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    Grace In Real Life podcast

    This podcast is for those who want to wholeheartedly pursue Christ. You’re a woman who wants to follow where God leads, to live and love well, to extend grace to yourself and others, but there’s a part of you that’s like how? You want your faith to intersect with your busy and full life, but you aren’t sure what that looks like in real-time. Here at the Grace In Real Life podcast, we talk about how to practically apply grace in real life. Listen in!
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    Episodes (198)

    #175: Skill Set: Acknowledging everything is (not) fine with Katie Schnack

    #175: Skill Set: Acknowledging everything is (not) fine with Katie Schnack

    I feel like I’m the poster child for the sentiment, “I’m fine. It’s fine. Everything’s fine,” when clearly it is not.

    Friend, I cannot tell you how much energy I spend avoiding pain, trying to make the bad, hard thing disappear, or pretending it’s all okay.

    But what if the most gracious, most life-giving gift we can give ourselves today is to acknowledge that we are struggling, that everything is not fine, that we need the Lord, and we need His people, our people?

    Perhaps we need to quit outrunning the pain, so we can run into the arms of Christ.

    What does it look like to acknowledge we’re struggling while still living our life of work, carpool pick-up, volunteering, caring for our parents, and late-night band practice? 

    I can think of no one better to speak about this than today’s guest, Katie Schnack.

    In today’s episode, you’ll receive practical strategies and anchoring truths for receiving grace by acknowledging everything is not fine. You’ll learn:

    • Why it’s hard to take off your game-face,
    • When you trust the Lord AND struggle in your circumstances,
    • And six ways to rewrite what it means to be “strong.”

    Mentioned in the podcast

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    Here’s how to connect with Katie Schnack

     

    Here’s how to connect with Jill

    #174: Skill Set: Building a resilient thought life with Lauren Gaines

    #174: Skill Set: Building a resilient thought life with Lauren Gaines

    Y’all, our world feels crazy and seems to get crazier by the year. Our children experience questions and come up against worldviews we never had to face at their age.

    As much as I want to be an ostrich and bury my head in the sand, I refuse to do that to my girls. I want to be mentally tough in the Lord. I want to combat lies with truth. I don’t want to be apathetic or resigned, but strong and courageous because I know the truth that my God is good.

    So, how do we become resilient and emotionally healthy moms? How can we raise brave and unshakable kids? What does it look like to stand firm and courageous in a world gone mad? 

    I can think of no one better to speak about this than today’s guest, Lauren Gaines.

    In today’s episode, you’ll receive practical strategies and anchoring truths for giving grace by taking your thoughts captive. You’ll learn:

    • six ways to deescalate a negative thought,
    • how to practically take thoughts captive in real-time,
    • and seven lies moms can believe. 

    Mentioned in the podcast

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    Here’s how to connect with Lauren Gaines

     

    Here’s how to connect with Jill

     

    #173: Skill Set: How to listen so people will talk with Becky Harling

    #173: Skill Set: How to listen so people will talk with Becky Harling

    The first words in the Bible speak of the cosmos hearing God’s spoken words and obeying: “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”

    At the heart of Israel’s prayer life is God’s call to listen in Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” The writers of the Psalms ask God to listen to them and then write how He hears them and acts. As God’s sheep, we hear His voice; because we listen, we follow Him.

    So, yes, listening is important to God. It is vital to our relationship with Him and with others. 

     

    And also, our lives are full, so time to listen is hard to come by. Our hearts long to teach and correct – which are good and certainly have their place – but sometimes people just want to be heard. Our brains are so full of distractions about deadlines, upcoming events, and the logistics of our schedule that sometimes it’s hard to stay focused on what the person right in front of us is saying.

    So if we want to become more and more like Christ, and Christ is someone who listens, how do we grow in this skill? 

    I can think of no one better to talk about how to listen than today’s guest, Becky Harling. 

     

    In today’s episode, you’ll receive practical strategies and anchoring truths for giving grace by becoming a better listener:

    • How to tell if you’re a good listener,
    • What it means to “listen to your heart,”
    • Four ways to get your teenager to talk with you,
    • And help when you long to fix or offer solutions when someone shares a struggle.

    Mentioned in the podcast

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    Here’s how to connect with Becky Harling

     

    Here’s how to connect with Jill

     

    #172: Skill Set: Building trust in the Lord with Maleah Stephens

    #172: Skill Set: Building trust in the Lord with Maleah Stephens

    As a Grace In Real Life podcast listener, you want to grow in your faith and become more and more like Christ, but how do you do that? In your hardest moments, in the most mundane, what does it look like to trust the Lord?

