Dear Daughters

Do you sometimes feel like you're doing life alone? Do you wish you could have someone who was right there with you, day in and day out, to encourage you? Today I'm talking about the importance of strengthening your inner self to know more and more about God's love so that you can feel his love and power in your life every single day. So you can feel the companionship of the Holy Spirit as a leade...

I'm so excited to have Shelley Giglio join me today because she is basically a professional spiritual mama . Shelley is one of the most intentional people I know about bringing dear daughters alongside her in life and helping them know and love God more. So today, I wanted you to feel like you're getting a little mentoring/spiritual mama time with Shelley, too. We talked about letting God redeem t...

Do you sometimes feel like you need someone in your life a little older and wiser to remind you that God is still good, and that everything will be alright? Though you may already believe it for yourself, sometimes it's comforting to hear it from someone else you trust. I hope you have someone like that in your life to speak the truth over you with confidence. When I think of the role of a mentor,...

There are some days when I  feel  like I'm building a legacy- maybe if I've had a really meaningful conversation with a dear daughter, or done something that seems like it could have some big impact. And there are other days that feel small like when I run errands, fold the laundry and make dinner for my husband. Maybe you can relate. You may not feel like you are building a legacy when you pray w...

If you've ever wondered what your calling is, then this episode is for you because today I talk with Beth Booram who has written a whole book on understanding what it looks like for God to birth a dream in your life. Beth walks us through the the gestational process of birthing a dream as well as providing a bit of direction and encouragement. Beth is a spiritual director and author, who also runs...

Do you feel like you're in control of your emotions? Or do you feel like your emotions control you? When you're caught up in a feeling – whether it's anxiety or anger or envy – do you feel overwhelmed? I have  definitely  felt those things before, so I'm particularly grateful to talk with  Alison Cook  on the show today about boundaries for the soul and Spirit-led self leadership. Alison is a spea...

How would you walk through your days if you knew you had the perfect Dad? When things get bumpy, would you worry and strive and rely on yourself – or would you endure with confidence that you could always count on your Dad to step in? I wonder how all of our lives would be different if we lived in the confidence that God is the perfect dad. How brave would we be? How much more grace and goodwill m...

What if I told you that there is one relationship in your life that has probably influenced your view of God more than any other relationship? That the closeness, safety, acceptance and love (or lack of those things) that you felt in that relationship would become your framework for how you receive those things from God? I look forward to celebrating my dad on Father's Day. He's always cared for a...

Almost every big change in life, almost every big success, is a compilation of tiny steps forward. If you have a  Big God Dream  in your heart but it seems unattainable right now, saying yes today to the next small step is next best thing to do. And then do it all over again tomorrow, and the next day and the next. In this episode, Sarah Mackenzie and I talk about how she started living her dream...

If you love God, but don't feel like you can trust Him, I understand. For so many years, I struggled with worry over whether God was really looking out for me. When bad or hard things happened, it made me feel anxious and worried. Like what happened in the news just this week ... the  Santa Fe school shooting .  Lord, have mercy.  That shooting took place forty years to the day that I witnessed a...

Are you allowing your heart to have space in your daily life? That might be a strange question but over the last two months I've had two dear daughters and one spiritual mama come to me because they were feeling stuck, worried and anxious about things in their lives. Then after talking things out, and walking metaphorically around their lives … I saw with all clarity, they were so in their heads w...

Do you feel like your life is a mess? Just one mistake after another? Do you ever wonder how God could take the mistakes you've made and turn things around? Tricia Goyer felt that way almost 30 years ago as a despairing teen mom and then she prayed, "God, if you  can  do anything with my life, please do." I loved getting to talk with her today about the way God radically answered that prayer and a...

Who encouraged you? Who took time to listen to you? Who was it that provided a safe haven? Who showed you how to live out your faith? Who was an organic, everyday mentor to you?  What's the best gift at Mother's Day? I think it's gratitude. And not just for your mom, though she certainly deserves it, but also for the spiritual mamas who shaped you as a young woman. Besides my own mother, I can thi...

