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As Christians we are called to love our enemies.  I know what you're thinking..."All of them?" Bad news: Yes, all of them!The rebuttal: "If you knew what they have done, you would tell me to "go for it"Good news: God says, "Revenge is mine." (Romans 12:19)But how do we find peace and sit back to wait for God to send his lightning bolts?!Tune in!In the meantime, enjoy this song "I'll Pray for You" 

As we see in Mark 4, we can be exactly where God wants us at exactly the right time and end up smack dab in the middle of a storm.Today we are discussing the secret to unshakeable faith.Is your faith really your own if you fall into the trap of following the crowd?Are you letting the lies and expectations of others hijack your faith?The storms WILL come. Will your faith stand the test of time? 

"Yes"  with a little TUDE - Attitude that is!Today we're having a little chat about when Moses threw a little temper tantrum in Numbers 20:7-12In fairness, Moses had already dealt with a lot of arguing, complaining, spoiled behavior. His patience capacity was low at this point - frustrated, tired, angry. When I get like that I tend to lash out too. The bottom line - Moses does God’s will, BUT he does it without following God’s specific instructions (speak to the rock - Not strike it)- Moses does it his way- Ever get like that? Fine God, I’ll do it, but I’m not going to do it that way or with that person. We get: worn out with complaining, frustrated with red tape or dueling personalities, angry about selfishness and then we REACT - Slow down, step back, take a breath, recently your energy and thoughts with God through conversation, prayer & scripture before jumping back in.

Matthew 5-9” Blessed are the peacemakers is one of the most misinterpreted scriptures - To many people take this as - just be passive, cover up, ignore to be sure no one gets upset. I think we often forget that Jesus’s life and ministry was full of conflict & trouble because he was a disruptor of the lies, false peace and security of all those around him - even his disciples and family. I think that’s when we can get caught up in TOXIC POSITIVITY These symptoms can help you identify toxic positivity: Not accepting the realities of bad experiences Denying emotion or need Feeling guilty for negative emotions Reassurance (e.g., “Don’t feel sad…”) Pressure to be positive or do good Minimizing pain or stress Sharing “proverbs of ashes” (Job 13:12) A cure for toxic positivity is to practice replacing these unhealthy statements (to ourselves or others) with those that express healthy faith and empathy. Let’s explore some examples together. Instead of : "God will work this for good." Try: "You want to trust God, but it’s hard now."Replace: "Don’t worry — trust God" with "I understand you feel anxious" Instead of:  "Look on the bright side." Try: "I feel sad with you about this." Replace: "Everything happens for a reason." With: This is wrong. Of course, you’re angry. Jesus wants us to share truth in LOVE - he doesn’t want us to avoid it or conflict out of fear = then we are just false peacemakers. We can’t be HIS light, build His kingdom, share HIS love -= if it’s fake - because He isn’t fake or false.

Yep! You heard it right.TRUE OR FALSE? It is possible to have the Holy Spirit within you, do miracles, share incredible spiritual gifts, or have a successful ministry and  NOT BE A CHRISTIAN? If I speak human or angelic languages but do not have love, I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I donate all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3  In these verses from 1 Corinthians 13:1-3,  Paul actually goes as far as saying all those things MEAN NOTHING if we don’t show love to others. 

If you've had the grand illusion that we (Allison and Melissa) have it all together...you definitely want to listen to this episode!How much faith is enough?Faith like a child, mustard seed or widow's mite is ALL you need. "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" - 2 Corinthians 12:8

This week it's all about friends and how to do the "friend dance".How to be a good friend in the good times and the hard times.Do you have friends in low places? 

God uses everyday happenings to speak to us...even bitter coffee!How would your prayer life and relationship with God change if you brought your true authentic self to God instead of your polished "Super Christian" persona?Your cup overflows, but with what?We've all had someone's bad day spill into ours. How do we de-escalate the situation a bad situation without catching a felony? PSA: If you see Melissa in Target with a shopping cart...steer clear! 

"Earth is crammed with Heaven" - Elizabeth Barrett BrowningThe dollar section at Target, busyness, volunteering...We are discussing all of the traps that keep us distracted from being the hands and feet of God.

