Conversations & Connections with Sandee Macgregor

Are you an aspiring writer? Do you hope to share your words with the world? This Friday on the podcast, I am delighted to share a fantastic conversation with a group of talented Canadian women writers who call themselves the Fab Four. In our discussion, they share their faith journey and encouragement from their pathway to publication. As a result of the writing group formed, they just released I’...

In this episode, you will meet Natalie Vanderlaan, the chapter director of Safe Families Hamilton-Halton Chapter. Natalie is passionate about caring for others and through the Circle of Support Model, she has seen God at work through the church using its gifts and abilities to meet the needs of her community. The core values of Safe Families are speaking to the heart of the ministry: Radical Hospi...

In this interview, Dr. Linda Reed openly and honestly shares various life trials and how God met her in her most challenging moments. Dr. Reed is more than aware of the hardships that women face today, and as a professor, she welcomes women of all ages to knock on her door and be encouraged with hope in Jesus. She has the gift of hospitality and is passionate about people around the globe. You wil...

Recently, I had the privilege to sit down with Josh Tiessen, an international award-winning contemporary artist based outside of Toronto, Ontario. Josh Tiessen is best known for his hyper-surreal shaped oil paintings that reflect the interaction between the natural world and human made structures. Josh humbly and honestly shares his love of art and how the early beginnings of his life shaped his a...

Shelly Calcagno is an author, blogger, writer, and speaker. In addition to these important hats, Shelly is a follower of Jesus, wife, mom, and grandma! Shelly offers a hope-filled message anywhere she goes (including her podcast, A Space for Grace) and speaks to varied audiences about faith, grief, family, legacy, and creativity. I love how she says, “All those things combined make up my heart.” I...

It truly is a passion of mine to share faith-filled stories that point to the goodness of good. Meet Linda Baartse, the Executive Director of Pregnancy Care Centre in Toronto share how challenging and heartbreaking circumstances led her on an unexpected path in service to God. Linda acknowledges that it’s the Lord that makes your path straight and that you can fully trust him to carry you through...

Kayla Hay shares her inspiring journey to faith from her early years to incredible ways God is using her in the lives of younger women today. Her faith in the Lord is an inspiration for all of us. Kayla shares how the Lord has been holding her throughout her life and how she shares with others the goodness of God! 

One of the hardest seasons of motherhood can sometimes be that very first one--when you find out that you’re carrying a little one inside you, and you weren’t planning for it! In those moments, fear and panic can take over, and if you’re not prepared, the future can seem hopeless. Lois Benham-Smith saw a need to provide holistic and biblically-based support for women facing unplanned pregnancies....

What happens when we try to impose limits on God? When we drift away from Him, it’s easy to doubt and lose sight of just how miraculous His hand in our lives can be. Liz Snider discovered this firsthand as a young woman when a severe bout of depression brought her closer to God than ever--and changed her life in big, beautiful ways. If you’ve ever struggled with doubts about what God can really do...

Have you ever struggled to forgive someone? As believers we have a responsibility to forgive, but if we can acknowledge that forgiveness is a journey and it takes time, it brings a sense of freedom and relief. Mackenzie Balmer has struggled with forgiveness in the past, but through prayer she learned that she’s not alone in walking that journey. God is here to answer all of our questions, and by p...

As moms, it’s hard sometimes to encourage independence in our kids! It can take us outside of our comfort zones, and it requires a radical level of trust, both in God and in them. Leslie Brushett is a mother of three, and has always tried to encourage her kids to go out into the world and find their place in it. Herself the middle child in a family of 3, Leslie grew up in a Christian family that a...

Have you ever struggled to say “yes” to God’s surprises? Have you ever felt unworthy or unremarkable because your testimony isn’t dramatic?  For a long time, Tori struggled with similar things, but after four life-changing years at Heritage College and Seminary that took her halfway around the world and back, she now has a different perspective on who she is in Christ, and on the power of quiet te...

