Welcome to Episode 180 with Guest Shadia Hrichi! Shadia shares what she calls an "ugly" past, filled with self-destructive choices and dysfunction. Her story includes co-dependency, alcoholism, abortion, abuse, date-rape, divorce--but God intervened and redeemed her broken past. Once an agnostic exposed to many religions, Shadia was intrigued by the authenticity and genuine faith she observed in her Christian friends. She was so intrigued that she wanted to know more about Jesus and the Bible. O...
Jul 10, 2024•54 min
We all endure trials, pain, and hardships in this life, but what if all the hard things had divine purpose? What if we could grasp a better understand of pain and suffering from a biblical perspective? This week I welcome back my friend Dr. Michelle Bengtson. Besides being a friend, she is an award-winning author, international speaker, podcast host, and a media resource on mental health, plus, she is a neuropsychologist who listens and understands. She's experienced pain first-hand and helps ot...
Jun 25, 2024•38 min
What happens when your story takes an unexpected turn? My guest this week is Dawn Damon. She shares her story of past childhood sexual abuse, a broken marriage, a devastating divorce, losing a position at a mega church, and how God redeemed every bit of it and showed her how to walk in her true super bloom. What is a super bloom? Listen in to hear what it is and how you can step into your super bloom purpose. We're talking about identity, purpose, and becoming a BraveHearted Woman. As Dawn says,...
Jun 18, 2024•37 min
What do you do when your life takes a detour you never expected? What happens when life is disrupted by the diagnoses of a parent's terminal illness? My guest this week is Jen Babakhan. She shares her story which includes an unexpected detour from a working professional to stay-at-home mom, and an unexpected disruption when her mom received a terminal diagnosis. Jen is the author of Detoured: The Messy, Grace-Filled Journey from Working Professional to Stay-At-Home Mom and Disrupted: Finding Pea...
Jun 04, 2024
Susan Neal lost her health at age 50. After seeing specialist after specialist, she began educating herself on the root causes of her conditions and how God designed our bodies to heal. She learned a plethora of valuable information and gained insight on how to transform her health. Then she started writing books and sharing what she learned so we could all discover how to look and feel younger, live healthier, and age gracefully. Susan is the author of several books including her best-selling b...
May 28, 2024•41 min
Life is hard and there's no doubt about that as my friend, Cyndi Daves, well knows. She experienced abandonment and father wounds at a young age, among other heartbreaking circumstances, but God. We talk about how God redeems our stories and uses even the hard parts as He calls us to partner with Him in Kingdom work. We can trust that when we surrender to God He'll take care of the rest. Cyndi's fierce calling is helping others understand the simple truth of the Gospel. Plus, she shares some ama...
May 21, 2024•39 min
How have we allowed catchy cultural phrases to infuse our mindset? How can truth change culture and our perception? In this episode, I'm talking with friend Becky Beresford. She shares her story of striving to be enough on her own, which led to shame and feeling like a failure. Then she had a mind shift when she changed up the words to a well-known phrase, discovering how the truth changes culture and lives. Her fierce calling is helping women embrace Christ-centered empowerment, and to know Him...
May 14, 2024•42 min
Have you ever struggled with forgiveness? Anxiety? Worry? Need encouragement in your daily walk with Jesus and diving into Bible reading? This week I welcome my new friend and guest Healey Ikerd to the show. She shares her Jesus story of redemption, which includes being a child of divorce, serving in the US Army, and becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor and Marriage and Family Therapist. She's been in the mental health field for over 17 years and founded her private practice HopeLife Couns...
May 07, 2024•40 min
Have you ever wrestled with God? Need peace that bypasses your circumstances? Then you won't want to miss this episode as we dive into these subjects and the art of remembering what anchors us. This week I welcome back my good friend and guest Evelyn Sherwood. She shares her story of loss, trauma, cancer, but even in the midst of it all, how she saw God's faithfulness. She leaned in to trust God through her journey--learning to allow the truth she's always known to travel from head to heart. I k...
Apr 30, 2024•41 min
Have you ever lived in fear? Even for a short while? We dwell, we panic, we get anxious and feel overwhelmed. On today's episode we're talking about how to stop living in fear and lean into truth. I share personal stories, God's word, and helpful action steps to face down fear and live free. Grab my free Fear-Fighting Bible Verses! Mentioned in the Show ... From my friend Kim Stewart's website: "I'm a Podcast Manager and Strategist who loves to help female nonfiction authors like you market thei...
