I am so excited to have you meet my family (minus a couple of members) today!  My parents, Dan and Patti Buzzell, and brother, Chris, live in Colorado.  My sister, Andrea, lives in North Carolina.  

For more information on Andrea's non-profit organization called the Bull City Woodshop, you can check them out here: https://www.thebullcitywoodshop.com

They are on all the socials too, so make sure to check out her awesome organization.

Be sure to check out the companion blogpost over on my website as well.  It features a few fun pictures of some of the things that we spoke about on the podcast.  You'll enjoy those!  https://www.thestoriedinbetween.com/post/holiday-traditions

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  I will be back sometime in January with some new content.  

A few weeks back, I asked some of my friends and family a specific question:

How are you intentional in your relationship with others and with God?

Today, I get to share a few of the responses I received about how to be intentional in relationship with others and in relationship with God.  These words are hope filled, encouraging and challenging. I can't wait to share with you these words of invitation on how to be intentional in relationship with others and with God.  

You will get to meet:

Christine Wells, Grant Wells, Patti Buzzell, Kat Whelpley, and Venissa York.  

For the companion blogpost, please visit my website at www.thestoriedinbetween.com

Today, I get to chat with two of my good friends from my University days, Joi Simpson and Jessica Perry.  We were all involved in the music department together and lived in the same dorms for the 4 years we went to school together.  Today, they are close friends, ministry partners, and the hosts of "We Digress with Joi and Jess" Podcast.  Check them out anywhere!  It was wonderful to get to chat with them about intentional friendship and I loved this conversation!

This is a TWO-PART conversation.  For the second part of the conversation, be sure to check out Joi and Jessica's podcast: We Digress with Joi and Jess.  Here is a link to their podcast, but you can be sure to find it anywhere you listen to podcasts.

https://anchor.fm/we-digressjj

On any given day, you’ll find Joi Simpson leading worship, teaching theater and performance, writing and directing plays, speaking before crowds of people, or even singing at Carnegie Hall.  And though she can seamlessly move from accomplishment to accomplishment, you might be surprised to learn that this talented woman struggled with self-acceptance for many years. In her own words, Joi is a native of Los Angeles, CA, where she attended Hamilton High Academy of Music. Joi received her bachelor’s degree in Music & Worship Arts from Hope International University.  She puts the “multi” in “multi-hyphenate” as an accomplished actor, singer, playwright, director, producer, teacher, preacher, and motivational speaker. She also is a cohost of the podcast We Digress with her longtime friend and Ministry partner Jess Perry. Together they bring theological perspective but with fun and truth. Joi is also the author of Beautiflawed the new definition of beauty that was released in December 2021, where she shares her journey towards self-acceptance that has been one filled with ups and downs, harsh realities and greater grace, all of which are reflected in her first book: Joi shares her very personal story of family, relationships, brokenness, and rejection, she’ll uncover the truths that allowed her (and all of us) to understand who we were created to be. In “Beautiflawed,” we’ll discover how the things we see as flaws are the very things that make us truly beautiful.

You can find out more about Joi at: https://joisimpson.com

Here is more about Jessica:

What do you get when you combine practical theology, training in stage and improvisation, and a passion for not only the Church, but the people in it?  Jess Perry is truly a Jill-Of-All-Trades whose eclectic background spans event production, music, technology, theater, and art. As host of the podcast “We Digress with Joi and Jess” with her longtime friend and ministry partner, Joi Simpson, Jess applies theology, wisdom, and humor to the shenanigans and challenges of everyday life. A vibrant speaker and preacher, she brings her love of people and passion for back-to-basics theology to groups large and small. While she has a deep love for coffee, cooking, and creativity, her greatest joy (other than Jesus) is being the world’s biggest fan of her husband, John.  Jess and John live with their super cute rescue pup, Lucky, in Savannah, GA.

You can find out more about Jessica at: https://jessperrymedia.com

Check out their podcast, We Digress with Joi and Jess, anywhere podcasts can be found.

For the companion blogpost and more information on my podcast, please go to: www.thestoriedinbetween.com

I loved this episode with Sam and Rebecca.  There were so many cool stories and such good truth about marriage shared here!  To find out a little more about Sam and Rebecca, read their bio below:

Sam & Rebecca have been married 38 years.  They have three adult daughters who all married pastors.  Sam is a Texan and Rebecca grew up in Idaho. They met in church in Phoenix, Arizona.  Sam received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Arizona State University and retired after 43 years from Lockheed Martin as a electrical engineer in 2017.  Rebecca taught private piano lessons since she was 14 years old, and was a music major at Grand Canyon University.  They have been in marriage ministry for 34 years. They had a rocky marriage at first, so instead of giving up and getting a divorce, they decided to find out what God had to say about marriage in the Bible.  They signed up for some Biblically-based marriage classes and as they studied marriage and learned to pray together, their marriage turned around and started on a path of doing things God’s way.  While trying to sign up to go through this Biblically based marriage class the third time, the leaders convinced them to start teaching the class.  They taught these classes for years and saw many marriages transformed.  From there they began to work with individual marriages as a ministry.  When they retired, they moved from the large city of Phoenix with its millions of people to very rural Arkansas Ozark Mountains and a town of just 400 people.  Just as they moved, someone gave their church in Arkansas a radio station and Sam became the station engineer doing all the technical work as a ministry.  When the station management decided they wanted a marriage program, Sam and Rebecca entered the world of broadcasting in June of 2017 with their program Intentional Marriage 101.  When Covid hit 2 ½ years ago, God provided the opportunity to start Intentional Marriage Uganda in Mbarara, Uganda.  From there God provided the opening to introduce Intentional Marriage Uganda to the capitol city of Kampala 1 ½ years ago. These broadcasts have had a great impact in the areas that can receive their programs.  Thousands have accepted Christ, hundreds have received miraculous healings and hundreds of marriages have been saved or immensely improved. There have been several churches formed as a result of people gathering around a radio listening to the program and growing to the point of starting a church.  They now spend most of their time busy producing the three one-hour radio broadcasts weekly and conducting marriage conferences over the internet to meetings in Uganda.  And Sam is still the station engineer busier than ever installing a brand new FM station going on the air on December the first.

