Podcast appearances and mentions of gretchen saffles

Titus 3:3-8 NIV “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.”   *Transcription Below*   Hunter Beless is an author of several children's books including Read It, See It, Say It, Sing It! and Amy Carmichael: The Brown-Eyed Girl Who Learned to Pray. She is also a Bible teacher, co-author of Titus: Displaying the Gospel of Grace and the founder of Journeywomen Ministries, which empowers women to live out their faith through deep commitment to their local church. Hunter hosts the Journeywomen Podcast, sharing resources and insightful conversations with women of faith. She and her husband, Brooks, have four beautiful children, whom Hunter homeschools. You can find her on Instagram @hunterbeless, or at https://www.hunterbeless.com/books. Journeywomen Podcast   Thank You to Our Sponsor: The Sue Neihouser Team   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Questions and Topics We Cover: 1. What rhythms have been most profitable to you (spiritually, relationally, physically, and productively?)  2. In your own home, how have you intentionally helped your children know and love God through Scripture?  3. How is the Gospel useful for not only salvation, but also sanctification?   Similar Episodes from The Savvy Sauce: 16 Reflecting Jesus in Our Relationships with Rach Kincaid 57 Implementing Bite-Size Habits That Will Change Your Life with Author, Blogger, Podcaster, and Speaker, Kat Lee 150 Brain Science and Spiritual Abundance with Ken Baugh 166 Journey from Empty to Well Nourished Soul with Gretchen Saffles  207 Cultivating Character in Our Children with Cynthia Yanof Special Patreon Release Wholehearted Quiet Time with Naomi Vacaro 267 Apologetics with Ray Comfort 274 Holy Spirit Stories and Fruit and Ways to Identify His Guidance in Our Lives with Margaret Feinberg   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”   Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:11)   Laura Dugger: (0:12 - 1:16) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   Thank you to the Sue Neihouser Team for sponsoring this episode. If you're looking to buy or sell a home this season, make sure you reach out to Sue at 309-229-8831. Sue would love to walk alongside you as you unlock new doors.   My guest for today is Hunter Beless, and you may recognize her as the founder of Journey Women Ministries. She's also a podcaster and an author of multiple books, including this recent one, Jesus Loves You More. Hunter is going to share today about all things discipleship.   Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Hunter.    Hunter Beless: (1:17 - 1:23) Thank you so, much for having me. I just love the concept of this show, and I'm excited to be here with you today.    Laura Dugger: (1:23 - 1:56) Well, I've been looking so, forward to getting to chat with you. You've been on my list for years, so, I'm thankful this worked out. And even, it may have been years ago, but I heard you publicly share that you had chosen to put your faith in Christ in elementary school, I believe. But then as you transitioned into high school, you were open about then choosing to pursue the ways of the world. So, will you just speak to that experience and talk to that teenage girl who's currently facing some similar temptations?    Hunter Beless: (1:56 - 6:39) Oh, that'd be such a privilege to get to speak to any young woman who is in a situation like this. I often think, like, if I would have just had one older friend who was encouraging me in the Lord, who would be willing to testify to God's grace in her life, and who would reach back and try and help me just to continue walking in the grace that he had extended to me through his son, like, I wonder if it would have gone differently for me, Laura. But, you know, the Lord did save me at a young age, and I lived fervently for him, loved God's word, even from a young age.    And I remember, like, seeing groups of people that I wanted to like me, and wanting so, desperately to be accepted by them. But knowing that when I opened the pages of scripture, the Holy Spirit brought conviction to my heart in a way that would not allow me to act in accordance with the things that these groups were doing, in order to be approved of by them. And so, I thought to myself, "Well, maybe I'll just stop reading my Bible so, much." This is about eighth or ninth grade. And, you know, then I won't feel a sense of conviction when it comes to, like, these behaviors that I know I need to, you know, adapt to, in order to be approved of by the people that I deemed, you know, significant. And so, I set my Bible aside.    And it's a really sad story. I mean, as I continued to spend time outside of God's word, I would still go to church with my family and things like that on Sunday mornings. But I just began to look less and less like a follower of Christ, and more and more like the world. And eventually, you know, I spent my entire duration of my high school years doing that. And I have to tell you; I just went back to my 20-year high school reunion. And there was a girl that I saw there. And she told me what a jerk I was in that season of my life. And it was such a wonderful thing to be reminded of what it looks like for me to not be walking in the Spirit, but to be walking in the flesh. And to really have to reckon with, that is what it looks like to be walking like the world.    And I just told her, I said, "You know what, you're completely right." I said, "I was." I was totally looking out for my good and not for the good of others. I was absolutely living for myself and not for the Lord. But by God's grace, when it came time for my senior year of high school, he allowed me to get to the end of myself. And you would have thought, like, looking back, I had the resume, I had the 4.0, I had the salutatorian status, I was the president of my high school senior class. You would have thought, this girl's crushing it. But I had never been more anxious, more depressed, more insecure, more selfish, obviously, as testified to by the girl that I just referenced, than I was in that season of my life.    And I remember I had a youth pastor who had just come into our church. And he said, "Hey," he said, "How's your time in the word looking?" And I said, "Well, I could either lie, or I could tell the truth." And I said, "You know, it's looking pretty, pretty bleak." And he said, "I just want to challenge you to get back in God's word." And at the same time, my dad had a tragic accident. It was a near death accident. And I was kind of reckoned with the brevity of life as a senior in high school. And I cried out to the Lord. And I said, "God, if you really are who you say you are, would you show me who you are through your word?"    And that sparked, Laura, this passion for God's word. And it allowed me then to see the difference in my own life, what it looks like for Hunter to be walking without listening to the voice of God, and what it looked like for Hunter to have her face in her Bible, and to seek to live by God's word. And I tell you what, I probably don't look nearly as impressive by the world's standards. But the joy and the peace, and really just the transformation that the Lord has accomplished in my life through his word, is something that I cannot stop testifying to. And I just cannot encourage women enough, like if you are wrestling with the flesh, to get into God's word, because God works by the power of the Holy Spirit through his word in the lives of his people. And so, that's why really this whole passion has just overtaken my life for God's word.    Laura Dugger: (6:40 - 6:59) Wow, that is incredible to hear that transformation, because God did it, and God can do it again. And God can do it for each one of us listening. But you are so passionate about discipling others. Can you first tell us, what were some of the significant ways that you've been discipled?    Hunter Beless: (7:00 - 10:07) Yeah, well, I went to college, and that was the first time that I had ever really had someone seeking to do spiritual good in my life, outside of my parents. And really, even with my parents, like, you know, sitting down intentionally studying the word, that wasn't a part of our family culture. And so, when I went to college, there was a girl, her name was Meredith. And I remember, she sat down, and she taught me how to read my Bible, for really the very first time. I remember being confronted with some of the truths of scripture, Laura, and I'm like, "That's in the Bible? That disrupts me. Like, I didn't know that, you know?" And so, it was such a wonderful time, just of really kind of being confronted with my own theological ideas from my, you know, lack of ability and time to really understand the message of the text, you know, and then to really reevaluate that and be conformed to the text and to allow it to conform me. So, Meredith had a significant influence in my life in how to study the Bible.    And then I had an older woman named Joyce, who at the time, I believe, was in her late 40s, maybe early 50s. And I just remember, Joyce found out that I began to memorize scripture. So, somewhere along the way, I realized, like, this book is so, significant that I need to start, you know, hiding scripture away in my heart. Some of that was just watching my own grandmother and seeing the way that the Lord had used scripture in her own life. And realizing, like, wow, if my grandmother has these truths hidden away in her heart for this season, and she had dementia, I need to start hiding scripture away in my heart, too. So, Joyce and I really, we started up a group on scripture memory.    And I'll never forget the first time I met her, she said, "Hey, I heard you're starting to memorize Ephesians." I never finished. But she said, "Let's hear it." And so, she just opened up her Bible. And I just started quoting Ephesians. And one of Joyce's coined phrases that at the time I didn't realize was actually scripture itself, she would hold the Bible out in front of me. And she would say, "Hunter, this is no empty word for you, but your very life." And she had so many phrases like that, that I didn't even realize at the time, because I was pretty biblically illiterate, that were the words of scripture themselves. That's Deuteronomy 32:47. And Joyce really embodied that message for me, that scripture is that man doesn't live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. And so, watching her just live with her face in her Bible, proverbially speaking, and seeking to meditate on its truths and live by those day in and day out really transformed who I am even today. And she gave me a picture of what I'd like to look like years down the road.    So, I've had various mentors, but those are some of the first. And the Lord definitely used them in significant ways to do spiritual good in my life.    Laura Dugger: (10:08 - 10:36) And I don't know what kind of life those women lead if they're in public or more private disciplines, but their faithfulness, you just see the impact how it ripples out to bless generations. And even you, Hunter, you're leading this incredible ministry, where you disciple others through helping women know and love God through his word. So, will you share how you ended up getting to do this awesome work that you get to do today?    Hunter Beless: (10:37 - 15:41) Oh, well, the beginnings of this, you would not have thought were awesome. And in fact, you and I were just chatting, and I still am recording out of my closet. And really, it's all just been an overflow of what the Lord has been doing in my own life. And I did feel like along the way, I just, I began to just love learning from older women. And I do think that's a biblical, like scriptural kind of practice. You look at Titus 2, you see the older women are to teach the younger women what is good. I was a younger woman who loved learning from older women. And so, I had this, over the years, this just long list of women who had invested in me who had, you know, testified to God's grace in their life, who had taught me the scriptures.    And when my husband Brooks and I were in the military, we found ourselves on post. And just due to the transiency of a military lifestyle, the churches around military installations tend to be a little bit tired, sometimes depleted, because people in the military are moving so, frequently. So, it's hard, right, to have continuity to see people through in their discipling process and all of that. And so, I really missed those mentors that I'd had from college, and the year after college, after coming into marriage. And so, I thought to myself, like, man, I want the other women. I was also interfacing with either believers or non-believers who really had never been discipled. And I thought, man, I just wish I could get you with Joyce, or I wish I could get you with Meredith. I wish I could connect you, you know, with X, Y, or Z woman from the past couple of years.    And so, I thought, I also simultaneously was listening to a lot of podcasts because I was super lonely. Just because, you know, moving into a new culture, and then my husband was gone at least 50% of the time for training or deployment. And so, I'd be walking along the military installation listening to like sermon audio, like John Piper or Timothy Keller or whatever. And I thought, man, I wish that there was a conversational podcast about theology for women that would just be more warm and kind of like what we're doing right now. And my husband was like, "Well, you should start it." And so, I just started with the women who had mentored me. If you go back to the very beginning of the podcast, it's truly like my college roommates. It's my mentors from Pine Cove Christian Camps where Brooks and I met.    And I think I just by God's grace, the podcasting network was so, small at the time. I remember Journey Women landed in the number two spot right behind Joel Osteen whenever the thing launched. And so, then from there, it just gave the podcast some notoriety, which is what then allowed, you know, some of the names that you would recognize to reach out and to say, "Hey, you know, could we come on the podcast?" And at the time, I had no knowledge of, you know, how to market people marketing books or any of that Bible studies, etc. And yeah, it was a really fun season, actually, because it was pre-COVID. And you know, people weren't used to doing a whole lot online. And so, had some really, really fun conversations. And along the way, the Lord has helped me to hone in more of a vision of what I'm doing. Because at first, it was just like, let's get in the closet and have like fun, intentional conversations that I could share with my girlfriends or with maybe the military spouse that I'm meeting on the playground that I may never see again, you know.    And then along the way, people started even wanting to donate to the podcast and different things like that. And I thought, I really need to have a clearer aim. And so, now, you know, over the past eight years, the Lord has given us this mission to help women know and love God through his word, to find their hope in the gospel and to invest deeply in their local churches as they go out on mission for the glory of God. And some of that came and Laura, I'm sure you face this from women really seeking out discipling online, and us realizing we can't disciple you. Like, we cannot come alongside you and help you to grow in godliness, you know, but we can do that via the interwebs. But the degree to which we're able to do that is super-duper limited. And so, what does it look like for us then to equip women so, that then they would be encouraged to seek out fellowship in the local church, and to be investing their time, energy and talents in the local church. And so, that's become kind of our resounding gong at Journey Women over the years, just because we really do believe that ministry happens best in the context of the local church. And that's something that the Lord has validated through seeing women reaching out online and realizing like, hey, we could never, you know, provide what they need. But God in his grace has given us the local body that is able to do that.    Laura Dugger: (15:42 - 19:08) So, well said, because this is a great place that we can meet people anytime what is most convenient for them with a podcast. But then also, so, that's great for sowing seeds. But there's nothing that replaces that embodied relationship. And it just makes me think of God that he created us that way. And he knew it because Jesus even being embodied, little baby sent to earth, so, nothing replaces that. And, Hunter, I just I love hearing about your public ministry and the way the Lord has blessed and grown it.    