Sabbath // A Spirit at Rest

What is God's vision for our relationships with other women in our lives? Jenn stops by to address the lies of inadequacy and scarcity that we can so easily believe in our interpersonal connections. Listen for some perspective on how our postures can shift from comparison and competition to solidarity and life-giving support in our communities. 

About the Speaker
Jenn Schultz is the author of She's Not Your Enemy, and she typically writes about messy faith, shaking off insecurity, and pursuing God’s purpose confidently. Her mission is to empower women to ditch shame and striving by finding identity in God and freedom in abundant grace. She is a wife and mom who reads too many books at once, drinks decaf coffee, and speaks in scriptures and movie quotes. Find her @jennschultzauthor on social media and at jennschultzauthor.com.

Episode Notes
1 Peter 5:8  “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 

It’s so easy for us to make other women the enemy.

Unhealthy comparison isn’t even the root of the issue in this spiritual battle … it’s an identity issue.

“Our view of God- who he is and who says WE are- makes all the difference in how we interact with those around us.” 

"Lie of Inadequacy"

“Rejection is a pain you can actually feel in your body because social pain and physical pain activate the brain in the same places…”

Q: How can we nurture more empathy and compassion that we may have labeled as such especially if they have inflicted wounds? 

 “Embrace the ongoing process”

Romans 5:3-5 TPT 
“Even in times of trouble we have a joyful confidence, knowing that our pressures  will develop in us patient endurance. 4And patient endurance will refine our character, and proven character leads us back to hope. 5And this hope is not a disappointing fantasy,  because we can now experience the endless love of God cascading into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives in us!”

Follow Jenn!

• Instagram 
• Jenn's Website

Purchase Book Here! 

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Very few things in life are as painful and disillusioning as broken relationships- past or present. In this episode, Elizabeth Laing Thompson talks about her new book When a Friendship Falls Apart and leads us back to the perspective and comfort we can only find in God Himself. 

About the Speaker:
Elizabeth Laing Thompson is the author of many books for women and teens, including All the Feels, All the Feels for Teens, and the When God Says series. She writes at ElizabethLaingThompson.com about clinging to Christ through the chaos of daily life. As a speaker and novelist, Elizabeth loves finding humor in holiness and hope in heartache. She lives in North Carolina with her preacher husband and four spunky kids.

Episode Notes:

• Romans 5:3 - Jesus offered us a path to forgiveness and reconciliation
• “There’s a myth that forgiveness is something you feel. Forgiveness is something you decide. Your feelings are going to take awhile to catch up with that choice.”
• Friendship is a gift, not an obligation.
• “Boundaries aren't to push others away. Boundaries are to help hold me together.” -Lysa TerKeurst

Book now Available! Click here to see all the places you can purchase

Wanna connect with Elizabeth? Here’s her website! 

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In this episode, Mallory digs into Romans 12:9-13 to unpack the perspective-shifting treasures the passage holds. How do we live and love like Jesus in the middle of a broken world?

 “Love is never wasted, for its value does not rest upon reciprocity.” (C.S Lewis)

Romans 12:9-13

• Persistent theme: “The need for a humble and peaceable attitude toward others, whether fellow Christians or non-Christians."

Verse 9 “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”

• The original Greek  means “not playing a part” 
• Love is not simply a matter of emotion, but instead a matter of the will. 
• “Whatever attracts the mind from God, whatever draws the affections away from Christ, is an enemy to the soul” (Ellen White) 
• “We must not only do that which is good, but we must cleave to it. It denotes a deliberate choice of, a sincere affection for, and a constant perseverance in, that which is good.” (Henry Commentary) 
• In this chapter, Paul is focusing on our responsibility as christians to “live a life of love in the midst of a fallen world.” (Moo pg. 84) 
• I can’t be FAITHFUL and CYNICAL at the same time. 

Verse 10-  Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

• Honor means A high internal attitude of respect, courtesy, or esteem for.
• How often do we willingly yield to our brothers and sisters as a way of showing honor to them? 
• Our honor of others cannot be conditional or based on reciprocity.
• "We have to remember that the only person qualified to throw a stone- didn’t."
• We often judge others by their impact but judge ourselves by our intentions. 

