The Truly Co Podcast

Healing doesn't have to look the way everyone thinks or imagines it should look. It could be tiny steps each day. Healing isn't always a straight-line process, but we can go to the Father every day to ask him for help, knowing he is with us on our journey.

In this episode of The Truly Co. Podcast, we talk with pastor Brittany Jones of Motivation Church about mental health. Brittany and her husband planted this church in Richmond, Virginia, in September 2017. 

Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Brittany shares her journey towards healing from a trauma-filled childhood, navigating church leadership and therapy. Healing is often found through community, and this week's episode will encourage you to know that you aren't alone on your journey. 

Follow Brittany on Instagram @brittanycharise 

Grab a copy of Truly magazine at thetrulyco.com

If you've grown up in the church, you've probably heard the phrase "obedience brings blessing." We often internalize this to mean if you serve the Lord and obey Him, then your prayers will be answered, and essentially, you'll "get what your heart desires." This week, we're chatting with Ali Gray, creative entrepreneur, writer, mother, and worship leader, about what happens when we don't get the answered prayers we want. 

Featured in Truly's intentionality issue, Ali shares her intentional experiences with God as she has navigated a challenging season in her life and her realization of equating her circumstances to God's goodness. Ali reminds us not to let God's gifts become the idol we worship. If you're in a difficult season of unanswered prayers, we encourage you to meditate on Psalm 77:17, "Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters— a pathway no one knew was there!" (NLT).

It's not your responsibility to make a way for yourself. That's what God does. He's our provider. 

Find Ali on Instagram at @alikgray and read her article in Truly's intentionality issue. 

Register to attend our writers call HERE. 

Find our FREE editing guide HERE. 

Good things require hard work. This week, we're chatting with entrepreneur Dre Barthel, Owner and Creative Director of Covey, about taking the first step and moving forward in your dreams. We're talking about real challenges we face as working from home with family and how we can trust the Lord with our work time and family. You'll learn practical strategies to balance business and work and the importance of taking time to rest. 

An entrepreneur at heart, Dre has created and produced two successful annual event series through the Covey platform: the Momboss 5k and the Steadfast Retreat, with more to come! For Dre, it has been a fabulous journey to get to the point in her professional life where her passion for event planning, brand awareness, and strategy collide with her deepest desire to make a difference in the lives of others. 

Learn more about what Dre is doing at coveyevents.com , Instagram, and more info on The Steadfast Retreat here.

Have you wanted to understand better what Scripture says about women in ministry? What was God's intent when he created women from the very beginning? Are women allowed to preach? What's the deal with head coverings? These were the questions sent to us on Instagram recently around women in ministry. This week's podcast features Hillary Leeper, a Biblical and Theology Studies professor at North Central University. In this episode, Hillary offers in-depth discussion and thoughtful responses to many of today's burning questions about gender and authority in the Bible.

Drawing on her own experience as a woman passionate about using her Spirit-given giftings, Hillary shares her journey of overcoming challenges in her role, discusses how to interpret variants in Scripture, and how to understand the context. She encourages us to acknowledge our tendency to search scriptures through our cultural context, which doesn't always line up with the model used in the first-century church. You might want to have a notebook next to you as you listen to jot down insight and scriptures for further reading.

Connect with Hillary on Instagram @hillaryleeper or email hkleeper@northcentral.edu.

Have you ever cried out to God in the middle of an impossible circumstance to ask when he will come through for you? We know you’ll connect with Kelly’s story. Kelly Lemon is a Seattle-based photographer who is passionate about living life to the fullest and overcoming life’s challenges. In this episode of the Truly Podcast, she shares her miraculous journey of healing and prayer after suffering a near-fatal car accident that left her right arm paralyzed at 12 years old. Kelly’s story of faith and journey to learning to rely on God in the hardest seasons is raw and powerful. 