    I can think of no one better to share about how to trust the Lord in shaky circumstances than today’s guest, Maleah Stephens. 

    Maleah’s story is one of bold faith, love, survival, and hope. Her’s is the story of hearing that her firstborn had a congenital heart defect that would cost her unborn son his life without medical intervention. Maleah had a choice: faith or fear. Guess which one she picked?

    In today’s episode, you’ll receive practical strategies and anchoring truths for receiving grace by answering the question, “how to build faith and trust in God.” We walk through:

    • Experiencing peace when your future is shaken,
    • How thankfulness builds your faith,
    • And when you trust the Lord and still fear.

    Mentioned in the podcast

     

    Here’s how to connect with Maleah Stephens

     

    Here’s how to connect with Jill

     

    #171: Skill Set: Setting healthy boundaries that work with LPC Shundria Riddick

    #171: Skill Set: Setting healthy boundaries that work with LPC Shundria Riddick

    If you’re anything like me, you’re like, “I’m not sure I need to listen to this episode. I don’t feel like I struggle with setting boundaries.” As a 47-year-old, I know my strengths and weaknesses, I invest in emotionally healthy people, and I don’t get sucked into drama or volunteering.

    And also… I wonder about the Bible’s call to help others and sacrifice myself with the reality that I get burned out and overwhelmed.

    I often fear turning down an opportunity because I don’t want people to think I’m dispensable or easily replaced. 

    I may feel confident setting boundaries but struggle to enforce them when confronted with the needs of those I know are genuinely struggling. 

    In today’s episode, you’ll receive practical strategies and anchoring truths for receiving grace by setting boundaries for yourself. We walk through:

    • When saying “no” feels unkind,
    • Six ways to set healthy boundaries,
    • And one truth when you’re exhausted from helping everyone else.

    Mentioned in the podcast

    Anatomy of the Soul by Curt Thompson

     

    Here’s how to connect with LPC Shundria Riddick

     

    Here’s how to connect with Jill

     

    #170: Skill Set: Reclaiming fun and playfulness in your busy life with Courtney Ellis

    #170: Skill Set: Reclaiming fun and playfulness in your busy life with Courtney Ellis

    You may be hard-wired for efficiency, effectiveness, and checking tasks off the list.

    Being playful and silly and giving into whimsy is not your strong suit. We have fun AFTER we work. But the work is never done, and fun is the first to go when our calendar is full.

    And yet… when we don’t play, when we don’t laugh, when we don’t lighten up, seriousness scrunches up our souls. And it seems as if playfulness is the only way out and back to our true, God-made self.

    So how can we become more playful? How can you reconnect to your soul and with God?

    If you’ve ever felt like you used to be fun but aren’t fun anymore OR that your schedule is too full and you’re too tired to think of being playful, this short episode is for you.

    In today’s episode, you’ll receive practical strategies and anchoring truths for receiving grace by learning how to be playful. We walk through:

    • Two ways to reconnect to what brings you joy,
    • Ten invitations to playfulness – so you can pick one–
    • And one easy way to leverage what you’re already doing so you can have more fun without making it A Thing.

    Mentioned in the podcast

     

    Here’s how to connect with Courtney Ellis

     

    Here’s how to connect with Jill

     

    #169: Grace is: allowing the Lord to tend to your heart with Vivian Mabuni

    #169: Grace is: allowing the Lord to tend to your heart with Vivian Mabuni

    PLEASE KNOW: This is the last podcast until August 2023. Grace In Real Life is taking a break in July 2023.

    What does it mean for God to tend to your heart? How does God comfort you in real life? How does God heal our hurting hearts?

    I’ll never forget the first time I heard the phrase, “Allow the Lord to tend to your heart.” A friend of mine said it, and I was like, What is she talking about? What does that even mean?

    I’ve pondered that phrase for six years now: What does it mean for the Lord to tend to a heart? What in our hearts needs tending? How does He do it? 

    For me, it means receiving the compassion and kindness the Lord offers as I struggle with the sting of sin, the wounds from others, and the trials of being a human on planet Earth.

    Today’s guest sheds so much biblical truth and light on this grace-giving concept.

    In today’s episode, you’ll receive practical strategies and anchoring truths for receiving grace by finding comfort in the Lord. We walk through:

    • What it means for God to tend to your heart,
    • How God comforts us in real life,
    • And what stunts spiritual growth.

    Mentioned in the podcast

    Here’s how to connect with Vivian Mabuni

     

    Here’s how to connect with Jill

     

    #168: Grace is: forgiving others + yourself with Jennifer Barnett

    #168: Grace is: forgiving others + yourself with Jennifer Barnett

    What is forgiveness, really? Is it something more than feeling like we should apologize? Is it more than just saying we forgive someone who hurt us even when we don’t want to at all?

