WELCOME HEART: Living a Legacy Life

Jan Morton believes that everyone needs to be and feel seen so that they know the Gospel love of Jesus and that it might be best accomplished at her table with homemade biscuits. A pastor's wife of 47 years, Jan surprised herself and everyone else in her church when she realized that she had never given her life over to Christ even after marrying a pastor and singing in the choir. She had to move her faith from her head to her heart and she loves sharing her story with everyone she meets. 

Jan co-authored the book Tasting Grace: A Mentoring in the Kitchen Bible Study with Leah Adams and now the Tasting Grace kitchen ministry is going on nine different states across the country. Leave a comment to be entered into the book giveaway. 

Some gems from our time together:

If it matters to us, it matters to Jesus.

I was mentored without knowing that was going on—we just did life together.

After I trusted Christ, I knew I could be myself and just love on everyone I met. 

God is writing your story and I want to hear it. 

I've learned to now pray about everything and delight in the fact that I am not in control of everything.

What happens at Gran-Jan camp stays at Gran-Jan camp. 

My best cooking tip is to make sure you place all your ingredients out on the counter before you start. 

I want my family to know that all of my treasure is in heaven and that I love Jesus with all my heart. 

Mentoring means to come alongside, ask questions and sit with another. 

Jan, a mother of two boys and grandmother of five, retired six years ago after thirty years serving in Houston County Schools. She describes herself as a content homebody, and a biscuit-maker who especially enjoys gardening, cooking, and quilting. Co-author of the book Tasting Grace, Jan also served in women’s ministry for 21 years.

She serves in a kitchen mentoring ministry of the same name: Tasting Grace – I think this is why I found Jan on Instgram – we have similar passions and both love making and serving biscuits.

A favorite fun fact of hers is being on Wheel of Fortune Season 33! Yes she won!

 https://granjansjoy.com/

And on Instagram. @jan_m_morton

Just for you:

Kathi Lipp's latest book is sure to be a treasure for you and hopefully for your neighbor who may need your chicken and wild rice soup that you just made!

Sabbath Soup: Weekly Menus and Rhythms to Make Space for a Day of Rest released October 8th. Beyond the convenience and peace of mind of managing meals, Kathi wrote this book to help you experience true Sabbath rest, a full day to relax, recharge, and reconnect with God and your friends and family. We were designed to rest—it’s time to reclaim your Sabbath day. This book will show you how.

Kathi is no stranger to Living a Legacy Life as this is her third time to be a guest on my show. Kathi and her husband Roger live in the mountains of CA and they have learned the joy and rhythm of "pre-deciding" meals, not only for their own sense of rest and refreshment, but also for those they know and love. 

Kathi Lipp is the Publishers Weekly best-selling author of over 20 books, including Sabbath Soup. She and her husband Roger ran away to the mountains of Northern California where they grow their own food and turn it into delicious meals for those they host.

And she will be hosting a giveaway all week long so be sure to enter and leave a comment below or on social media or just email me: [email protected]. 

Some gems from our conversation:

• The reason we keep sabbath is because it's God's gift to us.

Thirteen years ago, Sarah felt stirrings in her heart and spirit—she knew she was meant for something in God's great purpose plan. She just didn't know what. So she invited some friends over. Four came. They talked about their own dreams and stirrings and how they might fit into God's great story of love and design. From small beginnings—you've heard the adage—great things emerge when offered to God with humility and perhaps, some trepidation. REFRESH.ORG was born and now reaches 1,000's of women. I love how God does math. Loaves and fishes offered to the Muliplier and Distributor. 

Join Sarah Birkbeck today on my podcast and find out how God led her to help women "join the battle" to  do God's will with joy and intention. And if there's still room for REFRESH 2025,  she's offering a 50.00 off coupon to our listeners. Go sign up today! www.refreshwomen.org

Some gems from our conversation:

• We tend to diminish what God's put inside of us for his kingdom work, thinking that who we are and what we offer can't make a difference for him or for others. 

Sarah Birkbeck, wife and mother of four, is the founder and visionary of Refresh, a ministry dedicated to activating women to advance the Kingdom of God. She is a speaker, passionate about leading women to discover their kingdom purposes. Sarah lives in North Dallas with her husband James, son Asher, and daughters Stella, Skyla and Adeline. 

