Shefindstruth

Still hammering out how to get my podcasts recorded while working full time and doing all the family things. This episode didn't turn out too bad as far as sound. I do apologize for a few background noises!  Also I'm trying out a new format and I think it's going to work well. Episodes that follow this format will include 1-3 parts that reflect on 1) Vocation Thoughts 2) Learning Something 3) Clinging to Scripture  I say 1-3 because sometimes I might do an entire episode on just one of those ideas. But generally I think this approach will help me get focused and streamline things a bit (if I'm capable of such a thing). This week... Vocation  What is TOO MUCH for one's schedule? What is best for my kids' schedules? Does anyone agree on this? lol I reflect.  Learning Reminder: You can put down some of the plates! I ran into this video the other day - LINK HERE - and she points out it's better to not try to balance all the plates but just to put some down. Smart woman! We should be encouraging each other to do t

*This is definitely a gender-neutral episode!* (also, I'm back to my prior graphic; which do you like better?) Recording a podcast in my car! You do what you have to do. The more I do this the better it will get, I promise! #soundquality  This episode was born when I was speaking at a MOPS group recently. We started talking about how hard it is to ask for help and I realized how much this has been my experience. Then I had a lightbulb moment where I realized God made us that way on purpose. Which is not what I would have done if I were him. Actual thought: "Wouldn't it be great if things were the way I wanted and I could do it all alone?" Of course this is not a great idea, and so I had to do a podcast where we break this down some and look at the various aspects of asking for help and how/why it is so hard: Accepting help Prayer Processing aloud Allowing others to serve us Complimentary talents mean we need each other ***** To continue the conversation, find me on TWITTER, go to the facebook page, or email

First podcast episode back after way too long of a break! It takes me a few minutes to get back into the swing of things (and I have to apologize for the pops and sub-par sound quality!), but eventually I find my groove.  Catching you up to speed on why I've been gone so long and then I start in on all this grace I've found. It's been such a pleasant surprise and it really has me thinking a lot about how grace functions in this world and why.  Links include: My blog post by the title "A Whole Lotta Grace." The content overlaps a little, but the podcast is a different take on things. Interview with author Trillia Newbell about her book God's Very Good Idea the magazine Fathom Thanks so much for checking out the podcast. I am excited to be back!    To continue the conversation, find me on TWITTER, go to the facebook page, or email me! - angiejean.99@gmail.com. Check out blog posts on www.shefindstruth.com! Production Notes · music - Spoke in the Wheel by Electric Tangerine Audio at http://audiojungle.net/user

This week I get to share my interview with Pastor Jordan Cooper about his book Baptized Into Christ! He shares insight on a number of things including intimacy with Christ, Jesus as the example, and being holy and sinful at the same time! It's a great chat that is sure to be encouraging.  Click here for the complete show notes at SheFindsTruth.com including where you can find the book and more details about the show.    Thanks for listening!  *** To continue the conversation, find me on TWITTER, go to the facebook page, or email me! - angiejean.99@gmail.com. Check out blog posts on www.shefindstruth.com!  

Is theology relevant to everyday life? Of course! That's why I'm here. She Finds Truth is all about finding the truth of how Scripture applies to our lives.  The Bible is a story about who God is and about how He created man and then man abused the order of things God had set up, but God was merciful and full of compassion and love THE ENTIRE JOURNEY. From the very beginning, He had a plan in mind for how man would be able to experience His gifts including the reason they were created which was for fellowship with GOD. The best scenario for our lives is to have fellowship with God. And even though we are not worthy and we have repeatedly messed up this relationship from the beginning, God has pursued us through it all. He has time and time again created ways and opportunities for us to have fellowship with Him despite our sinful selves …. And that all culminates in the death and resurrection of His son who is sent to crush the head of Satan and fulfill the intentions God had from the very beginning for us. To

