Well friends, today’s episode is going to be a bit different!

After nine years of weekly episodes, I’ve made the decision to take a break from the show for a little bit. This isn’t something I’ve taken lightly- it's something I’ve been praying about, wrestling with, and reflecting on for months. And while it’s hard to hit pause on something I love so much, I know it’s the right time.

With my daughter heading into middle school, my son starting fourth grade, my first year of seminary coming to a close, and my 40th birthday around the corner (!), life has been beautifully full. In the midst of it all, I’ve sensed God gently inviting me to slow down, create margin, and make space to truly listen to His leading.

I’m so grateful for each of you who’ve tuned in, reached out, laughed, cried, and grown with me over the years. Thank you for letting me show up as I am. This certainly isn’t goodbye, just ta-ta for now. I’ll see you again this fall- refreshed, renewed, and ready for what’s next!

FEATURED QUOTES

“I just am so grateful that God has given me this space to be able to have conversations with incredible people that I would never have had the opportunity to talk to otherwise.”

“I'm just really hoping that God gives me clarity and vision for what to do and where to take this show next.”

I’m thrilled to welcome back my friend, Whitney English, to the show today! She is an author, artist, and self-proclaimed reluctant expert in surviving family drama with grace... and a glue gun.

Whitney is known for telling the truth with humor, finding beauty in the mess, and believing that good stories and good design can heal just about anything- whether she’s organizing a junk drawer or untangling generational dysfunction.

Her new book, Organize First, Decorate Second, is out now, and today, we’re diving into everything from the psychology of organization and decoration to practical tips you can use in your own home. So, grab a cup of coffee and get ready for an episode packed with inspiration and fun. I’m so excited for you to hear it!

3:19 – Whitney 201

• Navigating a busy season
• Releasing a new book
• Seeing evidence of God in difficult times

5:21 – Organize First, Decorate Second

• The deeper philosophy behind Whitney’s book
• Balancing sentimentality and organization
• The importance of functional items

16:38 – Making Home

• Whitney’s journey of house hopping
• How Whitney stays organized with ADHD
• Practical tips for organization

36:52 – Takeaways

• Rapid fire questions with Whitney
• Connecting with Whitney
• Get your copy of Organize First, Decorate Second

FEATURED QUOTES

“Just because we've been through some hard stuff doesn't mean that God isn't good.”

"I think that if you have a big dream… it is okay to make a slow decision about it."

“Function is beautiful.”

Learn more about Whitney:

https://whitneyenglish.com/

Get your copy of Organize First, Decorate Second:

https://www.amazon.com/Organize-First-Decorate-Second-Creativity/dp/0785251960

Whitney on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhitneyEnglish/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitneyenglish/?hl=en

I'm thrilled to welcome Niki Hardy to the show this week! Niki is the author of the Audie Award-nominated Breathe Again and One Minute Prayers for Women With Cancer. Her newest book, God, Can We Chat? A Daringly Honest Guide to Growing Closer to God, One Doubt at a Time, hit shelves in March, which I’m so excited to chat about today.

Niki has left corporate life, moved continents, gone to seminary, planted churches, launched businesses and nonprofits, and navigated seasons of deep loss, cancer, church hurt, and painful uncertainty. Through it all, she firmly believes that God loves a cheerful doubter.

In this conversation, we talk about what it means to bring your real questions and struggles to God, and how to navigate those seasons when it feels like He’s silent. It’s a rich and hope-filled reminder that joy can exist even in the hardest seasons.

4:30 – Niki 101

• Moving from the UK to North Carolina
• What led Niki to becoming an author
• Niki’s family and love for nature

6:11 – The Cheerful Doubter

• Niki’s struggle to reconcile her doubts
• Turning towards God in times of doubt
• How doubt and faith can coexist

12:51 – Walking in Doubt

• For the person that feels let down by God
• Practical steps for doubt walking
• The acronym “CHAT”

23:35 – The Legacy of Doubting Saints

• Peter walking on water
• Devotional elements and exercises Niki’s book
• Holding doubts and joys together

29:08 – God, Can We Speed Chat?

• Rapid fire questions with Niki
• Where you can connect with Niki
• Getting your copy of God, Can We Chat?

FEATURED QUOTES

“I think God actually loves a cheerful doubter. I think he'd rather we came to him than we just slid out the side door.”

“Feel free to question His presence and His provision and His providence and His goodness and His mercy, and cry out to Him, but turn towards him, not away from him.”

“I think holding the doubt and the questions and the confusion in tension with the joy and the love and the faith that we do have is just such a healthy way of walking our faith journey out.”

Learn more about Niki:

https://www.nikihardy.com/

Get your copy of God, Can We Chat?

https://www.nikihardy.com/godcanwechat

Niki on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NikiHardyauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niki.hardy/?hl=en