you were made for more

In today's episode, we talk to our friend Graham Zeiders about why he has chosen to make the trip the National March for Life for several years and how the March has inspired him to be active in his own community since returning home from the January pro-life events last January!

Graham's dad is a Rev. in the ACNA at a church in Virginia and he is a 17 year old senior. Graham is a competitive equestrian who was born into a Christian family - since he has gotten older, he's become more active in the pro-life movement, volunteering and becoming involved with his local pregnancy center.

We encourage you to follow our website https://www.afllifesummit.org/ for all the information on our January pro-life events and plan to join us next year! There is something for EVERYONE - students, parents, youth leaders, groups, and even people who are new to learning about the pro-life movement. We'd love to have you join us!

Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the podcast, send guest recommendations to us or leave us a star-rating/review on your favorite listening platform to spread the word about the you were made for more message.

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In today's episode of the You Were Made for More podcast, Sammie chats with husband and wife duo, John and Catherine O'Neill from Students for Life! John serves as the Diocesan and Church Outreach Coordinator at Students for Life of America, while Catherine spent a few years as the Executive Assistant to the President, Kristan Hawkins, and now works in development for SFLA while pursuing her master's degree. Both John and Catherine have different stories that led them to not only be pro-life but to commit their lives to advocating for life. John and Catherine got married this past April 15th and are expecting their first baby in March of 2024! What I love about their stories is how God has woven them together - individual and unique, but yet together and one.

We talk about how to speak up about your pro-life beliefs in today's culture - all while giving you practical resources to get equipped and go have those conversations in your own communities. 

You'll hear us say this in the episode, but we truly believe it is so much more authentic to be living the Truth than to go along with what is popular or accepted - that's our hope for you after listening to this episode - that you would feel empowered to believe the Truth and communicate it well. Each and every one of you is called to MORE.

Here are some things we mentioned in this episode:

• John's Email Address: JONEILL@STUDENTSFORLIFE.ORG
• www.StudentsforLife.org/Start: This page features a step-by-step guide to starting a Students for Life group, beginning with an introductory email to Start@StudentsforLife.org.
• www.StudentsforLifeHQ.com: A digital pro-life resource library, Students for Life HQ is an excellent starting place for students and adults alike to become virtually educated on a wide range of pro-life topics. All of SFLA’s trainings, webinars, and many more videos are uploaded to this site and available by making a free account.
• www.StudentsforLifeHQ.com/FreeTraining: This is the digital form to request a free, in-person (or virtual) pro-life speaker through Students for Life.

Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the podcast, send guest recommendations to us or leave us a star-rating/review on your favorite listening platform to spread the word about the you were made for more message.

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In today's episode of the podcast, Sammie interviews one of the creators of a pro-life club on Waynesburg University's campus about what you can do to change the landscape of your school or campus. It can take courage, boldness, and perseverance to step out into the current culture (even at a Christian university!) and stand for life, and Anna Rape has done it with grace. We're so excited to hear her testimony and about how God is using her where He has placed her!

Anna is a junior at WU who is studying psychology with a minor in biblical ministry studies. During her time at WU, she helped start the pro-life club from the ground up. She is the  one of six siblings, just got engaged to her fiance, Seth, and is passionate about loving God and loving others!

Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the podcast, send guest recommendations to us or leave us a star-rating/review on your favorite listening platform to spread the word about the you were made for more message.

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“Dating intentionally.”

If you are a single Christian, it’s something that you’ve probably heard mentioned at some point, and held up as the right way to go about dating. But what does it mean, and how do you go about dating intentionally? Even on our podcast, we talk about that phrase a lot… because as Christians, we should be super intentional - or thoughtful - about the way we interact with others. On this episode of the podcast, we're going to take the time and dissect what it can look like to be INTENTIONAL, without being INTENSE while you're navigating dating.

Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the podcast, send guest recommendations to us or leave us a star-rating/review on your favorite listening platform to spread the word about the you were made for more message.

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Today's episode focuses on one of our favorite topics: motherhood! 

