One of my favorite speakers and authors is my guest today. Karen Eman is a New York Times Best-selling author and speaker with Proverbs 31 Ministries, where I first heard her speak many years ago. Hospitality and making people feel loved and seen is one of her specialities, and she shares about this in her new book Reach Out, Gather In: 40 Days to …

With only weeks left before the 2020 elections, I'm thrilled to bring this important episode with author, speaker and scholar Kaitlyn Schiess. Her new book The Liturgy of Politics is a must-read for people of faith and people who are needing more grounding in their faith as they navigate life in the politically charged and divided climate of Americ…

My favorite tv personality and QVC queen, Kim Gravel, joins me on the show today. We talk QVC, her reality show, "Kim of Queens" that aired on Lifetime, pursuing our passions, and Jesus is all in the middle of it! Follow her on FB, IG and at Here's her official bio: Kim Gravel is an entrepreneur, tv personality, public speaker and industry leader, …

Menopause is not something that most women are prepared to enter. There are many myths surrounding this God-designed season of life. Although it can be quite challenging for many women, it doesn't have to be something simply endured. Dr. Cheryl Bridges Johns shares today from her book Seven Transforming Gifts of Menopause: An Unexpected Spiritual J…

I'm so excited to share this episode! Beth McCord is the founder of Your Enneagram Coach. She has been an Enneagram coach, speaker, and teacher for over 15 years. This is a tool that has transformed my life by helping me better understand myself and others, which has helped promote healthier relationships. If you are unfamiliar with the Enneagram, …

Bestselling author and founder of the Clutter Free Academy Kathi Lipp is my guest today. She is known for helping women achieve peace in their lives, even our cluttered homes! We discuss her newest release, The Clutter-Free Home and her upcoming book Ready for Anything. She is often featured in Women's World as an "Ask the Expert" and is truly the …

Author and speaker Courtney Reissig shares about her newest book Teach Me to Feel: Worshipping Through the Psalms in Every Season of Life. The Psalms give us language to express so many of our emotions--gratitude, shame, longing, anxiety and anger, to name a few. Courtney's devotional gives women an opportunity to reflect on their emotions with the…

We are collectively experiencing something that our generation has never seen. Our lives have come to a halt and nothing is "normal" anymore. While it is critical that we pursue physical health and safety, it is just as crucial to maintain good mental health. In this episode, licensed therapist and ordained priest, Janis Sharpe, shares a multitude …

Af Kim Bakaev

Af Kim Bakaev

Af Kim Bakaev

Christmas doesn't have to be a source of stress and insanity, trying to impress family and guests with pinterest-worthy decor and dinner parties. Author and design expert, Victoria Duerstock walks us through ways we can make our homes a source of celebration of Christ's birth without losing our minds and peace. To connect with Victoria, go to www.v…

As we begin the Advent season, Rev. Michaele Lavigne is the perfect guest to launch the start of the Church calendar, which began Dec. 1 this year, the first day of Advent. Michaele is pastor of spiritual formation at 8th Street Church of the Nazarene in Oklahoma City. In this episode we discuss how she came to serve in ministry and how her new boo…

Writer and baker extraordinaire, Kendall Vanderslice is my guest today. In her new book We Will Feast: Rethinking Dinner, Worship, and the Community of God, she shares with us her experiences around the US with the dinner-church movement, where she discovers the Holy Spirit working in beautiful ways connecting people, healing hearts, and transformi…

Julie Lyles Carr is a woman among women. I got to know her when we attended the same church in Tulsa before their crew moved to Texas. Her gifts are many and she uses them beautifully to serve women and families anywhere she can. I'm thrilled to share her with you today as we talk about her amazing book, Raising An Original. From her website: "Juli…

Season 5 winner of The Next Food Network Star, celebrity chef, and best-selling author Melissa d'Arabian is my guest today on the podcast. In her newest book, Tasting Grace, Melissa illuminates sixteen invitations we receive related to food and how God uses it to transform our lives and share with him in the process of creation. The book and our co…

Author Alia Joy joins me on the podcast today, sharing about her new book, Glorious Weakness. From Seth Haines' forward in the book: "Through sexual trauma, encounters with racism, the loss of a child, and mental health issues, Alia shares her suffering with such sensorial artistry that you cannot help but enter in. But this is not a book about suf…

My dear friend Jeff Wetterman is an associate pastor, a long-time English language teacher, a seminarian, a playwright, and a recovering alcoholic. After years of carrying the secret and shame of alcohol abuse, he admitted that he had a problem to a friend and eventually got help. Today he shares candidly about the journey of alcoholism and the cri…

