We are back with part 2!

Karen Kingsbury, #1 New York Times bestselling novelist, is America’s favorite inspirational storyteller, with more than twenty-five million copies of her award-winning books in print. Her last dozen titles have topped bestseller lists and many of her novels are under development as major motion pictures. Karen recently opened her own film company called Karen Kingsbury Productions. The company’s first theatrical movie, Someone Like You, is considered one of the most anticipated movies of the year. For more information visit SomeoneLikeYou.movie. Also, the first three seasons of Karen’s Baxter Family books are now an original series called The Baxters on Prime Video. Karen and her husband, Donald, live in Tennessee near their children and grandchildren.

Karen Kingsbury, #1 New York Times bestselling novelist, is America’s favorite inspirational storyteller, with more than twenty-five million copies of her award-winning books in print. Her last dozen titles have topped bestseller lists and many of her novels are under development as major motion pictures. Karen recently opened her own film company called Karen Kingsbury Productions. The company’s first theatrical movie, Someone Like You, is considered one of the most anticipated movies of the year. For more information visit SomeoneLikeYou.movie. Also, the first three seasons of Karen’s Baxter Family books are now an original series called The Baxters on Prime Video. Karen and her husband, Donald, live in Tennessee near their children and grandchildren.

Kate Battistelli is a speaker, author, podcaster, and former actress in the Broadway Theatre world. She loves equipping women to walk into their destinies and take their own personal God Dares. A natural encourager to believe that God has a divine purpose for everyone…planned before the foundation of the world.

Check out her amazing podcast Mom To Mom!

We got SO many messages from so many listeners about talking about Halloween! So I sat down with one of my favorites Erica Bankston to share what the Bible says and how we personally feel about celebrating Halloween.

Sissy is the Executive Director of Daystar Counseling Ministries in Nashville, Tennessee, where she works alongside her puppy counseling assistant-in-training, Patches the Havanese. Since 1993, she has been helping girls and their parents find confidence in who they are and hope in who God is making them to be. Sissy is a sought-after speaker for parenting events across the country and is a frequent guest on media outlets including CNN, Good Morning America, Inside Edition, NBC Nightly News, and Christianity Today. She is the bestselling author of 13 books including her latest, The Worry-Free Parent: Finding the Confidence You Need So Your Kids Can, Too. She is the co-host of the Raising Boys and Girls podcast. Follow Sissy on Instagram @raisingboysandgirls and @sissygoff.

We are back with all the stories

So excited to sit down with my sweet friend Kristen Young today!

Amber Smith is a Christ follower, wife and mama, podcaster and now author. She married her husband, Granger (country music artist) in 2010 and now live on a little farm with lots of animals in central Texas with their kiddos, London, Lincoln and Maverick. Their lives were forever changed when their youngest son River went to be with Jesus in June of 2019. Amber started Arise with Amber to share their journey through grief and how Jesus saved their lives. Amber’s  passion since their loss has been to bring good from the pain, to find meaning and purpose instead of reasons and to share the hope they have in Jesus to a lost, hurting and broken world. Amber and Granger started the River Kelly Fund in honor of their son and since its inception, they have given back over half a million dollars to other non-profit organizations and those in need. Amber’s message is to tell you that grief and joy can co-exist. 

Today, we are talking about a topic that a lot of people may consider controversial, but if you are a Christian, I don’t believe this should be something that is controversial. Our prayer today is that anyone who hears this receives in love what we are saying today because our utmost wish is that we can speak God’s truth in love. There is no condemnation; that is not our place here. There is love, and there is grace, and there is redemption for all, no matter where you are in your story, no matter what you’ve done in your past. God loves you, and it’s all covered by the blood and his forgiveness. So just know going into this conversation, if this is something that been a part of your history or your past, we love you and are not condemning you. What we want to do today is bring God’s heart into a topic that is just, so prevalent.

