For Real with Kimberly Stuart

In this delightful end to season four (season four! huzzah!), I am joined by my friend Jess Connolly to talk about friendship, legacy, heartbreak, joy, and just for a plot twist, Jess’s current obsession with an obscure but very useful Amazon product. I’m saying we hit it all, and I loved it all. This ep is the perfect way to cap off a season, so lean in and listen to my life-drenched conversation with author, coach, podcaster, exceptional speaker, and dear friend, Jess Connolly.Jess Connolly is an unlikely leader who is obsessed with helping other women. Her story might surprise you, but here's the gist: God has taken her from defeat, despair, and overwhelmed exhaustion to abundant life. She barely graduated high school, and now she writes books. She went from wild church hurt to church leader, from poverty to coaching other women. Learn more at jessconnolly.com and @jessaconnolly.Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KimberlyStuart.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more from this episode.

Whitney English is a designer, author, entrepreneur, and someone who can help us both declutter and beautify without turning to strong drink. Huzzah! Whitney’s new book is called Organize First, Decorate Second, and I think you’ll love hearing about how she can help you bring order and beauty from nuttiness. I read Whitney’s book on a series of flights, and by about a third of the way through, I was ready to parachute out and get to my house to go through all my drawers and closets and rooms. I so appreciate practical advice and tools of how to make life and spaces more beautiful while human beings still live here. Kudos to Whitney for helping us make that happen.Whitney English believes that anyone can live a beautiful life. She believes that gratitude is the birthplace of joy, that people matter, that love is the answer, that if you’re real you can’t be ugly, that everyone is creative and some of us have just forgotten, and that it’s worth trying to be a better version of yourself today than you were yesterday. She has boot-strapped two businesses to seven figures, has a degree in interior design, studied management at Parsons in New York City, and has had her work featured in O magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and on the Today Show (twice). She was featured as one of Country Living magazine’s Women Entrepreneurs in 2008. One of her favorite dreams-come-true, though, is her husband David, and their three children. Find her online at whitneyenglish.com and @whitneyenglish.Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KimberlyStuart.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more from this episode.

I’m so stoked to share this bonus episode! We are celebrating the paperback release of my book, Star For Jesus and Other Jobs I Quit. This book was a long time in the living and the writing, so when it released in hardcover a year ago, I was nervous and thrilled. Nervous because this book is personal (yowza, is it personal!). Thrilled because it’s a book about grace. Real grace, grace stamped paid-in-full, grace that sets us FREE. So! When my publisher released this book in paperback, obviously I danced in my kitchen and obviously my producer Betsy and I thought it the perfect moment to share this conversation from the OG release one year ago.My very dear friends in San Diego joined me with balloons and ice cream and a chat behind the mic. You’ll hear from them in a sec, but for now, keep your earbuds in OR head to YouTube, where you can see all the faces of all these dear people, and listen in on a really great night, the live release of Star For Jesus and Other Jobs I Quit: Rediscovering the Grace that Sets Us Free.Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KimberlyStuart.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more from this episode.

Today’s episode is for you if you are a college student, a recent grad, or you love anyone who fits in those camps. My guest today is Erica Young Reitz, and she is THE expert in helping folks navigate life after college. I think you are going to absolutely love hearing what she has to say about everything from rooting yourself in a new community, making new friends, and figuring out a budget, to knowing how to give yourself some serious grace as you navigate the gigantic transitions after the graduation gown is packed away.Erica Young Reitz is the founder of After College Transition, an organization that helps practitioners (higher education professionals, church leaders, and college ministers) equip students to thrive after college. Her experience working with college students includes teaching advanced writing at The Pennsylvania State University and campus ministry with the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach), directing Senior EXIT. She holds an MA in higher education from Geneva College with a research focus on the senior year transition, and her writing has appeared in publications including Christianity Today and Relevant. Erica serves as a leadership development specialist for Bartell and Bartell, helping individuals and teams uplevel their leadership and unleash their organizational potential. Erica lives in central Pennsylvania with her husband, Craig, and their two children.Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KimberlyStuart.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more from this episode.

