You Are You

What happens when God turns up the heat? Are we going to try and escape? Or trust that he's going to give us what we need to handle it—allow his heat to refine us like gold? Let's talk about how waiting for an answer to prayer can be a hot process, and that how we handle the process may affect how we praise God before, during, and after our breakthrough. We end with a pep talk on how living in love with God should be our greatest joy. Whether we are or are not in the End Times, Jesus calls us to be on guard and ready for his return any time. Are we truly living for him? Follow Jenni: ⁠⁠@the.yay.project⁠⁠Follow the podcast: ⁠⁠@yaypodcast⁠⁠Follow the prayers: ⁠⁠@pinkandnew

This week, testimonies on the importance of staying organized (digital planners, Notion, Google Sheets, oh my!) and pursuing your God dreams (even or especially when you want to curl up and ignore them), seeing fruit from obedience (has God ever called you to serve in the last place you wanted?), and two testimonies of how staying humble and letting God promote you (“Jesus Teaches about Humility,” Luke 14) truly works.  Follow Jenni: ⁠@the.yay.project⁠ Follow the podcast: ⁠@yaypodcast⁠ Follow the prayers: ⁠@pinkandnew

An unpolished, open-hearted chat about why being in an “It's not optional God—I need you to bring breakthrough” position may not be our favourite way to start the year but it's pure, honest, and pleasing to God who loves when we fully rely on him.  Prayer: Lord, may this be a year of fulfilled hopes and beautiful fruit bloomed from the pruning you've been doing in our hearts. Amen. Follow Jenni: @the.yay.project Follow the podcast: @yaypodcast Follow the prayers: @pinkandnew

For me and many of my friends, 2024 was a really refining year. And may it continue in 2025, amen? In this episode, I share my word of the year for 2024, how my year went and what I learned about said word, how I felt God used the year to do a lot of internal refining, and why it's OK that things may not have happened in our way or timing in 2024 but we can go into 2025 full of more hope than ever. Love you, friends. Blessed new year and speak soon.

Pray and trust God with the outcome… total surrender to him... easier said than done? If you're feeling this way, tune in :) Sharing how God has been leading me towards a “be expectant and chill… trust God will answer and relax” attitude, and why it's different than how he's taught me to wait on him in the past. Let's keep praying to our Lord, friends! Waiting on the Lord is good—it shows we trust him.

What's God teaching me this season, after a move to downtown Toronto? A whole lot about the importance of humility, the blessing of divine surprises, and the adventure of obeying God and following his call to explore. Reach out with comments/questions/prayer requests @yaypodcast. God bless you, friends. May this be our most surrendered to God season yet!

Who (or what) are we putting first in our lives? This week, reminders of God's promises and character (and that he is fun!), a peek at something new

Are we swimming in God's ocean-deep love? This week, God's faithfulness in all seasons, pitching at tech parties, and giving thanks this season. *** Join our community!

How much are we in God's Word? This week, advice on faithfulness from a 2x Christian unicorn ($1B) founder, our latest course on self-care, and mid-year reflections. *** Join our community!

How being part of a startup incubator has changed the way I view ministry, God's apostolic gift activating in the church this season, encouragement to embrace God's leading (without fear!), and more. *** Join our community!

Our new collab with The Salvation Army! This week, let's talk about the importance of self-care and how we can seek God for healing when facing compassion fatigue, burnout, vicarious trauma, and more. Plus a little life update with reflections after a funeral, the joys of realizing you've been shaped by God (and that he's now shaping other areas), and the importance of obedience over ambition. *** Join our community!

Shall we pray for greater capacity to receive God's love and pour it out? This week, on day dates with God, how to ‘Just Act' when it comes to serving the poor, and love as a foster mother. *** Join our community!

Is there something weighing on your heart? This week, advice on how to “enlighten” the eyes of our heart (as per Paul) so we are reminded of who and whose we are, and how to act as God's daughters. *** Join our community!

