Be the Bigger Person Melissa Beth

After 3 years and a lotttttt of life changes, it is time for a new era of the pod.⁠ I explain all the details - how this change came about, what to expect, what "be the bigger person" is, why it matters to you, etc. - in this episode.

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If you subscribed or followed the podcast before, it's all still in the same place.⁠ ⁠If you haven't yet, now is a nice fresh starting point to follow and subscribe.⁠

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I'm really excited for this new phase of the podcast and our community together. Thank you in advance for coming along on the ride with me.

Yes, you read that right... I'm a happily taken woman and this story isn't one that I EVER could have planned on my own! In this episode, I sit down with my boyfriend Ivan where we walk you through every detail of how our relationship came to be, and it's a doozy. Through 10 years of friendship, him asking ANOTHER GIRL on a date, me hardcore friend-zoning him, prophetic dreams about my husband, a cruise in the Bahamas, and a 7-hour phone call, it is SO clear how God perfectly orchestrated every detail of this. This isn't just a story for us, but rather we pray that it's a testimony of God's faithfulness, how He fulfills every promise that He gives, and how to hold on to wild hope for every big dream and every niche dream that you have for the person He has for you.

P.S. While you're waiting for the next episode, here's a few ideas of what you can do...

- Purchase my BOOK
- Follow the pod on INSTAGRAM or FACEBOOK
- Watch on YOUTUBE
- Join my podcast EMAIL GROUP
- Check out my podcast WEBSITE

As people who have faith, should loss affect us with the same magnitude or heaviness?
A few months after my mom passed away, I did an online search for “books on faith and grief”. When Kate J. Meyer’s book “Faith Doesn’t Erase Grief” came up, I found myself clicking to buy it immediately. As I read even the first few pages of the book, not only did I know I needed to have Kate on the podcast, but it truly changed my grief journey for the better.
This conversation with Kate about the intersection of faith and grief was beautifully important and honest. Some of the questions we talk about are…
How we can wrestle with God about the pain of loss while also still having great hopeHow we can be better in talking about the impact grief has on those who remainHow people can integrate their grief with everyday life as more time passesHow to anticipate grief in a healthy wayHow someone can support a grieving friendHow to express emotion in a way that isn’t awkward or uncomfortable
This conversation truly matters for those who are walking through grief and those who haven’t had to yet. 
I also can’t recommend Kate’s book highly enough. You can get your copy HERE.
P.S. while you're excitedly waiting for the next episode, here's some things you can do...
- Purchase my BOOK
- Shop JANE.COM
- Join my podcast EMAIL GROUP
- Check out my podcast WEBSITE
- Follow the pod on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK

It feels like the understatement of the century to say that a lot has happened in our world in the last 3 years, let alone the last 3 weeks.
Between a global pandemic, war in Ukraine, war in Israel and Gaza, racism, antisemitism, hurricanes and floods, wildfires, school shootings, and too many tragedies and conflicts, we have experienced a lot of collective grief. It is an awful breeding ground for increased anxiety, depression, suicide, fear, anger, loneliness, hopelessness, and division.
So how do we navigate and process this collective grief in a healthy way that does not allow us to be overtaken by it?

In this episode, we talk about 3 important practices to implement in the midst of collective grief and why they matter. These ways have been researched and chronicled by trusted psychology and grief recovery centers, and can be put into practice in each of our lives.

I will never forget the conversation where Garry, a new friend at that point, mentioned in passing “I was supposed to spend life in prison but the Lord saved me”. My whole brain froze and I immediately knew this full story needed to be recorded for the podcast. 
… and it did NOT disappoint. 
If you want a story about incredible redemption and the Lord reaching someone who others may write off as too far gone, THIS is it.
Garry so honestly shares his story about:
growing up in the hoodbeing involved with gangs and violencethe crimes that got him sent out of statemeeting the Lord for the first timefacing natural life in prisonbeing saved out of jail by the Lordreaching out to the “young Garry” with law enforcement in a full circle way now
And by the way, I’m hearing this story for the first time along with all of you. It’s mind-blowing.
I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.
P.S. while you're excitedly waiting for the next episode, here's some things you can do...
- Purchase my BOOK
- Shop JANE.COM
- Join my podcast EMAIL GROUP
- Check out my podcast WEBSITE
- Follow the pod on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK

I was recently having a conversation with a friend where she said "I just feel like I'm going throughhhhh it in every area of my life and it's so hard feel like I can actually laugh or smile". I'd imagine so many of us have been in a similar place where every area of our lives feel overloaded and like too much is happening.
Especially when those things go past simple busyness and enter in the realm of heaviness, challenges, grief, or personal or spiritual attacks, how on earth are we supposed to truly find joy?
How can we make it through each day without wanting to completely crumble by 10AM?
How do we navigate the loneliness that comes in navigating a unique loss or a unique hardship?
How can we honor a loved one in our grief?
This is an episode not just for grievers, but for anyone who feels like they just are having a difficult time knowing how to navigate a particularly difficult season. I look forward to hearing what you take out of it.
P.S. while you're excitedly waiting for the next episode, here's some things you can do...
- Purchase my BOOK
- Shop JANE.COM
- Join my podcast EMAIL GROUP
- Check out my podcast WEBSITE
- Follow the pod on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK