No one is promised easy - not even believers in Jesus. But how do we maintain our hope in the midst of the hard? In this episode, we discuss accepting where God has us, even when life isn't going as planned. Because of the resurrection, we are spiritually hard-wired to do hard with hope!

Head over to this website to access Emily Pearle Kingsley's poignant essay, Welcome to Holland.

Ditching Regret and Embracing Hope Series:
Episodes #37 and #38

Grab the Hope-filled Spotify playlist I created for you here.

I'm praying for you as you slow down and take a grateful and curious look around your "Holland."  

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*As an Amazon Associate, I make a few cents if you buy one of the books I've linked to above. Enjoy!

If you struggle with depression or depressive episodes and often wonder, "How can I function better when I'm in a funk?" - Episode #75 is for you, my sister!

In this candid and insightful two-part series, author Jessica Van Roekel and podcast host Shelly Snead share their journeys with depression, offering practical advice, faith-based reflections, and real-life strategies for managing this often overwhelming condition. From navigating difficult emotions to finding healthy coping mechanisms, part two of this conversation delves into the importance of self-awareness and seeking professional help, spiritual guidance, and accountability.

(If you missed part one, head back to Episode #73 and listen in for the beginning of our conversation!)

In this conversation about depression, we discuss:

• The Struggles of Depression in Relationships
• Faith and Communication
• Tracking Mental Health for Greater Self-Awareness
• The Role of Therapy and Medication
• Support and Accountability
• How Personal Habits Help or Hinder Bouts of Depression
• Understanding Condemnation vs. Conviction
• The Complexities of Hormonal Changes

Scriptures Mentioned in Episode #75:

• Proverbs 10:19
• Psalm 77:19

Connect With Jessica at www.welcomegrace.com.

Send your review screenshot to [email protected] to be entered in the drawing for Jessica's book, Reframing Rejection.

For more on this and similar topics, check out:
Episode #23 - Strategies for the New Year If You're Feeling Stuck
Episode #58 - Content In My Calling: Finding Peace and Purpose In My Current Season

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I’d love to speak at your women’s event or retreat - check out my website!

*As an Amazon Associate, I make a few cents if you buy one of the books I've linked to above. Enjoy!

In this episode, we explore the struggle of feeling discontent. Have you ever found yourself longing for what someone else has or frustrated with your own lot in life? If so, you're not alone. Join us as we explore the complex emotions tied to our limitations and the journey toward finding true contentment.

This episode of the UnPerfect Podcast is for anyone wrestling with the following questions:

• Are you currently in a season that feels unfair?
• What limitations are you grappling with?
• How can you practice contentment in your daily life?

Topics we explore in this episode:

• My own personal journey with feelings of discontentment
• Examples from the life of Paul
• Six practical steps to cultivate contentment in our lives
• Curious versus compulsory contentment

Resources mentioned in Episode #74: 6 Steps to Cultivating Contentment:

• Jeremiah Burroughs' The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment
• Jon Acuff’s books All It Takes Is A Goal and How Teens Win
• Episodes #39 and #40: Trading One Habit for Another with Jody Allen
• Episode #45: How to Read the Bible In A Fresh Way (grab the free printable, 10 Creative Ways to Read the Bible, here)

Grab your free printable download, Cultivating Contentment, here!

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Loved this episode?! Leave a 5-star rating (and review)! Instructions here for the technologically challenged.

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Claim your free UnPerfect printable download, The UnPerfect Promises of God: Five Biblical Affirmations for Living in the Now and the Not Yet

I’d love to speak at your women’s event or retreat - check out my website!

*As an Amazon Associate, I make a few cents if you buy one of the books I've linked to above. Enjoy!

Have you ever struggled with depression or depressive episodes? With seasons of unexplained anger aimed at those around you? With feelings that are all over the map depending on the week or the day? Then this episode is my gift to you: You are not alone in navigating depression!

In the first of this two-part series, author/speaker Jessica Van Roekel and I candidly discuss our struggles with depression. We offer insight into how depression manifests in different ways and the importance of self-awareness when navigating depression and depressive episodes.

Topics we unpack in the episode on navigating depression:

• Our Personal Journeys with Depression
• Types of Depression - stints caused by physiological factors, circumstances outside of us, and the combination of both
• Anger as a Symptom of Depression - managing our choices in the moment
• The Role of Self-Awareness in Managing Depression
• Giving Grace to Ourselves in the Struggle
• Seeking Professional Help
• Practical Advice - strategies that calm, comfort, and control the symptoms

Connect with Jessica Van Roekel, author of Reframing Rejection: How Looking Through A Different Lens Changing Everything, at her website here!

