Brave Living

Today I am speaking with Lisa McGuinness, CEO of South East Asia Rescue Coalition and Haven (SEARCH) -- a non-profit formed to protect victims of sex trafficking in Myanmar. Lisa discusses how she became involved in this mission and how God prompted her to step out in faith, and contribute to this organization. She discusses how she initially was not at all interested in going on a mission trip to Thailand to visit a safe house. However, after hearing about the work the church was doing, she felt prompted by God to be a part of this experience. Her mission trip transformed her life and God clearly used this experience to speak to her. She has no doubt that God led her to volunteer and help give a grass-roots organization, stability and direction. Although Lisa's background in the publishing business gave her fundamental knowledge in building a business, she relies on God daily to accomplish the multiple tasks that are involved in growing this company. I so admire her desire to help these women. Her story is a true step of trust and bravery. Lisa's heart and trust in God to help her and her colleagues grow SEARCH from the embryo-stage it is currently in, to the God-destined path it will become in the future, is inspiring. If you feel prompted to help SEARCH, either through prayer, or a financial contribution, please send her a note and let her know. Please send correspondence to: SEARCH, in care of Hillside Covenant Church, 2060 Magnolia Way, Walnut Creek, CA 94595. I hope you enjoy this discussion with Lisa. If you are enjoying this podcast, please drop me a message. I would love to hear from you. You can reach me at www.braveliving.blog or at Instagram at @braveliving_pz. Thank you so much for listening to Brave Living.

Today I am continuing my series on Brave Living through trusting God.Trusting God is not always easy. But even when we don't see it, God steps into our lives. On today's episode I talk about a time in my past when God stepped in and provided for us. I hope this story resonates with you and helps you see the times when God has intervened in your life. Once we understand that God is good and He is faithful, we can learn to trust Him; even when things aren't going the way we plan. If you have a story you would like to share, please reach out to me. I would love to hear from you and listen to your story. You can reach me at braveliving.blog or on Instagram @braveliving_pz. I look forward to hearing from you.

Today I talk with Bethany Anderson. Bethany is a writer, speaker, and future podcaster. For over 10 years she served as a missionary in various countries including France and South Africa. Bethany speaks about hope and the joy you can find when you quiet your mind and take time to listen to God. As a missionary, Bethany learned to trust God with her every need. She shares how a difficult circumstance almost took her away from the mission field. But instead of listening to her voice of uncertainty, she leaned into God and trusted him to create beauty out of ashes. Our God works miracles and He provides for us in the most meaningful ways. As Bethany explains, Gods plans are not necessarily the plans we anticipate. But even when we can’t see it, we can trust that He is working all things for good. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Bethany as much as I did. You can reach Bethany at any of the following places: www.jbethanyanderson.com Instagram: jbethanyanderson Amazon: Kiss My Fish: Tales of Chasing God Around the World (https://amzn.to/2CRKnCw) Podcast (3/5/19): The Hope Adventure

Hello and Thank you for listening to Brave Living! Today I set out some goals I have for my braveliving podcast. I talk about my story of trusting God through infertility. I brainstorm how trusting God is a necessity in order to live a brave life. It sounds so easy to just trust God, but in reality, it is really hard. There are a lot of mistakes and flops along the way. One of my goals for this year is to break my podcast into specific series. This first series is called Brave Living through Trusting God. I sincerely hope this topic touches you and helps you to live a brave life. If you have a story where it required you to trust God in order to make it through a difficult journey, will you please reach out to me? I would love to hear your story. I so strongly believe your story matters and will most certainly help others who are going through something similar. You can reach me by email at bravliving.pz@gmail.com or on my blog at braveliving.blog. I look forward to hearing from you.

In today's episode I discuss my two months absence from broadcasting and my future hopes and dreams for this podcast. I am so grateful to have started this podcast and I am really looking forward to how God will use it in 2019. I am looking for people who want to share their story. We all have a story and yours matters! Please reach out to me by emailing me at braveliving.pz@gmail.com, or through my blog at www.braveliving.blog and let me know if you are willing to share your story with me. I look forward to hearing how God is alive and at work in your life! In future episodes I hope to share amazing stories that inspire, encourage, and guide us from mediocrity to abundance. Thank you so much for listening to Brave Living. If you can, please rate this podcast and leave feedback. I would love to hear from you. Thank you!

Today I talk with Martha Luttrull about her 50 year search to find her son she placed for adoption in 1968. At 15, Martha found herself pregnant by a man she loved and respected. He happened to be 20 years older than her, married, and her teacher. Although I could have dove deeper into that story, this podcast focuses on her 50 year search to find her son she longed to know. Her story is moving and reminds us to never give up. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I did. If you or someone you know has a life story to share, please get in touch with me. I would love to hear from you. You can reach me by following me on Instagram @braveliving_pz or via my blog at www.Braveliving.blog. I look forward to hearing from you.

Join me as I talk to Anna LeBaron, author of The Polygamist's Daughter. Anna is one of 50 siblings that grew up in a polygamist cult led by her father, Ervil LeBaron: known as the 'Mormon Manson.' Her father ordered the murders of multiple people, and unbeknownst to young Anna, had her family constantly running from the law. Anna lived in multiple places, often having to leave in the middle of the night, grabbing what little she could, just to survive. For years, Anna and her siblings had to scrounge for food and clothes; all the while being told that she was God's chosen family. At age 13, something inside broke, and Anna decided to leave. Before her mother could usher in yet another move, Anna put on her Gloria Vanderbilt jeans, and escaped her father's cult. For years, Anna lived in fear; but God took hold of Anna's life and transformed her from the inside out. God had a plan for Anna, just like he has a plan for each of us. Anna's story is amazing and it has the fingerprints of God all over it. Even though we may not have lived the life Anna has, we can most certainly relate to childhood wounds, insecurity, and fears that inhibit our lives. Today Anna talks about how she was able to leave her past, drop her insecurity, and become the woman God planned all along. I believe today's conversation will encourage all of us to stop and notice how God is at work in our lives today. You can find Anna's book on Amazon or anywhere books are sold. It is a riveting story that you most certainly don't want to miss! You can find Anna by going to her website or following her on social media. All the links are listed below. I hope you find this story encouraging and it helps you to make brave choices. If you are enjoying this podcast, please rate and leave a review. The more reviews I get, the more people will find my podcast and enjoy the content as well. Also, if you or someone you know, has a story to share on my podcast, please reach out to me. My contact information is listed below. Thank you so much for listening to BraveLiving. This has been such a fun adventure and I feel blessed to bring these stories to you. Anna LeBaron www.AnnaLeBaron.com Instagram: @annaklebaron Facebook: @AnnaLeBaron Braveliving with Patti Ziemke www.braveliving.blog Instagram: @braveliving_pz Facebook: @braveliving.pz

Join me as I talk with Adriel Booker about her book, Grace Like Scarlett. Adriel lives in Australia with her husband and three children. Between the birth of her second and third son, Adriel and her husband experienced three miscarriages. This loss overwhelmed her and inspired her to write about her personal journey. Her book beautifully walks us through her story, but it also provides hope and insight for those going through miscarriage.  I am so grateful that Adriel opens up about this difficult topic and shares her experience. I believe we can all learn from her experience and grow closer to God when we talk about our stories. I hope you enjoy our conversation and it brings you hope and healing. You can read more about Adriel's journey by getting her book, Grace Like Scarlett: Grieving with Hope after Miscarriage and Loss, and checking out her website, www.adrielbooker.com/welcome.    

Today I talk with my friend Jill Borchardt. Jill recently lost her father to esophageal cancer on July 22, 2018. During the last few years of his life, Jill was the primary caretaker. This role is often overlooked, but care taking is a reality that many of us will walk through. It is not for the fainthearted and it comes with an array of feelings that are difficult to manage. Today we talk about the process of walking a parent through an illness and the overwhelming emotions that accompany it. Our conversation includes laughter, tears, and some genuine nuggets of wisdom that will hopefully resonate with you. I think you will really enjoy our conversation and get some valuable information from hearing her story.

