Let's Talk Episode 68 | The Sameness of God

Bridgette Tomlin, your host, welcomed her husband Chresten Tomlin to the podcast for Episode 78! In our most recent episode, Episode 77, we featured the incomparable Pam King and dug into her insights about the combo of marriage and ministry. This week we want to come at the same topic but from a slightly different angle. Chresten and Bridgette recently celebrated their 26th anniversary of marriage and ministry. In this episode they share a little bit of their own love story and journey, as well as some of the lessons they either learned early on in their marriage and ministry journey or wish they would have learned earlier! You'll enjoy their candor, up-front honesty, and recognize that somebody out there may have walked some of the same roads on which you find yourself today.
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Reverend Chresten Tomlin has been involved in full-time preaching and music evangelism for the past 26 years. His travels have taken him across the nation and around the world, ministering in concerts, special services, and revival meetings. Having been raised in the fire of Pentecost, Chresten knows the value of living a Spirit-led life. God has placed a call upon him and his wife to bridge the generational gap, which will propel the Church into the future. 

Chresten is an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God. He combines a passionate burden for the lost and a fervent hunger for holiness to produce powerful, Pentecostal preaching. His message drives home basic principles for living the overcoming, joy-filled Christian life. Chresten is also a soulful singer who produces powerful and anointed Gospel music. His repertoire covers everything from black Gospel to southern Gospel and everything in between! This couple's desire is to raise up a new generation of Pentecostals, filled with the Spirit and driven by conviction.
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Connect with today's featured guest, Chresten Tomlin:
Facebook: @tomlinministries
Site:  www.ctministries.com
Email:  ctministries98@gmail.com

Featured:

• Hear more from Chresten on #letstalksanctuary [Ep 7, 8, 42, 55]
• Marriage + Ministry Podcast Episodes [Ep 7, 8, 32, 36, 55, 77]
• Learn about Let’s Connect.
• The Love List by Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott

Many thanks to our host, Bridgette Tomlin, and engineer Justin Lynn of Justin Lynn Music. Learn how you can capitalize on all Justin can do for your small business, church, or ministry by clicking here!

Throughout the month of February we will feature content that focuses on the dynamic of marriage + ministry. First up, we welcome Sanctuary lead team member Pam King back to the podcast as she shares about the TOP THREE areas of concern for many married couples, especially those who serve in leadership. You'll draw loads of wisdom from her 45+ years of marriage and ministry experience, find out why sex in marriage is so important, walk away with practical tools you can actually use, and learn how she and her husband Jim keep their marriage operating a peak performance, regardless of the season they're in.
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Born into a pastor’s home, Pam King has been in full time ministry her entire life. Alongside her husband, Jim, Pam has traveled around the world in ministry for over 40 years in missionary evangelism. Their ministry has taken them around the world with Ukraine and Israel as their primary focus. They have been involved in mobilizing pastors, Bible school students and lay people in various endeavors. They have lead scores of ministry teams from local churches across America on international crusades and conferences to Russia, Ukraine and China. Their ministry, Awaking Hope, has started or sponsored over 300 Bible schools in video format and over 200 new churches in the nations of Ukraine, Russia, Romania, China, Kyrgyzstan and Israel. One of the most fulfilling endeavors of their ministry has been House of Joy Orphanage that the Kings established in 1995 in Kahovka, Ukraine.

Jim and Pam love teaching on marriage and family as they see this as a great need in the Body of Christ today and especially among ministry couples and families. Ministry can bring challenges even to the strongest of marriages.

After her love and passion for God, her husband and her children are the love of Pam’s life. Pam finds great joy in fulfilling the call that God has placed on her life as a wife, mother, and minister. She has a passion to encourage people to live to their full potential and to live out their God-given purpose.
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Connect with today's featured guest, Pam King:
Facebook: @awakinghope
Instagram: @awaking_hope
Site:  www.awakinghope.com

Featured:

• Marriage + Ministry Podcast Episodes [Ep 7, 8, 32, 36, 55]
• Featured Scriptures
• Learn about Let’s Connect.
• The Love List by Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott

Many thanks to our host, Bridgette Tomlin, and engineer Justin Lynn of Justin Lynn Music. Learn how you can capitalize on all Justin can do for your small business, church, or ministry by clicking here!

Understanding who we are, what our strengths and weaknesses are, how we communicate, but then also all of the above about the people we are working with can help diffuse a lot of tension or unnecessary conflict when you’re working on a pastoral staff, a lead team, or even in your marriage. In this episode we welcome guest Vanessa McGee of McGee, Inc to educate us about the value of knowing yourself well, and then being able to identify and appreciate differences in others. You'll love Vanessa's sense of humor, her willingness to shoot straight, and perhaps identify with her own experience of being married to her total opposite!
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Vanessa McGee has a passion to inspire and encourage others to discover and value the way that they have been uniquely formed and fashioned by God. Having worked with churches, non-profits and businesses for over 25 years, she understands the blessings and unique challenges that each of these types of environments bring. She has a diversified background, having worked in the areas of lay counseling, individual coaching, conference speaking and teaching within the local church. Vanessa has a distinctive style of speaking, utilizing humor and real life experience. This combination is sure to leave you laughing and entertained, but most importantly, challenged to go and live out God's purpose for your life and celebrate who you were created you to be! Vanessa has been married to her husband Robby for 38 years, and is known as Sessa to her three amazing grandkids. She was born and raised in Texas, and currently resides in Frisco, Texas where she can almost always be found with a book in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other!
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Connect with today's featured guest, Vanessa McGee:
Facebook: Vanessa McNeel McGee
Instagram: @vanmcgee
Website: www.mcgeeinc.com

Featured:                                                                                      

• Share Sanctuary!
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Sanctuary Site
• Learn about Let's Retreat.

Many thanks to our host, Bridgette Tomlin, and engineer Justin Lynn of Justin Lynn Music. Learn how you can capitalize on all Justin can do for your small business, church, or ministry by clicking here!

We are launching Season Four of Let's Talk with Sanctuary today & welcome a return visit with our friend, Sheila Harper of SaveOne. As we sit in the first month of the year 2024, the very definition of identity is up for grabs. In the past, the term ‘identity’ meant your name, your job, your role in a family or a business, how you were known as a human. In years past, jokes were made about having “an identity crisis”. But we are undoubtedly in one of the greatest identity crises the world has ever seen.

How does this identity crisis affect the 21st century woman in ministry and leadership? How does this impact the next generation? And what does God say about the subject of identity? You'll draw immeasurable wisdom & be better equipped to shape the next generation on the other side of this insightful conversation with LTS host Bridgette Tomlin & her guest Sheila Harper.
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Sheila Harper is the Founder and President of SaveOne, a global outreach ministry helping men, women, & families recover after abortion. She holds a Master’s degree in Biblical counseling, is a certified mental health coach with the American Association of Christian Counselors, & is the author of 10 books. Her first book, SaveOne-A Guide to Emotional Healing after Abortion, has been translated & distributed in 23 languages.

SaveOne currently has close to 400 chapters in 27 countries. Sheila has traveled the world speaking on the topic of abortion recovery, as well as training abortion recovery leaders. After enduring seven years of personal anguish over choosing abortion, she  found restoration & forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
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Connect with today's featured guest:
Sheila Harper [Episodes 5, 38]
Linktree:  @saveone

Featured:

• Share Sanctuary!
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Sanctuary Site
• Learn about Let's Retreat.

What does God say about your identity?

• Eph 2:10 | You are a masterpiece. 
• Gen 1:27 | You’re created in HIS IMAGE! 
• 1 Pet 2:9 | You’re part of a royal family. 
• Col 3:12 | He chose you.
• Eph 1:11 | You have an inheritance.
• Gal 3:26| You’re a child of God. 
• Eph 2:8 | You’re saved by His grace.
• John 15:15 | You’re God’s friend.
• Is 49:16 | You’re engraved on the palm of His hand. 
• Ps 139:14 | You’re wonderfully made.

Many thanks to our host, Bridgette Tomlin, and engineer Justin Lynn of Justin Lynn Music. Learn how you can capitalize on all Justin can do for your small business, church, or ministry by clicking here!

Despite the fact that Sanctuary, our ministry for ministry wives, was launched by an annual event we host call Let’s Retreat, we have never done an entire episode on what it is, why it’s important, who should go, all the things. So, today we are talking about Let's Retreat! And in order to do this episode justice, we had to introduce you to so many of our dear friends at Sanctuary who serve on the Let’s Retreat team, as well as one of our favorite Let’s Retreat guests. Today we are welcoming a few of the key players who make this two-day, two-night retreat as impactful as it is. You are in for a treat! Let's Talk about Let's Retreat. Proceed with caution: On the other side of this conversation, you'll be ready to register for 2024's events!
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Connect with today's featured guests:

Lisa Goins [Episodes 1, 29, 63]
IG: @lisajgoins
Facebook: Lisa Freeman Goins

Pam King [Episodes 7, 8, 25, 26, 49]
IG:  @pamking
Facebook: Pam King

Maranda Rains
IG:  @marandarains
Facebook: Maranda Rains

Bridgette Tomlin [Featured Episodes 42, 44, 61]
IG:  @bridgiecarol
Facebook:  Bridgette Greene Tomlin

Kelly Woods [Episodes 6, 60]
IG:  @kellyewoods
Facebook: Kelly Grizzle Woods

Featured:

• Share Sanctuary!
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Sanctuary Site
• Learn about Let's Retreat.

