Write this Down! with Dot Bowen

Got a question about today’s episode or something else you’d like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know! 

The story of Exodus shows us that God can work through anyone, no matter what our past looks like. In fact, sometimes our deepest insecurities and hardest struggles are the very places where He chooses to use us. In this episode, Dot and Cara talk about Moses’ life and the ways God makes Himself known to His people. They also discuss the idea that God always hears our prayers, even when we feel overwhelmed and abandoned.

Episode Recap

• Start by writing down Exodus 3:2-7 (0:13)
• Moses’ story points to Jesus and the way that God redeems all of us (2:07)
• Polytheism was the norm, but God showed He was the one true God (8:36)
• God doesn’t only want us to know His power, He wants us to know His ways also (12:42)
• Exodus shows that we don’t have to be perfect for God to use us (15:02)
• From the start, Moses was incredibly honest with God (20:52)
• Even when things are difficult, God hears our prayers (25:00)
• God wants to show us who we are and who He is (28:12)

Send us an email to let us know what you’re learning - [email protected]

Find Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook

Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at [email protected].

Watch Write this Down! on YouTube

Find Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook 

Got a question about today’s episode or something else you’d like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know! 

The Bible tells us that God keeps His promises, but sometimes it’s hard to know what exactly God is promising. In this episode, Dot and Cara share what the story of Joseph can teach us about God’s faithfulness, even when our dreams die or things don’t turn out the way we hoped they would. Pull up a chair and join us!

Episode Recap

• Start by writing down Genesis 50:19-22 (0:12)
• When we don’t know the specifics of what God has promised us, we can trust the heart of God (1:30)
• Joseph saw his dreams die over and over, but God was with him (9:36)
• We often equate how well something turns out with whether or not it was God’s will, but God views things differently (12:08)
• Evil exists, but God has a plan (21:16)
• We can trust God because God is trustworthy (24:04)

Send us an email to let us know what you’re learning - [email protected]

Find Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook

Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at [email protected].

Watch Write this Down! on YouTube

Find Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook 

Got a question about today’s episode or something else you’d like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know! 

From Genesis to Revelation, we can see over and over again how God keeps the promises He makes to His people. In this episode, Dot and Cara talk about God’s covenant with Abraham and disucuss how God continued to work through him even when Abraham failed to trust that God would do what he said. Grab a cup of coffee and listen in!

Episode Recap:

• Start by writing down Genesis 17:17-19 (0:11)
• We invite you to join us in reading through the Bible in 2022 (1:41)
• The Bible is full of stories of God keeping His covenants (4:27)
• God made a promise to Abraham and Sarah, but they couldn’t always see how He was working (6:17)
• Even after Abraham made a mistake, God reaffirmed His desire to work through Him (15:23)
• God stuck to His plan, but He still agreed to bless Ishmael, also (18:56)
• The more we get to know God, the more we’re able to trust that His plan is good (25:10)

Resources:

Dot will be speaking at Cup of Joy Ministries annual Breathe Retreat January 21-23, 2022 at The Cove in Asheville, NC. The Breathe Retreat is a retreat in every sense of the word, intentionally designed to allow you space to breathe in your Heavenly Father's love! Registration is open now!

Join me in reading Canonical:

https://www.bible.com/en/reading-plans/4

Join me in reading M'Cheyne One Year Reading Plan:

https://www.bible.com/en/reading-plans/24

Books References:

For the Love of God Volume One by D.A. Carson 

For the Love of God Volume Two by D.A. Carson 

The God who is There: Finding your Place in God’s Story by D.A. Carson

Send us an email to let us know what you’re learning - [email protected]

Find Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook

Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at [email protected].

Watch Write this Down! on YouTube

Find Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook 

Got a question about today’s episode or something else you’d like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know! 

In the story of Genesis, we see both the consequences of sin and the reality of a God who can work through any one of us. To kick off the new year, Dot and Cara talk about the creation story and explore some of the biggest themes they’ve noticed while reading Genesis. Pull up a chair and join us for this conversation!

Episode Recap

• Start by writing down Genesis 1:1-2 (0:15)
• The Genesis story shows us how sin progresses and multiplies (1:25)
• God grieved when He saw how sin affects us (4:37)
• God promised to never destroy the world by flood again (7:44)
• Sin entered the world and Adam and Eve chose to engage (14:18)
• Genesis reminds us of how easy it is to walk away from God’s will (16:26)
• Jesus’ ancestry reminds us that God can work through anyone (18:01)
• Only God truly knows what’s right and wrong (22:50)
• God is constantly creating something new for us to step into (25:16)

Resources:

Dot will be speaking at Cup of Joy Ministries annual Breathe Retreat January 21-23, 2022 at The Cove in Asheville, NC. The Breathe Retreat is a retreat in every sense of the word, intentionally designed to allow you space to breathe in your Heavenly Father's love! Registration is open now!