A previous episode with Jessica #50 How to Handle Rejection: Giving Grace and Processing Rejected Feelings Through the Lens of the Bible

More on similar topics:
* Episode #27 How To Overcome Anger (and Minimize Stress)
* Episode #32 Actually Finding Jesus In the Land of Our Captivity 

Support the show

Loved this episode?! Leave a 5-star rating (and review)! Instructions here for the technologically challenged.

Join my newsletter and never miss an episode or update!

Claim your free UnPerfect printable download, The UnPerfect Promises of God: Five Biblical Affirmations for Living in the Now and the Not Yet

I’d love to speak at your women’s event or retreat - check out my website!

*As an Amazon Associate, I make a few cents if you buy one of the books I've linked to above. Enjoy!

In this heartfelt episode, we tackle the common struggles many face during the holiday season—regret, stress, and the challenge of staying connected with loved ones. Eliminating stress during the holidays is possible! If you’ve ever wondered how to enjoy the holidays without feeling overwhelmed, this episode is for you!

Stress can overshadow the beauty and joy of the holidays, leading to feelings of disappointment and exhaustion. But there is a way to be intentional about having a life-giving holiday season for us as women. We can't control everything, but we can do some introspection and set goals to keep us centered on what our hearts hope for during this season.

Grab your free printable download, "My Holiday Personal Inventory and Goals Assessment," here! And get started planning your peace-filled holiday season!

Podcasts and books mentioned in this episode:

• The Balanced Momcast - Your Holiday "To-Don't" List
• Episodes #11 and #12 - How To Reel In Busyness
• Saundra Dalton-Smith's book - Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity
• John Mark Comer's book - The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World

Support the show

Loved this episode?! Leave a 5-star rating (and review)! Instructions here for the technologically challenged.

Join my newsletter and never miss an episode or update!

Claim your free UnPerfect printable download, The UnPerfect Promises of God: Five Biblical Affirmations for Living in the Now and the Not Yet

I’d love to speak at your women’s event or retreat - check out my website!

*As an Amazon Associate, I make a few cents if you buy one of the books I've linked to above. Enjoy!

In this heartfelt episode, we explore the complexities of widowhood with author and grief expert Marilyn Nutter. She shares her personal experiences of loss, the concept of secondary losses, and the importance of finding hope in grief and loss.

If you missed episode #69 (part 1 of this interview), you can catch it here.

In this episode, Marilyn encourages - and, at times, challenges - us in our grief and loss by discussing the following topics:
 

• Primary vs. secondary losses - they are equally profound
• Recognizing future losses - in life events that unfold after our loved one's death
• Allowing yourself a personal grief journey - not comparing it to others
• Embracing Individuality - the uniqueness of grief and loss
• Understanding the true meaning of Biblical Hope - it's not just wishful thinking

Grab Marilyn's books and connect with her at www.maryilynnutter.com.

More on Grief and Loss...
#7 Find Healing in Grieving What Never Was
#31 Restoration from Sexual Brokenness in the Grace of Jesus 

Support the show

Loved this episode?! Leave a 5-star rating (and review)! Instructions here for the technologically challenged.

Join my newsletter and never miss an episode or update!

Claim your free UnPerfect printable download, The UnPerfect Promises of God: Five Biblical Affirmations for Living in the Now and the Not Yet

I’d love to speak at your women’s event or retreat - check out my website!

*As an Amazon Associate, I make a few cents if you buy one of the books I've linked to above. Enjoy!

In this episode, we explore the unexpected ways God answers our prayers and the tension that results when they’re not the ones we’d choose. We look to the gospels for an out-of-the-box idea on how to trust God’s methods when we don’t get to choose our healing.

If you're pondering any of these statements, this episode is for you:

• I'm waiting for an answer from God - a healing - mental, physical, emotional, or relational.
• I'm frustrated with how God is choosing to act on my behalf.
• I desire to rest in Jesus alone, despite the result of my prayers.

Episode #70 discusses learning to trust God's methods and suggests that deepened trust is the most significant healing.

Grab this week's free printable "My God Gift-Registry," here!

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Loved this episode?! Leave a 5-star rating (and review)! Instructions here for the technologically challenged.

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*As an Amazon Associate, I make a few cents if you buy one of the books I've linked to above. Enjoy!

In this heartfelt episode, we explore the complexities of widowhood and how friends and loved ones can offer support. Our guest, Marilyn Nutter,  shares personal insights on grief, the importance of being present, and the impact of genuine connection during loss. Through her experiences of finding hope in widowhood, we learn valuable lessons on empathy, understanding, and selfless love.