Verse 11- “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”

• Zeal: “a burning desire to please God, to do His will, and to advance His glory in the world in every possible way” (Erik Raymond) 
• “Do not slack in your faithfulness and hard work…”- It’s good to consider, have I been slacking in my faithfulness? 

Verse 12- “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

• We rejoice in HOPE - not in circumstances or outcomes.
• Patient: “denotes not a passive putting up with things, but an active, steadfast endurance.” (Morris) 
• “Some virtues are seen only in affliction.” (Webster) 
• Suffering is inevitable, Joy & hope amidst suffering is not.
• God cares for us holistically. 
• “We can continue to spend all of our energy fighting the waves or we can choose to adjust our sails.” Its a posture of patience amid trials. 
•  CS Lewis quote- “We ought to give thanks for all fortune; if it is good, because it is good, if bad- because it works in us patience, humility and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country.”

Verse 13- Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

• Mother Theresa quote - “God gives us things to share, He doesn’t give us things to hold.”
• “consume less, share better.”
• Great tragedy of aloneness in our society

There is an immense need for the Spirit’s intervention if we are to live Christian lives… 

 F. S. Fitzgerald — 'I hope you live a life you're proud of. And if you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”

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What do you do when you feel like nobody REALLY sees you? In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Konzen returns to the podcast to discuss the impact of truly believing that God is attentive to us as individuals. Jen shares a bajillion beautiful scriptures and unpacks the POWERFUL spiritual, emotional and physical implications of living “seen & heard” in our walks with God as followers of Jesus. 

Woven in Truth proudly promotes the Beloved & Dignified Conference happening ONLINE May 5-6, 2023.

• Conference Blurb: “Women Helping Women Heal”
  • Many of our lives have been touched by suffering not of our own choosing. Biblically, hell (sheol in the Hebrew) can be used to designate the lowest valley, the place “under the mountains” where hope seems hidden from view (see Job 24:8). These kind of situations stir longing for the next life. In the pain, moving beyond survival is difficult and finding a safe circle that understands isn’t always easy. No matter what has happened (or may happen ahead), we are beloved and dignified daughters of God. Join us as we sit with the pain, affirm how low these valleys can be, and explore where to find God in our lowest times.
  • YOU are invited! Register today if this resonates with you- it is exclusively online and classes will not be recorded. Should be an amazing experience!

About this Episode's Guest:
Dr. Konzen is the director for the Center for Sexuality in San Diego, CA. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist, a certified sex therapist, and a certified chemical dependency counselor. She is also a two-time nationally award-winning researcher, an international speaker, and an adjunct professor.  Dr. Konzen is the author of The Art of Intimate Marriage, Redeemed Sexuality and The Ransomed Journey: Couples Recovery from Addiction.

Episode Notes:

“You are the God who sees me.."- Genesis 16:13

Q: What makes you feel seen & heard?

He Sees

•  Ps 139:2
• Deut 32:10-11
• Ps 34
•  Ps 32:8
• Ps 121:5
• Psalm 31:7
• Psalm 31:21
• Gen 28:15

He sees our joys & victories

• John 16:22
• Romans 12:15
• Ps 149:4
• Zeph 3:17
•  Psalm 116:1
• Psalm 55:17

Click here to see Jen's scripture resource

“I AM WITH YOU…” Exercise 

Practicing the Presence

• Ps 27:8
• Num 6:25
• Ps 17:15
• Psalm 16:9-11
• Psalm 31:20
• Jeremiah 6:16

Jesus’s Words to Women

• “This woman will be remembered”
• “Daughter”
• “She has chosen what is better”
• “She has given everything”
• “Mary!” “Jennifer!”
• “She has loved much”
• “Leave her alone”
• “Your faith is great”
• “Go in peace”
• “I don’t condemn you”

Resource Recommendations:

• Centering Prayer App
• The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (Comer)
• Journey of the Soul (IPI, Sumerlin)
• Meditations (Virginia Lefler)
• Invitation to Solitude and Silence (Barton) 

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In this compelling episode, Maria McHargue joins us to talk about what it means for her to be faithful as a Christian who manages chronic pain. Suffering can feel unbearable at times, but God invites us to rely on Him and His love- even when nothing makes sense. Maria encourages us to anchor ourselves in Scripture as we claim God as our Rock, Refuge, and Rest amid life’s painful struggles. Wherever you are, you are not alone. 