No matter what you're facing, God has a plan. He's got a good, good plan for your life with blessings that will delight you more than you thought possible. Will you believe him? And trust him? And wait on him? And have faith? God's will in our lives requires our yes—he doesn't force us. An episode for Christian women on how to have hope, how to wait on God, how to believe God for impossible things, encouragement for why you've been made for such a time as this... and more! *** Join our community!

Ever wanted to put off obeying your God-given calling until your circumstances are a little better? Or put off enjoying your God-given design until you've made a little bit more progress? A pep talk episode with honest real life examples of how *now* is the time to obey God. Things will never be perfect and even when they *feel* close to perfect we always need God. His ways, his designed circumstances, his timing… we can always trust him. If we sense him calling us to act, let's take his hand and move! Ps. If you're into raw chats, this episode is for you. As I was editing/re-listening, I wondered whether I should re-record this. In the days since, God has helped me process some stuff, so I might ‘sigh' less if I re-recorded it in some sections lol but perhaps more polish will come in the next episode. This one is an honest look at a Christian woman/founder/creative/leader's 'day-in-the-life' in doing her best to obey God where she is while pushing back against peer pressure, societal standards, etc. and looking to God. And is encouraged that he is teaching her, helping her process new things, and answering prayers daily! Hope you can relate to it and that we keep encouraging each other to pursue the Lord today as we are trusting that that's all God requires and he's more than capable of handling the rest. Love you, friends. You Are You Podcast (@yaypodcast) by Jenni Lien (founder, @the.yay.project & @pinkandnew) encourages Christian women to celebrate their God-given design, pursue their kingdom calling, and—most of all—love God with all their hearts. We have a special heart for Millennial and Gen Z Asian Christian women. This season, we're focused on seeking God for emotional healing as we pursue our God-given dreams. Join us!

A ‘life in five testimonies' kind of episode! Let's pretend we're about to grab a three-hour dinner followed by a two-hour hot chocolate friend date (I've been having quite a few of these lately and I love them!). We haven't caught up in a while and so why don't we settle in, catch up, share our hearts, pray, and encourage each other to keep our eyes on the Lord. He is with us, friends. This year, may we seek him and pursue his heart and plans for our lives (in that order) more than ever before.

This year, I'm committing to living with joy (1 Thessalonians 5:16). Are you in too? In this first episode of the year, let's chat about life updates, God math, and the wisdom of doubling down on God. May we live every day this year aware of God's presence and living as Holy Spirit empowered children of God on our God-given mission! *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

Ready to shut your laptop and get some rest this Christmas season? Have you had a super busy fall and ready for some fun? Before we jump into celebrating, let's spend some time praying over how to end this year well and prepare for 2024. In this episode, we'll dig into Luke 21's “The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times”. Let's talk about getting on God's ‘spa' table for some treatments (including what this looks like for me after a busy month in startup world and ahead of a new move), how to handle the anxieties of life (via recent testimonies of open and closed doors), and a pep talk about preparing for Jesus's return (how to think about life today in light of eternity). Love you, friends! God is still doing so much. Let's continue to seek him as we celebrate his faithfulness in 2023 and look forward to a new year. *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

As humans, sometimes we love labels don't we? And I'm not just talking about the designer kind. We can put our identity and confidence in labels related to our relationships (wife), status (head of), job (doctor), side hustle (stylist), bank account (gazillionaire) — just a few (random) examples! It's natural perhaps but what happens when God — who writes the best adventures — shakes things up? Asks us to go from our version of fishermen to travelling preachers? Will we say yes? This week, a testimony and followed by three prayer prompts to seek God about: 1) Are there any labels that we're chasing because of selfish ambition? 2) What labels does he want us to hold onto in this season? 3) How can we learn to be more loving of the labels God is giving us this season and not compare – either with others or our past or future selves? *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