    Forgiving others and asking for forgiveness are ground zero for receiving grace. Because isn’t the Lord’s forgiving of our sins the ultimate gift of grace? Forgiveness is foundational to our understanding of what it means to receive and live from grace.

    In today’s episode, you’ll receive practical strategies and anchoring truths for receiving grace through forgiveness and healing. We walk through:

    • What forgiveness is – and what it is not,
    • The 3 steps of biblical forgiveness,
    • And 3 clues you’re holding onto unforgiveness.

    Mentioned in the podcast

    Here’s how to connect with Freedom Prayer

    Here’s how to connect with Jill

     

    #167: Grace is: Bringing it all into the light

    #167: Grace is: Bringing it all into the light

    We know there are no formulas, AND we also know God gives instructions and has a teacher’s heart. The Lord wants to give humans practices and principles to make the theoretical and theological practical and applicable.

    Which is how this series came to be.

    How does one go about receiving the grace God so freely offers?

    Every believer has access to God’s grace and the tools and ability to receive it when we:

    1. Bring our hurts, sins, emotions, dreams, and needs into the light
    2. Forgive and ask for forgiveness
    3. Allow the Lord to tend our hearts.

    In today’s episode, you’ll receive practical strategies and anchoring truths as you receive grace by bringing it all into the light. We walk through:

    • What you can bring into the light,
    • How to do it,
    • And what it looks like in real life.

    Mentioned in the podcast

    #88: What to do when you fear naming what you want [Fear Series]

     

    Here’s how to connect with Jill

     

    #166: Grace in Parenting: Parenting teens with anxiety with Dr. Chinwé Williams

    #166: Grace in Parenting: Parenting teens with anxiety with Dr. Chinwé Williams

    Raising teens with anxiety is one tough assignment. How can you tell the difference between anxiety and worry? 

    Anxiety, worry, stress, learning what you like, what you don’t, and what you believe and what you don’t is a part of becoming an adult.

    However, as Christ-following mamas, we don’t want anxiety to have the final say about our kids. We know our God offers all of us – teens included – a spirit of peace, but how do we access that when we’re living real-life in real-time?

    In today’s episode, you’ll receive practical strategies and anchoring truths as you’re raising teens with anxiety. Dr. Chinwé shares:

    • How to tell the difference between anxiety and worry,
    • Three signs its time to bring in a professional to help with your teen’s anxiety,
    • And six lies anxiety tells us and the truths to counteract them.

    Mentioned in the podcast

    Here’s how to connect with Dr. Chinwé Williams

     

    Here’s how to connect with Jill

     

    #165: Grace in Parenting: Raising confident daughters with Susan Seay

    #165: Grace in Parenting: Raising confident daughters with Susan Seay

    Raising godly daughters – how does a mom do it? How can you raise confident daughters? Listen in to Episode 165 with Susan Seay as we talk about grace-based parenting for moms raising girls.

    Girl-moms, let us continue to partner with Jesus as we raise confident women, who love the Lord, who know who God created them to be, and who speak life, not gossip, into their friendship circles. May we be girl-moms who raise women who hold fast to the truth of who they are beloved, cherished, seen, and cared for by their Heavenly Father. 

    In today’s episode, you’ll receive practical strategies and anchoring truths as you’re in the middle of raising godly daughters. Susan shares:

    • how to raise your daughter to be who God created her to be,
    • how to help her cultivate a healthy body image
    • and how to move away from lecturing and toward listening.

    Mentioned in the podcast

     

    Here’s how to connect with Susan Seay

     

    Here’s how to connect with Jill

     

    #164: Grace in Parenting: Raising responsible sons with Marnie Hammar

    #164: Grace in Parenting: Raising responsible sons with Marnie Hammar

    Raising boys is a gift, privilege, and challenge. How can you raise your sons to be responsible? How you can connect with your son when you have different personalities? Listen in to Episode 164 with Marnie Hammar as we talk about grace-based parenting for moms raising boys.

    We need boy-moms who are speaking truth and life into their sons, who are raising boys who will become men who lead in our country, community, and home, and who love Jesus and their people.

    Thank you, boy-moms, who are raising sons who respect women and know right from wrong. 

    In today’s episode, you’ll receive practical strategies and anchoring truths as you’re in the middle of raising boys. Marnie shares:

    • The joys and challenges of raising boys,
    • How to connect with your son,
    • And training your son to take ownership and responsibility.

