Girls Talking Life

My guest today is Desiree Caluza.  Desiree was born and raised in Southern California, but came to Ohio for college and has never left.  She's an Associate Pastor and Children's Pastor at Newstart Church where she's been working for the past 18 years.  In our conversation, Desiree and I talk about what led her to children's ministry, how that wasn't the path she'd planned on and how we shouldn't a...

Lindsy Wallace followed Jesus to the margins and discovered more beauty and hope than she ever imagined.  Alongside her husband, she is raising five kids who joined their family via birth, foster care adoption, and international adoption. She is passionate about downward mobility, ushering in a more livable planet, and good tattoos.  She is the co-founder of the Upside Down Podcast, an ecumenical...

Hollie joins me on the show to share her story and her organization.  Hollie is a human trafficking survivor.  She's also a legal advocate for the City Prosecutor's Office, a speaker, a college student, the executive director of a nonprofit organization and a lover of Brussel sprouts. Hollie starts out by describing her childhood and painting of picture of how a little girl could travel a path tha...

Today, Tilly Dillehay and I are talking about envy, the topic of her book, Seeing Green.  Tilly explains the difference between envy and jealousy and covetousness.  (Did you know they were different?)  She shares why she wrote a book on this subject, how it was extremely personal to her and how she has found that many women struggle with this, but it's not something that's often talked about. Till...

My guest today is Sarah Westfall.  Sarah is a faith-based blogger, a speaker and a regular contributor to LifterToday (a Christian lifestyle website) and the quarterly devotional, Light from The Word.  She is an Indiana-born girl, wife to Ben and mama to five boys.  It's her joy, and it's chaos, but being a parent is what has grown her the most spiritually.  Sarah and I start our conversation talk...

Megan is a writer, podcaster and social media marketer based in Columbus, Ohio. A mom to three little ones, she is a chronic purger, keeper of a capsule wardrobe, and seeker of ways to simplify life. On the show today Megan and I discuss social media: the love hate relationship a lot of us have with it and how she navigates between her personal accounts and the accounts she manages for clients.  W...

My guest for episode #15 of Girls Talking Life is Laura L. Smith.  Laura is a best-selling author, sought after speaker, blogger and blessed mom of four incredible kids. She is married to the man of her dreams and lives in the college town of Oxford, Ohio. Laura loves Jesus, coffee, chocolate, music, and France. Laura and I start our conversation talking about how her identity was misinformed at a...

A trusted voice for Christian women, Alexandra Kuykendall speaks on issues of how faith impacts everyday life. She is the Co-founder of The Open Door Sisterhood, a community of women working to be world changers for good right where they are. She co-hosts a podcast and retreat under the same name. Alex has authored four books: Loving My Actual Life, Loving My Actual Christmas, The Artist's Daughte...

Today on the show I'm talking with singer/songwriter Holly Starr.  Holly shares about getting started in music, how she ended up opening for LeAnn Rimes early on in her career, and what touring is like for her now.  Holly and I talk about how she met her husband and the moment she knew he was more than just a friend.  She also tells us about struggling with body image for a season, how God changed...

Bethany has a Bachelor of Art Degree in Fine Arts from the Columbus College of Art & Design. She provides products, services and education for an art filled life through her business, Artful Interiors, LLC. She is in love with her husband and five children, two of whom are adopted and have unique physical, emotional and behavioral challenges. She hopes to be a catalyst for foster care reform, post...

Alexsayah is part of the mother daughter duo called to be voices of healing to the hurting and abused. Their ministry, SHE IS Identified, is all about finding your identity in Christ. Alex, and her mother Marnie, beautifully support and encourage women to acknowledge and move past their hurt. Both sexual abuse survivors themselves, they know how that past pain can keep you from fully experiencing...

Today Jessica and I start our conversation talking about her family.  Jessica tells us that after having her first two daughters, she thought their family was complete.  She and her husband had struggled with infertility and she was fearful that if they tried for another baby, they would be putting themselves back into that struggle.  But six years later, she gave birth to her "change of heart" ba...

Nicole is a licensed marriage and family therapist, writer, and speaker based in the state of Connecticut where she lives with her husband and son. As an old soul who wears her heart proudly on her sleeve, Nicole loves using her words to help others find an enduring peace and joy outside of circumstance. Today on the show Nicole and I start our conversation talking about identity. She shares how h...

Julie is a certified health coach and life coach who helps women achieve greater health so they can live out their calling. She is also a newly-published author and counselor in-training. She is a wife and mom to 5 teens (2 girls and 3 boys). Julie lives with her family in the country, along with a small herd of Scottish Highlander cows, chickens, and their dog Thor. She loves all things coffee an...

My guest today is Lori Mercer. Lori is a single mom of four. She runs a successful online business where she freelances and also trains other women to be virtual professionals. But before she started her business, she had a demanding corporate job. Lori tells us how she knew it was time to leave that career, how there are things you can't (and don't want to) outsource when your kids are older, and...

My friend Kendra is on the show today sharing her story of loss, brokenness and a transformation that only God is capable of. She was married to her husband Jim on November 12, 2011 and five short weeks later, as they were anticipating spending their first Christmas together as a married couple, they were hit by a drunk driver. Jim was killed instantly and Kendra was badly injured. She had to face...

Courtney Bowden joins me on the show today to talk life. Courtney lives in central Ohio with her husband Dustin and their three adorable kiddos. She and I chat about her being a full time working mama, how she went from fashion to marketing and what it's like to work with your husband. Courtney shares about the first time she knew she wanted to be a foster parent and how, over time, God worked in...

My guest today is the lovely Nancy Willis.  Nancy is married to Jonathan and they have a sweet son Tommy.  On today's show she and I talk about her losing her mom to breast cancer.  She tells us about the special moments that were gifted to her before her mom's passing, how their family was intentional about their last days together, and her walk through the deep grief that followed.  Nancy descri...

Shalla Johnson joins me to talk life on episode 3.  Shalla is a leader, a creator, a teacher and a west coast girl braving the cold Ohio winters.  She lives in Columbus with her husband Rich and their four children.  Shalla and I discuss the logistics of having four kids and how her husband sets aside time to disciple their boys.  She talks about her and Rich's desire for diversity and how they ca...

My guest for episode 2 is Abby Miller.  She is a wife to Adam and a mom to three girls living in Saline Michigan.  Abby shares her struggle to have a healthy pregnancy early in her marriage, how God planted a seed in both her and her husband's hearts to do something more, not knowing what that might be.  She talks about how they said yes to what God had for them, which also meant saying no to what...

Carly Hager joins me on the show today to share her story of redemption and hope. Carly is a newlywed, a mom, a step mom and a nurse. She also has a huge heart of service, especially for women. Carly is a recovering addict from drugs and alcohol, who turned her life around when she decided that she deserved better for herself. She has since gone on to create an outreach that shows women on the str...