I love the word “gutsy.” In fact, a gutsy woman is always inspiring to me! She’s the kind of gal who knows that the odds are stacked against her, but she makes a big move anyways. There have been so many gutsy women in my life – I could take up this entire blog listing them. In a world where women are fighting against so much, we need brave, courageous women who are willing to risk it all for something better.
Sometimes, the greatest gutsiest risk we’ll ever take is the one that involves confronting our painful past and choosing to walk the road of healing.
Today, my Better Together podcast guest is Jennifer Renee Watson. I caught up with Jennifer as she was hiding out in a hotel room writing her upcoming book called Freedom: The Gutsy Pursuit of Breakthrough and Life Beyond It" (February 2019). Jennifer is a speaker, writer, pastor’s wife, student ministries leader and mother of two. Her life journey has been one of brokenness and healing. Now, Jennifer’s passion is to equip others to take their healing journey as well.
As the child of an alcoholic and divorce, Jennifer spent her younger years trying to cope with the ache and pain of the loss of her dad to addiction and the break-up of her family. “My dad had such a great heart and loved people but over the years, his addiction became bigger and louder than who he was as a man.”
Jennifer came to faith in Christ when she was 11 years old. Her new life and hope in Christ helped Jennifer to see that she needed to deal with the brokenness in her life. “When I was in my teen years, I worked hard to deal with my junk. I wrote stories, angry poetry, danced – I needed an outlet to work through things.” Not only that, but young Jennifer made one of her first gutsy moves in life and said “yes” when she felt God putting a life of ministry on her heart.
During today’s conversation, Jennifer talks through what her “healing journey” looked like. Most of all, Jennifer tells us about the powerful way that she knew that healing had taken place when she got the word that her dad died three years ago.
There are times when we hear women talk about the shock-n-awe brokenness of their lives, but Jennifer longs for us to not let our brokenness define us. Rather, she invites us to learn how to offer the fractured parts of our lives to God and let those broken places be a platform to glorify Him.
On today’s Better Together Podcast, we talk about:
LINKS FROM TODAY'S EPISODE
Jennifer Renee Watson website | Facebook
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About your host...
Barb Roose is the host of the Better Together podcast. She's passionate about teaching women how to win at life with strength and dignity. Barb's new book, Winning the Worry Battle and her new six-week Bible study on the book of Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle release in April 2018. Both products are available at your favorite online retailers and stores across the country.
“On what should have been the most beautiful day of my life, a switch flipped in my body…”
Have you or someone you know struggled with chronic pain? For 20 years, speaker and author, Melinda Means fought chronic pain and autoimmune disorders that she jokingly referred as the “gift that keeps on giving.”
Melinda is the author of the book, Invisible Wounds: Hope While You are Hurting. As we talked today, she reflects on the years on constant doctors appointments, diseases and treatments, she felt like the woman in New Testament who struggled with uncontrolled bleeding for 12 years (Mark 5).
“I tried everything to heal myself. I tried every diet, vitamin – everything. But nothing worked.”
Raging within Melinda’s suffering body was a spiritual wound that spread deep and wide. “I didn’t understand how God could love me and still let me suffer. I know that my earthly father would have healed me from my debilitating pain if he could. So, if my earthly father would heal me because beloved me, then why wouldn’t my heavenly father heal me?”
During my conversation with Melinda, we talk with great candor about the difficult questions that we ask God when we’re in physical, emotional or spiritual pain. If you’ve ever grappled with questions like why God hasn’t taken away your pain or why your prayers for healing have gone unanswered, then today’s podcast conversation is for you.
What you’ll hear in this week’s podcast:
PODCAST EPISODE RESOURCES:
Melinda’s website | Melinda's book | Melinda's Facebook page
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Powerful Quotes from this week’s podcast:
“For years, I went to every doctor and tried every remedy. But as I prayed that day, felt God speak to my spirit and say, ‘Melinda, I’m your only hope.’”
“I didn’t need to wait for God to heal me before I could minister to others. I realized that my ministry happened from the place of my brokenness.”
“While I prayed, I realized that if I wanted more of God, then I needed to stop consuming so much of everything else.”
“I realized that God wanted me to seek Him, not just seek what I wanted from Him.”
About this podcast...
The Better Together podcast provides hope, help and the practical next steps so that we can get better together. This podcast launches new episodes on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays each month. Miss an episode? You can listen to the podcast library at barbroose.com/bettertogether.
Barb Roose is the host of the Better Together podcast. She's passionate about teaching women how to win at life with strength and dignity. Barb's new book, Winning the Worry Battle and her new six-week Bible study on the book of Joshua: Winning the Worry Battle release in April 2018. Both products are available at your favorite online retailers and stores across the country.
"They took me into the counseling room. The doctor gently told me that they tried everything that they could, but they were not able to revive my husband. So, I went home to do the hardest thing that I ever had to do."
Lisa Appelo's life changed forever in just one night…
On this new episode of Better Together podcast, I have a heartbreaking, yet hope-filled conversation with writer and speaker, Lisa Appelo. She’s a Florida native and a homeschooling mom to seven kids, now aged 27 to 10.
During our interview, Lisa tells us about the night in summer 2011 when she woke up in the middle of the night and realized that her 47-year old husband Dan was having a heart attack. After the paramedics took her husband to the hospital, Lisa went upstairs and noticed her kids huddled together with their arms around each other.
Not only did Lisa face the devastating loss of her high-school sweetheart husband, but the reality of being alone and a single mom to seven kids from college-aged down to just four years old.
In the difficult months that followed, Lisa remembers the powerful presence of friends and prayer holding her family up.
"I do remember thinking and knowing that we were being carried by prayer."
Yet, as you listen to our interview, you’ll hear the incredible hope that Lisa share about the blessings and abundance of God. She talks about the pain of walking with her kids through the loss of their dad and the practical ways that she helped her kids open up and talk about their fears and loss.
During this episode, Lisa encourages us to remember:
CONNECT WITH LISA:
Lisa' website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
100 Days with Christ Bible Study Journal and Reading Plan
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Barb Roose is the host of the Better Together podcast. Find more episodes at barbroose.com/bettertogether.