She emphasizes the need for faithful sisters in Christ to pray “scary” prayers that are often hard for people who are suffering to ask God for themselves. Kelly reminds us that wrestling with God through suffering is okay and that while suffering is to be expected, suffering alone is never in God’s plan. He is always there but we have to open our hearts to him. 

Follow Kelly to see her stunning photography and to hear her encouragement on Instagram (@kellylemon, @kellylemon_empowerment) or check out her website and blog.

www.thetrulyco.com

In this episode of The Truly Co Podcast, we're talking about identifying God's voice and finding our unique purpose with host Lindsay May and Brooke Peterson. Brooke Peterson is the owner of Well Women Co. with a mission to inspire women to cultivate Christ-centered faith and holistic wellbeing through authentic community and practical resources.  

If you feel like you don't know where God is calling you, know that He is going before you and guiding you. The Lord speaks to us uniquely as individuals, and we can learn to follow His voice. Brooke shares how we can piece together the words God has spoken to us over the years to find our divine purpose. Based on her article "Fragmented Vision" in Truly Magazine's Unity issue (available for purchase here), we know you'll be encouraged by her words.

Brooke encourages us to have our environments be "set apart" so that we can fully honor the Lord in all that we do and take into our minds, ears, and hearts. If we fully invite him into moments, we will hear His voice.

Follow Brooke in all that she is doing at Well Women Co. on her website, Instagram, Facebook, or podcast.

Purchase the unity issue of Truly Magazine at TheTrulyCo.com

In this episode of The Truly Co Podcast, we’re chatting about mental health and cultural ideologies of beauty. Melissa talks about how the “American brand of beauty” - Barbie-like figure, long-flowing hair, big eyes, thin and toned, diet culture - has caused a lot of unnecessary shame, mental health struggles, and eating disorders for women, herself included. She is passionate about redefining beauty and bringing it back to how God designed it - seeing His hand at work in and around us. 

Melissa Johnson is a Bethel University graduate and professor, spiritual director, and marriage & family therapist. She is passionate about redefining beauty... From the American brand of beauty to true beauty, the life of God at work in and among us.

Her article in Truly Magazine’s Leadership issue, “The American Brand of Beauty is Broken . . . and Why it Matters for Leaders” is a further glimpse into this concept. You can also find more on her website and podcast at impossible-beauty.com, or on Instagram.

Visit TheTrulyCo.com for more resources.

In this episode of The Truly Co Podcast, host Lindsay May talks with Hope Johnson about finding satisfaction in Christ when your desires aren’t being fulfilled. Hope Johnson is a writer and podcaster in Upstate New York who has a passion for encouraging single Christian women.  She also hosts Hope Unyielding, a podcast where people from all walks of life share stories of God's faithfulness in the dark or difficult times in their journeys.

Hope’s desire is to encourage women with the message that they are not failing as Christians because they wrestle with unfulfilled desires. Hope shares when she realized that the shame she was feeling was not from God, she began to see Him more clearly, not only as her Savior, but as someone who walked the earth and experienced the same things that we do, and who looks on us with compassion and understanding rather than disappointment. 

She recently released a free eBook on what it looks like to be satisfied in Christ when desires go unfulfilled called Unsatisfied: If Jesus Is the Bread of Life, Why Am I So Hungry? You can download her eBook, find her writing and check out her podcast at https://hopeunyielding.com/ or on Instagram (@hope_jaazaniah).

Find more info on The Truly Co at www.thetrulyco.com or order a magazine, including our newest release Pursuit, here.

In this episode of The Truly Co Podcast,  host Lindsay May talks with Carol Lund--a Christian visionary, leader, and mentor, who is also a wife, mother of five, and grandmother of thirteen.  As the Director of Bridging the Gap Women’s Ministries and the Department of Women’s Ministries for the Minnesota District Council of the Assemblies of God, Carol is a catalyst for ministry to women. She lives what she has learned: that God’s Word will mix with life’s experience to create the wisdom that is needed for living. 