And now a brief message from our sponsor. With over 28 years of experience in real estate, Sue Neihouser of the Sue Neihouser Team is a RE/MAX agent of Central Illinois, and she loves to walk alongside her clients as they unlock new doors. For anyone local, I highly recommend you call Sue today at 309-229-8831. And you can ask her any real estate questions. Sue lives in Central Illinois and loves this community and all that it has to offer. When unlocking new doors with her clients, Sue works hard to gain a depth of understanding of their motivations and dreams and interests in buying and selling their home. And then she commits to extensive market research that will give them confidence in their decision. Sue truly cares for each of her clients and the relationship she forms with each family along the entire home buying or selling process. This was absolutely our experience when we worked with Sue and her team. The house that we desired at the time was actually not even on the market, but Sue had a connection and was able to ask those homeowners if they would be willing to sell. She was timely in her response as she walked us through this whole process, and she helped us sell our home with the right offer coming in hours after it was listed. We kept saying she's thought of everything. And Sue's continued generosity was astonishing. I remember one afternoon after we had settled into our new home, and she was knocking on the door dropping off a goodie bag for our family that came from the local bakery. Our daughters also loved getting to know Miss Sue as she assisted us in finding truly our dream home.    So, whether you're looking to buy a home for the first time, or looking to upgrade or downsize, or making the big decision to move to an assisted living from your home of many years, Sue will be there to help you navigate the big emotions and ensure the process is smooth and stress free, and that the new doors to be unlocked are ready and waiting for more memories to be made. So, call her today at 309-229-8831 or visit her website at sueneihouser.com. And that is sueneihouser.com. Thanks for your sponsorship.   I'd also love to hear a little bit more about your personal life. So, what does a day in the life look like for Hunter Beless?    Hunter Beless: (19:09 - 21:25) Well, I think if somebody joined me in a day in a life, in this season, Laura, I feel like I'm too busy. I have committed to too much. And so, what it looks like practically, it's going to be a lot of time running from this or that event and just trying to do the things that I committed to before or some of the other things that the Lord has allowed in my life came to fruition. But just leaning into him for the grace that I need moment by moment, you know, and trusting that he is the same and that he has provided all of the grace that I need. His grace is sufficient for me, you know, as I'm running errands and facing the temptation to feel anxious or overwhelmed that, you know, I think it's Luke 12, where it's talking about how I can't even add a moment, not even the smallest amount of time to my life by worrying. So, I'm just going to entrust all of this to the Lord.    So, for me, I wonder how many women are listening to this and that they can relate to this because I talked to various people who they don't have a podcast, but they don't have the same work as me, but they feel that same temptation towards anxiety and the feelings of overwhelms that we all face, you know, and yeah, I think my life probably looks a lot like many of y'all's. And for me, it's just the constant meditation on scripture and just rehearsing the truths of God's word that are never changing, even in the midst of my ever-changing and chaotic circumstances. So, it doesn't seem to change even if I do a better job, which I could have done, planning my schedule or, you know, prayerfully considering the commitments that I made, but just resting and knowing that he is unchanging and that he is ever-present and that he is all-knowing and that he has provided everything that I need and his son.    So, that is what it looks like. Every day looks different, but again, leaning into the truths of God's word, meditating on those truths, rehearsing those truths over and over, and resting in the grace that the gospel provides. That's the thing that never changes.    Laura Dugger: (21:27 - 22:06) And I love that overview because if we look from the outside, you're homeschooling, you run this ministry, you have a podcast, and you're cooking healthy recipes for your family, but I'm sure do you also have weekly patterns? Because to me, it's a stewardship issue. You've been faithful with little, it sounds like, so, he has given you the opportunity to be faithful in much, and it's a season of much where you've written books and produced all this content. So, do you have a system in place or rhythms throughout the week that have helped you live that full, abundant life?    Hunter Beless: (22:06 - 24:19) Yeah, that's a really good question. Obviously, the weekly rhythm that we always start with is worshiping with the saints on Sunday. I look forward to that like no other. And we are in a church that the Lord is just so, gracious to have provided a pastor who prioritizes the preaching of the word and who is consistently proclaiming the gospel from the pulpit. And so, Laura, on the weeks where I feel like I have been so, busy that I have not spent the time in God's word that I would desire, just the recognition that going to church on a Sunday is such a blessing to get to receive God's word. And so, there have been many times that I just show up and I'm just like, "Thank you, Lord." Thank you for the provision of your word. Thank you for the provision of the body of Christ. And so, Sundays are just like a non-negotiable for us. We go to church on Sundays. And then, you know, we have various things. My kids are actually homeschooled on two days out of the week or three days out of the week. And then, they go to school two days. So, we do like a university model is what it's called. And so, on the three days that they are home, I am full tilt homeschooling, doing everything home-related.    And in fact, I have had to learn that part of their education is also helping care for our home. And so, we really see it as a team effort to keep the home, like, tidy and running and functioning well, so that we can, you know, spend as much time in it as we do, like, with happy hearts. And then, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I typically am in this closet working while the children are at school. Saturdays, we rest together as a family. We spend a lot of time outdoors. I also make bread regularly. And I think there's something liturgical for me about making bread. And, like, when everything else feels, like, a little bit chaotic and out of my control, the beauty of just doing a simple task like making bread to provide food for my family and nourishment is something that really brings me great joy. So, Saturdays are also bread-making days. And then, the week begins again. That is awesome.    Laura Dugger: (24:19 - 24:41) I love hearing that. And it makes me curious to go even a little bit further. I'll give you a few categories, but I'd love to hear what rhythms in these categories have been most profitable to you. So, when you think of it spiritually, physically, relationally, and just productively, how you stay creatively fresh.    Hunter Beless: (24:41 - 28:24) Yeah. You know, spiritually for me, and I'm a mother of, like, young children, right? So, my kids are ranging from age 11 to age 3. I would say we're still in a season in which sleep is a little bit unpredictable, particularly in those early waking hours. But I do my very best to try and get in God's Word first. And that is not because I want to check it off the list, but because I need the people in my home and beyond. So, really trying to just orient myself rightly to the truths of God's Word first thing is huge. I also do try to work out. So, that gets to the physical piece. I neglected working out for many years. I actually, hilariously, was a personal trainer when we were back in the military. And that was kind of my gig while Brooks was gone. And so, I know how to work out, and I enjoy working out. But with the children, it has been a difficult thing for me to prioritize. But just this last year, I got, this is the most, like, basic thing ever. I got a Peloton. I bought it secondhand off of Marketplace. And it has just been a wonderful way for me to sweat and exercise my body first thing in the morning without, you know, really requiring a whole lot. I don't have to leave the house. I don't have to go outside or anything, because Brooks does travel quite a bit still for work. And so, I try to ride the Peloton. Doesn't always happen. Happens less than it does, than I want for it to, but it does help.    And then, yeah, relationally is really, that's a really good question. I think one thing that the Lord has blessed me with, having lived a season of extreme transiency, right? So, we did eight years of military. And then, we did two years at, you know, university where Brooks got his MBA. And now, we're in our first, like, what we would call, like, a civilian kind of location, where he's got his first civilian job. We're almost 15 years deep into marriage now. And so, all of the friendships that I made along those eight years of moving almost annually. I think we moved, like, six or seven times in eight years. Yeah, just trying to maintain those relationships. I only have one or two from each duty station, but I love using Voxer or Voice Memo to keep in touch with people who have known me for, you know, a longer time. And that's just one thing that's really fun. I have to be careful not to let that overtake my time on my phone, but I do love to keep in touch with old friends. And they are some of the friends that the Lord has used just really to help me navigate the various challenges that we face, right, in life and relationally in marriage and all of that.    So, anyways, and relationally in marriage, Brooks and I were really just relishing in the friendship that God has given us with one another. I don't think it's been easy over the years, especially with all of the transiency and all of the deployments and all of the many moves that we've faced. But God has really just given us a true appreciation for one another. And to begin to see now, 15 years into marriage, that the differences that He has given each of us are a gift to help us be conformed into the image of His Son. So, that's some of it, spiritually, physically, relationally. Did I miss anything?    Laura Dugger: (28:25 - 28:32) Just even productively as you're creating content, how do you stay creatively inspired and fresh?    Hunter Beless: (28:33 - 30:55) Yeah, I love, my friend Gretchen Stoffels has a lot of wonderful things to say about this. She talks a lot about producing from the overflow and not the undertow. And that's ministered to me over the years. I find a lot of times when I am not creatively fresh, it's either because I'm overproducing or because I'm not honestly spending, most of what I do is all revolving around God's Word. So, it's like if I'm not spending time in God's Word and allowing myself to just be struck anew with truths from the text, then what do I have to share? So, that helps me too in knowing when am I overcommitted? Because if I don't have time then to be relishing in God's Word, not for the sake of producing something, but just like you said, just being struck and wonder by who God is, then I really need to reevaluate the commitments that I'm making and slow things down a bit. And so, that's kind of what has helped me to protect that time with the Lord so that then I would have something to offer others.    And I don't just think about it in terms of producing a podcast or writing a book or sending out a newsletter. I mean, honestly, even with the children, this has been something that I've been thinking about for the last six to eight months. If I want them to understand how God's Word informs all of life, then I need to be with my face in my Bible because who is it that they spend the most time with, right? All throughout their life. Like, it's me. And so, I get to then help them realize like, oh, here is how Scripture applies to all these different circumstances. But if I don't spend time in God's Word, then I've got nothing to give. And I have a friend who was a missionary actually in a remote country with the IMB. And I asked her, I said, "How did you ever evangelize with people in this remote context from this different religion and all of this?" And she said, "You know what, I just had to be so, filled up with God's Word that that's what came out." And I think about that all the time. So, when I'm feeling dry, I'm like, "Oop, oop, that's a good sign. I need to go back to God's Word."    Laura Dugger: (30:56 - 31:07) I love that. And let's go there then in your own home. How have you intentionally helped your children to know and to love God through Scripture?    Hunter Beless: (31:09 - 33:52) This is going to sound really selfish, but, you know, this whole endeavor, right, I've realized the significance of God's Word in my own life. And so, I'm constantly thinking, Laura, like, how am I going to get into God's Word? You know, like, that's, it sounds selfish. But if I really believe that I need God's Word for all of life, I'm going to have to figure out how am I going to get that in. And then it's wonderful because I get to bring the children along in that. So, maybe that's just like a fresh take on it, right? Because we're always thinking as mothers, like, how can we be investing in our children more heavily in all of these things? And I think those are good and right desires. Obviously, Deuteronomy speaks to that. You know, we're supposed to teach our children diligently the ways of the Lord. But I think it's just so refreshing when we come to the text as learners, as co-learners. And so, for me, I'm just always thinking, like, how can we learn together who God's Word is? How can we worship the Lord together in our home?    And then it helps me see those times, right, when you are offering instruction to the children, when you are being intentional about, you know, for us, we do, like, catechesis, for example, which is a series of questions and answers just to help disseminate doctrinal truths and help the children learn, like, here are, you know, foundational doctrine of the Christian faith. Then I'm not just like, "Okay, who is God? You know, God is the Spirit." I'm, like, thinking about the things that we're learning in a way where I also am seeking to learn as well. And I think that just gives a posture of humility, too. Like, as a parent, where it's not like, "You gotta learn your Bible verse this week, kid." You know, it's like, "We get to, we get to, look, we get to learn God's Word together, you know?" And then that helps them understand the joy of learning God's Word. And it also gives them a very real picture of a parent who's being transformed by the truths of God's Word. What better witness is there? And so, really, I've stopped seeing it as, "Hey, here's our time," you know, which we do have.    And practically, for us, a lot of that happens around the table because I've realized that, like, when children are well-fed, when they have something to do with their hands, they may be a little bit more prone to, like, have open ears, ready to hear, you know, instruction. But we do have those rhythms kind of in place, but I don't want it to be relegated to those rhythms. I want it to be all of life. I want us to understand it doesn't just mean we're gonna sit here over breakfast and do our Bible reading for the day. This is something that is really going with us through the day because we need it not just for this moment, but for all of life.    Laura Dugger: (33:53 - 35:38) You draw so much wisdom there, and I think especially that it's not an either-or, having that set-aside rhythm and time, or just hoping it'll be incorporated into all of life. But it's both.   I want to make sure that you're up to date with our latest news. We have a new website. You can visit thesavvysauce.com and see all of the latest updates. You may remember Francie Henrichsen from Episode 132, where we talked about pursuing our God-given dreams. She is the amazing businesswoman who has carefully designed a brand-new website for Savvy Sauce Charities, and we are thrilled with the final product, so, I hope you check it out. There you're going to find all of our podcasts, now with show notes and transcriptions listed, a scrapbook of various previous guests, and an easy place to join our email list to receive monthly encouragement and questions to ask your loved ones, so, that you can have your own practical chats for intentional living. You will also be able to access our donation button, or our mailing address, for sending checks that are tax-deductible, so, that you can support the work of Savvy Sauce Charities and help us continue to reach the nations with the good news of Jesus Christ. So, make sure you visit thesavvysauce.com today.   Even going back to the heart of this conversation of discipleship, Hunter, how do you think the local church, and especially older women in the community, can play a vital role in encouraging young people to love Scripture?    