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Sarah invites her husband and Not My Story producer/editor Ben Westfall to join her in this final episode. They reflect on common themes that surfaced throughout the life of the podcast, guests or ideas that stuck with them, as well as behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the podcast’s creation and final chapter. For full episode notes, visit NotMyStoryPod.com. To sign up for Sarah’s newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

Psychiatrist and author Curt Thompson returns to Not My Story for the Art + Ash series. Sarah and Curt discuss what it looks like to live out the truest version of our stories within the context of community by asking two important questions of ourselves and of each other. They go on to talk about Curt’s newest book The Soul of Desire (coming October 2021 with IVP), which includes a framework for how we can pursue both beauty and connection within confessional communities, even in the presence of suffering. For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Curt, visit NotMyStoryPod.com. To sign up for Sarah’s newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

Reader, writer, and professor Karen Swallow Prior joins Sarah in episode 46 of Not My Story. They begin by talking about how good literature affects the way we see and experience the world (including a few must-read suggestions from Karen!). Sarah and Karen also discuss the distinction between art and creativity, and Karen shares about her own wrestling to make her words beautiful when her first response to writing isn’t artful but analytical. Their conversation also dives into social media, what it looks like to approach platforms like Instagram and Twitter as an avenue for beauty and goodness, holding both beauty and brokenness, and practical thoughts on cultivating a creative life. For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Karenl, visit NotMyStoryPod.com. To sign up for Sarah’s newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

In Not My Story episode 45, Sarah is joined by Rachel Kang—writer of poems and prose and founder of Indelible Ink Writers. Sarah and Rachel explore what it means to be “creative” in our everyday lives and how perhaps we need to redefine “the creative” within church and culture. Rachel shares a bit of her own journey, particularly how she has shifted her view of writing and making music from a “hoarded hobby” to a way of giving and cultivating community with God and with people.  For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Rachel, visit NotMyStoryPod.com. To sign up for Sarah’s newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

Shawn Smucker and Maile Silva—writers and co-hosts of The Stories Between Us podcast—help Sarah kick off the Art + Ash series with a candid conversation about the creative life. They chat about some of the joys and struggles they’ve experienced navigating two writers living under the same roof, while also parenting their six kids and fostering a family culture that prioritizes creative pursuits. Maile talks about how essential writing is to her overall health and wellness and how she’s had to wade through difficult seasons of her career not going as planned. Sarah, Shawn, and Maile also discuss comparison, finding a creative outlet (even if it’s not your career), and creativity in seasons of struggle. For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah, Maile, and Shawn, visit NotMyStoryPod.com. To sign up for Sarah’s newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

In episode 43, Ashley Hales joins Sarah to talk about the seemingly upside-down freedom she’s found within the goodness of God’s limits. Ashley is the author of A Spacious Life: Trading Hustle and Hurry for the Goodness of Limits (coming Sept. 14, 2021) and invites us to reframe how we think of limits—as an invitation instead of a restriction. Ashley shares some of her own story of questioning cultural values of hustle and of independence and how some basic boundaries can help us embrace a fuller, more connected life.. For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Ashley, visit NotMyStoryPod.com. To sign up for Sarah’s monthly(ish) newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

Heather Lobe Johnson tells her story of looking for her worth in external validation, resulting in a string of broken relationships. She talks about  getting divorced at age 24 and searching for who she was out of the brokenness while still trying to be a mom to her two-year-old son. Sarah and Heather talk about co-dependence versus interdependence in relationships, the good and not-so-good things people did to support Heather, and discovering the lavish grace of God. For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Heather, visit NotMyStoryPod.com. To sign up for Sarah’s monthly(ish) newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

