Rooted & Rising: Growth from the Greenhouse

What does it actually take to love a child who has learned not to trust? We open up about the earliest days of a foster placement, where trauma shows up as testing, escalation, and a search for safety in all the wrong places. Instead of quick fixes, we talk through the slow, steady work of trauma‑informed parenting: leading with safety, using calm scripts and brief cooldowns, and rebuilding connec...

A single sentence from a kid—“He’s not really your brother”—can echo for years. That’s where our story begins: with a bright, adopted little girl who suddenly felt other, learned to hide, and tried on borrowed identities to blend in. Then, decades later, a mission trip to Panama cracked the facade wide open as Kristen shared her testimony with orphans and discovered the courage to own her story. W...

What if the grudge you’re gripping is the very thing closing your life to joy? We open this conversation with the raw truth of offense and the slow work of forgiveness, then follow a breathtaking story of rescue and adoption that shows how grace meets us on the coldest nights. A newborn left on a Queens doorstep. A family who boxed up the crib after years of waiting. The phone call that changed ev...

What if the friend you’ve been praying for is waiting on the other side of a plan you almost canceled? That’s where our story begins: two foster moms, a quiet resource center, and a nudge that turned loneliness into a lifeline. We trace the path from isolation to real community and talk honestly about what it takes to keep going when the work of fostering feels anything but rewarding. We open up a...

What if transformation is both a miracle and a muscle you build every day? We sit down with our dear friend Anne Rolling to trace a faith journey that spans a childhood of scraped knees and sacred hymns, a 59-year marriage, a son’s astonishing healing, and the unimaginable loss of her daughter Emily. Anne’s stories are vivid and grounded—paying tuition with cream from a cow named Daisy, learning g...

A made bed, a deck of cards, and a quiet morning turned into the unthinkable: the day after saying goodbye to their puppy, Hazel, Tracy lost her husband Rick suddenly. What followed wasn’t a neat arc of resilience, but a raw, real journey through grief, anger, faith, and the small mercies that kept her moving. We talk about the moment her brother told her, “You cannot be a victim,” and how that se...

A 45-year friendship doesn’t happen by accident. We share how two college dorm moms became lifelong sisters through moves across oceans, career pivots, colicky babies, and a few audacious hikes—including a one‑day push across Big Bend—while holding onto faith, humor, and each other. This is a story about what sustains you when the phone plan is limited, the language won’t stick, and loneliness sne...

Fear has a way of sounding wise. It borrows the language of safety, responsibility, and planning—until you realize it’s been quietly shrinking your life. We tell the truth about it through stories: the nine-hour flight across the Atlantic with gale-force winds that forced a choice between panic and surrender; a son’s failing truck that vanished and somehow turned into exactly the provision we need...

If you missed Part 1 of Kate Robbins' story, see our episode from September 9th! What happens when decades of patient love finally bear fruit? Kate Robbins' story pulls back the curtain on a 45-year marriage that endured alcoholism, caregiving challenges, and eventually terminal illness, revealing an extraordinary spiritual transformation in its final chapter. After years of praying for...

What if the hardest seasons of your life are actually blessings in disguise? In this heartfelt conversation, Denise  and her niece Sydney Powell discuss how God transforms our greatest struggles into our greatest strengths. Sydney shares how her life-threatening peanut allergies made her feel "cursed" as a child, forcing her to be cautious when her spirit longed for adventure. Denise ope...

What does it mean to truly wait upon the Lord when your marriage feels impossible? Kate Robbins takes us on a raw, honest journey through decades of marriage marked by both beauty and profound struggle. From their first meeting in Estes Park – where Michael's unexpected act of chivalry caught Kate's attention – to weathering multiple miscarriages, alcoholism, and near-fatal accidents, th...

Have you ever felt trapped in a cycle of rebellion, knowing deep down something needs to change but unsure how to break free? Sandy Vasquez's powerful testimony might be exactly what you need to hear. Sandy opens up about her journey from a hardened heart in her early twenties to a life transformed by God's redemptive power. With refreshing vulnerability, she shares how an intervention b...