About the Speaker:
Maria is originally from New Jersey and has been a disciple for over 20 years. She has a Masters in Social Work as well as her clinical license and worked as a foster care social worker for several years before going into the full-time ministry. Maria and her husband Cash have been married for over 13 years and have two kids- Isabella who is 12 and Hunter who is 10. She has served in ministry for the last 15 years in Baltimore Maryland, Madrid Spain, and Boston where she currently serves as a Women’s Ministry Leader in the South Coastal Region. Her life took a radical turn while living in Spain when she was diagnosed with a spinal tumor that left her unable to walk and in tremendous pain. After a quick flight home and two surgeries later she was partially paralyzed and her journey to relearn to walk began. She still deals with chronic pain and fatigue but she is passionate about women’s ministry and inspiring others to persevere through life’s trials. Maria is grateful for opportunities to share her story and help women grow in their trust in God. 

Episode Notes:

Psalm 94:18-19- When I said, “My foot is slipping!” Your unfailing love, O Eternal One, held me up. When anxiety overtakes me and worries are many, Your comfort lightens my soul.

Tim Keller: “Suffering is unbearable if you aren’t certain that God is for you and with you.”

Psalm 62:1-8 

• God as our Rock, Refuge & Rest

Muscle Memory

• the Bible is my spiritual muscle memory
• Turn to the Psalms in dark and lonely places
• Like David, our hope can be found in God’s faithfulness.

“Anchor Scriptures” help you not drift 

• “Ever present hope” 
• Help us be still and grounded in God. He is in control. 
• Lam 3:21
• Psalm 46:1
• Reliance on God when nothing makes sense
• Hebrews 5: 7-9

Where do you turn when you want to give up? 
When you’re feeling hopeless and helpless? 
When life doesn’t make sense

• Look to Jesus and His example; fix your eyes on Him so you can endure. 
• Hebrews 12:1-3
• Jesus’ example gave me and continues to give me hope

Perservance, endurance is hard: It is inspiring to hear stories of how people overcame and endured difficulties- but it is not easy being the one going to through it

• There are many tears
• It is lonely
• Exhausting
• Sad

Isaiah 26:3-4

• Eyes on God for spiritual rest
• Helps to remind me of gratitude
• What God has brought me through
• Looking to God and not the problem
• Gratitude lists

Psalm 18:1-2- “I love you, LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

“God didn’t bring us this far to fail."

Anchor scriptures; Looking to God as my Refuge, my Rock and my Rest

Be gracious with yourself, God is gracious with you. 

Pain & Joy can coexist - God is with you in & through the pain.

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In this episode, Silvia Mendez joins us to unpack the concept of boundaries through a biblical lens. Relationships are such a gift, but they can be sticky blessings to manage when they become entangled. Silvia shares phenomenal insight and many passages to help us identify unhealthy patterns and untrue narratives and encourages us to let God renew our minds for His glory and our ultimate good. 

About the Speaker:
Silvia Mendez has been a grateful disciple for 33 years. She is the proud mother of two amazing adult children: Luis Jr. & Jennay. Silvia was happily married for 28 years to an incredible man of faith, Luis, who has now gone on to be with the Lord.  For three years Silvia has been adjusting to life as a widow, but she continues to work and serve as a women’s ministry leader. Silvia loves learning new things every day and is deeply grateful to have the Lord walking beside her on this new chapter of her life. 

Episode Notes:
Galatians 6:2-5: Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.

Concepts and Material Inspired from: Spiritual Discovery by Jim & Virginia Lefler 

Distinguishing between loads and burdens in interpersonal relationships. 

Entangled Relationship: One or both parties have unhealthy patterns that lead to some type of disfunction or strife. 

Codependency defined in this lesson from Galatians 6: Carrying someone’s load or giving someone else your load to carry. 

Burden is anything that makes a weight too heavy to carry on your own: physically, mentally or spiritually.

Examples of Burdens we strive to help one another with:

• Need for guidance or encouragement 
• Need for food or clothing (James 2:15-16) 
• Loss of loved one (James 1:27) 
• Sickness, Disease, trauma or other life crisis (Romans 12:10)

Load comes from the Greek word for portion, used to describe a soldier’s pack. 

