Created For Strength

Pain… Suffering… Trials… Grief… Insecurities… Guilt… Shame… Fear… None of them are from the Lord. But the Lord can redeem even these things to bring good out of them. He is so faithful. And His best will redeem even the toughest parts of your story. Listen in on my conversation with Brenda to hear how the Lord is redeeming her story… And using her whole story to impact others. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

What do you do when another person’s actions and words devastate you? Attack you at your very core. Attack the areas that you found your identity in. And yet you still have to keep going. How do you pick up the pieces? Instead of letting those moments define you and stunt your growth… You focus on how God views you instead. Early on in her adult life, Heather had her life completely turned upside-down. And yet what was meant for evil, God used for good. Listen in on my conversation with Heather to hear more of the Lord’s faithfulness in her life. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

Change can be hard. Especially when other people project their fears on your change. Instead of encouraging you to seek the Lord and do what He wants you to do… They can try to make you feel guilty, Insecure, Fearful… About making the change that the Lord is calling you to. You can’t control how other people react. But it’s not your job to control their reactions. You can control how you react. And you can control your decisions. Listen in on my conversation with Jena to hear how she decided to follow the Lord in what He wanted for her and her family. And as she listened to Him instead of to the fears of others… She discovered that the Lord knows best. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

God want to walk WITH you in what He has called you to. He wants you to yield everything to Him. To die to yourself. And completely surrender everything to Him. And as you do that… He brings the ideas. He brings the strategy. He brings the strength. He brings the increase. He brings the peace and joy. He brings EVERYTHING that you need exactly when you need it. Because in Christ, you have everything you need for life and godliness. As you abide in Him… He makes that truth a reality in your life. I absolutely loved my conversation with Eboni L. Truss. She is a force of joy. She is a strong, powerful woman. And her vulnerability about how she changed everything that she was doing when she discovered that God didn’t just want her to do things FOR Him… But He wanted to do things WITH Him. Check out our conversation. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

The Lord brings people to your mind for a reason. If you “randomly” think of someone… Ask the Lord what He wants you to do. Why did He bring them to your mind? What does He want you to do? Pray about them… Send them a message… Forward them the inspiring message that made you think of them… Instead of viewing things a random… Take everything to the Lord. These are some of the lessons that the Lord has been teaching me through Stacie. Learning to not view things from MY perspective… But to adopt the lens of heaven. I’d love for you to listen in on our conversation. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

Sometimes things happen in our lives that we would not choose for ourselves. You ask Him to lead you. You expect the Lord to lead you. …But you’re expecting that to look a certain way. He wants us to give up our lives for Him. And part of that includes giving up our expectations. Yielding our lives to Him. And allowing Him to lead us in whatever way He chooses. The Lord led Christa in an area that she was not expecting. She did not see it coming… But she learned to follow the Lord into the journey with Him. Listen in on my conversation with Christa to hear more of her story. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

God is the God of all nations. Of all people. Of all languages. He speaks to people all over the earth. And He is drawing all people to Himself. He has provided a way for us to be unified IN HIM. And by His Spirit. The Lord put a desire in Susan and her husband to go to different nations. As a result, she has learned different lessons from the Lord through different cultural experiences. Listen in on my conversation with Susan to hear how the Lord called her to live in different countries… And how the Lord has taught her different things about Himself through those travels. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

It is awesome to be called by God to impact others. To a God-sized dream. Something big. Something impactful. Something purposeful. But it can also be overwhelming. Especially when we start to look at our circumstances… Our limitations… Ourselves… How can we ever step into all that He wants for us? If we’re focused on ourselves, We will only see the impossibilities. But when we focus on the Lord, we start to see all HIS possibilities. The Lord equips us for what He calls us to do. HE is our strength. Listen in on my interview with LaKena to hear how the Lord is equipping her for her God-sized dream. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

You don’t have to have a title… You don’t have to have a specific position… You don’t have to be recognized as a leader… To serve. And that’s what leaders do. They serve. In whatever capacity the Lord gives them. To the people the Lord puts around them. At whatever time the Lord provides the opportunity. His gifts are for the body. And His gifts don’t just happen on Sunday. Whether or not you feel equipped… Prepared… Or even ready…. The Lord wants to use you. Today. Listen in on my conversation with Salena to hear some of the ways the Lord has allowed her to use her gifts for Him. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

Has pornography impacted your family? You spouse… Your kids… Your friends… You… Lynda walks with families to help them reach the other side. Not just for the people who have a pornography addiction… But for everyone who is affected. I love her holistic approach. Because it’s about restoration of relationships. It’s about redemption not just from struggles…but TO wholeness. It’s about love. Listen in on my conversation with Lynda. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

Are you in a season of change? As shift? Where you’re trying to figure out what’s next? Sometimes seasons come to an end, and you’re left trying to figure out what is next. Thankfully, the Lord knows what is next. He will lead you through that shift. He will show you what happens next. Not only that, but He uses our stories… He uses our past struggles and successes… To prepare us for our next season, And to equip us to serve the group of people He calls us to. Listen in on my conversation with Laura to hear her process what is next. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

What is your Purpose? What is your Calling? What is your Assignment? Sometimes these questions can be frustrating. People are trying to encourage you to do what the Lord wants you to do. To walk with the Lord in your life. And to make sure your life lines up with God’s will… But sometimes they end up adding MORE stress with those questions. In this conversation, Carla shares her incredible testimony. She shares about how she "practiced" listening to the Holy Spirit. And she also breaks down the difference between Purpose, Calling, and Assignment. And it is SO helpful. Instead of adding stress… She helps you look to the Lord. To know what He wants you to do, And to walk with Him through that process. If you’ve ever wondered what the Lord’s “will” is for your life… If you’ve ever wondered what your Purpose, Calling, or Assignment is… I know this conversation will be so helpful for you. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

“This is not who you are meant to be.” At the lowest point of her life… Stuck in an impossible situation… About to sell herself over… Maxine reached the end of herself. She had destroyed everything good in her life. And she couldn’t see beyond her situation. But God. God showed Maxine that there was more. God is so much greater than our circumstances. And His love is so much more than what we can see. And He knows exactly what You are meant to be. Listen in on Maxine’s powerful story of God’s hand on her life. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

Everything we do matters. Everything we do is either aligned with God’s way of doing things. Or against God’s way of doing things. God wants to bring each area of our lives into the fullness of His ways. But God doesn’t want us to just do things FOR Him. He wants us to do things WITH Him. From a place of intimacy with Him. Out of the place of who we already are in Christ. This changes everything. This changes our relationships. This changes how we do business. This changes our finances. This changes our worship. Listen in on my conversation with Stevie to hear about her journey of growing in to God’s perspective. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

What does it look like to put your trust in the Lord? …and not in yourself. You are faced with a choice every day. Even in your zeal to obey the Lord. You can try to do it in or own strength, or you can do it in His strength. Even when you know something that the Lord wants you to do. You can work really hard and try to make it happen. OR You can trust God and walk WITH God. Yield to Him. “God use me however you want to use me today.” And then trust Him that He will show you each day what to do. Listen in to my conversation with Livia to hear what this has looked like in her life. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

Busy with a newborn baby… Supporting a her husband in ministry… Working behind the scenes to help other people in their assignments… It could be easy to get stuck in the “woe is me” attitude. Why am I here. I feel called to bigger things. But this is my day to day life. Danielle was faced with those challenges. And the Lord taught her to be faithful in the little things. Even when she didn’t know where they were going. Even when she felt like she had to step back from pursuing her passion. Even when her husband was in the front. Be faithful. And in that His faithfulness, He gave her a glimpse of her future. A vision. And as she stewarded that vision… HE worked on her behalf. HE opened doors. HE provided what she needed to accomplish the vision. Listen in to hear a part of Danielle’s journey of walking WITH God… And trusting Him with the results. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

Strength is not living in the past. Not living in past mistakes. When people start bringing up your past mistakes and saying that’s who you are. Or when your own thoughts start to condemn you. Stop that at the door. No. That’s not who I am. I was like that before. I did that in the past. But I am not always going to be like that. And more importantly, that is not who God created me to be. That’s not who I am in Christ. So that’s not how I’m going to see myself. Register for the Created For Strength Conference to hear Takima share her story. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

Have you ever wondered how to live out the gospel? What it looks like with your husband? Your kids? Your friends? Your coworkers? Yourself? Scarlet struggled with this all growing up. Even after believing on the Lord Jesus, She felt like she was saved just to go to heaven… But she still needed to do a lot of things to be approved by God. She felt like she had to be good enough to earn God’s love. But that’s not the message of grace. The gospel frees us from working to earn God’s favor. And because of that, the gospel changes everything. Not just your future, but every moment of every day. You don’t have to be faithful and just to cleanse yourself from all unrighteousness. HE does that. In our conversation, Scarlet shares about the moment that she realized this truth for herself. And she shares the ripple affect that it had in every area of her life. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

Are you sabotaging yourself? Are you talking yourself out of your identity in Christ? Are you talking yourself out of how God views you? Are you talking yourself out of stepping into what God has called you to? Our thoughts are so important. Our minds are a battlefield. And we need to not just conform to the world, But to be transformed. And where does that start? By renewing our minds. One of the keys in freeing Deborah from her past was in learning to change her thoughts. To seek the Lord. And to choose to believe His Word over her thoughts. To not just read the Word… But to stand on it’s truth in the day-to-day. Join our conversation to hear how the Lord is working with her and in her. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

The Lord is so faithful to draw us to Himself. He loves us. He longs to show us His love. To pour it out on us. He IS love. He wants us to abide in Him—abide in His love. He wants to fill us. When we are at our lowest. When everything is falling apart. When there is no hope. When we can’t see a way out. His love is great enough to heal us. To redeem us. To preserve us. To save us. Anne’s story is such a testimony to the Lord’s love. This is a conversation you don’t want to miss. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

“Calling” can be such a huge, scary word. What does that even mean? What if I miss it? How do I know what the Lord wants me to do? This is exactly what Dawn helps people with. When people aren’t clear on what their calling is… They know what their calling is, but aren’t clear where to start or what to do next… Or they’re walking in calling but starting to feel stuck or feel a roadblock or feel burnout… She wants to help them figure out their next steps. The goal? Simple obedience to God. In her own life, she has learned to have the attitude of, “Yes, Lord.” To whatever He was asking. Walking in simple obedience to Him. One step at a time. Listen in on our conversation to hear what this looks like. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

Every time I’m around Rachel, I see her go out of her way to show people love. As her business has grown… As her reach has expanded… As more people recognize her… She still makes people feel loved. It is such an encouragement to me to let the love of Christ dwell in me richly… All. The. Time. With every person. In every interaction. His love should be evident in the day-to-day. Check out my conversation with Rachel. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

We are all created with gifts and talents. Whether we know the God or not. Before meeting the Lord, Vibeke was using her gifts and talents to make a living. She was passionate about it. But without the Lord… the joy was crushed. There was loneliness… There was jealousy… There was competition… But when she found God, the Lord called her back to her passion. But this time it was different. There was love… There was peace… And there was joy… When she was doing it for a different purpose… When she was doing it for the Lord… She was freed from pressure and from performance. It was no longer about her. It was about the Lord. And it was about others. Listen in on Vibeke’s story of walking by faith with the Lord. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

Walking along side of women who have undergone all sorts of abuse and violation, by all levels of society. It’s a hard call. It’s one you have to depend on the Lord Jesus Christ. But it’s one where the Lord has allowed Joy to use what Satan meant for evil, to take her out from abuse and violation… As a catalyst for His glory. We don’t have to stay stuck in suffering. Jesus on the cross has a solution for abuse and violation. Healing is possible. Restoration is possible. The love of the Father changes everything. Knowing His love… Experiencing His love… Changes everything. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

Have you ever met someone, And right away you know one of the ways God has gifted them… Because immediately you see and feel the affects of His gifting through them? That’s how it was with Kirbie. I interviewed her for the conference, and we had a brief conversation after the interview was over… And I felt SO encouraged by it. Encouraged to love my kids well… Encouraged to love and honor my husband… Encouraged to pour into others… Encouraged that the Lord has a plan for this season of my life… Encouraged to seek Him and rest in His goodness. It’s so fun to see His grace in action. Working through others. So I just want to remind you… Each person you meet matters. Each person you interact with is made in the image of God. And YOU have the invitation to abide in God’s love… To be so filled with the knowledge and reality of His love… That it overflows to others. What an incredible privilege. I’m excited for you to be able to listen in on our conversation… I know you will be encouraged by Kirbie’s story. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

I met Tara at a conference last year, and I was struck by her love for other people. She has 8 kids… She homeschools… She works to provide for her family… She has helped her family navigate many trials… And her focus is still on serving people. Helping people who are in similar situations that she has been in. Over and over, when a trial came her way, Instead of shrinking back… Instead of retreating with her family… Instead of blaming circumstances… She viewed it as a way to grow. Even while being in the hospital for weeks… With a son who almost died… She was thinking of ways to help other parents with hospitalized kids. She knew God had a plan for her trials. And she knew she was being led to help others. Listen in on Tara’s story. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

“You need to share your story.” God was speaking to McKenzie. She felt the Lord leading to share her story, but she had no idea what that would look like. No idea what He wanted. But she still said yes. “Okay Lord, I’ll do it.” That week, she started sharing on social media… She started writing a book… Unsure of where it would lead, but know that she needed to obey the Lord. A week later, she got a random message from a stranger… “Would you be interested in sharing your story for an online conference I’m hosting?” She said “yes” again. And she was the first interview I did for the Created For Strength Conference. Confirmation to her that she was moving forward in obedience to the Lord. And confirmation to me that the Lord was the one in charge of who I should interview. We scheduled the interview, and had a great hour-long conversation… But it was full of issues… Bad connections… Bad audio… Constant tech issues… The interview couldn’t be used… But that didn’t keep McKenzie from obeying. She kept sharing her story. Kept moving forward. Kept walking in obedience. Since my baby ended up being late, we were able to reschedule. And I was blown away with the second interview. Because of her continued obedience, she had WEEKS of practice sharing her story before our second interview. And it was powerful. A wonderful testimony not only of the Lord’s faithfulness in her life… But of growth. When the Lord calls you to something, You STILL need to grow into what He calls you to. There will still be a journey… A process… Of BECOMING the person who can do the thing that God calls you to. And I have loved being small part of McKenzie’s journey. As she continues to walk by faith… Taking steps of action when the Lord calls… Even when the destination is unknown. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