You don't have to listen to 46: My Christ and My Chaos episode before you listen to this one, but this show technically is a response to that episode. Seriously it's won't ruin the experience, but I thought I should mention it.  The Mess In that show, I talk about "the mess" and how it seems like a popular topic. That we are all "a mess." There's like a hot-mess spectrum now. Are you on it? I think we probably all feel like we are on it at least some of the time. But after talking about that in episode 46, I got a lot of responses and so it seemed worth re-visiting. As a listener pointed out, God isn't all about leaving messes in the world. He's about restoration and healing!  So I talk through questions that have arisen about authenticity, problem-solving, and the specifics of what it means to be "a mess." Personally,  I find it helpful to get into the weeds and the details. I need perspective and help processing so I do benefit from talking through things.  Even so, we have to guard against getting stuck wa

Welcome to the fall 2017 season of She Finds Truth! Calling this a "season" plus I'm giving it a theme! I know. It's so much excitement. ;) I'm going with the theme Here I Stand, which I know is kindof cliche but I can't resist. It's too appropriate for life right now.  For those of you who don't know, 2017 is the 500 year anniversary of Luther's 99 Theses. In the show I give a brief and amateur summary of the start of the Reformation and Luther supposedly saying "Here I Stand." (He might not have actually said those words!)  Anyway, after gushing over Luther, I bring it back to current day. It's fair to say that our world is in a time of uncertainty. Plus lots of us are carrying heavy burdens, and we need to keep grounded in the coming weeks and months.  It’s so good to be back but honestly I have found myself putting this off. I’m not sure why but I think it’s because I wasn’t feeling like I had a good theme or something really powerful to come back with. As I say at the start of my newsletter - this is jus

Things are going good!  It's weird! lol  I talk about a blog post I published this week where I process why things are going good. There's less chaos in my head and it's somewhat confusing! Is it imposter syndrome? Is it denial? Hey! Maybe it's my antidepressants! I have a new job and some details are shared and then I launch into the main topic which is why bloggers so often talk about how messy their lives are. What is the deal with this? Is it necessary?  I have some theories.  After exploring my theory, I talk about how realizing our differences and similarities is super helpful in having a healthy self-concept. Talking about the mess is part of the process.  Also it's part of having a better understanding of our neighbors which I think is an important element to our lives.  The HOT-MESS SPECTRUM. Does this have anything to do with personality types? I don't know but there is definitely a spectrum. What about culture? Tell me if you are more open about your life in your culture, or less open!  The issue

Turns out the world does not revolve around me. I am not at the center of the universe.  This is just one of the many realizations I have in this episode as I process my thoughts on potential employment and God's involvement in this realm of our lives. I went looking for some peace of mind in Colossians and I found it when I started sifting through all the promises and gifts that reflect "the reward of your inheritance."  In this episode I answer all of the following questions: Will I be able to maintain employment after 10 years of not having a "real" job?! What am I "supposed" to be doing? What does God allow fabulous opportunities to cross our path and but stay out of reach? Is it ok to take a job outside of one's field of education? What if I get the job? What if I don't?! What the heck does "the reward of our inheritance" mean? Listen now to find out the answers to this and more. You may think you can answer all these questions, but they won't all be the same answers I come up with! Leave a comment and

Things I'm thinking about this week... Mother's Day can be hard.  Some parents are toxic. So I talk about both of these things. Why we should consider being sensitive about Mother's Day, in case you are oblivious that reality exists for some. It would be easy for me to be clueless about it as a mom and someone who still has her mom. But I have friends who really struggle! Also something that has been on my radar lately is adults who are really struggling with their own parents. Why is this such a place of contention for so many people?! I guess it shouldn't be a mystery, but I break down some of the reasons it's a tough issue and also talk about what we can possibly do about it.  Links include: https://www.bustle.com/articles/109435-9-signs-you-have-a-toxic-parent https://psychcentral.com/lib/how-to-create-a-healthy-adult-relationship-with-mom-and-dad/  and Bonus Link I didn't talk about, but that made me really think, as a parent myself -  6 things you shouldn't say to your kids - http://www.huffingtonp