Many thanks to our host, Bridgette Tomlin, and engineer Justin Lynn of Justin Lynn Music. Learn how you can capitalize on all Justin can do for your small business, church, or ministry by clicking here!

Whether you’re actively engaged in leading a women’s ministry, personally involved in a local church women’s ministry, or simply a woman yourself, let me encourage you to lean into this content. And to our male listeners who are married, or even pastoring women, this is gonna be a great resource for you, as well. Today we welcome women's ministries expert Ashley Simmons of Coastal Church (Daphne, AL) to share her heart for women's ministries, why it's all the more important for the 21st-century church, and the practical tools every women's ministries director needs to form a lead team, facilitate discipleship and so much more!
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Ashley Simmons lives in Fairhope, AL and serves on staff at Coastal Church in Daphne, AL as the Counseling Coordinator and Women's Director. She is a mom to Cole (21), a Pre-Med student in his senior year at Mississippi College and Kennedy (20), who is serving on a worship internship at Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama. She celebrated her 25th wedding anniversary this summer with her wonderful husband Tim who also serves at Coastal Church as the executive pastor. Tim and Ashley have been in ministry for 25 years.
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Connect with today's guest, Ashley Simmons:
Ashley Simmons | Instagram | Facebook

Featured:

• Share Sanctuary!
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Sanctuary Site
• Learn about Let's Retreat.
• Ashley Simmons' episode: Episode 36 "Married to Strength + Weakness"

Many thanks to our host, Bridgette Tomlin, and engineer Justin Lynn of Justin Lynn Music. Learn how you can capitalize on all Justin can do for your small business, church, or ministry by clicking here!

In the case of a tapestry, it starts as an idea. The weaver gathers the raw materials and the tools to work, prepares them, weaves them, and tamps them. Slowly, bit by bit, an image starts to appear; however, it's not until completion that the designer's vision is apparent.

Randy Valimont wasn't sure what to make of the raw materials of his life. At first, he couldn't see how anything beautiful could be woven from some of the threads that made up his life:  a birth mother who abandoned him without looking at his face and birth father who didn't even know he existed. However, in the hands of his heavenly Father, the Master Weaver, he saw the threads of his adoptive family's unwavering support and his own faith, natural talents, training, and perseverance intersect into an intricately woven tapestry.

Author Jelly Valimont, widow of the late Dr. Randy Valimont, joins host Bridgette Tomlin to share his beautifully broken adoption story, the lessons she has learned in widowhood, and hope for women who are navigating to find their place in the work of the ministry.
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Jelly Valimont is the widow of Dr. Randy Valimont, former pastor of Griffin First Assembly (GFA), an Encounter Life Network church. She was born in McMinnville, Tennessee into the home of a pastor and spent her PK life growing up in a Tennessee, Florida, and Georgia. While attending Southeastern University, she met and married the love of her life, Randy Valimont. The couple served in various ministerial roles in Arkansas and Georgia. In 1993, Randy and Jelly relocated to Griffin, Georgia, where Jelly continues to live. During their time in Griffin, Jelly has been involved in the local church in women's ministry, Celebration Choir, worship teams, and the ministry of costumes. She was also an administrative consultant for GFA during Dr. Valimont’s tenure.

Jelly has been used by God to speak in the local church and at conferences throughout the United States and internationally. She has written two books: I Have Issues and Tapestry: a Story of Adoption, Acceptance, and Destiny. Jelly’s heart’s cry is to do the will of the Father, wherever and whatever that might be, to bring souls into the Kingdom, and to facilitate spiritual health and well-being to the Body of Christ. If she can do it while laughing, so much the better!
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Connect with today's guest, Jelly Valimont:

Instagram: @jellyvalimont
Facebook: @jelly.jordan.valimont
Email: jelly@valimontministries.org
Purchase the Books: www.valimontministries.org

Featured:

• August Let’s Connect Events
• September 2023 Episodes
  • Women’s Ministries
  • Let’s Talk about Let’s Retreat!
• Sanctuary Social | Monday Mythbusters

Many thanks to our host, Bridgette Tomlin, and engineer Justin Lynn of Justin Lynn Music. Learn how you can capitalize on all Justin can do for your small business, church, or ministry by clicking here!