Grace is a word used often in church circles, but what does this word really mean in the midst of everyday life? Jill E. McCormick—host of the Grace In Real Life podcast—joins Sarah in episode 41 of Not My Story to explore these questions together. Jill talks about her own journey being a “try-hard girl” and wrestling with what grace really looks like day in and day out, especially when life did not go as planned. They talk about the tendency toward striving, how to extend compassion to yourself and to others, and a few practical ways to live a grace-filled life. For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Jill, visit NotMyStoryPod.com. To sign up for Sarah’s monthly(ish) newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

In episode 40, pastor and author Jay Y. Kim joins Not My Story to share his experience not only leading a church through a pandemic, but also launching a book about the church’s need for physical presence at a time when everything went digital. They dive into the joys and the struggles that come with leadership, the gift of generous assumption, and the need for community. Toward the second half of their conversation, Sarah asks Jay where he’s finding hope for the church in such a divided cultural climate and what it looks like to remain part of the church while still holding faith questions. For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Jay, visit NotMyStoryPod.com. To sign up for Sarah’s monthly(ish) newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

In episode 39, Sarah is joined by slow-living advocate and Our Island in the City Podcast host, Jodi Grubbs. In her twenties, Jodi unexpectedly became a young widow—a traumatic event that shifted the course of her life and her faith. Jodi’s story offers a glimpse into what it looks like to be pursued by God in the midst of deep grief, to be held even when she didn’t know it. Sarah and Jodi talk about processing loss and moving forward, the role of authentic community in her healing process, and how slow living became an important part of Jodi’s soul care. This conversation offers a tender and hopeful glimpse into the grace found in grief as well as the ways we can be gentle to ourselves and others. For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Jodi, visit NotMyStoryPod.com. To sign up for Sarah’s monthly(ish) newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

In this special Father’s Day episode, Sarah welcomes her dad, Barry Bender, to Not My Story to talk about what has and has not gone as expected raising four kids. With 37 years of fatherhood under his belt, Barry shares about the differences between having children in the home versus parenting adult kids, the importance of prayer, and how he has been intentional along the way. You especially do not want miss his nuggets of wisdom he shares toward the end. For full notes from today’s episode and more, visit NotMyStoryPod.com. For more ways to connect and to sign up for Sarah’s monthly(ish) newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

Meredith McDaniel, licensed counselor and author of In Want + Plenty, sits down with Sarah to talk about the “great pause” of 2020. Meredith shares what it was like to have her plans for debuting her first book uprooted and how she shifted her expectations. She also talks about what it has been like to walk alongside her clients in such an intense season of isolation, upheaval, and division. Sarah and Meredith discuss wilderness seasons and uncensored conversations with God, the things they hope we take with us out of pandemic life, the value of sharing and holding stories, and much more. For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Meredith, visit NotMyStoryPod.com. To sign up for Sarah’s monthly(ish) newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

Spiritual director, therapist, and writer Ryan Kuja sits down with Sarah to tell the story about being abducted in Zimbabwe and the resulting trauma he experienced. Ryan shares about how that unexpected event fractured pieces of who he was, the ways trauma manifested itself in his body and his life, and how he found healing ways to move forward in therapy and in contemplative Christianity. Now a trauma-informed therapist himself, Ryan also shares some important insights about what trauma is, how we can recognize it, and ways we can extend compassion to others. For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Ryan, visit NotMyStoryPod.com. To sign up for Sarah’s monthly(ish) newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

Latasha Ferguson—educator and host of the Overcome to Become Podcast—joins Sarah in episode 35 to share her story of becoming a teen mom and navigating single parenthood while still trying to figure out her identity and relationship with God. Latasha talks about her early years of stubborn resistance, the struggles of being a single mom of two girls, and how God has relentlessly pursued her in it all. Sarah and Latasha talk about the role of community in our everyday lives, holding on to hope, and how our stories connect us. For full episode notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Latasha, visit NotMyStoryPod.com. To sign up for Sarah’s newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