    Mentioned in the podcast

    Here’s how to connect with Marnie Hammar

    Here’s how to connect with Jill

     

    #163: Grace in Parenting: Balancing motherhood and ministry with Katie Scott

    #163: Grace in Parenting: Balancing motherhood and ministry with Katie Scott

    How can we balance motherhood and ministry? Is it possible to follow your passions and be a mom? How can you handle mom guilt as you work in ministry? Listen in to Episode 163 with Katie Scott as we talk about grace-based parenting for those in ministry.

    You’re a mom. You're also in ministry, whether that’s by being on staff at your church, leading a Bible study at home, writing a book, or volunteering on Sunday mornings. How can balance motherhood with ministry? What do we do with the mom guilt that comes when we feel like our family gets our leftovers? 

    Mom, there is hope. This question is not new, and we can walk you through it. Listen to this episode with Katie Scott. 

    In today’s episode, you’ll receive practical strategies and anchoring truths as you follow your passions for ministry and being a mom. Katie shares:

    • Three ways to balance ministry and motherhood,
    • What to do when your child grows bitter about church because you work at one, 
    • And four simple and powerful ways to combat spiritual opposition.

    Mentioned in the podcast

     

    Here’s how to connect with Katie Scott

     

    Here’s how to connect with Jill

     

    #162: Grace in Parenting: Hope when your child’s choices break your heart with Mary DeMuth

    #162: Grace in Parenting: Hope when your child’s choices break your heart with Mary DeMuth

    What is a wayward child? How do we love that adult child well when they continually make unwise choices? As parents, we have dreams and plans for our children, and those can come crashing down. What do we do with the expectations we hold about how our kids will turn out when they blindside us with the choices they make?

    Mom, there is hope. Do not give up on your child. Listen to this episode with Mary DeMuth. 

    In today’s episode, you’ll receive practical strategies and anchoring truths as you parent a wayward child. Mary shares:

    • What to do when your children’s choices don’t match your expectations for them,
    • How to lower the volume on your inner critic when your child is making poor choices,
    • And how to find community when your child’s struggle feels like it's isolating you.

    Mentioned in the podcast

    Here’s how to connect with Mary DeMuth

     

    Here’s how to connect with Jill

     

    #161: Grace in Parenting: How to rest in God’s love when your schedule is full with Crystal Paine

    #161: Grace in Parenting: How to rest in God’s love when your schedule is full with Crystal Paine

    Are you an overwhelmed mom? Are you struggling with a long to-do list? What are practical strategies + anchoring truths when you feel exhausted? Listen in for grace-based parenting help. 

    As a mom, you juggle so much: the family calendar, the emotional needs of your people, caring for yourself, running a household, and working. How can you enjoy your life and accomplish what matters most when there is so much to do?

    What would it look like to not be the victim of your calendar? How would it feel to be intentional about doing what matters most? Is it possible to not feel exhausted as you parent? Listen to this episode with Crystal Paine. 

    In today’s episode, you’ll receive practical strategies and anchoring truths when you’re an overwhelmed mom. Crystal Paine breaks down:

    • How to rest in God’s love when you have so much stuff to do,
    • Easy ways to leverage what you’re doing so you live an intentional life,
    • And practical tips on how to organize your time.

    If you’d like to learn more grace for the overwhelmed mom, check these out:

    Mentioned in the podcast

    Here’s how to connect with Crystal Paine

     

    Here’s how to connect with Jill

     

    #160: Race + Grace: How you can do something about racism with Jenny Booth Potter

    #160: Race + Grace: How you can do something about racism with Jenny Booth Potter

    How to fight racism is a question we want and need to answer. What can you do about racism? How can you make a difference? Listen in.

    Racism is hurting real people right now. Racism is hurting your brothers + sisters in Christ at this exact moment. Racism should make your skin boil because it is not God's plan for His people.

    So, what do you do? Where can you start? I mean, you're one person, what difference can you make? If you're wondering how you can become an antiracist, give Episode 160 with Jenny Booth Potter a listen.

    In today’s episode, you’ll learn about how to fight racism. Jenny Booth Pottersbreaks down:

    • What antiracism is,
    • How to begin your antiracism journey,
    • And how to fight racism right where you are.

    If you’d like to learn more talking about race with grace, check these out:

     

    Mentioned in the podcast

    Here’s how to connect with Jenny Booth Potter

    Here’s how to connect with Jill

    #159: Race + Grace: Expanding your friendship circle beyond those who look just like you with Torrie Sorge

    #159: Race + Grace: Expanding your friendship circle beyond those who look just like you with Torrie Sorge

    How to cultivate interracial friendship is a question we hold. How do we build friendships with people who don’t look like we do? What are do’s and don’ts in conversations with people of other ethnicities? Listen in.

