This Saturday 2/1, Athena Shares Another Amazing Story of God’s Faithfulness

Many of you heard me share during the first show of the year my struggles with knowing what God wanted me to do…feeling like everything was up in the air…not knowing where I would be living… it was so awesome to start the year off talking about hearing from God as I interviewed Judy Gordon Morrow about her book “The Listening Heart: Hearing God in Prayer.”

So much has happened since that show, that I am literally shaking my head in amazement.  God has, in His amazingly faithful way, orchestrated my life in a stunning way, and I cannot wait to share it with you all this Saturday.

With my grandkids on the way up to WA

So this Saturday, February 1, from 11AM to Noon CST, tune into AM 630 KSLR or listen as it streams live on www.kslr.com. I’ll be broadcasting live from the Seattle Salem station, so no continuing the conversation off the air…but this story will absolutely amaze you…I promise! Looking forward to having you with me this Saturday!

Recap / Podcast with Julie Gorman, What I Wish My Mother Had Taught Me About Men

Here’s the podcast from Saturday with Julie Gorman…sorry for the delay!

What an absolute delight it was to interview my friend, Julie Gorman…what a great book she has written to help women, single and married alike, to understand how we are to view the men in our lives. The title “What I Wish My Mother Had Taught Me About Men” sounds controversial, and maybe even like a male-bashing book…but it’s far from it. Such an encouragement and needed word for us females. If you didn’t win the copy we gave away, I highly recommend getting a copy…in fact, buy two or three and give some away as gifts!

This Saturday 1/25 “What I Wish My Mother Had Told Me About Men” with Julie Gorman

This Saturday, 1/25 at 11AM CST on AM 630 KSLR and streaming live on http://www.kslr.com, I am excited to introduce you to Julie Gorman. Her weekly video message from her ministry For Your Inspiration has been such a blessing to me as I’ve walked through my own personal healing. You will love her and her new book…This Saturday, we’ll be giving away one copy of her book “What I Wish My Mother Had Told Me About Men” so be the first caller and win that copy! Here’s more about what we’ll be discussing…

A woman’s view of men can be shaped by her relationship with her father, her childhood sweetheart, and the men she dated, or even married. For some women their knight in shining armor has become their nightmare, and the hurts and pain from her relationships can leave her feeling alone, depressed, and betrayed.

“Absorbing the truths in this book will make a tremendous difference in how women view themselves and the men in their lives.”  Shaunti Feldhahn, best-selling author of For Women Only

In her book, What I Wish My Mother Had Told Me About Men (Authentic Publishers, October 2013), author Julie Gorman dissects the distorted view of men and relationships that women carry as a result of their yearning to feel loved, worthy, and safe … a longing that can only be filled by our Creator.

In What I Wish My Mother Had Told Me About Men, Gorman shares her own dysfunctional journey to find validation and acceptance from men that began as a result of horrific childhood sexual abuse and continued until her teen years, and the insecurities that resulted from the failure of her first marriage.

“This book is not about bashing men, but rather to help women understand, heal, and break free from the misconceptions that destroy their relationships,” says Gorman. “We must realize that only God can satisfy the longing of their soul, and healing begins with God’s Word and an honest relationship with Christ.”

Gorman believes that rather than blaming men for their unhappiness, women need to identify Satan as the enemy of their souls. Women can discover the peace and lasting intimacy that their soul desires through spiritual wisdom and guidance. What I Wish My Mother Had Told Me About Men exposes ten lies women believe about men, and the profound truths they must understand to heal their life including:

• A Man Will Validate My Worth: Only God can validate our worth. Healthy relationships begin with our healthy relationship with God.
• A Man Will Rescue Me: Jesus is the one who came to our rescue and willingly laid down His life for us because He loves us passionately.
• A Man Will Never Let Me Down: Expecting a man to be perfect will set you up for failure. No man, aside from Jesus Christ, will ever be perfect.
• I Can Change Him: God never calls you to rescue or save a man yourself. A man only changes when he encounters and accepts the living God.
• A Man Will Satisfy the Longing in My Soul:  Only God can satisfy the longing of your soul. If we expect a man to meet every need, he will disappoint you.

