It's Her Story

When Karen and I met at a bible study 15 years ago, neither one of us knew the impact those hours in the back room at Starbuck's would have. Facing personal hardships at the time, this would be the catalyst to Karen's journey of faith. She would hear God's call to use her to create an organization that helps cancer patients. She struggled with fear and self doubt her entire life, but He has used her anyway to do amazing things, in every way possible!!! Teaching her to trust Him, be obedient, seek Him, and not give up - even in the hard times.

As we start a new year, we are called to action to step into the life God has made for us.  Our timeline started well before we entered the earth realm. According to Ephesians 1:4, we were predestinated before the foundation of the world. Before God spoke, “Let there be light” in Genesis 1:3, we were in His thoughts. How powerful is that! Whenever we were born into the earth marked the beginning of our time on earth to fulfill what it is we were sent here to do. The legacy we leave behind should be according to whatever that purpose and plan is.

In this episode Pamela Cone shares her new book Destiny Chaser and what it means to live according to God’s will for our lives. The book was born during a visit with her mother when the Lord spoke to Pamela.  The thoughts were coming so fast.  His message to her: “You’ve only gone as far as others have permitted you to go. Think boundless! Think limitless!” Wow! These words confirmed Pamela's internal thoughts and gave her the permission needed to move forward and go for them.

Pamela will share how as God's willing vessel she opened her heart and said "Yes!" It prepared her to be limitless!  Destiny Chaser is a guide to help us open our eyes and heart to want to live in God's Will and Plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11), to seek them and to know when we are walking in them. It is our hope that this conversation ignites your desire that your life glorifies God! 

In our last episode Pamela Cone shared her new book Destiny Chaser, and what it means to live according to God’s will for our lives.  We continue our conversation in part 2 where Pamela provides tools to help us navigate the journey.  She'll talk about Destiny Partners, Cheerleaders and Propellers and show us that we are not alone.  Pam talks about the Destiny Deterrents that can keep us from fulfilling our destiny and the difficult choices we must make to stay on track.  You'll meet "Pastor Pam" as she helps us align the daily and the divine.  As we wrap up the first month of the year, this episode will propel us all into action!!

"Praise isn't logical but it's practical and faith filled."  Hannah started with a 365 day praise commitment that fostered 12 years of a life led and filled with praise.  Join us as she shares her journey as a Praise Coach, living her life by calling attention to God’s great EVERYthingness through the ups, downs and all arounds of life!  Hannah will walk us through how praise can be an effective strategy and provide examples through her own experience facing loss and unexpected miracles along the way.  Most of us love a great party.  If you've never been to a Praise Party you won't want to miss this episode!!

You can learn more about Hannah and Made to Praise Ministries at www.madetopraiseusa.com

Ann has known God her whole life, as long as she can remember. But motherhood, music, and ministry work have reshaped her reliance on him and her relationship with him in many ways, and they continue to do so. 

Ann van der Merve is a writer, singer, dancer, scholar, and pursuer of all things creative – including Scripture. She loves helping kids discover the Bible, helping them get to know God by exploring it, and helping them respond to God through their own creative voices. She also enjoys helping her own kids pursue their passions!  This episode will share her journey from performing arts to educator to mother and children's minister...with several hurdles and twists and turns along the way. Ann traveled a winding road to find her God appointed purpose and listeners will find hope in what God has planned for them...even though the blueprint may not provide clear plan from the start.

When you find yourself in the darkness, where do you turn to see the light? In this episode, Karen leads us through the process of not only seeing the light that God shines upon us but realizing we are a source of light to others.  She shares simple tips to help our God given light shine through and to seek out the light those around us. 

God always comes to Lesley through people. She is a firm believer that God created us to connect with others, and we do that by sharing our stories and finding pieces of ourselves in one another. She used to fill up with alcohol and through a divine, almost "other-wordly" experience with God she is now sober and fills up with connection; it's where God lives.

In this episode, Melissa Jones will share her journey of how God provided connections, growth, and new directions in her life...how God brought her to places she could not have imagined.  She reminds us that when things are tough or feel meaningless, that this time too has significance and we may never know on this side of heaven what that significance is. Melissa will provide examples of how God does not waste a moment, that every moment counts, including those that seem meaningless.  In wasting nothing,  God comes full circle, but this time with new vision and God centered purposes. 

Melissa lives in Christchurch, New Zealand with her husband and has two adult children who also reside in New Zealand. Through M Jones Consultancy, she facilitates professional development by working alongside senior leadership, primary and secondary school teachers to enhance learning programmes. In addition she is a specialist teacher for the New Zealand Centre for Gifted Education and works with the dynamic Computer Science Educational Research Group team at the University of Canterbury. She enjoys scenic walks, bike rides and kayaking around New Zealand where she finds God speaking to her through His magnificent creation that provides a peace as described in Phillipians 4:7 that transcends all understanding.