In today's episode I ponder the richness and complicated-ness (is that a word?) of life. Between feeling vulnerable, having to push through the drudgery of a tough weekend... to the joy of watching people fulfill their vocations effectively. And then I start talking about the richness and nuances of Scripture and how I'm learning so much about that in class right now.  The second part is mostly about that and how there are various ways we can approach Scripture looking for meaning. What we bring with us to the table - our questions and life experiences and ideas - all factor into how we understand the meaning we get out of Bible passages. The theory behind how you interpret Scripture is called hermeneutics - that's the class I'm taking this semester. It's pretty great.  Anyway, the hermeneutic we use to approach Scripture needs to be *the finished work of Christ on the cross.* When it is, then we can better see all of Scripture fit together to make sense concerning God and us and how all this rich, complicate

In which I take a few minutes to welcome the new listeners, and talk about why the church needs to be talking more about mental health. Then I tackle the concept of GRACE in our parenting and in our dealings with other humans (not God).  Here's the post from Intentional Moms that includes me on a list of best podcasts for Moms!  Here are the links to a few shows where I talk at length about how great the doctrine of vocation is.  04: Knowing God's Will for Your Life 25: God's Plan vs. My Reality 30: Now What?  Last week's blog post about depression got a decent amount of traffic and seemed to resonate with many people.  Then I did a podcast about it where I focus more on the role of God's promises in my valley.  Bottom line: Don't tell depressed people they just need to pray more. We all need to pray more. GRACE When the Bible uses the word 'grace' it tends to be talking about the Grace of God. So I define grace a few different ways and then mention how dead we were in our sin.  link to movie scene on youtube

This week I ignored the alarms going off in my head and I posted on the blog about how crappy I've been feeling and what kind of anxiety and maybe even depression I've been toying with. It's nothing like some people have to face, which is one reason I'm hesitant to even bring it up. Nevertheless, a few things talked me into it including getting to explain the silver lining - the promises of God that were in clear view pretty much the whole time I was feeling super lame.  So here's the blog post and I talk more in depth about it on today's podcast, but the really great part of the podcast is what comes after when I get to talk about all the promises of God that come to light as we observe and celebrate Holy Week. (Admit it; it's hard not to celebrate the Lord's Supper on Maundy Thursday even though a few minutes later we are hearing about his arrest.) Anyway, so many good things Jesus' resurrection confirms for us!   I mention a blog post I wrote about the Saturday of Easter weekend. Here is that link if you w

Today's episode attempts to look at John 15:1-11. I used to cringe when I heard the word "abide." Why? Because it scared me. Take a listen to find out what my messed up deal was.  I mention some writing stuff at the start of the show including Joanna Penn's website www.thecreativepenn.com and her book The Successful Author Mindset which I'm recommending even though I'm not all the way through it yet. But so far so good.  Then I dive into the passage and begin to scratch the surface (these verses are packed with layers!) including: define abide If "the Word was God" then that means staying close to Him has everything to do with Scripture in our lives. unpacking "the Father is the gardener" Let me know what you think! *** To continue the conversation, find me on TWITTER, go to the facebook page, or email me! - angiejean.99@gmail.com. Check out blog posts on www.shefindstruth.com! Production Notes · music - Spoke in the Wheel by Electric Tangerine Audio at http://audiojungle.net/user/ElectricTangerine · Vocal

Lent has me reflecting on Jesus and His life here on earth. His humanity.  There's a lot to being human, isn't there?! So I share some very real life stories you might be able to relate to.  Then look at how the real life story of Jesus is so relevant in light of our humanity.  He knows how it is to be human, because He was human too.  The two natures of Christ are mind blowing. But still true.      To continue the conversation, find me on TWITTER, go to the facebook page, or email me! - angiejean.99@gmail.com. Check out blog posts on www.shefindstruth.com! Production Notes · music - Spoke in the Wheel by Electric Tangerine Audio at http://audiojungle.net/user/ElectricTangerine · Vocal Introduction by Kena Clark ·  Intro/Outro Production by Bradley Hofbauer