Find out more in these places: 

Instagram: @refresh_women

@Sarahhelenabirkbeck

Website: www.refreshwomen.org 

Christmas is my favorite season but I can miss Jesus in the rush and crush of it all.  Laura Crosby, a writer, pastor-teacher and welcomer—loved the Christmas story so much she wanted to help us hold still enough to appreciate all the Lord did for us. 

Laura wrote an Advent study during Covid for her church in D.C. and has since made available for all of us to share, and I'm so glad she did. You may remember my first interview with Laura. Here's the link in case you want to get acquainted with her welcoming heart. She included a simple and delicious chicken recipe which I'm making tonight just because I have all the ingredients and a neighbor stopping by for dinner. 

All week long Laura is graciously offering one free copy of her Advent Study as a giveaway.

"Choosing Welcome at Advent" includes 4 short videos, Scripture for reflection and recipes! All for $10.00 (Except for the winner of the giveaway! comment below to be entered - or email me [email protected].)

Here's a recipe sample:

Link to purchase HERE to get your own copy. Holidays are around the corner and you may need to consciously sit still, breathe and watch!

Follow Laura on instagram: @lauracrosby.

Learn more about Laura on her website here.

Laura just got home from a missions trip to Scotland and last year she raised funds and awareness for those in need by hiking the Grand Canyon rim to rim. I appreciate Laura's heart for the needy as well as her desire to make travel and do challenging things with a purpose. 

Some gems from our conversation:

• We might think that "this season of our lives" is too difficult to set time aside for God, but to keep Him first is hard in any season because Satan wants to distract you. 

I love Laura and I know you will too. 

Single in my 20’s, in a new career, a new town and a new church, I felt okay mostly. Life was full and purposeful, but lonely on occasion. I wondered why families didn’t ask me over for Sunday dinner.

All I could think of was that my church friends must have thought I had such an exciting single life, I wouldn’t want to come home to their normal, ordinary home and stand at the sink and peel potatoes or hold their babies while they got dinner on and then sit down at their table to get better acquainted.

But that was exactly what I wanted to do. To be part of a family, if just for an hour or two.

The Bible says God sets the lonely in families. I was lonely. I needed to be set somewhere.

I got tired of waiting. So I called up some people. Invited them over. Invited myself over. I had a precedent and his name is Jesus.

Sometimes you just have to make it happen and not wait for someone else to pick up the phone or send a text. I invited people over because I needed friends. I don’t think people thought I might be bad company or that I would run off with the soup ladle if they had me over for dinner. I just think they didn’t think of me at all.

Maybe that’s what loneliness is: To believe you aren’t even thought about.

Trishie's Apple Crisp

5 large apples

1 cube butter, firm

Peel and slice apples

See printable version HERE

In case you're wondering, it's okay for Christians to talk about their money. Why? Because all we have belongs to God, anyway. 

Today I'm delighted to host Erik Olson, a fellow podcaster and a wealth and money consultant from Holland, Michigan. As a Kingdom-impact investment adviser and retirement planner, Erik talks about not only money, but a theological view of our earthly resources that may surprise and delight you and maybe put a fire under your seat to do something worthwhile—PLAN something worthwhile—so that God is glorified and His kingdom well-served. 

Some gems from our conversation:

• As in introvert, I prefer a spreadsheet over a conversation, but I like to think I can come alongside someone and gently and expertly help them serve themselves, others and God better with training and counsel.

Thinking of writing your story? Susy Flory thinks you should begin, like today.

Currently in seminary working on her doctoral degree, Susy Flory directs the West Coast Christian Writers Conference, and knows a good story when she hears it. Raised by an Irish mother who could tell a good yarn, Susy is a 17 book New York Times best-selling author whose favorite books are memoirs. Today we discuss how she came to co-write her lovely book, Sanctuary about a young man named Patrick who lost his way and the rescue donkeys that led him home. 

She's offering a free copy this week - leave a comment to be entered.

Susy leads Everything Memoir, both a free facebook group with loads of quality free offerings, as well as a year long coaching group on how to write your memoir which will be starting up again this coming January. Learn more about both on her website: susyflory.com and find all her links HERE.

Some gems:

• I find people endlessly fascinating and I love helping them tell their stories in any form but especially in written form.

Megan Fate Marshman tells us what to do when we don't have all the things figured out: go to Jesus and tell him that we don't. And then we go to him again and tell him again. We need reminding. We are prone to think we are in control and what a gift from God that we are not. 

