WELCOME HEART: Living a Legacy Life

Have you been surprised, perhaps, disappointed with the trials, twists and turns your life has taken whether it be illness, estrangement, grief or even infertility? Is facing one or more of those things with joy and peace and strength only a matter of rethinking your thinking?  

Today our guest is Angela Mackey – an RN, mother of 3 and of a fairly recent orphan; her passion is encourage others to worship though the Word and glorify God with their daily lives.

Some gems from our conversation:

Andrea Stunz has multiple lifetimes of stories that could be shared, but the stories that will likely pop up are those of living abroad and moving often (currently at her 30th address), travel/adventure, surviving betrayal in my marriage, and taking care of her body over the last year – and today we get to spend a little time on each.

Andrea, married for 37 years, now divorced, shares experience and hope for the betrayed spouse, and her best wisdom is summed up with this: you don't have to walk alone. Part of healing after betrayal trauma is to fi...

When you began to follow Christ did you ever think: I could never be a missionary—that’s not my thing. My thing is more in tech areas and tech areas aren’t in the Bible—why would God want me to serve? I think I’d best sit on the sidelines and give my offering on a regular basis!

Today we get to hear from my friend, Greg Johnson, an electronic and computer engineer – a friend who reminded me sits on the opposite end of the same pew most Sundays but it’s funny how we don’t talk all...

Do you ever think: I like hearing how God works in other people’s lives but I don’t think anyone would be interested in hearing my story with or without God – I mean, I’ve messed up, I keep messing up—how can I be sure God still wants to use me?

Today we have  Amanda Schaefer, podcaster, Bible teacher and author of Holy Plot Twists—God Is Still Writing Your Story.

Once God came into Amanda's life, she hasn't wanted to stop talking about him and she does that best through telling her st...

Have you ever thought about why adoption is so close to God’s heart? Maybe you know someone who was adopted or as a child you wish you were adopted (jk!) or perhaps you’ve thought at one time or another: Should we adopt? And what all will that mean to me and our family?

Today we have our friends, Jill and Todd Talley, to talk about all things adoption as well as some mentoring topics.

Todd and Jill Talley are the parents of three children, two through birth and one through adoption. In 2008 they were...

I love people. Especially the loveable ones. I think I love people well until I come across a difficult person.

Maybe you also keep a private list of those who-best-not-be-named, and pray you never see again. Even worse: you work alongside of them. Or much, much worse: you’re related to them. The funny thing is none of our secrets are secret to God. The other funny thing is He’s got a plan for how we deal with our difficult people.

What can we do? Pretend they don’t bother us? Change locations? Speak the tr...

Do you feel inadequate regarding doing hospitality? That's the best way to feel!

I know I talk a lot about hospitality and if you’ve been around awhile, you know why I do.  It’s not the same as entertaining. Do you understand the difference enough to go ahead and open your home, for heaven’s sake?

Today we have Dr.Janice Brown to talk about rethinking Biblical hospitality.  

Dr. Brown is a specialist in the work of C. S. Lewis and Dorothy L. Sayers. And she’s taught on the college level as well as...

Are you a morning person??

I’m all about the invitation and today we are invited to hear about creating a morning routine that fits your real life – sound good? And here’s the best part: We can begin to love our mornings just in case you don’t and learn, really learn to experience God’s mercies are new each and every morning.

Help me welcome back the darling Jennifer Dukes Lee from Iowa , to talk about her new book, How to Love Your Morning. Jennifer is  a Proverbs 31, (in)courage contributor and bestselling author and...

Do you need some courage right now in your life? Maybe just to get out of bed? Or to go to work? Or to come home from work? As children of God, we get to rely on him to give us this strength – we also get a home advantage: other people who come alongside and say to us on a regular basis: Courage, Dear Heart!

Lois encourages us to pray and focus on God’s sovereignty when needing courage and hope, no matter what’s happening in our lives.

I’m happy to introduce you to my fr...

Today I’m wearing an apron because we are talking about motherhood!

I used to think that to be a single woman on the mission field was the hardest job in the world and then I became a mother. There are no handbooks to warn you but we do have a guide book that tells us where to go for help. Praise God for that.  

Have you ever thought or even prayed: I'll be a better mom tomorrow but tomorrow never comes? You're not alone—and neither were the moms in Scripture.

Today I’m de...

Do you ever doubt your purpose in life, especially when facing different or difficult seasons? And what do you do to help you live fully in God’s presence?

Today I‘m delighted to be speaking to, Peg Arnold—a Christian speaker and author and encourager—and self-confessed drama queen—who speaks to the many different seasons women walk through: joy, loss, struggle, and waiting.

Some gems from our conversation and for your encouragement:

I was surprised by doubt in the middle of my college years. Thankfully, God didn't give up on me and invited me 4 times back to himself. Some of us need 4 times. A favorite professor helped me out. Listen in.

Back story:

Around age ten I fell in love with the Christian education pastor at our church. He was happily married—which was a good thing. I didn’t tell anyone about my crush—which was also a good thing.

But when I went off to college, I thought I might m...

Homeschool mom, writer and speaker, Adriana Gomez knows she doesn't have to "arrive" spiritually to obey God, surrender to his call and engage in mentoring relationships. Her passion is  to "serve God and others radically" and sometimes that takes more courage than you think you have. She loves apologetics and is working on a kids apologetics course and book to help us teach our children well in the truths of God. Enjoy our conversation today and ask God, "What are you calling me to do? Help me surrender all."

Gems from our conversation:

Do you have a spiritual giant? Someone who has gone before you and been that example of faithfulness until the end? Today we talk with Lori G. Melton about her book Journey With a Giant—Choose Your Guide, Pursue Your Purpose and Grow in your Walk with God

What a fun conversation about what could be your next step in growing closer to God. Go HERE to receive a free peek at her book. 

We are led on a year-long journey alongside a "giant" of faith, inspired by the author’s year of study...

Do you ever wonder if you can really trust the God of the Bible when things feel and are dark and discouraging? How do you synthesize with honesty Jesus loves me & The Lord is my Shepherd when your prayers are not answered, not only for yourself, but for those you love so very much?

Today we welcome for the second time, author and disability advocate, Jillian Benfield, and we get to talk about her latest book, Overwhelmed and Grateful—the Key to Finding God’s Goodness in All Life’s Ups & Downs

Benfi...

After years in clinical social work and the sacred chaos of raising five children, God radically redirected Liz's path. She stepped into ministry as a writer and speaker, trusting Him to do what only He can. Raised by a faithfilled single mom, Liz felt called to love God and teach his Word in her late teen's and she's never stopped. 

We met at two different writing conferences. Here we are last year at Mt Hermon:

Some gems from our conversation:

Does the Bible make sense to you? Do you think it ever will or ever could? And what is God’s best intention for you as a child of his?

Today we welcome my friend and fellow podcaster, Tim Winders of Seek, Go, Create Podcast for the second time to Living a Legacy Life - and we get to talk about some of these thorny but enlightening questions that Tim’s been noodling about these past couple of years.

What if some things you learned were truth in Scripture were taken out of cont...

Are you feeling at peace today? After all, it’s the Christmas season and does "Peace on Earth" mean peace in your home and in your car? Do we have good will toward men but not toward our family members or extended family members?

December is here and maybe you’re in the midst of holiday chaos. Today Ginger Harrington and I are going to be talking about peace and hope.

Ginger Harrington is the voice behind the Habits of Hope podcast, a long-time blogger, and the author of Holy in the Moment. She has plan...

If you or someone you know finds herself in a relationship crisis, how do you navigate the pain—a pain of lost dreams and expectations for yourself but also for your children? You need courage that’s for sure, and hope in a God who will never let your down even when you feel like all hope is lost. Jody Allen writes: “Jesus doesn’t care about our track records or our reputations – he’s all about redemption.”

Today we welcome, Jody Allen, mom to young adult twins, Director of Women's Ministry at her church, and author of Hidden Hear...

One way to please God and show his heart for all people is to invite. To ask a simple question: “Would you like to come for coffee?” can negate a lifetime of rejections.

To think, "they aren't like me" can make us hesitate to invite. The biblical definition of hospitality means to invite the stranger and some may be a little strange! At least different from how we live, that's for sure. Jesus told us what love is when he told the story of the good Samaritan. I love that story and I'm always a litt...

Fellow writer and mother of adult children, Michele Morin, talks about modeling who God is for our children as our greatest legacy. Mother of four grown boys-now-men with families of their own, I love how Michele trusts God for each new season of her life, even a season with a chronic illness included. You will be blessed with tons of practical wisdom today as we talk about how we deal with unanswered prayers and questions and try not to catastrophize every little thought that comes into our brains. 

Some gems from our convo:

Can you have peace in the insanity of the Sandwich Season? Ruthie Gray, author and host the podcast, Sandwich Season Sanity, joins me to today to talk about the struggles we may face when juggling several difficult and time-consuming roles. We are never alone because God knows the way that we take, and you will be encouraged and maybe challenged from our conversation.

Our peace comes from daily laying down our lives, our plans, our "To-Do Lists" to the One Who really is in control. "Pray your list," Ruthie says. And when we do, we will have...

Yes, everyone has a story worth sharing and you will love Marci's stories and inspiration on today's Living a Legacy Life Podcast. 

Marci Seither’s writing career began after her humor article was published in a small-town newspaper. Since then, she has authored two books and hundreds of articles for local papers as well as Guideposts and Focus On The Family. And she now hosts the radio show and podcast: The Biscuit Book Club - how cute is that?

Today we are offering two giveaways: Marci's new magazine for readers, eaters and...

Life is full of "whelm" and then there's "overwhelm!" Today we get to talk about what it means to feel overwhelmed, and how we can use that very thing to draw us closer to our Savior, the Lord of peace. To be overwhelmed is defined as the weight of a load too hard to bear. We are human so we fail, time and time again, and I was comforted by that statement by my guest, Mary DeMuth on today's episode, God's Peace in the Overwhelm.

Mary DeMuth is a literary agent, daily podcaster at the...

Fellow podcaster and Bible teacher, James Early, joins us today with some Bible-based encouragement to love, pray and think like Jesus. Is that actually possible? you might wonder. According to James, we can grow daily in our obedience and reformed mindset so that we can, all for heaven's sake and for God's kingdom and glory. 

One way James shows God's love is through weekly Bible studies with a group of inmates in a local prison. His podcast is The Bible Speaks Today and from our chat, you will know that it does!

Take advantage of J...

One Sunday after church, I stood by my car before getting in and looked around me. Young parents busy getting their tired kids buckled in didn’t give me a second thought; their minds on home and lunch and naps, all in short order. As cars and vans drove away, hands waved and I heard voices ring out, “So long!” and “Have a great rest of your day!

Single in my 20’s, in a new career, a new town and a new church, I felt okay, mostly. Life was full and purposeful, but lonely on occasion. I wondered w...

God told Kerry Hasenbalg over twenty years ago that she was to write this book, The Way of Becoming. She wasn't convinced. She asked God to maybe ask someone else instead. She made bookmarks instead.

Happy to report, she finished her book and it released in April, just in time for the National Day of Prayer in which an entire chapter, Chapter 7, was picked to bless our nation and a free download of that excerpt is still available on her website: https://kerry hasenbalg.com/book

A leader in Soul Care...

Nikki Daulphin, wife and mother of 6, joins us today to talk about transformation at the table and in the Word. As a successful realtor, she views her work as a ministry but she knows that family comes first and she and her husband, Steve, have worked hard to help their kids lean into the Lord and share their tables with others now as young adults. 

Hear how they do their own special weekly "Sabbath Meals" and how when Nikki met her mentor, Debbi, it made all the difference in how she lived her life and t...

I love the T-shirt that reads: “WWMD?”  But when in crisis, I’d much rather talk to my best friend or my sister—older or younger—than Martha Stewart, or even one of her staff members.

Steve Janney said, “We all need a friend we can be weak with.” He’s right. Some of need more than one.

In the Bible there’s a great little story about a man who had four such friends. He wanted to see Jesus but couldn’t get close to Him because of the crowds and mainly because he lived his...

I think a lot of folks want to know that they are not too late—they don’t even know if what they are waiting for is the best thing—they just know they are still waiting. Join author, speaker, podcaster, Rebecca George and me as we talk about my not so favorite topic: waiting. And what we learn in the wait and how to wait like a good child of God. Rebecca's second book, You’re Not Too Late: Trusting God’s Timing in a Hurry-up World just released and she will be giving away a copy all this week...

Divorce hit me to the core, and it totally broke me. The good news is that I’m still alive. And because of that, I know my story isn’t over.