Episode #69, Finding Hope In Widowhood, includes:

• Personal Experiences of Grief: The guest shares her journey of navigating widowhood and the adjustments she faced in everyday life, including the emotional and practical challenges.
• The Importance of Being Present: We discuss how crucial it is for friends and family to stay connected and the loneliness accompanying loss when support fades.
• Navigating Expectations and Timing: We explore the pitfalls of imposing our timelines on those who are grieving and the ongoing nature of grief that doesn't conform to societal norms.

Tune in to Episode #72 for the rest of our conversation.

Click below to order Marilyn's hope-filled books:
Hope For Widows: Reflections on Mourning, Living and Change
Destination Hope: A Travel Companion for When Life Falls Apart

Or visit her at www.marilynnutter.com.

Check out these episodes on similar topics:
#7 Find Healing in Grieving What Never Was
#56 Struggling to Believe God is Good When He Promises Pain 

Support the show

Loved this episode?! Leave a 5-star rating (and review)! Instructions here for the technologically challenged.

Join my newsletter and never miss an episode or update!

Claim your free UnPerfect printable download, The UnPerfect Promises of God: Five Biblical Affirmations for Living in the Now and the Not Yet

I’d love to speak at your women’s event or retreat - check out my website!

*As an Amazon Associate, I make a few cents if you buy one of the books I've linked to above. Enjoy!

Let's be real—it is often hard to love difficult people. In this episode, we explore the complexities of loving like Jesus, especially those we disagree with most.

We need supernatural power and perspective to love difficult people in many situations. Some show up during election season, the annual HOA meeting, at work, church, or even in our own homes. This week, in Episode #68 of the UnPerfect Podcast, we look at how Jesus loved people well.

In this episode on loving like Jesus, we discuss:

• Following Jesus' model of praying before speaking
• Studying Jesus' practice of hospitality
• Understanding the impact our emotions have on our engagement with others
• Untangling lesser passions from our gospel mission 
• Pinpointing our true enemy
• Practicing empathic listening as an act of love
• Pursuing Truth as we engage with others

Grab your free printable, 7 Ways to Love Like Jesus, HERE!

Other items mentioned in episode #68:

Christians In the Age of Outrage: How to Bring Our Best When the World Is At Its Worst, by Ed Stetzer

Dan and Me: My Coming Out as a Friend of Dan Cathy and Chick-fil-A, by Shane Windmeyer, HuffPost, 2017.

Podcast Episodes mentioned:
Episode #29, Healthy Ways to Listen to the Stories Others Tell Us
Episode #46, How to Be A Better Listener Through Empathic Listening

Support the show

Loved this episode?! Leave a 5-star rating (and review)! Instructions here for the technologically challenged.

Join my newsletter and never miss an episode or update!

Claim your free UnPerfect printable download, The UnPerfect Promises of God: Five Biblical Affirmations for Living in the Now and the Not Yet

I’d love to speak at your women’s event or retreat - check out my website!

*As an Amazon Associate, I make a few cents if you buy one of the books I've linked to above. Enjoy!

In Episode #67 of UnPerfect, we continue the honest discussion on marriage between two couples who have known each other for over 25 years. We have seen God show up in some very difficult seasons as we have fought for a thriving marriage.

If you missed the first half of our conversation, you can listen to it here. We shared our stories and talked about what made us stick it out, and three keys to navigating marriage challenges well: selflessness, commitment, and growth.

This week we take a deeper look at what makes a thriving marriage:

• How varying approaches to conflict resolution can impact your relationship
• The significance of addressing issues before they escalate
• Why taking time to process emotions can lead to healthier discussions
• The power of prayer in promoting growth in both you and your spouse
• How creativity and intentional dates help to maintain intimacy and fun in your marriage
• Why Biblical Community - surrounding yourself with other Christ-centered couples - is a necessity for enhancing your marriage and providing encouragement during tough times

 Ephesians 4:2

More on this topic:
Episode #57 My Husband Is Addicted to Pornography, Now What?
Episode #46 How To Be A Better Listener
Doing Life With Your Adult Children (blog post/book review)
Episode #27 Overcoming Anger

Support the show

Loved this episode?! Leave a 5-star rating (and review)! Instructions here for the technologically challenged.

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Claim your free UnPerfect printable download, The UnPerfect Promises of God: Five Biblical Affirmations for Living in the Now and the Not Yet

I’d love to speak at your women’s event or retreat - check out my website!

*As an Amazon Associate, I make a few cents if you buy one of the books I've linked to above. Enjoy!