Examples of Loads that we all are meant to carry ourselves: 

• Working to provide for your necessities (plan, budget)
• Fulfilling responsibilities at work & at home (Col 3:23-24)
• Being accountable for your choices and decisions and owning the consequences. (Proverbs 19:3) 
• Being responsible for your own emotions- including your own happiness. 
• Being responsible for our sin and personal walks with God 

Satan plants lies and narratives that will tempt us to overstep healthy boundaries. Most of these are rooted in either:

• Entitlement
• Fear
• Shame 

Cool translation of James 1:27- “One of the purest and most undefiled demonstrations of the gospel is to move towards hard places and broken people, not away from them”

What are the lies that I’ve bought into that God wants me to be free from?

What is God’s truth? What does HE say about me? 

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In this episode, Lauren Peterson joins us to unpack the historically ambiguous concept of living life in physical bodies as Christian women. There’s a distinct duality that many of us face: in religious circles we may have learned to view life in a body as something to be tamed or ignored. Then we have the opposite messaging of our secular culture which can place an inordinate degree of value and pressure on all that is physical. Lauren invites us to identify and separate unhealthy ideologies from God’s divine intention for us to exist as fully-integrated human beings.  

About the Speaker
Lauren is a therapist with Strength & Serenity Counseling LLC. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Drury University and her MSW from Loyola University Chicago. She currently resides in the Quad Cities where she and her husband Craig have been married for 10 years and have 3 wonderful children: Eliana, Cael and Enya. 

Episode Notes:

Goal: To normalize the questions and frustrations many Christian women experience about their bodies and encourage gentle curiosity. 

Matthew Anderson in Earthen Vessels, “more often than not, we don’t know which lies and bad arguments we have formed our lives around. After all, the ideas that are deepest in us are almost never learned in books, but are forged and engrained through the habitual patterns of life that make up our embodied existence”

“May we be women who filter these messages through the Word of God so our deepest ideas about our precious bodies are not built by habit or unwittingly adopted patterns but by the Holy Spirit himself.”

The “problem” of the body. We tend to:

• Ignore it
• Demonize it
• Feel overwhelmed/confused by it
• Internalize the world’s misuse and objectification of it.
• Medicalize the body

“Dualisms that are embedded in our religious traditions have created a false separation between the spiritual realm and the material world, leaving us an “ambiguous legacy” regarding the body…” Ruth Haley Barton. 

Consequences of separating from the body:

1. Cannot experience joy and positive emotion to their fullest extent.
2. Disconnection can open the door to sin. When we are disconnected from our bodies, we are unaware of the good but also deeply unaware of our deep seeded anger, fear, etc. Satan uses this as fuel.

The Solution: Recognize the body as essential to the human spiritual experience and as GOOD in its original form.

1. Learn to parse out what is original from what is broken.
2. Learn to differentiate biblically between body and “flesh”/“sarx”: ‘Romans 8:5.
3. Be a student of the Word when it comes to Scriptures on the body.1 Corinthians 6:19-20
4. Paul’s writings are built on the Old Testament foundation of a perfectly created body, knitted together in our mother’s wombs. 
5. Integrate the body as a part of the WHOLE and bring praise and gratitude to the areas of the body the world ignores
6. Incorporate the physical spiritual disciplines- sabbath, silence and solitude, slow movement-taste, touch,etc

In Hopeful Summary- the scriptures on resurrectional embodiment teach us that the body is originally good, built for pleasure, and will be perfectly good again.

We can be a part of a culture shift that challenges both the cultural objectification but also the religious silencing of the body. 

Resources:

• Real Sex by Lauren Winner
• Unwanted by Jay Stringer
• Redeemed Sexuality and Art of Intimate Marriage by J

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In this episode, Marina De Anda joins us to discuss her own journey from depletion to redemption after a season of burnout. Our lives are filled with demands, responsibilities, and blessings to manage that can leave us exhausted. We all can get lost in our roles but Marina unpacks the power of stillness and ways to embrace the breathing room our souls desperately crave.