Dr. Wesley Hill is a New Testament scholar and seminary professor, and I found him through his new book called, simply, Easter. If you want Easter to be more than a chocolate bunny and the question of how to deal with wearing pastels after a long winter, this is your episode! Dr. Hill helped me remember again the deep and profound joy and hope that Easter brings, not just on that one Sunday each spring but every day before and after. Wesley Hill is an Episcopal priest and associate professor of New Testament at Western Theological Seminary. His PhD in New Testament is from Durham University in the UK. He has spoken and lectured at numerous Christian colleges and seminaries in the U.S. and internationally. A contributing editor for Comment magazine, he writes regularly for Christianity Today, The Living Church, and other publications. Among his books are Washed and Waiting, Paul and the Trinity, Spiritual Friendship, and The Lord’s Prayer. Find him online at wesleyhill.tumblr.com.Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KimberlyStuart.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more from this episode.

My friend Pricelis Perreaux-Dominguez is absolutely tenacious in her belief that the worldwide church is a gift, that God means for it to be healthy and holy, and that though it might appear very bruised, it is NOT broken. I am grateful for her and for her new book, Being a Sanctuary, which is both a loving correction and an invitation for churches to be sacred, soft, and safe. May we all hold fast to that vision and may we work toward it, bit by bit, in the places where we live.Pricelis Perreaux-Dominguez (MSW, MSEd) is a truth-teller and space builder committed to helping the Body of Christ be healthy and holy. She is the founder and CEO of Full Collective, creator of the annual Sowers Summit, and host of the Being a Sanctuary podcast. She has spoken at conferences such as Proverbs 31 and Verity Conference and has written for Chasing Justice and She Reads Truth. She is also a contributor to the devotional The Women We’ve Been Waiting For. Pricelis holds master’s degrees in community-based leadership and social work, and she is currently pursuing a master of arts in biblical and theological studies from Denver Seminary. She is a proud Black Latina (Dominicana) born and raised in New York City, where she resides with her husband and son. You can find her on Instagram @pricelispd.Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KimberlyStuart.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more from this episode.

My guest today is Tabitha Panariso. Ours was one of those easy connections that started before we pushed record and lasted well after, and I attribute that entirely to Tabitha herself. This woman prizes real words, real stories, real honesty above all, even in the face of rejection or dismissal. I can get behind that kind of bravery, as you know, and I’m excited for you to hear how that courage fleshes out on any given Tuesday. Grab your coffee cup and listen into my conversation with Tabitha Panadiso. Her book, Loyal in His Love offers an even deeper dive on what we can gain when we are rejected, betrayed, or alone. This conversation was full of hope and hard-earned wisdom. I think you’ll love hearing from Tabitha.Tabitha Panariso is a licensed professional counselor candidate (MA, LPCC), writer, and speaker dedicated to blending Christian faith, theology, and counseling into the fabric of everyday life. Her new book is Loyal in His Love: An Invitation to Be Held by Jesus When Others Let You Go. At the heart of Tabitha’s work is a deep commitment to holding space for life’s darkest moments and guiding others toward wholeness with compassion and clarity. She and her husband live with their three children in Colorado Springs, Colorado.Read more from Tabitha on her Substack, and follow her on Instagram @tabithapanariso.Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KimberlyStuart.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more from this episode.