In addition to reminding us that God is always working in every aspect of our lives, and will bring fruition to dreams, even if years down the road, Carol also talks about the upcoming Thrive Conference at Rochester’s Mayo Civic Center on October 1st & 2nd, 2021. Notable speakers include Alex Seely, Andi Andrew, Havilah Cunnington, and Brittany Jones, with special guests Emmanuel LIVE Worship, and emcees Susie Larson, and Amber Gerstmann.

Follow Carol and learn more about Thrive and other Bridging the Gap events and initiatives on Instagram (@mnbtg) or online at mnbtg.org. 

Order your copy of Truly magazine at thetrulyco.com/store.

Kendra Roehl has sought to live out that advice as a social worker, foster parent, mother of five, public speaker, and author. She earned a master’s degree in social work and naturally became a defender of those in need, serving others through hospice, low-income housing, and veterans affairs programs. Kendra and her husband have become well-known advocates for foster care, taking in over 20 children in six years, and adopting three of them. She continues to care for others on their journeys as a frequent speaker, a founder of The Ruth Experience, and an author of several books, including 100 Daily Acts of Friendship for Girls. 

In this episode of The Truly Co. Podcast, Kendra discusses her recent article in Truly Magazine’s Intentionality issue (sold here), in which she speaks about how to love someone who is going through a hard time, especially when you don’t know what to do. Many people don’t know what to say or do when people around us are hurting, so we end up doing nothing. As women and friends, we need ideas for ways we can support others going through a challenging season.

Kendra’s motto is “Do it afraid,” and her conversation here tells about how she has had to do just that. 

https://www.facebook.com/TheRuthExperience

Keep up with Kendra and The Ruth Experience on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, or on the website.

This week we're pulling back the curtains to give you another behind-the-scenes peek at The Truly Co. We are thrilled for you to meet our Art Director, Kristi Ellison. If you've held a copy of Truly magazine in your hands and admired the layout and overall visual tone, you know it's fabulous. Kristi is the woman who puts the text and imagery together in our magazine format and leans into the Holy Spirit to make sure the art reflects the content in each article. 

In this interview, Kristi shares her heart behind the design process, how she connected with The Truly Co, and what it's like directing the art and layout for the magazine. Listen in to learn more about our process, the style of art that The Truly Co resonates with the most, and how artists and creatives can get involved with future issues. 

Kristi challenges us to listen to God, lay down your desires at His feet, and let God move on your behalf about the desires in your heart. 

Follow Kristi on Instagram at @klee_ellison. 

In this episode, Jenni Kahmeyer, a licensed mental health counselor and writer for The Truly Co, speaks on the necessity of self-care and the topic of mental health. Self-care is really about self-compassion and treating ourselves well.

She explores the history of mental health issues in the church and some of the church's negative responses to mental illness. Jenni teaches us how the church can view mental health challenges as an aftermath of the Fall of man. Just as with physical healing, God provides mental healing through miracles, but He also uses doctors, counselors, and other professionals to help others.

Jenni encourages us to recognize the value of living and serving from a place of abundance and rest and describes strategies to help us understand what that means for ourselves.

Follow Jenni and what she is doing at @jennikahmeyer on Instagram and Facebook.

In this episode, Leah Andrade shares her incredible journey of discovering God’s goodness, faithfulness, and redeeming power in her life through her journey as an immigrant from Guatemala as a young child. 

When Leah became a single mom unexpectedly, an older woman befriended her, stirring a passion and desire someday to be that same friend to other struggling women. 

Leah believes that your past can be the platform that will launch you into your next season. You are never bound to your past and what has happened to you. God is with you through it all, and we are all a work in progress. 

She saw God’s hand of provision over her life as He provided food, shelter, and protection for her and her younger brother. Reflecting on her journey, Leah reminds us that God is unchanging and is there for us in every situation, and our lives can reveal the Love of God to others, even those that have hurt us.

