There’s a tension between vulnerability and wisdom—between wanting to be known and needing to protect what’s sacred. In this episode, I share a personal story about opening up during a hard season, how that trust was broken, and what it taught me about discernment, safe people, and guarding my heart with wisdom.

Whether you’ve experienced betrayal after being vulnerable or you’re simply wondering how to know who you can trust with your story, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, we talk about:

✨How to discern safe people when you're in a vulnerable season

✨Why not everyone is equipped to hold your sacred story

✨Biblical wisdom on guarding your heart and practicing emotional discernment

💛 If this episode resonates, I’d love for you to share it with a friend who might need a gentle reminder that God is always a safe place, even when people fail us.

Links:

-Subscribe for weekly posts 

-Read more on Substack

-Say thanks and Buy Me a Coffee

-Check out my book, How Much More?

-Say hi on socials: TikTok & Instagram

I’m so excited to share the words of Samantha Decker on Threshold today as part of Beyond the Labels—a series where we explore the parts of our stories that don’t fit neatly into the boxes the world gives us.

Samantha is a Bible teacher, speaker, and author of Unhurried, with a deep heart for intentional discipleship and grounding our faith in Scripture. Through her writing and teaching, she encourages women to pursue Jesus in the everyday moments of motherhood and ministry.

She shares reflections on faith, motherhood, and spiritual growth at samanthadeckerwrites.com, on Instagram @samanthadeckerwrites, and on her Substack.

In this episode:

💛 Samantha reminds us that mentorship doesn’t require perfection—it simply requires presence.

💛She shares how one ordinary coffee at a crumb-filled kitchen table changed her life

💛 She invites us to consider who we might invest in, or who we can invite into our own story.

Thank you, Samantha, for this gentle and powerful encouragement.

🎙Links:

-Subscribe for weekly posts 

-Read more on Substack

-Say thanks and Buy Me a Coffee

-Check out my book, How Much More?

-Say hi on socials: TikTok & Instagram

For a long time, I believed that having a big group of friends meant I was doing something right. But as I walked through the shifts of adulthood—and especially the trauma of birth and postpartum—I began to see friendship differently. In this episode, I share how God used pain, transition, and healing to reshape my view of what true friendship really is.

In this episode, we explore:

-The myth of “strength in numbers” when it comes to friendship

-Why losing friends in your twenties is normal—and sometimes necessary

-How trauma changes our capacity for connection (and why that’s okay)

Links:

-Subscribe for weekly posts 

-Read more on Substack

-Say thanks and Buy Me a Coffee

-Check out my book, How Much More?

-Say hi on socials: TikTok & Instagram

Today on Threshold, I’m sharing words from Bekah Buchterkirchen for our Beyond the Labels series—a space to explore the parts of our stories that don’t fit into neat boxes.

Bekah is a writer, speaker, and joyful apprentice of Jesus. She’s the author of Seen in the Unseen: A 4-Week Devotional for Mamas of Littles and shares beautifully honest reflections on her Substack, The Middle Moments.

In this episode:

🌱 Bekah speaks tenderly to the quiet doubts many moms carry—the lie that we’re not doing enough, being enough, or worthy of the title “good mom.”

🌱 She offers hope for the mom who feels stuck in the tension between expectation and reality

🌱 Reminds us that motherhood isn’t about perfection—it’s about grace, presence, and pointing our kids to Jesus.

Thank you, Bekah, for your honest and hope-filled words.

💛 Links:

-Subscribe for weekly posts 

-Read more on Substack

-Say thanks and Buy Me a Coffee

-Check out my book, How Much More?

-Say hi on socials: TikTok & Instagram

I thought a girls’ night out would leave me feeling refreshed. But instead of feeling connected, I ended up feeling more alone. In this episode, I share how God met me in an unexpected place—through loneliness—and taught me a deeper truth about assignments, identity, and belonging.

In this episode we explore:

-Why it’s possible to feel lonely even surrounded by friends who “get it”

-How motherhood doesn’t always fit into neat labels like "working mom" or "stay-at-home mom"

-The temptation to fantasize about other women’s lives—and why it leaves us emptier

-What it looks like to embrace your unique assignment from God, even when it’s hard

-The power of community that doesn’t demand sameness, but celebrates calling

Links:

-Subscribe for weekly posts 

-Read more on Substack

-Say thanks and Buy Me a Coffee

-Check out my book, How Much More?

-Say hi on socials: TikTok & Instagram

It’s easy to believe life begins at the next milestone—marriage, motherhood, the dream job. But what happens when you’re stuck in the “not yet”?

In today’s guest post for our Beyond the Labels series, Mary Spencer Veazey shares what it’s like to be 28 and single in a world that seems to expect something else.