Elyse Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson are one of my favorite mother-daughter pairs of all time. Both of these women are writers, speakers, and leaders in their own rights, but they also joined forces to write the book we’ll discuss today. If you are a parent or grandparent of kids of any age, an auntie, uncle, nanny or teacher or have any interaction with children you love, this episode is for you. It sure was for me. If you want your home and relationships to be drenched in freedom and grace and joy instead of shame or guilt or holy-catfish-how-will-we-possibly-survive-this-season-with-this-child, this episode is for you. A parenting experience rooted entirely in the scandalous grace of God? SIGN. ME. UP. Jessica Thompson is a pastor at Risen Church in San Diego. She has her Master's in Biblical Studies from Redemption Seminary. She is a mother of three adult children and loves the Padres with her whole heart.Elyse holds a certificate in biblical counseling from CCEF (San Diego) and an M.A. in Biblical Counseling from Trinity Theological Seminary. She has authored more than 25 books on daily living and the Christian life. Elyse loves to proclaim the good news of the gospel: That Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, perfectly obeyed all the Law in our place, suffered in isolation and agony as punishment for our sin, died, and then rose again, all for our justification.A frequent speaker at national conferences, she has been married for over 50 years and has three adult children and six really adorable grandchildren. Along with her husband, Phil, Elyse attends Grace Bible Church in Escondido, California.Follow Elyse: @Elyse_FitzFollow Jessica: @revjesslouVisit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KimberlyStuart.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more from this episode.

For this episode, I got the chance to chat with my friend Amy Seiffert. If you don’t already know Amy, you must. She is bright and funny and warm and approachable and smart. AND she has written a book that will shine fresh light on some people I have been ignoring for most of my life, much to my own missing out! I’ll let her tell you about these unsung women and what they have to teach us about the God who loves us.Amy is an author, speaker, wife, and co-ringmaster to their circus. Her and her husband have three amazing and loud children who cause frequent gasps on a regular basis. Find her online atamyseiffert.com and@amysieffert.Visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KimberlyStuart.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more from this episode.

Jason VanRuler is an author, a therapist out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and he has so much good counsel to share when we talk about relationships. Dating relationships, married relationships, relationships with the prickly people, relationships that need to stand the test of time… If today you need to hear from a mental health expert who is wise and funny and smart AND who doesn’t take a lot of gruff, this is your episode.  While not facilitating, coaching, speaking, or writing, you can find Jason cycling, fly fishing, and living life with my wife and three children at their home in South Dakota. Find him at jasonvr.com and @jason.vanruler. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KimberlyStuart.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more from this episode.

It’s a new year! Huzzah! Fresh page! And we have just the kind of conversation for you. In an era where we are encouraged to see our productivity as a measure of our worth, Maria Bowler steps in and provides a welcome turn of the tables. Maria is an author, a creativity coach, and Ivy League alum/survivor, and she is our perfect guide for these first days of this new year. If you are going into 2025 with a lot of “I should” or “I must,” then this episode offers a fresh take on the way forward. Maria Bowler is a writer, coach, and retreat leader. She holds a masters in religion and the arts from Yale University, is a former magazine editor, and has taught creative writing at the university level. Canadian by birth, she now lives in the Driftless region of the US with her family. Find her online at mariabowler.com and @mariavbowler. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KimberlyStuart.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more from this episode.

The legend returns today. My mom is with me in the studio for her fourth annual Christmas appearance, and the only thing we regret is that we couldn’t share the cookies with YOU, in person, all gathered in my kitchen or Mom’s family room. Perhaps we can make that happen next year? Lean in with a cup of hot chocolate and listen to this very unscripted conversation with the one and only Mama Patti. And much love from my family to yours. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KimberlyStuart.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more from this episode.

Today we get into weeds that some of us have been conditioned to avoid. We are talking about how to have honest and awkward conversations about race. My guests are Adaeze and Chad Brinkman, and they are experts in this space. Their wisdom has come at no small cost, and I am so grateful they took the time to share what they know. If you have ever felt intimidated or anxious or weary when it comes to having rich conversations about race, this is the spot for you. If you’ve tried to figure out what to do when you feel uncomfortable, defensive or misunderstood when it comes to talking about race, this is the episode for you. This conversation is such a valuable one for our times and it helps us put some language to the world we want, a world of integrity and reconciliation and relationships marked by grace. Chad and Adaeze Brinkman are a married couple who intentionally live out their passion of sharing the Gospel of Jesus together in their community. Adaeze works in the creative arts and Chad is a physical therapist. They love traveling and adventuring together, taking in the beauty of God's creation and encouraging others to do the same. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KimberlyStuart.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more from this episode.

