Listen Linda! Hosted by Jacquiline Cox

Toxic Trait of the Day-Spotting Spiritual Manipulation

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2222110/fan_mail/new] “God told me, you better obey” can sound like faith, but it often functions like control. We talk about spiritual manipulation as a toxic trait that has harmed a lot of people, especially in church spaces, and we draw a clear line between spiritual guidance that helps you grow and spiritual control that keeps you emotionally dependent. If you’ve ever been pressured by guilt, fear, titles, or “touch not my anointed,” this conversation gives you language for what you felt and permission to take it seriously. We break down the red flags: prophecy that creates confusion instead of clarity, leaders who demand total access to your choices, and the way jealousy can hide behind spiritual talk. We also name a hard truth: charisma and character are not the same thing. Someone can be gifted but not healed, talented but toxic, and still use religious authority to shame boundaries, punish questions, and call your growth “betrayal.” We get honest about church hurt and religious trauma, especially for people raised to respect leadership at all costs. Fear-based loyalty can keep you stuck in a spiritually abusive environment, but a healthy space should never require you to lose your voice, identity, peace, gifts, or mental health to stay connected. We also share how your body often senses manipulation first through anxiety, pressure, confusion, and emotional exhaustion. If any part of this hits home, share your story in the comments, subscribe, and pass this along to someone who needs clarity. If you found it helpful, leave a review and share the episode so more people can recognize the difference between faith and control. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2222110/support]

Word of the Day- Pharisee Behavior

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2222110/fan_mail/new] Some of the harshest judgment doesn’t come from “the streets” it comes from people who know how to look holy while refusing to heal. I’m Dr. Jacqueline Cox, aka Listen Linda, and today’s word cuts straight through church performance: Pharisee. We talk about what happens when someone masters church language, scripture, and public praise, but still treats people with cruelty behind closed doors. If you’ve ever wrestled with church hurt, religious hypocrisy, or spiritual abuse, this conversation puts real words to what you’ve felt. We break down the difference between being spiritual and being performative, and why real transformation changes your character, not just your vocabulary. I ask the questions that expose fruit: how you treat broken people, newcomers, and folks who can’t benefit you; what you do when nobody’s watching; and how you respond when it’s someone else’s turn to be blessed. These are the everyday markers of spiritual maturity that no title can replace. We also go there on false prophecy and manipulation. Not everyone saying “God told me” is sent by God, and using fear, control, or ego in God’s name leaves real damage. Finally, we draw a bright line between correction and cruelty by contrasting conviction versus condemnation, because healthy accountability should pull people toward healing, not humiliate them for someone else’s ego. Subscribe, share, and leave a review if this helped you put language to what you’ve seen, and tell me in the comments: have you met someone who looked spiritually mature publicly but treated people horribly privately? Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2222110/support]

Ask the Publisher-Every Writer Needs An Editor

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2222110/fan_mail/new] You can be a great writer and still publish a book that looks rushed. That’s the uncomfortable truth we dig into, starting with a simple question: do you really need an editor if you already know how to write? We say yes, and we explain why without sugarcoating it. When you read your own manuscript, your brain auto-corrects what’s on the page into what you meant to say, which is exactly how missing words, repeated sentences, plot holes, confusing timelines, and inconsistency slip through.  We also talk about the part people don’t want to hear: readers can be unforgiving. Typos, formatting issues, sloppy chapter titles, and clunky flow don’t stay private anymore. A single bad reading experience can stop someone from recommending your book and can turn into an Amazon review or a social media post fast. Editing isn’t an attack on your intelligence. It’s the polish that protects your message and your author credibility, the same way coaching supports athletes and producers sharpen artists.  Then we get practical about professional book editing. “Editing” isn’t just running Grammarly. We break down developmental editing (structure, clarity, story flow), copyediting (grammar, punctuation, consistency), and proofreading (final error catch before publishing). We also address cost head-on: editors are trained professionals doing skilled labor, and while you don’t need the most expensive option on earth, you do need trained eyes before you release your work publicly.  If you care about self-publishing the right way, manuscript quality, and building long-term reader trust, hit play. Subscribe, share this with an author friend, and leave a review, then drop your next question so we can tackle it next. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2222110/support]

Toxic Trait of the Day-Scapegoating

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2222110/fan_mail/new] Somebody in your life keeps making you the problem, and deep down you can feel it: the real issues are never addressed, only your reaction to them. We get honest about scapegoating, the toxic group habit of projecting frustration, anger, insecurity, and dysfunction onto one person so everyone else can dodge accountability. If you have ever been labeled “difficult” for speaking up, “messy” for defending yourself, or “disrespectful” for setting boundaries, this conversation puts language to what you have been living through. We also talk about why the scapegoat is often the truth teller, the emotionally aware one, the cycle breaker who refuses to keep pretending. When your healing exposes what others normalized, you become “threatening,” and the room tries to restore comfort by making you carry the blame. That pattern can crush self-esteem over time, leaving you second guessing your personality, your voice, even your appearance, just to keep other people from feeling challenged. Then we take it to scripture with John 8 and the woman caught in adultery, where Jesus flips the focus from public punishment to personal accountability: “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone.” We unpack how hypocrisy fuels scapegoating, how healthy environments handle conflict differently, and how to stop carrying guilt for dysfunction you did not create alone. If this message hits home, subscribe, share, and leave a review, then tell us in the comments: have you ever been the scapegoat while the bigger picture got ignored? Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2222110/support]

Ask the Publisher-Your Book Career Grows When You Market Beyond Home

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2222110/fan_mail/new] The hardest part of launching a book is not writing it. It’s realizing the people closest to you might never be your biggest buyers, loudest sharers, or most consistent readers. We get honest about the question authors keep asking: should friends and family automatically support your book, or is that expectation setting you up for disappointment and unnecessary conflict?  We talk through why “no support” is not always rejection. Sometimes people are dealing with money stress, mental load, or they simply are not book people. That truth stings, but it also frees you to stop building your author confidence around who claps first. From there, we shift into practical book marketing and audience building: how to find real readers who value your message, why relying only on people you already know limits growth, and how consistency and visibility create momentum over time.  We also address the habits that quietly sabotage a book launch, like guilt-tripping on social media, posting shady statuses, and expecting big results with low effort. If you want professional outcomes in self-publishing or traditional publishing, you need professional inputs: editing, design, branding, and a real marketing plan. We even dig into why “free publishing” is often a myth and why analytics can reveal an audience in places you never expected.  If you’re ready to market smarter and keep creating even when your circle stays quiet, listen now, then subscribe, share this with an author friend, and leave a review so more writers can find the support they actually need. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2222110/support]