This is for all my ambitious, go-getter Christian girlies. It's good to pursue our God-given dreams — this is what God wants, and we can have such fun doing it. But we'll get ourselves into trouble if we idolize our accomplishments or blessings. How can we hold our treasures lightly? How does living as God's daughter first affect our lifestyle? How can we really be sure waiting on God will result in the best version of success? This episode is full of joyful testimonies with the goal of reminding us that our great God answers prayers all the time and he really does more than we could ask or imagine. *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

Have you ever felt spiritually attacked? Pursuing a new goal or overcoming a past sin – and feeling like God's truth is hard to believe right now? Come join in the conversation as we talk about spiritual warfare and prayer tools to help us reject the enemy's lies and redeclare God's truth over our lives. This episode ends with a pep talk to encourage us to live like we know we are children of God – citizens of heaven. May we not accept the world's standards as best – but see our lives and the purpose of life on earth from God's point of view. We all want to achieve our potential – may we be chasing the right things. *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

Interested in how to build a new life in a new city? Are you in the midst of doing this or maybe you want to one day? In this episode, I cover the three things I'm focusing on during these first few weeks in Taipei, things that I feel set me up for success during past moves from Canada to Singapore and Hong Kong. The episode ends with a pep talk to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus this season because we are smart Christian women and want to focus on the right things, amen? Let's kick out unhelpful worldly opinions and live life according to the author and perfector of our faith (Hebrews 12:2) — the one whose opinion matters. Life with the Lord is the most fun adventure — if we will walk in faith and believe! *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

Welcome to Season 5 of You Are You podcast! This season will be a real-time, day in the life-style, journey of what it looks like to pursue a God-given dream. In my case, this is building a platform that helps Christian women seek God for emotional health and healing. Friends, it's true isn't it, that God has given us ALL dreams. They feel bigger than we can accomplish — maybe even dare to dream. We might think we don't have all the right qualifications. But God is the expert at equipping the called! He already planned these things for us to do before we were born. He wants us to carry out the plans he's prepared for our lives. He is willing to help us every day and give us all the wisdom and resources we need to do it! Let's give our whole lives to him and get excited about the fact that his is going to show up. This episode covers 1) submitting life's stressors, 2) keeping oil in our lamps, and 3) the importance of diligence and taking the sabbath. *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

A podcast in three short stories kind of episode!   1) When the Spirit Says Share On the importance (and joy!) of learning to say “yes” to the Holy Spirit when he asks us to do something + testimony on how I got to camp at beautiful Joffre Lakes in British Columbia 2) Life Changes Thinking back to life one year ago and all the life changes that have happened… even though I was recently in danger of having a “everything is the same” pity party + what a One Direction song has to do with this episode, and  3) Transitions  Prayers for me (and maybe you) as I pray through Taipei vs. Toronto vs. Kitchener-Waterloo, being a full-time entrepreneur vs. getting a 9-5, leaving space for God to open those “wildest dreams” type of doors + why it's such a gift to rely on God during transition seasons. Let's have a life chat, friends :) love you

Recently I spoke with an atheist who said how great it is that people find community through churches — but as Christians, don't we sometimes take community for granted and choose not to get plugged in? This episode dives into God's will for community and how, even if we're in an ‘in between' season (e.g. only in a place for a short period or not wanting to stay where we are for too long), community where we can live out the James 5:16 principle to “confess your sins to one another and pray for one another” is such a blessing for our walk. I also share my testimony of how I sought and didn't seek community in my current season and what I've learned through it. May we learn to live and love as God intends in all seasons of life! *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

What is godly grieving? Why is it important? What does it look like — and what are some reasons to do it? This episode covers all these questions and more! And why this topic? In this episode, I share my recent experience doing a self-guided godly grieving workshop and the reasons why I wanted to. Yes, we can repent and re-surrender to God anytime. But it can be so fruitful to spend some extended time with God and really confess, repent, talk, and allow him to love us back to health. While we are human, may we not take it lightly that our sin grieves God.