Apr 23, 2024•22 min
Do you need a breakthrough? Fear, anxiety, and so many things of this world can stop us from experiencing God's peace. If you or someone you know is struggling with faith and is seeking peace, this episode, Finding Breakthrough and Healing, is for you. My guest this week is Kimberly Vaughn. She shares her story of a forgotten childhood and the heartache of having a paranoid schizophrenic biological father, and her later struggles with irrational fears and panic attacks that shook her faith. But ...
Apr 16, 2024•48 min
Have you grown weary weathering life's storms? Loss, grief, broken relationships, and heartaches can stop us in our tracks and hold us back from walking in God's plans for our lives. But weary one take heart, because the battle is the Lord's. My guest this week on Fierce Calling is author, speaker, and podcast host Rachel Wojo. Her story includes heartache, divorce, loss, and grief, but God redeems the broken pieces for his glory and truly does bring beauty from ashes. Rachel shares about meetin...
Apr 02, 2024•43 min
Valerie Ellis loves sharing joy and helping families flourish in their faith. Her beautiful book, Share the Joy! A Christmas Lift-the-Flap Book came out right before Christmas, and though we may not have a year-round Christmas tree in our living rooms, we carry Christmas joy in our hearts year-round, don't we? But we're talking about more than that--we're talking about becoming more aware of God in our everyday moments. We celebrate Jesus every day--we give of our time, gifts, talents, and love ...
Mar 19, 2024•34 min
How can God use the middle part of our stories? My guest this week is Sandra Jones, and she has a heart for encouraging women in difficult situations. Her story includes past sexual abuse and coming extremely close to ending her life, but those broken parts of her story do not define her, they have given her courageous compassion for those who are hurting. What does all that mean for you? Listen to Sandra's inspiring story and learn how God can use the middle part of your story. What is the midd...
Mar 12, 2024•42 min
How do we overcome trials when life gets hard? How have we experienced the undeniable faithfulness of God in our lives? My guest this week is Tracey Glenn, author of Gathering the Wayward Heart: Lessons on Faith, Trust, and Surrendering our Best-Laid Plans. She shares with us her amazing story filled with trials and triumphs. Her story includes date rape, finding her true love, family life on the ranch, raising a special needs child, foster care, adoption, and how she became a successful entrepr...
Mar 05, 2024•37 min
Did you know statistics show 1 in 2 people will develop cancer? Not that long ago, the statistics were 1 in 30. So what is happening? Of course, God has the final say, but we could all use help in moving toward a healthier lifestyle. What if we could reverse those statistics in ways that are accessible to everyone? My guest this week is Ginny Dent Brant. She's the author of UNLEASH YOUR GOD-GIVEN HEALING: Eight Steps to Prevent and Survive Cancer. She knows her stuff because she's lived it. She ...
Feb 27, 2024•31 min
Have you ever felt alone in your struggles? My guest this week is Gina Fox, founder of Anchored by the Sword ministry. Her story includes experiencing abusive relationships, stalking, infertility, rape, and many hard seasons. But her story doesn't end there, because it was transformed into her freedom story. When the storms of life hit us head-on, it can leave us feeling broken and alone. Our prayer is that today's episode will encourage you in that you're not alone. Gina Fox loves to encourage ...
Feb 20, 2024•32 min•Ep. 164
Welcome back to another episode of Fierce Calling! In this week's episode, I welcome my friend and remarkable woman of God, Dr. Evelyn Johnson-Taylor. As a beloved women's ministry leader for nearly three decades, Evelyn has dedicated her life to encouraging, empowering, and equipping women in every season of life. Join us as we explore her journey, from her inspiring role as a nurse to her transformative experiences as a caregiver and mentor. Evelyn shares her insights on the alignment of calli...
Oct 17, 2023•39 min
What if we were more intentional about going deeper in prayer? What would those prayers look like--sound like? This week, I welcome guest Brooke McGlothlin, founder of Million Praying Moms. But before Brooke founded this amazing gathering of praying moms, she first became a praying mom herself, praying Scripture-inspired prayers over her boys. Listen in as we talk about the power of Scripture-inspired prayer and how Million Praying Moms came to be. And this episode is not just a blessing for mom...
Oct 03, 2023•29 min
Welcome to another episode of Fierce Calling! In this week's episode, I welcome back inspiring author, Laura C. Brandenburg. Get ready for a thought-provoking conversation about operating in our gifts and aligning with God's plan. Laura shares how she walked away from being a full professor to fulfill a bigger dream. She shares her deeply personal story of infertility and God's faithfulness throughout that journey. We dive deep into the relevance of biblical truth in different seasons. Laura's u...