I just finished reading an advance copy of Megan's latest book, RELAXED: WALKING WITH THE ONE WHO IS NOT WORRIED ABOUT A THING and I'd love to say that I'm totally relaxed AND not worried about a thing. But I'm more relaxed and I'm less worried. So good. Buy one for yourself (if you don't win the giveaway) and one for that friend who may be worried—oh, that's every friend, or most anyway. 

Megan, a single mom of two young boys—her dear husband Randy went to be with the Lord at age 36—writes from what she is learning about grief and worry and autonomy and coming to Jesus over and over again. A knowledgeable and charismatic teacher of the Word, Megan pastors at Willow Creek Community Church, Chicago, runs the women's ministry at Hume Lake Christian Camp and is the women's pastor at Arbor Road Church, Long Beach, CA. 

Megan’s website

Megan on IG

Megan on Facebook

Megan on X

Buy Link

Some gems from our conversation:

We don't need to do more; rather, we need to be intentional about showing love right where we are.

God's gift to us is that we don't need to trust in ourselves.

Risk-taking is Christlikeness because you are setting yourself up to need him and the prompts almost always lead to love.

Anxiety signals me where I'm trying to get my security.

We experience a sanctification gap and we go about it all the wrong way to close that gap without God.

Grief has taught me to pay more attention to what really matters and less attention on those things that don't. 

We are called to be God's hands and feet to anyone he brings our way. 

We are not working on making a perfect family; rather on doing things right.

Anxiety alerts us that something is going on in the dashboard of our soul. 

We all have a story to tell and when we tell it, we can encourage someone else who may need to know and trust God a little bit more.

Julie Sunne expected certain things from God and when they didn't happen, she realized she didn't really know this God she was raised to believe in. Married 36 years, a mother of 4, Julie experienced 5 miscarriages and 4 live births in a stretch of 8 years. Their third child and only girl, Rachel, was diagnosed as intellecturally disabled and will need to be cared for her entire life. Rachel, age 26 but developmentally only age 3, continues to teach Julie about trusting and knowing God in his entierty. 

Julie's book points our minds and hearts to God and you'll want to get one for yourself and anyone you know who is struggling with hope. She's giving away a copy this week so be sure to comment here or on social media for your name to be entered. 

SOMETIMES I FORGET: 60 REMINDERS OF HOPE FOR YOUR HARD DAYS, a concise and helpful devotional to direct our minds and hearts to the nature of God. As Julie says, we don't just wish for something, we hope in God who is immutable and never-changing. 

In the pages of this book, you will discover:

--more about who God is

--how God relates to us as His children

Some gems from our conversation:

• When God didn't answer my prayers, I just felt that his blessings pertained to other people, not me. 

Follow Julie at juliesunne.com.

I’m not sure why we bother arguing with God. God being God comes with an unfair advantage but I imagine I’m not the only one who tries. There’s that Jonah fellow from Nineveh. He argued but he ended up—well you probably know where he ended up. Even Jesus who had a special connection, you might say, debated with his Father about the wisdom of what he was about to go through right before the cross. He went anyway. Alone, for the most part.

I should have known better than to argue. There’s no point. But processing out loud is my favorite and God already knew what was in my head. And, while arguing takes two and I did most of the talking, I did get an answer

At 30 I wasn’t worried about gray hair. I had a great life. I just didn’t want to grow old alone. I had a plan to love and serve God—but not by myself. Phone calls can mess up the best of plans.

YOUR TURN

1. Do you have a plan for your life? What does it include?

1. When your plans take a “wrong turn” in your view, how do you deal with your disappointment?

1. Have you ever argued with God? If not, you can try it out today. (I'll wait...)

How did that turn out for you?

If we remember He’s our perfect Father—and loves us even more than our own dads—and that he knows what’s ahead, we can relax. Instead of stewing we can wonder how He’s going to surprise us with something we would never think up on our own.

That’s one of the fun parts about following God—the surprise factor. It gets me every time.

TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD

“There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off” (Proverbs 23:18).

TELL GOD WHAT’S GOING ON (write your prayer or pray the one below):

Lord, God,

Thank you that you love me and that you are love so that you can’t betray. Help me place the truth of your character over my feelings. I surrender my plans to you. May I look to you in trust and expectation. I love surprises. Thank you and amen.