The Strong Women Podcast

Did you know that the classic A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens has many themes that go well with Advent? Join us as we talk to returning podcast guest Jessica Hooten Wilson about this famous Christmas story and what it teaches us about time, waiting, and remembering Christ's birth . You won't want to miss the wonderful conversation .      Today, Christians face mounting pressure to conform to...

Today's guest, Ann Wyse, knows what it's like to wrestle with the significance of her work in completely different seasons of life and to come out on the other side recognizing that nothing God calls us to is insignificant. Listen in to hear Ann's story of being a solo missionary in Tibet, transitioning from the adventure of missions to the adventure of raising children stateside, and learning to...

Imagine if you got everything you ever wanted. Would it satisfy your soul? After experiencing great success in her athle tic career, today's wise-beyond-her-y ears guest realized that only Jesus could satisfy her soul and give her a firm foundation amid the ups and downs of life . Grace Lyons-Turk is the former captain of the Oklahoma University women's softball team and a three- tim e Women's Col...

Christmastime is a season of festivity —carols, parties, decorations , food . But do we understand the true meaning of festivity and its divine origins ? Haley Stewart —mom, author, and editor at Word on Fire Spark — joins us this week to give us a true vision of festivi t y , one that begins with encountering God and respond s with an overflow of joy for who He is and what He has done . Listen in...

What are women made for and w hat are they capable of? W hat makes them valuable? What is "women's work"? One of the most culturally influential women in American history used her life's work to answer these questions and a ffirm wome n in both society and the home — yet many people have never even heard of her . Sarah Josepha Hale was a mother, writer, activist , and editor of the popular ninetee...

What is education for? How does the Christian worldview shape our approach to it? If you ask this week's guest, she'll tell you that it's for the flourishing of children, parents, and communities. Lynn Swaner is the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). She joins us to talk about a Christian ethic of education and discipleship, the uniq...

From a young age , Kellie Fiedorek was driven by a passion to seek justice and uphold the dignity of every human life. Today, she serves as senior counsel and director of Government Affairs at Alliance Defending Freedom. In this episode, she shares her journey into the legal profession, her work with ADF, and her involvement in the 303 Creative v. Elenis Supreme Court Case. Kellie also underscores...

Did you have formal logic in school? I didn't . As Kathy Gibbens was teaching her kids logic , she learn ed the importance of thinking clearly and logically herself . She recognized how helpful it is to have categories t hat bring order to confusing slogans and conversations. Amid t he ramped-up rhetoric of 2020, Kathy launched a podcast to help train those of us who have never formal ly learned l...

Abortion has been packaged and falsely marketed as a form of healthcare necessary for women's empowerment , while pro-life advoc acy has been mis label ed as anti-woman. Dr. Christina Francis knows this reasoning is backwards, and she uses her voice to fight for the wellbeing of women and babies . Today, she does that as an OB-GYN and CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and G...

M any of us struggle with body image. Our bodies matter and we are called to care for them — but how do we do that without obsessing ? What does it look like to steward our bodies? This week, Lainey Greer joins us to answer these questions. Lainey uses her unique background of exercise science and Ph . D. work in systematic theology , with an emphasis on human embodiment , to equip Christians with...

In part 2 of our conversation with Georgette Forney, she shares how God directed her p ro-life advocacy toward end-of-life-care . She has taken time to research and write a Christian curriculum on end-of-life care , to hel p Christians think biblically about aging and death and care for those nearing the end of life . Georgette's comm itment to honoring and dignifying aging image bearers goes well...

Georgette Forney is the d irector of Anglicans for Life and co-founder of the Silent No More Awareness campaign . At age 16, Georgette had an abortion. Even after becoming a Christian , she struggled to believe that God could forgive her . She joins us this week to share h ow God help ed her bring her abortion into the light , receive His forgiveness , and walk free from guilt and shame . Although...

How do we trust the Lord in the face of devastating loss? This week, I've invited my friend Dana St. John to share her experience of walking with the Lord through the unexpec ted loss of her husband at age 44. Through Dana's grief, doubt, and wrestling with faith, God brought her into a deeper relationship with Him. S he also shares how Christians can grieve well and prepare for loss .      The Kn...

