Honey for Your Heart with Bryson Kessler

51. What Every Parent Should Know with Kari Kampakis

I am so thrilled to introduce you to Kari Kampakis today! Kari is a best selling author and speaker focusing on very practical and godly tips for primarily teens (but other stages as well) and wisdom for parenting through all stages of childhood. I discovered her books about 4 years ago at a time when I was newly parenting teens and felt very lost in how to navigate that season well. A friend gave me Kari's book Love Her Well and it was truly eye opening and life changing for me, especially during that season. Soon after, we added Kari's books to Clover + Bee and had her come in for a special event for moms. Kari's wisdom is truly a gift from the Lord. She has the ability to share it in such a practical, common sense way that is easy to digest and immediately implement. Her tips are so helpful to learn how to love your child well and relate to him or her in whatever season you find yourself in. Kari describes herself as a deep thinker, saying if you met in person, she would want to skip the small talk and dive straight into the coffee talk. That is the treat you are in for today! She has been featured on the Today Show, Focus on the Family, multiple podcasts, Yahoo News and so much more. Kari and I dive into her story for a bit but then really settle into that good coffee talk tackling issues like anxiety, adult friendships, social media, boundaries and more. If you are a parent in any season of life, wondering if you are alone or if you are getting this thing right or how to navigate the stage you are in, grab a pen and paper and pull up a seat - this episode is just for you! To learn more about Kari, her books and her upcoming speaking events, visit https://www.karikampakis.com/

50. Trauma: Do I Have It and How Do I Deal With It? with Laura Williams

At the core, this podcast is rooted in storytelling. Typically, we would walk through the story of a guest and encounter the Lord and His redemptive work through the lens of that particular story. But on this episode, we change that up a bit. Today, I want to invite you to intentionally step into your own story armed with the knowledge you obtain as you listen to this episode. Let me explain what I mean… Our guest today is Laura Williams. Laura is the co-owner of Be Found Counseling in Brentwood, TN just south of Nashville and the host of the Encountering You Podcast which tackles touch issues in mental health and how they relate to your faith journey. Laura specializes in trauma therapy and an incredibly powerful concept called re-parenting. You might be thinking - I really don't have trauma in my life - I've not had anything major happen to me. Right off the bat, Laura dives into what trauma really is and I assure you, what she says will resonate with you. A friend of mine says, "God Fathers best by taking us back through our story. You can not write a new story until you deal with the one you've been given". So, the hope today is that we are able to encourage each of you step into your own story from a high level perspective and start or maybe continue the process of story work. Our prayer is that as you listen today you would feel seen in ways you haven't before or maybe receive clarification on a space within your emotions or thoughts that has been confusing or possibly even alerted to places in your life that need to be attended to currently. The tools and information Laura shares on this episode are truly life-changing. Definitely grab a pen and paper for this one and enjoy understanding more about how God has perfectly created you and discover the pathway back to the true essence of who He created you to be. For more information on Laura, visit https://www.befoundcounseling.com/

49. One Prayer Away: The Pathway To Healing with Lauren Fortenberry

Do you find yourself feeling "stuck" in the hard seasons of life? Maybe you feel exhausted, overwhelmed, confused, alone or simply not sure how to survive one more day in the space you find yourself today. If I am describing you, know that you are not alone and in God's grace and kindness, He has a special word, especially for you today. My guest today is Lauren Fortenberry. Lauren is a writer and speaker with a passion to fearlessly and faithfully encourage women through the love of Jesus Christ. Her desire is to point every Sister's heart to God's promises and healing. This desire and passion was born out of a very hard season in her own life. Today, she shares her journey through that season and the beautiful way the Lord met her there and began to teach her daily more about Who He is and what He promises - and it all started with a single prayer. She is the Author of One Prayer Away, an inspirational and encouraging devotional book written in poetic form that daily points you to the freedom that can be found in Christ. Lauren states: "When you cannot see the road ahead. When you wonder if the hurt is beyond healing. When you are at the edge of what your heart can handle. Whether you are struggling or seeking, flying or failing - God is with you! You can trust Him to hold you through it all." As you hear Lauren share her story today, it is our prayer that the Lord would use her words to bring peace, encouragement and healing to your soul and most importantly remind you that you never walk a single second of this life alone. He is with you. He is for you. He is holding you and He is not wasting a moment of the season you are in. For more information about Lauren or One Prayer Away, visit https://laurenfortenberry.com/

48. How to Break Free From Anxiety and Insecurity with Whitney Lowe

If you find yourself struggling with anxiety, burnout and insecurity, especially as it relates to the comparison game that is so prevalent on social media today, this episode is one you do not want to miss! My guest today is Whitney Lowe. Whitney is a Christian influencer who wants to see young women excited about God's work: in the Bible, in history, in the world, and in them. She writes and creates an Instagram called @ScribbleDevos, which was a project born from the realization that young women simply do not interact with the Bible enough to be changed by its truth. Whitney is passionate about disrupting the toxic scroll of social media with hope, peace, and light straight from Scripture. She lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband, who is a pastor, and their two young children She just released a new book called Set Your Eyes Higher: A 40-Day Reset to Slow Your Anxiety and Fix Your Focus on God. The book was inspired by the realization that constantly staring at her phone and computer were causing her increased anxiety and insecurity – and that the only way to combat this addiction to screens was to set her gaze UP and OUT. Today, we dive into a number of common toxic struggles including social media information overload, insecurity and anxiety, burnout, rest vs counterfeit rest, the joys and struggles of motherhood, and so much more! Whitney has a gift of simplifying these issues that can seem to drown us and overwhelm us into understandable truths with practical applications to break free from the struggle and step into a Godly rhythm in these areas of our lives. This conversation was so life giving and encouraging to me - I know it will be for you as well. For more information about Whitney, visit https://www.scribbledevos.com/

47. Finding Healing and Strength In The Midst of Burnout with Tara Austin

My guest today is someone that I've followed on social media and watched her inspiring story unfold for several years. Last year, I had the privilege to meet her at a conference and hear a bit more of that story but also see her authenticity and vulnerability first hand. Tara Austin is the founder and CEO of Ruthie Grace, a women's clothing boutique empire. She has a storefront in Montgomery, TX and a massive online presence servicing customers all over the globe. In addition to Ruthie Grace, she is also the co-owner of Forged, a men's boutique with her husband Josh and she has recently been spending much of her time investing in other retail store owners, teaching strategies to grow and scale their businesses, as she has done with Ruthie Grace. In addition to all of those things, she is the mother to three precious boys! Needless to say, she is very busy. Today, Tara shares the history of Ruthie Grace, which she started with very little experience but a lot of confidence in how the Lord created her and gifted her. She also dives into how the Lord walked with her through a season of extreme burnout and ultimately uprooted some deep lies she was believing about herself and how He transformed her as a person, calling her to then share that journey with others. I know, that like me, you will find inspiration in Tara's story as she stepped out on faith and trust into a calling the Lord had on her life. And you will find encouragement in her vulnerability as she shares some of the deep valleys she walked along the way and how the Lord was faithful to His promises to redeem and refine her as he carried her through the storm.