Today I talk with Summer Gross about the lies we often believe about ourselves. Summer is an Anglican priest, a homeschool mom and a spiritual director. When she was 10 years old her family moved from Maine to a rural town in Ohio. The move caused her to encounter school bullies and she started to establish lies that would take 20-plus years to undo. Lies, either spoken directly to us or implied through actions of others, have a way of seeping into our souls and defining us. In order to stop these lies, we have to acknowledge them and then go through a healing process that provides us with truth. Today Summer will walk us through her journey and provide insight and tools that we can use to break free from the lies we tell ourselves. If you are interested in diving deeper into this topic, please visit Summer's blog, www.athirstforgod.com. Summer is a wealth of information and I hope you are encouraged and blessed by our conversation.

On today's episode, I talk with my friend Cindi Coker. Cindi has twin 15-year old boys who were born premature. One of Cindi's boys was born with cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder that affects movement and muscle control. Taking care of a person with cerebral palsy is a life-long process, requiring medical assistance and various forms of therapy. Today Cindi will talk about her journey with her son and how it has affected her life. In the midst of her pain, God stepped in and performed miracles right before her eyes. Through Cindi's story, we see that God doesn't always give us the life we expect, but he promises to be faithful and walk us through the life he has given us. I hope Cindi's story inspires and encourages you today.

On this episode, I talk with my friend Claudia Mercier. Several years ago, after the birth of her fifth child, Claudia walked through postpartum depression and severe anxiety. During this time, she heard lies whispered to her and she absolutely believed those lies as truth. When God intervened and told her to cling to the truth of who He is, she was able to hold on for dear life and make it through her darkest hour. Today she talks about her journey and what she learned about depression and panic attacks as she endured this experience. She also provides wise advice that ranges from seeking help to healthy eating. Claudia's story is both powerful and informative. I think you will really enjoy our candid discussion and hopefully gain some useful information that will help you or someone you love.    

On today's episode, I talk to Cindy Ziemke and Sean Ryan about the opioid crisis and how it affected their lives. For years, Sean was addicted to heroin and it took a near overdose for him to receive the help he desperately needed. As a mom, Cindy searched for ways to help her son, finally coming upon a recovery program based in Southern California. As a State Representative for Indiana, Cindy has worked on legislation to give hope to families who are in a similar situation. Today, Sean manages a sober living community in Costa Mesa, California and is an advocate for helping those who are in the depths of addiction. Their story is one of hardship and love, but also hope and encouragement. If anyone listening to this podcast is looking for help, please reach out and contact either Sean or Cindy and they will provide you with helpful resources. You may contact Sean at: Seanr@beginningstreatment.com or at 812-212-9073. Cindy is available at Clziemke@aol.com Both Cindy and Sean have a heart to help people who are struggling with addiction and would encourage anyone who is struggling to reach out and contact them.

  On this episode I talk with my cousin and friend, Denise Webb. Four years ago her daughter came out as a lesbian and today she discusses how that revelation changed the course of her life. Although her faith was questioned and she encountered a lot of backlash, today she feels she is a stronger person because of it.

Join me as I talk with my dear friend, Jen Pearce. Jen and I have a special relationship that has meant the world to me. On this episode she will talk about the painful journey of an unexpected divorce she experienced four years ago. Her story is both touching and informative. I believe her story will help many who are currently going through a similar experience.

Join me as I talk with my son's birth mother, Jaimee Kast. Listen as we talk about how our unique adoption story unfolded and what it meant to each of us at the time and now. Join us as we discover how our unique perspectives of our journey both surprise and delight each other.

Join me as we talk to Adam Bollinger from Ohio. He talks about his life journey with Tourette Sydrome and how a spinal injury nearly left him paralyzed for life.

Brave Living is born from my desire to seek an abundant and brave life. I want to hear life stories that help us all realize we are not alone. I believe by listening to other people's life stories, we can be encouraged and inspired to go after our dreams and discover the brave life that we were meant to live.

Join me as I talk to Kimberly Powell, an expert in the field of special education. Not only does Kimberly have a Masters Degree in Special Education, she also is raising a child on the autism spectrum. She gives useful information on how to handle the news that your child falls on the autism spectrum and how to engage successfully with an IEP team at school.