Journal Gently: Spiritual Formation for Christian Women

Today, we are going to address the question of how to ask for help when you need it. Because, let's be honest: we all need help. Can we just admit that right off the bat? Yet asking for help can be so incredibility difficult. So I want to explore why that might be and then walk you through some questions to help you get to the point where you can very clearly and simply ask others to help you duri...

Last week, we began a really important conversation with Karen Altizer about grief, so if you haven't listened to episode 9 yet, I invite you to do that. In the first part of our conversation, Karen shares her grief story and we talk about a few different things related to grief, like how to support someone who is grieving and what that can look like. I walked away with so many practical ideas, an...

We are going to start a conversation about supporting a friend through grief. And I invited Karen Altizer to help me with this. Karen will introduce herself as we begin our chat, but I want you to know how much I appreciate Karen sharing with us. As you know, it can be hard to have these conversations and share our own experiences, and I so appreciate Karen's vulnerability, openness, and sensitivi...

We  say  we want to encourage others, and I completely believe that desire is within us. Yet I think one of the things that trips us up the most is that we simply aren't paying much attention to those around us. We're too busy. We're too focused on  us . And that's what I want to talk about today. How do we cultivate the habit of paying attention so that those around us who are hurting don't get o...

Guided Scripture reading has been powerful for me because it helps me engage with the story in a deeper way. It's often combined with a practice called imaginative prayer, where you use all of your senses and imagination to enter into the story itself. What sounds do you hear? What does it smell like? Who is around you? And then God uses these details and stories to speak to you right where you ar...

Today I want to share with you a conversation I had with Laura Howe, founder of an organization called Hope Made Strong. I met Laura online and, when I saw what her mission was, I immediately asked to have a chat with her to learn more. Hope Made Strong is all about equipping church and ministry leaders to care for those in their community in a healthy and God-honoring way. And whether you're a mi...

Today, I want to share something incredibly special with you. You see, I gave a message back in 2016. A message that ignited all this we call Love Does That. A message that my husband Mike, before we even got married, heard. And this phrase—Love Does That—became a motto, of sorts, for our marriage. So when I started a simple Etsy shop to sell a devotional I had written and had to come up with a na...

It's so important for us to grow in discernment because we need God's help when it comes to encouraging and caring for those around us. It's not a one-size-fits-all answer. Our needs are different. Our personalities are different. Our situations are different. What would be encouraging for one person might be humiliating for another. And so we come to God with a posture of openness for what would...

Discernment is another foundational topic for us as we consider how to offer encouragement and care to those in our lives who are hurting. Think about the questions you have when someone you care about is hurting: How do I know how God is leading me to help others? My friend seems to be having a hard time. How do I know whether to approach them about it or not? What do I say to loved ones who are...

In this podcast, I want to teach you a really simple way to check in with someone without intruding. I offer this because I know how difficult it can be to see someone who is struggling, but question the best way to approach them and ask about it. We feel like we're butting in, or maybe we feel like we're going to offend them if we ask questions.  Or maybe we're just afraid of rejection. But we've...

Hey, my friend. I want to welcome you to this special bonus episode where I share a guided prayer and meditation about sitting with our friends in their grief and heartache. I invite you to find a quiet place where you can truly engage with the prayer, truly ready to engage with God, or to come back to it when you find yourself at a loss of words when your friend is truly struggling. I let this ep...

Today, we are going to talk about one of the most important truths when it comes to encouraging others, a truth that will help us set the foundation for all the other conversations we're going to have. Are you ready? Here we go: we can't encourage everybody. I would love to make and send a card to every person I know who is having a hard day or going through a difficult season. I would love to be...

In this introductory episode, learn a bit more about my journey from ministry to ministry-minded business and how God is calling me to do more than make encouragement and sympathy gifts, but actually use my gifts of teaching and speaking to equip Christian women like you to care for your loved ones in times of grief. We all have similar questions and concerns when our friends are hurting: What do...