One thing is certain in this life, EVERYTHING will change.  By the time you are finished reading this sentence, life will be different.  It's how we face this change that defines the life we live.  We can fight it or we can welcome it.  The difference is in our willingness to accept that change is disruptive.  It can knock us off balance if we are not centered in our faith, believing that God has a plan and when we can give him the grace to work on our behalf, it will be OK.  In this episode, Karen shares her antidote to change and reminds us that God's Grace is here to carry us through all change, big or small.

God doesn't call the qualified; he qualifies the called. Learn how business entrepreneur, Jeanne Porter, built not one, but two organizations through her vision and leadership that equip, educate, and empower women.

"I don't look like what I've been through, and I have GOD to thank for that." - Dr. Rhonda Smith

In this episode, Dr. Rhonda talks about her experiences with toxic relationships and hopes to educate people globally so that they can understand what makes a relationship toxic and empower them to heal.  Most don’t talk about it because of the shame, pain and embarrassment.  Too often we become numb and hide behind the mask and under the mask lurks depression, anxiety, panic attacks, drug addiction and suicide.

Dr. Rhonda has created Divine Table Talk, a monthly program to empower hurting women through divine transformation. It's a safe place where we can tackle difficult situations - from domestic violence and toxic relationships to substance abuse and addiction to trauma and incarceration. Programs are geared to those suffering abuses and injustices as well as professionals who are helping those affected by these issues. By providing practical guidance and resources, we'll also focus on recovery by leading women to Christ, our ultimate divine healer.

Many of us act on information without having carefully pondered it. “Zeal is not good where reflection is wanting, He who goes too quickly misses His way” Proverbs 19:2. It’s good to take time apart and get quiet and listen for answers as we make decisions that affect the lives of others. Where in your life are you acting on “information” without seeking “answers”?

Dr. Cassie Barlow began as a small-town girl with big dreams of higher education. Driven by faith from the beginning, Cassie turned to the military to further her education and found an extension of the family foundation she was born into. Her career took her around the world and her faith anchored her in each of her 13 placements. Her career would eventually lead her to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base where she commanded one of the largest air base wings in the Air Force with more than 5,000 Air Force military, civilian, and contractor employees.

In this episode, Cassie will share how her family of origin formed her faith, a faith that would bring her to an extended military family. Cassie went to The Answering Place many times in her journey and will host Women in Christian Leadership's Virtual Roundtable topic "He Went To The Answering Place" from Jesus in Blue Jeans by Laurie Beth Jones. You can register to join her at www.womeninchristianleadership.com

While many choose to wallow in self-pity when life doesn’t deal them a full deck of cards, Candice Crear chose to convert her pain into a greater purpose. At the age of 2 years old her father walked out of her life. After dealing with the pain of rejection, anger and depression for many years, she decided to make a choice that would change her life forever – to heal.

Now this two-time award-winning finalist, and four-time best-selling author is committed to leading fatherless women worldwide from the road of adversity to the highway of wholeness. As she continues to conquer new ground with From Fatherless to Fearless®, she understands that by giving women the tangible tools they need to move forward, she can also challenge them to confront their true story of power and strength. Candice is determined to change the community one woman at a time.

She will share how God interrupted her life and put her in the "waiting room" to prepare her for her healing journey.

In this episode of Leveraging the Power of H.O.W. we'll learn H.O.W. to silence the voice in our head that keeps us from leaping into the purpose God has made for us. What thoughts do you prioritize? Don't let the doubts on the surface shadow the truth that lies beneath. “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

True humility is knowing you’re nothing without God, but that you’re everything with him. Don't let doubt become the fuel that limits your passion and purpose. Doubt is the devil dancing. It's time he sat the next one out!

When Jesus looked at people, He did not see them as defined by their labels or their job descriptions—He recognized their true worth. What are we undervaluing in our workplace, in our relationships, in our life? In this episode we will explore what holds us back from being the person God intended us to be.

Melissa will take us through the steps she takes to regularly unpack and dig deep into her backpack to access God’s gifts and blessings, including: Understanding what holds us back; Why it's important to break free; How to break free; and how to leverage community and other resources to find our true worth.

During the month of May we are focusing on our WORTH!!! "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." We are kicking this off with a reply of our interview with Sherry Pitts sharing how Jeremiah 29:11 became the foundation of faith that led Sherry to realize her worth and leverage her greatest purpose as a mother of six to inspire and encourage others to step into the journey God has planned for them.

Sherry will also lead Women in Christian Leadership's Coffee and Conversation virtual session on May 6 at 9:00 that will teach women about worth and the purpose God has designed for us. She will provide tools to extract the gifts and talents within us. When God places HIS hands on us, our lives “CHANGE” for the better. You can register at www.womeninchristianleadership.com.

As Women in Christian Leadership we are called in to serve, "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

In this episode we will celebrate the end of National Volunteer Appreciation Month by exploring servant leadership and H.O.W. we can humbly leverage our God given talents to impact the lives of others, openly explore the ways in which we can apply these gifts to serve without fear and willingly step into the work God has planned for us.