My guest today is Rachel Booth Smith. If you’ve ever read the Bible and wondered if your 21st-century self might be missing a few things, same! And we are! Rachel faces that question today with an eye on the very first pages of Scripture. Her new book is Rest Assured: What the Creation Story was Intended to Reveal about Trusting God, and it is so timely as we take a fresh look at what it means to truly rest. I’m learning that rest is tightly connected to my idea of trust, and Rachel offers some fantastic clarity on how that looks on any given Tuesday. I’m so grateful for her wisdom and for this conversation.  Rachel Booth Smith has a contagious love for God’s Word. Her passion to teach accessible theology has led her to develop curriculum and leadership summits, write Bible studies, and teach. Rachel has a Master of Divinity degree from Pillar Seminary, where she learned to study the Bible in its original languages while being trained in ancient Near East context for both the Old and New Testament. Find her online at rachelboothsmith.com and on socials @rboothsmith. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KimberlyStuart.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more from this episode.

Do you ever careen into the Christmas season? Maybe arrive at the Christmas Eve service sweaty? Saying to yourself, “Quick! Be peaceful and contemplative and remember what this season is all about!” Then this is the conversation for you (and for me). My guest today is Amanda Bible Williams. Yes, that is her real name and of course I sure did ask her about it. You might know Amanda for her beautiful work at She Reads Truth, the collective that’s been going strong for fourteen years. Amanda and her team have steeped themselves in how to not just acknowledge Advent and the arrival of Christmas but how to truly savor it. Advent begins December 1 this year, so we are chatting in plenty of time to avoid the sweaty candlelight service.  Happy news! Amanda and her team have offered listeners of For Real a special discount for their advent resources. Go to SheReadsTruth.com and use the code KIMBERLYS15 for 15% off your order. Offer good through January 5, 2025. Amanda Bible Williams is co-founder of She Reads Truth, a brand that creates beautiful, accessible Bible reading plans and resources that help women read God’s Word every day. She is also the editor of the She Reads Truth Bible and co-host of the She Reads Truth Podcast. Amanda, her husband David, and their four children live in a loud and lively farmhouse just south of Nashville, Tennessee. Find her on Instagram @biblewilliams. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KimberlyStuart.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more from this episode.

This episode was like a deep breath for me. Sarah Clarkson joins me to talk about reclaiming quiet. This is an audacious goal in such a relentless and noisy world, right? Sarah definitely lives in that real world, as you will hear. She is not cloistered, though she does live in an actual vicarage in actual England. Obviously I trusted her immediately. What I loved about this conversation is that Sarah puts up this beautiful scaffolding of what we get when we pay what she calls “holy attention” to the lives we’ve been given. Sign me up. Sarah Clarkson is an author and blogger who writes regularly about literature, faith, and beauty at SarahClarkson.com. She studied theology (BTh, MSt) at Oxford and is the author or coauthor of six books, including This Beautiful Truth. She has an active following on Instagram (@sarahwanders) where she hosts regular live read-alouds from the poems, novels, or essays that bring her courage. She can often be found with a cup of good tea and a book in hand in her old English vicarage home in Oxford, where she lives with her Anglican vicar husband, Thomas, and their four children. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KimberlyStuart.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more from this episode.

