Worth Your Time

I'm speaking with Monica Kelsey, Pro-life Speaker, founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes! In the past 18 months, 6 babies from Indiana have been safely surrendered in a Baby Box.

In today's interview, Monica shares her story of being abandoned as a baby and great redemption she found in her life. Her story is hard to hear, but beautiful to recognize how God can work in every situation.

Safe Haven Baby Boxes are saving lives and giving moms who are scared and unable to parent, an option, even when they feel they have run out of options.

National Safe Haven Crisis line: 1-866-99BABY1

*Make sure your community is aware of Safe Haven Laws, so a baby is never abandoned to die again.

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K.J. Ramsey is a writer, therapist and person who suffers from chronic pain. In her new book, "This Too Shall Last," K.J. writes about living with faith in the midst of pain that may not end. She told me one of the worst things those suffering hear from well-meaning loved ones is, "This too shall pass." Thus, the name of her book. And, well, sometimes things don't.

In today's interview, I speak with her about living with her condition for over a decade, how she manages and what she does to remember God's goodness in the midst of it. K.J. writes and speaks about the way community and pain are linked -- and how our brains process struggles of all kinds. She talks about how she gets through her toughest days and what it's like to be an at-risk person during COVID-19.

A truly inspiring conversation with a woman who will touch your heart with her wisdom.

Connect with K.J.:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Recent Episodes:

Jennifer Allwood: Fear is Not the Boss of You

Alyson Premo: Founder of Sober Mom Tribe

Lauren McAfee: Adoption, Cancer & Trusting God

Out of Africa: Rachel Pieh Jones’ Fascinating Life in Djbouti

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Mark Sayers is a renowned author, pastor and speaker -- and I was so excited to get an interview with him for a bonus episode this week. His books, specifically "Disappearing Church" and "Reappearing Church," completely blew my mind with their incredible insight and analysis on the Western Christian church, post-Christian culture and what the history of the Church reveals about how God is moving RIGHT NOW. Mark's work came blasting into crazy relevancy with COVID-19 because he writes so beautifully about how God works in tragedy, crisis, transition and change -- all things we are experiencing worldwide right now.

This episode is relevant to COVID, but also important for anyone who cares about faith, the future of the Church and wants some good news about what God's doing in the West, despite what the headlines or doomsday statistics may say. His books inspired my recent Wall Street Journal op/ed and his work has influenced the aim I'm taking in my next book.

I was honored to get this interview with Mark (who is in Australia) so we were on different days while recording and please stay till the end because his answers get really good in the last few moments.

Learn more about Mark here!

This Cultural Moment podcast

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Jennifer Allwood is one of the most practical, inspirational women I've ever spoken to. She built her business from the ground up, with littles at home, and learned through time and practices how to grow a following and do it well. Today, she teaches thousands of women how to get their businesses off the ground, and keeps God front and center.

There are a lot of business coaches these days, but Jennifer's focus on faith sets her apart from the masses. She's teaching women how to make money online by working smarter, not harder, and tapping into their God-given gifts. With a focus on intention, prayer, wisdom and goal setting, Jennifer is a master of her craft. Her new book, "Fear Is Not the Boss of You" is perfect for any woman with a dream and a laptop.

Jennifer was so easy to talk to and you better believe I was seeking out some personal tips to take with me for the road -- and boy, she delivered! It was an honor and a lot of fun to chat with this spunky lady and I'm so glad I did. I know you'll enjoy this episode!

What we talked about:

Fear is Not the Boss of You

Jennifer's website

Crash the Chatterbox by Steven Furtick

Change Church podcast

Connect with Jennifer:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

YouTube

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I'm speaking with author and Jen Babakhan, Author about how not to go cray with your kids at home!

Jen wrote the book "Detoured: The Messy, Grace-Filled Journey From Working Professional to Stay-at-Home Mom" and it turns out, many of her thoughts and ideas are relevant during Coronavirus time.

In today's convo, we talk about Jen's journey from full-time work to stay-at-home mom and how she found that she was placing too much of her identity in her work title. Boy can I relate to that!