Hunter Beless: (35:40 - 39:34) You know, I love this question, and I just, I cannot overemphasize the value of older women who love God's Word in the church enough. You know, I think in the culture, we're hearing and seeing that, you know, it's not good to grow old. I mean, that's being perpetuated by all of the Instagram ads that we receive, and by seeing shiny faces that look like they haven't aged one bit. And I'm like, "No, God's Word says that women, older women in particular, have tremendous value in the family of God." And so, I think I want older women just to realize, like, we need you. And in fact, no one is exempt. No woman is exempt from the Titus 2 mandate to teach the younger women what is good. And how do we know what's good? Well, we know God alone is good. And because God is good, we know His Word is good. And if you don't have any clue, like how to reach back and invest in the next generation, I have great news for you. All you need is God's Word.    So, I mean, the littlest learners, the children in the community, I think they are the most gracious recipients of anybody in our community, you know, just when it comes to God's Word. And so, look for ways that you can encourage the younger people in your sphere of influence, in your local church, with God's Word. And often I think that just starts with maybe even meditating on one verse. You know, it can be that simple. Or for me, one way that I want to encourage, you know, the children in my life with God's Word is by identifying ways that I see God working in their lives and naming it. I mean, how encouraging would that be if an older saint in the church said, "Hey, you know, I don't know, my oldest daughter's name is Hadley. Hey, Hadley, like, I see God working in you. You are showing kindness, you know, to the other children in the church. Thank you so much for that. And I'm just praising God for the work he's doing in your life," you know.    But I think in order for them to do that, right, they have to be willing to be inconvenienced by being around the children. And we just had a sermon on this, a wonderful sermon from the book of Mark about Jesus saying, "Let the little children come to me." And so, I think just realizing that Jesus himself, right, he was unbothered. He delighted in the presence of children. So, I think in our older age, you know, especially after you have young kids and you've done all of your time, you know, investing in the next generation in that way, just realizing that there is value in serving in kids' ministry or children's ministry in the church and just getting around the children to be able to give yourself the opportunity to know them in a way where you can meet them with the truths of God's Word. It could also be just having younger families in your home. And I know that can be such an inconvenience. I mean, we're a hot mess. We are so chaotic. And I know, you know, you even have to consider the breakables. Like, you got to protect those, you know, when we come into the house. But figure out, like, what does hospitality look like where we can welcome in younger children, the families with younger children in the home, seek to encourage the parents. I mean, truly, Laura, what else are we doing here? Like, we have been given two things. We have been given the mission of evangelizing and discipling. And that message is the same.    At the heart of both of those things is the gospel. The gospel is for salvation and for sanctification. And so, if you're an older person in the church, keep meditating on the gospel. Keep, you know, seeking to disseminate the truths of the gospel to everybody around you. And remember, the littlest of these, I think, are the most eager learners. And it's such a great opportunity.    Laura Dugger: (39:36 - 39:52) Goodness, I love that. And as you say, disseminate these truths of the gospel for both salvation and sanctification. Can you even share clearly what is that gospel that applies to everyone?    Hunter Beless: (39:53 - 43:58) Oh, yes. I mean, this is the good news that I continually am rehearsing over and over and over again. I think for me, you know, I realized as a young child that the gospel was for salvation, right? That I love the Titus 3. You know, I just wrote this Bible study on Titus with Courtney Docter. If you don't have, like, a great comprehensive kind of gospel text that you've got in your back pocket, I think Titus 3:3-7 is a wonderful text to commit to memory. It says, "So, we are sinners." Romans 3:23. You know, we were created by God to glorify him. And yet, we have chosen to glorify ourselves. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." So, we too were once foolish. I think it's easy to see that when you really think about your life. You know, like, even me testifying to my life in high school. We too were once foolish. There's no getting around that. But we too, let me see, where am I now? "But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us," "not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy," So, how does he save us? Well, he sent his son, Jesus. When did the kindness of God our Savior appear? Well, it appeared over 2,000 years ago. In a stable in Bethlehem. When, like you said, God sent his son to live a perfect life. And then he gave his life on the cross so, that we might have right relationship with God. He saved us. Not by works of righteousness, but according to his mercy, "By the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit."    So, when, and by the way, he rose from the grave. Let's see, is that in here? I don't know. But let's see. That one's not in this particular gospel text of Titus 3:3-7. But we know that from the gospels, right? That Jesus Christ died on the cross. And that he rose again three days later. Overcoming death. So, that we too might not have to experience eternal death. We get to experience eternal life. When we turn from our sin and trust in him. And that's when that washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit happens. We're filled with the spirit. He's poured out his spirit on us. Verses 6 and 7 says, "whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." And so, I think part of what it looks like for us to live with that hope of eternal life. Is to constantly be reflecting upon who we were apart from Christ. Who we are in Christ. And who we will be when we one day see Christ again. Face to face. And so, that for me is what it looks like. Just to relish in the gospel. To remember the gospel.    Even when I was talking earlier, Laura, about feeling overwhelmed. The temptation for me then is to feel down on myself. And to wrestle with shame. Because I've over committed, right? But I'm rehearsing the truths of the gospel to myself in that moment. And saying, "Okay. Yes, could I have planned my schedule better? Yes, could I have done all these things? But you know what? I, by God's grace, get instead to rest in the grace that the gospel provides for me in this moment. Knowing that with all these various responsibilities, I am not going to be executing them perfectly. But he has perfectly accomplished my salvation on the cross. And so, I can rest in his son. Knowing that my salvation is not based on my perfect performance. But on the performance of Christ." And that then again helps me then to relish in the gospel. To remember the gospel, like I said, is not just for that moment of salvation or justification. When we're saved from our sins and made right with God. But it's also for every moment of every day. Because we need it all the time. At least I do.    Laura Dugger: (44:00 - 44:20) Yes, absolutely. And I think we can hear that or repeat that so, often. But I love how you unpack it. Because especially for those who have been saved. When they rely on the gospel for sanctification. Can you give any more examples of what that looks like? Specifically for sanctification after the salvation?    Hunter Beless: (44:21 - 46:35) Yeah. I think it's just coming to a greater understanding of our desperate need for Jesus. And then as we rely on him more wholly. I think we're conformed even more into the image of his son. Just after that gospel hymn in Titus 3. Verse 8 says, "The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works." So, what is sanctification? Well, sanctification is growing in godliness. Or said another way, it's growing in good works. Right? So, we're not saved because of our good works. We're saved by the gospel so, that then we can produce good works. By God's grace. That's the sanctification process. And so, how does that happen? Well, verse 8 tells us, "The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things." What does it want us to insist on? It wants us to insist then on the contents of the gospel from Titus 3:3-7. So, we need to, in order to grow in our ability to do good to others. What do we do? We insist on the gospel.    And how does that work? Well, when I am feeling, again, overbooked, overwhelmed. And somebody comes into my life that needs service. If I'm functioning by the world's wisdom, what am I going to say? "You know what? I just don't have the margin for that. I can't do that. I need to protect my time." But if I'm looking at the gospel, what do I see? Well, I see what Christ died for me. Was that act of service self-protective in any way? No. So, what does it look like for me then to lay down my life for the good of another? And that's how the gospel then informs our living in such a way that we begin to grow by God's grace, not by our own effort, in godliness. So, I think that's how the sanctification process kind of works itself out.    Laura Dugger: (46:35 - 46:54) Thank you so much for sharing that. And you've taught us already so, much in this time together. But you've also written a book recently for children. Can you tell us a little bit more about it and share the lasting truths that you want to impart to children who get to read or listen to your book?    Hunter Beless: (46:55 - 49:47) Yeah. I think it started for me with really thinking about what are those kinds of scriptural, biblical truths that I want to offer to the children in these everyday moments like we've been talking about. My son, I already shared, he's been struggling with sleep for the last year or so,. And he'll come tumbling down the stairs in the middle of the night. And my initial reaction to that is to want to say, "It's okay. Mommy's here." Right? And that's true. And I do think that offers some temporal comfort. And it is a good thing for a mother to be present in the time of a child's need. But thinking more deeply, I began to say, "Buddy, God is with you. You have no need to fear." And the reason for that is because I started thinking about, well, what if mommy wasn't here? What if I wasn't able to be here? And some of that came just from having lost my own father in the last few years to cancer spontaneously. And just thinking, like, what are the lasting truths that I then want to impart to my children when I'm no longer able to be present? So, it is true. It's comfort that mommy is here in your time of need. But also, even when mommy's not able to be here, remember, God is with you always.  And it's been such an encouragement for me then to even see him, like, on the playground and his little buddy will get hurt. And he'll turn and he'll tell his buddy, like, "It's okay. God's with you." You know what I'm thinking? "That's so, good. Like, this is the kind of stuff that I want to be just ingrained within the children so, that their initial reaction is, 'It's okay. God is with me.'" Similarly, the message that is repeated throughout the book is, "Jesus Loves You More". And that was really instigated from one of my children requesting for me to say over and over again this popular phrase that we've all heard, "I love you to the moon and back." And I started thinking, like, "Okay, that's true. I do. I love you to the moon and back. I love you to the, you know, mountaintop and to the ocean floor. I love you as far as the east is from the west. But there is one who loves you even more than I ever could. And in fact, when my love fails you, His never will." And so, I wanted to get that.    If there's one message that I want my kids to know, it's that. It's that Jesus loves them so, much that he went all the way to the cross at Calvary and gave his very life so, that they could be made right with God. So, that's the message that I hope kids will take away from the book. I do hope that it inspires parents to think about what are those lasting truths that they want to impart to their kids. And I hope it equips them then to be able to share what I believe as Christian parents is the most important message we could ever give.    Laura Dugger: (49:48 - 49:54) I just want to acknowledge too, I'm so, sorry for the sudden loss of your father in recent years.    Hunter Beless: (49:55 - 50:19) Well, thank you. Yeah, it's, you know, my kids were just saying as we were hiking this last weekend, they're like, "We miss puppy." But we're like, I'm at a point now where I did go through many years of grief, missing him, you know, all of this. But just relishing in the fact that he's in the presence of the Lord Jesus. And I am just so grateful because he's in a much better place. So, I'm looking forward to the day that I get to join him there. Amen.    Laura Dugger: (50:20 - 50:28) Well, Hunter, you've already given us so much, but where can we go to continue being discipled by you after this conversation?    Hunter Beless: (50:30 - 51:14) Well, if you like conversations like this, you know, I infrequently show up at Journey Women. We used to do a weekly show and then it turned to bi-weekly and now we're seasonal. But I do love having conversations just like this. And I hope that, you know, just as our conversation today, I hope it encourages women just to get together, like you said, with women in their local context to open up God's word. And just to go deeper, relationally, conversationally, to come together around the truths of God's word. You've asked such great questions, Laura. And I think take some of these questions and ask your friends and see where the Lord guides those conversations. I think that'll just be such a blessing. It's been a blessing to meet and chat with you today.    Laura Dugger: (51:15 - 51:32) Well, I've loved every minute. And you may already be familiar that we're called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge or insight or discernment. And so, as my final question for you today, Hunter, what is your Savvy Sauce?    Hunter Beless: (51:34 - 52:28) Oh, you try to nail me down to something practical. It's funny, Laura, because I feel like I resist practical. And I'm not sure what it is about me that resists practical other than maybe sometimes I felt like bound in by people's practical advice. Does that make sense? And so, for me, here's my practical advice. My practical advice is to allow all of your practices or your practicals to be informed by the principles of the text. So, allow the principles of scripture to inform your practice. And that's not very practical, but I think the only practical way you can do that is to get your face in your Bible and to really seek to know and love God through his word. And then he will certainly help inform your practice.    Laura Dugger: (52:30 - 56:34) I think that's actually more practical than you realize. That is wonderful. And Hunter, your joy and your laugh are just contagious. And you're clearly gifted from the Lord as a clear, articulate communicator. And it blesses so, many people in so many generations because you are able to filter in the truth and then communicate it in a way that's able to be received. So, it's been so encouraging to sit under your teaching and be inspired to take this out and to hopefully begin in our home. But also, those good works, as we're called as older women, too. None of us are exempt, as you said. So, I've just thoroughly enjoyed being with you. Thank you for being my guest. Thank you so much for having me. It's been so fun.   One more thing before you go, have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you, but it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior, but God loved us so much. He made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life. We could never live and died in our place for our sin.   This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished. If we choose to receive what he has done for us, Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”   So, you pray with me now. Heavenly father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you.   Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus name we pray.   Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me. So, me for him, you get the opportunity to live your life for him.   And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you're ready to get started.   First, tell someone, say it out loud, get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes and Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it.   You can start by reading the book of John. Also get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you.   We want to celebrate with you too. So, feel free to leave a comment for us here. If you did make a decision to follow Christ, we also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process.   And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “in the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.   And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