In Placemaker, author Christie Purifoy guides readers in creating home and recognizing beauty in every part of season of our lives, regardless of geography. Because of her, I honestly look at my everyday world differently now, looking for the beauty and finding ways to create peace and rest. Christie earned a Ph.D in English literature at the Unive…

Stacy Tornio is the author of more than 15 books on topics like nature and gardening, and she's also the creator of Destination Nature, which is dedicated to getting more kids and families outside. She was also the editor for Birds and Bloom magazine for several years. Marrying my cousin Steve brought her from Oklahoma to Wisconsin where she tries …

For my 75th show, I'm thrilled to share my conversation with Wall Street Journal bestselling author and podcaster, Emily P. Freeman. She has been a tremendous creative and spiritual influence on me, a mentor who has helped birth this very podcast. Emily's goal is to help "create space for our souls to breathe." Through her podcast, "The Next Right …

What do you think of when you hear the words infidelity or adultery? Most assume it's a man who was the perpetrator. Many assume that it is a death sentence for a marriage (or death for the spouse if it ever happened to them!) Most imagine that forgiveness and mercy would be impossible; trust and intimacy could never truly be restored. Even Jesus s…

When Carrie first dated her husband Eric, she became an avid student of his character. She wanted to know everything about him to determine whether he would be safe to entrust with her heart and future children. In the same way, she has studied the character of Jesus, learning about his desire to protect and provide for us, his compassion and empat…

Today, my friend Wilma Lormis shares her journey through an unwanted divorce, her decision to obey God and the restoration she received after the pain and devastation. While living as missionaries in Madagascar, she discovered that her husband was living a secret life that led to their return to the US and eventual separation and divorce. In the mi…

Part 2 of Joy Will Come, the story of a Christian teen's journey through unplanned pregnancy and her decision to place her child in a loving, adoptive home. Last episode, Lindsay's mom, Scarlet Pepin shared about what she and her husband experienced as parents walking alongside their daughter in this unexpected circumstance. Today, Lindsay candidly…

"I'm pregnant" is not what Scarlet Pepin and her husband Brad expected to hear from their high school daughter at the breakfast table on a Saturday morning. This gifted girl of theirs loved Jesus and had such hope and purpose for her future but all was seemingly wrecked at that moment. But God... In this episode, Scarlet shares the story of the jou…

Elizabeth Inman is owner of Inman Financial, Inc and Federal Employee Benefits Coordinators. She has a passion for people and coming alongside them to help them fulfill their dreams and secure their financial futures. Today, she brings a wealth of information and advice to empower women in their finances. You're going to want to grab a pen to take …

Tobey has always loved learning and knew she wanted to become a teacher since a very little girl. No one could have been more excited to be enrolled in college than her. She had just met the man of her dreams a few weeks earlier and was on her way to meet him for an early morning devotion when a life-altering event happened. This beautiful, gracefu…

So many of us battle fear and insecurity in so many areas of our lives. If it's not flat-out fear, it may be avoiding things that are uncomfortable. We often hide who we really are for fear of being rejected or misunderstood. Then we feel like frauds because we don't reveal our true selves to the people around us. My friend Lisa J. Goins tackles th…

I've never been one to have a "word" for the year, but in January, I felt a whisper of the word "dream". Now that I'm looking back on 2018, I realize that I haven't done much dreaming. Frankly, I'm not even sure what that means or how to do it. Then, along came Heather Turner and this book, Dream Traders! My conversation with her in this podcast ep…

Kim Goodman received the worst news a mother can get three and a half years ago--the death of her firstborn son. As the result of an overdose of marijuana edibles while on a trip to Colorado, Luke fatally shot himself in the head. In today's episode, Kim shares candidly about her son's journey before this tragic day, how her faith carried her throu…

So often we can get overwhelmed with wanting to do "big"things for God and discouraged when we feel like we're bogged down in everyday life. Well, Shannan Martin is here to turn that notion of "big" on its head. True meaning in life is made up of living lives intertwined with the regular people in these everyday lives, as Jesus did. This beautifull…

My friend Leah Marshall joins me on this episode to discuss how to appreciate art. As a docent at an art museum, Leah knows how to help visitors of all ages engage with a painting by talking about basic elements of design, asking how it makes them feel, and thinking about what an artist is trying to communicate. Art doesn't have to be mysterious or…

My dear friend Trisha Keehn Jarvis shares on the podcast today about being a suicide survivor in hopes of giving listeners tools for helping others who might be struggling with suicide and encouragement for those struggling with suicidal thoughts. God intervened in her life and she gained strength and healing through counsel and community. She is a…

