Designed on Purpose, Not by Accident

Sometimes the Pause is Part of the Process

In this episode, I share a little bit about where I’ve been, why I stepped back from podcasting for a season, and what it has looked like to re-ground myself after walking through a lower place mentally and emotionally. This is also a catch-up episode about the work God has been helping me bring back to life, including MyCountyHelp.org, a community resource project I started last year, set aside for a time, and recently returned to with renewed focus. MyCountyHelp is now live and growing as a resource hub for the Spokane community, and finishing that major piece has given me space to return more fully to Ula & Violet. This isn’t a perfectly structured message. It’s a real one. In this episode, I talk about: – Re-grounding after a difficult mental health season – Returning to podcasting with honesty instead of pressure – The story behind MyCountyHelp and why it matters – How setting something down does not always mean it is over – Shifting focus back toward Ula & Violet now that MCH is live – What may be coming next, including a future conversation around prayer This episode is for anyone who has had to pause, regroup, rebuild, and come back slowly. Sometimes the work continues quietly before it is seen publicly again. May this be a reminder that coming back does not have to be loud. Sometimes it simply begins with showing up again.

What’s Sitting in Your Heart Right Now?

Some days aren’t polished. Some days are led. In this episode, Amanda sits down on a Sunday morning after feeling a pull to open her Bible and listen closely. What unfolds is an honest, unfiltered reflection on Acts 2 and Revelation 3 — specifically the weight of unforgiveness and the reality of living as a lukewarm Christian. This isn’t a perfectly structured message. It’s a real one. Through personal reflection, Amanda talks about: – How easy it is to carry resentment and how heavy it actually becomes – Why forgiveness isn’t about the other person — it’s about freeing your own heart – What it truly means to be “lukewarm” and how subtle that place can be – Letting go of self-reliance and returning to God fully, not conditionally – Recognizing Jesus is always knocking — but He won’t force His way in This episode is for anyone who feels tired, overwhelmed, stuck in their thoughts, or unsure where they stand in their faith. You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to be willing to open the door.

You Are Allowed to Take Up Space

Stepping out of our comfort zone can feel uncomfortable, especially when we’re used to staying quiet and flying under the radar. In this episode, Amanda shares what it has been like to start the Ula & Violet podcast and the internal battle that often comes with following a calling placed on your heart. From self-doubt to procrastination to wondering whether anyone is even listening, these thoughts are more common than we realize. But sometimes the quiet fire inside keeps reminding us to keep going anyway. This conversation reflects on the idea that we are allowed to take up space in the world. If God has placed something on your heart that refuses to be quiet, it may be there for a reason. Even planting one small seed can make a difference in someone’s life. Whether you are new to faith, returning to it, or simply trying to understand what God might be asking of you, this episode is an encouragement to trust that nudge, step forward, and allow God to guide the path.

Designed on Purpose, Not by Accident

There has never been, and will never be, another person who can live this exact life from your exact perspective. In this episode, I talk about the reality that God designed you intentionally. Your personality, your experiences, your gifts, and your voice are not accidental. Comparing yourself to someone else is exhausting and unnecessary. No one else can bring what you bring to the table. I share how Ula & Violet began as an Etsy shop focused on selling products but slowly transformed into something more meaningful. The focus shifted from income to impact. From selling to serving. From building a store to using my voice. Creating free Bible study guides and offering tools became more important than numbers. I also talk about what I see in my work, those moments when someone physically exhales in my office. That soul breath when they finally feel safe enough to release what they have been carrying. Those moments remind me that each of us was designed to offer something specific to the world. You only get this one opportunity to live life as you. The question is not whether you measure up to someone else. The question is whether you are stewarding what God already placed in your hands.

Look Up

It is easy to feel like we have to stay plugged into everything happening around us. The headlines, the arguments, the constant urgency. At first it can feel responsible, like paying attention means we care. But over time, that constant intake can leave us tense, reactive, and worn down rather than wise. In this episode, we talk about the quiet reminder to look up. Not as an escape from reality, but as a realignment. There is a difference between being aware of the world and letting it shape the condition of the heart. When everything we consume begins to form us, we can lose sight of what is meant to anchor us. Drawing from Paul’s letter to the Colossians, this conversation explores how to stay grounded in Christ while still living in a complicated world. How to care without being consumed, respond without reacting, and live from a place of patience, mercy, and love instead of outrage and exhaustion. This is not about ignoring what is happening around us. It is about choosing what forms us first.