Serie: La Palabra contra el algoritmo, con Gretchen Saffles. Ep2.

Serie: La Palabra contra el algoritmo, con Gretchen Saffles. Ep1. La Palabra del Señor permanece para siempre.

Are you feeling empty today? If so, where can you find fullness? The world can't offer it, but the Word can. Gretchen Saffles invites you to bring your emptiness to Jesus and let Him satisfy your weary heart.

Happy New Year! Have you ever read a book, and there is a quote that stands out to you? It really captivates you with the words on it! I have to tell you about this book I read back in 2025. It was in the summer where I had taken a sabbatical after my dad passed away, and I had gotten this book from a friend called *The Well Watered Woman. At the beginning of the book, after a couple pages, this is what is says, "You don't have to be blooming to be growing." I immediately paused and thought, Oh my goodness, I needed to hear that today. Maybe you need to hear it too. This week on the podcast, I will share some of my favorite truths from this book, *The Well Watered Woman by Gretchen Saffles. The book has so many great takeaways and words of wisdom that I know will encourage you as you start this new year, 2026. If you are looking for a great book to read too, I highly recommend this one. Depth Podcast Episode links and Book Recommendations to Grow your Roots Deep: *Depth: Growing Through Heartbreak to Strength by Jodi Snowdon. What if your greatest heartbreak catapults you to your greatest growth? *Thrive by Mark Hall Depth Podcast Episode 114: I talk with Banning Liebscher about his book, *Rooted: The Hidden Places Where God Wants to Develop You. He says that God wants to grow you on the inside before he ever grows you on the outside. This hidden growth is so important. Depth Podcast Episode 115: I share practically how to grow deeper roots! Depth Podcast Episode 210 with Angie Baughman on the 5 Step Bible Study Method. *Note: If you are interested in purchasing this book or the books recommended, I would love for you to use the Amazon Affiliate link above to help support the podcast. Thank you!  

Ever picked up the Bible and thought, “Agh, this is so dry”? You try to read, but the words don't seem to connect, some parts are confusing, and discouragement creeps in. Why (and how) does it come alive for others? You're not alone. Join this conversation with Gretchen Saffles, founder of Well-Watered Women, as we tackle this lie that “the Bible is dry.” We'll talk about the claim from unbelievers that Scripture is outdated or dull, and also for believers, who truly long to know God's Word, Gretchen gives her tangible, practical, go-to tools that can help you stay engaged when the struggle is real. Together, let's trade the lie for the truth: God's Word isn't dull, uninteresting, irrelevant, but alive, active, rich, and full of life. Listen in to discover encouragement, practical wisdom, and renewed hope for opening your Bible with fresh eyes. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why we sometimes feel like Scripture is dry How to approach God's Word when you're in a spiritually dry season The truth about the Bible as living and active Encouragement to engage with Scripture in a fresh, life-giving way   Connect more with Gretchen: https://www.gretchensaffles.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/gretchensaffles and www.instagram.com/wellwateredwomen Gretchen's Book, Word Before World: https://rstyle.me/+fF6YDgGkSswD5-eb9lGFCg   Heidi''s Book, All In, All Yours: https://heidileeandersonministries.com/allinallyours Heidi's Instagram: www.instagram.com/heidileeanderson Further resources: https://heidileeandersonministries.com   Share to win a copy of her newest devotional, Word Before World (then comment shared when done)!   Keywords: Bible study, best way to study the Bible, Bible journaling, faith, Scripture, God's promises, devotional, Christian podcast, hope, when the Bible is confusing, family

Many of us know we need to rest but aren't sure how to adopt a rhythm of rest that reflects biblical teaching. In this conversation from TGCW24, Amy Gannett and Gretchen Saffles discuss how a right view of God shapes the way we view ourselves to better receive the rest he supplies. They unpack a biblical theology of rest by tracing the overarching theme from Genesis to Revelation, seeking to apply God's unchanging truth to our everyday lives.

Pastor Robert J. Morgan joins Kirk Cameron to examine how Bible memorization can strengthen the foundations of our faith. He discusses the top 100 verses that he feels are the most impactful and delves into the methods he uses to commit these scriptures to memory. Don't miss this informative interview on Takeaways with Kirk Cameron on TBN! Missed the last episode? Listen in as Gretchen Saffles examines the importance of building our daily lives on a firm Biblical foundation. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WATCH Takeaways with Kirk Cameron episodes for free on TBN+⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Each episode of Takeaways with Kirk Cameron features knowledgeable guests having a respectful and thoughtful conversation surrounding topics that are impacting our society every day. Kirk's hope is that you will walk away from this show with practical steps on how to better your family, your community, and your nation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Gretchen Saffles joins Kirk Cameron to delve into the importance of building our daily lives on a firm Biblical foundation. She shares how to make the Bible part of a busy schedule and why prioritizing time in the Word can be so transformational. Don't miss this informative interview on Takeaways with Kirk Cameron on TBN! Missed the last episode? Listen in as Dr. John Townsend shares how we can best strengthen our God-honoring relationships. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WATCH Takeaways with Kirk Cameron episodes for free on TBN+⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Each episode of Takeaways with Kirk Cameron features knowledgeable guests having a respectful and thoughtful conversation surrounding topics that are impacting our society every day. Kirk's hope is that you will walk away from this show with practical steps on how to better your family, your community, and your nation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes my passion for being in the Word starts to wilt a little bit. Chatting with people who love Jesus and reading his word encourages me to see it in a new light, or inspire me to dig in deeper. I've met with Maggie a couple of times in  person at conferences and I'm always inspired by her passion for studying the Bible! I Most of what we have talked about is Bible stuff and fashion (one thing listeners should know is Maggie has an amazing sense of style) But she also lives on a farm, how does what you do on your farm remind you of studying the Bible?  I think it would be impossible to dive into this topic without touching on your last stage of life too. How did you meet Gretchen and end up working for Well Watered Women?  As this season has shifted, how has studying the Bible changed for you? Or has it?  What obstacles do you face in reading or studying the Bible?  In your study you give 5 ways to respond to the text you've read (believe, act, repent, worship, pray) Does one of those come more naturally? Does one come less? What have you done to strengthen that area?  You can find Gretchen Saffles and Maggie Combs' book "Sweeter Than Honey⁠" or follow Maggie on Instagram You can find Elizabeth writing helpful hints ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on the blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Helping you love Jesus and disciple your kids ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or get access to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"Bible Study" by signing up with email! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Original Music written and recorded by Jonathan Camenisch *affiliate links are used when appropriate. Thank you for supporting Sunshine in My Nest

Joanna Kimbrel, Amy Gannett, Gretchen Saffles, and Trillia Newbell reflect on their practice of spiritual disciplines, offering encouragement and practical suggestions for various seasons of life. They discuss the value of community in cultivating accountability, the need to start small and build consistency, and the abundant grace for those who find themselves in seasons of struggle. They also address common misconceptions about spiritual disciplines, stressing the joy of receiving these practices as a means of grace.They discuss:Defining spiritual disciplinesPracticing spiritual disciplines in different seasonsOvercoming lies about spiritual disciplinesEncouragement for different life seasonsRecommended ResourcesWord before World: 100 Devotions to Put Jesus First by Gretchen Saffles52 Weeks in the Word: A Companion for Reading through the Bible in a Year by Trillia NewbellFix Your Eyes: How Our Study of God Shapes Our Worship of Him by Amy Gannett

In our bustling, fast-paced world, the concept of stillness can often seem alien, if not downright impossible. But as we learn from Gretchen Saffles, embracing stillness and our weaknesses can bring us closer to God and foster a deeper sense of inner peace. Gretchen and Stephanie discuss the challenge of being still and overcoming the need for constant productivity. Advised by her Christian counselor to be still before the Lord for just one minute, Gretchen discovered this simple exercise to be remarkably challenging, due to her ingrained belief in the importance of constant productivity. She realized that her busy life and the demands of various activities had clouded her mind and distanced her from a genuine relationship with God. Through this journey, she learned that stillness and simplicity are not just luxuries, but essential spiritual disciplines. Taking time to be still before the Lord is an act of submission, a recognition that God is in control. Unlike some forms of secular meditation, which emphasize emptying the mind, biblical meditation involves filling the mind with God's truths. Gretchen found Christ in this practice, which helped her redirect her focus from worldly anxieties to divine wisdom. Gretchen is learning to take a slow, reflective approach to reading Scripture, often meditating on a single verse or passage for an extended period. This method allows her to absorb the Word deeply and apply it practically in her life. Currently, she is reading the Bible chronologically, finding fresh insights in the Beatitudes. Stephanie and Gretchan talk about embracing weakness as strength, and finding God's power in our weak moments.  In a culture that idolizes strength and self-reliance, embracing weakness can seem counterintuitive. Yet Gretchen and Stephanie both emphasize that true Christian strength shines brightest in our moments of weakness. They cite biblical examples like Moses and Paul, whose infirmities highlighted God's power and grace. This theology of suffering is rooted deeply in scripture, reminding us that sharing in Christ's sufferings leads to a more intimate relationship with God. Philippians 3:10 encapsulates this truth: knowing Christ through both the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings brings us closer to Him. Gretchen shares a poignant anecdote about her grandmother, who lived with severe rheumatoid arthritis. Despite immense physical pain, her grandmother's life radiated God's power, demonstrating that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Wisdom is a treasure for life, made possible through a slow, meditative approach to Scripture reading. Gretchen's insights into wisdom reveal it as a treasure that points to Christ, wisdom personified. Her slow, meditative approach to reading Scripture allows time for absorption and contemplation, fostering a deeper connection with God's Word. This method reinforces the importance of letting the Holy Spirit guide our understanding of Scripture. Gretchen attributes much of her wisdom and love for the book of Proverbs to her mother. Her upbringing in a busy ministry home showed her that all good works should stem from a profound relationship with God, not just from a sense of duty. “Soul Scrubbing” is the work of the Holy Spirit, allowing the Word to cleanse and renew us. Gretchen uses the metaphor of "soul scrubbing" to describe how the Holy Spirit uses the Word to cleanse our minds and souls. This practice involves more than just a cursory reading of Scripture. It calls for a deep dive into God's truths, allowing them to renew and transform us. She has been focusing on meditating on God's love, recently finding new significance in John 3:16. Recognizing the necessity of mental, physical, and spiritual rest, she strives to rest in God's love, which fosters deeper intimacy with Him. For those feeling overwhelmed by life's demands, Saffles's book "Word Over World" offers a heartfelt guide to rediscovering intimacy with God. It's a reminder that even in our busiest moments, God's love and wisdom are always within reach, waiting for us in the stillness. MORE ABOUT "WORD OVER WORLD" In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) When you think about your life and what you value, what would you put first? When you read God's Word, are you doing so out of duty or out of a desire to delight in your Savior? When all we give Jesus is our leftovers, fear overwhelms our peace and worry clouds our vision. Gretchen Saffles knows what it's like to struggle to put Jesus first daily. During a season of spiritual discouragement, she learned that pursuing God is ultimately not a self-help journey, but rather it's a Spirit-led surrender. This discovery led her to a simple phrase that helped her reframe how she desired to spend her time, start her days, and shape her mindset: Word before World. This three-word statement has become her morning manifesto, her afternoon anthem, and her evening comfort. When she practiced looking first to Jesus, she realized that while God's Word never changes, yet it always changes us. In Word before World you'll discover ways to: Conquer the daily distractions that get in the way of time with God Develop a daily rhythm of seeking Jesus Set aside your phone, lists, and plans in order to seek direction and nourishment in God's Word instead Transform your worldview, schedule, dreams, and desires to align with God's purpose for your life. Cultivate a deep love for God in this 100-day devotional journey to experience God's faithfulness and goodness. Put God's Word before the distractions of this world, believing that he will meet your every need. MORE ABOUT GRETCHEN SAFFLES: Gretchen Saffles is passionate about encouraging and equipping women to drink deeply from the well of God's Word and to find their identity and purpose in Christ. She is the founder of Well-Watered Women, an online ministry that reaches women worldwide with the hope of the gospel. She has written several Bible studies and is the creator of the Give Me Jesus journal, a tool to help women study Scripture daily. On any given day you can find her with a cup of coffee in hand, a message stirring in her soul, and a God-sized dream on her heart. Gretchen lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, Greg, and her two sons, Nolan and Haddon. Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Most of us would say that we want to prioritize time in God's Word everyday, but that's easier said than done when life is distracting, busy, and full. Gretchen Saffles is returning to the podcast to remind us that we're not alone, but it is possible to put the Word before the world and it isn't just empty promises - we can have a life transformed and rooted. We're uncovering some of the common distractions that keep us from prioritizing Jesus, how to create doable and consistent rhythms (keyword, rhythms) in the Word daily, and so much more. You'll walk away with not just practical, but deeply spiritual truth. Grab your copy of Word Before World today. -- OUR SPONSOR: Go to https://www.thrivemarket.com/truthtalks for 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift! -- Connect with Tara: Instagram / Her book / Her website / Her discount code page / YouTube / The free, email family / Sponsor a child through Compassion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we are talking about how to keep a steady diet of faith even when life gets squirrely. What does your IDEAL time in God's Word look like? I think it's easy to assume everyone does the same thing we do! How does Bible time change when you're overwhelmed? Have you ever had a season where you felt like you were spiritually starving? What are some unconventional ways you've gotten into the Word of God? Brought to you by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Around the Ancient World⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can find Gretchen's book "⁠Word Before World" or find her on Instagram HERE You can find Elizabeth writing helpful hints ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on the blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Helping you love Jesus and disciple your kids ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or get access to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"Bible Study" by signing up with email! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Original Music written and recorded by Jonathan Camenisch *affiliate links are used when appropriate. Thank you for supporting Sunshine in My Nest --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/elizabeth-santelmann/support