Send us an email to let us know what you’re learning - [email protected]

Find Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook

Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at [email protected].

Watch Write this Down! on YouTube

Find Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook 

Got a question about today’s episode or something else you’d like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know! 

As this year comes to a close, it’s a great time to look ahead with hope, but it’s also important to reflect on the lessons we’ve learned and the ways we’ve seen God work in 2021. In today’s episode, Dot and Cara look back at some of their favorite conversations from the past year of podcasting together. They also explain why it’s so important to understand Scripture and apply it to our lives. Grab your journal and a cup of coffee and listen along!

Episode Recap

• Start by writing down Isaiah 9:6-7 (0:12)
• Today we’ll take a look back at the conversations we’ve had in the past year (1:09)
• Jesus is the prince of peace to a world that is anything but peaceful (3:16)
• We are children of God (5:13)
• We can find hope in the darkness because Jesus came to give us life (8:21)
• It’s good to know God’s truth from Scripture, but we also need to apply it (14:21)
• Jesus took away the power of sin (16:23)
• Next year we’re challenging our listeners to read through the Bible with us (20:21)

Resources:

Dot will be speaking at Cup of Joy Ministries annual Breathe Retreat January 21-23, 2022 at The Cove in Asheville, NC. The Breathe Retreat is a retreat in every sense of the word, intentionally designed to allow you space to breathe in your Heavenly Father's love! Registration is open now!

Send us an email to let us know what you’re learning - [email protected]

Find Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook

Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at [email protected].

Watch Write this Down! on YouTube

Find Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook 

Got a question about today’s episode or something else you’d like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know! 

The angels first announced Jesus’ birth to the shepherds, declaring that God had come to earth to be with us and inviting them to go and meet their savior. In this episode, we talk about the parallels between this Christmas story and the truth that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Dot and Cara also share what Emmanuel, God with us, means to them. Pull up a chair and join us!

Episode Recap

• Start by writing down Luke 2:8-14 (0:12)
• Today we’ll dive deeper into the Christmas story and the idea of “God with us” (1:26)
• It’s significant that the angels showed up to shepherds first (2:32)
• Jesus tends to us like a shepherd tends to his sheep (7:18)
• Mary understood who Jesus was better than anyone (9:12)
• Sometimes God works in a way that we can’t explain to others, but we know it was Him (13:30)
• Jesus came to die, but it was all because of love (21:24)
• God spoke, and the shepherds chose to go where He told them to (23:40)
• The message of Christmas is Emmanuel, God is with us (26:04)

Resources:

Dot will be speaking at Cup of Joy Ministries annual Breathe Retreat January 21-23, 2022 at The Cove in Asheville, NC. The Breathe Retreat is a retreat in every sense of the word, intentionally designed to allow you space to breathe in your Heavenly Father's love! Registration is open now!

Join the “Safe in His Arms” 10-Day Bible Reading Plan

Send us an email to let us know what you’re learning - [email protected]

Find Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook

Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at [email protected].

Watch Write this Down! on YouTube

Find Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook 

Got a question about today’s episode or something else you’d like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know! 

When Jesus came to earth as a man, He made it so we never have to wonder if God understands how we feel. In today’s episode, we talk about the idea that Jesus is both fully man and fully God, and we explore some of the ways that truth can transform our lives. Grab your Bible and a cup of coffee and listen along!

Episode Recap

• Start by writing down John 1:1-5 (0:13)
• Today we’ll continue our conversation about the birth of Jesus (1:02)
• Each gospel has a different emphasis, and John focuses on the fact that Jesus is God (1:54)
• God created man in his image, and Jesus was born in the image of man (4:32)
• As a human, Jesus can relate to us (6:20)
• Jesus left heaven and was born as a baby to have relationship with us (14:26)
• Jesus’ scars remind us of who He is and how much He loves us (19:13)
• When you feel abandoned or misunderstood, Jesus knows how you feel (23:10)
• God loved us enough to send His son out of heaven and down to earth (26:14)

Dot will be speaking at Cup of Joy Ministries annual Breathe Retreat January 21-23, 2022 at The Cove in Asheville, NC. The Breathe Retreat is a retreat in every sense of the word, intentionally designed to allow you space to breathe in your Heavenly Father's love! Registration is open now!

Send us an email to let us know what you’re learning - [email protected]

Find Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook

Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at [email protected].

Watch Write this Down! on YouTube

Find Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook 

Got a question about today’s episode or something else you’d like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know! 