Liz Bell Young is with me today for a conversation I didn’t know how much I needed. I messaged her afterward and asked that we always be friends, as I am not one to hold back my undying admiration and love. You will want to message her the same thing once you hear her talk about real, uncomplicated hospitality and how to create havens for the people around you. Liz is an artist, an author, an experience designer, and she collaborates with really cool people at Magnolia and Anthropologie. She is also an approachable and lovely Midwest girl and after drinking in her new beautiful book, Let There Be Havens: An Invitation to Gentle Hospitality, I was honored to get to talk with her.  Liz Bell Young is a writer and experience designer. Author of the memoir In the Wide Country of Love and creator of the Anthropologie-distributed Haven magazine, Young is an MFA graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the University of Cincinnati. Young is a contributing writer for Magnolia Journal, Artifact Uprising, and Darling, among others. Young founded Haven Creative Studio and is a creative consultant for clients, including Procter & Gamble, Crossroads Church, and Stan Smith Events. Young and her husband, Ryan, live in Ohio with their three children. Find her online at lizbellyoung.com and @lizbellyoung. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KimberlyStuart.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more from this episode.

Hannah Brencher is on the other side of a fascinating experiment that helped her redefine what it means to be living in this time, this place, and what it really means to take good care of ourselves in this digital and depleting world. I’m coming out of a very intense work season, and I’m looking at the aftermath and wondering anew what it means to take good, deep care of ourselves and of each other in all seasons, not just the calm ones but the busy and sorrowful and mournful ones and happy and swamped seasons too. I’m curious about what I don’t know, and after a year of 1,000 unplugged hours, Brencher has a lot to say about what we can gain by giving up the lesser things. Hannah Brencher is a writer, TED speaker, and entrepreneur. She founded The World Needs More Love Letters, a global community dedicated to sending letter bundles to those who need encouragement. Named as one of the White House’s “Women Working to Do Good,” Hannah has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Oprah, Glamour, USATODAY.com, the Chicago Tribune, and more. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, Lane, and daughter Novalee. Find Hannah at hannahbrencher.com and @hannahbrencher. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KimberlyStuart.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more from this episode.

Happy summer and welcome to this special bonus episode of For Real! Today we are chatting about the glories of summer, most notably the State Fair! The Fair is a big deal around here, and it’s been that way for 170 years. Whether you are a Fair person or an air-conditioning-and-please-don’t-make-me-go-to-the-Fair person, I think you’ll love this behind-the scenes conversation about food competitions at the Fair. Let me just say I am not meant to be a judge in the tofu division. Carol McGarvey and Kay Fenton Smith have gathered history, human interest stories, and a treasure trove of blue ribbon recipes, and I had a blast hearing about their passion in this delightful, sunny conversation.  Kay Fenton Smith has been winning ribbons and learning the Iowa State Fair Food Competitions since 2007. She learned from her mom in upstate New York where she and her siblings also loved going to the State Fair in Syracuse. A native of Boone and Perry, Iowa, Carol McGarvey is a proud graduate of Iowa State University with a B.S. in home economics journalism. She started as a food judge as part of her job as a features reporter for The Des Moines Register. Learn more about their book, Baking Blue Ribbons, here. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KimberlyStuart.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more from this episode.

The perfect guest joins us for this final episode of the season. Myquillyn Smith, also known as the Cozy Minimalist, is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, podcaster, and interior design mentor to millions. Myquillyn and I got to chat about her new book, House Rules: How to Decorate for Every Home, Style, and Budget. If you have always wondered if making your home the place you love has to cost a billion dollars and involve a team of experts, this conversation is for you! Myquillyn dispels that myth and instead arms us with the rules that make sense of design.  Myquillan says to think of her approach as a fun decorating school you didn’t have to leave your house for and where your best friend is the professor. Bring in the fun and the friend professor! And bring in practical ways to help us bring beauty to the places where we live! For the past ten years, Myquillyn Smith, also known as “The Nester,” has been encouraging women to embrace their homes—imperfections and all. Her lived-in, loved-on home has been featured in Better Homes & Gardens, Ladies' Home Journal and Cottages & Bungalows. Myquillyn is the author of The Nesting Place and Cozy Minimalist Home and was chosen by Christianity Today as one of the top twenty creatives in 2016. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and three boys. Find her online @thenester. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KimberlyStuart.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more from this episode.