In a culture that continually discusses motherhood as a “less than” role in society and oftentimes makes it difficult to think of motherhood as the sacred role that it is, it can be even more challenging to truly live out the pro-life ideals that you may have. One of our staff members at Anglicans for Life, Sydney, experienced this first hand as she faced an unplanned pregnancy as a teenager; here’s what she says about how becoming a mom has impacted her life and faith: 

“Patience and understanding are mercies I experience every day as a mom. Before Lydia, I had neither, but motherhood forces you to slow down and look at all angles of a situation. My kids ( Lydia and Manny) teach me something about myself every day.

(When it comes to my oldest) The Lord has blessed me with my best friend. At the time, when I found out I was pregnant, I thought my life was over. But when Lydia came into the world — everything changed for the better. She gave me a completely different perspective on life that I am genuinely grateful for. God always knows what we need, and Lydia is proof of that.”

Sydney has years of experience within the communications and digital marketing space. She has worked in various industries such as government contracting, private security, and healthcare. She has helped organizations reach their target audiences and grow their online presence through purposeful content. In her spare time she coaches girls’ soccer and enjoys spending time with her family.

Despite all of the negative aspects you’ll hear from the culture about motherhood, our goal today is to highlight some of the positives. The organization ZERO TO THREE conducted a study with 2,200 parents and found that...

1. 91% say parenting is their greatest joy.
2. 70% say they feel their life started when they became a parent.
3. 90% of dads say being a parent is their greatest joy.
4. 73% of those men say their lives began when they became a dad.

It’s completely possible to LOVE being a mom of small children. But it takes intentionality - our prayer is that this episode would convict OR  encourage you about what motherhood in today’s world is meant to look like.

Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the podcast, send guest recommendations to us or leave us a star-rating/review on your favorite listening platform to spread the word about the you were made for more message.

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On today's episode of the podcast, Sammie sits down with her husband to talk a little bit about what it looks like to follow the Lord in a Christian marriage. While no relationship is perfect, our hope is that by sharing our story on the podcast that it will allow other couples to apply what Scripture says about marriage to their own relationships in order to create healthy communication and systems to thrive as God intended male and female to do.

This is Ephesians 22-33. It says:

“Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, his body in his himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies, he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I’m saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the podcast, send guest recommendations to us or leave us a star-rating/review on your favorite listening platform to spread the word about the you were made for more message.

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"Parents have the constitutional and God-given rights to direct the moral, ethical, and religious upbringing of our children. Parents are the first and most important teachers. We simply want a seat at the table, and for our principles to be treated with the same respect as all others." - Julia Page

In this episode of the podcast, Sammie interview Tiffany Justice, one of the cofounders of the organization, Moms for Liberty. Tiffany is a wife and mom of four school-aged children. In 2016 she stepped up to serve for 4 years on the School District of Indian River County, FL School Board. She and Tina Descovich founded Moms for Liberty with the main goal of unifying parents and addressing concerning issues and hold people accountable at all levels of government. They firmly believe in fundamental rights, stand for truth, empower others, and build relationships.

You'll hear us discuss what the mission of Mom's for Liberty is, what kids are facing culturally when they're in school, and why standing up for our children is a core element that is needed to keep families thriving, as well as what to do if you want to get involved. Tiffany encourages parents listening to this episode that "love is an expertise," and we have a responsibility to stand firm in what we believe for the sake of our children and their best interest.

Here are some things we mentioned in the podcast:

• Moms for Liberty Website 
• Moms for Liberty - Chapter Finder
• Clay County Case

Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the podcast, send guest recommendations to us or leave us a star-rating/review on your favorite listening platform to spread the word about the you were made for more message.

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"You've got fantastic intuition and need courage to act." Ashley Bush, Unplanned Mom School

I'm so excited to introduce you to my friend Ashley! Ashley is a passionate woman, mom, and business leader who wants you to know... you are meant to be here. The message that she has spent her life walking out and now spends her life cultivating within a mission of her business is VITAL if we are going to partner with moms of unexpected pregnancies. 

A little about the Unplanned Mom School:

• A new kind of mom community that is inspiring women to live their best lives
• We are building a community of unplanned moms who have embraced motherhood by surprise 
• No matter what situation you are faced with, we’re all on this journey together called motherhood!

Ashley offers coaching and guidance to walk through unexpected seasons of life because she walked through an unplanned pregnancy herself.  

