Nothin' But Fine: with Emily Trotter

How often do you find yourself saying yes to things you just might not want to do? If you ask us, we do it entirely too often.  In today's episode, Emily, Helen, and Amy discuss the power of saying No and setting boundaries. We loved diving into these articles and all the analogies about saying no. Our personal favorite?  Whack-A-Mole. Because who didn't love that game?  Mentions: Articl...

This week we start with the Beatitudes. When I was younger, I wrongly thought that the Beatitudes in Matthew didn’t apply to me.  All those blessed rewards were not things that I was or could do.  I had a pink Precious Moments Bible that had an illustration about “Blessed are the Peacemakers” and I didn’t know if I was a peacemaker.  It wasn’t until I was in my 30s that I found out what all the ch...

Carmen Johnston is just the most precious human being.  You might know her from the pages of Southern Living or Country Living or maybe from HGTV.  I asked her if she is often referred to as the Southern Martha Stewart and she said that it has been mentioned before.  Wouldn’t that be a fantastic conversation to be a part of?  Someone needs to make that happen and I left it up to Carmen. I am still...

This week, we are going to finish up Matthew 4. Jesus tried to go back to Nazareth, but he was not received as anything other than Joseph’s son who was a carpenter.  So, Jesus made Capernaum his home base.  Keep learning: Follow along with the full show notes on the website  References and Mentions: Harmony of the Four Gospels – Chart The Chronology of Jesus from John’s Gospel Subscribe to our You...

For this week's episode, I got to talk to a hero of mine.  I only knew her from Instagram, but luckily we have a friend in common.  Ramona King is the mother of a cancer patient.  Ezra is 7 and has been battling a brain tumor for FIVE YEARS.  They have tried all the chemos.  Yet, there has not been healing.  Their story is just…I don’t know what to say about it, honestly.  As a mother of a pe...

This week we wrap up Matthew 3 and start Matthew 4.  John the Baptist has been preaching and people have been listening.  They have been hearing his call to repent and he has been baptizing them.  And one day, Jesus shows up.  He wants to be baptized, too. The baptism of Jesus affirms what John was preaching.  Return to God.  Repent.  And it also shows the ordinary people who were watching that Je...

We reckon y’all are ready for a crash course in Southern. Emily and Helen take you on a journey through the many Sayings of the South... Are they correct grammar? Absolutely not. Do they make us giggle? Absolutely yes.  Speaking of giggles… Have you heard of Hobby Horsing?  References and mentions: Landon Talks Hobby Horsing Subscribe to our YouTube channel where you can watch this week's epi...

This week we dive into Matthew 3. The thing that strikes me about John the Baptist is that he not only knew his role and his place, but he stayed in it.  He did not get distracted.  He did not let up.  Despite the fact that many people were coming to hear him and be baptized by him, he never lost sight of who he was in the plan of God.  He never let his ego get in the way of his purpose.   Keep le...

Kid’s sports are like the wild west with a whole lot more rules. From practice every night to games on the weekends and hundreds of dollars spent on equipment, Emily has had ENOUGH!  Helen brings the facts via John O’Sullivan’s Ted Talk - Did you know that 7 out of 10 kids quit their sport before high school? We sure didn’t but man does it make us think!    Mentions: John O’Sullivan’s Ted Talk on...

This week we dive into Matthew 2. Jesus is born.  Matthew doesn’t give us lots of insight into the birth or the events after.  He does not mention the shepherds and their direction from an angel to go tell like Luke does.  Actually, Luke’s version of events is the nativity we are familiar with.  Matthew jumps right to the wise men and by the way, they were not at the manger.  The Magi, astrologers...

I met Andrea Wightwick at The Southern C Summit at the end of January.  I was so impressed by the questions she asked and how she repeatedly mentioned her company, Hapsy.  I had no idea at the time that she has MULTIPLE companies with her husband and that they run them all.  Her insta stories are delightful, a mixture of good tips and hilarious anecdotes and book recommendations.  We talked about...

The book of Matthew starts off the New Testament.  Matthew was Jew writing to the Jews.  That’s why he chose to start with the family tree of Jesus.  Ancestry was a very important thing to the Jews.  It showed and was proof of standing as one of God’s Chosen People.  This particular genealogy shows Abraham and David amongst the branches.  This is an important stat in proving Jesus was fulfilling p...

