She Found Joy Podcast

Jami Amerine joins me today for Finding Joy #47. Jami is a wife, mom, author, speaker, artist and entrepreneur who loves helping other discover Jesus for who He really is. Her latest book, Stolen Jesus: An Unconventional Search for the Real Savior, just came out a few months ago, and it will rock your world and what you think you know about Jesus.

As you’ll hear in our conversation today, Jami didn’t discover the real Savior until she decided to write a book about Him. But when she found Him, oh, what freedom, joy and peace He brought to her heart.

Jami also shares about her experience as a foster mom and how she is learning to embrace the benefits of daughterhood and grace in Christ each and every day. She also talks about the process of wrestling with the world’s conflicting representations of Jesus in order to get to know the Savior for who He really is — full of never-ending love and grace.

Jami encourages us all to ask ourselves the question, “What do I think is required to be in a relationship with Jesus?” then consider this answer — nothing. Oh, what grace.

Links from the Show

Stolen Jesus Book

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My guest for Finding Joy Podcast #46 is Lynn Cowell, an author and national conference speaker who is passionate about helping women of all ages understand the importance of Christ confidence. Her latest book, Make Your Move: Finding Unshakable Confidence Despite Your Fears and Failures, just came out a few months ago, and you can actually join Lynn here starting February 26th as she launches an online study component of the book.

Finding Joy is a podcast dedicated to bringing you encouragement and inspiration in all of life’s moments — the good, bad and everything in-between.

In this episode Lynn and I talk about:

• The importance of building our confidence in Christ.
• How to combat society’s unrealistic expectations to do and be it all.
• How to let go of past fears and failures in exchange for the confidence that comes from surrendering our lives to the One who never fails.
• Her family’s experience with mental illness and why having a treatment plan is important.
• Freebies for developing an unshakable confidence.

Lynn encourages us to think about the inner dialogues we have with ourselves on a daily basis. Are we building ourselves up with the truth found in God’s word, or are we tearing ourselves down with the enemy’s lies?

Links from the Show

NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness
Make Your Move Book

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My guest for Finding Joy Podcast #45 is Jackie Drew, wife, mom and owner of RAD JOY. RAD JOY makes beautiful wooden crosses that allow you to physically nail your burdens to the cross, and I’m so excited to have them as a partner for the Finding Joy Ladies Night Out National Tour coming this fall. (Jackie will actually be speaking on the panel at our Southlake, Texas Finding Joy Ladies Night Out venue!)

Finding Joy is a podcast dedicated to bringing you encouragement and inspiration in all of life’s moments — the good, bad and everything in-between.

In this episode Jackie and I talk about:

• The power of daily prayer.
• How surrendering our lives to Jesus can change our lives for the better.
• Ways to remember God’s faithfulness in hard times.
• Learning to discern the will of God.
• What to do when God calls us to step out in faith.

Jackie encourages us to be intentional in our prayer lives so that we can grow closer to Jesus and experience the radical, life-changing joy that comes from a life surrendered.

Links from the Show

RAD JOY

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My guest for Finding Joy Podcast #44 is Micah Maddox, Bible teacher, writer, blogger, and author of Anchored In: Experience a Power-Full Life in a Problem-Filled World. Micah is passionate about helping women find purpose, peace, and calm in our chaotic world, and she will be speaking at the Raleigh venue on the Finding Joy Ladies Night Out National Tour I’ll be hosting this fall.

Dear friend, if it seems like your problems are mounting by the minute and you feel powerless to what’s happening around you, I pray this conversation can be the hope and encouragement you need to see the light.

Finding Joy is a podcast dedicated to bringing you encouragement and inspiration in all of life’s moments — the good, bad and everything in-between.

In this episode Micah and I talk about:

• How to live a more power-full life in a problem-filled world
• Why what we think about God and how we feel about Him matters
• How to trust God more fully and deeply and grow in faith
• How to experience and access God’s power in our weakness and strength
• Easy ways to get into the Word each week

Micah encourages us to remember that darkness is just a distraction — it does not mean God has departed.

Links from the Show

Anchored In Book

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Resolutions are overrated.

Every New Year’s Eve in college, I made a list of the resolutions and expectations I had for the new year to come, many of which were unattainable or unrealistic.

The year I graduated college was the worst. I don’t have my resolutions/expectations sheet in front of me, but if I had to guess what was on my list for 2014, it probably went something like this:

• Become a magazine editor.
• Publish a book.
• Participate in a Masters swim meet.
• Open a cookie shop.
• Spend more time reading the Bible.

When I look back on the expectations I set for myself that year, I can’t help but laugh. Becoming an editor, publishing a book and opening a cookie shop don’t happen overnight. And spending more time reading the Bible isn’t a very actionable or specific goal, to boot.

So, after a disappointing 2014, I decided to stop making resolutions.

And that’s when I heard about the “My One Word” experiment. If you haven’t heard about it, here’s how it works, according to the movement’s website:

Our resolutions seldom work because they are based on the type of person we’re tired of being rather than who God wants us to become. Plus, resolutions can be “broken,” leaving no room for the process of growth. What if our hopes for the year ahead centered instead on who God wants us to become, and the transformation process?

It’s okay to want to be a better you, and the New Year is a natural time to start. The question is, how? My One Word replaces broken promises with a vision for real change. When you choose a single word, you have a clarity and focus. You are moving toward the future rather than swearing off the past.

When I heard about this idea of choosing one word to learn more about in the new year, a light sparked from within.

Where are you taking me, Lord? What do you want to teach me? How do you want me to grow this year? 

It didn’t happen overnight, but as I prayed in the weeks leading up to 2016 I began to hear a still, small voice say: JOY, Lauren. I want you to grow in your understanding of my joy.

The lessons I learned from that year were invaluable, and I’ve been practicing the one word experiment ever since.

Our guest on today’s Finding Joy Podcast episode, Amy Carroll, is a fellow one word gal, and with 2018 just getting started, I thought it would be fun to share the words God has given us over the past several years. If you are interested in choosing a word to focus on with God, I hope our experiences can inspire you in your journey!

2016
Amy: Fulfill // Lesson: Pain precedes fulfillment.
Lauren: Joy // Lesson: The joy of the Lord truly is our strength, and finding and choosing joy is a daily choice.

2017
Amy: Believe // You have to believe before things are fulfilled.
Lauren: Believe // Lesson: Nothing is impossible for God. He is our Savior, healer, provider, sustainer and Father.

2018
Amy: Pray // Lesson: TBD
Lauren: Advance // Lesson: TBD

The important thing to remember is that there are no hard and fast rules to this one word thing. Maybe you choose a word and you meditate on scripture pertaining to that word. Maybe you pray and journal about the word. Maybe you read books that have to do with that word.

In the end, what truly matters is that we are growing in Christ.

I’m handing my expectations for 2018 over to Jesus and expectantly waiting for Him to move in and through me as He pleases. Join me?

Do you have a word for 2018 yet, and how did you get your word? We’d love to hear about it in the comments! Keep scrolling for my podcast interview with Amy!