The Sinner and The Saint

This week we are hashing out a super powerful statement that changed Allison's view of her relationship with God. Can you easily accept God's grace for yourself while wondering how on earth God can tolerate others? Or perhaps you see grace differently and lavishly share God's grace with others while holding out on yourself. We're also weighing the odds of "cliff diving&quo...

Woah!! How are we publishing our 100th episode?! It's all because of YOU!! From the hair products we use to what brings us joy, we are answering all of the questions! We even surprised each other with a few things!! You're not going to want to miss it :) Blog Post: https://www.writerspeakerwarrior.com/journal/what-legacy-do-you-want-to-leave-9-things-i-want-my-children-to-remember Alliso...

Have you ever felt REALLY far away from God? Maybe you suddenly find yourself in the throes of a chaotic situation wondering, where is GOD?! The truth is, God is always with us. We just tend to wander off like preschoolers in the toy aisle. This week we're discussing moments when we realized we were far from God and sharing a few "God Winks" along the way. AND...We are hanging with...

Our world is FULL of unspoken expectations for: ourselves husbands kids family friends strangers even GOD! And these expectations play a huge role in the way we interact with the world around us. These unspoken words often dictate our future! Did you know that you don't have to "accept" said expectations? Can you imagine not going to your parent's house for Thanksgiving dinner?...

Are you already tired tomorrow? We FEEL you! What are the signs that we need to pull back a little and find some space for rest? We do have red flags and they look different for each one of us. We're sharing ours today.

Change is scary! Have you ever thought about all of the changes or new beginnings you have had throughout your life? Ever stopped to reflect on whether you put God in the mix of making those decisions?  Maybe you are finding yourself in an unexpected place after a big life change: Divorce Moving away from your "network" Changing Jobs Losing a loved one Ever considered looking for His fin...

We are unpacking this quote from Thomas Merton's book No Man Is an Island.  “The beginning of this love is the will to let those we love be perfectly themselves, the resolution not to twist them to fit our own image. If in loving them we do not love what they are, but only their potential likeness to ourselves, then we do not love them: we only love the reflection of ourselves we find in them...

Ever bargained with God on something? Dear God, if you let me get a beach house, I'll host some ministry events there and give you all the glory.  or  Dear God, if you will just let him ask me out, I promise I'll go to church every week! What are you wheeling & dealing with God  about? Bargaining is part of the process  when we are healing, coping w/ grief/fear, insecurity. . .  But,...

Have you ever wondered how people "hear" from God? Are you praying  about something and feel like you are getting mixed signals? Today we are talking about how to determine if we are hearing from God or writing our own script.

We all want to be helpful and we are called to encourage one another and build each other up. (1 Thessalonians 5:11) But sometimes the best we can do is leave them to their own devices. Today we're sharing 5 signs it's time to let someone "sink or swim"! Questions to ask yourself if you are wondering if it’s time to throw the life vest and swim to shore alone. 1. Do you care ab...

While having lunch at a local cafe, Allison couldn't help but overhear 3 VERY specific conversations. At which table are you dining today?  Table 1 ~ bitter and angry (Bitter Betty) Table 2 ~ sad, but vulnerable (Authentic Annie) or  Table 3  ~ positive and joyful (Positive Polly)

Fun Fact: Broken people break people and the world is FULL of broken people...even the church. There are A LOT of people out there that have been hurt by the church  and we are seeing them leave "corporate worship" in droves! Maybe you are one of them.  What do we do when the church lets us down or offends us?

As Christians we are called to love our enemies.  I know what you're thinking..."All of them?" Bad news: Yes, all of them! The rebuttal: "If you knew what they have done, you would tell me to "go for it" Good news: God says, "Revenge is mine." (Romans 12:19) But how do we find peace and sit back to wait for God to send his lightning bolts?! Tune in! In the m...

As we see in Mark 4, we can be exactly where God wants us at exactly the right time and end up smack dab in the middle of a storm. Today we are discussing the secret to unshakeable faith. Is your faith really your own if you fall into the trap of following the crowd? Are you letting the lies and expectations of others hijack your faith? The storms WILL come. Will your faith stand the test of time?...

"Yes"  with a little TUDE - Attitude that is! Today we're having a little chat about when Moses threw a little temper tantrum in Numbers 20:7-12 In fairness, Moses had already dealt with a lot of arguing, complaining, spoiled behavior. His patience capacity was low at this point - frustrated, tired, angry. When I get like that I tend to lash out too. The bottom line - Moses does God...

Matthew 5-9” Blessed are the peacemakers is one of the most misinterpreted scriptures - To many people take this as - just be passive, cover up, ignore to be sure no one gets upset. I think we often forget that Jesus’s life and ministry was full of conflict & trouble because he was a disruptor of the lies, false peace and security of all those around him - even his disciples and family. I thin...

Yep! You heard it right. TRUE OR FALSE? It is possible to have the Holy Spirit within you, do miracles, share incredible spiritual gifts, or have a successful ministry and  NOT BE A CHRISTIAN? If I speak human or angelic languages but do not have love, I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith s...

If you've had the grand illusion that we (Allison and Melissa) have it all together...you definitely want to listen to this episode! How much faith is enough? Faith like a child, mustard seed or widow's mite is ALL you need. "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" - 2 Corinthians 12:8

This week it's all about friends and how to do the "friend dance". How to be a good friend in the good times and the hard times. Do you have friends in low places? 

God uses everyday happenings to speak to us...even bitter coffee! How would your prayer life and relationship with God change if you brought your true authentic self to God instead of your polished "Super Christian" persona? Your cup overflows, but with what? We've all had someone's bad day spill into ours. How do we de-escalate the situation a bad situation without catching a...

"Earth is crammed with Heaven" - Elizabeth Barrett Browning The dollar section at Target, busyness, volunteering... We are discussing all of the traps that keep us distracted from being the hands and feet of God.

Storytelling how the small stuff matters and makes a BIG impact in the world. 

Have you ever started a conversation with someone only to realize that they are not who you thought they were?  In fact....they are a complete stranger? AWKWARD!! Today we are sharing some of our own awkward "mistaken identity" moments (Allison definitely wins the Most Awkward award this time) And talk about some identities we have adopted over the years. Do you recognize any of these? *...

"If we're not able to be alone, we're going to be more lonely" Sherry Turkle You know that saying - “You have to know yourself before you can be in a healthy relationship?”   Well, it’s TRUE - If we can’t go deep with others our friendships, relationships, marriage will suffer or end - it even effects our relationships with GOD WE NEED SOLITUDE & SILENCE . . . . It’s where...