All of us have experiences, tough moments, hopefully some great memories, through the evolution from childhood to adolescence, and on into young adulthood. It can be tough growing up! But children being raised in today’s culture are facing challenges that previous generations may have never encountered, especially at the ages that our children are being required to address them. In today's conversation, guest Casey Gibbons of Mothergood.us will bring us fresh insights and timely reminders as we launch into a new school year as parents, pastors, coaches, and mentors.
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Casey Gibbons loves leading people to Jesus in the local church and strengthening others in marriage and family life! She has six creative children in the elementary, junior high, high school, and college ages and serves alongside her husband Scotty as Lead Pastors at Peoples Church in the OKC Metro area.
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Connect with today's guest, Casey Gibbons:

Personal Instagram: @CaseyGibbons
Personal Facebook: @Casey.Gibbons7
Mothergood IG: @mothergood.us 
Mothergood Facebook: @mothergood.us

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Featured:

• Next up>>Jelly Valimont's new book, Tapestry: A Story of Adoption, Acceptance, and Destiny
• Let’s Connect August’23 events
• Sanctuary Book Club Info
• LTS Episodes featuring Casey Gibbons or Parenting:  Ep 4, 12, 21, 28, 31, 50, 53, 59

Many thanks to our host, Bridgette Tomlin, and engineer Justin Lynn of Justin Lynn Music. Learn how you can capitalize on all Justin can do for your small business, church, or ministry by clicking here!

Often times grief is exclusively defined as the loss of a friend or loved one to death. But there's actually a form of grief that comes when someone hasn't died, but something has died. You feel a sense of loss. Perhaps it's the death of a dream, the loss of a friendship, or your expectations have been shattered. Licensed professional counselor and pastor's wife Karen Blandino joins us at Let's Talk with Sanctuary today to talk about what ambiguous grief is, how to recognize it, and what steps to take forward to move through this unique journey of grief.
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Karen Blandino is a pastor's wife, mother and LPC. She holds a Master's Degree in Counseling from TCU and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Education from UTA. She and her husband planted 7 City Church in the cultural arts district of Fort Worth, Texas where they serve as lead pastors. Karen has spent the last 20 years in education and counseling. In addition, she and her husband Stephen have been in full-time ministry for 30 years. With this combined experience, she works with people in diverse situations including anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and ministry or spiritual hurts.
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Connect with today's guest, Karen Blandino:
Email: karen@karenblandino.com
Phone: 817.213.6224
Website: karenblandino.com
Facebook:  @karenblandinocounseling
Instagram:  @blandino_counseling
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Featured:

• Sanctuary Virtual Book Club Meeting | September 14, 2023 | 7pm CST
• Let’s Connect August’23 events
• Sanctuary Book Club Info
• LTS Episodes on Grief (Ep 52, 51, 33, 18, 17, 5)

Many thanks to our host, Bridgette Tomlin, and engineer Justin Lynn of Justin Lynn Music. Learn how you can capitalize on all Justin can do for your small business, church, or ministry by clicking here!

Today we welcome author Kelly Balarie to Let's Talk with Sanctuary as we launch Quarter Three of the Sanctuary Book Club. This quarter's featured book is Kelly's latest book, Take Every Thought Captive. Regardless of how long you've been serving God or leading in a ministerial role, managing your own personal thought life requires lifelong diligence and a refresher course in the 'how-to's' now and again. We also talk about how to handle all the "triggered" people in your day-to-day! You'll be drawn in by Kelly's passion on this subject and be inspired to pick up the book, absorb its content, and then join the virtual book club meeting on Thursday, September 14. Learn more meeting details here.
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Kelly Balarie is the author of Fear Fighting, Battle Ready, and Rest Now. When speaking at women's conferences around the nation, Kelly delights in joining hands with women as they go through life's ups and downs. To see marriages restored, hope recovered, and prayers of faith lifted up to a God on the move are some of her greatest joys. Beyond this, Kelly has led spiritual growth Bible study groups and has been seen on TODAY, The 700 Club, Crosswalk.com, iBelieve.com, and (in)courage. Her work has also been featured by Relevant and Today's Christian Woman. She lives with her husband and two kiddos on the East Coast.
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Connect with today's guest, Kelly Balarie:

Instagram: @kellybalarie
Twitter: @kellybalarie
Blog:  https://www.purposefulfaith.com/
Book Site:  https://www.itakethoughtscaptive.com/

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Featured:

• Sanctuary Virtual Book Club Meeting | September 14, 2023 | 7pm CST
• Let’s Connect August’23 events
• Sanctuary Book Club Info

Many thanks to our host, Bridgette Tomlin, and engineer Justin Lynn of Justin Lynn Music. Learn how you can capitalize on all Justin can do for your small business, church, or ministry by clicking here!