Leading from Wholeness | Boundaries, Faith, Identity, Coach

Ep 24 | The Lie Every High-Achieving Christian Woman Believes: "I Don't Need Help"

If this conversation is stirring something in you and you want to go deeper — we want to go there with you. Join us at the 2026 Pray Without Ceasing Conference on August 15th in Buena Park, CA.  Details and registration are linked below! Register today:  https://praywithoutceasing2026.eventbrite.com [https://praywithoutceasing2026.eventbrite.com/] SHOW  NOTES You’ve worked hard to get here. You know how to figure things out. But asking for help can feel like admitting defeat — or confirming the voice that says you don’t belong. This episode unpacks why high-achieving women resist asking for help, what it costs them, and what Scripture says about the body we were always meant to be part of. Anchor Scriptures “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you.”  — Romans 12:2 NLT   “In his grace, God has given us different gifts… We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.”  — Romans 12:4–6 NLT   “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good… All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”  — 1 Corinthians 12:7, 11 ESV   Part 1: The Transformation Condition Romans 12:2 has a condition most of us skip: then you will know — but only after transformation. We cannot fix ourselves. The trap is waiting to “get it together” before going to God. He is the one with power to make us new, and the renewing of our minds is an ongoing surrender, not a one-time event.   REFLECT:  Where are you trying to fix yourself before coming to God? What would it look like to come to Him as you are?   Part 2: I Got the Seat — And I Was Terrified After 3 years I became an executive — 65 people, 5 programs, 7 direct reports, nearly $4M in government contracts — and immediately thought: I can’t do this. I was too proud and too insecure at the same time to ask for help. I wanted the power. God wanted to give me purpose. When we submit to Him, He doesn’t just grant our desires — He changes them.   FOR THE HIGH ACHIEVER:  Pride says ‘I’ve got this.’ Insecurity says ‘but they’ll find out I don’t.’ Both will keep you from asking for the help you need.   Part 3: You Were Not Built to Do This Alone Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 say the same thing in two voices: different gifts, one body, for the common good. Your gaps are not flaws — they are invitations to interdependence. Someone else’s strength is not a threat to yours. Blind spots are where the little foxes get in; where you don’t know you’re weak, you won’t know where to partner.   * CliftonStrengths identifies your gaps and helps you pair strategically with others * Monday Morning Leadership (David Cottrell) — a book club that shifted a team from management to mentorship   LEADERSHIP INSIGHT:  Insecurity asks ‘What if they see what I can’t do?’ Maturity asks ‘How do I build a strong team where I’m weak?’ The second question builds organizations.     Part 4: The Cost of Not Asking Burnout You were never designed to carry it all. Burnout is not weakness — it’s the inevitable result of operating outside God’s design for the body. Confusion When you lack capacity but won’t admit it, there’s no clear path forward. You stay stuck — not because you’re not smart, but because you won’t ask. Spiritual Depletion Leading from your own strength instead of leaning on God and the people He placed around you leaves you empty. You can’t pour from a vessel that refuses to receive.   Closing & Reflection Asking for help is not weakness — it’s the posture of someone who understands how God designed the body and trusts Him enough to live inside that design. * Where are you operating in pride disguised as self-sufficiency? * What gift in someone around you are you unintentionally suppressing? * Are you leading from wholeness — or from fear? * What is one area where you could ask for help this week — and actually do it? Resources  * Romans 12:2–16 NLT   1 Corinthians 12:4–13 ESV * Monday Morning Leadership — David Cottrell * CliftonStrengths — gallup.com/cliftonstrengths   Gallup Strengths Podcast Connect with Us Email: info@thestrategicvision.com [info@thestrategicvision.com] Instagram: @AudreyTShelby Website: www.praywithoutceasingministries.com [http://www.praywithoutceasingministries.com]

Ep 23 | Dr. Kimberly Miller: You Can't Lead Others If You're Falling Apart: The Truth About Balance, Burnout, and Life Transitions Nobody Talks About