Nothing is wasted with God. Regina and her husband started learning about counseling couples BEFORE they were married. They used to sit together on a Friday night her parents’ house and go through packets on counseling, conflict, communication… Little did they know that God would use that time of preparation. Not just to strengthen their marriage. But so that they could counsel other couples from a place of strength. The little things you do. The books you read… The interests you have… Your past experiences… God wants to use all of it— All of YOU— In the community He’s placed you in. I loved hearing Regina share about her 30-years of marriage, ministry, parenting… And what it looked like for her to walk with the Lord through all of it. And once again, the Lord is calling her to a shift for what that looks like in this season. Don’t miss my conversation with Regina. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

Your gifts are not all about YOU. Don’t downplay your gifts. Don’t ignore them. Don’t shrug them off as “nothing” or “no-big-deal.” Your talents belong to God. And He doesn’t want you to bury them. You have a God-given responsibility to use your God-given gifts. GOD has uniquely gifted you. He wants you to grow your gift. To develop it. And to use it to impact others. It’s not selfish to recognize how God has gifted you. It’s not selfish to develop those gifts and become great at them. God placed a gift inside of you, and He wants you to share it with others. Don’t discount what God is able to do through you. If you never know how to react when someone gives you a compliment… If you feel like you have no idea what your gifts are… You NEED to listen to my conversation with Emily. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

God speaks to His people. And sometimes, God speaks through another person’s words. One of the turning points in Ashley’s life was when a pastor started speaking life into her. In her words, “He saw things inside of me that were good, and he told me about them.” And because of that, she started using her gifts… Her words… Her life… To impact others. You matter. You are seen. Your life makes a difference. And you can make a difference to other people. The Lord can use you to build... To encourage… To strengthen... To bring healing… If you’ve ever felt unseen… If you’ve ever like you didn’t know your purpose… If you’ve ever felt like you are “side-lined” from serving because of your past… You need to listen in on this conversation. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

“Knowing the Father’s love in your heart, Instead of just knowing the Father’s love in your head… That shifts everything.” Connecting with Shae Bynes was a direct answer to multiple prayers. Some of which I had been praying for over two years. A couple months ago, I was working really hard at trying to put the Created For Strength Conference together. I felt like the Lord wanted me to interview around 30 women… So I was working really hard at finding those women. It was a struggle. It was a grind. And no matter how hard I tried… It wasn’t working. So I finally gave up. And when I did. When I gave up, and gave it to the Lord. That’s when things started to fall into place. One of the women that I interviewed put me in contact with a few people that she thought would be perfect for this conference. And she was right. And her connections were an answer to prayer. (thanks Carla!) One of the people she introduced me to was Shae. I reached out, and Shae agreed to do the interview. I found out later that she agreed BECAUSE of my vulnerability. When she asked for more details, I was very honest about the fact that God led me to do this conference, but I had no idea what it would look like or what He wanted from it. Little did I know at the time, that is a lot like what happened to her when she started her business. And that is what she helps other people with now. Doing business with God. Relying on God’s strength, instead of your own. If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to “walk by faith”… If you’ve ever wondered how to grow in love and intimacy with the Father… If you’ve ever felt like the Lord was leading you to do something, but you had no idea what that would look like… This is a conversation you don’t want to miss. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support

You were created by God. He made you to image Him. He made you for intimacy with Him. He loves you. He wants HIS best for you. And since He created you… Since He knows you better than you know yourself… The only way to fulfill you calling… The only way to image Him… Is to KNOW Him. He knows your personality. He knows the gifts He gave you. He knows the talents you have. He knows your worth. Your value. Your beauty. And He knows the best way for you to use all of it. He uniquely designed YOU to show forth an aspect of His glory. Here. On this earth. Right now. And the only way to know that purpose… The only way to fulfill that calling… The only way to step into your strength… Is to seek Him. To grow in intimacy with Him. To walk with Him. Today. I recently interviewed 31 women about their life stories. They shared their struggles… Their successes… They shared their weaknesses… They shared what God has redeemed them from… They shared what He has called them to… They shared their hearts. And they shared the beauty of stepping into their strength… The strength that HE supplies. God has given me SO much through these conversations… And I know that He has something for you. I’d love for you to listen in. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/createdforstrength/support