The Small Town Girl Podcast with Jenn VanHekken

Dina Horne and RandiLynn Talsma, sit down and share their experiences and their perspectives as self-identified Enneagram 1s.  They share the reality of having an inner-critic, what it's like to be a reformer, and how they have come to accept the role of anger in their lives.

We talk all things perfectionism, and how to embrace the brokenness of the world around us.  Plus...we chat about gardening, breathing, and why 30 minutes of silence might just push both of them over the edge.

Listen in today for some amazing insights on what it's like to see the world through the lens of a Reformer, and make sure to share it with the E1 friends around you.  

Resources:

The Road Back to You - Ian Morgan Cron

The Path Between Us - Suzanne Stabile

The Complete Enneagram - Beatrice Chestnut

Follow the Enneagram Journey at:

jennvanhekken.com

@the_jenneagram

Julian Newman, founder of Culture Creative, and Crystal Wright, Area Director for Young Life, sit down and share their own journeys and the ways that racism has affected them.

They share the importance of having hard conversations, being OK with stumbling as we grow, and taking a back seat as we learn from others.

Plus we talk about what it means to "do the work," next steps that we can take to move forward, and why it starts with nice, well-intentioned, Christian folks like you and me taking a stand and owning our words. 

You do not want to miss this episode.  YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS IT. Find it today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, jennvanhekken.com/podcast or anywhere you get your favorite podcasts.  

Where to find Julian:

Facebook

Culture Creative

Where to find Crystal:

Facebook

Resources:

"White Fragility" Robin DiAngelo and Michael Eric Dyson

"How to Be Anti-Racist" by Ibram X. Kendi

"I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness" Austin Channing Brown

"To Heavy a Yoke: Black Women and the Burden of Strength" by Chanequa Walker-Barnes

Movie: Little Fires Everywhere

Documentary: Many Rivers to Cross

What they Said:

"If you are unwilling to risk being misunderstood or even being criticized, then this conversation is not for you." - JN

"For us to actually move forward, I need my white friends to start doing [the work] without a video.  They need to start doing this without someone calling them out to do it." - CW

"If I say, 'I never owned a slave,' but profit and benefit from a system that advantages some and disadvantages others, then you have a responsibility to change that. And that's everybody." - JN

"This is a contact sport." - JN

"You don't get to be MY voice, but you can be A voice. You can be a voice that speaks for those who are not at the table who should be." - CW

"You don't get credit for thinking about doing an assignment but not actually doing it. You don't get to believe Dr. King's dream and sit back and watch the plight of people of color and the marginalized without doing anything about it and still get an A on the test." - JN

Jason and Holly Grate sit down and share their marriage story in Part 1 of this 2 Part story.  They share their rise through ministry, the slippery slope that led to the darkest pit they could ever imagine, and the surprising man who helped Jason out when he needed it the most.

Whether you have a marriage that is standing firm on a solid foundation, or you have found yourself in a pit that you can't get out of, you will want to listen to this story and be reminded of the amazing grace of a God who saves and redeems even that which we would call unredeemable.

Where You Can Find Them:

Facebook

What They Recommend:

Redemption House

What They Said:

"I think that a lot of guys who plant churches look at their gifts of communication or of music and think that is what planting a church is about...and I'm here to tell you that doesn't mean beans. If your heart isn't broken for the people you are serving, none of the rest matters."

"It was a time in which the church said...'it's okay now to have a drink,' and I wasn't in a place emotionally to be able to handle that freedom."

"Everything starts really small and insignificant, and you don't recognize what is happening because they are such small baby steps that you can justify...and you find yourself compromising more and more on things you used to stand firm in."

"You can bury those things in the ground, and you can put stuff over top of it, and you can mask it and do all of that stuff, but sooner or later it will poke it's head up.  You can't not deal with it."

Episode Sponsor:

PrivaMD Physicians

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Jean Syswerda shares her story of loss, suffering, and the faithfulness of God.  She opens up about being angry with God, the blessing of wrestling with Him in the struggle, and reminds us that God is big enough to handle it all.  Plus she shares how she found grace after loss, and how God is opening new doors for ministry even in her retirement years.