Storytelling how the small stuff matters and makes a BIG impact in the world. 

Have you ever started a conversation with someone only to realize that they are not who you thought they were?  In fact....they are a complete stranger? AWKWARD!!Today we are sharing some of our own awkward "mistaken identity" moments(Allison definitely wins the Most Awkward award this time)And talk about some identities we have adopted over the years. Do you recognize any of these?*The mom who has it altogether*The Glam Girl*Super Christian *The Bad@$SListen in as we discuss the  identity traps we fall into and explore ways to get to our TRUE identities!

"If we're not able to be alone, we're going to be more lonely" Sherry TurkleYou know that saying - “You have to know yourself before you can be in a healthy relationship?”   Well, it’s TRUE - If we can’t go deep with others our friendships, relationships, marriage will suffer or end - it even effects our relationships with GOD WE NEED SOLITUDE & SILENCE . . . . It’s where we learn about ourselves, work on ourselves with God  Then our relationships with others are just self serving, they are more than just a means to end our loneliness or give us purpose. If we are never alone with God - and get to know ourselves will probably won’t ever know or recognize Him!

A no notes, no script podcast processing current life from the world’s perspective and our Heavenly Father’s – His by the way, is far better than the worlds. Amen! Check out our social media for a pic of the starfish !  Phil 2:15-16

This week: the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit.  Faith is how you start in your walk with God, by believing in Jesus. Faith is how you progress in spiritual growth. Faith is what will help you keep standing until the end, when you stand before Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2). For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)“It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people, easier to own life than to love life.”  Henri Nouwen 

Ephesians 6:10-18This week: Belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, and the shoes of the gospel of peace . . . But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. 1 Pet. 3:15 (ESV – emphasis added) You can access the recording of Paul Harvey's segment here!

Grieving - we suck at it! WHYYYYY?We are way too busy & STRONG to let something smear our mascara! We are terrible at grieving and it shows. The ripple effect seeps into every area of our lives. Join us as we discuss ways to process the junk life throws at us.

Have you ever woken up one day and felt like "I can't do this ANYMORE"!?Work, parenting, marriage, church...the list goes on. You are not alone. We will all struggle throughout our lifetime with moments of doubt, hopelessness, and fear. It's what we choose to do in these situations that "makes" or "breaks" us...and trust me when I say that I have often chosen the latter.When we hit a "wall" we have options! Today we will discuss our common approaches to "hitting the wall"..."Ignoring, Fighting, or just letting someone else handle it."And share ways that we can move on and come out happier and healthier on the other side.If you feel as though you are stuck, please do not stay there! Seek help, be it from a counselor, mentor, or send us a message and we will try to connect you with appropriate resources.

We can't say no to everything, so when we are called to say "yes" how do we respond in a healthy way?- Just be there for them, be present, listen & validate- Don't try to fix it for them. Ask them if you can give them advice. - Learn that empathy can be given without taking on the feelings of the person- Small acts of kindness are great - keep it simple- Encourage professional help- Be comfortable setting healthy boundariesAND when guilt starts to creep in . . . just remember Jesus is the best example for all of these things. 

For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power, love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7Let's start the year off right with some ways we can step out of our people pleasing mode and fear of letting other down by avoiding these things. Do any of these qualities/actions sound familiar?Helping without being asked, saying "yes" when you wanted to say "no", doing or giving just to earn the approval of others, apologizing for everything, keeping your schedule filled to the brim, or avoiding conflictIf so, this podcast is for you!

In + For + On + To = Hope  |  N+4+ON+2=HopeTrusting In God + Waiting for God + Waiting on God + Praying to God = Whole Being HopePsalm 130:5-7 (CEB)I hope, Lord.My whole being hopes, and I wait for God’s promise.My whole being waits for my Lord—more than the night watch waits for morning;yes, more than the night watch waits for morning!Israel, wait for the Lord!Because faithful love is with the Lord;because great redemption is with our God! Romans 15:4-7 (HCSB)For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures. 5 Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement allow you to live in harmony with one another, according to the command of Christ Jesus, 6 so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with a united mind and voice.