Episode Notes: 

• Life can feel overwhelming - complete exhaustion. 
• Apathy is a sign of burnout 
• “In helping roles and professions, we as women want to be everything for everyone, but at some point in that we can start to betray ourselves.”

1 Peter 1:8

Psalm 62:1- My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

MSG Version:  God, the one and only—I’ll wait as long as he says. Everything I need comes from him, so why not? He’s solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul…. 

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Dawn Russell joins us for a refreshing conversation about her journey of cultivating a massive garden and the transformative conversations she's had with God Himself in the process. There's so much divinity found in the literal and metaphorical dirt of our world. Take some time to listen and consider what beauty, healing or redemption is God sowing in your soul?

About the Speaker:
Dawn Russell is a woman navigating through marriage, motherhood and friendships with the help of Jesus, a faith community and coffee. Her and her husband, Greg, are parents to two young boys and work as ministry leaders in Los Angeles. Dawn has been a Christian for 16 years and is passionate about helping others live fulfilling lives in Christ by discovering their own unique gifts and talents.  

Episode Notes:

Romans 12:20- “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

-“Before I even knew who God was, He revealed himself through nature…”

Matthew 13:36-43

-“God, where are you when it hurts?”

-How do we handle the good and the bad coinciding in this life?

“God created us as humans to transform pain into beauty…”

God is the master gardener- He knows exactly what He is doing. And if he says things might be unsightly 

Gardening- Participating in God’s nature. 

There’s beauty found in process. 

There’s so much life that’s waiting to be activated! 

To connect more with Dawn check out her blog! 

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In this episode, Jodi Hayward shares some insights on the fear phenomenon and God's invitation to lean on him in uncertainty.  Fear is a normal expression of our humanity, but it can become a thief if left untethered- robbing us of the ability to enjoy life and identify the beauty in it. But Jodi reminds us of God's heart to secure ours- “He will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3)

About the Speaker:
Jodi Hayward is an Educational Consultant in Kansas City, Missouri. She has been married to her husband Mark for 35 years and loves being a mother to her adult children: Nate and his wife Kendall, Mallory and her husband Jeremy, and Ariana. She is a grandmother to Ellie Jo, a 4 year-old, who keeps her laughing. Jodi loves God, His Kingdom, and finding sunshine- literally and metaphorically.


Episode Notes:

Lament: a passionate expression of grief & sorrow.

Lam. 3: 55-58

Fear:

• Unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat!
• A feeling of anxiety concerning the outcome of something or the safety and well-being of someone. 
• “Fear robs me of the ability to enjoy life and see the beauty of it.”
•  Fear as a verb: avoid or put off doing something because you are afraid! 

 What helps you to overcome your fears and trust God?

Isaiah 26:3 

1.     “God will keep in perfect peace”    

• Perfect: absolute, complete   
• Peace:  Free from disturbance, a mental calm, and serenity.

2.     “Him whose mind is steadfast”

• Steadfast: resolutely firm, determined & unwavering 

3.     “Because he trusts in you!”

• Is. 26:4 “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord is the rock eternal!”
• Trust: Firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability or strength of someone or something. 

Heb. 12:1 "Let us throw off everything that hinders & the sin that so easily entangles, and run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

Q: What hinders you from being steadfast, determined & unwavering?

• Social media, feelings, emotions, or others opinions
• One of the things that can hinder me is my phone: all of its dings, pings and the call to worship it. Is it my golden calf? 
• What takes up your time & energy or distracts you? What are you really devoted too? 

God’s Word is the key!

• Rom. 10:17 Faith comes from hearing the message & the message is heard through the Word of Christ. 
• John 8:31-32 If, you hold to the teaching then you are really my disciples then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free…free from fear!
• Holding to God’s Word in a time of information overload.

James 1: 19-21:b Anger is a secondary emotion often driven by fear!

·      Fear drives me to be quick to speak & slow to listen

Lam 3:22-24

Lam. 3: 55-58- “You came near when I called you, and you said, ‘Do not fear’…you took up my case; you redeemed my life!”

Questions:

1. What helps you to overcome your fears? How can you cultivate that area in your life?
2. What is something that may be hindering you in your walk with God? Causing you to have more fear than faith!
3. What is a gem from God’s Word that can help you to grow? 

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