WELCOME HEART: Living a Legacy Life Sue Donaldson

Kristen Hallinan knew she needed to make some changes. How she responded to situations was threatening the peace in her family and costing her precious relationships. Once she figured out that much of her over-reactions were based in deep-seated early life trauma, she was able to begin to move forward: for her sake and for the sake of the next generation. 
As a result of what Kristen learned, she's put together a resource that is her legacy and will be of help for many who feel stuck in the pain of their past. That may not be you but you may know someone who needs to hear her story and how to get beyond small-t trauma and live in the freedom and wholeness that Christ provides.
A copy of her newly-released book will be part of a giveaway all week long. Be sure to comment to be entered:
Legacy Changer: Heal the Hurt, Redeem Your Story, Create Hope for Your Family

Some gems from our conversation:
It took me many years to resource all the tools to help me heal. 
We are forgiven completely when we come to faith in Christ, but not always fully healed.
I love seeing women walk in freedom when God redeems their past pain.
As a child, I felt unwanted, unseen, and that I was simply annoying to others. 
It took courage to speak up about my needs and face the fact that many were not met as a child.
To quiet the lies in my head, I list them out and contrast them with the truths of who God says I am. 
I am teaching our children that it's okay not to be enough because God is enough.
I've learned that I am in charge of my emotions—they are not in charge of me.
Kristen Hallinan is a sought-after writer and speaker, passionate about helping women redeem the pain of their past and move towards a healthier and more hopeful future. On mission to equip women and support families, Kristen previously worked as Director of Development for MOPS International. She enjoys working with teen moms, crisis pregnancy centers, and serving as a pre-marital mentor with her husband Shawn in Dallas, TX. Legacy Changer is Kristen’s debut book, and you can find her other writings in publications like Relevant Magazine and The Joyful Life. Laughing with and chasing after her four children helps burn off the calories she consumes of her favorite treat—homemade gluten free churros. 

 
 

Pam Fields of The Mom Next Door Podcast shares with us today her desire to come alongside other moms and throw out the anchor of God's truth, hope and love, encouraging them in their parenting and their walk with the Lord. She came from a difficult place in her own childhood and didn't really understand what it was all about but she met the Lord at 15 and knew right then that God loved her and that she was His favorite. I wanted to argue that I was His favorite, but as we know, God loves us all. 
Pam, a recent resident of Tennesee after living in Oregon for many years, is a mom of 9 and grandma to 4. She hosts the free Facebook group called: Tending Fields Moms Group and interviews moms from all walks of life on her podcast. 

 
Some gems:
I want to throw out the life preserver and provide an anchor for moms who are needing support and encouragement. 
An online community is a starting place for sharing hope and practical resources.
I know that there is so much power in prayer and when we can't make a casserole for someone, we can still pray.
I always knew that God loved me and that I was His favorite.
Because of the dark places in my past, I know that I kept myself from fully experiencing my emotions until I met with a counselor and recognized my childhood trauma.
To get beyond a painful past, we must surround ourselves with people who point us to God and His healing truth.
We aren't meant to grow on our own.
I  want a home where my people feel comfortable and supported whether or not things are going well or not so great.
 
 

 
As a mom of 9, Pam has learned how to incorporate prayer into the busy moments of mothering life. She would love to share this resource with you! In this guide, you will find prayer prompts as well as step-by-step instructions for crafting a prayer bracelet which will be a great reminder to pray for any concerns that you are carrying. She writes about the bracelet HERE.
 
 

 


Prayer Bracelets: A Practical Idea to Remind You to Pray



 
 
Here is the link: https://subscribepage.io/3e30w2
 
Follow Pam:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/tendingfields/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/TendingFields
Website: https://tendingfields.net/

 

Kendall Vanderslice joins us today to talk bread, food, community, and loneliness—all some of my favorite topics. Founder of the non-profit,  EdibleTheology.com, Kendall shares her wisdom regarding cultural polarization, and how eating together is a vulnerable and soul-filling activity. I love her call to include "rhythms of times at the table" in an effort to stave off our default into isolation. And, that when we do, we feel more known, respected and healed.
Author of We Will Feast, By Bread Alone, as well as the digital course, Bake With the Bible, Kendall also promotes a program we can use in our churches to build community and love, even in the middle of an election year! (Maybe especially in the middle of an election year!) And she is offering a copy of her recently released book/memoir: By Bread Alone: A Baker's Reflections on Hunger, Longing and the Goodness of God.

Some gems from our conversation:
To eat together takes vulnerability at some level which leads to deeper sharing and better knowing of one another.
Loneliness has negative effects on our brains and our bodies. 
God speaks to us in the act of cooking and eating.
Healing is possible around the table. Pull up a chair.
Sharing stories and meals can fill gaps and foster connections unlike any other thing.
Invite others into your home on purpose when it's not all cleaned up and perfect.
We can love better when we don't agree on topics when we cook and eat together. 
To stave off loneliness, purpose to plan your life around rhythms of eating at the table with others.
Her favorite thing to bake (I asked!) is "Sourdough on Training Wheels." Sounds like my kind of sourdough.