If you're anything like me, the busyness of life sometimes causes priorities to get mixed up, and I find myself not in the Word as much as I'd like to be. If you can relate, you're going to love today's guest. I'm sitting down with Gretchen Saffles, the founder of Well-Watered Women and author of Word Before World, a devotional that helps us keep Jesus at the center of our lives.Here's what you'll learn in today's episode:Gretchen shares her journey of realizing the impact of starting her day on social media and how she made a deliberate shift to put Jesus first.Encouragement to trust God's plan and rely on him in our weaknesses.Practical tips for evaluating your daily habits and making intentional changes to prioritize your time with God.Gretchen Saffles is the founder of Well-Watered Women, a ministry dedicated to encouraging women to find their identity and purpose in Christ. She's also the author of Word Before World, a devotional designed to help women prioritize their relationship with Jesus. Gretchen's heart for guiding women back to the word shines through in her writing and in today's conversation.Join us for this grace-filled discussion that will inspire you to re-evaluate your habits and put Jesus first, right where he needs to be.Timestamps03:01 Prioritizing God's word: A key to spiritual growth07:50 Parenting with imperfections: trusting in God's plan13:06 Moving from reading God's word because we have to, to delighting in it18:47 Overcoming challenges: creating a Bible reading plan29:10 Community and accountability: encouragement in prioritizing time with God32:05 Delighting in God's word: experiencing its transformative powerResources MentionedConnect with Gretchen hereOr connect with her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gretchensaffles/Get Word Before WorldGet your copy of A Life of Faith prayer journal!Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Throwing it back to three years ago on the podcast when I interviewed one of my favorite friends, Gretchen Saffles of Well-Watered Women. If you've ever thought, "What the heck do I do with what I just read in God's Word?" or "I'm always so confused reading Scripture", then this is for you. This throwback conversation has no shortage of practical tools to take you from overwhelmed to overjoyed when reading Scripture, funny anecdotes, and a few cringy moments (I've grown a lot in my podcasting skills over the last three years). Let's be women who root ourselves in truth, grow in grace, and flourish in faith! Need a summer read? Grab Tara's book on sale: "Surrender Your Story". -- OUR SPONSORS: Celebrate the progress you've already made. Visit https://www.betterhelp.com/truthtalks today to get 10% off your first month. If you want to take ownership of your health, it starts with AG1. Try AG1 and get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D3K2 AND 5 free AG1 Travel Packs with your first purchase exclusively at https://www.drinkAG1.com/truthtalks. Go to https://www.thrivemarket.com/truthtalks for 30% off your first order, plus a FREE $60 gift! -- Connect with Tara on: Instagram / Her website / Her discount code page / YouTube / The free, email family / Sponsor a child through Compassion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wouldn't it be nice if we could keep all of the plates spinning? Never missing a school activity, always having the kitchen clean and ready, and even having time to sprinkle in a little self-care . . . and yet, many of us feel our to-do list getting longer by the minute. But what if God actually gives us limits for our good? In this episode, Emily chats with author and mom, Gretchen Saffles, about her own postpartum journey where she experienced discouragement as she saw limitations on her time and capacity. Gretchen also gives some great practical tips for evaluating our priorities and getting into God's Word, even when you're busy. Let this Scripture-packed show remind you: there's only One who can do it all, and he beckons you to rest in him today. This episode is brought to you by our generous donors. If you'd like to join them or learn more, click here. Find the free download (6 Prayers for When You Feel Weak in Motherhood), discussion questions, links, and related resources from our Abundance series here. R|M on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter

Here's part two of my carside chat, Becoming A Woman Of Substance. I hope you'll join me in reading Becoming A Well-Watered Woman In A Parched World reading plan by Gretchen Saffles https://bible.com/p/53924954/783d95348a7e0ba1088022e8a36c2951Thanks for listening and if you haven't already subscribed to the Daily Becoming Community, join us today:www.dailybecoming.orgYou can also shop with us at: www.dailybecoming.org/shop

Ever look around your home, apartment, or dorm room and wish it was different because then you'd feel ready to host friends or neighbors? Listen in as Ruth and Eve discuss what it looks like to practice hospitality with the space you have, even if it doesn't match your Pinterest board!Resources mentioned:Social Sanity in an Insta World by Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra, Melissa Kruger, Jen Wilkin, Emily Jensen, Laura Wifler, Ruth Chou Simons, Gretchen Saffles, Stephanie Greer, Ana Ávila The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria ButterfieldEmmanuel by Ruth Chou SimonsAdditional resource:The Nesting Place / The Cozy MinimalistIf this conversation has you looking for ways to cozy up your home, we'd be so honored for you to consider GraceLaced art. Our online shoppe is full of scripture art as well as fine art pieces available in print and canvas sizing. Each one is a reproduction of original art painted by Ruth. We've heard from so many customers that GraceLaced art in their home has stirred great conversations with friends-we hope it would do the same for you! Learn more at Gracelaced.comSeason 3 | Start Where You AreHear more from Ruth and GraceLacedFind Ruth Chou Simons: Instagram | WebsiteFind GraceLaced: Instagram | Facebook | Website

Ever look around your home, apartment, or dorm room and wish it was different because then you'd feel ready to host friends or neighbors? Listen in as Ruth and Eve discuss what it looks like to practice hospitality with the space you have, even if it doesn't match your Pinterest board!Resources mentioned:Social Sanity in an Insta World by Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra, Melissa Kruger, Jen Wilkin, Emily Jensen, Laura Wifler, Ruth Chou Simons, Gretchen Saffles, Stephanie Greer, Ana Ávila The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria ButterfieldEmmanuel by Ruth Chou SimonsAdditional resources:The Nesting Place / The Cozy MinimalistFind Ruth Chou Simons on Instagram & onlineFind GraceLaced on Instagram, Facebook, & onlineIf this conversation has you looking for ways to cozy up your home, we'd be so honored for you to consider GraceLaced art. Our online shoppe is full of scripture art as well as fine art pieces available in print and canvas sizing. Each one is a reproduction of original art painted by Ruth. We've heard from so many customers that GraceLaced art in their home has stirred great conversations with friends—we hope it would do the same for you! Learn more at Gracelaced.comSeason 3 | Start Where You Are

Top Ten from 2021: #9 Journey from Empty to Well Nourished Soul with Gretchen Saffles   Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. John 15:4   Gretchen Saffles is passionate about encouraging and equipping women to drink deeply from the well of God's Word and to find their identity and purpose in Christ. She is the founder of Well-Watered Women, an online ministry that reaches women worldwide with the hope of the gospel, and the author of The Well-Watered Woman: Rooted in Truth, Growing in Grace, Flourishing in Faith. She has written several Bible studies including Redefined: Defining Identity through the Mirror of God's Word and Esther: The Fingerprints of God. She is also the creator of the Give Me Jesus quiet-time journal for women, a tool to help women study Scripture daily. On any given day you can find her with a cup of coffee in hand, her boys by her side, a message stirring in her soul, and a God-sized dream on her heart. Gretchen lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, Greg, and her two sons, Nolan and Haddon.   Will you share more about the pit that led you to a transformative encounter with Jesus in college? How did God begin to pour out His grace on you and even allow you to begin sharing your story in what felt like the midst of living your story? Which relationships have impacted your walk with the Lord that you also wrote about in your book?   Other Savvy Sauce Episode Mentioned: Fruitful   At The Savvy Sauce, we will only recommend resources we believe in! We also want you to be aware: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.    The Well-Watered Woman   Well-Watered Women Website and Instagram   Thank You to Our Sponsor: WinShape Marriage   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Also, check out our Patreon Page to find out how to gain access to additional podcasts and goodies!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Feeling dry, unsatisfied, restless? Author Gretchen Saffles believes your life can be more -- and you can be among well-watered women. Here's how. Show Notes and Resources Find resources from this podcast at shop.familylife.com. Find more content and resources on the FamilyLife's app! Help others find Familylife.  Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify. Check out all the Familylife's on the FamilyLife Podcast Network

Gretchen Saffles knows what it's like to feel overwhelmed, unable to thrive. If you're longing for more, don't miss the way to fullness and peace (at last). Show Notes and Resources Find resources from this podcast at shop.familylife.com. Find more content and resources on the FamilyLife's app! Help others find Familylife.  Leave a review on Apple Podcast or Spotify. Check out all the Familylife's on the FamilyLife Podcast Network

Welcome to our final devotional episode of the "Becoming A Well-Watered Woman In A Parched World" 7-day devotional by Gretchen Saffles on the Bible App.    Here is the link to the devotional on the Bible App: https://my.bible.com/reading-plans/21754-becoming-a-well-watered-woman-in-a-parched-world  Feel free to read along or go back and study it more after listening!    More resources:     - https://www.amazon.com/Well-Watered-Woman-Rooted-Growing-Flourishing/dp/1496445457     - https://wellwateredwomen.com      Thank you for listening - We hope this series and each episode has encouraged you in your faith!

Welcome to day six of the "Becoming A Well-Watered Woman In A Parched World" 7-day devotional by Gretchen Saffles on the Bible App.   Here is the link to the devotional on the Bible App: https://my.bible.com/reading-plans/21754-becoming-a-well-watered-woman-in-a-parched-world   Feel free to read along or go back and study it more after listening!   More resources:    - https://www.amazon.com/Well-Watered-Woman-Rooted-Growing-Flourishing/dp/1496445457    - https://wellwateredwomen.com     Thank you for listening!

Today we are talking about... burnout. Join Caitlin as she walks through day five of the "Becoming A Well-Watered Woman In A Parched World" 7-day devotional by Gretchen Saffles on the Bible App.  Here is the link to the devotional on the Bible App: https://my.bible.com/reading-plans/21754-becoming-a-well-watered-woman-in-a-parched-world  Feel free to read along or go back and study it more after listening!  More resources:   - https://www.amazon.com/Well-Watered-Woman-Rooted-Growing-Flourishing/dp/1496445457   - https://wellwateredwomen.com    Thank you for listening!

Welcome back to the Written as Worthy podcast! Join us as Caitlin walks through day 4 of the "Becoming A Well-Watered Woman In A Parched World" 7-day devotional by Gretchen Saffles on the Bible App. Here is the link to the devotional on the Bible App: https://my.bible.com/reading-plans/21754-becoming-a-well-watered-woman-in-a-parched-world Feel free to read along or go back and study it more after listening! More resources:  - https://www.amazon.com/Well-Watered-Woman-Rooted-Growing-Flourishing/dp/1496445457  - https://wellwateredwomen.com   Thank you for listening!

Welcome back to the Written as Worthy podcast! Join us as Caitlin walks through day 3 of the "Becoming A Well-Watered Woman In A Parched World" 7-day devotional by Gretchen Saffles on the Bible App.  Here is the link to the devotional on the Bible App: https://my.bible.com/reading-plans/21754-becoming-a-well-watered-woman-in-a-parched-world    Feel free to read along or go back and study it more after listening!  More resources: - https://www.amazon.com/Well-Watered-Woman-Rooted-Growing-Flourishing/dp/1496445457 - https://wellwateredwomen.com  Thanks for listening!

Welcome back to the Written as Worthy podcast! Join us as Caitlin walks through day 2 of the "Becoming A Well-Watered Woman In A Parched World" 7-day devotional by Gretchen Saffles on the Bible App. Here is the link to the devotional on the Bible App: https://my.bible.com/reading-plans/21754-becoming-a-well-watered-woman-in-a-parched-world   Feel free to read along or go back and study it more after listening! More resources: - https://www.amazon.com/Well-Watered-Woman-Rooted-Growing-Flourishing/dp/1496445457 - https://wellwateredwomen.com Thanks for listening!