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? ~ Mary Oliver Do you feel like you don't know what you're supposed to do with your life? Do you wonder if you're too young or too old? When you think on the things that would really make your heart happy, do you feel under-qualified or maybe even over-qualified? Today on the podcast, we're going to wonder about the things you...

"Think of God often, by day, by night, in your business and even in your diversions. He is always near you and with you; leave him not alone." ~ Brother Lawrence If you're like me, there are probably a bunch of tedious little tasks lined up and waiting for you today, like folding the laundry, unloading the dishwasher, or going to the grocery store…. those things that take us away from 'the big thi...

This week on the podcast, I talked with Amy Hannon of Euna Mae's and Kristin Schell of the Turquoise Table about true, biblical hospitality. And good news – it's much simpler than we often make it and often more fun. It doesn't matter what your house looks like or how good the food is – all that hospitality requires is being available and welcoming. Ordinary moments around the table or in the fron...

My whole life, in one sense, he has been an experiment in how to be a portable sanctuary, learning to practice the presence of God. ~ Richard Foster Everywhere you go, as you practice the presence of God in your life, you're like a small sanctuary to the people closest by. So that means when you're on the way to work and you stop for coffee and interact with the barista in the morning, you're stan...

Do you remember the first time you thought of God? Was it a good or bad first impression? How did that impression lead you on a journey with God?  If you've wished you could sit at my table and talk, I've got good news! These are the kinds of questions I'm going to be asking you on the Dear Daughters Podcast in the 'Questions' Episodes.  I've always hoped the Dear Daughters Podcast could be a plac...

Do you struggle between wanting to honestly express yourself on social media, and wanting to post a perfectly curated picture that  kind of  looks more like what everyone else is posting? Are you thirsty for authenticity? Do you need someone to remind you that because of Jesus, you are always enough and never too much? If you relate to any of these, I know you will love today's interview with  Hay...

Do you want to journey deeper into self-awareness, but feel like you need a guide? It can be confusing to hear people rattle off a bunch of numbers and letters trying to help you better understand yourself if you don't have enough context. Today, I talk with Anne Bogel about her latest book,  Reading People ,  which gives an in-depth look at seven different personality frameworks. We also talk boo...

Are you or someone you love in a season of suffering? Whether it's the suffering that comes from loneliness and unfulfilled hopes, or the heartache that comes with illness or loss, author and teacher Laurie Short has comfort for you. In her new book,  When Changing Nothing Changes Everything: The Power of Reframing Your Life , Laurie talks about the ability to expand your perspective by reframing...

Are you looking for real friends who will walk through life with you? The sort of friends who you can say anything to? Today on the podcast, Jamie Ivey talks about how to find those kind of friends. The kind you can talk to about the hardest things, the kind that speak truth and walk out life with you. We also talk about freedom and authenticity and about parenting. Lots of good stuff. Jamie is a...

Jesus is the author of invitation. ~ Jen Schmidt Jen Schmidt has spent the last decade encouraging, challenging and cheering on women to embrace both the beauty and bedlam of their everyday lives on her popular lifestyle blog,  Beauty and Bedlam . She's a wife, mother, and 'accidental author', as well as a fellow table person and thrifter. Today we talk about how to get past some of the barriers t...

As women, we have this tendency to sabotage our own calling to shine. There's a lot of confusion out there about shining and pride and hiding and humility. God has called us to live radiant lives, and that's not prideful. That's the calling of God. ~ Janet Davis Janet Davis is one of the best listeners I've ever met ~ both to other people, and to the Holy Spirit. She is a spiritual director, speak...

Do you need a guide to fight fear, wrestle worry and overcome anxiety?  Meet Alli Worthington. Alli is a speaker, author, and business coach who lives with her husband and their five boys in Nashville, Tennessee. She's the author of a new book,  Fierce Faith: A Woman's Guide to Fighting Fear, Wrestling Worry, and Overcoming Anxiety. Today we talk about breaking the cycle of anxiety, giving ourselv...