Uniquely Beautiful Stories

Hi friends! It's me, your very part-time podcaster. ;) I  finally sat down to edit this encouraging conversation I had back in MARCH, with my friend, Katie Mahoney. (How does time fly by so quickly?!?)  You might laugh at the fact that it is now fall, but back then she mentions "March Madness basketball", but no matter how many months have passed, this conversation is beautiful and relevant. Katie shares the turn of events that led to her pre-term delivery of their first precious son, Keon (one of my favorite little guys!), and the lessons they have learned along the way, as they raise and love a son with Cerebral Palsy.  The way Katie fights for Keon and works as a team with her husband, Ryan, to raise both of their boys, is a huge encouragement to me. I know you will love hearing this chat, no matter where you are in your life's journey.Katie mentions a couple of books that have given her direction:We Carry Kevin and A Different Dream For Your ChildShare this podcast with a friend.... and go out and live your own uniquely beautiful story. xo

Hi friends! Today I had the joy of sitting down with a woman I have known for two decades, and have literally watched her pursue and achieve her dreams. Lauren-Elaine is the owner of Dance Studio 150, and was nominated in the Arts Category for the "30 Under 30" award in 2019. In addition to pursuing her calling to teach dance, LE is a wife to Matt, a mom of two and a follower of Jesus. I think you will be encouraged by her story... and I hope you are able to stop and reflect on moments when God has shown up right in the middle of your mess.Share this podcast with a friend... and go out and live your own uniquely beautiful story. xo

Friends, it's time for the final episode in our marriage mini-series. This time Garrick and I chat about what seems to be the least talked about and understood of the vows we made to each other: to cherish. What does that mean? What does it look like to cherish each other? How can we practically make sure our spouse feels cherished? Listen in! We hope you are encouraged to pour time and energy into your marriage... because your marriage matters! Go out and live your own uniquely beautiful love story!

Hi Friends! The McAnears are back this week, talking all about celebration! In cultivating a strong marriage, the art of celebration - celebrating each other, our differences, our victories & our marriage - is an important aspect. Today we talk about what that looks like practically and how celebration is more than throwing a good party (although that's one of my favorite things!). We hope you are encouraged to see your spouse as a gift - all of the things that make them who they are. Learning to celebrate even the hard seasons and our "unlovely" qualities opens up opportunities to learn and deepens our love for one another. We hope you the episode and share it with a married couple in your life! Shout out to my husband who went along with my dream of a "Roaring 20's" anniversary party for our 20th (pictured above)! <3

Hi friends! We are back with the next episode in our Marriage Matters mini-series: Connect.Today, Garrick joins me and we chat about how to cultivate a healthy marriage by regularly connecting relationally, emotionally, spiritually and physically. Life is busy and full. If we aren't careful, our interactions will only be limited to exchanging the facts about our day, children and schedules, even though we know intimacy grows as we intentionally connect with one another on deeper levels.Join us as we seek to pursue a lifelong love affair, connecting deeper as the years go by!Share this episode with another married couple... and go out and live your own uniquely beautiful love story! xo

Hi Friends! Welcome to the first episode in a very special mini-series on marriage, where my one and only joins me in the studio! Garrick and I have a passion for marriage and have been working with married couples for many years... so I asked him to join me for a few episodes to share his wisdom. In today's episode we talk about the "whys" and "hows" to cultivating a healthy marriage, keeping in mind that we are always planting something into our marriage - whether healthy or unhealthy habits. We also chat about what it looks like to live an intentional life, keeping the "end" in mind.We hope you love this episode and are encouraged to have a good conversation with your spouse - maybe over a Valentine's dinner. ;) Share this podcast with another couple... and go live YOUR uniquely, beautiful (love) story! xo

Hello friends! The UBS podcast is baaaaaack! Woo hoo! New year, new episodes! As I pondered how to relaunch UBS, I could think of nothing more important right now than holding tight to the Word of God. In times that are uncertain, unprecedented and often unnerving, we need the anchor for our souls that nver changes and gives life and strength to us day by day. Vickey and I chat about finding time to dive into God's word in various seasons of life, and she gives some great recommendations of reading plans including: the NT260, topical or John 21-Day on YouVersion, F-260 from Replicate Ministries and any number of options from She Reads Truth (available in hard copies and an app). The important thing is recognizing your personality, season of life and current spiritual goals - there's truly something for everyone.Welcome back to UBS... I hope you enjoy the show!! xo