Welcome back to the Written as Worthy podcast! We are so happy and excited to bring new episodes! Join us as Caitlin walks through the "Becoming A Well-Watered Woman In A Parched World" 7-day devotional by Gretchen Saffles on the Bible App. Here is the link to the devotional on the Bible App: https://my.bible.com/reading-plans/21754-becoming-a-well-watered-woman-in-a-parched-world Feel free to read along or go back and study it more after listening! More resources: - https://www.amazon.com/Well-Watered-Woman-Rooted-Growing-Flourishing/dp/1496445457 - https://wellwateredwomen.com Thanks for listening!

Gretchen Saffles points out that there's an important plan we should implement for getting in better spiritual shape, and it actually involves feasting.

With the anticipation of 2022, are you thinking about resolutions for the new year? Our hosts discuss the one resolution we all need the most: read the Bible.

Journey from Empty to Well Nourished Soul with Gretchen Saffles   Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. John 15:4   Gretchen Saffles is passionate about encouraging and equipping women to drink deeply from the well of God's Word and to find their identity and purpose in Christ. She is the founder of Well-Watered Women, an online ministry that reaches women worldwide with the hope of the gospel, and the author of The Well-Watered Woman: Rooted in Truth, Growing in Grace, Flourishing in Faith. She has written several Bible studies including Redefined: Defining Identity through the Mirror of God's Word and Esther: The Fingerprints of God. She is also the creator of the Give Me Jesus quiet-time journal for women, a tool to help women study Scripture daily. On any given day you can find her with a cup of coffee in hand, her boys by her side, a message stirring in her soul, and a God-sized dream on her heart. Gretchen lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, Greg, and her two sons, Nolan and Haddon.   Will you share more about the pit that led you to a transformative encounter with Jesus in college? How did God begin to pour out His grace on you and even allow you to begin sharing your story in what felt like the midst of living your story? Which relationships have impacted your walk with the Lord that you also wrote about in your book?   Other Savvy Sauce Episode Mentioned: Fruitful   At The Savvy Sauce, we will only recommend resources we believe in! We also want you to be aware: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.    The Well-Watered Woman   Well-Watered Women Website and Instagram   Thank You to Our Sponsor: Leman Property Management Company   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

This episode blessed me so much to record it, and I just know it's going to bless you right now as you listen to it. So, get ready to be encouraged in your faith and in your business! I'm talking to my friend, Gretchen Saffles. Gretchen is the owner and creator of Well-Watered Women, which is an online ministry and shop that reaches women worldwide with the hope of the gospel. Gretchen is a mom to 2 sweet boys and a wife to her husband of 9 years. And, she's the author of The Well-Watered Woman, which I am totally loving right now! (And at the time this airs, I will have finished reading!) We cover a wide variety of topics today as you'll see in the title, but you can get a glimpse into some of what we hit on below.    Some of the topics we'll cover:  - Gretchen's business story - starting her business 8 years ago to what it is now  - Practical ways to set boundaries around social media as business owners  - How to study the Bible when you don't know where to start or feel you don't have the time  - How we can seek God in whatever season of life we're in  - How we can lean into God and serve him even in the mundane moments (like folding laundry or the behind the scenes work in your business)  - The pressure to “balance it all” as women and how living a well-watered life is vital  - Why we don't need “Jesus Plus Coffee” (or fill in the blank) and how we can find our satisfaction in Him alone  - Setting goals as business owners without making them an idol  - How to be in your season of what God has called you to do without comparing yourself to others … and so much more!    Get the full shownotes with all linked mentioned at https://elizabethmccravy.com/142  Connect with Elizabeth on her website at http://elizabethmccravy.com/  Connect with Gretchen on her website at http://wellwateredwomen.com/  Connect with Elizabeth on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/elizabethmccravy/  Connect with Gretchen on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/gretchensaffles/ and https://www.instagram.com/wellwateredwomen/  And, you can find the Well-Watered Woman book on Amazon here: https://rstyle.me/+SCb1LLWvq-ZTR6rlvT0eqA 

In this episode, we talk to Gretchen Saffles from Well-Watered Women about how to incorporate the Bible into our prayer time, her biggest struggles with prayer and how she hopes to grow next in prayer!Gretchen Saffles is the founder of Well-Watered Women, an online ministry that reaches women worldwide with the hope of the gospel, and the author of The Well-Watered Woman: Rooted in Truth, Growing in Grace, Flourishing in Faith. She has written several Bible studies and is also the creator of the Give Me Jesus quiet-time journal for women, a tool to help women study Scripture daily. Gretchen lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, Greg, and her two sons, Nolan and Haddon.Well-Watered Women shop | Well-Watered Women bookVal's new book, Pray Confidently and Consistently, is out now!! Discover the 15 weights holding back your prayer life and how to practically overcome them! Grab your copy from Amazon or a signed copy from our VMP shop!Want a journal designed to help you focus in prayer? Try our monthly format designed to be filled out once at the beginning of the month really intentionally. Then you can pick up daily to pray over several things on your list! Check out our brand new linen journals in the shop now! https://shop.valmariepaper.com/

To join our Patreon group, click here To subscribe to the Chatologie newsletter, click here   Welcome back to the show.  Angie is chatting with Gretchen Saffels.  Gretchen is the creator of Well Watered Women, an online ministry that reaches women worldwide with the hope of the gospel.  She is also an author and journal creator who resides in Atlanta, GA with her husband and two boys.   On today's episode with Gretchen, Angie has a conversation about:  If not, then when? What happens when you're faithful to the local church What are some steps you take to forsake the broken well of perfection   Mentioned in this episode: The Well Watered Woman by Gretchen Saffles Isaiah 58:11 John 4 God of All Things by Andrew Wilson Romans 8 Isaiah 55 Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges Philippians 1:1-6 Lamentations 3

In this episode, Brittany has a conversation with author, Gretchen Saffles, about what biblical meditation is and how it can help us to treasure Christ more. Tune in for practical encouragement in this spiritual discipline.Recommended Resources:The Well-Watered Woman by Gretchen SafflesGive Me Jesus JournalBe Still & Know Bible StudiesWord Before World Scripture Memory JournalGlenna Marshall on Scripture MemoryGlenna Marshall's InstagramJourneyWomen Podcast InstagramSola Gratia Co. Scripture Writing JournalVerses AppConnect With Us:laradentremont.com/treasuring-christ-podcastFollow us on Instagram:Treasuring Christ Podcast | Brittany Allen | Lara d'EntremontIf you enjoyed this episode, we would be so grateful if you could share it, pass it along to a friend, or leave a review on iTunes so that others can easily find us. Thank you!

Listeners welcome to our 42nd Episode with Molly J Wilkinson!  Molly is a Pastry graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Paris offering pastry classes in Versailles and around France. Originally from Dallas, Texas, she moved to Paris in 2013 to follow her passion for baking and ended up staying!   This conversation will be a two part series, in our part one with Molly we will share with us about her pastry and baking passion beginning as a young child and how she began to pursue it more seriously.  In part two Molly will share about what life was like for as a student at Le Cordon Bleu Paris and what she did with her training after. You are for sure going to want to lean in and not miss hearing Molly's story as she highlights her passions of baking, becoming a pastry chef and teaching others.  No matter if this is your story and you can relate to her or not I believe that there is something in this episode for you.   Molly J Wilkinson Website  Insta  French Pastry made Simple Book Link  Facebook  Pinterest  YouTube  Linkedin    FOLLOW NO WRONG TURNS POD  Instagram @nowrongturnspod  Facebook @nowrongturnspod    BOOK CLUB Friends if you are interested in being in a small group setting for listening, discussion and action work with the main focus on racial injustice and racial reconciliation I would invite you to consider joining my book club.  Our Summer Book selection is Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do by Jennifer L. Eberhardt.  If you are interested in joining the conversation our next book club meeting will be on Tuesday, July 20th at 7:30pm Chicago time.  DM us on our social medias @nowrongturnspod or email us at nowrongturnspod@gmail.com.  Get Biased by Jennifer L Eberhardt on Amazon     SPONSOR ADS   French Pastry made Simple: Foolproof Recipes for Éclairs, Tarts, Macarons and More by Molly J Wilkinson Unleash your inner pastry chef with Molly Wilkinson's approachable recipes for all of your French favorites. Molly takes the most essential techniques and makes them easy for home bakers, resulting in a collection of simple, key recipes that open up the world of pastry. With friendly, detailed directions and brilliant shortcuts, you can skip the pastry shop and enjoy delicious homemade creations. Master base recipes like 30-minute puff pastry, decadent chocolate ganache and fail-safe citrus curds, and you're on your way to making dozens of iconic French treats. You'll feel like a pro when whipping up gorgeous trays of madeleines and decorating a stunning array of cream puffs and éclairs. This go-to guide shows you all the tips and tricks you need to impress your guests and have fun with French pastry. Book Link   OMIO Today's episode is brought to you by Omio.  Omio is a travel-booking platform that makes planning a journey in Europe and North America effortless. Just enter your travel details and Omio will magically give you all the train, bus, flight and ferry options for your journey—it's never been simpler to book your first real vacation for 2021! Best of all? Using Omio saves you time and money! That's a win-win in our books! Omio wants to help you leave your house this summer by offering five percent off your next booking. Just head to Omio.com and use the code LISTENER5 at checkout. Valid until 30th June for new users on all modes of transport, it's just the pick-me-up 2021 needs! Omio: Plan, book and love the journey. Terms & Conditions apply. OMIO LINK PODCAST RECOMMENDATION  I love The Happy Hour Podcast hosted by Jamie Ivey which I have mentioned before on this podcast.  During the happy hour they will discuss anything and everything just as if you were around the table with your own girlfriends. Jamie loves to connect with women and encourage them as they journey through life.  Today I wanted to share with you episode #377 with Gretchen Saffles who is an author and founder of the online community Well-Watered Women.  In this episode, Gretchen talks about society's criteria of a “good Christian woman” and how to combat that with God's word. Gretchen also dives into the true meaning of a well-watered woman, and what it looks like to really be with Jesus. There is a quote that I have had on a sticky note on my laptop for the past several weeks from this episode when Gretchen said, “Contentment is not having more or having less, it is having Christ.”  I would encourage you to give this episode a listen, I will link the podcast details in the show notes! Podcast Link   Podcast Edited by Sophia Boté   Music Credits: Wholesome Music from https://filmmusic.io "Wholesome" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)  

IT'S FINALLY HERE!

Ep. 28 - Growing up in a loving Christian home can often make someone feel invincible. Almost like the struggles of the world world will never be their own personal struggles. Gretchen Saffles knows what that's like. She remembers hearing about eating disorders and thinking to herself "that's something I will never struggle with." How did she go from thinking those thoughts, to finding herself in that very place only a few short years later? In this open and honest conversation, Gretchen Saffles from The Well Watered Woman shares her journey of legalism, eating disorders, shame and ultimately finding hope and freedom in the only place possible. Her love for God and His Word transformed her life. She encourages every woman to find hope in God as well. SUMMER BOOK CLUB Shine Bright Devotional 2021 Girl Defined Conference Girl Defined Love Defined Sex, Purity and the Longings of a Girl's Heart The Well Watered Woman BOOK

Bethany Beal and I discuss womanhood on this episode of WWL. In this age-- when sexuality is the currency and gender roles can be thwarted-- Bethany encourages us to look to our Creator and his design rather than ourselves and our desires. She reminds us of our purpose and urges us to walk the path of being a girl defined by God. A little bit about the guest: Bethany Beal is head-over-heels in love with her best friend and husband, David, and is the super proud mommy of Davey Jr. She is the cofounder of Girl Defined Ministries and is passionate about spreading the truth of biblical womanhood through writing, speaking, and mentoring young women. To her family and close friends, she is simply a tall blonde girl who is obsessed with iced lattes and can’t get enough of her sweet baby Davey Jr. Support the podcast through Patreon Join our mailing list Check out our website Resources: Shine Bright: 60 Days to Become a Girl Defined by God by Kristen Clark and Bethany Beal Girl Defined Sex, Purity, and the Longings of a Girl’s Heart Bethany is reading The Well Watered Woman by Gretchen Saffles, and listening to Exploring My Strange Bible, and The Briefing. She is being refreshed by taking baths and drinking iced coffee. Noteworthy quotes: “The essence, truly, of Biblical femininity-- of Biblical womanhood-- [...] it truly is about becoming less about me and more about Christ.” - 14:28 “Bringing our sins into the light was the most freeing thing that ever happened to us.” - 30:39 Questions for consideration: In what ways are you seeking to make your name great, rather than Christ? Sponsors for this episode: #TWENTYSOMETHINGSBOOK by Cimber Cummings GO GET TWENTY SOMETHINGS RIGHT NOW! Through these words, you'll feel the familiarity of a close friend as Cimber encourages us through stories with how to: - Create more fun, freedom, and purpose than you've imagined. - Work through expectations and dreams and a few disappointments. - And getting to know how God's character and goodness transform and inform every area of our lives! I personally enjoyed every second of this book and laughed so hard. Cimber is REAL and every gal can relate to what she writes about. So grab "Twenty Something" by Cimber Cummings on Amazon today. Dwell Differently: This next sponsor is one of my new personal favorite products. Dwell Differently creates scripture designs to help you memorize one Bible verse every month. Each letter in the design represents the first letter of each word in the verse. You see it, recall it, and repeat it! Their monthly memberships come with temporary tattoos, a key tag, a print, and access to digital kits from the current and past months. They have memberships for individuals, families, and larger groups! They also provide a weekly email, devo, and podcast to help you dig further into learning about the verse of the month. I get asked all the time about my tattoos and it becomes a great conversation and a quiz for me to remember my verse of the month! Dwell has offered us a 10% discount on their membership using the code LEMON10. Go check them out, ladies! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/waterwithlemon/support

It's the week of Mother's Day, so let's talk about being grounded, making time for yourself, and being close to God- whether this Mother's Day is your best yet or a heartbreaking thought. Gretchen Saffles, author of The Well-Watered Woman, is here to talk to us through this season and the importance of being in the Word of God on a daily basis. . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast Thank you to our partners! BetterHelp: As one of my friends, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting BetterHelp.com/thatsoundsfun. Curology: Go to Curology.com/thatsoundsfun for a free 30-day trial, just pay for shipping and handling. Indeed: Get started with a FREE $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post at indeed.com/SOUNDSFUN.