Are you called to serve or minister? Pamela will share how she honors the call that's always been on her Life and what it means to be a woman in ministry. From planting churches, speaking on the pulpit, facilitating bible studies and now publishing a book and hosting her first conference, Pamela shows us that when we are called, answering can be as simple as loving those we encounter every day.

As Christians, we have been taught that “God will provide.” But unless we take our requests to the Lord, He can’t work on our behalf. Join Dr. Karen for a candid conversation about how God has worked in her life when she ASKED for support and guidance, and what happened when she didn’t.

Everyone has a God-given purpose. We need to embrace it instead of hiding from it. Through Beth's experience, she reminds us that God doesn't inspire us to do something without equipping us to do it. As a professional graphic artist, a Christmas card sketch literally turned Beth's world upside down. She realized she had a special talent to draw Ambigrams, a lost art creating upside-down words and images. Through this hidden talent, she found her purpose to share God's message of hope through her art and children's books, leveraging a universal language that crosses all barriers and doesn't need an explanation. Beth's story of stepping into God's purpose and realizing his provision inspires us to say YES to the "a-ha's" from God.

From the words of Lysa Terkuerst, "The decisions we make, make the life we live." Every day we are faced with small decisions as to how we spend our time, what we prioritize, and the boundaries we set. Too often we find ourselves as Karen did; busy, stressed, and depleted. In this episode, Karen will share how leveraging The Power of H.O.W. led her to seek wisdom and apply spiritual truth to life's realities and decision-making.

Natalie is a Marketing Director by day, co-host of A Mom’s Life podcast, and most importantly a mom to 5-year-old Emma, 1-year-old Cameron, and Samuel who was born sleeping at 33 weeks in 2019.

After the stillbirth of her son, Natalie took comfort in connecting with other loss moms. Her mission now is to help others dealing with pregnancy loss and grief by talking about the things the world doesn’t want to. Natalie will share how the loss rocked her faith like nothing before and what she learned along the way back.

Taking a faith walk! - Sherry and her husband had been married for a long time and their marriage became stagnant. They prayed to God asking for HIS guidance and her husband resigned from his job of 18 years!! This was the beginning of their faith walk.

You will hear how Jeremiah 29:11 became the foundation of faith that led Sherry to leverage her greatest purpose as a mother of six to inspire and encourage others to step into the journey God has planned for them.

There are miracles all around us. Will we choose to see them? As we grow in holiness, we should realize that God is certainly making us into a malleable masterpiece of surrender. Siobhan shares the times in her life where God has issued her a "time-out," asking her to be still and hear his voice, making it impossible for other distractions to get in the way of his message. We will learn how, through illness, and in ultimate surrender, we can receive one of God’s greatest desires and gifts to us.

When her first child was born 52 years ago, DiAnne Karas knew one thing for sure: one day her son would ask the big questions about life, and she had to find the answers. This quest for Truth took her through 5 degrees, including Nursing,Psychology, Theology, Performing Arts, and a Sloan Fellowship from the London Business School. DiAnne will share how a rough start in life served to fuel her survival skills and eventually her lifelong success. With each adversity DiAnne would reinvent herself, persevere and allow God to lead the way. Through her journey, DiAnne proves that all of our getting truly comes from our giving.

In time we become caregivers to our parents and may be faced with the challenges of parenting them. Leveraging the Power of H.O.W. provides the tools needed to help them age with grace, empathy and love. In this episode learn H.O.W. to put their personal needs ahead of your need to take care of them; H.O.W. to accept where they are in their journey and H.O.W. to be present with them where they are today.

Chrissy Marie found herself in a marriage living two separate lives: mom by day and wife by night. While committed to her family and spouse, Chrissy would undergo a traumatic divorce and years of financial and emotional abuse and then be faced with yet an even bigger loss to overcome. Join us as Chrissy shares how she became a Single Mom Soldier, channeling her pain into purpose, mentoring women, not only to help them find a way to live again...but to live loudly.

Hear Debra‘s experience with a learning disability, and how God used this weakness to empower her with a gift to teach others how to study and learn his word. With a brain hardwired to God, Debra went from a college drop out to successful entrepreneur and will share how she learned to learn then learned to teach.

For many, grief can be debilitating. How we live life in the moment can be the pathway to facing loss and finding peace. Kim will share how leaving nothing unsaid and loving deeply helped her survive deep loss, twice, and how God led her to find beauty in grief and a calling to support grieving children.

While we can't choose what happens to us, we can choose what we do with it! Learn H.O.W. through vulnerability, prayer, and faith in action all things are possible.

Daria will teach us how to live despite hurt. A true overcomer, she started a ministry helping others to heal and find purpose from pain.

God doesn't call the qualified; he qualifies the called. Learn how business entrepreneur, Jeanne Porter, built not one, but two organizations through her vision and leadership that equip, educate, and empower women.

Meet your host, learn what we're about and what we will share each week! Together we can Faith it 'til we make it!