We also chat about how to keep kids occupied and take care of yourself, while also trusting that God has you in the right place. Don't miss Jen's free downloads for busting boredom and how to write a book when you are staying home with littles!

Gotta say kudos to Hopewriters for connecting us!

Her links are here: https://www.instagram.com/jenbabakhan/

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Alyson Premo found herself a single mom at rock bottom. She knew she had to stop drinking. And then, she knew she had to help other moms stop too. Today I speak with Alyson, the founder of Sober Mom Tribe, about her journey into and out of alcoholism.

Today, Alyson is free from the chains of alcohol and works with hundreds of women across the country to become sober and re-create their lives without alcohol. Alyson created Sober Mom Tribe after realizing there weren't a ton of resources out there specifically for moms in recovery. Many sobriety programs and books are written by the childless or single, but moms face very unique challenges and they need a specific kind of support.

I enjoyed speaking with Alyson and learning some of her tips for remaining calm and staying sober in the face of struggles, including right now during the Coronavirus pandemic. I recently gave up drinking and have found so many fabulous women and moms like Alyson who are empowering people to choose something better for their lives. You'll be amazed by her story.

If you struggle with drinking, or simply want to change your relationship with alcohol, check out Sober Mom Tribe or The Alcohol Experiment. If you like this subject matter, do NOT miss my episode last year with Annie Grace -- it's got way more on this topic.

What we talked about:

Sober Mom Tribe

Sober as a Mother Podcast

We are the Luckiest by Laura McKowen

Between Breaths by Elizabeth Vargas

The Mindset Mentor Podcast

Connect with Alyson:

Facebook page

Facebook support group

Instagram

Recent Episodes:

Lauren McAfee: Adoption, Cancer & Trusting God

Out of Africa: Rachel Pieh Jones’ Fascinating Life in Djbouti

Gracy Olmstead is the Journalist We Need

Manda Carpenter: 28-Year-Old Foster Mom on a Mission

—-> Wanna get new episodes when they drop? Subscribe to “Worth Your Time” on iTunes.

Sign up for my email list HERE for bi-weekly episodes & commentary on faith, culture & politics

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I spoke with with MaryKatharine Ham about parenting in crisis -- something she knows all too well.

When Mary Katharine was 7 months pregnant and raising a 2-year-old, her husband, Jake, was tragically killed in a bicycling accident. In an instant, she was forced to become the parent she never thought she'd have to be. She resolved to be resilient and face life's challenges with goals in mind, hope at front of mind.

She realized that many people are facing a similar, yet less tragic, dilemma right now. They don't believe they are the parent who can do this -- but they can. Her thoughts evolved into an IG video, then to a wonderful piece in The Atlantic called: "It's Okay to Be a Different Kind of Parent During a Pandemic:"

https://www.theatlantic.com/…/what-losing-my-husban…/609607/

Take a listen to the invaluable lessons Mary Katharine shares with me here. I've known her for many years and always been incredibly inspired by her grit, perspective and ability to live her life as she sees fit.

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Lauren Green McAfee has an infectious laugh and is so easy to talk to. You'd never guess the turmoil she's been through in the past year. The grand-daughter of David Green, the founder of Hobby Lobby, she was born into an incredible family. But when she and her husband decided to start a family, things didn't go as planned.

They began with the process of adoption, having no idea it would take 7 years to meet their daughter. After so many years of dealing with the adoption process, they finally brought their daughter, Zion, home. Shockingly, within weeks, they discovered Zion had a rare, childhood cancer that would require immediate attention. 

Thankfully, Zion is now in remission, but the experience was shocking, scary and a whirlwind for Lauren, who has kept her spirits high and her faith in God's plan in tact. Today we talk about that whole journey, as well as the book Lauren wrote with her husband (they are both getting Ph.D's right now!) about the Bible and why people might need to give it another chance!

Today we talk about that whole journey, as well as the book Lauren wrote with her husband (they are both getting Ph.D's right now!) about the Bible and why people might need to give it another chance!