Here are some things we mentioned in the podcast:

• Ashley's Website
• Ashley's Tik Tok
• Ophelia Speaks Book

Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the podcast, send guest recommendations to us or leave us a star-rating/review on your favorite listening platform to spread the word about the you were made for more message.

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What does it look like to be marching into the post-Roe America?

I wanted to pop into your feed this month and personally invite you each to join us this January for the 50th annual March for Life and our event, the ySUMMIT!

The ySUMMIT is the event Anglicans for Life holds every year in conjunction with the March for Life. Through worship, fellowship, and engaging speakers, we’ll connect the Gospel with how to affirm life, so that we can make a difference for His Kingdom here on earth by being the light in the post-Roe world.

While the Dobbs decision in June was a historic milestone for those who believe that every life is sacred, we will not rest until legal protection is provided from conception to natural death for every human being. Since 1983, Abundant Life’s parent organization, Anglicans for Life has worked to uphold the Sanctity of Life by working to make abortion unthinkable and unnecessary, and we won’t give up until we have that victory.

Here is how to find out more about the ySUMMIT registration: 

• ySUMMIT website

Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the podcast, send guest recommendations to us or leave us a star-rating/review on your favorite listening platform to spread the word about the you were made for more message.

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In this episode, Brooke talks to us about what it looks like to have healthy relationships and how we can date "well," even though the Bible doesn't explicitly talk about the topic of dating. Sammie met Brooke when they were both serving on the Pittsburgh Essential Speakers team in high schools around the city of Pittsburgh! They both have a passion for helping teens navigate through the tricky waters of dating in today's culture, while also trying to be faithful and follow the Lord.

Brooke Farrell currently serves as the Middle School Director at North Way Christian Community in Wexford, PA. Brooke grew up in the Pittsburgh area and is a graduate of Geneva College with a degree in Communications and a concentration in Public Relations. She enjoys time with her two small kiddos and husband, and enjoys her side business of impersonating the Disney character, Elsa, from "Frozen" at birthday parties! You will regularly find Brooke with her nose in a book or laughing with her four sisters.

Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the podcast, send guest recommendations to us or leave us a star-rating/review on your favorite listening platform to spread the word about the you were made for more message.

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Contentment. Contentment is trusting that God has the best in mind for you no matter where you are in life.

Sarah Parker is a 34-year-old professional living in Columbia, South Carolina. She graduated from Clemson in 2011. She owns a small business and loves serving her hometown! Covenant Services is a female-owned and led business, with a fully-female staff. She is an aunt to three nephews and a niece who she adores. Sarah Parker is passionate about Jesus and showing others that the “not yet married” life is not second best. She loves people, all things Clemson, her German Shepard Attila, and her double name! This conversation with Sarah discusses topics like singleness, living out God's call on your life, and how to trust God in seasons where you can't really see Him working. We loved having Sarah Parker on the #YouWereMadeForMorePodcast and we're so excited for you to hear our chat!  

Here are some things we mentioned during this episode: 

• Singled Out For Good
• Sarah Parker's Business
• Sarah Parker's Instagram (You'll want to follow her! Promise!)

Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the podcast, send guest recommendations to us or leave us a star-rating/review on your favorite listening platform to spread the word about the you were made for more message.

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At Abundant Life, we're passionate about equipping students to believe that they were made for more - that their identity changes everything - the way they live, the choices they make, and how they live into relationships. That they were made for more. 

Recently, an article was published by Caleb Morell critiquing how Christians often talk about identity, under the provocative title, “Stop Finding Your Identity in Christ.”

Here's what we cover in this episode:
1. Is “finding your identity in Christ" unbiblical?
2. How do we rightfully connect our identity with the identity of creation - in other words, how do we rightfully connect our identity with the Creator, without turning into a postmodern attempt at self-discovery?
3. How should our realization of our identity in Christ change our relationships with other people?

Some key takeaways from our conversation:

• We need to teach the creation story as if it is definitive about what it is to be human.
• WHAT DOES THE IMAGE OF GOD MEAN IN LIGHT OF THE LARGER STORY? That is the question we have to hone in on. For many, the "image of God" is a piece of trivia and not a deep reflection of Scriptural truth. 

