Return to Jesus Podcast

Hey friend, Have you ever found yourself craving peace but feeling like your mind just won't slow down? If you've been carrying anxiety, stress, or the weight of uncertainty, I think this conversation is going to be such a gift. This week I'm joined by Kelli Becerra, a licensed therapist, author, and someone who beautifully blends biblical truth with practical mental health tools. Toge...

Hey friend, Have you ever felt like you're juggling a hundred things at once and wondering if peace is even possible in the middle of it all? This week, I sat down with Sarah Knepper, a teacher, photographer, candle maker, entrepreneur, wife, and mom of three. Sarah has spent more than two decades teaching while also pursuing creative passions and building a small business. What I loved most a...

Hey friend, This conversation with Kristy Lavin felt like sitting down with someone who gently reminds you that healing doesn’t have to be rushed and that Jesus truly meets us in the middle of our struggles.   Kristy is a licensed clinical social worker, author, and someone deeply passionate about the intersection of faith and psychology. In this episode, we talk about what it looks like to pursue...

Hey friend,   This conversation with Jenny Albers felt like exhaling after holding your breath for a long time.   If life has felt loud, heavy, or overwhelming lately, I think this episode is going to meet you right where you are. Jenny and I sat down to talk about peace, not as something perfect or unattainable, but as something we can gently cultivate in the middle of real life, grief, motherhoo...

Hey friend, I’m so grateful you’re here for the start of this new season. This one feels especially close to my heart because we’re talking all about  peace ,  not the kind the world offers, but the kind Jesus promises us. The kind that steadies you, even when life feels anything but calm. In this episode, I’m sharing a bit more personally about what this season has looked like for me. From naviga...

Hey friend, This conversation with Raleigh Sadler felt like a gentle invitation to breathe deeper, look around, and return to what matters most. Raleigh is the founder and executive director of  Let My People Go , a ministry that equips churches to serve those who are vulnerable to exploitation. In this episode, he shares so beautifully about the difference between happiness and joy, how slowing d...

Hey friend, You’re in for such a rich conversation this week. I sat down with Lauren Fernandez — author, mother of five, and a woman who knows what it means to hold both joy and pain in the same breath. Lauren shares so openly about her journey of faith, what it looks like to keep showing up in dry seasons, and how joy isn’t about everything being perfect. It’s about trusting that God is still wor...

Hey friend, This episode is a little different,  it’s just me, and I’m inviting you into something personal. As the holiday season unfolds, I wanted to pause and reflect with you. No guests, no plans, just an honest conversation from my heart. This year has brought some unexpected challenges, the heartbreaking loss of my mother-in-law, some health scares, and the kind of moments that remind you ho...

Hey friend, I’m so excited to share this beautiful and deeply honest conversation with Jillian Benfield. She’s a writer, speaker, disability advocate, and mom who knows what it’s like to walk through unexpected seasons — and still find joy on the other side. Jillian and I talked about the idea of living with awe not in the big, flashy moments, but in the ordinary rhythms of life. She shared how he...

Hey friend, This conversation is tender, beautiful, and one I think you’ll carry with you for a while. I sat down with Chelsea Ohlemiller, a grief advocate, speaker, and author whose journey through the loss of her mother reshaped how she lives and loves today. Chelsea shares so honestly about the ways grief shows up, sometimes quietly, sometimes like a storm, and how it can actually live alongsid...

Hey friend, You know those conversations that feel like a deep breath and a warm hug at the same time? That’s exactly what this episode with Laura L. Smith felt like. Laura is a gifted author and speaker who’s passionate about helping women uncover the truth of who they are in Christ. In today’s episode, she and I talk about how we can find joy in our everyday moments, even the ones that feel slow...

Hey friend, I cannot wait for you to hear this conversation with my friend Leslie Means. If you’ve ever read a post on Her View From Home , then you’ve already been impacted by her work. Leslie is the founder of that beautiful community and platform, and she’s spent years creating space for women to share their honest, real-life stories, especially the ones tucked into the ordinary moments of moth...

Hey friend, You are going to  love  this conversation with Tabitha Yates. She is an author, speaker, and mental health advocate who is passionate about bridging the gap between faith and emotional wellness. Her book  Jesus and Therapy  invites readers to explore healing through both spiritual practices and therapeutic tools. Tabitha is also a mom, and she shares how motherhood has been one of the...