    Diversifying our friendships is important. Diversifying our life is important too. Where do we start? What can we do to cultivate interracial friendships? I’m so glad you asked! 

     You can cultivate interracial friendship with those in your real life starting today!

    In today’s episode, you’ll learn about cultivating interracial friendships. Torrie Sorge breaks down:

    • Her story of growing up in a predominantly White, Midwestern town as a mixed-race person,
    • How God sees race and color because He isn’t colorblind
    • How to expand your circle of friends to include those of other races
    • And so much more!

    If you’d like to learn more talking about race with grace, check these out:

    Mentioned in the podcast

    Here’s how to connect with Torrie

    Here’s how to connect with Jill

     

    #158: Race + Grace: Weaving conversations about race into your real life with Michelle Ami Reyes

    #158: Race + Grace: Weaving conversations about race into your real life with Michelle Ami Reyes

    Starting and holding a conversation about race with your people can feel intimidating.

    My hope is for us, as Christ's followers, to begin talking about race with the people most important to us because God’s heart is for people of every nation,  tribe, and tongue to know and worship Him. If this is what heaven will look like, why can’t we bring heaven to earth now? Why can’t the Church be the frontrunner in racial reconciliation and hope? 

    Friend, I posit to you today that it is no longer an option to do nothing: To avoid conversations, to not bring truth into the light, to bury our heads in the sand about how much racism has hurt our country.

    God’s gospel calls us higher. God’s gospel calls us to love people – those who look similar to us and those who do not. To go and make disciples – and the going could be as close as your next-door neighbor or as far away as whatever country is opposite of your latitude and longitude. To be in community with fellow image-bearers.

    Will you lean in and listen to God’s heart for you as you live as a brave grace-girl? 

    In today’s episode, you’ll learn about talking about race with grace. Michelle Ami Reyes breaks down:

    • How to cultivate a biblical understanding of the theology of race
    • The difference between race, culture, and ethnicity,
    • And how to have conversations about race with your kids and teens

    If you’d like to learn more talking about race with grace, check these out:

    Mentioned in the podcast

    Here’s how to connect with Michelle

     

    Here’s how to connect with Jill

     

    #157: The part of the gospel we don’t hear enough about

    #157: The part of the gospel we don’t hear enough about

    You are loved by God. Yes, you are a sinner, AND God saved you because He loved you first. ​​​​​​​​Sinning is a part of your story, but that’s not the only true truth about you.

    If you grew up with the drumbeat of messaging that reminded you of how sinful, unworthy, unrighteous, deceitful you were– which is certainly biblical but not the only or even most important part of your salvation story – please remember these truths.

    Yes, you are a sinner, AND God saved you because He loved you first. ​​​​​​​​

    Sin is a big deal: it brings death to our souls, suffering, hurt, and destruction. It is so costly Jesus died to save us from it. 

    You were born into sin. Before you knew Jesus, you were a slave to sin. Once you became a follower of Christ, you were no longer a sinner but a saint. 

    Sinning is a part of your story, but that’s not the only true truth about you. 

    In today’s episode, you’ll learn how you are loved by God:

    • What this means for you
    • And how the gospel of grace balances our sinfulness with God’s love.

    If you’d like to learn more about the gospel of grace and God’s love for you, check these out:

     

    Here’s how to connect with Jill

     

    #156: Grace Beneath the Waves: Grace will set you free

    #156: Grace Beneath the Waves: Grace will set you free

    Learn what it means to be free, the four steps to break free from sin, and how to break free from lies that don’t serve you well in Episode 156.

    Through this last chapter of Jonah, we’ll see that only grace holds the power to set you free. God’s heart for us is not to be trapped by anger or sin or worry but to be free.

    God created us to be free from sin and wounds and lies, so we could be free to be loved by Him, to be healed by Him, to obey Him, to worship Him, to delight in Him and feel His delight for us, to serve others, to know His friendship, and to experience community with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  

    When we are held captive by sin, wounds, false narratives, inaccurate understanding of God’s character, and lies, we do not live in freedom.

    In today’s episode, you’ll learn how grace leads to freedom as we unpack: 

    • What it means to be free,
    • The tools God gives you to break us free,
    • Four steps to break free from sin,
    • And how to break free from lies that don’t serve you well.

    If you’d like to learn more about how to live in freedom, check these out:

    As Mentioned in the Podcast

    The FCC requires that I tell you that I'm an Amazon Affiliate, which means I earn a bit of commission on each sale. But don't worry; there's no added cost to you!

    Here’s how to connect with Jill