Pat Fenner

So glad to know Pat Fenner and you will be too after listening to our conversation today. You will hear how someone who thought they were "married for life" got through the pain and brokenness and began to flourish again. Pat provides simple (not always easy) baby steps to get you started again in a new life, single again, and finding new oppo...

Need some fun and community in your life AND you still have kids at home? Listen to my great conversation today with Pam Fields, mom of 9 and host of The Mom Next Door Podcast.

We both share ideas for getting together with our kids and other moms, all for Heaven's sake.  Pam's hosted Boxcar Days, Game Nights for teens and gotten some much needed home-help with her Pizza Project Days where she's enlisted other moms to help her get some project completed while developing friendships and trading giftings. 

Pam and I both know th...

Do you struggle with perfectionism or being really busy—just to prove yourself to someone even if that someone is God? Jennifer Sakata is my guest today and she's got some great things to say about busyness, rest, childhood hurt, surrender and grace—because grace covers it all. 

Jennifer, founder of the Living the Grace Life Podcast, speaker, writer, wife and mother of two boys (and two in heaven) is learning all things grace and you will be blessed with how and what she's continuing to learn since we all know we are in process! (That's grace!)

Have you ever prayed and felt like it didn’t matter that you prayed or not? Have you wondered if prayer was just a nice thing to make you feel better perhaps, but really didn’t matter in the long run?

If you’ve ever tried praying and then given up because it doesn’t feel like God is listening nor answering, today’s podcast is for you.

Speaker, author, podcaster, Rachel Wojo is with us today to talk about her latest book, Desperate Prayers: Embracing the Power of Prayer in Life's Darkest Moments.

This is story of a godly woman who needed an invitation to a less-than-perfect home. She hit a brick wall. She trusted God. She didn’t like to eat alone. I trusted God alongside of her and invited her for dinner.

John met Katy when they were both in their teens. They married young, barely out of school. They planned their dreams and lived out their lives. It was to be a forever marriage, marked with the usual passages of home, kids, dogs, career changes, and health challenges. Then, a month before their 40th...

Today’s podcast is brought to you by COME TO MY TABLE: GOD’S HOSPITALITY AND YOURS where we remember that God invited first! We invite others to our table so that we pass on His invitation to His table. Find more information Amazon as well as on www.welcomeheart.com/shop.

Help me welcome, Dr. Connie Champeon, to Living a Legacy Life as we talk about the transformative work of the Word of God in our daily lives. Connie completed her Ph.D. in education and sociolinguistics in 1998. Raised by missionary parents in a thatched hut with...

Lisa knows about To-Do Lists and how who she is can get stuck in how well she crosses everything off. Join Lisa Granger and me to day on Welcome Heart: Living a Legacy Life. Lisa hosts A Woman's Heart Podcast and radio station and her legacy and desire is to encourage women to look to God for hope and healing rather than what she can accomplish on any given day. Lisa learned to recognize the difference between hoping she could fulfill her dreams and expectations (and other's expectations) and hoping in the One Who made her to relate well...

This podcast tells two stories of women who felt forgotten and left behind. I met them while they were doing their daily work. I was on the receiving end of their good work until they were on the receiving end of God’s good work. He leads in common things like spas, salons and tea parties. Everyone is waiting for consolation and invitation

I tell you these two stories because you never know who is ready to make a new friend or needs to meet the Friend who never forgets His children. 

Someone wrot...

Rachael Adams returns to Welcome Heart today to talk about love in the month of love. Of course, to love well is a year-round aspiration and one that I want to work on no matter what age I am or what month I'm in. Her new book: Everyday Prayers of Love: Learning to Love God, Others, and Even Yourself is out this month and will make the perfect gift for yourself and for someone you love.

Rachael hosts The Love Offering Podcast and she and her husband have been married 18 years and are the parents of two...

What a great conversation today on Living a Legacy Life with Chelsea Damon, author of the book: I Thought This Would Make Me Happy, How to Fight Less, Forgive Faster, and Cultivate Joy in Your Marriage.

Married or not, this podcast is for any serious follower of Jesus. Why? Becasue we are all prone to find our joy and satisfaction and identity in anything but God and yet we get disappointed, disenchanted, and discouraged—maybe all in the same day and at the same time—because we forget that we were made to find our rest in Him...