We hear the Christmas story so often that it can be easy to overlook its significance. In today’s episode, we begin to talk about Jesus’ birth, the reason He came to earth, and the hope we can find in knowing that death is not the end. Dot also shares a personal story about finding peace in the midst of grief because of the Christmas story, and she and Cara talk about the heaviness that often comes with this time of year. Grab your journal and a pen and get ready to hear some words of encouragement!

Episode Recap

• Start by writing down Matthew 1:18-21 (0:15)
• Today we’ll talk about Jesus’ birth and the reason He came to earth (1:26)
• Because Jesus died, we have hope to see people again in heaven (2:13)
• When Jesus came, it was to die for us (7:19)
• The miracle wasn’t at Jesus’ birth, it was at His conception (9:07)
• This season is a heavy time for many people, but the Christmas story reminds us we can have hope in the midst of pain (11:02)
• Do not be afraid (13:48)
• Mary had faith in the midst of the unknown (20:40)
• We can move forward with greater courage when we’ve encountered God’s love (22:38)
• Jesus taught us to focus on life over death, because death is not the end (25:06)
• “Our greatest need is forgiveness, so God sent us a savior” (27:33)

Dot will be speaking at Cup of Joy Ministries annual Breathe Retreat January 21-23, 2022 at The Cove in Asheville, NC. The Breathe Retreat is a retreat in every sense of the word, intentionally designed to allow you space to breathe in your Heavenly Father's love! Registration is open now!

Send us an email to let us know what you’re learning - [email protected]

Find Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook

Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at [email protected].

Watch Write this Down! on YouTube

Find Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook 

Got a question about today’s episode or something else you’d like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know! 

Sin plays a central role in the Christian faith, but what is it, really? In today’s episode, we discuss the definition of sin, and Dot explains how it’s sinful to desire something when we know it’s wrong. We also describe how acknowledging and seeking forgiveness for our sins can help us build deeper connections with God and with each other. Grab a cup of coffee and join us for this conversation!

Episode Recap

• Start by writing down James 4:17(0:14)
• Today we’ll continue a discussion Kara and Dot had recently about sin (0:42)
• What is sin? (3:54)
• Is desire itself a sin? (5:20)
• When God places something on your heart and you don’t obey, that is sin. (12:09)
• If you’re feeling disconnected from God, check your heart and see if there’s sin you need to deal with (14:40)
• It’s important to call sin what it is so that God can come in and work on our hearts (21:29)
• When we’re aware of our sin, we can have more grace toward other people (25:36)
• Sin doesn’t change God, but it destroys us (27:14)

Dot will be speaking at Cup of Joy Ministries annual Breathe Retreat January 21-23, 2022 at The Cove in Asheville, NC. The Breathe Retreat is a retreat in every sense of the word, intentionally designed to allow you space to breathe in your Heavenly Father's love! Registration is open now!

Send us an email to let us know what you’re learning - [email protected]

Find Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook

Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at [email protected].

Watch Write this Down! on YouTube

Find Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook 

Got a question about today’s episode or something else you’d like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know! 

Boundaries can help us protect our hearts and our relationships, but what’s the difference between setting a healthy boundary and building a wall? In today’s episode, we answer some of your questions about boundaries and discuss the importance of asking God to change people’s hearts and help us avoid bitterness. Grab a pen and journal and listen along!

Episode Recap

• Start by writing down Proverbs 25:16-17 (0:15)
• We’ll continue our conversation about boundaries and answer your questions (0:41)
• Boundaries are biblical, but for many people they don’t come easily (2:03)
• Anything in excess is unhealthy (4:28)
• Keep in mind that advice is only based on one side of the story, but biblical principles can guide you as you ask God for wisdom (6:36)
• How do I ask my husband to listen to me instead of dominating the conversation? (9:32)
• You can’t change or convict people, but you can look to God and ask Him to change their hearts (19:32)
• Sometimes, we need boundaries to let people reap what they sow rather than protecting them from consequences of their actions (21:05)
• When you’ve been deeply hurt in a relationship, setting a boundary can give you space to heal and forgive (23:46)
• Check the motivation behind your boundaries; it shouldn’t be about hurting someone or proving a point (28:48)
• There’s a difference between setting a boundary and building a wall (30:38)
• Setting emotional boundaries can protect your heart from bitterness (32:40)

Dot will be speaking at Cup of Joy Ministries annual Breathe Retreat January 21-23, 2022 at The Cove in Asheville, NC. The Breathe Retreat is a retreat in every sense of the word, intentionally designed to allow you space to breathe in your Heavenly Father's love! Registration is open now!

Send us an email to let us know what you’re learning - [email protected]

Find Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook

Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at [email protected].

Watch Write this Down! on YouTube

Find Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook