Ep. 107: The Life God Builds While You're Busy Making Other Plans with Courtney Brackin

Ep. 107: The Life God Builds While You're Busy Making Other Plans with Courtney Brackin

What if the season that feels like tumbling is actually part of God making something beautiful? Courtney Brackin spent years in full-time ministry — single, faithful, and sometimes wrestling with envy — and what she found on the other side of that long wait is a story that will make a lot of women feel a little less behind. Courtney is a speaker, author, and Bible teacher who has spent 27 years serving in full-time ministry across North Carolina, Washington D.C., Uganda, and now Southwest Florida. She's the founder of Sea Glass Mission, a women's ministry rooted in the belief that God is forming something beautiful in the tumble — just like sea glass, broken and cast off, shaped over time into something worth keeping. She's also a seminary student, a wife, and a stepmom to four. And she brings all of it into this conversation. This episode covers a lot of ground — spiritual formation, singleness, leadership, the daily practice of getting in the Word — but it all comes back to the same thing: stop striving, get rooted, and trust that God has already planned the work for you. That's not a cliché coming from Courtney. It's something she learned the hard way, over decades, and it shows. What We Cover: * Courtney's 27-year journey through ministry — from Young Life to Uganda to founding Sea Glass Mission * What it was really like to be single in ministry, watching everyone else's life move forward * The story behind Sea Glass Mission — and the two pieces of beach glass in Bali that confirmed everything * The RAMP Journal: Read, Apply, Meditate, Pray — a practical tool to help women slow down and actually get in the Word * Why anxiety is really a control problem, and what responding with faith actually looks like * What women bring to Courtney most: identity struggles, lack of fulfillment, and the quiet ache of feeling unseen * Hard lessons from nearly three decades in ministry — including learning you are not the savior * How to start a women's ministry when your church doesn't have one (and why the nudge you feel might be the whole point) * The rhythm of Sabbath, margin, and why you can't pour out what you don't have Key Quotes: "My purpose is to live out his DNA — me, Courtney's purpose. Not what he gave someone else." "All I have to do is give out his word. Say it, share it, speak it, teach it. It will grow fruit. It takes the pressure off." "People are waiting. People want to be invited." Connect with Courtney: Website: seaglassmission.org [http://seaglassmission.org] Instagram: @seaglassmission Books & Resources: Courtney Brackin on Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/stores/Courtney-Brackin/author/B0CJVCKTZQ?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1779413140&sr=8-1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=88aac238-5369-4f23-a3da-0308eae74ef8] Join the Conversation: Something from this episode hit you — we'd love to know what it was. Come find us on Instagram or inside the Echos of Impact Community. 📷 instagram.com/echos_of_impact [https://www.instagram.com/echos_of_impact/] 💬 facebook.com/groups/echosofimpact [https://www.facebook.com/groups/echosofimpact] Final Notes: If this episode encouraged you, would you take a minute to follow the show and leave a review? It's one of the simplest ways to help other women find Echos of Impact — and it means more than you know. Thank you for being here. 🤍

Ep. 106: Why Are We More Informed Than Ever, Yet More Anxious Than Ever?

We have more access to information than any generation before us… so why does it feel like we're more anxious, overwhelmed, and desperate for answers than ever? In this episode of Echos of Impact, Briana and Cherise sit down for a honest conversation about our pursuit of knowledge, control, and certainty. From Googling symptoms in the middle of the night, to asking friends for reassurance, to searching online for the "right" answer, they talk about how easily information can begin to feel like safety — even when it does not actually give us peace. Together, they explore the difference between seeking wisdom and grasping for control. Briana and Cherise look at how this struggle goes all the way back to the garden, where the temptation was not just rebellion, but reaching for knowledge apart from God. They also talk about Saul's desperation when God felt silent, and how easy it can be to judge his choices without recognizing the same desire in ourselves: the desire to know, fix, predict, or control what only God can hold. This conversation is not about shaming curiosity, learning, research, or asking questions. It is an invitation to notice where information may be replacing intimacy with God. Because maybe the peace we are looking for was never supposed to come from knowing everything. Maybe peace comes from knowing who God is, and trusting that He is with us even when we do not have the full answer. What We Cover: * Why having more information does not always lead to more peace * The difference between healthy curiosity and anxious searching * How uncertainty can reveal where we are struggling to trust God * The story of Adam and Eve and the temptation to seek knowledge apart from God * Saul, the medium, and what desperation can lead us to when God feels quiet * Why going to friends, Google, AI, or even Bible knowledge can become a substitute for intimacy * How to recognize when information is making you more fearful, prideful, or anxious * Reflection questions for seasons when you feel like God is silent * The invitation to return to God as our source of wisdom, peace, and trust Key Quotes: "Maybe the peace was never supposed to come from knowing everything. Maybe the peace is supposed to come from knowing who God is and who is with us." "Are we seeking information over intimacy?" Join the Conversation: We would love to hear what this brought up for you. Where do you tend to go first when you feel uncertain — Google, a friend, research, control, distraction… or God? Come connect with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/echos_of_impact/ [https://www.instagram.com/echos_of_impact/] Join the Echos of Impact Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/echosofimpact [https://www.facebook.com/groups/echosofimpact] Final Notes: If this episode encouraged you, we would be so grateful if you would follow the podcast and leave a review. It helps more women find these conversations and be reminded that they are not walking through these questions alone.

Ep. 105: Faith Doesn't Mean Holding It All Together with Nichole J. Suvar

What if faith doesn't mean you're never anxious — it means you don't have to carry it alone? In this honest and deeply encouraging episode of Echos of Impact, Briana and Cherise sit down with Nichole J. Suvar, author, speaker, and intentional living strategist who comes alongside overwhelmed women to introduce them to God's design for mental wellness. Nichole shares her story of growing up loving Jesus while quietly living with anxiety, panic attacks, and eventually depression — and how finally naming what she was experiencing became a turning point in her healing journey. Nichole is the author of five books, including her newest release, I Don't Have to Hold It All Together: Cultivating the Peace of Eden When Feeling Overwhelmed, releasing June 2, 2026. In this conversation, she brings such a tender and practical perspective to mental wellness, faith, counseling, medication, prayer, Scripture, and learning to see God's invitations not as another place to fail, but as a place to be held. Together, Briana, Cherise, and Nichole talk about what it looks like to stop trying harder, release control, and trust God to hold what was never ours to carry in the first place. If you have ever felt anxious, overwhelmed, ashamed of struggling, or like you should be "past this by now," this conversation will meet you with so much grace. What We Cover: * Nichole's story of living with anxiety while loving Jesus * The moment she finally heard the words, "you are anxious" * Why "just pray harder" is not always the full answer * How counseling, medication, Scripture, and practical tools can work together * The difference between invitation and condemnation in Scripture * What anxiety can feel like in the body and mind * How friends can support someone who is spiraling or overwhelmed * Why shame keeps us hiding, and why healing often starts with saying it out loud * The connection between anxiety, control, and trying to build our own "Eden" * Nichole's new book, I Don't Have to Hold It All Together * The reminder that God is the one who holds all things together — including us Key Quotes: "It is not your job to hold it all together. You can live with open hands and trust Him to be the one to hold everything together — even you." — Nichole J. Suvar "Shame keeps us hiding." — Nichole J. Suvar Resources Mentioned: If you or someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts or in emotional crisis, call or text 988 in the U.S. to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Nichole also shared a quiz to help listeners pinpoint which Eden attribute their soul is longing for. You can find that through her website. Connect with Nichole J. Suvar: Website: https://www.livewithintent.org [https://www.livewithintent.org] Book: I Don't Have to Hold It All Together: Cultivating the Peace of Eden When Feeling Overwhelmed https://bit.ly/idhthiat [https://bit.ly/idhthiat] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicholejsuvar [https://www.instagram.com/nicholejsuvar] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/startlivingintentional [https://www.facebook.com/startlivingintentional] Substack: https://nicholesuvar.substack.com/ [https://nicholesuvar.substack.com/] Join the Conversation: We'd love to hear what stood out to you from this episode. Did you relate to the tension of loving Jesus and still feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or tired from trying to keep everything together? Come connect with us on Instagram or inside the Echos of Impact Community. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/echos_of_impact/ [https://www.instagram.com/echos_of_impact/] Echos of Impact Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/echosofimpact [https://www.facebook.com/groups/echosofimpact] Final Notes: Thank you for listening to Echos of Impact. If this episode encouraged you, we'd love for you to follow the podcast, share it with a friend, and leave a review. It helps more women find these conversations and feel a little less alone.