SHOW NOTES: If this conversation is stirring something in you and you want to go deeper — we want to go there with you. Join us at the 2026 Pray Without Ceasing Conference on August 15th in Buena Park, CA.  Details and registration are linked below! Register today:  https://praywithoutceasing2026.eventbrite.com [https://praywithoutceasing2026.eventbrite.com/]   Episode Overview What does it look like to lead others well when you yourself are in the middle of one of the most demanding seasons of your life? In this powerful episode, Audrey sits down with a seasoned executive leader who brings over 25 years of experience across local government, nonprofit, private sector, government healthcare, and higher education — and she holds nothing back. From the boardroom to the classroom, from launching a new career to launching two daughters into adulthood, this conversation is a masterclass in navigating change with grace, grit, and God at the center. About Our Guest Our guest. Dr. Kimberly Miller, brings a wealth of lived and learned wisdom to the table. She holds a Doctorate in Education and Organizational Leadership, a Master's in Business Administration, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. She is a proud mother of two daughters. She is deeply committed to service within her church and her fellowship community. And in true authentic fashion, she opens up about navigating life as a perimenopausal woman — and what that means for how she leads, loves, and shows up. What We Cover in This Episode Keeping Your Team Encouraged When Everything Feels Uncertain When employment is shaky and financial pressure is real, how do you show up for your team? Our guest shares that before she can pour into anyone else, she has to tend to her own spiritual and emotional foundation. Her practices include praying the Serenity Prayer daily, surrounding herself with a network of honest, positive people who keep her ego in check, and using the HALT framework — Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired — as a daily self-assessment tool. She also gives herself permission to be innovative, curious, and fun — because joy is part of wholeness too. From that grounded place, she says, she has something real to offer her team: her experience, her strength, and her hope. The Most Challenging Transition She's Ever Faced — And It's Happening Right Now With decades of executive experience under her belt, our guest admits the hardest transition isn't behind her — it's the one she's in. Launching a career in higher education means learning a brand new institutional culture, building a new team from the ground up, and applying her expertise with confidence while staying genuinely humble. At the same time, she's supporting both of her daughters in their own life launches and navigating the physical and emotional landscape of perimenopause — with a changed view of the world that comes with it. Her strategy? Praying without ceasing (no pun intended), surrendering what she can't control, giving herself grace to make mistakes, and actively releasing resentment so she can remain free to love and grow. How Transitions Have Shaped Her Identity She puts it simply and powerfully: her story is still being written. And she has made peace with releasing narratives that are no longer rooted in reality or serving her forward movement. This is the work of becoming. Key Takeaways You cannot lead others from a place of depletion. Wholeness is a prerequisite for leadership, not a luxury. Use HALT as a check-in tool before you try to motivate or manage others. Releasing resentment is an act of freedom — for you, not just for them. Transitions are an invitation to discover who you are becoming, not just who you have been. God's faithfulness is constant; your access to it grows with your willingness. Scriptures & References Philippians 4:6–7 — "Do not be anxious about anything..." 1 Thessalonians 5:17 — "Pray without ceasing." The Serenity Prayer — "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference." Connect & Take the Next Step If this episode stirred something in you, we want to hear about it. Share this episode with a woman in your life who is navigating a season of change. Leave us a review and let us know how Leading from Wholeness is speaking to your journey. 📩 hello@praywithoutceasingministries.com [hello@praywithoutceasingministries.com] 🌐 www.praywithoutceasingministries.com [http://www.praywithoutceasingministries.com] 📱 Follows on Instagram: @Audrey T Shelby Pray Without Ceasing Ministries exists to help women of faith walk in whole-person wellness — spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically, and financially — because Jesus came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

