a columnist for Moms of Faith, a Mom Mentor for Graham Blanchard Publishing, and has been a contributing author to several publications. She has an incredible 16-year-old daughter and enjoys spending time with friends and family, reading a good book, volunteering, throwing a good party, indulging in a good mystery, and traveling! You can follow her journey at https://www.faithcoffeeandakid.com/. You can access her podcast HERE. And this is her Instagram.

Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/jonny-boyle/a-little-bit-of-fun

I’m excited for you to meet my hometown friend, speaker and author, Tina Wanamaker. In this episode we discussed:

Author Bio: Tina is a lover of Jesus, wife of 21 years, mother to 4, homeschool teacher, jail Chaplain, international ministry leader, author, and speaker. Her goal is to encourage growth in Christ by knowing Him in the practicalities of life. You can stay in touch with Tina at https://tinawanamaker.com.

If you’re close to Washington State, you may want to pencil in the Focus Conference on October 15th. You can learn details about this upcoming one-day, in-person event HERE. 

Tina’s books include:

Characteristics of a Christian Woman: A Focus on the Characteristics Portrayed by a Woman Following after God 

That I may Know Him: A Deeper Walk in Relationship in Christ

My guest today is the wonderful Melanie Chitwood! In this episode, we talk about all things biblical self-care.

I wanted to let you know about a self-care giveaway that Melanie is offering right now! You can find all the details through her socials @melanieschitwood on Facebook and Instagram. 

And now, let’s dive into the recap:

Books we referenced—

Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero 

Sacred Rest by Saundra Dalton-Smith, MD 

Author Bio: Melanie Chitwood is a writer, writing coach, and editor. She’s the author of Harvest House books, What a Husband Needs from His Wife and What a Wife Needs from Her Husband.

For the past six years she’s been a writing coach and editor, working with Christian nonfiction writers of all abilities. She writes at https://melanieschitwood.com where she offers two blogs:

1) Writing Tips

2) Doing the Best We Can, where she writes about biblical self-care.

Her favorite times are spent with family and friends around her farm table, playing games, telling stories, and laughing hard. She’s a former Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker and writer and is a P31 COMPEL Writers' Membership Site blogger. You can find her on the socials @MelanieSChitwood on Facebook and Instagram.