What happens when the financial ground beneath your feet suddenly shifts? When paychecks stop coming and insurance unexpectedly terminates? For Ashley Chagnon and her husband Pax, this wasn't a hypothetical scenario but a lived reality that transformed their understanding of God's provision. Ashley takes us on a compelling journey through their financial awakening, from the early days of...

Have you ever wondered how your deepest struggles might actually be preparing you for your greatest purpose? In this heart-touching conversation, longtime friends Jen Bachman and Denise Jackson take us on a 15-year journey through faith, friendship, and the remarkable ways God works through hardship. When Jen first arrived in Wimberley, Texas, she faced overwhelming financial difficulties that led...

What happens when God calls a 60-something grandmother to hit the road in a transit van to create prophetic art for strangers? Sharon Elmendorf's extraordinary journey shows us that divine purpose often arrives in unexpected packages. For nine years, Sharon and her husband have traversed America's highways in their meticulously organized van, following a clear directive: "stop for o...

What happens when you drive home determined to leave your marriage and God intervenes with a blank billboard and an unmistakable voice? Mary Dunn's powerful testimony anchors this intimate conversation about marriage, divine intervention, and the courage to stay when everything in you wants to leave. Mary takes us back to her corporate career days when, feeling isolated and emotionally distan...

What happens when God breaks through our masks of performance and anxiety? When 23-year-old Cam Escalante arrived at Texas State University, she was convinced she'd made a mistake and desperately wanted to transfer schools. Little did she know that God had orchestrated this season to completely transform her understanding of belonging, community, and authentic faith. In this heartfelt convers...

Have you ever dismissed your creative potential because you believed the lie that artists are born, not made? That's exactly where Sara Thurman found herself until age 56 when an unexpected divine encounter changed everything. Sara joins us to share her remarkable journey from someone who "couldn't even draw stick figures" to becoming a successful artist whose paintings now sel...

What happens when God orchestrates unexpected friendships that change the course of our lives? Denise Jackson and Margie Castillo dive deep into this question as they reflect on their divinely-appointed meeting at a creativity retreat that sparked an immediate, powerful connection between them and a third friend, Alex. The conversation takes us on a journey through Margie's spiritual mileston...

Have you ever felt caught between your desire for action and your husband's hesitation? That tension of knowing when to speak up versus when to step back affects nearly every marriage, especially during major decisions like welcoming foster children into your home. This heartfelt conversation explores the challenging yet transformative practice of trusting God's timing in marriage. When...

This week's episode comes from the Sidewalk Conversations podcast! I had the chance to sit-down with Piet and share so much from my book of remembrance. It was so fun, and I hope you enjoy it too! Sidewalk Conversations is a podcast that shines a light on ordinary people who do extraordinary things. In these interviews, Piet Van Waarde (a 40 year veteran of pastoral ministry) has heart-to-hea...

What happens when a pastor's kid who's internalized the need for perfection faces real-life chaos? Victoria Bowers' story is one of struggle, surrender, and supernatural freedom that will resonate with anyone who's ever felt crushed by their own expectations. Growing up homeschooled in a pastor's family, Victoria absorbed an unspoken message: be perfect. This mindset serve...

Striking out on your own brings a whirlwind of emotions—excitement tangled with nervousness, independence shadowed by loneliness. For Rylee Jackson, her freshman year began with a mountain that seemed impossible to climb: $2,000 in tuition every semester while earning just $300-500 weekly at her grocery store job. "I climbed it," she says simply, embodying a resilience that defines her j...

Have you ever stared at impossible financial numbers, wondering how you'll ever overcome the mountain of debt or save enough for that home? When Jessalyn Adams found herself buried under $43,000 of student loans and car payments on a modest ministry salary, the math simply didn't work. Yet within eight months, every penny was miraculously paid in full. During this heartfelt conversation...

The wounds of abandonment run deep. When Stephanie's father walked away from their family to chase wealth and status, she was left questioning her worth and value. His choices eventually landed him in prison, leaving a trail of destruction that seemed beyond repair. Yet God had other plans. Through years of faithful prayer, Stephanie asked not only for her father's salvation but for her...