Jamila Jackson, founder of loved+blessed, understands firsthand how small bits of hope can make a significant impact on a life. After years of struggling with infertility, Jamila had a crisis of faith where she realized that she had become obsessed with motherhood. Once she gave this struggle to God, He, in turn, gave her the idea for “boxes of enc…

Anna Pistor is author of the recently released book, Women's Gifts, Women's Roles: A Roadmap for Navigating the Debate Over Women in Ministry. This is such an important work because the American church is divided on the roles that women are to play, and she presents the research in a layperson-friendly way.…

Dr. Lisa Hart is at pediatrician at Young People's Clinic in Tulsa, OK. I invited Lisa to share about how to provide children with healthy physical, emotional and mental environments as well as talk about how she juggles her profession with family life and all her other interests. Dr. Hart is a writer, poet, artist, and trombone player! She's a wea…

Noelle Kilgore is a worship leader, songwriter, business woman, wife, and mom to three gorgeous children. Today she shares her painful journey of infertility and God's miraculous provision of adoption. Though it was a hard and often disappointing road, God so clearly had a beautiful plan for her family. Noelle and her husband Ben released a new son…

My guest today is singer, songwriter and author Plumb (Tiffany Lee). In June, she released her new album Beautifully Broken (and it's so good!). Her second book, Fight for Her, came out in August. Both of these projects are connected in the themes of God using our brokenness, of God redeeming our hurts, and of the hope we have in Christ to make all…

Today I have a fellow member of the TRUE Stories Ministries team, Susan Grice, as my guest. As we have journeyed together in ministry over these past several years, I have seen Susan walk through some great challenges in her faith and some big "no's" from God. As she has examined her life story and sat before the LORD, she has cultivated a sharp ey…

BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN will be released August 24 and today I have director Eric Welch as my guest! The film is based on an incredible true story about three families whose lives are impacted by struggle and pain but brought together in a God-orchestrated way. In today's episode, Eric shares about his journey into making movies, how his passion to move…

Lea Newcomb is co-founder and director of Engedi Refuge, a "restorative program for women who have survived sexual exploitation and trafficking" in the Pacific Northwest. In just seven years, Engedi Refuge has become one of America's leading residential care facilities for women, with a ninety percent success rate of women not returning to prostitu…

If you haven't discovered NY Times best-selling author, inspirational speaker, and love-ambassador Bob Goff, you haven't truly lived yet. His love for people is genuine and contagious. I recently finished his last book, Everybody, Always and invited my book buddy, Cathie Searcy to discuss how it impacted our lives and whet your appetite for it. Get…

Young millennials often get a bad rap these days. I mean, what inspiration could a 21-year-old college girl have to contribute to my middle-aged life?? TONS!!! Kellie Kittinger is a woman who is confident, strong, a cancer-survivor, and knows how to hear God's voice. Her story will inspire and encourage you today. Her mom, Carrie Kittinger, is one …

I have always had a fascination for personality tests, and the Myers Briggs Indicator has been the granddaddy of them all for decades. My friend Jewel Kaste (meet her in Episode 4 of the podcast) has been diving deep into the MBTI for decades and is the perfect guest to share a clear and practical description of the traits and how they affect our l…

Wouldn't it be great to really know that we could hear God speaking to us? We often doubt that He speaks to us and that we are actually hearing Him. How does He speak? How can you know it's Him? My guest today is my friend and ministry teammate, Ashley Grice. As a learning differences specialist, Ashley has cultivated an intimate relationship with …

Today's podcast covers things I love to talk about--creativity, vision, inspiring others. My guest is my friend Lori Riner, the epitome of inspiration! Lori is a leadership coach, consultant and trainer based out of Tulsa, OK. She is a Birkman® Certified Professional and a Lead Self Lead Others Certified Leadership Coach. Lori works with clients ac…

I'm honored to have Danny Stockstill as my guest on the podcast today. I first met Danny when our boys played football together in elementary school and he helped coach the team. He is pastor of Brookside Baptist Church here in Tulsa, co-founder with his wife, Sarah, of Philosophy Academy, chaplain with the Tulsa police and fire departments, and da…

Kim Spence has been on an amazing adventure with the LORD. She co-hosted "The Road Show" for fifteen years on a Christian radio station in Tulsa, OK, where she interviewed guests from Andrae Crouch to Barbara Bush. Her heart is for women to walk in truth and connection with Jesus. In this episode she shares some of the highs and lows of her journey…

Sandy Minardi is a women's minister and founder of The Many Faces of Love. She helps women find the value in their stories and how they can use them to encourage others. She's recently published her first book, Unmasking the Many Faces of Love, in which she bravely shares her own story. Sandy can be contacted at www.manyfacesoflove.org She will be …