This is episode #2 in my series about sexual assault where we dive into the spiritual implications of it. Episode #1 can be found here! This is a deep, complicated topic, so I brought in someone with experience in the trenches, Heidi Goehmann (pronounced gae-man! which I got wrong) author, social worker, and deaconess. Heidi has written and produced so much great material for all of us and you should definitely check her out at www.ilovemyshepherd.com, and on Facebook, and on Twitter! Also during the show we make reference to her Bible study Think on These, so here’s the link and you should check that out too. We invite you to contact either of us or leave comments on the blog with more questions you have about this topic. We want to start a conversation for the benefit of all and would love to have your input as to what this should look like going further. More importantly, if you are hurting and looking for answers, please let us know and we can offer up what resources we can. Also if you have found good r

I saw a very nice happy meme that said YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH and was supposed to make me feel better and encourage me after I had a rough time with something.  But it just makes me feel squirmy.  Because I know I'm NOT good enough.  In this episode I explore this question of being good enough and of course that leads us to dip into the 2 kinds of righteousness and also I go on a rant about how women's Bible studies should not be created in a hole but should have some church oversight. (I know you would have thought after last week I'd be done talking about this, but it's like the flood gates were opened...) But mostly I explore the concept of "good enough" and what it means and we have a good enough time doing it. (I'm sorry I'm such a nerd I can't help it!) Scripture references: Mark 10:18 Matthew 25:34-40 Ephesians 2:10 2 Corinthians 5:21 You should definitely listen to last week's podcast on women's Bible studies in case you missed what all the fuss was about Also, if you don't know what I mean by "decision

Women's Bible studies are a surprisingly controversial topic in Christian conversations. You'd think they would be a no-brainer, but instead it can be divisive and complicated.  In today's episode I address the elephant in the room when it comes to popular authors like Beth Moore and Sara Young and what place they should and shouldn't have in Bible based churches. I explain the problematic theology that pops up in women's groups around the country and also why it IS so attractive. We look at a list of suggested criteria for vetting a Bible study you might use and I have some tips for leaders too.  Suggested guidelines: Ask your pastor for suggestions and/or to vet the resource you are considering. Does the material frame the conversation around a theology of the cross? Or a theology of glory? What role does Scripture play? Is the Bible a book of rules or the story of our rescue? There should be law AND Gospel both. So something about sin and also something about Jesus saving us from that sin. What is the sug

  How is God WITH me? Recently when I was trying to clarify what my podcast and blog are all about, I ended up with a chart.  It's been pretty helpful in reminding me of all that God offers me and how I have access to those things in the incredible physical world he has created.  This episode focuses in on those 5 means of grace in the middle. Listen to the show and decide whether I'm a heretic or not. Also, I go on a rant about all the crazy things people are saying on the internet that we kindof like the sound of - "claiming my marriage for God!" but that don't really make that much sense and can lead us down a dangerous path of looking inward instead of to God. I agree being conscious of our sins and issues is helpful, but just because I write it down on a notecard doesn't mean God is going to "fix" it the way I want Him to. Just sayin.  During the show I said I'd have more links in the show notes to other shows/blogposts about these topics. Here they are: For more on Baptism, check out this podcast episod

I'm back from holidaytime and I'm so glad to get things going for 2017! Today's show is me checking in and talking us through some things about reflecting on 2016 - in good ways - and looking ahead at the coming year. I share some of my resolutions and how I'm afraid of failure. At the end I throw in a bit about sanctification. It's great! Check it out.  Oh and here's the book I mention - it's great too! Galatians: Selections from Martin Luther     To continue the conversation, find me on TWITTER, go to the facebook page, or email me! - angiejean.99@gmail.com. Check out blog posts on www.shefindstruth.com! Production Notes · music - Spoke in the Wheel by Electric Tangerine Audio at http://audiojungle.net/user/ElectricTangerine · Vocal Introduction by Kena Clark ·  Intro/Outro Production by Bradley Hofbauer