Gretchen Saffles, founder of Well-Watered Women, is passionate about helping women live abundantly in Jesus.

In this episode of the Rhythms for Life podcast, we talk to Well-Watered Women Co. Founder and author, Gretchen Saffles, about what it means to water your soul from the well of God’s word and embracing your story. Gretchen shares her healing journey  from an eating disorder  and  how that shame is a transformative part of her story.  In her latest book, The Well-Watered Woman, Gretchen leads us to the Well of fullness, the Word of freedom, and the Way of fruitfulness. Don't miss a single episode and be sure to subscribe for weekly tips on new life rhythms. LINKS:Check out Gretchen’s book, The Well-Watered WomanRegister for the Marriage & Parenting Renewal Retreat happening May 6-7.Ready to begin living in rhythm? Grab bestseller, Rhythms of Renewal, today!Join the Rhythms for Life Community here.Thank you to this week's sponsor! Samaritan Ministries is a community of Christians who live out Galatians 6:2 by bearing one another’s burdens when a medical need arises. It’s a Biblical solution to health care, connecting members across the nation who share medical costs while praying for and encouraging one another. Learn more today. 

WIO #161: The Well-Watered Woman with Gretchen Saffles. You are going to be so inspired by today's conversation with Gretchen! For links and notes on everything we chatted about in today's episode, visit: HTTP://triciagoyer.com/161 --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/walkitoutwithtriciagoyer/support

To kick off season two of the Wycliffe Women of the Word podcast, Jenn and Beth talk with Gretchen Saffles, the founder of Well-Watered Women and author of the new book, “The Well-Watered Woman: Rooted in Truth, Growing in Grace, Flourishing in Faith.”  Gretchen shares her faith journey, and the women discuss the significance that Scripture plays in our lives as women.  Recommendations from the episode: Gretchen recommends the Verses: Bible Memory App to help with Scripture memorization. Ad: “God in Full View” is Wycliffe Bible Translators USA’s interactive travel journal that explores 10 countries around the world. The free PDF features stunning photography, stories about people we’ve met in our travels in Bible translation, cultural recipes, greeting cards and other hidden treasures. Get it today! All guest views are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Wycliffe Bible Translators USA. Wycliffe Bible Translators USA’s mission is to serve with the global body of Christ to advance Bible translation and work together so people can encounter God through his Word. Keep up with Wycliffe Women of the Word through interviews, articles and more at wycliffe.org/women. 

Gretchen Saffles is the founder of Well-Watered Women, a global online ministry founded in 2014 with the mission of reaching women worldwide. Over the years, Gretchen has self-published several Bible studies and created guided journals and resources that walk women through various books of the Bible. She has a degree in fashion merchandising from the University of Georgia and loves to creatively show women they have been made in the image of God to reflect and enjoy him. We chatted about: - The heart behind her new book The Well-Watered Woman: Rooted in Truth, Growing in Grace, Flourishing in Faith - How to go from a "dried-up" woman to living the "well-watered life" - The most challenging (and life-giving) parts of writing the book - Gretchen offers hope and perspective to "hustle culture" - How the well-watered life is vital to a woman who wears many hats - The devotional journal releasing alongside the book (and how it complements)

Our key word in April is GROW. How can we grow spiritually instead of slowing fading away from God's Word and His heart? Author Gretchen Saffles shares how we can take care of our souls in this busy world and packed family life. Find out what a well-watered woman is all about, and how you can be one starting today! Learn more about Gretchen Saffles and her book, The Well-Watered Woman.

Join Alisa and Gretchen Saffles as they discuss her ministry and her new book The Well-Watered Woman -Rooted in Truth, Growing in Grace, Flourishing in Faith.  Discover the bottomless, refreshing Well of God's Word—and experience a fullness and peace beyond your circumstances. In the chaos of our everyday, it can be difficult to live out and apply the truths of Scripture. We want more of Jesus, but we find ourselves looking to our own lives and accomplishments for our worth and identity. And while that may buoy us for a time, we're often left feeling dried up, discouraged, and longing for more. Gretchen Saffles knows what it's like to feel overwhelmed and unable to flourish. In The Well-Watered Woman, Gretchen leads us to the Well of fullness, the Word of freedom, and the Way of fruitfulness. She teaches that God's Word will satisfy us for all eternity. Using Scripture and her own personal story of surrender, Gretchen offers spiritually hungry women tangible tools to not only know Jesus more but to live a life that thoroughly enjoys Him, seeks Him, and follows Him into freedom. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT GRETCHEN SAFFLES & HERE MINISTRY HERE! Build your faith and improve your health with this new, larger 90-day wellness journal by Revelation Wellness®.

Join Alisa and Gretchen Saffles as they discuss her ministry and her new book The Well-Watered Woman -Rooted in Truth, Growing in Grace, Flourishing in Faith.  Discover the bottomless, refreshing Well of God’s Word—and experience a fullness and peace beyond your circumstances. In the chaos of our everyday, it can be difficult to live out and apply the truths of Scripture. We want more of Jesus, but we find ourselves looking to our own lives and accomplishments for our worth and identity. And while that may buoy us for a time, we’re often left feeling dried up, discouraged, and longing for more. Gretchen Saffles knows what it’s like to feel overwhelmed and unable to flourish. In The Well-Watered Woman, Gretchen leads us to the Well of fullness, the Word of freedom, and the Way of fruitfulness. She teaches that God’s Word will satisfy us for all eternity. Using Scripture and her own personal story of surrender, Gretchen offers spiritually hungry women tangible tools to not only know Jesus more but to live a life that thoroughly enjoys Him, seeks Him, and follows Him into freedom. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT GRETCHEN SAFFLES & HERE MINISTRY HERE! Build your faith and improve your health with this new, larger 90-day wellness journal by Revelation Wellness®.

Gretchen Saffles joins Blake to talk about the importance of daily time in the Word and truly following Jesus in order to show up in your own life and to be a leader. Listen in as they give practical, non-overwhelming advice for getting in your Bible, and both share their personal stories of burn out from trying to do it all on their own.   Gretchen is an author and the founder of the Well Watered Women Co. Her book Well Watered Woman comes out April 6th and will be available anywhere you get books!   This week's podcast sponsors: Faithful Counseling offers professional mental health counseling from a Biblical perspective through online meetings & calls. Visit getfaithful.com/crappychristian for 10% off your first month and to connect with a licensed counselor today.   Audible is the best way to listen to all of the great books you hear about on our show, with thousands of titles & easy access, you can start listening to your favorite books today. Head here for a free 30 day trial of Audible on us!

My guest for The Happy Hour #377 is Gretchen Saffles. Gretchen is the founder of the online community Well-Watered Women, and author of The Well-Watered Woman, leading readers to discover the refreshing well of God’s Word so they can experience fullness and peace beyond their circumstances. The Well-Watered Woman and the companion devotional journal, The Well-Watered Life, are releasing next week! In today’s episode, Gretchen talks about society’s criteria of a “good Christian woman” and how to combat that with God’s word. Gretchen also dives into the true meaning of a well-watered woman, and what it looks like to really be with Jesus. I love when she says “The goal of the well-watered woman is not to become this perfect person. It’s to know Jesus and to become like Him together.” For the full summary and links to the show, click the link below! Connect with Jamie Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // YouTube GET ALL THE LINKS FROM THE SHOW HERE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sweetest friends! I am so excited to share this amazing woman with you! Gretchen Saffles is truly a WOMAN OF THE WORD. This queen delights in the details of His glory and marvels at His majesty daily. I am so inspired by her relationship with Christ and I am over the moon, pumped, about her NEW BOOK--The Well Watered Woman. Anywhere you buy books, "The Well Watered Woman" will be available on April 6th!! Gretchen shared a few key Scriptures that helped her during her battle with her eating disorder in College-- those can be found: Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 "A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God,  for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?"Colossians 3:2 "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." Please please please keep up with this amazing gal. She is so special to my heart!!! Her authenticity shines through the screen! You can follow her on Instagram at @gretchensaffles and at @wellwateredwomen 

Kelly and Elizabeth talk with Gretchen Saffles about her book The Well Watered Woman and how “Christ is the fulfillment of our joy, our satisfaction and our foundation.” Listen in […] The post MARKED | Gretchen Saffles appeared first on Lifeway Women.