A heart-to-heart episode for all my ‘waiting for marriage but not because I'm lonely or desperate and anyone will do' single ladies out there! In this episode, I share my thoughts on dating and relationships, how it has and hasn't changed going into year four of singleness, what a distraction is or might be, and how God has been reminding me (and maybe you) about his will for love. *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

We're human... and we make mistakes. Sometimes, we let our guard down or get swept away, and then... what should we do? This episode dives into the overwhelming love of God — when we sin, may his arms be the first place we go! It doesn't always feel easy. But isn't it true that we can often speak to ourselves way more harshly than God would ever speak to us (and just fyi this is a 'no judgment whatsoever' episode). So for those of us who are thinking, “Lord, I'm sorry. I know I've not behaved, spoken, or even thought in a manner worthy of you lately. You've taught me better, I repent and ask for your help to get right with you” here are some things I feel God is teaching me (and maybe you) now, ending with three practical steps on how to re-surrender to God again.

This episode is all about how we can get to that tender place where we're wanting, longing, happy to be soul-bared in front of our Lord. So… let's catch up on the past few months shall we? And why it can be wise to wait to create, the role of obedience, reflections on new seasons coming with new temptations, a testimony on being moved to tears in the presence of God, and two questions to chew on: 1) Are we ready for God to change our worldview? 2) Are we ready for God to rip up even the most long-standing strongholds in our lives? Let's end with a prayer of surrender (and for strength!). *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

This year is kicking off hard! For me… and for you? Calling all my ambitious, goal-oriented Christian girlies, this episodes discusses various things from worship (us worshiping God, him ministering to us), pros and cons of laser focusing, podcast recommendations, the *essentialness* of understanding our rights as children of God, the beautiful pain/joy of going through God's crushing into new wine, and love and encouragement to share your perfectly imperfect God-given journey, the highs and lows, the shiny and (seemingly) cringe, knowing that God's truths shine through our cracks! This year, let's try and do it *all* God's way. There's no time to waste — let's not miss a day walking with our Lord. He is writing the most beautiful, impactful, wonderful story for you, because you're part of his story. Rely on him to be all he made you to be. *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

It's been a whirlwind fall! Taking steps of faith brought me from Hong Kong to Canada, to pursuing a full-time Master's in Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET), and man oh man… has God shown up. In so many ways. In this episode, I wanted to share a few testimonies on how God has shown up in surprising ways — including in pitches to angel investors and in interviews with venture funds. Is it weird, scary, inappropriate to talk about God in these settings — or should we show up as our full selves? You know the answer… if you want some encouragement, tune in for these testimonies. *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

Jasmine Nguyen Gutierrez (@jazgtzdesign) is an Asian American designer and illustrator based in Central Texas who creates playful art with meaningful stories to develop authentic connections with others. I first came across Jasmine's art on Instagram, during a time when anti-Asian racism was in the news during COVID — she shared a “Chinatown Confessions” collection on her honest feelings and experiences as an Asian-American navigating stereotypes, microaggressions, and other struggles faced by the Asian American community. I'm excited we have this opportunity to hear from Jasmine, and her testimonies of how God has led her through healing, switching fields, building a family business, and to a place where she loves to trust God outside of her comfort zone because she doesn't want to miss out on what God is trying to show her. *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

Delphine Chui (@DelphineMariaC) is the Founder and CEO of Care Dogs (@caredogscharity), a UK charity that is helping to solve the problem of social isolation in older people. They offer local dog befriending services within South London, pairing older people with local volunteers and their dogs, so everyone can experience the benefit of canine companionship. Prior to starting Care Dogs, Delphine was a magazine journalist working for publications such as Marie Claire, GQ, HELLO, and Grazia… which is how we met! Tune in for the full story of how God changed Delphine and me from women who loved planning our own lives to totally surrendering to him at 30 and what's happened since we handed over control to God. *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

