Founder of the IF:Gathering, author, and Bible teacher, Jennie Allen inspires women to encounter God. She works hard at the work in front of her and a few years ago realized she might be working too hard, trying to prove to everyone that she was good enough, up to the task. Her journey to let go of expectations and allow God to do his job is chronicled in her new book Nothing to Prove: Why We Can Stop Trying So Hard.
In our conversation with Jennie we talk through letting go of approval. We cover everything from God taking us to places where trust is required in order to increase our dependence on him, to how and why Jennie prayed "Give us this day our daily bread" this last year, to our call to disciple a few within our immediate reach. This interview will inspire you to trust more and strive less as Jennie reminds us of God's sovereign plans.
If you're a woman who is tempted to perform, who seeks approval from God, who is slightly exhausted from all of the striving, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Jennie challenges us to let go of control and walk in obedience no matter the cost because God's plans are good. His plans can be hard, but they're always good.
New York Times bestselling author and Proverbs 31 speaker, Karen Ehman, lives on alert. She waits to hear "heart drops", those hints that indicate a way to someone's heart, so she can best love those around her while managing the demands of her busy life. Karen is excellent at taking a broad topic like "loving well" and breaking it down to practical steps we all can follow.
In this interview we cover everything from how to schedule check-ins with friends to how to offer teenagers a soft landing place in your home. Karen's honesty about her own struggles with listening and loving without distraction normalizes the challenges to putting this life of other-centered living into practice. She reminds us how pausing in the middle of our normal busy to focus on someone else's needs and offers hope that small efforts can make big impact.
You won't want to miss Karen's wisdom in both this interview and her newest book. She is simultaneously encouraging and challenging as she reminds us of God's call to love those around us.
Valentine's Day....a day of love! Whether you are snuggling up with a honey, making dozens of cookies for class parties, or wondering why we have this holiday in the first place, we invite you to join us for our first annual Things We Love! episode.
This is about fun and practical. Please know that the things most dear to our hearts aren't actually things at all. But if you were to buy us some Valentine's gifts, these might be on our wish lists. And we think you should know about them too (also please know none of these are sponsored responses, they truly are our go-to items.)
So go ahead and listen in. We are delighted you have joined us for this Valentine's Day special. No matter what day of the year you are listening, we hope you feel loved.
We go into some interviews knowing the guest will offer The Open Door Sisterhood a wealth of wisdom. Author Patricia Raybon was one of those and so we jumped right into the big stuff. From race relations to divided families we wanted to make sure not a minute of this episode with one of our favorites was wasted. As you listen you will hear Patricia's tender nature and years of life and walking with Christ speak through her.
Patricia shares some about what it is to be "living while black" in today's climate, her relationship with her Muslim daughter, and the simple steps we can take to move toward people (like actually saying "hello" to our neighbors) in a time where divisions feel strong. Her approach is humble and wise. Truly a dear conversation with a woman who does not oversimplify issues and yet does not over-complicate her responses to them.
Patricia's signature honesty speaks to what it is to step into the uncomfortable in order to be more in step with God's purposes on earth. If ever there was an episode of The Open Door Sisterhood worth listening to, it's this one. We are sure you will walk away encouraged to walk through that next open door.
It's February, and many of the New Year's Goals we created are starting to fade into the distant past. Are you tired of setting goals and failing? In this episode we talk about how to set goals that will actually stick, what the keys are to successful goal setting, and how we can address the mind, body, AND spirit in the process.
This short episode will encourage you and give you practical tools for improving your life - one small step forward at a time.