Virginia Prodan joins us for a second time to share the incredible story of how God saved her . She tells us about her participation in God's work in communist Romania , the way H e strengthened her through persecution, an d what we can learn from her story of being faithful when faced with challenges and opposition to our faith .    Virginia Prodan Ministries   Signed copy of Saving My Assassin b...

Crystal Downing joins us this week to talk about the 20 th -century Christian author, Dorothy Sayers. Crystal is C o- D irector of the Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College , wh ere scholars re s earch , write about, and preserve the memorabilia of a handful of British writers—including a few members of the Inklings . Though Dorothy S ay ers wasn't an I nkling herself , she was friends with man...

Lorie Smith is a graphic designer and the founder and owner of 303 Creative . She's also the center of a landmark Supreme Court case regarding freedom of speech —a case she has just won thanks to her perseverance and the hard work of the Alliance Defending Freedom . She joins us to share h er story of coming to Christ , developing as an artist and creator , and starting her business . In tak ing a...

Our guests today are Linda Noble and Linda Stewart, affectionately called "The Lindas . " I love how these two ladies in different seasons of life looked at the world around them and asked , "What is missing that we can add?" They tell us how they joined together to learn and then create something that offers a window into God's design for sex , which fits into the larger story that He wants to be...

Our guests today are Linda Noble and Linda Stewart, affectionately called "The Lindas . " I love how these two ladies in different seasons of life looked at the world around them and asked , "What is missing that we can add?" They tell us how they joined together to learn and then create something that offers a window into God's design for sex , which fits into the larger story that He wants to be...

Our guest today is Rachelle Starr , founder of Scarlet Hope . At 2 1 , Rachelle felt God calling her to minister to women trapped working in strip clubs in her city of Louisville , KY. Today, she shares some of the stories she's witnessed over 16 years of building relationships through good food and introducing these women to the God who sees and loves them. Scarlet Hope is now in many major citie...

This is one of my favorite episodes because Erin and I get to interview our husbands . Being made in the image of God as male and female is a good thing. It is not an accident that we are created to be a man or a woman. When God made us male and female, he sa id it was very good . We were created not to compete or be opposed to each othe r , but to work together in the cosmic task God has invited...

In this best-of episode,  we are joined by Cindy Rollins, an author, mother of nine , speaker, and co-host of The Literary Life Podcast. Cindy has encouraged many women, including Erin and Sarah, to stay curious, hunt for beauty in the everyday, and bring those around them along for the journey of lifelong learning .      Morning Time: A Liturgy of Love b y Cindy Rollins   Mere Motherhood by Cindy...

We are joined by Sarah's lovely and feisty English grandmother, Sheila Broderick. Sheila was ten years old when England declared war on Germany in World War II. She was evacuated by train to Wales, but unlike the Pevensie children of C.S. Lewis' Narnia series, Sheila did not find a nice professor waiting to help spur on her imagination. Instead, she was the last child to be reluctantly taken in. F...

We welcome Dr. Kathy Koch, president of Celebrate Kids, to talk about the importance of paying attention to those around us. As Kathy likes to say, w e are all made on p urpose , with purpose , for a purpose. Kathy has a unique gift of mak ing th e people around her feel seen and cared for — especially children. She lets us in on why this is so important to her.      Kathy's Website for Celebrate...

This week w e welcome Mollie Hemingway, senior editor at the Federalist Society and a Fox News contributor, t o share her story with us. D uring her adolescence, Mollie's family oriented their lives around the church . She shares with us how that foundation has shaped her over the years , as well as how Christianity has shaped her view of womanhood.      The Federalist Society     Justice on Trial...

During our season break, we 're looking back at some of our first and favorite episodes. In this conversation with Joni Eareckson Tada , Joni shares her journey from being a young athlete to a quadriplegic and how God has used this as an invitation for her to know H im better. A few years after her accident, she founded Joni and Friends , which has i mpacted so many families and people with disabi...