As we pursue our dreams, may we remember that God wants us to be good stewards of our resources including our time and energy. Because it's going to take our very best effort to build these God-given dreams and they are worthy of our best effort, amen? In this episode, I share a bit about this stage (starting month 3) of my entrepreneurship journey—what I'm calling the 'articulation stage' where much prayer, effort, and work is required to articulate to others the vision that's burning on the inside of us. When we stumble over our words, when we're not able to accurately explain our vision to others, when others' don't get our vision, when we're trying to pinpoint our vision to ourselves, it can be frustrating but may we not give up! Let's go to God (for clarity, strength, wisdom—the list is endless!), keep working unto him, and trust he goes before us—he's written this plan for us before we were born. Let's do what he's made us to do. *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

Beatrice (Bee) Go (@beebeego09) is a freelance sports journalist based in Manila. This is a wonderfully meaty episode where Bee shares how she got into sports journalism, the transition from working for a big brand (Rappler) to going freelance, family and cultural pressures, how God pruned her and set her up for success during the pandemic, tips for staying organized and fit, thoughts on a Christian approach to finances and sowing into God's kingdom, the impact of church community on our spiritual health, what she's learned as a young woman in leadership, and more. Praying this episode encourages us to take and hold onto Jesus's hand and let him lead x *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

When was the last time you went through a honeymoon period? When the emotions are flowing, it can be hard to see clearly. We don't want to see life from a hyperrealistic lens—we know our God does immeasurably more than we could ever imagine. And honeymoon periods feel good… can't we just enjoy them? This episode covers pros and cons of the honeymoon period, how I handled/am handling my current honeymoon period, prayer prompts to help us see and hear clearly amidst these periods, and advice for shaking off traps that aim to keep us afraid to pursue where God is leading us. Honeymoon periods may end, but that's not a bad thing! There is endless adventure, new chapters being written, in this life adventure with the Lord. *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

New seasons are exciting. We're meeting new people, having new experiences, enjoying new learnings. Maybe especially if we've been praying for a new season for ages, it's like “It's finally here!” But what happens when our new busy schedules result in less time waiting on the Lord? (Hint: There truly is no substitute for time with God—you know it's true!) A heart-to-heart talk today including testimonies re prophetic and secular wisdom (FourSight Thinking Profiles) and lots of encouragement on taking courageous steps in this season with the Lord. Sending so much love to you and covering us in prayer. *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

Dr. Amy Tsai is a hematologist, a doctor whose field of expertise encompasses all diseases and disorders related to blood, at one of Hong Kong's largest and busiest public hospitals. What I love about my friendship with Amy is that it has God's fingerprints all over it. We are very different people whose day-to-days are so different. I have absolutely no idea what it's like to work in a hospital, to care for people who are very sick, to see death, to be “on call” and work up to 36 hours in a row. But through our friendship, I've been able to see and hear about how God's written such a beautiful life story for Amy. That even though she understands science so thoroughly, she also has full faith that our God can perform miracles. When Amy testifies, I get to rejoice with her, understanding more about God's character and how he is moving in a different part of the world. So whether you're a medical professional or interested in seeing a glimpse of how God is moving in hospitals, sit back and I hope you enjoy this episode! [Key markers] What does a hematologist do? (0:13) The decision to work at a public hospital (2:21) How to avoid being jaded when seeing so much struggle and death (3:53) Community outside of work (8:26) On burnout (12:00) On speaking with patients about faith (14:14) Has your career made you more or less confident that God exists? (21:32) What is something you are praying for? (27:00) Closing prayer from Amy (29:17) *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

Crystal Yeap (@slowlivecreate) is a Singapore-based Christian creative and entrepreneur. Her business, slowlivecreate, aims to be a safe place for women to slow down and reconnect with their innate creativity because she believes slowing down helps us to be grounded and live with intention and purpose. But just a few years ago, she was living a high-flying life as a fashion exec until God unfolded a new chapter! Sense God calling you to start something but you don't feel like a typical entrepreneur? This episode is for you ❤️ [Key markers] What is slowlivecreate? (1:06) How do you work at a ‘slow living' pace as an entrepreneur? (4:46) When God redirects you from what you wanted to something better (7:17) What was involved in launching your digital courses? (11:50) What does it look like to have God as your “CEO”? (13:32) The importance of talking to the right people (15:56) The importance of praying over social media posts (18:26) Instagram and…? The tools Crystal is using to build her business (20:05) Closing prayer from Crystal (23:30) *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

At age 12, Doris Brougham told God she would commit to serve in Asia. She kept her promise... and is still serving the Lord in Asia at 96! This testimony is a must listen. Doris arrived in Taiwan in 1951 and soon started ORTV, a media company that was a pioneer in preaching the gospel through radio and TV as well as print. She has become a household name in Taiwan, impacting countless lives including my grandpa and my parents (more in this episode), and was recently honoured with the inaugural Outstanding Women Award from Taiwan's National Women's League for her service. Through it all, her humility, kindness, and deep reverence for God remains — praying this interview encourages us all to commit wholeheartedly to our God!  [Key Markers] Introduction (0:00) Welcome, Doris! (1:25) Have you ever been tempted to pursue a more comfortable lifestyle? (2:24) How did ORTV get started? (5:45) You were a pioneer in sharing the gospel via radio and tv... thoughts on sharing via today's social media channels? (8:50) Can you tell us about a time where God stretched you? (11:05) Was "giving up love" an easy decision? (15:00) How do you like to worship and spend time with God? (17:55) Closing prayer from Doris (25:00)   *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

Hi friends, welcome to season 4! This season we'll be exploring the topic of work — building a kingdom business, applying kingdom principles to secular workplaces, and more. But before we dive in, this first episode covers a bit about my journey moving from Hong Kong back to Canada, learning to hear from God in a season of burnout, why I'm pursuing my MBET (like an MBA for entrepreneurs!), upcoming interviews with Asia-based entrepreneurs, and my hopes and prayers for helping us all rely on God at work. *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

Luise Berry is my women's ministry pastor at The Vine Church in Hong Kong. I joined women's ministry during a season where my heart was extra tender, and have experienced God's love in so many ways through her, the women's ministry core team, and the other sisters. Recently, Pastor Luise announced she and her husband would be following God's call to Portugal... and I, as I was about to move to a new country as well, had a number of questions for her! How did God speak to Pastor Luise (a Brit) about serving in Asia? How did she go from teaching to ministry? Why did she hesitate when God spoke to her about leaving Hong Kong for Portugal? Why Portugal? What will she be doing there? Should we make a big country move if we don't know exactly what we'll be doing when we get there? If you're going through a season of change and wanting some encouragement that faith in God moves mountains (Matthew 17:20), I pray this episode encourages you. *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

Welcome to the Season 3 finale! Join in as we discuss preparing for the summer (often a season with less structure), moving into new seasons with a healthy heart (no hate or bitterness!), and trusting that waiting at the feet of Jesus (and prioritizing this daily) is always the best place to be. Lord, help us to be humble hearted and full of hope in you. *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

Raise your hand if you like adventures! May we remember that we're already on an adventure with God. Sometimes we see where we're going — and it's exciting (or a bit scary). Other times, we're in a dark tunnel and not exactly sure what's on the other side. But no matter what — with God leading, the end result is sure to be good. He's given us the treasure map and we can seek him for extra clues anytime. Amidst my current adventure, God's been teaching me some special lessons too — on humility, surprises, and staying sharp amidst life changes. Join in this episode, and let me know — do any of these resonate with you this season? *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

Do you ever hear of families praying together and think 'That's awesome, I want to have that.' Or maybe you'd settle for getting your own prayer life in order first. Three years ago, I didn't pray with my family regularly — I could barely even pray out loud in my own small group! So how did things go from there to weekly family prayer meetings and a desire to not only pray in my small group but on a podcast?! Join in to hear about the power of faithful prayer (who prayed for decades?), God's timing, and practical tips for setting up a family prayer altar from scratch. *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

God is moving today, amen? God is always moving—praise him! He's moving in our lives, pursuing us with his love, wanting us to thrive… even if we can't seem to hear his voice. Is God not speaking—is it possible we're missing him? Tune in for a fiery faith pep talk that… God gave me as I recorded this episode. He's got so much for us this season, friends. Only abundant life with the Lord. *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

Experiencing inner healing and deliverance changed my life. I first went through it, via a program at my church, in a season where I was expecting time to heal my heart… but many months had gone by and I wasn't feeling any better. Time doesn't heal, Jesus does, amen? Through it, I realised areas of struggle that I thought were just ‘part of my personality' could be healed — if it's not godly, it's not from God! He has better. In this episode, we hear from Allicia Bankuti of Ellel Ministries, which runs various inner healing courses and programs. She honestly and vulnerably shares her testimony (tw: pornography, bullying, eating disorders, drugs, self-harm), as well as practical steps for seeking God for inner healing in your quiet time, formal programs, and more. May we not accept less than Jesus died for us to have. ***

What's God been teaching me about the quality of my heart now that I've started going on dates again (after 2.5 years of singleness)? For one thing, that I may have surrendered my heart to him and healed from many things but… he's still doing quite a bit of work in me! Join in for a chat on God's commands regarding holy living (1 Peter 1:13-16) and keeping this in mind amidst our desires, lists, and expectations. *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

We hear about crazy faith and how with it God can do the impossible… but what happens when you had crazy faith and it didn't work out and now it's hard to have even 80% faith? I recently took a four-day prayer retreat because I felt God encourage me to do some things and I was struggling—thinking what's the point of dreaming/planning (thinking about life at age 40!) when you've dream/planned before and it didn't work out. And I pondered: Is it ever worth it to guard our hearts against God? To trust in God a little less? To rely on things we can control over the One who controls everything? *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

Join in for part 2 of our interview with Sylvia Yu Friedman, one of the world's premier experts on modern slavery and author of ‘A Long Road to Justice: Stories from the Frontlines in Asia' (Penguin), a journalistic account of the abuse and enslavement of women and girls in Asia. In this episode, Sylvia shares about how she would explain anti-human trafficking to those who are new to learning about the topic (0:00), how Japanese war-time sex slavery and modern-day sex slavery are intertwined (3:00), the realities of trafficking in Hong Kong (6:40), acknowledging evil while being rooted in God's love (7:00), advice for not ignoring evil but asking God to help us intercede (8:00), and a closing prayer—praying and believing for an Esther movement (11:20). May we seek God and surrender to him 100%, boldly obeying and interceding as he leads in/for this unique time in history. *** Follow along for daily encouragement!

How did a self-described party girl go from underage clubbing to being one of the world's premier experts on modern slavery? Sylvia Yu Friedman is a Hong Kong-based award-winning filmmaker and investigative journalist, speaker, and writer, who recently released her third book ‘A Long Road to Justice: Stories from the Frontlines in Asia' (Penguin), a journalistic account of the abuse and enslavement of women and girls in Asia. Tune in as Sylvia vulnerably and powerfully shares about her new book (including how she gained the courage to film a documentary in some of the darkest brothels in China—0.50/17:00), a rising Esther and women's movement (7:15), how a rock-bottom moment caused her to ask ‘What is worth dying for?' (19:30), the impact of perfectionism and ‘face' on our willingness to testify (21:30), advice for surrendering our goals and influence for God's glory (24:50), the importance of humility and guarding against pride (25:30), and more! & join us again next week for the second half of Sylvia's interview, where she will share more about realities and God-focused responses to human/sex trafficking. ***