What I Wish My Mother Had Told Me About Men includes powerful stories from courageous women who bravely share their mistakes in hopes of helping others to not make the same mistakes. Each chapter includes encouragement from God’s Word, a letter from the Father, reflective questions, and a practical application to help cultivate hope and healing in relationships.

Gorman, who is the founder of For Your Inspiration ministry and happily remarried with three children, does not advocate a religious formula to experience God’s presence, wisdom, and revelation for our lives, but rather a heart-felt invitation to a deeper relationship with Him.

“God wants to renew your mind and restore what the enemy has stolen. He wants to redeem your past and restore your hope,” says Gorman. “Your future is secure in Him. All it takes is for you to invite God to heal the broken areas of your life.”

What I Wish My Mother Had Told Me About Men is for single and married women; for women embarking on their first dating relationship, as well as women who want to better understand themselves and the relationship they have with the men in their lives. Ultimately, Gorman empowers women to move past common deceptions about men in order to find greater intimacy as complements to one another in His kingdom. Additional information is available at www.juliegorman.com.

Recap / Podcast 1/18 with Elisa Morgan and The Beauty of Broken

Here’s the podcast from today’s show in case you didn’t catch it.

 

Elisa Morgan is one of those women I admire for her courage, her transparency, and her heart for God. It was a delight to interview someone so down to earth (for being one of Christianity Today’s top fifty women influencing the church and culture) and so articulate about her own brokenness. LOVE IT!

I would encourage you to get your hands on her book, “The Beauty of Broken: My Story, and Likely Yours Too.” So full of wonderfully practical lessons and strong encouragement to embrace our own brokenness. ‘And visit her at elisamorgan.com.

Saturday 1/18 – Is There Beauty in Being Broken? Elisa Morgan, Former CEO of MOPS International

I am delighted to  be able to introduce you to Elisa Morgan this Saturday, 1/18 at 11AM CST on AM630 KSLR and streaming live on http://www.kslr.com. I love the authenticity with which Elisa communicates her story. If you know moms who have faced divorce, teen pregnancy, addiction, or the myriad of other family issues, pass this on so they can be encouraged by this fearless woman of God.

Is There Beauty in Being Broken? Former CEO of MOPS International Shares Her Personal Story, and Likely Yours Too

In The Beauty of Broken (Thomas Nelson, September 2013), Elisa Morgan, one of today’s most respected female Christian leaders, shares her personal story for the first time. From her parents’ divorce, mother’s alcoholism and father’s abandonment to her twenty-year presidency of MOPS International, daughter’s teen pregnancy and son’s addiction, Morgan has been brought to her knees, and she believes that is exactly where God wants her.

“Telling the truth, Jesus said, will set us free – and there are many who are desperately in need of being set free from the guilt and confusion of the myth of the perfect family that pervades our Christian culture,” says Morgan.

Throughout The Beauty of Broken, Morgan focuses on specific traits necessary for a family to bond through their brokenness. Short literary essays accompany each chapter message of Morgan’s captivating personal memoir. The book concludes with an “Appendix of Hope” and “Scripture of Hope,” offering brief poems and quotes to inspire readers through difficult times.

“There is no such thing as a perfect family,” says Morgan. “Yet hope emerges through understanding that the broken family is anything but an unredeemable reality. In fact, admitting our brokenness may be the most freeing and beautiful release we ever experience.”

Elisa Morgan, one of Christianity Today’s top 50 women influencing the church and culture, is a sought-after speaker, leader, and author on mothering, spiritual formation, and evangelism. Under her leadership as CEO, MOPS International grew from 350 to 4,000 groups. Publisher of fulfill.org and on various boards, Elisa received a B.S. from the University of Texas and a M.Div. from Denver Seminary. She is married to Evan and has two children and one grandchild.

Recap/Podcast from 1/11 – How God Showed Up Even When My Guest Couldn’t!

Here’s the podcast from today’s show in case you missed it.