Follow Leah and all she is doing through ANEW Ministries on Facebook, Instagram, or the ministry’s website.

Don't forget to order a copy of Truly magazine!

Deidre Braley is a Title 1 teacher and instructional strategist at an elementary school in Maine. She enjoys leisurely breakfasts, throwing dinner parties, and writing for her blog The Second Cup. She also writes for Truly Magazine.

In this episode, Deidre talks with Truly Co Podcast host Lindsay May about how she manages to stay afloat in the midst of family hardships and working full-time. In Truly Magazine’s Intentionality issue, Deidre’s article “Let’s Become Interruptible” outlines how Jesus always took time to love people first and set his checklists aside. What does this look like for us today, living in a culture that glorifies “hustle” and progress? Deidra reflects on how God uses things he creates through us to teach us. We must pause to prioritize what God values. 

Deidre also describes her experience in attending a Truly Magazine content call and the process of working with Truly’s editorial team in fine-tuning her article for print. Meet other incredible writers like Deidre face-to-face and register for our upcoming content call for our next issue Home here. 

Keep up with Deidre on her blog, thesecondcup.com,  or Instagram.

In this episode of The Truly Co Podcast, Monica Ritchie and Lindsay May talk about the importance of understanding God, scripture, and our belief systems. Our belief systems are a vacuum. If we don't fill them with something, our belief systems will be filled for us by the world around us. Therefore, it's essential to be intentional about our theology. 

Monica unpacks the context of Matthew 6:33, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (NIV). In this verse, Jesus is speaking in the context of wealth. We are designed to seek God first for all of our needs, including wealth. God desires us to trust in him and go to him first for all of our needs. Wealth can mean a variety of things, including financial, such as mental wealth and health. When we go to God first, spend time with him, and get to know him, we will then have our hearts unified to Christ because we will know his heart for us. 

We can anchor ourselves in who we know God to be in his character and will. Spending time with God through reflection and prayer is one way we can grow our wisdom and discernment. Monica shares practical insight into the unique ways we can hear God's voice regularly. God made you, and he knows how to speak to you. Hearing God's voice doesn't have to look like what others have experienced.

Monica acknowledges that we may often romanticize our time with God that doesn't match the reality of our season. For example, intentional time with God can happen in the car while we're driving, going for a walk, or doing the dishes at the kitchen sink. We can be intentional with God about our thoughts and emotions at any time, in any place.

We reflect on how we can step away from the pressure of a "Pinterest-perfect" prayer life and step into the muddiness of raw questions and emotions. God will meet you where you are.  

Monica's scripture meditation: James 1:2-3, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." (NIV)

This scripture is a joyful reminder to wait on the Lord because he wants us to be mature and complete. Therefore, we can wait in joy for the arrival of our goals, dreams, and ambitions. 

Follow Monica in all that she is doing on 98.5 KTIS, her blog Pineapple Momma, or on Instagram @pineapple_momma

Purchase a copy of Truly magazine. 

Are you a writer? Are you interested in submitting content for possible publishing in Truly magazine? Or, are you just curious about how each magazine issue comes to life? This episode is for YOU! Editorial Content Director Brianna Gray and Publisher Lindsay May will be talking about something unique to Truly magazine in this episode. We're giving you a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what we look for when selecting content for publishing in Truly magazine. 

The Truly Co is hosting an online content meeting on July 13, 2021 where we will introduce our Spring 2022 issue theme, "home." We'll explain how we plan for the content we want, our ideal writers, and the best tips to submit your best article to fit Truly magazine.