Ep 22 | How to Build Trust in the Workplace Through Love

Show Notes What does it actually look like to love people you don't like? Not the people who are easy to love — but the ones who rub you the wrong way, misunderstand you, or feel like they were placed in your path on purpose? In this episode, we're talking about Agape love — the selfless, unconditional, sacrificial love that God calls us to — and why choosing it is one of the most spiritually transforming things you can do. We're pulling back the curtain on what it looked like to shift from a "forget people, cut them off" mindset to one of empathy, obedience, and genuine care for others. If you've ever struggled to love someone despite their presentation, their personality, or their past — this episode is for you. In This Episode * What Agape love is — and what it is not * How unhealed rejection shapes the way we relate to people * What happens when you say yes to loving someone you'd rather avoid * How obedience to God's command to love grows your relationship with Him * What empathy really means  Key Scriptures 1 John 4:20 — “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.”  John 14:15 (NLT) — "If you love me, obey my commandments." Love and obedience are not separate — they are woven together. John 3:16 — For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NLT) — "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work." Psalm 139:13–16 (NLT) — "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous — how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed." 1 Peter 4:8 — "Love covers a multitude of sins. What We Unpack From "Forget People" to Forgiveness Growing up with a philosophy of "if you don't like me, get out of my life" felt like self-protection. But beneath the toughness was fear, a lack of self-worth, insecurity, and a deep need to feel loved. Unhealed rejection at a young age shaped friendships, romantic relationships, and the ability to extend grace. God had to do real work — and He did it through the people He assigned. The Assignment You Almost Missed God assigns people to us — and sometimes, because of how they show up or how they approach us, we write them off before they ever get a chance. Think about the people you may have dismissed because of their presentation. What if God sent them to you? What if you were the assignment God gave someone who almost said no? Empathy Changes Everything Empathy is choosing to understand where someone is coming from. There have been situations where I was so grateful I was wrong — what I thought was the worst about someone turned out to be a simple misunderstanding. Homework Ask God to show you how you can love others more. That's it. One prayer. One honest ask. Watch what He does with it. Connect With Us * Instagram @AudreyTousantShelby * Learn more at www.praywithoutceasingministries.com  [http://www.praywithoutceasing] We would love to hear how this episode landed with you. Share it with someone who needs it, leave a review, and come back next week as we continue to lead from wholeness.

Ep 21 | 12 Years of Marriage: What We Know Now

Show Notes If this conversation is stirring something in you and you want to go deeper — we want to go there with you. Join us at the 2026 Pray Without Ceasing Conference on August 15th in Buena Park, CA.  Details and registration are linked below! Register today:  https://praywithoutceasing2026.eventbrite.com [https://praywithoutceasing2026.eventbrite.com/]   Episode Overview   What does it really take to make a marriage last? In this episode, we get honest and personal as Brandon and Audrey reflect on 12 years of marriage — the hard seasons, the joyful ones, and everything God taught them in between. This conversation is real, it’s relatable, and it’s rooted in faith.   Whether you’re newlywed, years in, or still believing for a covenant partner, there’s something in this episode for you.   What We Cover * Brandon’s three pillars of a lasting marriage: Jesus, communication, and togetherness * Why Audrey says the most important thing you can do is surrender your marriage to God * The truth that marriage was God’s idea — not yours  * Why communicating when you don’t feel like it often the most important time to speak up * The danger of isolation in marriage and why sharing yourself fully with your spouse matters more than you think Key Takeaway Marriage is not a feeling you fall in and out of — it’s a covenant you tend, surrender, and grow inside of. When God is at the center, even the hard years become part of a beautiful story. Reflection Questions 1. What has God been teaching you in your current season of marriage or relationship? 2. Is there an area where you’ve been waiting for your spouse to make you happy instead of bringing that to God first? 3. Where might isolation be creeping in, and what’s one step you can take toward openness? Scripture Referenced “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.” — Ecclesiastes 4:9   Connect With Us * Instagram @AudreyTousantShelby * Learn more at www.praywithoutceasingministries.com  [http://www.praywithoutceasing] * Share this episode with a friend who needs encouragement in their marriage If this episode blessed you, leave us a review and let us know. We’d love to hear your story.