In her own words
Hello! I’m Kendall Vanderslice – yes, before you ask, that is my true name.
It’s just by chance (or the humor of God) that I ended up in a field so fitting. I’m a baker and writer, whose best thinking occurs as I work dough between my hands; I scribble down thoughts on pieces of parchment dusted in flour, until I can parse them out later before my keyboard. When I embarked on a career as a pastry chef, I found that my love of bread transformed the ways I read scripture. Fascinated by God’s use of food throughout the arc of the Gospel, I merged my work in the kitchen with academic study of food and theology.
I founded the educational nonprofit Edible Theology as an outlet for further research and public engagement in this sphere. You can get a taste for our work by listening to our weekly podcast Kitchen Meditations.
I’m a graduate of Wheaton College in Illinois (BA Anthropology), where I began engaging questions of food and faith. Interested in commensality—or, the social dynamics of eating together—I studied food at Boston University (MLA Gastronomy). My thesis on church meals sparked a range of theological questions, leading me to Duke University where I wrote a thesis on the theology of bread (MTS). In 2018 I was named a James Beard Foundation national scholar for my work on food and religion.
My first book, We Will Feast: Rethinking Dinner, Worship, and the Community of God, released May 2019. My second book, By Bread Alone: A Baker’s Reflections on Hunger, Longing, and the Goodness of God, releases February 2023.
 
 

A teacher told Dianne Beck, "You're a good writer" and that made all the difference. Beck's love of writing turned into a passion, first while teaching non-reading junvenile delinquents, then teaching in a Christian school and now writing young adult fiction. She inspired her students to write and they made her accountable to finishing her first novel, Sticks and Stones—a prequel to her current book, Finding True North. Beck explores the theme of living from our true identity, who God designed us to be. And she is giving away a copy this week!
Leave a comment below to be entered. You'll want to read it first and then give it to your favorite 8th grader!

Dianne's legacy is love: "When you read my stories, real or imagined, may you discover a God who loves you." 
 
Dianne, a mother of four adult children has taught school for years and has a special spot in her heart for Middle-schoolers, which makes her a saint and well-appreciated by parents that's for sure. Check out her writings on her website: diannebeck.com 

Some gems:
A 5th grade teacher told me that I was a good writer. I never forgot her words.
The juvenile delinquents I taught to read just needed someone to come alongside and show them that someone cared.
Young people are embattled by social media, adding to their tension and confusion. 
We all need to live out of the confidence of being who God designed us to be. 
The written word stays long after we are gone: I want to write so that others know God loves them.
Staying in the Word is the key to remembering our true identity.

Amberly Neese is all for Glee-ology as well as Theology. She loves making people laugh. I would say she can't help it. She knows, too, that truth goes down easier when prefaced with a good dose of humor and vulnerability. Author of three great Bible Studies including UNTANGLING FAITH: RECLAIMING HOPE INTHE QUESTIONS JESUS ASKED, Amberly helps people like you and me experience the freedom found in meaningful relationships with God and others. 
She's hosting a giveaway of UNTANGLING FAITH all week long - please leave comment below to be entered. 

Some gems from our conversation:
 
My favorite question that Jesus asked is: "Who do you say I am?" 
Humor drops defenses and helps whet our appetites for what God wants to teach us. 
I had to let go of the false notion that God only is concerned with me when I'm doing things right. 
I want people to know that God is for them by the way that I love and honor them.
We develop a specific muscle group in our minds each time we recall how God loves and provides: He does so for birds—he will do the same for us, His children.
When my adult children need help, instead of rushing to their aid, I ask, "What do you know to be true?"
Jesus asked over 300 questions as recorded in Scripture. Since He knew all the answers the questions were for you and I to help us grow in faith and love. 
 

 
Amberly is a featured speaker/ emcee/ comedian for the Aspire Women’s Events and Marriage Date Night, two popular Christian national tours.
She and her husband have two adult children and live in Prescott, Arizona, where they enjoy the great outdoors, the Food Network, and all things Star Wars.
I got to meet and hear Amberly in October. What a treat!

Colleen Swindoll Thompson speaks today about "reframing her pain" and what she didn't learn in Sunday School. "We don't like to hear that life includes suffering," Thompson states, "and that modeling how to suffer well is the best legacy we can leave our children." She was raised well and she figured if she did "her part for God and with God" she'd be okay. But she wasn't.
Through multiple difficult and tragic circumstances, she learned to lean in toward God and allow Him to do his refining work, and all of it helped her establish "Reframing Ministries"—an organization to bless, encourage and support the caregiver.
Colleen will be giving away a copy of her book When Life Isn't Fair: What They Didn't Tell You in Sunday School this week. Leave a comment below or on social media to be entered to win. 


Some gems from our conversation:
God's way is so different from what we plan—so much bigger and better but we don't see that right away.
I was raised with the idea that if I do my part, God would give me an abundant life without suffering.
I want to leave a legacy of listening well because that means I'm loving well.
How I treat others that God has entrusted into my care takes vulnerability and the willingness to ask for help.
We can face our challenges and trials either by fighting with God, asking "Why, God?" and trying to fix things on our own or by asking Him, "What do I do now? You've given me this day and these trials—I need help." 
God knows you: your health, your emotions, your relationships—all the things—and He will supply the person or persons that you need when you need it.
When we find ourselves stuck, not knowing how to move forward, the first step is to acknowledge our need; then pray, "Lord, I don't know what to do."
God doesn't say, "I need to you do" as much as "I need you to be"—close to me, crying out for help and resting in His presence.

Sign up for Colleen's 5-Day Patio Videos Devotional Series HERE.
View Colleen's story here or here.


Do you know a caregiver who would be encouraged by this podcast? Please share the link today.
 
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Maybe someone in your neighborhood needs to hear Colleen's message of reframing. If I don't know my neighbor, it's hard to love them as Jesus loves them. You can start by hosting a coffee. This printable can get you on your way, including two simple recipes (I only do simple)—