You don't want to miss this powerful episode all about finding God even in the pit.  Listen in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or jennvanhekken.com/podcast

Find Jean:

Facebook

Recommendations:

We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter

The Women's Devotional Bible

The Kids Adventure Bible

Women of the Bible by Jean Syswerda

What she said:

"I had to ask myself: Who is a God that does this kind of thing and do I want to follow him?"

"How do I balance my understanding of God with what my life is currently like?"

"Your view of God may change, but God never does.  God is still God and God is still good."

"I said to God: I don't know if I can trust you.  I don't know if I even like you, but I'm going to do it anyway."

At the age of 24, Heather David was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer while pregnant with her son Axel.  She shares her journey of raising a preemie while dealing with chemo, the importance of friends and family through the fight, and why ovarian cancer is called the Silent Killer.

Plus we talk about the fact that 1:4 women suffer from pregnancy loss, the trauma of losing her hair to chemo, and why she is fighting and advocating for women to know their own bodies.

Find Heather here:

• Facebook

Recommendations:

• "Nailed It!" by Netflix
• Alma College Competitive Cheer

Things you should know:

• Ovarian Cancer
• Pregnancy Loss

Jennifer Smelker sits down and opens up about the difficult journey that changed her life and challenged the way that she views family and community. She shares the journey that took her family into the darkest places, and the way that God's grace redeemed it all. Listen in as she shares what it's like to walk into the darkest valley only to realize that God is already there with arms wide open.

Find Jen here:

Instagram

Facebook

Tandem for Two

Website

Jen's Recommendations:

The Paris Vendetta by Steve Berry

Downton Abbey

The Rookie

Whiskey Cavalier

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Jack Ryan

Building a Storybrand with Donald Miller

Goal Digger with Jenna Kutcher

What she said:

20:52 "It was not what we thought it was going to be, and not the story we thought he was going to have."

24:36 "We just had to keep repeating: We love you and there's nothing that you can do to stop us from loving you."

31:23 "I wrestled with God about my son's future."

32:36 "Through that whole time, it was such a great picture of how he wasn't alone, and how much support he actually had instead of judgment."

35:02 "When someone is grieving, it's not about you.  It's about the person that is grieving. And we were grieving."

Larry and Whitney Jackson share their love story, which started with unexpected circumstances and ended with a grace-filled walk down the aisle.

They share the way that God used their daughter Emeline to bring about complete restoration, and they share their heart for marriage, for parenting, and for chasing after God.

Plus.. they tell us about their 3rd favorite day ever, and the surprising thing that is on their bucket list. You don't want to miss this amazing story, and you can find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or jennvanhekken.com/podcast.  Listen in today!

Becky Schmidt, head volleyball coach at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, shares her story of unexpectedly ending up as a volleyball player after getting cut from the basketball team, and the way that she realized God had been leading her through the journey the entire time.  We talk about today’s culture of sports and success, what it takes to build a championship team, and the importance of helping students “move the needle” just a little bit.

Listen in as we dive into the ups and downs of our success-driven culture and its effect on students.  You don't want to miss this important conversation.  Listen in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at jennvanhekken.com/podcast

Links and Recommendations:

• The Servant by James Hunter
• Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats
• Hope College Volleyball

Show Sponsor:

• Melissa Myers of Kar-Mel Financial Planners

This summer, the Small Town Girl podcast is replaying the Top 8 episodes of all time, starting with #8, Josh and Kim Rumpsa, who opened their homes and opened their hearts to the unexpected family that God had planned for them all along.

Listen in as they share how they went from a family of 2 to a family of 8 (and now 9), and how God has shaped them and changed them through it all.

You will be inspired and encouraged by their story.  Listen in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, jennvanhekken.com, or anywhere you get your favorite podcast episodes.

Rachel Adenaas, Mrs. Michigan 2019, shares the journey that took her out of yoga pants and into a ball gown.  She shares the way that being a pageant queen helped her understand the world around her and see life in a new way.

We talk about the importance of continuing to dream and set goals no matter our age, why serving others is the most life-changing thing that we can do, and why representation matters...even in the pageant world.

Listen in on Rachel's inspiring story on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, jennvanhekken.com/podcast or anywhere you get your favorite podcasts!