Mary Spencer is a Georgia native and Nashville transplant, an author and storyteller with a gift for saying the quiet parts out loud. In her debut book Cul-de-sac Crossroads, and through her writing online, she speaks honestly about faith, identity, and trusting God in the waiting.

This piece is for anyone who’s ever wrestled with the in-between. If you’ve felt stuck in singleness, weary in waiting, or unsure how to hope for more without resenting the present—this one will meet you right where you are.

You are not too much. You are not forgotten. And your story is far from over.

Connect with Mary Spencer on Substack, grab a copy of her book Cul-de-sac Crossroads, or follow along on Instagram @mencervz.

Links:

-Subscribe for weekly posts 

-Read more on Substack

-Say thanks and Buy Me a Coffee

-Check out my book, How Much More?

-Say hi on socials: TikTok & Instagram

In this episode, I’m sharing a story about a moment of affirmation at work — when I felt like I was finally seen and celebrated for my creativity. But when the praise faded and life got harder, I started to wrestle with deeper questions: Am I still valuable when no one is clapping? In the slow, hidden work of healing, I heard a different voice — not the applause of others, but the steady truth of God’s love.

Today, we’re talking about:

-Why external validation feels so good (and why it’s not enough)

-How healing challenges our ideas of worth and accomplishment

-What it means to hear God say, “You are good,” even when you’re doing nothing impressive

If this episode resonates with you, I’d love if you’d subscribe, share with a friend, or leave a review. Thank you for being here!

Links:

-Subscribe for weekly posts 

-Read more on Substack

-Say thanks and Buy Me a Coffee

-Check out my book, How Much More?

-Say hi on socials: TikTok & Instagram

In today’s Threshold episode, I’m so excited to welcome writer and fellow mama Ellen Tate as part of our Beyond the Labels series—where we explore the parts of our stories that don’t fit neatly into the boxes or labels the world gives us.

Ellen lives in northwest Arkansas with her husband and twin toddlers, and she writes with such warmth, humor, and honesty about everyday life. Whether she’s sharing a go-to dinner recipe, book recommendations, or tender reflections on faith and motherhood, her words feel like a breath of fresh air and a hug at the same time.

In this episode:

-the shock of her first ultrasound

-the isolation of having a pregnancy and birth experience that didn’t feel “normal”

-how she’s come to see beauty and belonging in the places where her story felt different

Ellen’s reflections are a gentle and needed reminder that none of this—pregnancy, birth, motherhood—is truly normal. It’s all miraculous.

Connect with Ellen:Follow her beautiful writing on Substack: https://ellentate.substack.comSay hi in the comments and let her know how her story resonated with you!

—

Links:

-Subscribe for weekly posts 

-Read more on Substack

-Say thanks and Buy Me a Coffee

-Check out my book, How Much More?

-Say hi on socials: TikTok & Instagram

What happens when the labels we’ve built our identity around no longer fit? In this episode, I share how my journey as a “Christian blogger” was upended by personal pain, doubt, and a shifting faith. I open up about walking through a season of lament, questioning where my prayers went unanswered, and learning to hold onto faith even when it didn’t feel the way it used to.

Listen in as we explore:✨ What it means to write/create through doubt and uncertainty✨ How lament can be a sacred part of faith✨ Why Jesus’ scars matter when we feel broken✨ The beauty of persistence in faith, even when certainty feels out of reach

If this episode resonates with you, I’d love to hear from you! Reply to this episode, share your thoughts, or send me a message. And if you know someone walking through a season of faith-shifting, consider sharing this with them.

Let’s keep showing up—together.

💛 Connect with me:

-Subscribe for weekly posts 

-Read more on Substack

-Say thanks and Buy Me a Coffee

-Check out my book, How Much More?

-Say hi on socials: TikTok & Instagram

I’m so excited to welcome Rachael Adams to Threshold today as part of my series Beyond the Labels, where we’re exploring the parts of our stories that don’t fit neatly into the boxes or labels the world gives us.

Rachael is the author of A Little Goes a Long Way and Everyday Prayers for Love, and her writing beautifully reflects her heart for helping women recognize God’s love and purpose in the ordinary moments of life. She’s been featured on Good Morning America, Proverbs 31, and Crosswalk, and she hosts The Love Offering podcast, where she encourages listeners to make small, intentional acts of love that point others to Jesus.

Today, I’m narrating Rachael’s words, and I know they will encourage you as much as they have encouraged me. In this episode, Rachael shares a personal story about self-worth, identity, and what it truly means to see ourselves as God’s handiwork.

💛 Connect with Rachael:Website: rachaelkadams.comInstagram: @rachaeladamsauthorPodcast: The Love Offering

💛 Connect with me:

-Subscribe for weekly posts 

-Read more on Substack

-Say thanks and Buy Me a Coffee

-Check out my book, How Much More?

-Say hi on socials: TikTok & Instagram