Some of us don’t fully realize what God calls us to do until later in life, but for others, the seed is planted early on. This was the case for Laura Ross, founder of SEEDS Canada, an organization that seeks to house and support survivors of human trafficking safely. Laura’s story is a testament to how God delights in doing more than what we ask. Her work with survivors reminds us that moments of...

In this episode of Seasons of Motherhood, I speak with Tryphena Perumalla-Gangnon about what it's like to parent neurodivergent kids with compassion, flexibility and practical wisdom. Tryphena is a second-generation immigrant who’s passionate about sociology and education. Now a wife and mother she navigates her family’s varying needs with love and acceptance while speaking publicly about fait...

Have you ever struggled to set aside time for your daily devotionals? Do you sometimes compare yourself to others who seem like they have more discipline than you, or like they’re more clear than you about what God wants from them? In this episode I speak with Kenzie Cline, a 24-year-old worship leader and vocal teacher who spent much of her young life wrestling with those same questions. Attendin...

There isn't a lot of advice out there for Christians who are living with a blended family. In this episode of Seasons of Motherhood, I speak with Melinda Estabrooks about how God called her into the role of stepmother, and how she navigated this challenging but beautiful transition. Full of wisdom for how families can navigate the process of coming home again to each other and to faith, Melind...

If you found your way to God as a young adult (or even older!), it can be intimidating sometimes to encounter people like singer-songwriter Mallory Balmer, who grew up in a Christian home and was steeped in her faith from Day One. In this episode of Daughters of the King, Mallory offers us some insight into what it’s like to grow up as a Christian but still not understand what it REALLY means to h...

How did your faith come alive? Are you still struggling with it? Do you have questions? God can handle ALL of your questions, and in this episode of Daughters of the King, Sarah walks us through how she came to be on fire for God. Her passion for serving Him led her to do some extraordinary things, including founding The Omega Project, an organization dedicated to changing the conversation around...

It's easy to feel gratitude when things are going well, but it takes a lot of faith (and practice!) to cultivate gratitude during challenging times. In this episode, Amanda Schaefer and I discuss the practice of finding gratitude and leaning on God, even when it's hard to do. Amanda Schaefer is the founder and host of A Cup of Gratitude by Amanda Schaefer, a podcast that takes an honest lo...

That phase of life between graduating high school and settling into married life and motherhood is an exciting (if uncertain) time for young women. This phase of life is often seen as transitionary, just a step along the way towards what God REALLY has in store for us. But it's so much more than that. So many big, important things happen in the phase between growing up and getting married, and...

God never gives up on us. Even when we feel that our struggles have been too enormous, or that we aren’t worthy, His love is still there, waiting to envelop and uplift us. Priscilla’s story is proof that no matter what happens in our lives, God is faithful to us. It’s also a beautiful reminder that motherhood can take on many forms, whether we are called to mother projects or communities, or to be...

God is faithful, and He lovingly prepares the path for us, even when we doubt Him. On this week's episode of Seasons of Motherhood, Vanessa Brobbel reminds us that when we hear God's call in our hearts, it's okay to ask questions and bring them to Him. He can handle it all.

Social media is here to stay, but we don’t have to let it run our lives. As parents, it’s easy for us to live in fear of what social media is doing to our kids. It’s such a new phenomenon, and we still don’t know the long-term effects that it will have. At the same time, it’s a big part of the world that our kids will have to exist in as adults, so how do we help them with this? How can we, as par...

As mothers, our voices have a profound impact on our childrens' lives. We have the power to speak truth into their hearts, and as we grow up, our words to them will turn into their own inner voices. So how do we navigate this? In this episode of Seasons of Motherhood, I speak with author, mentor and speaker Heidi McLaughlin about the power of a mother's voice, and how we can use it to enco...

When your kids are past the point of needing you to be there all the time, what do you do? Years of acquired wisdom is the gift of being in a later season of motherhood, but what do you do with it? In this episode of Seasons of Motherhood, Janice Nikkel and I talk about mentoring younger women, which is something that's been on my heart lately too.