Catherine Ricketts, a Philadelphia-based writer and musician, talks with Sarah about the consecutive loss of both her father and brother, speaking candidly about the different ways grief manifested itself in her life and in her relationship with God. Catherine reflects on the juxtaposition of grief and joy as she was simultaneously falling in love while also caring for her dying father, only to be followed by the tragic death of her brother and a season of intense questioning. Sarah and Catherine discuss moving forward when you no longer feel “safe” from pain, finding hope in God’s mercy, and letting the love of God change how you see the world. To connect with both Catherine and Sarah and access the full show notes, go to NotMyStoryPod.com. TAKE THE HOPE*WRITERS QUIZ to find out where you are on the six-stage writing path. Subscribe to Sarah’s newsletter The Shelf for more stories, recommendations, and reflections.

Writer, activist, and founder of Love Beyond Walls, Terence Lester sits down with Sarah to tell a number of stories—from the formation of his not-for-profit organization to his unexpected journey to becoming a communicator. Sarah and Terence talk about where Love Beyond Walls began, its mission, and how to see people in poverty or facing homelessness not as problems but as “people going through problems.” They talk about the human desire to be seen, what happens when we allow ourselves to be interrupted, as well as Terence’s newest book, When We Stand: The Power of Seeking Justice Together. For full episode notes and additional episodes, visit NotMyStoryPod.com. To sign up for Sarah’s newsletter The Shelf, CLICK HERE.

Jennifer Dukes Lee, author of Growing Slow, tells the story of how she traded her fast-paced journalistic career in the city for a life on the farm. Jennifer talks about coming to grips with her limitations as well as the physical, relational, and spiritual effects of running too hard for too long. Sarah and Jennifer discuss what it looks like to “un-hurry your heart” in practical, everyday ways as well as embracing the various seasons of our lives. For show notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Jennifer, visit today’s episode page at NotMyStoryPod.com. Join Sarah’s monthly newsletter, The Shelf, at www.sarahewestfall.com/subscribe for more stories, resources, and reflections delivered right to your inbox.

Pastor-turned-poet and literary agent John Blase tells his story of how an unforeseen season of change disrupted not only his career and family, but also his identity and lens on faith. John reflects on what he thought his fifties would look like, the losses that seemed to stack up, and what happened when the dominoes fell. In this conversation, Sarah and John discuss what it looks like to wade through grief, embodied prayer, having compassion for our younger selves, and more.   For show notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and John, visit today’s episode page at NotMyStoryPod.com.   Join Sarah’s monthly newsletter, The Shelf, at www.sarahewestfall.com/subscribe for more stories, resources, and reflections delivered right to your inbox.

Blogger, author, and marketing professional Anna Kettle shares her unlikely story of pursuing a slower, simpler, more soulful life, a journey that led to her writing the book Sand Between Your Toes. Sarah and Anna talk about practical ways to embrace a different pace of life, navigating internal noise and distractions, and the tension between pursuit and surrender. The second half of their conversation shifts to Anna’s journey with recurring pregnancy loss and how she walks well with grief on a day-to-day basis when the future remains unknown.   For show notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Anna, visit today’s episode page at NotMyStoryPod.com.   Join Sarah’s monthly newsletter, The Shelf, at www.sarahewestfall.com/subscribe.

Counselor, writer, and boundaries coach Kerrah Fabacher joins Sarah in episode 29 to talk about making and keeping friends in adulthood. They begin by chatting about Kerrah’s family, work, and podcast, and then Kerrah tells the story about her first experience with deep friendship and how it changed her. Sarah and Kerrah talk about some of the struggles of being the new person in the room or trying to make friends alongside jobs, kids, marriages, or other commitments. Kerrah also gives some great tips on what it looks like to be authentic in our everyday lives.   For show notes and ways to connect with both Sarah and Kerrah, visit today’s episode page at NotMyStoryPod.com.   Get your free download of “What’s Your Story?: 50 Questions for Reflection & Conversation” as well as Sarah’s monthly newsletter at www.sarahewestfall.com/subscribe.