John Stonestreet serves as President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview - the Colson Center exists to help you understand your place in God's story and serve God with clarity, confidence, and courage. John is the daily voice of BreakPoint, the nationally syndicated commentary on the culture founded by the late Chuck Colson. Before coming to the Colson Center in 2010, John served in various leadership capacities with Summit Ministries and was on the biblical studies faculty at Bryan College (TN). John has co-authored four books: A Practical Guide to Culture, Restoring All Things, Same-Sex Marriage, and Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview. John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN). He and his wife, Sarah, have four children and live in Colorado Springs, CO. Connect with John at BreakPoint.org, or follow him on Twitter (@jbstonestreet).

Here are some things we mentioned during this episode: 

• The Colson Center 
• Strange New World   by Carl R. Trueman
• John's response to Morell's article

Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the podcast, send guest recommendations to us or leave us a star-rating/review on your favorite listening platform to spread the word about the you were made for more message.

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In this episode, you'll hear from Sammie as she talks to students who attended the March for Life in Washington, D.C. in January 2022.

She gives a rundown about why our relationships, our sexuality, and every part of who we are were made by God - which is precisely why it matters so much how we live and what we stand for.

If you're interested in learning more about the 2023 March for Life and ySummit - follow us on social media! We'll post all the info about registration and updates there. We'd love to have you join us!

Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the podcast, send guest recommendations to us or leave us a star-rating/review on your favorite listening platform to spread the word about the you were made for more message.

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Today, we’re going to have the opportunity to hear a conversation that I had with Robin Turner, who serves as the director of children’s ministry at St. Stephen’s Church in Sewickley, PA, about birth control, alternatives to traditional birth control, and what her husband and she have implemented in their own marriage.

I think this is an important conversation to have because women's health is an important topic to be informed on and testimonies can be powerful! Women’s health is so important, and unfortunately, we are getting a wide variety of messages about what is “best” when it comes to our bodies. If you’ve never heard of natural family planning, or you’ve heard of it and you feel like it’s some outdated idea where you just count the days between your menstrual cycles, this episode is for you! Natural family planning is proven to be a great alternative to hormonal birth control, involves putting no chemicals and hormones in your body, and doesn’t interrupt the natural work of ovulation that God has created our bodies to do. Women’s health is a complex arena, but the earlier you get informed about what’s out there, the sooner you can start praying and discerning about what is best for you! If you've had issues with hormonal birth control like many women have, and you feel like there is no real option, there is - and that’s what today’s episode is all about.

Here are some things we mentioned in this episode: 

• Blog, Fertility Awareness & Women's Health: What You Should Know About The Birth Control Pill
• Basal Body Thermometer
• Taking Charge of Your Fertility Book
• Episode 14 Lila Rose Show
• FACTS Website

Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the podcast, send guest recommendations to us or leave us a star-rating/review on your favorite listening platform to spread the word about the you were made for more message.

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In this episode, Sammie tackles the story of Job's life in the second part of our abundance series. If you missed the first episode, go ahead and listen to episode 19 before you hit play on this one! In that episode, Sammie's husband, Juan dives into an analogy of life being God's party - one where we're all invited, everything we could ever need or want is there, and God is the generous host. He talks about what abundance really means in the here and now, and it sets this week's episode up really well.

If you've ever felt like your life is the furthest thing from a party, this episode is for you. We all go through seasons where life seems to be throwing us all sorts of curve balls, we feel tested, and we're not really sure what's going on. Sammie takes the time to tackle an important question: when life doesn't feel like the party, does that mean that the Giver (God), isn't good and doesn't love us anymore?

Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the podcast, send guest recommendations to us or leave us a star-rating/review on your favorite listening platform to spread the word about the you were made for more message.

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In this episode, Sammie talks about reflecting on Advent, the coming of Jesus, and wraps up Season 1 of the podcast with a short reminder of what the Christmas season is all about.  We'll see you in January for Season 2 of the #YouWereMadeForMorePodcast!

PS: if you're looking for a great Advent devotional that's reusable throughout the years, check out Paul David Tripp's Devotional! My husband and I are walking through it this Advent season, and it's helped keep our minds on Jesus through everything that's going on in the holiday season.

Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the podcast, send guest recommendations to us or leave us a star-rating/review on your favorite listening platform to spread the word about the you were made for more message.