Sep 19, 2023•43 min
Welcome back to another episode of Fierce Calling, where we dive deep into topics that challenge and inspire us to live passionately and walk in our calling. This week, we have a phenomenal guest with us, Rhonda Stoppe, an incredible author, speaker, and mentor. In this episode, Rhonda opens up about the power of truth and transformation in mentoring relationships, while sharing her own experiences and insights. Rhonda brings a wealth of wisdom and encouragement that will bless every listener. S...
Sep 05, 2023•41 min
Welcome back to another episode of Fierce Calling! This week we have a truly powerful and eye-opening conversation in store for you. My guest, Lane Lawson Craft, is a best-selling author, award-winning media host, and in-demand speaker who has partnered with struggling parents. Lane joins us to share her story, as well as the powerful message found in her book, The Parents Battle Plan: Warfare Strategies to Win Back Your Prodigal. This is the second guest interview I've had with Laine, and she i...
Aug 29, 2023•31 min
Hey friends! Welcome back to another impactful episode of Fierce Calling. Today we have an incredible guest joining us: Janet Perez Eckles. Janet takes us on a deeply personal and inspiring journey, sharing her story of overcoming adversity and finding hope in the face of literal darkness. Janet's life seemed like a dream come true, but everything changed when she was diagnosed with a retinal disease that rapidly stole her sight. Her marriage was in turmoil and her hope waning. Then something am...
Aug 22, 2023•36 min
Welcome, listeners, to another episode of Fierce Calling! In this episode, Creating Safe Spaces: Mental Health, Faith, Family, and Connection, our host Doris is joined by the incredible Lori Wildenberg, a licensed parent and family educator, also known as a parent coach. Lori is here to discuss her journey and share her profound insights on topics ranging from faith and parenting to overcoming challenges in life. Our conversation with Lori begins with a thought-provoking analogy. She also shares...
Aug 02, 2023•35 min
My special guest, Julie Holmquist, an author, speaker, and host of the Kairos Moments podcast, shares her insights on calling out the gifts and talents in women. She loves helping equip women in what God calls them to do. He leads and uses Julie in empowering women in their callings and purpose. In this episode, Julie emphasizes the importance of words of affirmation and how they can truly uplift and encourage us on our paths. She also sheds light on the need to discern the source of feedback an...
Jul 25, 2023•34 min
Welcome to Fierce Calling! In this episode, Finding Hope: Navigating Dysfunction and Difficulties in Life with Dr. Mel Tavares, Dr. Mel opens up about her personal journey, filled with difficult choices, challenging relationships, and health issues. Despite these hardships, Dr. Tavares has dedicated her life to supporting and empowering women facing similar struggles. Growing up in a dysfunctional environment, Dr. Tavares understands the weight of making tough choices. She shares her experience ...
Jul 18, 2023•43 min•Ep. 155
On this episode, Reflections on Caregiving, Faith, and A Legacy of Love, join host Doris Swift as she welcomes author Ann Coker to the show. Ann shares her journey of compiling her husband Bill's sermons into book form. Despite facing challenges, including Bill's Alzheimer's diagnosis and the couple's move to Indianapolis for caregiving support, Ann's passion for seeing Bill's message in print has driven her forward. She encourages listeners to document their own treasures and experiences, as it...
Jul 11, 2023•36 min
On this special edition episode of Fierce Calling, we explore the concept of supernatural joy, of purposeful pruning, abundant fruit, and how maintaining a posture of praise to the Lord can lead us to a fruitful life. Pruning, as discussed in this episode, becomes a necessary process for bearing much fruit. We learn the power of asking the Lord to remove things in our lives that are not pleasing to Him, allowing us to grow and thrive. The significance of abiding in Jesus is highlighted, showing ...
Jun 28, 2023•11 min
What stuff would you only tell God? In her guided journal, Stuff I’d Only Tell God, my return guest, Jennifer Dukes Lee, creates space for people to reflect on their deepest feelings, fears, hopes, and dreams. She gives everyone permission to release their whole selves into God’s hands and allows them to embrace the true, weird, beautiful, and wonderfully made creations God created them to be. Stuff I’d Only Tell God is a fun and provocatively creative guided journal filled with exercises to hel...
Jun 20, 2023•26 min•Ep. 152
Have you ever found yourself on a path you didn't choose, but it made all the difference in your life? In this episode of Fierce Calling, I'm talking with my friend Lori Ann Wood, a Christian writer and heart failure survivor. We're talking about wrestling with faith and navigating life's detours to find the faith we've always wanted. Lori shares her personal experience with heart failure, questioning her faith, and the value of asking questions. The episode encourages listeners who may be going...
Jun 06, 2023•38 min