Laney Crowder is a mother, wife, speaker, coffee lover, and bible study leader.

While attending a Women’s Conference in 2017, God gave Laney a vision that would change her life. It was a vision of a woman standing in a wheatfield praising God. Since wheat is symbolic of abundance, in response to her vision, Laney wrote a bible study based around living the abundant life that God has promised no matter what season of life you are experiencing. 

After leading women’s bible study groups throughout Nashville, TN, in 2020 she launched Life In the Wheatfield, an online community to encourage women along in their daily journey of seeing God’s abundance. 

In 2022, after 15 years in Nashville, Laney and her family relocated to Lake Oconee Georgia to be closer to family. In addition to running Life in the Wheatfield online, she holds Women’s retreats centered on encouraging women to fully pursue the abundant life promised in John 10:10.

If you’re a mom, or really, if you’ve ever been around small children for a given amount of time, you have probably come across this phenomenon. Speaking from experience, I can tell ya, I can only take so many calls for “Mom!” Or “Mama!” before my eye starts to twitch.. You know the insistent calling I’m talking about where they call for you and you respond with a calm “yes, baby?”, to which…they say it again. Another reply of “yes, honey?”. Annnnnd again, “Mama!”. At this point the response becomes a polite but annoyed, “Yes…?”. And this can go on indefinitely. Honestly after 3 rounds I usually lose my cool and raise my voice with an impatient, “Baby, Mommy has answered you three times already! What do you need?!”. 

I hate to admit it, but lets be honest, most of us have lived this. It can be SO frustrating when our kiddos are literally begging for our attention and we give it to them only to find they aren’t even paying attention! 

Leave it to me to see such parallels in the Bible. After all, God gave us lessons for ALL of life if we look in His word.. So, what is today’s lesson, you may ask? Well, it’s this: Sometimes we beg God for something without ever actually giving Him our attention! Just like the kids calling your name over and over… needing something from you while simultaneously being so wrapped up in their own things that they aren’t giving you their own attention in return! Allow me to read the brief excerpt from the Bible that teaches this valuable lesson.

Acts 3:1-10 TPT

This account is so short and sweet. I actually love this translation of the story because of the wording. The two things that jumped out to me were this: the man begged them for something…and then, OUT OF EXPECTATION, he GAVE THEM HIS ATTENTION. Why is this important, you may ask? I feel like this crippled man is modeling to us an important aspect of prayer life. It is not enough to simply ask God for something. And I’m sure we are all guilty of it from time to time. Life is busy. We have needs. We quickly toss up an ask to our Heavenly Father and resume life. Consumed with the goings on. So wrapped up in our lives and circumstances, we aren’t actually living in expectation that God will answer! Nor are we giving him our due attention! 

If you think of it like that, its a wonder God ever answers us at all! BUT. He is a good Father. And just like good parent when asked over and over…perhaps even in an impolite fashion, and without due attention… we answer. We still meet the need. Thank Goodness for the love of a Father for His children. 

Today is in no way an admonishment. It is, however, a challenge to reflect how you are approaching our Father in prayer. Are we giving Him our attention? Are we even coming to Him in expectation?! This passage in Acts shows us a man who did. He begged. But he did so with expectation and furthermore, with his full attention. He didn’t call over the disciples shoulder to the next passers-by. He didn’t avert his gaze back to his lifeless legs and wonder about who was going to carry him home that day. He gave his attention. And I believe that is a lesson we could all use. God just wants our attention. He loves us beyond measure… Maybe today, we could all use the reminder to give God our time and attention. Give Him our expectation as we come to Him undistracted by life. Even if just for a few precious minutes. I think we owe Him at least as much.. 

Today, I pray each of you listening are able to consecrate some time in the day..setting it aside, just for Him. Leaving life and all of its crippling demands at the door. Drop them. Walk, instead, into His waiting embrace. He longs to answer you, sweet friends. Call out to Him in expectation and give Him your attention today…