THE GOOD DAY PODCAST
Encouragement, the way I see it, is like the bread bowl. I never pass it up. I always want more.
Whether we consider ourselves writers or not, this is true for all of us: we live our lives in stories. We think in stories. And, we connect through stories.
So many of you have reached out and told me how much a post or episode or conversation meant to you. It's humbling but it's not surprising. We long to belong. When we hear another bravely share their story, suddenly something beautiful happens. We connect. Our circumstances may be drastically different than theirs or very similar, but connection comes. And even more wonderful, we realize: we are not alone in our struggle.
That, my friend, is the heartbeat behind this work. It is the reason I am not just pressed but energized to connect with other believers and help them share their stories, bravely share my own - all in hopes you might experience the light of God's love shine on you and find the courage to believe God is in your story too. And even more, so you can open up and share what He is teaching and doing in your life with someone else.
Because, here's the thing. No one gets the story they want. We may get some chapters we want, but curveball chapters are inevitable. Monotonous chapters. Heartbreaking chapters. Confusing or deeply dark and sorrowful chapters. And God is in these chapters with us. His presence never leaves us. But to experience His presence and the fruit of His Spirit in these spaces - and these pages - of our lives, we must learn to become aware of His presence.
This is my prayer, may we become people who are spiritually awake and aware of God's presence right here, right now, in the ordinary moments of our days. May we not overlook the significance of the ordinary.
Each season is thoughtfully and prayerfully guided. See a summary of each below and pull up a chair by tuning in wherever you podcast! If the episode encourages, challenges and inspires you, consider giving it a 5-star rating so it can reach and encourage more.
Know someone who should be considered as a guest, or you yourself have a powerful story to share? Check out the Contact Page to send me more information!
season 5 - talented
I've talked with people about all the different aspects of health - physical, spiritual, financial, mental, relational, emotional - and how it's all interconnected. I've talked with people who have been gifted in the arts and others who have a special knack for organizing, writing, speaking, teaching. Others who have gained wisdom and insight for parenting from their own personal walk with the Lord. Others who use their gifts and talents to help kiddos push past their limits and reach for the stars. It's been fun learning from people who have musical talents and gifting for hospitality and bringing people together.
You know what is quite remarkable? My biggest takeaway from all of these conversations and what I want you to think about as you join us for Season 5 is this: It is through the unique gifts and talents God has given me and God has given you that we are able to connect with God most intimately.
In other words, if you want to connect with God in a deeper way - of course we need to read His word and talk and listen to Him through prayer and worship and community and all the spiritual disciplines, but may I encourage you in another way that is not typically on this list? Embrace the gifts and talents you've been given. Identify these and talk to God about these and why He gave them to you, what He wants you to do with them and how you can serve others through them.
We're taking an entire season of the podcast to talk about this because we see in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus was very clear - the gifts and talents we've been given are just that - a gift - and we will be held responsible for how we use them. Mini-series for Season 5 include:
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Our Interconnected Health - spiritual, physical, mental, financial, emotional, relational
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Inherently Creative
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Fasting and Feasting
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Ups and Downs of Parenting
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Reach for the Stars, Kid!
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Power of Music
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An Unhurried Holiday
season 4 - "my peace I give to you"
Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." - John 14:27
We don’t have access to a temporary, “it’ll do for now” peace. We have the peace of Christ. The peace, which overcame the flesh's desire to react in anger and create space instead brought Judas close while fully knowing the betrayal in his heart and in the moments to come. The peace, which overcame the flesh's desire to react out of fear and run away instead reached out to heal the ear of the Roman soldier who was falsely arresting him. The peace, which put the needs of you and I before his own, enduring the beatings and humiliation, the confusion and grief of his family and friends - the peace to surrender to an undeserved murder on a criminal's cross.
These are only a few, but throughout the New Testament, we see Jesus filled with supernatural - not of this world - peace to move forward in desperate and unfair and unwanted, grievous circumstances. And how miraculous! He chose to give us HIS peace! …because He knew this world. He knew the anguish and the horror, the sorrow and the pain, the disappointment of life on earth, and He knew we would need His peace.
We’ll talk about:
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How do we experience God’s peace even when our circumstances are not peaceful?
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How do we get close to the source of peace?
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How do we enter into God’s peaceful presence?
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Can we really experience peace from our worries and anxious thoughts?
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How do we help our children do the same?
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What does peace in friendship look like?
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Can we know God’s peace in “the middle” of the struggle?
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What does peace in parenthood, specifically motherhood, look like?
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Unhurried peace, it’s a concept that feels foreign to many but available to all
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What about peace to make a career move
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Or, peace when we find ourselves on the path we would have never chosen
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Is there such a thing as peace from comparison?
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What about peace in immense grief and loss?
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How can we become seekers and bestowers of peace?
season 3 - sowing & reaping
"...A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." - Galatians 6:7-10
Though this is true in farming, it is also true in every other area of our lives, too. We can trade the negative emotions and distractions of hurt, insecurity and fear for strength, joy, and purpose through the power of prayer and praise. In Season 3 of the podcast, we're talking about how we can practice this more intentionally - starting with our physical fitness, then mentally and the value of paying attention. Next, we'll look at the impact this has on our relationships and how we can leave a legacy for the next generation. Finally, we'll learn how to steward our emotions and what this looks like when we feel overwhelmed by life's storms.
season 2 - home for the holidays
Home for the Holidays - we read it on cards, doormats, wall decor, plates, napkins, pillows and frames. It's on movies and shows and commercials. How can four little words strike such an emotional chord within us? Why does this little phrase have so much power?
Because it reveals something about us. Something deep inside us. Something that echoes through the chambers of our hearts and exists in the very fiber of our beings. It's a longing for home.
We long for home because we long for Him. We're created with this longing. It's natural. It's ordained. It's part of us. I believe we relish the concept of home for the holidays because deep down - deep, deep down - we long for love, joy, hope and peace this world can't give.
In this time leading up to Christmas, we can look into the things we prep, primp, purchase and place in our homes - and see how even then, we're drawn to something greater. Someone greater.
season 1 - the bible 101
We hide behind many things. Our status or our titles, our backgrounds or our family name, our schedules or our social circles. We may even hide behind our church attendance and call it good. And while we're there (by "there," I mean church), whether weekly or on a special holiday, we may do even more hiding. But, it's often more subtle. We may hide behind a nod.
Angie Smith knows about this nod all too well. In her book, Seamless, she writes: One of the first things I learned about successfully fitting in with Christians was the power of nodding. It made people think I understood things I didn't, and it covered over the insecurity of feeling like the Bible was never going to make sense to me. So, when they said things like, "I'm so inspired by Paul's courage," I would bob my head and make a mental note to investigate later.
Uh, can you say, ditto?! Enough with the nodding! This a nod-free zone. In this series, we're creating space for questions. Let's drop these things we're hiding behind and come to God's Word, humble and ready to learn.
It's not a "been there, read that" kind of book. There are new insights and wisdom to learn each time. It's the only book that reads you while you read it. And because we are not meant to hide behind nodding, we're spending some time to get an overview of The Bible and understand how it all is woven together for one cohesive story and how it includes you and me.