Well, talk about a U Turn…I am amazed at how God worked this morning…actually all this week! 72 hours after emergency surgery, I was sitting in front of my microphone…but instead of being on Skype with my guest, Sheridan Voisey, I was jumping off the deep end and doing a live show with no plans, other than to prove God’s great faithfulness once again.

After having a great pre-interview chat via Skype yesterday with Sheridan, I woke this morning to an email saying he’d taken a flu hit and had been sick all night and had to cancel. I toyed with just calling in and having the station run an older show from the archives, or maybe having them re-run my Detour into Deception show. But I distinctively felt God nudge me to just go in, and off the cuff share His faithfulness just over the last month, and invite others to call in and share their moments of God proving His faithfulness.

You’ll hear me mention in the show how I used to have 10 pages of scripted notes for each show…after sitting on that lovely bench this morning asking God what He wanted to do with today’s show, I came up with this scribbled list…God is so good!!!

And I was so thankful to have 2 friends call in, both I’d been planning to have on the show some time in the future, so it was a blessing to have them both call in and share.

The first was Angie Webb and she shared how God was faithful to deliver her from agoraphobia, extreme anxieties and fears. What an amazing story of God doing what man cannot…You can check out her website at www.angiekaywebb.com.

Then my good friend Jay Peavler called in and we chatted for quite some time about how God has proven faithful in His life, even when he was faithless. He and his wife Karen have become good friends over the last 18 months and I’m involved with them in a Google+ weekly bible study called Aslan’s Song. You can check out his ministry at www.household-of-faith.org.

So, suffice it to say God was faithful to meet us, once again, and provide incredible encouragement to us on how He works and loves to show us how much He loves us!

Only God Could Make a Point Like This

Oh. My.

If you listened to the show yesterday, you know the topic was Hearing God as I interviewed Judy Gordon Morrow about her new devotional book, “The Listening Heart: Hearing God in Prayer.” (In case you didn’t the podcast is below)

After an absolutely amazing show, where, really, I could have listened to my guest talk for HOURS, I headed off to choir practice for our first service of the new year.

I was absolutely stunned to hear our CBC (Community Bible Church) worship pastor Ray Jones share the plan for the service…that the altar time mid-worship was going to be a bit different, that he was going to ask the congregation to make the most important New Year’s resolution you could possibly make…to 1) Listen to God and to 2) Obey whatever He tells us to do.

We then proceeded to practice the songs we were going to sing for the Saturday night and Sunday morning services…1) Awake My Soul (my song for 2014 because I SO want Christ to be formed in me!) 2) Speak to Me, and 3) I Surrender.

Leading the congregation into worship with these songs last night and this morning was almost surreal…so much the cry of my heart and so much what I knew needed to be the focus of the New Year on Always Faithful Radio.

And then, to top it off,  right before the 11AM service this morning, Marlene Salcher gave me my own copy of her new book (I was her publishing coach), “God Speaks to Me? Tuning In To The Living God”… (www.marlenesalcher.com)

Uhhhhhh, ya think God is speaking??

Oh yes…only God could make a point like this and then add the resolution, these songs, and Marlene’s book as an exclamation point!

Once again…He proves that He is ALWAYS FAITHFUL!!

Recap / Podcast of 1/4/14 The Listening Heart: Hearing God in Prayer with Judy Gordon Morrow

Such an encouraging interview to start out the year with! Here’s the podcast from today’s show with Judy Gordon Morrow in case you missed it!

We talked about her devastating losses that drove her to her knees and brought out the spiral notebook where she penned many, many messages from God’s heart to hers, heard the backstory on how God gave her a holy dissatisfaction with her relationship with Him drawing her into a daily time with him that set the tone for each day, and heard about the miracles Jesus did in her son’s life. So much rich encouragement to slow down, be still, and listen to God’s voice…and believe He really DOES want to be involved in the details of our life!

And what a great message to enforce the bench time I encourage you to take each day with the pictures of benches and scriptures that are posted each day on my Facebook page for Always Faithful Radio.

God is so good to reinforce the lessons He is wanting us to learn…and that surely includes ME! Praising Him for a rich time of being challenged to wait on Him and trust Him in every area of my life. Hope you are too!