What we talked about:

Museum of the Bible

Now What You Think: Why the Bible Might Be Nothing We Expeced Yet Everything We Need

Suffering by David Paul Tripp

Connect with Lauren:

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

Recent Episodes:

Out of Africa: Rachel Pieh Jones' Fascinating Life in Djbouti

Gracy Olmstead is the Journalist We Need

Manda Carpenter: 28-Year-Old Foster Mom on a Mission

—-> Wanna get new episodes when they drop? Subscribe to “Worth Your Time” on iTunes.

Sign up for my email list HERE for bi-weekly episodes & commentary on faith, culture & politics

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Rachel Pieh Jones has a very cool life -- and it's almost hard to believe. The mom of three moved to Somalia years ago with her husband and three-year-old twins, for her husband's job at a university. Soon after, the family moved to Djbouti and Rachel gave birth to her third child in a pretty dangerous scenario where no healthcare would be available if anything went wrong.

She ended up writing about that birthing experience for the New York Times and has since made a long, happy life in the Third World. From the Horn of Africa, Rachel has written an incredible book, run the Somalia marathon and started a running club for girls to encourage them to stay in school.

She's raised her children and offered up valuable perspective on American Christianity and life overseas in publications like Christianity Today, Deadspin, Runner's World and more. In this interview, we talk about raising Third World kids, what it was like to write about the "Mother Theresa" of Somalia, Annalena Tonelli -- an incredible, Catholic woman who gave her life for impoverished Muslims.

Rachel mentions, almost as a side note, that she is battling a non-aggressive cancer and honestly, that section of our conversation may have been the most inspiring of all to me. This lady has things to do and she isn't letting cancer get in the way!

Connect with Rachel:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Recent Episodes:

Gracy Olmstead is the Journalist We Need

Manda Carpenter: 28-Year-Old Foster Mom on a Mission

Krish O’Mara Vignarajah: President & CEO, Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Service

—-> Wanna get new episodes when they drop? Subscribe to “Worth Your Time” on iTunes.

Sign up for my email list HERE for bi-weekly episodes & commentary on faith, culture & politics

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Gracy Olmstead is a beautiful writer, her pieces published regularly in the New York Times and many others. As someone who ingests thousands of words per week, I make a point never to miss hers. She's writes about culture, faith, politics, policy, farming, food and more -- and does so with a voice all her own. Her pieces are often focused on compromise, human dignity and life and she has a knack for luring in both sides of an issue and helping them hear one another. So important!

Gracy is the mom of two little girls and grew up in rural Idaho. She's now in Virginia, where she gardens, bakes, writes and stays at home with her girls. In today's interview, we talk about the freelance writing lie and her process for coming up with ideas, as well as that tough mom-life balance when you are home with your kids and working.

I loved what she had to say about why she loves working with the earth in gardening and how she approaches ideas about writing with such reverence. She wants every piece to be extremely thoughtful and honoring of the topic at hand, which usually means no breathless op/es within 24 hours of breaking news ;)

She's got a new book coming out and recently started an amazing monthly newsletter that writers, book and culture lovers will want to subscribe too. Gracy counts writers she's loves to follow: Wendell Berry, Ross Douthat, Michael Brenda Dougherty, Elizabeth Bruenig, Emma Green & others. I second all of those!

----> Wanna get new episodes when they drop? Subscribe to “Worth Your Time” on iTunes.

Sign up for my email list HERE for bi-weekly episodes & commentary on faith, culture & politics

What We Talked About:

Gracy's newsletter, "Granola"

Her piece on "Feasting" that I loved!

Seeding Control to Big Ag

Her latest in the New York Times

Furious Hours

Dignity by Chris Arnade

Strong Towns Podcast

At Home with Sally Clarkson

Connect with Gracy:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Recent Episodes:

Manda Carpenter: 28-Year-Old Foster Mom on a Mission

Krish O’Mara Vignarajah: President & CEO, Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Service

Rachel Barkley: Fighting a Spinal Tumor with a Newborn

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