If you're interested in writing, you won't want to miss this episode or the meeting. Invite a writer friend to join you and register to attend the meeting on Truly's website: https://thetrulyco.com/magazine-content-brainstorm-registration/

This week, HER (Himalayan Entrepreneur Resources) US co-directors Krystal Gail and Rachel Skoog speak about their groundbreaking project serving women in Nepal on this episode of The Truly Co. Podcast. This episode is a testimony of what can happen when everyday women take a step of faith. Rachel Skoog is a wife and mom who loves to cook, garden and travel. Krystal Foster, a nurse of 16 years and Spiritual and Emotional Intelligence Coach, recently bought a farm with her husband and children with the intent to create an organic, self-sustaining resource. 

Informed by a woman from Nepal named Hannah, Rachel learned women have very little education about puberty and what happens to the female body. Consumed by myths and cultural stigmas, menstruation is a subject that brought shame, rejection, disease, and danger to the lives of women each month. Myths, stigmas, and the realities of menstruating women include: 

• Contact with a menstruating woman will bring bad luck; therefore, women cannot make food. 
• Women are not allowed to touch livestock for fear the animal will get sick. 
• Painful UTIs or yeast infections are considered normal. At HER's most recent visits to the village in Western Nepal, the team found that over 85% of the women dealt with UTI or yeast infections. 

Compelled by this knowledge, HER was founded in response to a caste system that's created enormous economic disparities, human trafficking, and a culture that shuns women to the point that they can't take care of themselves. Along with a team, Rachel and Krystal traveled to Nepal to share and teach practical hygiene practices, business skills, and sustainable farming. As a result, the HER project now employs local seamstresses ('the seven sisters') to produce sustainable feminine hygiene kits in the Himalayan area. 

As of the recording of this podcast (spring 2021), the focus of HER provides feminine health education, hygiene kit supplies (reusable pads and sanitary napkins), entrepreneurship skills (education on economic alternatives to prostitution such as goat, mushroom, and chicken farming), and financial literacy (budgeting, savings accounts, etc.). Women's education raises the economic standard of their villages and families, creates normalcy around menstruation (versus exile), which ultimately changes the mindsets of the culture.

Krystal encourages us, "Do not hesitate to use your gifts and your talents, no matter what your qualifications are. If you think you have too little skill or talent, it's not true. . .God can use it all."

Connect with Krystal, Rachel, and other exciting projects at the HER website (part of Venture.org), Instagram, and The Venture Facebook Community.

We encourage you to watch this video testimony from Hannah (mentioned in this podcast episode) and share it with your friends. 

Period care subscription purchases through Garnuu directly benefit the HER project. 

We're thrilled to welcome Rachel Smith to The Truly Co podcast on this week's episode. Rachel is a Truly magazine writer, with articles included in Truly's leadership and unity issues. In addition, Rachel is a Midwest mom who doubles as a Master's student at Pillar Seminary and is passionate about studying and understanding the literary truth of the Bible.

In this conversation, Rachel shares a wealth of knowledge about common misinterpretations of the Bible, toxic theology, women in ministry, and more. She compares Biblical truth in our hearts to a plant – "If you have just begun to have a seed planted, you need to take time to grow that truth before sharing it with the world, or it will shrivel up," she says. 

Rachel shares her story of how she internalized this concept ten years ago as her daughter lay very ill in a hospital at a young age. Meditating on God's truths in that devastating season brought understanding and maturity to her faith and knowing God's character.  

She encourages us to always go back to the intent of God in dry, confusing times. First, pursue scripture. Scripture, Rachel explains, first and foremost, should be our filter. Unfortunately, though, there are times when the most we can do is go on a walk, and Rachel reminds us that God is declaring something over us even if we don't hear it or feel it. "A little bit of faithfulness is a big deal in dry times."

Listen and learn more about Rachel's wisdom in pursuing and understanding the Bible's true meaning.