Friends, today I've got quite a story for you! Saudra Traywick shares the journey their family went on when her daughter, Hannah, developed an illness literally overnight. The symptoms were terrifying and left doctors confused, but Saundra was an advocate and researcher for her daughter and eventually got a diagnosis for PANDAS, an auto-immune disorder, attacking Hannah's brain. After trying medication and seeing little change, Saundra stumbled upon evidence that drinking donkey milk might help her, due to the incredible health benefits. Willing to try anything, they gave the milk to Hannah and the results were almost instant! Fast forward a couple of years and Saudra now runs FOUR different organizations all connected to donkey milk! You can order incredible beauty products here: https://dulcededonke.com/ and also find out more info about the benefits of the raw and freeze-dried milk. The Donkey Dairy Farm is hosting a FREE health event for families, ESPECIALLY those with sick children:Saturday, November 2nd, 2019 Where:Oklahoma Donkey Dairy13150 N Peebly RdLuther, OK 73054 Be sure to rsvp for the event & spread the word!I hope you enjoy this episode and pass it on to a friend! xo

Friends, get ready to be encouraged! As you know, October is breast cancer awareness month & I wanted to share the story of my sweet friend, Kyla Pace and her cancer journey last year. Kyla is an incredible woman who loves Jesus dearly. You will be inspired by her honest details about the moments right after she heard the life-changing news, "you have breast cancer". She left the appointment, tears streaming down her face, got in her car... and praised God. I'm so thankful for Kyla's friendship and her example of faith in the very middle of a terrible storm.Listen up, then pass this on to a friend, in honor of all the strong & brave women who have fought cancer.xo

Friends, you're going to love this chat with Katie Harder! She takes us through the story of how the Lord made it abundantly clear that she was no longer a "boy mom", by putting the longer for a daughter on her heart and even a face in her mind of a sweet Chinese baby. She and her husband began the year and a half process of adopting and in May 2019 traveled to bring Millie home! I know you will be encouraged by this story!Also, #theluckyfew is the hashtag we chat about (do yourself a favor and look at the precious photos there!).As always, I hope you share the show with a friend & go live your own story! xo

Friends, you’re listening to episode 37 and today I have 3 beautiful guests - yes, 3! It’s a party in here! This is our 2nd Enneagram episode I’m calling the Ennea-girls RETURN + 1 (Joanna)! Our 1st Enneagram episode was #18 and featured Hill (also on #12) + Claire (also on #16). Today we are adding one more “expert” to the lineup, who has also been on the show before, Joanna Willcox (on #30). So go back and listen to all those but today... we’ve got some great info for you all things Enneagram. Our listeners submitted questions and we are diving in! In this episode we talk about Ian Cron and Suaznne Stabile, who we consider to be true experts. Any of their books or podcasts are high on our list of recommendations!We hope this podcast is an encouragement to you and shed some light on the intricacies of the Enneagram, as we went a little nerdy!Share this podcast with a friend, explore the Enneagram... and go live your own story! xo

Hi friends! Back for a 2nd episode on UBS is Lauren McAfee. (Check out her first ep. #15!) I sat down with Lauren to chat about the book she wrote with her husband, Michael. Their book, Not What You Think: Why the Bible Might be Nothing We Expected Yet Everything We Need, was released this May and addresses the tragic fact that millennials and Gen-Z are engaging with the Bible at alarmingly low rates. Among this demographic, the Bible is often misinterpreted, misunderstood and misrepresented. How in the world do we steer the ship back on course? To be honest, hearing these stats can feel overwhelming and heavy to me, but thankfully the McAfees have a different perspective. Lauren described to me the desire they felt to write a book truthfully addressing some of the most difficult aspects of the Bible, sharing their own doubts and struggles, then asking the reader to give the Bible a fair chance. We also chat about what it was like writing with her husband AND she gave me the exciting update on the adoption journey they've been on for 6 years!You will want to listen and pass this episode on to a friend!Now go live your own story! xo

Friends! If there ever was an episode that is the definition of this podcast, it's this one! Paula Cummings is a one-of-a-kind friend, who effortlessly wove her uniquely beautiful story throughout our entire conversation. Just like me, Paula believes that our calling is actually much easier to discover than many people think - we simply must look around us and see what God is up to and where we've been. He will use the experiences in our lives (ie: your uniquely beautiful story!), crossed with where He has us RIGHT NOW to reach who He has placed around us.Paula and I chat about how God used some teen friends to bring her to Jesus and older women to mentor her, which is exactly where she now finds her passion - mentoring younger women. Paula is so full of wisdom, you will NOT want to miss this conversation... and you'll definitely want to pass it on to a friend!Now go live your own story! xo