This is the last episode of the season! Thank you for tuning in to Season 1 of the Return to Jesus Podcast. Stay tuned for a bonus episode between Seasons 1 and 2 with author, Laura Smith. Thank you for all the ways you continue to support me and this journey. My heart is so grateful! Also, my book, Return to Jesus: An Invitation to Abide with Him in Every Beautiful, Stressful, or Tedious Moment i...

In this episode of the Return to Jesus Podcast, host Jen Thompson, talks to author, Natasha Smith, about all things related to grief and grace.  Natasha Smith is a Certified Grief Educator, grief advocate, speaker, and podcast host. She shares from a place of 30-plus years of lived grief experience, research, and biblical study. Her work has appeared in Guideposts, Propel Women, Influence Magazine...

In this episode of the Return to Jesus Podcast, host Jen Thompson, talks to emotional stability coach, speaker, somatic healing practitioner, and founder of Dancing in the Mess, Jill Howell about all things related to learning to heal and regulate your mind, body and spirit - and of course, grace.   Jill has overcome Complex PTSD, chronic pain, IBS, chronic fatigue, anxiety, and depression. She gu...

In this episode of the Return to Jesus Podcast, host, Jen Thompson, talks with her oldest daughter, Sophia Thompson, about all things related to parenting, grace, the teenage years and relationships between siblings and parents. This is conversation you won’t want to miss! 

This is the second part of host, Jen Thompson’s, interview with her husband about all things related to grace, marriage and family.  This is a fun conversation that you won’t want to miss....especially if you’ve been waiting for that cliffhanger to be answered! 

In this episode of the podcast, host Jen Thompson, talks with her husband, Patrick Thompson, about all things related to marriage, grace and raising a family.  This episode had some recording mishaps - so it’s real life grace in action. Sometimes, this is life, folks. It’s real. It’s messy. And we learn to roll with the punches as they come. 

This episode of the Return to Jesus Podcast is short and sweet. Host, Jen Thompson, talks with her listeners about going with Plan B when life throws you a curve ball, and learning how to give yourself grace when things don’t go as planned.  This wasn’t the episode that was intended, but this is real life and this is real grace in action.  Tune in next week for a conversation between Jen and her h...

In this episode of the Return to Jesus Podcast, host Jen Thompson, talks with business owner and CEO of Nuss Partners, Bob Stanton, about all things related to taking a leap of faith, family and of course - grace. Bob Stanton is an accomplished senior executive with a diverse background and proven track record in operations, IT, and metrics. With over thirty years of experience in the insurance in...

In episode 5 of the Return To Jesus Podcast, host, Jen Thompson, talks with the author of You’ll Make It (And They Will, Too): Everything No One Talks About When You’re Parenting Teens about all things related to grace and the teen years. Raising teens today is not for the faint of heart, and Amy Betters-Midtvedt has certainly been through it. She’s come home to a teenage daughter with a “surprise...

In Episode 4 of The Return to Jesus Podcast, Jen Thompson talks with Mikala Albertson ,MD ,author of the books Ordinary on Purpose and Everything I Wish I Could Tell You About Midlife, about all things family, health , accepting the body you have and grace. Mikala inspires readers every day to stop striving for “perfect” lives or some unattainable cultural ideal of “beauty and wellness” and instea...

In Episode 3 of The Return to Jesus Podcast, Jen Thompson talks with singer, songwriter and winner of The Voice, Craig Wayne Boyd, about all things family, travel, songwriting, making music and the importance of grace. Days after his victory on The Voice, Craig debuted at #1 on Billboard with “My Baby’s Got a Smile on Her Face” tying Garth Brooks for the honor and recently Morgan Wallen doing the...

In this episode, host, Jen Thompson, talks with Enneagram Coach, Ro Elliott, about all things related to faith, grace and the Enneagram.    Ro holds a Narrative Focus Trauma Care Certificate from the Allender Center and is a certified Enneagram Coach. In our conversation, Ro explains how the Enneagram can help us both to give grace and to receive grace. She gives a brief explanation of the 9  Enne...