In this episode of the Held Podcast, I chatted with Gretchen Saffles about thinking and praying through “trying” after loss. We talked through some general struggles and specific scenerios that may confront a woman as she considers when to “try” or whether or not she and her husband should “try” at all after miscarriage. Gretchen shared her own experience thinking through this question, which she is still currently navigating, and helped us think through how to practice discernment about things that aren't clearly outlined in scripture. This episode is saturated with biblical encouragement and practical guidance. I hope it will encourage you as you think and pray through this question for your own family. About Gretchen Saffles: Gretchen Saffles is passionate about encouraging and equipping women to dig into the Word of God and find their identity and purpose in Christ. She is the founder of Well-Watered Women, an online ministry that reaches women worldwide. Through her online ministry she longs to meet women right where they are with the hope of the gospel and to ignite a desire in their hearts to know Jesus more. Gretchen lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, Greg, and her two sons, Nolan and Haddon. Questions in this Episode: 1.    Would you start off by just telling us a bit about your own experience with miscarriage?   2. I know that you weren’t necessarily “trying” for the baby that Greg lost to miscarriage, what was your experience like thinking and praying through growing your family after loss?   3. How do you know when the “right time” to try again is or if it’s “right” to try again at all?   4. What are some practical things we should do as we consider “trying” or “trying again?” What are some specific questions we should ask ourselves or ask the Lord?   5. Let’s walk through a few scenarios of pregnancy after loss and maybe you can share some wisdom with us for each one… a woman wants to grow her family but is really afraid to lose another baby and doesn’t feel like she’s in a stable place emotionally or “ready” for that a woman doesn’t feel ready to try but her husband is really pushing to become pregnant again a woman is eager to try again because she feels like it will take her pain away/ help her to heal   6.  Obviously “trying” and “getting pregnant” are not synonymous. Perhaps a woman listening has decided they won’t really “try” but they’ve stopped preventing, or maybe she and her husband are actively trying but the waiting is starting to get to her, what encouragement would you offer to the woman longing to be pregnant again for whom it is just not happening? Perhaps someone is listening who hasn’t started trying again yet but is fearful of infertility. What would you say to her?     Questions for every guest: What’s one way God has used your experience of miscarriage to work in your heart and life? If you could encourage a woman to meditate on or memorize any verse or short set of verses in this season, what would it be and why? Noteworthy Quotes: “We can make our plans, but ultimately it is God who brings life. It is God who is sovereign over every single little detail of our lives.” “A lot of times we can go to our planning stages without first praying, without first coming to God in humble submission to him asking him to fulfill in us the desires that he has, to give us his desires that are according to his kingdom and his will. So first, prayer.” “Seek wisdom. What is going on in our lives right now? How is our marriage? What has God called us to do?” “What’s really beautiful is the accounts in scripture that we have. Think about the story of Sarah who longed for a child, and yet we know that she was so past childbearing, and we see God’s greater plan in that child, to bring the coming Messiah, to show the people that our God is greater, that he can work beyond any human means. So, we look back to scripture and we see these examples that God gave us to trust him with his timing. And you think of Hannah too… God heard her cry, and it says “in God’s appointed time.” And we also see in God’s appointed time that he sent his Son. So we trust God with his timing. We surrender and submit to him who has always been faithful to his people.”   “Our God is a God of trust and a God of peace. After losing a baby I quickly realized how easy it is for a spirit of fear to take over and for the “what if” questions to start going on repeat… You can bring those fears before God.”   “God, in the form of Jesus, he suffered on the cross. He knows what it’s like to suffer.”   “Seek counsel. Seek out a christian counselor or your pastor or wisdom from an older woman at church. Seek wise counsel. Don’t try to heal and to go through this all on your own. That’s why we have the body of Christ, the church, to receive comfort and counsel from...seek counsel for that spiritual and emotional healing.”   “Come to God. I’m saying this over and over again because a lot of times this is not our first response, to go to the Lord in suffering, in confusion, in trial. We go to other people, we go to google. we go to books, to doctors… and there’s wisdom in seeking out that counsel, but first, press into the Lord.”   “Anything that I look to for hope and healing in this life other than Christ is ultimately going to be short. It won’t fulfill that desire. That pain can only be healed at the cross.”   “When we think that God should remove the pain, we can also go back to Christ who submitted to God in that pain, and God brought ultimate healing and redemption through that.”   “I think one of the deepest most important theologies that we should seek to learn and develop as a Christian is a theology of Suffering. God has never said that as a Christian you will never suffer. Never has he said that. And somehow we believe that. But we see in scripture that suffering draws us into a deeper relationship with Christ.”   “We have to know who God is. We have to remember that hope we have in Christ. And that we have a helper in the Holy Spirit.”   “Psalm 27:14 is so important for us to remember in seasons of waiting because it tells us how to wait, and what we wait for. It says, ‘Wait for the Lord. Be strong and let your heart take courage. Wait for the Lord.’ And in this we see this active waiting. It’s not just saying, oh, go sit and don’t do anything. [It’s] this active waiting and pressing in and seeking the Lord, taking courage and confidence that his word is true.”   “His word is our hope, it is our promise and our peace, and we wait for him. It’s so easy to get that backwards and think “I’m just waiting for a baby, I’m just waiting for this pregnancy, and then everything will be okay.” We have to be able to recognize those thoughts and bring  them captive and fuel those thoughts with the truth of God’s word.” (ending at 29:45)   “Don’t allow this season of waiting to steal the joy that you could have in your marriage. The opportunity to love your husband and to glorify God right where you are by serving others, by seeking him in the Word. What consumes your mind is what’s going to drive your feelings and drive your actions, and so be consumed with Christ. Be consumed with his love. Be consumed with awe of who God is in the world and in creations. Let that be the guide that propels you in this season of waiting.”   “One way [God has used miscarriage in my life] is to show me that he is still good when life is hard. He is still good when the floor beneath my feet seems to start quaking or my plans start crumbling, that he is still a firm foundation I can cling to and I can find shelter and hope in.” Scripture References: Revelation 21 Proverbs 19:21 Romans 8:14-15 2 Timothy 4:7 Luke 22:42 Psalm 27:14 Psalm 13   Resources Mentioned: The Reason for God by Tim Keller   Intro/ Outro Music: My Soul Will Wait (Psalm 62) [feat. Stacy Lantz], Hilton Head Presbyterian Church “Held” Book Purchasing Info: purchasing link  (discount code: heldpodcast10 ) (or order from amazon)

In this episode, Andrea talks with Hunter Beless of the The Journeywomen Podcast and Gretchen Saffles from Well-Watered Women about how to faithfully use social media in an age of influencers, marketing, brands, pandemics, and so on. We answered some listener questions, and Hunter and Gretchen both shared their personal habits and approaches to managing social media in their personal life and work.BiosGretchen Saffles is the founder of Well-Watered Women, a resource for women filled with bible studies, journals, articles, and more. She is a writer and author, mom and wife and lives in Georgia. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gretchensaffles/https://www.instagram.com/wellwateredwomen/https://www.instagram.com/wellwateredco/Hunter Beless is the Founder & Executive Director of The Journeywomen Podcast. She is married to Brooks and they have three children and live in New Hampshire.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunterbeless/https://www.instagram.com/journeywomenpodcast/Books:Tony Reinke, 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You

This week on the podcast I talked with Gretchen Saffles about the popular message “you are enough.” In this episode, Gretchen and I talk about how knowing God is the only one who is enough in our place is the only true way of finding freedom from our lack of “enoughness.” This phrase is a popular one in culture, but without a foundation in Christ, this phrase leads us to ourselves and our own efforts. www.meaganelling.com/podcast  

This week we are talking about humanity, and that walks alongside week 5 of the Everyday Theology Bible study. We are answering questions like: What does God say about us and how should that inform the way we live? and What is true freedom in Christ and how do we live out our identity as the imago Dei? We are talking with Gretchen Saffles today. Gretchen is the founder of Well-Watered Women and has so many wonderful resources available to lead you into a deeper relationship with Christ! These are at wellwateredwomen.com She’s also so encouraging on social media, has upcoming books and all sorts of exciting things coming you way - so make sure to follow along! 

In this episode, Gretchen Saffles from Well-Watered Woman is going to teach us what the Bible is, why God gave it to us and how to read the Bible (and actually understand it).

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There’s a lot of us online, like a lot of us. Each of us with a story and those of us who love Jesus love to share our stories online. Gretchen Saffles from Well-Watered Women speaks to those of us who want to take a look at our calling, online and offline. Is what we’re sharing “too much” is it “enough”? It’s not all that we’re called to actually, evangelism shouldn’t stay online. Gretchen encourages us to get out of our comfort zone, share Jesus with people in real life. She also encourages us to cut the comparison of our callings that we so often fall into online. I mean, today’s convo will really rock your world. Show notes: behindtheblisspodcast.com/shownotes/86 BTB on Instagram: instagram.com/behindtheblisspodcast Become a patron: patreon.com/behindthebliss

What lie are you believing? Do you know how to silence it? Do you know how to take Scripture and use it as a shield from the parts of the world aiming to devalue you? I love this conversation with Gretchen Saffles, creator of Well Watered Women. Here’s No One Told Me How To Stop Believing The Lies. The post …How To Stop Believing The Lies appeared first on No One Told Me Podcast.

Joining me today for the third episode in our series on maternal mental health is Gretchen Saffles! She is a wife & mother of 2 boys, a writer, speaker and an artist. She is also the founder of Well Watered Women, a company and ministry that provides beautiful tools and resources for studying God’s word and being well equipped for the calling he’s placed on each of our lives. We talk about the anxiety that she’s struggled with over the past few years and the way she’s learned to trust God, allow others to speak truth into her life and make healthy changes for herself and her family. I really admire the beautiful way that she points us back to Jesus again and again while recognizing the need we sometimes have for the help God provides through doctors and other professionals! We discuss the shame that comes with anxiety, how being aware of our limitations is important for mental health and why keeping our eyes on Jesus and being well watered truly makes all the difference in this life. CONNECT WITH GRETCHEN! Website: www.wellwateredwomen.com Instagram: @gretchensaffles @wellwateredwomen RESOURCES Books: 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You by Tony Reinke Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard Finding Quiet by JP Moreland Bible verses: Isaiah 58:11 2 Corinthians 12:9 Connect with KM! Instagram: @knowingmotherhoodpodcast Facebook: @knowingmotherhood Email/ inquiries: lynnelle@knowingmotherhood.com WEBSITE LAUNCHING IN JANUARY 2020! www.knowingmotherhood.com

We are wrapping up this interview blitz week with today’s guest Gretchen Saffles founder of the large ministry organization Well Watered Women. She’s also the creator of “Give Me Jesus” Journal. She is passionate about encouraging and equipping women to dig deep into the Word of God and find their identity and purpose in Christ. Through Well-Watered Women, she longs to meet women right where they are with the hope of the gospel and to ignite a desire in their hearts to know Jesus more. On any given day you can find her with a coffee cup in hand, her boys by her side, a message stirring in her soul, and a God-sized dream on her heart. Gretchen lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, Greg, and her two sons, Nolan and Haddon. Honestly we cover it all in today’s episode! From the struggles we face in perfectionism, how to balance kids, a ministry career, cultivating relationships with others, and what she does to navigate providing truthfilled teaching of the Bible and why being compulsive in sharing too quickly about something online may not be the best approach. Connect with me on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/RachelSwansonOfficial Connect with me on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/rachelcswanson/ If you haven’t already, join my weekly Truthful Tuesday emails where I share weekly personal + spiritual growth tips, give you free stuff, plus receive more behind-the-scene updates about my books and faith-led adventures! https://rachelcswanson.com/subscribe/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/rachelcswanson/support

On this episode of the Journeywomen podcast, I chatted with Gretchen Saffles of Well-Watered Women about loving God’s Word. Ya'll know this is my favorite topic! I asked Gretchen to chat with me because I know she's passionate about encouraging and equipping women to get into the Word of God and find their identity and purpose in Christ. Gretchen is the founder of Well-Watered Women, an online women's ministry that reaches worldwide, has written several Bible studies, and is the creator of the "Give Me Jesus" quiet time journal for women. Through her online ministry, she longs to meet women right where they are with the hope of the gospel and ignite a desire in their hearts to know Jesus more. On any given day you can find her with a coffee cup in hand, a toddler by her side, a message stirring in her soul, and a God-sized dream on her heart.   As an added bonus, Gretchen has graciously offered ya’ll a discount code to the Well-Watered Women shop from now until November 30, 2017 for 10% off your entire purchase! Use the code JOURNEYWOMEN at checkout. This would be a great time to stock up on meaningful Christmas gifts for your girlfriends!   GRETCHEN'S RESOURCES Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin Help me Teach the Bible Podcast with Nancy Guthrie Desiring God Website   GRETCHEN'S SIMPLE JOYS Her morning coffee A Kindle (more specifically, reading with the backlight) The Autobiography of George Muller Tim Keller Twitter Account with Kindle Deals - @dailykeller Going on family adventures   CONNECT WITH GRETCHEN Instagram Facebook Twitter Website SPONSORSHIP DETAILS Today's episode of the Journeywomen Podcast is sponsored by T Bar M Camps.  If you’ve been around Journeywomen for awhile, I know you’ve heard me talk about how much camp has impacted me. Because of that, I want to tell you about, T Bar M camps located in New Braunfels, TX. You’ve probably heard of T Bar M for their incredible summer camps, but did you know that you can retreat with them year round? If you have a group that needs to retreat, T Bar M is definitely the place to go. I’ve been there for my own personal retreat and ya’ll, it is BEAUTIFUL! It’s the perfect place to inspire your people to laugh, play and enjoy life together at a family camp or reunion. Right now, T Bar M is partnering with Journeywomen to help you retreat well! Visit tbarm.org/journeywomen and get a free ebook on the value of retreating, along with 15% off your first retreat experience! Follow them on Instagram or Facebook. FOR MORE EPISODES OF JOURNEYWOMEN:   SUBSCRIBE Subscribe on iOS, go to the iTunes page and subscribe to the Journeywomen Podcast. On Android, click this podcast RSS feed link and select your podcast app. You may need to copy the link into your favorite podcast app (like Overcast or Stitcher).   WRITE A REVIEW Writing a review on iTunes will help other women on their journeys to glorify God find and utilize the podcast as a resource.   FOLLOW JOURNEYWOMEN Like/follow Journeywomen on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter for the latest updates.   *Affiliate links used are used where appropriate. Thank you for supporting the products that support Journeywomen!

The Pairadocs sit down with Gretchen Saffles today. Gretchen is a Grace-dweller, Hope-writer, wife and mama! She’s the creator of the Give Me Jesus Journal and the Life Lived Beautifully Shop. Listen in and she gives wonderful insight for women on how to be “well watered”. Men, she gives valuable wisdom on how to help you wives be well watered as well!

When it comes to balancing various roles, Gretchen Saffles has experience with many on her plate! She's a wife, a mom, an entrepreneur, and an owner of a growing business. In this episode, she shares her journey into life as a working mom, some of the challenges she's faced along the way, and how she's learning to rest in Christ through it all. Gretchen speaks to moms who wonder how they can possibly accomplish all that God has called them to do, encouraging them to pray, "Jesus, be in me all that I cannot be." Like what you hear? Visit www.risenmotherhood.com for links to additional articles and resources on this topic. Find us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter (@risenmotherhood) to find more encouragement and truth on how to be an intentional mother that cares for and loves her children with eternity in mind. And if you get a chance, we'd love for you to subscribe and/or leave a review in iTunes!

{MARKED} is a podcast for women who are marked by a hunger for God’s Word, a longing to impact culture, and a desire to discover and live out God’s calling in their […] The post MARKED | Gretchen Saffles appeared first on LifeWay Women.