Hi friends! I've got a treat for you! I sat down with my new, beautiful friend, Scotia Moore and we had the best conversation! Scotia and her husband have been involved in camping ministry together for two decades and had ten children in fifteen years! (Yes, 10!) As a mom myself, I was so intrigued by the way she runs her household, her intentional emphasis on finding rest in the midst of our busy lives and a couple of life-hacks she had to offer (how else could she keep up with the demands of 10 children?!).Along with the ministry of motherhood, Scotia is also passionate about unity in our city. This is a topic she understands first-hand as she herself dealt with racial tension, moving to the mid-west as an adult. Scotia is a woman who is intent on facing what could be difficult conversations with grace, love and boldness. Her desire is to see families and communities building bridges and as she so beautifully shared with me, it starts around our own dinner tables. I left this conversation determined to do a better job of listening and learning, excited to get behind their work at Shiloh Camp, and eager to pray for reconciliation in Oklahoma City and around our world. I promise you will love Scotia & this conversation and I think you'll leave encouraged to love your community better. If you want to reach out to Scoia, the best way to get in touch is: info@shilohcamp.comShare this podcast with a friend and go live your own story! xo

Hi friends, happy Monday! You are going to LOVE this conversation with Susie Davis! Susie an author of 6 books, a speaker and co-founder of Austin Christian Fellowship with her husband. She is married to her high school sweetheart, and have 3 delightful young adult children (who are all married and living their one beautiful life) and one DARLING grandson. Susie is host of the podcast, Dear Daughters and just released a book by the same name, which you can find here: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=dear+daughters+susie+davis&ref=nb_sb_noss_1 In this chat we also talk about Susie's book, Unafraid, which you can find here:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=unafraid+susie+davis&ref=nb_sb_noss_2 You will devour this book if you are dealing with any type of fear or lack of trusting God.In true fashion, Susie also spends a minute as a spiritual mama to me, offering encouragement in this new mothering season I find myself in. It was a breath of fresh air & I hope you are as encouraged as I was by Susie!Be sure to connect with her on instagram: @susiedavis & @deardaughters AND sign up for her newsletter at: www.susiedavis.org.Share this episode with a friend... and go live your own story! xo

Hey friends! I'm excited to introduce you to my friend, Corey Penry! In this episode I refer to her as a "hippie at heart" and you'll hear why... but this conversation is about so much more than the fact that her family sold their house, jumped in an RV & have been traveling for the past 2 years.In this conversation, we talk about how the Lord has gently worked to heal parts of their hearts that were wounded and shown them a purpose on the road - to bring the love of Jesus to the people they meet and help others tell their stories. You will love this conversation and it might even inspire you to jump in the car for a road trip this summer!You can reach out to Corey on Insta:@coreypenry and follow their brand new page @rysyn_fam.As always, I hope you enjoy the show and share it with a friend. Now go live your own story! xo

Hi friends! Today I'm excited to share a conversation with my friend, Beth. Beth and I talk about many things including her time in the Air Force, her marriage and difficult divorce, the way she was able to heal and move forward - today living more fully as the woman God created her to be. We also talk about her battle with cancer and the importance of community! This is such an encouraging conversation for you to listen to and pass on to a friend!Now go live your own story! xo

Friends, UBS is back from hibernation! I'm so excited to bring you this episode from the beautiful Joanna Willcox. In our conversation she shares about mothering two sons, and the journey she went on when her youngest son was sick for three years, followed by an Autism diagnosis, and landing in her current season of seeing both boys as the unique and beautiful creations God made the to be. Whether you are a parent or not, you will find Joanna's deep faith and wisdom refreshing and encouraging! I hope you'll listen and pass on this episode to a friend.Joanna can be found on Facebook at: Joanna Parker Willcox, Instargram @joeywillcox and over on her blog: www.coldcoffeeclub.com. You'll want to follow her for updates on the historical fiction book she is finishing up and life/family posts of her darling boys!Share this podcast with a friend - and go live your one, uniquely, beautiful life! xo

Friends, I'm so very excited to introduce you to my DEAR friend, Julie Smith. You hear her voice each week on this podcast as the intro and outro, but today you're gonna really get to know my girl! Julie is a self-proclaimed open book, her laugh is contagious and she can bring the party anywhere she goes. We reminisce about the early days of raising our daughters, chat about the many places she has lived and the Veggie Tales characters she played... (Yes! She's been in movies!) :)But we also go DEEP into the difficult seasons of her marriage and things she has learned on the other side. Married or single, I think you will love this chat! (Listen all the way to the end of our conversation because we can't stop sharing things we've learned along the way.) I LOVED this chat with Julie! Check out these things Julie mentions:Two books: Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers and Evangelism as a Lifestyle by Jim Pertersen.Also, you can find her on the following Veggie Tales if you want to hear her amazing character voices: Mo and the Big Exit & Wonderful Wizard of Has.Share this episode with a friend and go live your own story! xo

Hi friends! In this conversation with Dr. Carisa Wilsie, we talk about the beautiful way the Lord brought her three children to her and how her life has been woven together from childhood experiences all the way to the 2 jobs she has. Carisa is a smart and passionate women, fighting for kids who have been through traumatic and chaotic places. If you want to reach out to Carisa you can email her at: wilsie@councilroad.org.Share this podcast with a friend, and go live your own story! xo