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My twin sister Meesh is joining me today on the You Were Made for More Podcast, so we can talk a little bit more about who we are and our struggle with identity growing up! I’m so thankful that I’m a twin - and it’s also cool to have someone who grew up in the same environment as you, during the same time as you, but with a totally different personality and different perspective. Meesh and I are so similar, but we’re also so different - I hope that this conversation with Meesh enlightens your hearts about who I am and where I came from, and that you also learn from her struggle with trauma, identity, and how she’s leaned into God to make her a person capable of loving and being loved. If you know anything about my story, you know that Meesh and I didn’t speak English until we were 5, due to a disorder with our speech development. This affected both of us similarly, but also very differently, as you’ll hear us talk about throughout our conversation. 

Meesh currently lives in Sewickley, PA where she serves as the Assistant Director of Children’s Ministries at St. Stephen’s Church. Meesh is engaged to her fiance Caleb, and together, they love the kiddos of their community really well. I’m excited for you to hear this conversation because I think it’s really important - like I’ve said before, your struggle with identity may not look the same as mine, but I believe in some way, shape, or form, we all struggle with believing and living into who we were created to be. When we open up conversation about it, we’re inviting the light to come into dark places in our hearts where fear, insecurity, and trauma live and Satan thrives. 

I hope this episode feels like you're just sitting across the table from us at a coffee shop!

Things we mention in this episode: 

• Jess Connolly
• Meesh's Instagram and Facebook

Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the podcast, send guest recommendations to us or leave us a star-rating/review on your favorite listening platform to spread the word about the you were made for more message.

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In this episode, Sammie talks with her best friend, Ally Carter. If you know Ally, you love her, and you're better for knowing her.

Ally Carter is a fierce woman who loves Jesus and loves people equally as well. I met Ally a few years ago through my twin sister, but we formed a relationship when I would go visit Meesh at college. Ally was on staff with Young Life, and we automatically hit it off. Ally’s passionate about loving people - she is one of the best humans I know at striking up conversation, being intentional, and asking good questions. She believes in the power of community and lives that out every day as she engages people in a secular workspace, cares for families in her community, and makes sure that each of her friends feels loved. I have been so blessed by Ally and I’ve learned a lot about how she does friendship - and I think it’s important for you guys to hear some of that reasoning. If you ever get the chance to meet Ally, she’ll probably take you out for a cup of coffee and spend hours getting to know your story. I hope this conversation with her gives you a snap shot at just how powerful it is to be thoughtful in conversation and to open your heart to friendships, and how they really do have the power to change your life.

Some things we mentioned on the episode:

• Ally's Instagram and Facebook
• Young Life
• PULSE
• Gary Chapman's 5 Love Languages

Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the podcast, send guest recommendations to us or leave us a star-rating/review on your favorite listening platform to spread the word about the you were made for more message.

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“Abortion is a breakdown in community. In our moment of greatest need for real, compassionate, empowering human relationship, there is a void of connection.”

— Josiah Friedman, CEO & Founder of Voices for the Voiceless

In this episode, you’re going to meet a legend - Josiah Friedman is the CEO of Voices for the Voiceless, an organization that spends every day advocating for the worth and dignity of human beings. Not only that, he spends each and everyday equipping others to do just that, through storytelling and real, raw conversations with real people.

Josiah is the visionary mastermind behind the #standbyher movement. A graduate of Arizona Christian University, he founded Voices for the Voiceless as a nonprofit in 2013 while pursuing double majors in Journalism and Political Science. He is widely known for his creative approach and compassionate cultural voice that reaches people from all sides of the issue. Josiah's lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife, Andrea, who partners with him as the Marketing Director of Voices for the Voiceless. 

I’m really excited for you to hear my conversation with Josiah, as we talk about his faith journey and how God has ignited his heart on fire for this movement. Josiah is a gifted communicator, has a heart for loving every single person that God has created, and I really admire the work he’s doing.

Here's some of the things we mention in the episode: 

• Voices for the Voiceless
• Josiah's TED Talk
• VOX Study
• The Voices Docuseries

Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the podcast, send guest recommendations to us or leave us a star-rating/review on your favorite listening platform to spread the word about the you were made for more message.

You Were Made for More Social Media: 

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