Bobbi McCormick is such a breath of fresh air! She lives up to her online persona, bringing joy and optimism into our conversation. We met years ago through the blogging world and I've followed her story through infertility, foster care, adoption and more. I loved Bobbi's perspective about "getting comfortable with being uncomfortable" and truly following God's lead in those moments when we have no idea what to do. She's fresh off of adopting her second child and deep into a "debt free by 40" plan a la Dave Ramsay. Bobbi is a fitness instructor with Revelation Wellness, marathon runner, preschool teacher and an inspiration through it all. In today's conversation, we discuss what it was like to discover infertility, to walk through … [Read more...]

Jess Ekstrom's new book, "Chasing the Bright Side" is the perfect title for her personality. Though we haven't met in person, she radiates light in conversation and I've learned so much from her online course helping women learn to hone their speaking skills. Jess started an amazing company, "Headbands of Hope" when she was in college and it's still thriving today, bringing style to many and plenty of headbands for children suffering from cancer. She's got an amazing entrepreneurial story in today's episode -- one that makes you wonder how she had the gumption to keep going. But she did and the world is better for it. Since founding her company, Jess has become a sought after speaker on the conference circuit. She's built a career … [Read more...]

Today's interview got me thinking really hard. I wasn't expecting to come with such profound revelations after speaking with author and pastor Stephanie Lobdell, but I surely did. You can see how part of that played out in my recent (vulnerability alert) Instagram post here. Stephanie's book, "Signs of Life: Resurrecting Hope out of Ordinary Losses" tackles some tough issues. While we love a good redemption story, most of us are not in the middle of extreme life traumas 24 hours a day. Most of us are dealing with the everyday battles: depression, negativity, infertility, self-image, busy-ness, stress, anxiety -- you name it. It's nice to celebrate the Resurrection at Easter, but how about remembering why it matters everyday? … [Read more...]

There's a tide turning in the United States. It's not as loud as partisan media voices blasting from the TV, but it matters more. Briana Stensrud is helping make way for Christian women to embrace what it means to be fully pro-life, specifically as it relates to welcoming immigrants and refugees. She helps lead Welcome, a community of women committed to creating a movement of Christ-like welcome in our country. It all goes back to loving the sojourner, Biblical hospitality, believing in the Imago Dei (every human created in God's image), our call to be peacemakers and to continually invite the orphan, widow, marginalized and oppressed into love and safety. It was interesting speaking with Briana about her work within the traditional … [Read more...]