Build It Messy

A snowstorm, a rushed meeting, and a response I immediately regretted exposed a gap in my own foundation. What felt like an ordinary leadership moment became a pruning season that reshaped how I lead, make decisions, and show up every day. This episode is not about perfection, but about the principle that holds everything else together when life gets loud and the to-do list gets long: abide first,...

John Adams defended British soldiers after the Boston Massacre. He pushed for independence when others hesitated. He chose peace with France when his own party wanted war. Nearly every decision cost him something, but he believed principle mattered more than applause. As America celebrates its 250th birthday, I've found myself reflecting on Adams' life and the biblical convictions that sha...

I get personal about the question that stopped me cold: "Who are you?" Not what you do or how someone knows you. But who you actually are. It's the kind of question that should be easy to answer, yet so many of us freeze when we're asked. In this episode, I walk through two scriptures that completely reframed identity for me: Psalm 139 and Ephesians 2:10. One says you're fear...

I’m getting honest about a heavy day. The kind where I’m carrying burdens for people I love, feeling the weight of unmet expectations, and wondering whether I’m planting bitterness or growth in the middle of it all. In this episode, I take you with me to a moment on a bike trail, a stubborn rose bush growing under a deck, and a realization that shifted my perspective: sometimes being moved to new...

What if the prayers you pray today could impact generations you'll never meet? I share the story of my great-grandmother, Susan, a mother of 14 who would disappear into a closet under the stairs to pray for generations she would never meet. Those prayers are still speaking today. This episode isn't about having it all together before you start building a legacy, but the messy, faithful practice of...

There's a weight that settles in quietly. You don't always notice it until your shoulders are lower, your eyes dimmer, and the joy you once carried feels distant. I open up about a moment in January when a single verse stopped me cold: "A heart of peace gives life." The question that followed changed everything: Is my heart at peace? In this episode, I introduced a simple but pro...

There is a gap between moving forward and just stumbling through the dark. Between the clarity you are searching for and the heavy things you are quietly carrying along the way. That weight can become the enemy of your peace if you do not realize what you are holding onto. I share a story about a Friday night backyard scavenger hunt with teenage girls and the moment we realized why everyone kept t...

There's a gap between where you thought you'd be and where you are. Between the promise you felt and the fulfillment you're still waiting for. That gap can become the enemy of faith if the story you're telling yourself isn't the right one. I get honest about turning 60, starting something completely new, and what it means to trust God's timeline when it doesn't align wi...

There's something you're carrying that doesn't have a name yet. It's not quite fear, not quite sadness. Just a gnawing that shows up in the quiet moments, the thing you've gotten really good at editing out of your story for everyone else. In this episode, I'm sitting down with you like we're on the couch with coffee, unpacking four lies we've believed about vulnerab...

The middle is where most people quit, and not because they lack vision or desire, but because they're tired. They're empty. They've been enduring so long they've forgotten what it feels like to hope without flinching. I sit with that tension in this episode. I don’t offer shortcuts or platitudes. Instead, I walk through what it actually takes to keep going when the foundation is po...

The life you're waiting to start might already be under construction. I walk through what it means to build a foundation that can actually hold weight, the kind that doesn't crack when the storms hit. I’m not talking about perfection or curation. I’m talking about confession, surrender, and the daily practice of showing up even when you don't feel equipped. Through stories from the con...

Sometimes the people who love you most will tell you the hardest truth. For me, it came over champagne at 10 p.m., three months before my wedding. My best friends drove up from South Carolina to tell me I was marrying the wrong person. I knew they were right. I also knew my entire life was about to unravel. This is the story of how one conversation, one picnic, and one still small voice in a close...

Because Even Strong Women Have Places That Need Restoring. Build It Messy is the podcast for women who are winning in some areas of life and quietly aching in others. Maybe your career is thriving but your faith feels distant. Maybe you’re a great mom but you’ve forgotten the dreams that used to keep you up at night. Maybe your relationships need tending, your courage needs rebuilding, or there’s...