Back to school.  It’s time to send our kids back to the ones who make sure they can read and write.  See how important they are?  I for one am so glad I don’t have to do it.  Kudos to parents and caregivers who can.  I so appreciate these ladies coming and letting me pick their brains.  I was so encouraged, and I know you will be too.  Teachers do love our kids.  Even hard ones like mine.  Subscri...

What do Swatches, Madonna, VHS tapes, and the PTA all have in common?  Not much... But we connect them all!  We learn about the PTA / PTO / PTSA - did you know there are so many types? We sure didn’t! Emily, recovering PTA President, gives us a peek behind the curtain at how this organization works and the best jobs to sign up for; here’s a quick tip - Sign up for the Book Fair; it’s worth it! Men...

We are starting our journey into the New Testament.  Now we won’t be studying text that alludes to Jesus, but text that is about Jesus!  So exciting!!! Matthew was a Jew writing an account for the Jews.  He was a tax collector, so not the most popular guy on the block.  Jesus called him and he went.  Gotta love that faith and surrender.  Follow along with the show notes on the website   Referenced...

Labels, Lists, and Lazy Susans.  Today on Let’s Talk, we talk about all the ways we aren’t organized and dive into other ways we find joy in our lives!  Where is the line between organization and procrastination? Do plastic bins REALLY solve your problems?  Is there a benefit to living a disorganized life?  Also, did you know Marie Kondo has walked back some of her statements about organization an...

Psalm 103 will be the last Psalm!  I mean for now.  I have no plans to do any more psalms at this time, but never say never, you know.  While I was studying this, I just felt like it was the perfect one to end on.  I think you will understand why as we dig into it.  From here we will go into the New Testament!  Matthew here we come!   This psalm is all about how much God loves us and what the bene...

SO EXCITED FOR KATE TO BE ON!!! Sometimes it is good to know someone’s mom! (Shout out to Christy.) Kate is born and raised in Columbus, GA and chose to stay here for college at Columbus State University. For a town you have probably never heard of, it has amazing artists and a fabulous art department. Kate was able to study under Bo Bartlett ( https://www.bobartlett.com/ | https://bartlettcenter....

We have skipped to Psalm 63!  Doesn’t this feel like we have made a huge dent in the book of Psalms?  I noticed that a lot, or most of the psalms have the same themes. David feels pretty pleased and safe and writes this psalm.  David is not lamenting one bit in this psalm.  He is feeling good. Keep learning: Follow along with the full show notes on the website   Listen to this week's playlist...

In today’s episode, we discuss the evolution of parenting. After polling a few of our friends and family, we have concluded that parenting doesn’t get easier; it just gets different. And isn’t that just life? We all enjoy different phases because WE are all different. Aunt Judy said it best when she told us, “Parenting is carrying the same load, just shifting it to the other hip.” Emily found a gr...

Well, I got way more out of  Psalm 37 than I expected.  That’s bad, isn’t it?  To not expect to get much out of the psalm you picked to study.  And I call myself a Bible study teacher.  But it is true.  This psalm surprised me so much.  I got so many different things from it.  Here they are. Keep learning: Follow along with the full show notes on the website   Listen to this week's playlist o...

Well, this episode was supposed to be about adult birthday parties and at what age should you stop having them. There is no evidence that you should ever stop throwing yourself a party. However, there is evidence that Helen and I don’t go to many parties. In theory we like the idea of good theme and/or a costume. If anyone is having a Harry Potter themed party, please invite me. I call being Sybil...

Psalm 34 is one of my favorites!  I truly dug into this Psalm after hearing the group Shane & Shane sing it.  It is just so good.  The song and the psalm.  Is that redundant?   It is believed this psalm was written after David faked insanity in front of King Achish/Abimelech.  This story is in 1 Samuel 21.  David is on the run from Saul and he gets captured by the Philistines.  They bring him...

Morgan is a badass.  Pardon my language, but there is just no other word that accurately sums her up.  I have followed her on Instagram for years and recently had the opportunity to meet her and participate in a workshop she was a part of.  I knew then I had to have her on Nothin' But Fine!  This is a great conversation!   Give Morgan a follow: @seedsandleaven @winmofitness Be sure to check o...

Psalm 33 might not be written by David.  There is no conclusive evidence.  It makes sense to me that David would write this because it is talking about a new song and playing a stringed instrument, which David was very good at. Verse 3 even says play skillfully.   As I was digging into this psalm it struck me that we always think we have to have a reason to praise the Lord.  Like it has to be spec...