Ep 20 | Is Fear of Disappointment Stealing Your Identity as a Leader and Mom? Here's How to Protect Your Momentum

SHOW NOTES Find encouragement and hope despite life’s deepest disappointments. Have you ever felt like just when you were gaining momentum, disappointment showed up and knocked the wind right out of you? Maybe it was a relationship that didn’t work out, a door that closed before you could walk through it, or a moment — like Mother’s Day — that reminded you of something painful you’ve carried for a long time. Friend, you are not alone. Today we are talking about how to manage through life’s disappointments without letting them rob you of the abundant life God has already promised you.  Scriptures for This Episode 1 Peter 5:10 (AMP) “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace {who imparts His blessing and favor}, who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you {making you what you ought to be}.” John 10:10 (AMP) “The thief comes in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it in abundance {to the full, till it overflows}.” I want you to know that this isn’t a “just get over it” conversation. Disappointment is real. Grief is real. The ache of unmet expectations — in relationships, in your family, in your own heart — is real. There have been seasons where I sat with the weight of what I didn’t have instead of recognizing what God had already placed in my hands. Maybe you know that feeling. The failed relationship that left you questioning your worth. The opportunity that fell through after you prayed so hard for it. The holiday that felt more like a reminder of loss than a celebration. The enemy wants you stuck. Stuck in rejection. Stuck in grief. Stuck replaying who left, what failed, and what never came. But God calls us to something different. He doesn’t promise a life without disappointment — but He does promise that after we’ve suffered a little while, He will complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish us. That promise is for you.   3 Steps Toward Gratitude Step 1: Speak Truth to Your Discouragement We’ve talked about cognitive behavioral therapy in past episodes, and I want to revisit it here because it is so powerful. The way you think impacts the way you feel — and the way you feel drives your behavior. Step 2: Practice Gratitude — Intentionally Gratitude is not a feeling that arrives on its own. It’s a practice. And science backs this up: gratitude mindfulness shifts your focus from scarcity to abundance, lowers cortisol, reduces anxiety, and even improves sleep. Most importantly, it builds resilience — and you need that because life will bring more disappointments. The goal isn’t to avoid hard seasons; it’s to build a toolkit so you can endure and recover. Two practical ways to start: Gratitude Mindfulness: Take five minutes to ground yourself in the present — what you can see, hear, smell, touch, taste — and find the good in it. A helpful resource to get you started: 5-Minute Gratitude Practice at Mindful.org Gratitude Journaling: In the morning, write down one or two small things you’re looking forward to — taking the kids to school, going for a walk, feeling the air on your face. Simple things. Then at the end of the day, come back to your journal. Did those moments happen? What else showed up that you’re thankful for? This practice trains your eyes to look for the hand of God in your everyday. Step 3: Remember God’s Faithfulness When disappointment crowds your vision, it’s time to look back before you look forward. Where has God shown up for you? Maybe this Mother’s Day was hard. Maybe it surfaces loss or longing every single year. But pause and ask: Where did God fill in the gap?  The enemy wants you fixated on what’s missing. God wants you to see how He has kept you. Recall His faithfulness. Remember the times He came through, the doors He opened, the people He sent.  If this conversation is stirring something in you and you want to go deeper — we want to go there with you. Join us at the 2026 Pray Without Ceasing Conference on August 15th in Buena Park, CA. We are going to dig into the very things that have been stealing from you — and we’re going to walk out with tools, truth, and a renewed sense of purpose. You don’t want to miss it. Details and registration are linked below! Register today:  https://praywithoutceasing2026.eventbrite.com [https://praywithoutceasing2026.eventbrite.com/]   If this podcast has encouraged you, would you take 30 seconds and leave us a review? It helps more women find this community — and it truly blesses us to hear how God is moving in your life. Screenshot this episode, share it on your stories, and tag us so we can celebrate with you!   Connect with Us: Merch: www.praywithoutceasingmerch.com [http://www.praywithoutceasingmerch.com]  Email: hello@praywithoutceasingministries.com Instagram: @AudreyTShelby