Connect with Rachel for more resources at rachelboothsmith.com, on Instagram @firmlyanchored, on Twitter @rachel7092, or via e-mail rachel@smithsfrontdoor.com

Some of her favorite resources:

How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart

Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin

What if Jesus was Serious by Skye Jethani

Bearing God's Name by Carmen Joy Imes

Watch:

How to Read the Bible Series by The Bible Project

Listen:

The Biblical Mind Podcast - Rethinking 'Quiet Time' with Scripture (Jen Wilkin) 1/8/21

The Pillar Podcast - Our Anemic Gospel 6/2/17

Quotes:

"If you want something to pass down to your grandkids, we need to spend time on it and meditate on it, and then live through it, and then you're ready to talk through it."

 "If you can learn something in the morning and post about it by the afternoon, you probably have not fully ingested that truth into your heart, and you're probably not ready to share it yet."

"A little bit of faithfulness is a big deal in dry times."

Julie Fisk left a 15-year-career legal career to follow her childhood dream of becoming an author. She has co-authored six books, including The One Year Daily Acts of Friendship Devotional.

Together with her co-founders of the Ruth Experience, Julie connects with thousands of women online through the journey of seeking and living out faith, true friendship, and intentional kindness. When she’s not writing or speaking, you will find Julie, her husband, and their two kids filling their home and backyard with new friends, old friends, and soon-to-be friends. Julie is a backyard farmer, a collector of cookbooks and coffee mugs, and admitted bookworm. 

Often we compare ourselves to the process other women are going through, but Julie reminds us that God has called us to, and through, different seasons. If we trust His process, He will bless it. You don't have to be the best at one thing to be used by God. Practice and work at the things God is calling you to do. Obedience and patience through God’s perfect process bring blessing. Julie encourages women in every season to pursue and find peace in God’s process, seek mentors, and seek to mentor those behind them.

Connect with Julie and her co-authors at www.theruthexperience.com, @theruthexperience on Instagram, or The Ruth Experience page on Facebook.

Quotables from the interview: 

“God uses ordinary girls.”

“God uses mediocre girls, and He wants to use them, so He gets the credit.”

“The fulfillment of my wildest dreams is not at the expense of you.”

“There is no scarcity in God’s kingdom.”

“Let’s fail forward.”

“The faster you get comfortable in who you are, the more settled you will be.”

“Doing things that are scary is what makes you grow.”

“There’s this lie that you have to be good at something, and the fact of the matter is, you don’t.”

“Do the things you enjoy because you enjoy them and because God is calling you to them.”

In this episode of The Truly Co Podcast, host Lindsay May chats with Lucrecia Slater, social worker, veteran, and author, about her article in Truly magazine's unity issue, "Cultivating Healthy Boundaries." After serving in the military for 13 years, Lucrecia Slater chased her passion of becoming a published author and blogger. Currently residing in Tennessee with her husband and two daughters, Lucrecia released Her first book, "Broken Narratives: Restoration in the Broken Pieces of our Lives" in 2017 (available on Amazon).

Lucrecia's article, "Cultivating Healthy Boundaries," is featured in In Truly Magazine's unity issue, and provides ideas and practical steps to help you establish and tend to your own boundaries. By implementing boundaries in our lives, we exercise self-care and become more equipped to show love to others. "We can be more readily available to others and God-assignments when we have healthy boundaries in place." Lucrecia reminds us that we are called to uphold the vessels that God has made and boundaries are a great way to honor God by honoring that commitment to yourself. 

Lucrecia is a social worker with a heart to help women with untreated childhood trauma, faith, and mental wellness. 

Follow Lucrecia and all she is up to on instagram @lucreciaslater  or www.lsslater.com

Key Quotes: 

"Take care to do what God has called you to do - boundaries will help you move forward more purposefully toward those things."

"Boundaries are put in place for you to determine what you can control within your limits." 

"We are in control of everything within our space." 

"We can't be all things for everybody." 

"Boundaries are an extension of self-care."

"If we are going to have wholesome lives, then we need to best honor the boundaries that we set for ourselves."

"We can be more readily available to others and our God-given assignments when we have healthy boundaries in place."