Rebecca has spent many hours taking training to become a freedom minister.  She is very accomplished in this area and ministers all over the world helping people get free from oppression that can affect all of us from time to time. She spends many hours every week counseling people over the internet and telephone.  It keeps her busy when added to the radio ministry.

You can find their podcasts listed on their web page, www.hurtingtoharvesting.com/marriage or by searching on the free SoundCloud App on your device under Sam and Rebecca or on soundcloud.com on your computer.

Their favorite saying is, “You can have the marriage of your dreams if you will learn to be married God’s way!”

For more information about my podcast and its companion blogpost, visit: www.thestoriedinbetween.com

This conversation is so much fun!  Pastors Johnbull & Stacy Omorefe, founders and executive directors of City of Refuge Ministries, and I chat about being in ministry together over the past almost 13 years.  We reminisce about some of the ways we started and some of the ways we have seen God move over the years.  He certainly has been faithful!  Take some time to tune in and hear about what intentional relationships in ministry has looked like for us.

For more information about City of Refuge Ministries, visit www.cormghana.org.

Visit my website at www.thestoriedinbetween.com for today's companion blogpost.

This conversation with Emmanuella Afolabi Lorlornyo was so sweet!  I loved getting to hear some of her thoughts as a Christian single woman in today's day and age here in Ghana, West Africa.  She shares some wonderful truth and talks about dating, friendship, and serving as a single person.  This is a conversation you don't want to miss out on!

To follow Ella on socials:

https://web.facebook.com/emmanuella.afolabi1

https://www.instagram.com/ellalorlornyo/

For more information about City of Refuge Ministries, go to: www.cormghana.org

Check out my blog and more information about this podcast at my website: www.thestoriedinbetween.com

I have the opportunity to reflect on our last series of episodes on missional living and then share some stories about living intentionally.  I spend some time talking about 1 John 3:19-24 and how intentional relationships are really reflected in God's command to LOVE.

For more information on Southlands church, check out: https://southlands.net

For more information on Hope International University, check out: www.hiu.edu

I would love to get your feedback on the first series of episodes on missional living.  You can do that at my website: www.thestoriedinbetween.com or email me at [email protected].

This episode, 5 of my closest friends come together to share a little bit about how we met, how God drew us together through living in community together, and how God has continued to grow us in friendship and missionally over the years.

Meet my friends:

Jenni: Jenni lives in Pasadena, CA with her husband, mother-in-law, and two pups. She implements her social work training through managing a team of 9 project and change managers in her full time gig, while doing coaching and team effectiveness on the side. In her free time, she enjoys running and hiking, as well as hanging out with her family and friends.

Katie: Katie lives in Cleveland, Ohio and works in sales.

Gina: Gina is a lives in San Jose, California with her husband and two kids. She works as a chemist and enjoys gardening to bring together community. To connect over succulents and all things planty find her business, Plant n' Chat, on Instagram or Facebook as @plantnchat. To hear more about sharing flowers: check out The Growing Kindness Project on the socials @growingkindessproject of which Gina is an alumni ambassador.

Sarah: She lives in Denver, CO with her husband and 2 kids.  She is a stay at home mom with a passion for MOPS ministry & and a creative flair for wedding planning.

Bristol: She lives in Tallahassee, FL with her husband and 3 kids! She works in finance for a law firm and loves the SF 49ers.

For more information about the church we all met, check out: www.wearepcc.com.

For more information about City of Refuge Ministries, visit www.cormghana.org.

Visit my website at www.thestoriedinbetween.com.

Today's episode features Mike and Holli Mills who have been in ministry for over 20 years.  They have three children, Eden, Navy, and Ember, and currently live at Rawhide Ranch in Southern California.  

To hear more from Mike, check out his podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lies/id1645986020

Check out Rawhide Ranch: https://www.rawhideranch.com/

Check out City of Refuge Ministries: www.cormghana.org

This conversation focuses on a number of different topics all on the theme of missional living.  Benita shares how she has been engaging in non-profit work for many years, living missionally as God has lead her to work within her passions.  She shares about what it looks like to live missionally with her family, in global work, and in the racial divisions that are present in the U.S.  She shares her heart towards what missions looks like post-covid and offers her point of view of hearing God's voice.  This is a full and engaging conversation, and I hope that you enjoy Benita and my time together!

Guest Appearance: Jace Acheampong :)

For more information about some of the work that Benita is doing (as mentioned in the podcast), go to the following websites:

San Francisco Collaborative Against Human Trafficking: www.sfcaht.org

Devos Urban Leadership Initiative: www.dvuli.org

You can email Benita at [email protected]

For more information about City of Refuge Ministries, check out: www.cormghana.org