Ep. 104: Love That Gets Its Hands Dirty with Janet McMahon

Some conversations stay with you long after the recording ends. This is one of them. Janet McMahon joins us to talk about what it actually looks like to love your neighbor — not from a distance, not just with a program, but up close, with your hands dirty and your heart wide open. Janet is the Kansas City Metro Area Director for CarePortal. Prior to her work with CarePortal, she served as one of the pastors of Restore Community Church, a church she and her husband founded in 2008. Restore is a CarePortal church that has met the needs of over 1,700 children in the past 10 years. With a background in social work, child welfare, mental health, and vocational ministry, Janet brings both wisdom and tenderness to this conversation. She has spent her life showing up for families in crisis — and she has a lot to say about what that actually requires of us. This episode is for anyone who has ever wanted to do more but didn't know where to start. It's for anyone who has burned out trying to be everything for everyone. And it's for anyone who believes the church is meant to be more than a Sunday morning experience — and is ready to live that out. What We Cover: * Janet's journey from social worker to pastor to CarePortal director * What CarePortal is and how it connects local churches to real, vetted needs of children and families in crisis * Why getting up close to need is often what changes your heart * How serving can become a form of discipleship * The moment Janet walked into a home and a mama said, "This is what depression looks like" * How to show up for someone without trying to be their savior * Setting goals and boundaries so you can keep serving without burning out * What silence, solitude, and sitting at the feet of Jesus has to do with staying grounded in this work * The boy with duct tape on his glasses — and why one small act of kindness can matter more than we realize Key Quotes: "Once you cross that line, you can't unsee what you now know about your own community… and it's going to wreck you in the most beautiful way." — Janet McMahon "You are not going to be anybody's case manager today. You're not going to be anybody's social worker today. You are going to be a friend." — Janet McMahon Connect with Janet McMahon: CarePortal: https://careportal.org [https://careportal.org] Restore Community Church: https://restorecc.org [https://restorecc.org] Instagram: @janet.mcmahon Join the Conversation: Did this episode move you? We'd love to hear what landed for you. Come find us on Instagram or share this episode with a friend who needs to hear it. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/echos_of_impact/ [https://www.instagram.com/echos_of_impact/] Echos of Impact Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/echosofimpact [https://www.facebook.com/groups/echosofimpact] Enjoying Echos of Impact? If this conversation meant something to you, would you take a second to follow the show and leave a review? It helps more people find us — and that matters more than you know. Thank you for being here. 🤍

Ep. 103: Forgiveness Without Pretending with Chrissy Taylor

"Sometimes forgiveness starts with, "God, help me want to." In this deeply honest episode of Echos of Impact, Briana and Cherise sit down with Chrissy Taylor, a dear friend, pastor's wife, former school counselor, and adoptive mama to twins, to talk about forgiveness, grief, father wounds, miscarriage, and what it looks like to bring our whole heart before God. Chrissy shares how her relationship with God shifted when she began to understand Him not just as Creator, but as a good Father who truly loved her. From learning to forgive herself, to walking through an eight-year journey of forgiving her dad, Chrissy reminds us that forgiveness doesn't mean pretending everything is okay. It doesn't erase grief, remove boundaries, or force a relationship back to what it was. Together, Briana, Cherise, and Chrissy explore the kind of forgiveness that is honest, slow, and deeply rooted in obedience — the kind that lets God meet us in the middle of our pain instead of asking us to clean ourselves up first. Chrissy also shares vulnerably about losing two babies through miscarriage and how God met her in her anger, grief, and heartbreak with gentleness instead of shame. What We Cover: Chrissy's journey from knowing about God to truly experiencing Him as a loving Father How God first led Chrissy to forgive herself and release the shame she had been carrying Why forgiveness does not mean saying "it's okay" when something was deeply hurtful The slow, eight-year process of forgiving her dad before reconciliation ever came How forgiveness can coexist with grief, boundaries, sadness, and unmet expectations What it looked like for Chrissy to be brutally honest with God after miscarriage Why staying in conversation with God matters, even when we are angry, confused, or hurting How Scripture became personal for Chrissy as she learned to read God's Word as a daughter deeply loved by Him Key Quotes: "Forgiveness doesn't mean it was okay." "God, help me to want to." "I didn't stop talking to Him. It wasn't pretty, but I didn't stop talking to Him." "Nothing was going to change except I was going to cut out the one source of hope and comfort that I had." "Even if it doesn't look the way you dreamed it would, there is a joy and a true love that God gives when you forgive." Connect with Chrissy Taylor: Chrissy does not have public links to share at this time, but we are so grateful for the way she opened her heart and shared her story with us. Join the Conversation: Have you ever felt like forgiveness meant you had to pretend you weren't hurt? We'd love to hear what this episode stirred in you. Come share your thoughts with us on Instagram or inside our Facebook community. Follow us on Instagram: Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/echos_of_impact/ [https://www.instagram.com/echos_of_impact/] Join our Facebook Group: Echos of Impact Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/echosofimpact [https://www.facebook.com/groups/echosofimpact] Final Notes: If this episode encouraged you, don't forget to follow Echos of Impact and leave a review. Your support helps us continue sharing honest, faith-filled stories like Chrissy's. Until next week, friends! 💛